One Night In Miami Is A Well-Acted And Thought-Provoking Historical Drama That Marks A Largely Impressive Directorial Debut For Regina King

      

      When it comes to historical dramas, one of the key elements that often make numerous ones work are the authenticity that the filmmakers behind them give the stories. The audience looks for that realism which ultimately transports them into the films setting, so they can live and breathe the environment that the main characters are in. If they're​ able to find themselves buying the different time settings the stories present, along with connecting with the characters, than the filmmakers essentially succeeded with their storytelling. With One Night In Miami, Oscar winning actress turned feature film director Regina King transports audiences back to mid 1960's Miami during the heat of the civil rights movement. Rather than showing the events of the era, she chooses to focus on a pivotal night where some of the key figures of the civil rights movement such as Malcom X, NFL star Jim Brown, singer Sam Cooke, and boxing champion Cassius Clay all join together to celebrate the latter's surprise title victory over Sonny Liston, with their meeting turning into a philosophical debate over their different approaches and methods in regards to the fight for civil rights for African-Americans. What could've essentially ended up being a rather bland and boring film is made an engaging and powerful one mainly due to King's surprisingly steady and intimate approach to telling the story, along with the stellar performances she's able to get out of her enormously talented cast. One Night In Miami serves as being a fitting portrait of several larger-than-life individuals, who are all essentially fighting the same battle but have different approaches in regards to doing so with the film bringing them down to a more human level. The end result rightfully standing as being one of 2020's best films thus far.

      Based on the 2013 award-winning play of the same name, the plot for One Night In Miami centers the story around the surprise boxing victory of Cassius Clay (Eli Goree) over Sonny Liston. The aftermath places Clay with Malcom X (Kingsley Ben-Adir), Sam Cooke (Leslie Odom Jr.) and Jim Brown (Aldis Hodge) all gathering in a hotel room in Miami with them discussing, disagreeing and debating with each other on their roles in the civil rights movements, utilizing both their celebrity influence as well as discussing religious views. Although the film is a fictionionalized meeting between the four civil rights figures, the execution of it is so convincing that audiences could literally buy it as being real without question. What Regina King does well with handling the story, is giving audiences the essence of the real-life individuals with audiences being sold on each actor playing their respective parts, as well as those not familiar with these men getting a general outline of what their beliefs and personalities are like. The story is so well-executed and directed with a clear respect and admiration for these characters, that audiences ultimately buy the authenticity of these four individuals coming together and clashing over whose vision of the civil rights movement is more effective than the other in regards to bringing about change. King impresses here with how steady she keeps the story focused, while personalizing all of the main characters. Given that this is her first feature film, she appears to hold a firm grip over her craft with crafting a hauntingly powerful story about a turbulent era that was plagued by racism with each successful African-American figure trying in their own ways to make a difference in bringing about change. The story for One Night In Miami is an absorbing one with its story not just serving as a reflection of the past, but feels appropriate and timely for today. As both a historical drama and set-piece, One Night In Miami largely excels with Regina King establishing herself as being a promising new filmmaker with genuine talent at directing. 

       The key elements of One Night In Miami that make it so effective and hard-hitting for audiences is the performances of the main cast. The ensemble presented here does a fantastic job of playing their parts with everyone feeling perfectly-casted in bringing their real-life figures to life, along with embodying both their personality traits and spirit. There isn't one performance shown that's lacking with everyone giving their all with their parts with the strongest work coming from Kingsley Ben-Adir and Leslie Odom Jr. in their respective roles as Malcom X and Sam Cooke. Both actors give phenomenal performances with the audience witnessing the contrast in both mens beliefs, as well as their approaches towards the civil rights movement. Adir is terrific as Malcom and gives the best on screen performance of the civil rights figure since Denzel Washington played him in Spike Lee's acclaimed 1992 drama Malcom X. Malcom is portrayed as being someone who cares about his friends, while also seeing the valued potential they carry in regards to using their celebrity status to advance the fight for African-Americans to be treated better. Adir shows Malcom's tendency to come down hard on the others, particularly Cooke when criticizing his contentment to sing music for whites, along with letting them take his music and claim it as their own despite getting a portion of the profits due to contractural agreement. Although Malcom's character may appear as being too hard on Cooke and the others, he clearly means well and wants them to have a similar mindset in fighting for the rights of African-Americans that's comparable to his. Leslie Odom Jr. completely shines in his role as Sam Cooke, while working well off Adir's performance. Odom's performance is key to the story with his character having the strongest arc out of everyone shown in the story, with him conveying a strong level of emotion, especially with his characters final scene in the film that's undeniably powerful. In the roles of Cassius Clay/Muhammad Ali and Jim Brown, both Eli Goree and Aldid Hodge give strong performances with Goree's portrayal of Clay being striking with him conveying all the right mannerisms required for the part of playing loud-mouthed Cassius. Aldid Hodge plays Jim Brown as being the more laid back and confident figure of the four with him showing quieter yet visible frustration with the mistreatment he receives due to his skin color as evidenced at the beginning of the film with him being forced to stay on the porch of an acquaintances house due to being black. The rest of the supporting cast turns in notably effective performances with Lance Reddick as Malcom's bodyguard Brother Kareem with Christian magby as Jamaal, Joaquin Kalukango as Malcom's wife Betty X, Nicolette Robinson as Barbara Cooke, and Beau Bridges as Jim Brown's racist acquaintance Mr. Brown. Overall, the cast for One Night In Miami does a fantastic job of not only playing their real-life counterparts, but doing so with a clear respect and admiration for their roles. The film works as effectively as it does in being a powerful historical drama because of their efforts, and ultimately wouldn't be as memorable if they weren't involved. The cast serves as being the life of the film, and is what drives home the films main themes and overall message. 

