The Huckleberries Vol. 14 - They Will Kill You & Ready or Not 2: Here I Come

     Obviously we want to have an area for reviewing new films here at The Film Encomium, but we want to send a message with our methodology. That message is a simple one: Don’t forget about the fun. 

Yes, film can be transformative, prophetic, and groundbreaking. It can also be none of those things and still be a damn good time, and we want to validate both of those experiences. If you want to be shown the world as you know it with one simple ubiquitous layer peeled back, we recommend the works of Taylor Hackford; but if you want to become well-rounded, you should still know the name William Girdler. 

It is from the balance of Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn that we draw inspiration for the title of this section. Tom is clever; Tom is great. If there were one of those boys we were going to try to get into Harvard, it would be young Mr. Sawyer…but he will always need his Huckleberry. 

We all need our Huckleberries. Art needs its Huckleberries. Sometimes beauty is in the little things and reasoned reflection. Other times beauty is loud, bright, and bold. In the interest of providing our readers with a comprehensive experience, we are not willing to skip The Huckleberries. 

So, with that in mind, here are two enthralling flicks that dropped in theaters recently. The first will lead you on a glorious rampage. The second will remind you that it doesn’t always matter if you want to fight, sometimes the fight is coming for you anyway. Enjoy!

They Will Kill You -

It’s not fair to call Zazie Beetz an emerging talent at this stage in her career. In the span of just more than a decade in the industry, she has shown the ability to excel at both dramatic and comedic roles which span not only film and television but also outstanding work in both live and voice acting. She has showcased the capacity to thrive dramatic and comedic scenarios, regardless of whether she is working in a lead or supporting role. It wouldn’t even be reasonable to consider her a newcomer to the action genre, as she is a veteran of three different comic universes (Deadpool, Invincible, and Joker).

The question we are left with is why does her portrayal of Asia Reaves in They Will Kill You still carry with it such an air of arrival? Well, it may be because those of us who have been following Beetz’ career have been waiting for her to get the opportunity to be the centerpiece of something like this. This is an actress in the prime of her career who flourishes in the realms of the badass and bizarre, and Kiril Sokolov’s grindhouse action-thriller gives her the chance to finally spread her wings as the focal point of an entire production—and she certainly made the most of that runaway. 

Beetz may have been the nucleus, but that does not diminish the glow of those working around her. Support from industry icons such as Heather Graham, Tom Felton, Paterson Joseph, and Patricia Arquette—not to mention a compelling turn from Myha’la as Asia’s sister Maria Reaves—all add credence to the framing of the central storyline. Toss in a vibey soundtrack from Carlos Rafael Rivera and some of the most inventive camerawork of the year compliments of cinematographer Isaac Bauman, and you have quite the canvas for a budding superstar to leave an impression. 

This film takes lessons from the great grindhouse flicks of the past and follows them through to their next logical progression. It takes the aura of a Tarantino or Robert Rodriguez bloodbath and pulls itself slightly closer to the orbit of our own world—which winds up making the whole spectacle all the more obscene. It is violent and untamed; a film that would rather ask for forgiveness than permission. If your idea of a good time is a deluge of devilry that goes down like you’re hotboxing a hurricane, you could do far worse than this wild-eyed ride.  

Ready or Not 2: Here I Come -

It isn’t all that often that we get to see a satanic cult movie get the Terminator 2 Treatment, and this attempt at that shows us why that is a damn shame. Once a universe has transported you to a place where the Devil—or Mr. Le Bail, in this case—is making bona fide deals with influential individuals around the planet, it almost inherently paints a larger picture of scheming and manipulation. By the end of Ready or Not, neither the characters nor the audience are laboring under any delusions about the reality of those malvolent machinations. 

Therefore, when we are re-inserted into the timeline immediately after the culmination of those events, it is a rebirth into an already largely disillusioned world. This film hits the ground running because nothing else would have made sense. In fact, Radio Silence (a.k.a. the directorial duo of Matt Bettinelli-Olin and Tyler Gillett) has confirmed that this whole sequel spun out of a scrapped post-credit scene that Guy Busick and R. Christopher Murray had written for the original. From the first moments, this extension of that storyline has us diving headfirst back into the darkness.

Samara Weaving picks up where she left off with the initial installment, ruthlessly portraying Grace MacCaullay, who is joined for this round by her emergency contact and sister Faith MacCaullay—played by Kathryn Newton. Their chemistry is one of the core strengths of this film, with Samara/Grace trying to quickly bring Kathryn/Faith up to speed on the rather complicated situation they find themselves in. It’s a wonderful dynamic that allows the filmmakers to double up on the trauma; it hits once through the eyes of someone learning about this demonic subculture for the first time, while accentuating the subtle shift in a heroine who has had a moment to process this wretched reality. 

An entire entourage of evil overlords stand against the MacCaullay women in this encounter. At the head of that infinitely powerful serpent is the Danforth family—who are the familial line worth the most not only within the scope of the storyline but also likely in regards to the film’s budget, as they are played by David Cronenberg, Sarah Michelle Gellar, and Shawn Hatosy. Hatosy in particular excels in his portrayal of the psychotic twin, Titus. That is hardly where the ensemble ends, however, as Kevin Durand, Olivia Cheng, Varun Saranga, Nestor Carbonell, and ESPECIALLY Elijah Wood as “the Lawyer” all bring their own notable talents to this most dangerous game. 

This work could stand alone if it had to, but it isn’t our recommended viewing method. As a duology, it is a brisk binge that functions best as two halves of a whole. Either one of them on its own would likely meet or exceed your expectations, but as complimentary acts of a single arrangement? The Ready or Not double-feature is an exceptional addition to any scary movie night in your immediate or distant future. 

~The Film Encomium~