I like doing year end lists simply because I'm forced to compare films I wouldn't watch otherwise and find gems.
The Dark Tower got scolding reviews from popular critics and middle class white audiences who were so much more enamored with the reboot of Stephen King's IT. Now I haven't seen that film, but its reviews from its own fanbase are cold. What I found in Dark Tower was a very modest, watchable, unusual and kinda bad ass adventure film. It was sold as a dumb shoot em up superhero-style film and while it is gritty, hyperkinetic and cartoony, its a family film. Its like The Matrix for kids. This film is bound to earn a cult following and, while it could've benefited from another script draft and a much tighter final scene, this is good popcorn entertainment.
I'm such a fan of this film for its very "woke" philosophical message. In a year full of mainstream Nazis, Illuminati puppetry in vogue and general corporate evil triumphing over democracy, here's a film about a misfit kid fighting apocalyptic White Satan with the help of his surrogate father, a black vigilante Jesus. Bold move from Sony, Ron Howard and Akiva Goldsman. I fucking hate franchises but I'll take a Dark Tower 2 if it sticks to its message of deprogramming tomorrow's leaders.
Happy Death Day was another cute teen-oriented movie. This one found major success as its another cheaply produced, decently executed and mega-promoted film from producer Jason Blum. In 2017 he gave us Get Out, Split, Amityville Awakening and probably some other shit. The guy is laughing to the bank on these "horror" films that really are spoofs and exploitations of the horror genre. Thats not even a real complaint but it is disheartening that he's averse to producing really powerful, visceral horror cinema. But his films have an indie/outsider spirit, good talent and they get young people interested in the theater experience.
This film is a reworking of Groundhog's Day (it doesn't deny it) and of course its inferior, dumber and cornier. The filmmakers kinda insult the intelligence of young fans and adults who must sit through this, but the redeeming thing about HDD is this it boasts the most complex female character of the year AND she's the protagonist. We see her have a full arc from obnoxious, self-obsessed bitch to empathetic, responsible young woman without any pandering or making her a perfect queen genius or a weak, fragile baby doll. Most of the characters are stereotypes and the plot is fairly predictable and there are no big laughs, but it will satisfy its core audience: young girls. And they have enough woman-hating/man-hating garbage filling their minds that a small bit of smart feminism goes a long way.
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