Spiral: From The Book Of Saw Aims To Reinvigorate The Horror Series Yet Settles For Being A Passable Entry In A Franchise That's Largely Overstayed Its Welcome

      When it comes to popular horror franchises, only a few have left both a considerable influence on pop culture as well as being long-lasting as that of the Saw franchise. Beginning as a solo horror/thriller flick in 2004, the first Saw not only became a box office smash but achieved cult-classic status with it spawning 8 other sequels in its franchise before Hollywood's bold attempt at reimagining the series with Spiral: From The Book Of Saw. Boasting a story that was pitched to the studio by comedian Chris Rock with him also serving as the films main star along with receiving Executive Producer credit, Spiral aims to move the franchise into a more modern setting with a spin-off story which embraces the legacy of the previous films, while conducting its own copy-cat killer style plot. Spiral: From The Book Of Saw is the ninth installment of the popular series with it possessing the same graphic torture elements, which made the series appealing to horror fans in the first place with its clever concept of a killer who traps his victims and forces them to play a deadly game of survival as a form of them seeking redemption for past evil deeds, connecting both the past era of the series together with the present simultaneously. The newest addition to the Saw series doesn't stray away from any of the original films key plot points, and builds upon them with a new concept that feels both fresh and relevant to today's world. With Spiral attempting to give the franchise a much needed makeover given that the series began to fizzle out around the release of Saw V along with the new film combining the talents of Saw ll director as well as Chris Rock and Samuel L. Jackson in the main roles, the question that horror fans have is whether the new spin-off film in the Saw series succeeds in officially revamping it. The attempt that Spiral takes to reinvigorate the franchise is a noble one that's well-intended, though the end result ends up feeling like a typical installment in the Saw series rather than being the rebirth the franchise needed in resetting itself for its modern setting. To the most ardent fans of the Saw, Spiral serves as being mildly entertaining although its attempts to bring something new to the table won't win over any new fans as its overall execution doesn't match the enthusiasm that its main star clearly has for the series new twist.

      The story for Spiral: From The Book Of Saw centers around a detective (Chris Rock) hunting down a criminal mastermind whose unleashing a twisted form of justice against crooked police officers. The plot for Spiral stays true to the main theme of the Saw franchise in which people are forced to confront their sins and atone for them with the opportunity to be spared if they survive their torturous ordeal. The main twist with the storyline for From The Book Of Saw is rather than it being regular people targeted by the serial killers continuing the work of John Kramer, aka Jigsaw, the new copycat killer targets corrupt cops working together in a compromised police station with Chris Rock's character putting the pieces together. It's not a question of whether the plot for Spiral is strong enough to reboot the franchise as it serves as being clever along with arriving at the appropriate time given the rising stature of Black Lives Matter along with a more critical eye being taken towards cops, it's the way the story is executed that lacks the thrill of the original James Wan film. Spiral wants to be a film that separates itself from every previous sequel in the franchise and essentially be the film that puts the franchise back on the map, but it ends up feeling more like an average horror film in the series rather than a substantial game changer. Despite its shortcomings, the film isn't a total failure and works as being a reasonably entertaining spin-off if one doesn't expect too much from it. Given that this is Chris Rock's passion project, one can see the actors excitement behind telling the story even if his acting isn't up to par with being dramatic enough for the film. Spiral: From The Book Of Saw doesn't quite achieve what it initially sets out to do nor suggests a bright new future for the Saw franchise, but there's enough of what fans love about the series that's present to make it work as a worthy enough entry, even if both its plot twists and end reveal lean on the side of being a bit predictable. 

