John Wick 2 / Raw

I skipped 2014's John Wick, but this year's sequel left a big impression. Now it feels like sequel because it has a semi-stock plot and Keanu Reeves is comfortable but maybe not as engaged as he can be. But the film overall is a thrilling, intelligent, non-cliche ode to Cold War espionage and modern gangster films. All with the Eastern religious principles and universal themes Reeves includes in most of his major work. The script again is clever and the directing is quite dazzling at times, making incredible use of the action and beautiful locations, but Reeves has become one of the true auteurist actors whose strong voice is unmistakable and very helpful. You can tell how hard he works on the quality action choreography, ironing out the script and keeping other actors on their toes.

In many ways, it feels like a showcase of ingredients sorely missing from other action franchises, a highlight reel of high action movie IQ styled into a film. But it doesn't feel like boring aesthetic exercise or pretentious masturbatory machismo. Its old school and very faithful to its inspirations (Bond, Punisher, Death Wish, Beverly Hills Cop, Cobra, Commando), but totally open to the ideas of Kubrick, Refn and more risky filmmakers. The film exemplifies its class with a great nod to The Shining, basing the look of a character on another, but NOT the personality. Thats how nostalgic influences should be incorporated. Creatively, distinctly and respectfully.

But films are ideological and I dig the message. Here is a person haunted by who he was. Unlike the Bourne films, he knows who he is now and has to fight to continue being that good person. But he also accepts the killing machine he still is and uses it as a weapon. This is kung fu Jesus, which Keanu has trailblazed and owned as a character archetype. Somewhere between Zen master and vigilante superhero, while weighed to a realistic world thats logical and pessimistic. And the whole ride ends with a fantastic cliffhanger that matches its unique worldview. I'm now a big fan of this movie's world.

Raw was not so fun. Its a bland "horror lite" story about the savagery of sisters and how awkward college age is. Indie horror has become saturated in films like this (Ginger Snaps, Excision, Tale of Two Sisters, Takashi Miike's chapter of Three Extremes). Its supposed to be a disturbing critique of Millennial morality (or amorality) but it comes off like a stuffy conservative exploitation of young people. Boring rave music, young girl's asses in the camera, candy colored blood all over the screen and a bizarre treatment of vegetarianism that is supposed to be mocking and supportive but just comes across boneheaded. The script is paper thin and minus its 2017 characterizations of young women and gays, its like any shitty slasher cash-in out of Europe from the 1980s except devoid of the softcore sexuality or moments of macabre or grue. I was surprised how tame this experience was after hearing it made audiences sick. Pussies.

Films like this are so typical of digital age indie filmmaking: focused so much on brief moments of visual splendor or "shocking" a soccer mom audience who will never watch this (except maybe the director's) that it can't be bothered on logical characters or creative shots or sustaining interest at all. On its most successful level its a dark satire about young women finding wild abandon after adolescent repression, but it never comes off dark enough or funny enough. The recently ended TV show Girls did it so much better, nailed a dozen of the same scenes and ideas too. And that show is quite passe now. I don't think its crazy to find influence in that show but this is a weak tribute.