As fast as this year’s festival arrived, it has sadly ended. In my final set of reviews for the festival, I partake in quite the smattering of genres, with a horror-comedy, a documentary, a drama, and a heady sci-fi. Who says you can’t get a bit of everything? Thus, the beauty of the film festival experience.
Werewolves Within (Josh Ruben)
The film opens with Finn (Sam Richardson) arriving as Beaverfield’s new ranger, a town full of oddballs and eccentrics. We quickly get introduced as he does, with a tour by mailperson Cecily Moore (Milana Vayntrub) after investigating his first formal complaint. Most of the film takes place right after Finn arrives, and after a storm snows, the town in a mysterious animal attack isolates them even further.
Shacked up at a local inn, Werewolves Within has a small cast, or as you might say “possible suspects” as bodies begin falling, and a strange hair pulled from one point to lycanthrophy. The townspeople are already divided because of a proposed pipeline, so it’s easy to start pointing fingers. Many of the supporting characters are caricatures, which is never ideal, but not unexpected either. In the context of the story, it really doesn’t matter- most of the characters aren’t likable, and some of their outrageous behavior only strengthens the tone as the silliness ensues.
The comedy at play here is really where the film finds its home. It combines that with horror, as well as the mystery of the “whodunnit.” The talented cast and directorial vision by Josh Ruben make one of the better video game adaptations (with a script by Mishna Wolff) that I’ve seen. Richardson especially shows his ability to lead a film, as the overly nice guy who is forced to be a hero. The set design and locale of the town also work to sell the atmosphere, with the overall contagious comedy entertaining us until the final, showdown.
Werewolves Within is a total blast of a film that doesn’t take itself too seriously, and neither do we. What it aims to do, it does; the perfect summer-movie night watch.
The Kids (Eddie Martin)
I still remember the first time I saw Larry Clark’s 1995 film (a cultural landmark of the time). It was hard then to identify what exactly had affected me so greatly (an overwhelming icky factor?), but it is one that has always stayed with me. Over the years, I had seen what tragically happened to some of its cast, and I was interested to know more. The Kids, directed by Eddie Martin takes a closer look at the group at the center of the film (many who weren’t actors prior) giving us an honest look at their lives before, and since finding their way to the screen.
The 95 film always felt exploitive but after seeing The Kids it’s as if the cinematic cobwebs have been cleared, showing just how much it really was. It’s not an easy watch, for a variety of reasons (the entire filming of Kids is consumed with inappropriate behavior), but first and foremost because it shows how much this group was failed and let down.
With a lot of interviews from the cast, cut with home videos, and film clips, the film provides a clearer image of what really happened. From the point of view of those who lived it, we go back to the beginning. Many were plucked from a group of skateboarding impoverished kids in NYC in the 90s. They were approached by Clark and given the taste- gleaming and mislead- of fame- and then left again where they were found.
Both Larry Clark and screenwriter (Harmony Korine) of Kids, refused to make statements on this documentary (not surprising when you see how they handled questions in a clip from a Cannes Film Festival press conference). The film leans on the bias of those involved, and while some parts are overexplored -and others underrepresented- it’s enough to deliver a powerful documentary that’s truly hard to forget.
Martin does a terrific job of giving the opportunity for them to tell their story. It’s just a shame it took so long.
No Future (Andrew Irvine, Mark Smoot)
In Andrew Irvine and Mark Smoot‘s drama No Future, one of the strongest driving forces is the characters, and most importantly the performances that capture their plights.
Will (Charlie Heaton) is a recovering addict. He seems to be doing better, with a stable job and a positive relationship with Becca (Rosa Salazar) who seems to be his shining light. But, when an old friend Chris (Jefferson White) shows up, struggling, and he later finds out he has overdosed, Will is stuck in the agony of his guilt. From here he reconnects with Chris’s mother Claire (Catherine Keener) and the two quickly start an affair. In many ways, their relationship isn’t about sex, but more about their shared grief and pain.
No Future doesn’t capture a large portion of time, but what it does manage is done so with sensitivity and care, translating to a film that resonates because of its realism and themes. The film caters to grounded human emotion, even when it is discomforting. At times there are choices structurally that seem uncertain, which could just be a case of prioritizing some plot elements more than others, but it doesn’t break the overall gut-punch the movie provides.
The film really focuses on the emotional journey of the characters, and both Heaton and Keener do an exceptional job. Salazar also does a lot with the scenes she is in, making her character’s presence felt despite limited screen time.
The film isn’t plot-heavy. There isn’t a lot that happens and it takes place over a fairly short period of time, yet, while the script may be subtle, the feeling it projects is not. Also written by Irvine and Smoot, No Future is a bleak film, with a screenplay that doesn’t require flash to spark an impression. And it most certainly does.
We interviewed star Charlie Heaton and the writer/directors, to read click here.
Ultrasound (Rob Schroeder)
As Ultrasound begins we’re given a mysterious, but intriguing premise: Glen Vincent Kartheiser has car trouble and knocks on a nearby door. There he’s greeted by a husband Arthur, and wife Cyndi, (Chelsea Lopez and Bob Stephenson) who offer to let him stay the night and… more specifically: spend it with her. Everything about the encounter is shrouded with a strange haze – something that’s continued throughout the film- as to say that what’s happening is definitely not what it seems. There’s also another storyline with Shannon (Breeda Wool), working at a secretive research facility, who begins to wonder what exactly she’s partaking in.
The film lured me in immediately, and while I will make the point to say it didn’t completely sell the promise of the premise, it was still successful in many ways. Some viewers may consider giving up halfway, and I’d still argue against that impulse, even if I also understand the itch.
When Ultrasound is working it is sleek and compelling, keeping you determined to know what exactly is going on, and how far the rabbit hole goes. There are some inherently fascinating and original ideas being explored here that continually keep you guessing, with stylish visuals to accompany. However, within its Sci-Fi origins were also the kind of trappings that muddled its overall effect.
I really wanted to love Ultrasound. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case. Maybe because I love the genre so I hold it to a higher standard, but I still liked it- I was just ultimately disappointed in some of the stumbles it takes to get to its (to be fair, excellent) ending.
That’s the end of this year’s coverage- until next year!
Were you able to see any of the films at Tribeca Film Festival this year? What did you think? Let us know in the comments below!
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