       One of the more interesting elements of Spiral is the acting delivered by its main cast. For actor Chris Rock, his inclusion with the Saw franchise is striking given that audiences know him mainly for his comedic roles despite his minimally effective performance in New Jack City. If one is going into this movie expecting Chris Rock to deliver a phenomenally serious performance, they'll be disappointed to discover that his work here isn't anything impressive to gloat about. Rock clearly tries  in his role as Det. Ezekiel Banks to be a more serious-toned and straight-forward version of himself in comparison to what audiences have been accustomed to, but his performance is ultimately passable at best with much of it feeling awkward in regards to his facial expressions, along with his attempts at being genuinely angry or frustrated. As hard as Rock tries to be serious in his main role here, he doesn't fully shed his comedic side as audiences are treated to his intentionally humerous Quentin Tarantino style commentary on Forrest Gump, as well as his thoughts on a potential sequel. When it comes to audiences buying him as an outcast detective whose deemed as being untrustworthy by his department for turning in a dirty cop, Rock for the most part gets the job done and is fairly convincing though never exhibits strong acting abilities. Samuel L. Jackson once again chews up the scenery as Rock's father and former police Captain Marcus Banks. Jackson doesn't shy away from performing his traditional trademark persona here with him being allowed the opportunity to say the F-word numerous times in the film, making audiences satisfied that he's being given the opportunity to just be Samuel L. Jackson. Max Minghella impresses as Bank's rookie partner Det. William Schenk with Minghella effectively portraying his character as being a young and idealistic cop, who aspires to team up with Bank's in catching the new Jigsaw copycat killer much to the latter's objection. Marisol Nichols gives a noteworthy performance as Bank's tough-as-nails Capt. Angie Garza. The rest of the cast deliver effective performances with the brief amounts of screentime they have with Zole Palmer as Kara Boswick, Genelle Williams as Lisa Banks, Richard Zeppieri as Det. Fitch, and Dan Petronijevic as Det. Marv Bozwick. As far as the films acting goes, the cast for Spiral give performances that are essentially what one would expect to see out of a typical Saw flick which is work that's convincing enough for the audience to take the story seriously in terms of believability, but is nothing phenomenal to write home about. The supporting cast performs as well as they're allowed to given their limitations as Rock's, Minghella, and Jackson's​ characters command the most screentime. Out of the three actors, it is Rock that had the most to prove to audiences with his performance with him being just serviceable enough to make his character work. Given that audiences don't particularly go to a Saw film looking for stellar acting, they'll be a little surprised to see the efforts that the main cast put into making the story work as terrifying as possible.

      Bringing back Darren Lynn Bousman who previously helmed Saw ll, lll, and IV, Bousman returns to the franchise and gives Spiral an appearance that feels in line with the rest of the series, while also looking sharper on the big screen. Bousman stays true to the series gory elements with Spiral boasting some of the most gruesome moments of the franchise which include a stunning opening sequence involving a character being stuck to a trap in the Subway by his tongue, that's also followed by a sequence involving wax. Both sequences prove to be hugely effective in scaring the audience while staying true to the series early roots. In terms of cinematography, both Bousman and DP Jordan Oram fill the screen with the films primary colors being filmed in a 2:35:1 scope aspect ratio that gives it a more slick look in comparison to the previous Saw films. The story is fast-paced with the film carrying a running time of 93 minutes, which never makes it feel like its wearing out its welcome. The score by franchise composer Charlie Clouser is handled well with the iconic Saw theme making its return here in a form that makes it effective once again. In terms of directing, Bousman knows how a Saw film should look and goes about giving audiences that dark and mysterious tone while providing them with a solid new batch of traps, which shows that the franchise hasn't missed a beat in regards to creativity. Outside of James Wan who helmed the first, Bousman is the strongest director in the series with him giving the film a more sharper and digital look that allows the audience to see every gruesome image of the films torture scenes in clear detail.

      The screenplay for Spiral written by Josh Stolberg and Peter Goldfinge from a story by Chris Rock doesn't maximize its full potential despite introducing new twists and themes to the plot, that could've​ moved the franchise in a newer direction had they'd been properly explored. The script for Spiral tackles themes regarding police corruption, crooked cops, the use of excessive force to make the streets more peaceful, false testimonies to put innocent people away, deception within one's own precinct, and making the guilty atone and ultimately pay for their wrongdoing. The storyline for Spiral is one that's ripped to be apart of the Saw series as it continues the franchise torturous formula, while adding its own spin to the proceedings. Despite the strength of the plot, the overall screenplay itself feels a bit predictable with audiences being able to figure out the films big climactic twist early on in the story, along with certain subplots feeling similar to previous entries in the series. The film attempts to give audiences a buddy-cop partnership between the characters of John and Will, which often feels like a poor attempt to imitate what's already been done before prior with films such as 48 Hours and David Fincher's Seven. Their partnership for the most part feels both generic and predictable with audiences having already seen the subplot involving the main character refusing to have any partner in the story before begrudgingly doing so, handled previously in other films with results that were much more effective. The rest of the films side characters in the story all come across as feeling one-dimensional with them lacking personalities and carrying no other purpose in the film other than to move the plot along or fall prey to the new Jigsaw's set of traps. The films big end reveal also lacks both the shock factor and impact that the twists in the first few Saw films carried. The script for Spiral: From The Book Of Saw is full of ideas and themes that not only could revitalize the series for a new era of modern horror fans, but also carry weight and relevance with today's climate. The problem that the script encounters with tackling these themes, is as much as it wants to say something to audiences regarding police corruption and the abuse of power, the screenplay can't shake off the generic character and plot tropes that make it feel like a half-hearted attempt that shortchanges its potential to be something special. Instead of Spiral being the fantastic spin-off and reboot that's required in order to put the series back on the map, it settles for being average at best which is underwhelming given the potential the films plot carries.