      Along with the films acting performances, the directing by Regina King proves to be nothing short of impressive here with her creating an atmosphere that has both the look and feel of the 1960's era with excellent cinematography, costume, and set design. King directs the film with a clear vision of what she wants to show with her presenting the evening with all four civil rights leaders as being a significant moment for the audience. The camera work shown in the film feels as if its floating during the scenes with the four so the performances of the main actors dominate the scenes, along with the audience feeling as if they're in the room watching this monumental moment. King gives the film a slow pace that allows the audience to connect with the group as a whole, giving each main character a speech or monologue that turns the spotlight towards them. The films score by Terrence Blanchard is effective in not only driving the emotional core of the story, but also emphasizing the legacy of Sam Cooke with references to his work including his trademark song "A Change Is Gonna Come", which plays a key part in the films story. With One Night In Miami, King brings a lot of talent to the project with her doing such a skillful job of directing the story that audiences would never guess that this is her first time behind the camera. She keeps the films main narrative focused while successfully humanizing the main figures. With the meeting of the four civil rights titans, King doesn't simply set out to tell the story, but rather aims to make it an experience that the audience will unquestionably think about, as well as reflect upon long after the end credits roll. 

      The screenplay written by Kemp Powers is a thought-provoking piece that covers themes pertaining to racism, the fight for civil rights, fame, regrets, using ones celebrity status to help push change, oppression, empowerment, and the power that one holds in ultimately making a difference. What the script does well is not just exploring and weaving all of these themes into the story, but showing all the different ways that successful African-Americans tried to make a difference in making the world around them a better place for their community. The script shows each person's struggle with trying to bring about change while experiencing their own share of setbacks and unique form of discrimination such as Jim Brown's character being a successful NFL star, but isn't allowed to set foot in a white persons home solely based on his skin color alone. Another form of discrimination touched upon is the mentioning of Sam Cooke's music barely cracking the top 100 songs, but a song centering around oppression that's performed by Bob Dylan making its way to the top of the charts. Of all the character arcs presented of the four main figures, Sam Cooke's character has the most fulfilling one with him shown as being a struggling artist in the beginning to becoming a successful one in the end with "A change Is Gonna Come" ending up as his finest achievement with him delivering both a powerful and meaningful message behind it. The script for One Night In Miami is brilliantly-written and padded in regards to giving the audiences insight into each persons background, as well as their way of thinking and how they perceive the fight for civil rights to be. The thrill that the audience gets out of seeing these individuals all together are the different type of perspectives clashing, as well as the humanizing of the main characters as audiences know them as being powerful leaders though often forgetting that they were human like everyone else. The relationship between Malcom X and Cassius serves as the heart of the story with Malcom X being proud of Clay becoming a Muslim and helping advance the fight for civil rights, but finds himself being conflicted with staying under the leadership of Muslim leader Elijah Muhammad after a scandal breaks out regarding adultery. Malcom's humanity is put on full display here in comparison to the other characters with Sam Cooke having the second biggest character arc. The films showcasing of the two clashing over their different approaches to fighting for civil rights is compelling along with being revealing with the fact that it shows Malcom's​ antagonizing of Cooke is partially rooted by his own stress in his life regarding being constantly harassed by the FBI, as well as fears about his schism with Elijah Muhammad. Although the script makes a point to show the four men's clear respect and admiration for each other, the writing truly comes alive and is at its most effective when the men clash over their own situations in dealing with racism, along with their own distinct plans of combating it. One Night In Miami unpacks a lot with it's scriptwriting, and does a great job of exploring these four key figures and giving audiences the essence of who they are while showing a more personal and human side of them too. The script isn't so much about a hangout between them, but shows the sharing as well as clashing of ideas, experiences, and hard-hitting realities with the men all realizing in the end that they're all in the same fight together regardless of what way they choose to approach the situation. The script also shows the strength of friendship with Malcom X's character later revealing to Cassius, that he's leaving the Muslim organization and creating his own with him offering Clay the opportunity to join him. Feeling betrayed by this move, Clay becomes angry and asks Malcom if the reason he wanted him to become a Muslim was so that he could bring attention to his new organization through the converting of Clay with X assuring him that it isn't. Such a moment is a significant one in the story because it shows the bond that the two men share as friends, along with the group essentially being there for each other and ultimately leaning on the other for support. For a script that carries a basic premise, One Night In Miami feels heavy and doesn't waste any moment in maximizing the development of both the stories themes and characters to their full potential.

      Despite the films story being one that's well-told, it won't be one that'll sit as being easy viewing for audiences with the issue of racism making it feel both significantly heavy, as well as depressing at times. Whereas One Night In Miami delivers audiences a painful reflection of a turbulent time in American history, it also provides hope with giving audiences key figures in the fight for civil rights whom they can ultimately relate to depending on whose beliefs they find themselves ultimately lining up with. It's no question that the film will provoke numerous debates, as well as discussions with audiences in regards to which person has the best approach to fighting for civil rights with them ultimately appreciating each persons attempt to make society better for African-Americans. Regina King makes no hesitation in presenting these men as being larger-than-life individuals with each receiving their key moments in driving the power of the story. Along with doing so, she shows them not just as four heavyweights of the civil rights era, but rather four men who are on the cusp of making decisions within their lives that will unquestionably divide and anger others with most being done for a greater cause. Although history regards them as unforgettable faces, King goes a step further to show audiences that they were also relatable individuals, who were driven by pure ideology and action. It's a remarkable tribute to all four men, while also doing justice to the play that inspired what's become a well made piece of cinema. One Night In Miami is a well-cast and tremendously acted historical drama that marks King's entrance into the world of directing on a thunderous note, while reminding audiences that although times have changed significantly since the era these men lived in, there's still much more work to be done. The greatest shame would be if the film fails to receive significant Academy Award recognition.

Final Verdict: For historical buffs and those who enjoy films based on well-staged plays as well as the civil rights era, One Night In Miami is a must see triumph for first time director Regina King.

The Little Things Delivers Solid Performances But Largely Disappoints As Being A Mediocre Crime Thriller

 

      When it comes to crime thrillers, most generally end up being entertaining with many following the same basic conventions, that largely make up the genre. Great murder-mystery thrillers such as David Fincher's Seven for example rely on smart writing, brilliant directing which gives the film a persistent pace in regards to suspense, and top notch performances from its main leads that ultimately brings believability to the films story. Although the formula may feel a bit familiar to audiences with two know-it-all cops being forcibly put together in an effort to solve a series of murders committed by a slick and calculated serial killer who remains on the loose up until this point, it's the distinct ways that each films respective filmmakers bring their stories to the big screen which make them memorable. With The Little Things, the filmmakers behind the story assemble a powerful trio of reliable method actors in the main roles to bring credibility to the story with the likes of Academy Award Winners Denzel Washington, Rami Malek, and Jared Leto. Following the same formula of Fincher's film that's become basic in telling a compelling murder-mystery story, The Little Things aims to be something more masterful, unpredictable, and exciting than what it ultimately ends up being. Although the film carries with it fantastic performances from its main leads, it finds itself mostly struggling to tell a truly compelling murder mystery story largely due to its extremely slow-pacing as well as a true lack of suspense that the film itself is largely devoid of. Given the strength of the films main leads as actors, the material they work off doesn't match the calibre of the performances they bring to the screen.

      The plot for The Little Things centers around a former detective (Played by Denzel Washington) whose promising career derailed when he became fixated on catching a serial killer, teams up with a young, up-and-coming detective (Played by Rani Malek) to continue the search. As the two become more obsessed with catching him, they begin to step outside of their police procedures with it resulting in unpredictable yet severe consequences. The plot for The Little Things bears a close resemblance to Fincher's Seven despite it being noted that the script for the former was written prior to Fincher's film in the 1990's. Perhaps one of the core reasons it took so long to finally be brought to the screen was the inescapable comparison that would be drawn between the two films. Although The Little Things bears strong similarities to Fincher's work with the whole plot involving a veteran and younger cop pursuing a methodical killer with a surprise end twist accompanying the plot, it attempts for the most part to carry out its own story although the end result doesn't prove to be anywhere as memorable in regards to quality. The Little Things suffers from audiences being already familiar with the mechanics of the plot with nothing new being brought to the table which makes it  feel innovative or truly thrilling. It's no question that the main actors attempted to elevate the film to being something more than just a serviceable thriller, but that's ultimately what it ends up being. The Little Things desires to be a thriller that's both unique and compelling from start to finish in a vein similar to classics such as Fincher's Seven or Michael Mann's Manhunter, but it doesn't feel as if the maximum effort went into making its plot work. From a visual standpoint, the film is cleverly shot with impressive cinematography, but what hurts the film on a significant level and ultimately bogs it down is the slow pacing that accompanies the story. For two thirds of the films 128 minute running time, there isn't much happening that's significant enough to keep audiences at the edge of their seat besides the strong work that both Washington and Malek put into their performances. The films climactic sequence, though effective, feels too similar to the one presented in Seven for comfort. The Little Things is a film that possesses interesting themes such as the notion that its the little things which ultimately get one caught as Denzel Washingtons character repeatedly tells Malek's throughout the film, as well as the exploring of cops becoming so obsessed with their cases that they ultimately lose sight of everything else along with that obsession making them cross the line of doing what's morally right by the law to catch the ones responsible. The Little Things serves as being a thriller with the right idea and intentions behind it, but it's overall execution leaves much to be desired in regards to its story with the whole scenario feeling too familiar as well as formulaic for audiences to become truly engaged with it.

      Whereas the film struggles in the storytelling department, the one area where it unequivocally excels at is within the acting department. The performances given by Washington, Malek, and Leto are brilliant and do much in regards to making the whole experience a passable one in terms of watchability. In the films main lead, Denzel Washington once again nails it in his role as Deputy Sheriff Joe Deacon, whose brought back on the case to track a killer he was previously pursuing after a tragic mistake derailed his career. Washington plays his part well while making the audience understand, as well as sympathize with his characters persistence in catching​ his killer. His character comes across as being obsessed with the case along with being remorseful of the fatal mistake he made which resulted in the death of one of the victims he was searching for. Washington continues to demonstrate that he's one of Hollywood's most reliable and talented actors, who can take any material given to him and make his character work regardless of how the rest of the film around him turns out. Rami Malek proves to be a worthy co-star to Washingtons character with him playing recently appointed lead detective Jimmy, who pairs with Joe in solving the case of a new series of murders that connects to old ones he attempted to solve previously. Malek does a solid job with playing his part with both him and Washington making for a dynamic on screen pair. Both men take their roles and attempt to make their cop pairing a thrilling one, which can make up for some of the films shortcomings in regards to its lack of excitement. As good as the main duo perform in their roles, they're​ met with an equally impressive performance from Jared Leto as the detectives main suspect Albert Sparma, who works at a repair store in close proximity to the murders. Leto is chillingly effective in his supporting role as the main duos number one suspect with his character leaving audiences with a huge question mark in regards to whether he's the one Washington and Malek are searching for. Leto plays his character as being a total creeper, though one whose smart enough to get away with leaving zero traces of evidence behind at the crime scenes for the police to pin him on. The rest of the cast turn in serviceable performances with their minimal roles with Isabel Arraiza as Jimmy's wife Ana, Chris Bauer as the main duos fellow detective Sal, and Terry Kinney as Police Captain Farris. When it comes to the acting in The Little Things, it's not even a question on whether the cast as a whole delivered strong performances with the answer being a resounding yes. Everyone appears to be on their A game here and make the most of the material with the strongest work coming from Washington, Malek, and Leto whose surprise Golden Globe nomination for his performance is well-deserved. Regardless of how audiences feel about the film as a whole, it can be unanimously agreed upon that the cast of The Little Things attempted to elevate the film to the status of being an extremely well-executed and believable thriller.

      In addition to the films stellar acting performances, the directing by John Lee Hancock also manages to be appealing with his ability to create an intensely dark and gritty atmosphere with stunning cinematography. When it comes to the films overall visual style, Hancock gives the film the right shadowy mood and look to make the story feel genuinely creepy with the main characters using flashlights to guide their way through areas of pure darkness. The films score by Thomas Newman feels atmospheric with it appropriately being dark in certain areas, while also managing to be hopeful in others. Whereas the cinematography and score both work hand-in-hand​ in regards to enhancing the mood of the story, the films editing is where it finds itself struggling to keep up with the films visual appeal. The pacing gives the film an unevenly slow flow that will unquestionably leave viewers frustrated with one wanting something significant to happen, but unfortunately doesn't for most of the film. With Fincher's Seven, the film took the appropriate time to establish the partnership between Freeman and Pitt's characters while always managing to keep the audience at the edge of their seat in regards to wondering what was gonna happen next. The story was not only engaging but downright creepy, and carried a fear of the unknown vibe to it. The same can't be said with The Little Things as the plot carries potential to be good, but the effort given in the writing department ultimately doesn't match the effort that Hancock delivers in presenting the films overall look.

      The screenplay also written by Hancock serves as being both a hit-and-miss effort with the scripts strength behind the well-established relationship between Washington and Malek's characters. Both characters are thoroughly developed with audiences seeing Malek's character as being a family man outside of his work, though he's shown to become more obsessive with solving the case as the story progresses. Washington's character is portrayed as having a tremendous burden placed on his shoulders in regards to what happened in the past, along with desiring to catch the killer both him and Malek are pursuing. Some of the key themes that are explored in the script are mental illness, estranged families, truth, and obsession with the films ultimate driving message behind it being that it's the little things that will ultimately get one caught. The Little Things wants and desires to be a thriller in the same vein as Fincher's Seven, but doesn't quite know how to go about doing so. One of the scripts biggest problems is its tendency to withhold information from the audience in an effort to make them put the missing pieces of the story together, but the end result ultimately leaves more doors open than closed. The audience is never given any confirmation on whether Leto's character is the real killer that the main characters are searching for, or just some random creepy mechanic that gets a kick out of misleading the cops into thinking he's their suspect when in fact he could be lying about everything. The script largely suffers from a severe lack of anything significant happening within the films first 90 minutes, as audiences are only shown Washington and Malek's characters discussing the case throughout most of the film and peering through dark shadows with their flashlights. The film doesn't truly come alive until Jared Leto's character enters the picture, but even his arc takes a good minute to finally get the film off the ground with it mostly being finished by that point. The screenplay makes an attempt to show both the psychological and emotional toll that murder-mystery cases, as well as chasing serial killers can have on cops with both Washington and Malek's characters shown as becoming more obsessive with solving the murders, with Washingtons character becoming so engulfed in his work that he ultimately pushed aside his marriage, as well as jeopardizing his health in order to do solve a case he never got to close. Out of the two main figures, Washingtons character is shown as the one who carries the heavier emotional burden with him wanting to bring justice to the young ladies killed and showing visible frustration when he isn't able to do so. The films ending can also be read as being a confusing one for audiences with some taking it as a metaphor for the line Washington's character repeatedly stated throughout the film that it's the little things that ultimately gets one caught, along with showing it as being a main characters attempt to justify another's actions and give them hope despite the possibility that they could've very well made a fatal mistake. The latter, if so, can be seen as a problematic ending for audiences with it potentially showing the desperation that the main characters (Both of whom are Police Officers) have in covering up a mistake with them later rationalizing their decision by assuring themselves that they were in the right all along. It could also very well be that Washingtons character experienced so much guilt and remorse for the mistake his character was shown to have made through flashbacks that ruined both his career and life, that he wanted to provide his partner with hope though his final act in the story regarding a crucial piece of evidence that could potentially tie everything together. The ending for The Little Things is one that audiences aren't exactly clear on how it's meant to be read with it ultimately confusing and purposefully leaving things unresolved, rather than giving audiences the conclusion they've been expecting prior. The screenplay is full of ideas that have the potential to work as a solid thriller on its own merits with the problem being that the script leaves too much to the audiences imagination, while relying too much on the formula of other similar thrillers such as Seven to compensate for the lack of originality and freshness that's largely absent here.

      The Little Things is a film that wants to be something more significant than what it ultimately is. It certainly takes steps in that regard with its main cast delivering killer performances, along with the directing giving the film a classical neo-noir style to it. The problem with the film lies not with the performances of the actors nor the look that Hancock gives the film, but ultimately within the screenplay itself. The latter is a tragedy given the effort that the cast puts into making their characters work, along with making the story realistic and thrilling. Instead of being a great thriller on its own right, The Little Things settles for being just a watchable one solely for the performances. Both Washington and Malek are phenomenal here and hold a steady ground with Leto's performance being a scene-stealer, that helps make up for the lack of development with the films side characters surrounding the main ones. If audiences can endure sitting through a largely uneventful and dialogue driven murder mystery, that's made passable largely thanks to the strong performances of its cast, then they may be able to find some form of entertainment out of watching this film. Those looking for a brilliant edge-of-your seat thriller with masterful writing, directing, and acting should watch Seven instead as the latter is far more enjoyable and satisfying than what The Little Things turns out to be, and won't leave audiences feeling a sense of disappointment after watching it.

Final Verdict: Fans of crime thrillers or stars Denzel Washington, Rami Malek, and Jared Leto will find little to enjoy with The Little Things as the film boasts dynamic performances, but moves far too slow for audiences to care much about anything else happening. 

Come Play Surprises As Being A Fairly Decent Horror/Monster Story With A Surprising Amount Of Character Depth And Emotion

 

      With any solid horror movie comes a decent concept which not only inspires creativity, but also an atmosphere that's genuinely creepy along with characters the audience can find themselves ultimately caring about. With Come Play, the latest horror and monster flick aims to rely on a fairly creative concept regarding the preying on young innocent children by a villainous nighttime monster who desires to have a friend, along with being atmospheric in terrifying its audience. What's most shocking about Come Play besides it managing to be reasonably effective in regards to creeping out it's audience, is the surprising amount of depth that the filmmakers put into both the characters and story. While the end result doesn't rank as being anything innovative as it borrows from other successful films in the genre, Come Play manages to entertain as being a fairly decent (If sometimes uneven), horror story that proves to be effective in ultimately making the audience jump.

      Based on a 2017 short film, the plot for Come Play centers around a young autistic boy named Oliver who comes across an app on his tablet which prompts a monster named Larry to haunt him in search of a friend, while attempting to break out into the real world. Upon discovering this, his parents fight to protect him as Larry begins to make his presence known. The plot for Come Play earns points for attempting to bring something new to the table in regards to its concept, while playing off the basic conventions of a horror story. The film carries an old school style build up of suspense with its darkly atmospheric production design and basic directing, which gives it a young Steven Spielberg feel to it. What's most interesting about the way Come Play goes about trying to freak out its audience, is that it doesn't try to be outright scary but builds up its creepiness through both psychological and primal fears. Given that the film is a PG-13 style horror flick, it helps that the film is restrained from relying on excessive amounts of gore in order to unsettle its audience, but relies on solid performances as well as competent directing in being an overall worthwhile experience. Come Play aims to be more than just a cheap and mindless horror flick with its story making a noble attempt at connecting with audiences on an emotional level, along with giving its main characters arcs which is rarely seen in horror films nowadays. As hard as it tries though, the overall film despite being a surprisingly watchable effort in the end, doesn't reach its maximum potential in regards to being fully effective and ultimately settles for being just a fairly decent horror flick.

      The one element of Come Play which audiences can agree upon as being one of its strongest aspects, is the performances of its main cast. The cast as a whole delivers strong performances, that makes their characters come across as being believable as well as being sympathetic to the audience. The most impressive performance in the film comes from Azhy Robertson as Oliver, a young autistic boy who communicates with his parents through his phone due to his inability to speak​. Robertson does a convincing job of playing a young helpless boy, whose aware of Larry's presence around his family but can't communicate with them verbally on what's happening nor express his worst fears. Robertson's​ performance is noteworthy in regards to how he's able to make audiences connect with his character not just with the moments he's interacting with Larry, but his social life as well with the bullying he receives. Gillian Jacobs delivers a strong performance as Oliver's mom Sarah with her character being shown as doing everything possible to bring some normalcy to Oliver's life despite his illness, while also showing visible frustration with his condition. Jacob's nails down the inexperienced yet protective and caring mother role perfectly with her strongest work coming from the scenes in which she fights to protect Oliver from Larry. John Gallagher Jr. does well with his role as Oliver's father Marty, whose separated from his mother due to marriage issues. Gallagher plays the role of the light-hearted yet somewhat neglectful father figure, who at first tries to convince Oliver that there's nothing to fear with the app in his tablet before discovering Larry's presence. In the roles of the parents, both Jacob's and Gallagher make for a convincingly troubled young couple, who put their marriage issues on hold to protect their son from Larry. Another noteworthy performance comes from young actor Winslow Fegley as Oliver's friend turned bully Byron with the latter being misled at first in believing that Oliver chose to stop being his friend, but is later revealed to be a miscommunication between their parents which lead to their friendship being temporarily halted. Fegley does well with showing both the fear and terror his character experiences upon discovering the app on Oliver's tablet. The cast for Come Play does an overall solid job of playing their roles, while making their characters convincingly relatable as well as being sympathetic. Much of the films power in terms of being an effective horror and mystery thriller comes directly from the efforts the main cast put into making the story work. Everyone shown in the film gives the impression that they're doing their absolute best to make the most of the story given to them with their characters having complete arcs, ultimately making a big difference in regards to their characters not feeling completely one-dimensional for a typical horror story.

      In terms of the films directing, Come Play's director Jacob Chase proves to be effective at creating dark and uneasy atmospheres while managing to keep everything within the realm​ of being PG-13. He crafts Larry's appearance to be one that's terrifying for audiences, though the use of CGI on his character comes across as being a mixed bag with him looking rather uneven at times. The scenes that are meant to be scary are both well-staged and executed with the quick glimpses the audience receive of Larry, being ones that manage to make for solid jump scares. The film is well shot with Chase keeping Larry's character hidden in the shadows until his ultimate reveal, allowing for the cinematography to utilize lots of dark lighting to keep the creatures appearance/location a mystery for the audience. Like most horror movies, Come Play maintains a traditional yet tightly-paced running time of 95 minutes with the film moving at a steady pace, which allows both the characters as well as their arcs to be fully fleshed out. The editing also consists of quick cuts with one scene immediately jumping to the next showcasing tight compositions, along with abrasive sound mixing to locations out in the open. Both Chase and the films editor allow the tension within the scenes to naturally build up, as well as letting shots take a form of their own. The score also proves effective in adding to both the horror aspects of the story, as well as enhancing the stories emotional core with the sound mixing being brilliantly utilized with the noise Larry makes with his slow footsteps in announcing his presence to both the characters and the audience, being a cleverly added touch. When it comes to directing the story, Chase appears to have a close eye for detail when staging horror scenes and filming them. The film has an all around solid production, that makes it appear to be well-filmed with the jump scares being effective for the most part with few misses. The use of modern technology such as Larry's app appearing on phones as well as tablets, adds to the stories creativity with giving it a present day approach despite the films atmosphere giving it an early E.T. and Close Encounters Of The Third Kind feel to it. Although Chase is no Spielberg when it comes to directing, he does a decent enough job in crafting what's essentially a creepy ghost story, that ultimately proves effective in scaring the films targeted demographic, which in this case are young teens.

      In addition to the films strong acting and effective directing, the writing also done by Chase surprises with the amount of depth given to all the main characters in the story. Come Play's plot is not just a horror story, but also manages to be one that revolves around themes regarding empathy, a family, struggling with autism with the screenplay showing the struggle that parents have with raising a young child with a disability. The script makes it a point to show Oliver's struggle with making friends as he's shown to be socially distant, while also being constantly bullied at school. The writing takes interesting turns with little subtle things being added in the story to help flesh out the personality of Oliver, such as the use of SpongeBob SquarePants playing a sizable role in the story with Oliver's character being shown watching scenes from the cartoon, along with humming the main theme in order to calm himself. His parents are also shown to have relationship struggles in a way that feels both natural and realistic to the audience, with them being able to picture themselves in those scenes. The scripts greatest strength lies within the effort it puts into humanizing its key characters, ultimately making the audience care about them when they end up in moments of peril. The screenplay makes a point to show Oliver's mother Sarah's struggle with dealing with her son's condition with her frustration allowing her to make irrational choices due to not knowing what to do. Marty's character being shown working at a parking booth adds to the slick cleverness of the plot with it brilliantly setting up an opportunity for Larry to make his presence known through the use of electricity. One of the scripts most interesting and bold direction that it takes besides showing the relationship of Oliver's family, is portraying the monster named Larry as being a lonely creature who just wants to have a friend. The twist serves as being one that feels like a similar approach to E.T. except with a horror twist added in. The concept of his character terrorizing others at night through the use of electricity is both interesting and well-handled. The scripts moments where it struggles is when it throws conveniently forced plot twists at the audience such as Byron's character shown as being a bully to Oliver in the beginning with him later being revealed​ as being former friends, who quit being such due to their parents miscommunicating over a physical altercation between the two (Oliver's mother was essentially trying to protect him from facing scrutiny over the incident due to his autism). Such a sequence (Along with others) feels thrown out of left field, despite it having a satisfying payoff in the end involving Oliver, Byron and the other boys who helped the latter bully Oliver. The films end twist is one that's shocking yet gives the film a surprisingly emotional finale, which adds heart to the overall story. The scriptwriting for Come Play isn't perfect and occasionally experiences its share of hiccups, but the overall groundwork and laying out of the story is handled fairly well with the characters having actual personalities to them, along with an ending that's simply bittersweet. Its also a smart move that Chase makes with writing the story in keeping the amount of characters involved to a minimum so that the key ones get the maximum amount of development allowed. The script also manages to insert meaningful messages within it regarding how technology can wrongfully replace human interaction and responsibility. Although a horror story first and foremost, Come Play meets those expectations of being a genuinely creepy story while also surprising in other areas, that are strangely uncommon for the average horror flick.

      Is Come Play's concept perfect? No, there's some questionable moments of logic in the story such as a scene involving Oliver smashing the lights in his room causing Larry to fizzle out. Such a sequence feels weird given that the latter has the ability to douse the lights himself when he emerges. The subplot between Oliver and the the three other boys including Byron who end up bullying him then later becoming friends with him once him and Byron straighten things out, feels a bit tacked on and rushed. Despite these minor issues, the film works as being an consistently effective and creepy story about a monster desiring to befriend a young boy. Such a concept would understandably draw comparisons to films such as E.T. if it wasn't for the fact that Larry isn't the type of friend whom one would want in their life given his tendency to taunt, terrorize, and hurt others in his efforts to be Oliver's friend. Whereas Come Play lacks in true scares, it ultimately makes up for with solid plot and character development with the end being a bold subverting of audiences expectations. The CGI work on Larry isn't the best to write home about, but his presence remains an horrifying one for audiences. The film is persistent in its building up of tension with the audience getting little moments of peace in between Larry's attempts to break out of his world into ours. The films heart lies within its characterization of Oliver with the audience wanting him to be protected and ultimately kept safe when Larry makes his move. In what was undeniably a challenging role for young actor, Azhy Robertson, he manages to do an outstanding job of playing the part well and keeping the audience invested in the story. Come Play may not be as effective and scary as it could've been under a more traditional R rating for a horror flick, but it makes use of its boundaries very well and serves as being an admirable attempt at being a little more thoughtful and creative than the typical horror fare that Hollywood generally churns out nowadays.

Final Verdict: Horror fans will find much to appreciate with Come Play with the film serving as being a genuine surprise for those expecting it to be a mindless horror/monster flick.

Malcom & Marie Gives Audiences A Tensely Emotional Romantic Drama That's Stunningly Acted And Admirably Filmed

 

      Crafting a solid romantic drama is by no means an easy task with the goal of any filmmaker making them, should be to find both different and unique ways in telling their stories, ultimately differentiating themselves from all the countless other ones made. In addition to the films having strong male and female leads who come across as being appealing to the audience, the stories can often take an unusual artistic approach in making them effective. That certainly appears to be the case with Netflix's Malcom & Marie with John David Washington and Zendaya being the films main (And Only) actors in the film with the story itself being filmed in black-and-white. There's been much controversy centered around the films production with its revealing of the story being filmed during the Covid-19 pandemic being surprising, along with criticism being directed towards the age gap of stars. The latter criticism appears to be unwarranted as not only do Washington and Zendaya deliver fantastic performances as the films made leads, but the story itself is impressively filmed with the overall experience being a rollercoaster full of emotions and boiling tensions flaring between the two throughout the films steady 106 minute running time. Given that the film was made under pandemic conditions, the overall experience feels even more grounded and relatable to audiences with the chemistry of the main leads ultimately making the experience a rewarding one.

      The plot for Malcom & Marie focuses on a promising young filmmaker and his girlfriend (Both played by John David Washington and Zendaya) returning home from a successful premiere of the film he directed, with them becoming engaged in a huge ongoing fight which reveals multiple serious issues that threaten their relationship. The plot for Malcom & Marie is one that's presented as being basic with it designed to rely heavily on smartly​ written dialogue, as well as the strength of its main stars to succeed. Despite being a romantic drama, the film plays out as being an unusual experimental piece that's extremely well-acted and shot with the audience growing attached to these characters, along with receiving both perspectives of their argument. The film shows both the toll and expectation that fame can place on relationships, while also emphasizing that popular social stature ultimately doesn't cover up glaring issues that lie within relationships. Malcom & Marie is a film that's simple yet surprises with both its ambition, as well as the effort its main stars put into making it work. The film is tense, raw, funny, romantic, dramatic, emotional, and ultimately clever in how it blends societal themes into its script with issues regarding expectations pertaining to both relationship as well as careers. Malcom & Marie is essentially a film about relationships and how none are immune to the basic trial and tribulations that accompany them. The story is about showing how hard maintaining relationships can be as one climbs up the social latter with the line between love and hate becoming a rather blurred one.

The key aspect of Malcom & Marie that makes it work so well are the fantastic performances of its main leads. Both John David Washington and Zendaya deliver stellar performances here with the foundation of the film resting solely on their remarkably strong yet steamy chemistry. Whereas some viewers take issue with the age gap between the two leads ( Washington being 36, Zendaya being 24), their arguments appear to be misguided ones as the pair is shown to work brilliantly together while simultaneously putting everything out there in terms of showing their range as performers. John David Washington continues demonstrating his range to audiences while assuring them that he's the heir to his father's (Denzel Washington) legacy. Washington is charismatic in his role as young ambitious filmmaker, Malcom Elliott, who see's himself as being the next big filmmaker of great importance after striking it big with his newest film. Malcom is portrayed as being a hungry filmmaker whose on the brink of fame with his breakout film, as he impatiently awaits the critics reviews for his latest one. Washington immerses​ himself into the role and manages to be completely convincing in playing the part of Malcom with both his characters strengths and weaknesses being put on full display here. The same can be said about Zendaya in her role as his recovering drug-addicted girlfriend Marie with her character feeling a bit shut out of Malcom's newfound fame (He failed to thank her in his appreciation speech at the films premiere). Out of the two, Zendaya impresses more and delivers the stronger performance as a troubled young recovering drug addict, whose life became the basis for Malcom's story essentially, with her character ultimately feeling pushed aside by the latter in exchange for embracing his fame along with being given credit for the films original story. Zendaya brings a great deal of emotion to the table with her character, and plays her role near flawlessly much like Washington does. One of her strongest acting moments in the film includes a scene with her character sitting in a bathtub after chastising Malcom for not thanking her at the premiere with the scenes twist showing the tables reversing with Malcom returning the same kind of low blows to Marie with revelations regarding other women who inspired the main character in the film besides her, ultimately returning the same kind of venom she spewed back in her face. Her characters quiet breakdown in that scene is stunningly subtle as she's slowly brought back to reality with a forceful reminder of her own faults with the other powerful moment being her tearful end monologue to Malcom. She gives a powerhouse performance which easily ranks as being a career-defining role, that's bound to bring her some much warranted recognition come award season with the same also being said about Washington's performance. Both actors manage to display it all performance wise with intensely passionate chemistry. It's simply not possible to imagine the film working as well as it does without their combined talents being properly utilized to maximum effect here. They not only manage to sell the story but portray the commonly down-to-earth couple who have their own share of ups and downs, but choose to stick with each other through thick and thin because what they have is real despite their flaws. If one subtracts the Hollywood subplot from the story, the audience can see themselves in the roles played by Washington and Zendaya with many of their conversations and arguments ringing as being extremely close to home. It can unequivocally be said that without the effort both stars put into this film, it ultimately wouldn't work.

      Along with the films superb acting from its main leads, the directing by Sam Levinson proves to be both crafty and steady-handed with him keeping the camera focused on both main leads, while allowing the audience to see their expressions. Shot in 35mm black & white, Levinson and cinematographer Marcella Rev succeed in keeping the visual look of the film engaging for audiences with the editing allowing the story to flow at a natural pace. The characters main monologues are evenly spaced out throughout the film, allowing for quiet moments of reconciliation between the main characters to occur before the fight resumes again. Although some of the back and forth bantering might feel a bit repetitive to audiences with the same point being brought up, it feels believable given that actual couples normally repeat or revisit their old points in a fight to get through to the other person. The films score is carefully utilized throughout the film with the soundtrack consisting of music that ranges from being decades old to present day stuff. What's most interesting about the use of the films songs, is how Levinson frames them at key points in the story with showing the main characters using music to continue communicating with each other when both go silent after fighting. Examples of the films usage of music include James Brown's "Down and Out In New York City," which instantly starts the film off with a bang once Malcom and Marie arrive home from the formers film premiere. Other examples are the inclusion of Dionne Warwick's "Get Rid Of Him" and William Bell's "I Forgot To Be Your Lover," being used to subtle effect when the fighting stops, allowing for the main characters to quietly blow off steam. With Malcom & Marie, director Sam Levinson creates an atmosphere that's visually captivating in regards to maintaining the audiences interest with him allowing the lead actors complete and total freedom to play their parts. His directing efforts prove to be skillful here with his incorporating of the films key songs into the script being both a smart and brilliant move.

      The screenplay also written by Levinson is word heavy though smartly written with dialogue that not only feels relatable, but is also poignant as well as thought-provoking. The script incorporates different layers of topics pertaining to mental health, addiction, racism, politics in movies, privilege, insecurity, and the thin line between love and hate. The character of Malcom is portrayed as being a highly-confident filmmaker with a massive ego, who verbally exhausts those closest to him with his loud bantering of pretentious critic reviews his film received such as the one from a white female writer of the LA Times, whose repeatedly referenced in the story. Malcom's character comes across as being more fixated on how people view his films rather than appreciating the positive review in front of him. The character of Marie is shown as being used to Michael's explosive rants about whether people read too much into his films thematically rather than just appreciating the characters and story. Her character is shown to be smoking a cigarette during such outbursts, revealing that she's endured these moments before and just chooses to remain quiet and let Malcom vent his frustrations on her. She also appears to be visibly disappointed that the latter didn't give her acknowledgement for being the main inspiration of the story behind the film with her being even more shocked and hurt with Malcom's revelation, that another woman inspired the main character in his film besides her. Their relationship is presented as being one that constantly puts them on edge with the audience unsure of whether both person's are one fight away from a huge breakup, or whether they'll reconcile by the films end. It's that unpredictability that makes the romance shown in the film to be a compelling, though frustrating one to watch in regards to how both characters interact with each other. The script also tackles issues regarding trying to make it in the film industry as being a person of color with Malcom criticizing the writer of LA times for using her privilege to praise his film as being of greater importance than what it actually is, along with people expecting him to make a societal statement with his film rather than just telling a simple yet effective story. The moments where the audience are given glimpses of Malcom and Marie working well together as a couple, are the moments where they make fun of the LA Times reviewers perspective on Malcoms work with Marie imitating the female caucasian writer, as well as joking that Malcom will leave her to hook up with the reviewer and drive a family Soccer van. Those moments are key ones in showing how well the two do together as a couple when they're not experiencing a major argument, but are able to joke around with each other and turn their life stresses and frustrations into a humerous moment. These moments are significant because it gives the audience not just relief between the scenes with the couple's arguing, but provides hope that the film will end with them realizing that they're ultimately better together rather than apart. The script for Malcom & Marie does a solid job of exploring both the strengths and weaknesses of the main leads relationship. Levinson presents their relationship as being a rocky one with one scene having both coming at each other with knives essentially, that's followed by another in which they become passionate with each other while joking around. The moments where the characters appear emotionally drained from fighting each other are made interesting by the main characters select choice of songs they purposely use to help deliver underlining messages to the other person. The script for Malcom & Marie is one that feels very much alive as well as involved with its characters as Levinson shows neither side to be perfect along with their relationship being a deeply flawed one, but also shows it to be one that's worth salvaging. He also does well with writing dialogue that adds background to the characters, while also brilliantly playing off the real life scenario of Washington and Zendaya being minority actors trying to make it in an industry that's generally considered to be predominantly white with twice as much being expected of them for obvious reasons. The duo manage to put a lot of themselves into their roles and it shows while working beautifully within the context of the story. 

      As noble and bold as Malcom & Marie's intentions are at bringing something new to the table in regards to being both effective and eye-opening, the film is ultimately not designed to appease everyone and will prompt some audiences to find the characters forceful nature of constantly arguing, along with the films excessive use of profanity to be troubling. They also may feel that the films back and forth rhythm of the main characters fighting may come across as being too repetitive and make the story less engaging and more predictable. The latter couldn't be any further from the truth as the audience is constantly left in anticipation of what happens next after Malcom & Marie complete one intense and prolonged session of their fighting. It helps that the characters have dialogue which qualifies as being both clever and witty for the actors to work off with their chemistry ultimately being the heart and soul of the picture. Whereas the movie has strong writing and brilliant cinematography which gives the film a true artsy feel to it with its black-and-white coloring, it's the performances of both Washington and Zendaya that make this weird experimentation that was boldly conducted under pandemic norms truly impressive with director Levinson keeping their romance steady, as well as steamy, smart, and poignant. Malcom & Marie can best be summed up as being a complexed romantic drama that serves as being a story primarily about expectations, which include the ones that are expected of Malcom as being the new talented filmmaker on the block being hailed in a vein similar to Spike Lee, as well as Marie expecting Malcom to acknowledge her influence on his work, along with questioning why she wasn't chosen as the lead actress for his picture since the film was significantly based on her life. The film is very much a romance about both persons expectations of each other, as well as the ones that people hold for them outside of their bubble. With Malcom & Marie's story, Levinson gives the characters a common ground that audiences can connect with, while showing how much more difficult and strenuous of an effort it takes for young people of color to not only excel in their chosen job profession, but within society as a whole. There's many different layers to the romance presented here that make it standout rather than being just a straight-forward love story. The one presented here is a rollercoaster ride of emotions, and is sure to get audiences engaged, frustrated, and ultimately sympathizing with both sides as the full picture behind their relationships shortcomings become clear. Though within those shortcomings, one can truly see the strength behind Malcom & Marie's relationship which is essentially that they both understand each other in ways nobody else can and are able to tolerate each other at their lowest points, while perfectly connecting under normal terms. For audiences, the film doesn't serve as being a typical romantic drama, which is probably the best thing about it as it'll surprise them with the distinct approach the film takes both visually and storytelling wise. For main leads John David Washington and Zendaya, the overall presentation shows that both performances carry star-making potential with both actors being shown to possess what it takes meet the dramatic requirements of a role to maximum effect. Considering that this film caught everyone by surprise as being one that was made during the national lockdown of the Covid-19 pandemic, it's a welcomed experience that will ultimately prove to be a richly rewarding one. Malcom & Marie is an unusually satisfying experience that explores the concept of two people being madly in love despite moments where both appear to be toxic for each other, while also showing that their bond is strong under normal conditions. Their love is a combination of both love and hate, and as the film shows, there's a thin line between the two that can ultimately blur together if left unfixed. The film is about the testing of ones relationship and the demarcation of it if both sides are willing to acknowledge their faults and work at it. 

Final Verdict: For those looking for a solid romantic drama that's extremely well-acted, written, and directed with a solid message behind it, Malcom & Marie proves to be a must see.