      Considering the amount of faith that both Chris Rock and the studio had in believing that the concept of Spiral would be what the franchise needed in terms of an effective reboot, it's a bit frustrating that they didn't give what they had the full effort needed to really make it work. Spiral desires to restore its franchise back to its former glory days when audiences looked forward in anticipation to seeing a new Saw flick each October. It also aspires to be taken seriously and presents themes that turns the series on its head, but its creators don't give the story the proper treatment and dedication it deserves. The film suffers from wanting to be an extension of the series along with the second being a more personal and character-driven detective story in the same vein as Seven. One of the main problems that the Saw franchise experienced that hindered the films in terms of their quality is the fact that none of the Jigsaw Copycat killers were as compelling nor give off the mystifying vibe that Tobin Bell possessed as John Kramer. Though the film unquestionably misses the mark in what it sets out to do for the series, it isn't a complete failure nor does it tarnish the legacy of the Saw franchise. One aspect of the film that could be commended is its devotion in remaining faithful to the gory aspect of the series with the newest entry being quite possibly the most brutal installment yet in regards to the way the new killer brutally tortures his victims. As far as ranking goes, Spiral stands as being one of the better entries in the series with it being entertaining and gory enough to quench horror fans thirst in the moment. Considering however, that its main star has publicly expressed a desire to branch out from his traditional comedic routine and further explore the horror genre with Spiral being used as a vessel in his venture to do so, the film doesn't necessarily build a compelling enough case for Chris Rock to effectively abandon his comedic roots in exchange for permanently embracing horror despite his effort of doing so being a noble one. Given the creators intent behind making the movie in hopes of revolutionizing the Saw brand, it should be much more than just passable entertainment.

Final Verdict: For Saw fans, Spiral: From The Book Of Saw proves to be a respectable entry in the series, although it won't win any fans outside of its loyal base.

Without Remorse Is A Serviceable Action Movie Made Watchable Due To Michael B. Jordan's Strong Performance As Well As The Films Stylishly-Filmed Action Scenes

 

       For audiences, the action-thriller genre has proven to be both a hit-and-miss one nowadays with most action films typically end up following the same basic formula with only a handful attempting to reinvent the wheel. The two greatest strengths when looking at an action film lie within the strength of its story, as well as the presence of its main lead. Both of those elements are essential for any type of action flick to succeed with the well-choreographed and kinetic action scenes being an added plus to the experience. In the case of Tom Clancy's Without Remorse, audiences get an old-fashioned revenge and conspiracy style thriller with acclaimed actor Michael B. Jordan giving a commanding performance in the lead role while proving to be an effective action star. Although the rights were originally purchased in 1993, the film lingered in development hell for over twenty years with big names attached to the main role such as Keanu Reeves until it was picked up by Amazon Studios and presented on prime as an original feature. Currently streaming as the number one film on the platform, the newest film adaptation of the bestselling Tom Clancy novel gives audiences an extremely generic yet passable action experience with much of the film working as well as it does largely thanks to the strong performance of Michael B. Jordan. 

      Based on Tom Clancy's 1993 novel of the same name, the plot for Without Remorse revolves around a recently discharged Navy SEAL (Michael B. Jordan) searching for those responsible for the murder of both his wife and unborn child, finds himself uncovering a major conspiracy involving a web of lies and deceit. To those familiar with Tom Clancy's previous works in both book and film form with the Jack Ryan series, Without Remorse continues the traditional trend of themes that dominate Clancy's stories such as War, national security, tyranny, and US/Russia relations. However, it does so without bringing anything new to the table in regards to storytelling or taking the genre in a direction that feels fresh and creative. Out of all the Clancy novels brought to the screen, Without Remorse ranks as being one of the weaker efforts due to a legitimate lack of enthusiasm behind its storytelling despite the films impressive action sequences. The film feels far too formulaic and plain in its overall plot for audiences to be genuinely impressed by it with its story ultimately being a serviceable one at best. What saves the film from being a complete letdown is the strength of its main lead, along with his ability to take the films main character and make the audience sympathize with him. Without Remorse relies heavily on Michael B. Jordan's presence to make up for its weaknesses regarding the lack of originality within its script. Its action scenes along with Jordan's​ acting help in making the experience one that's entertaining for audiences despite its main plot carrying a political landscape that feels a bit outdated with today's climate. The film serves as being a prime example of one in which it carries a scenario that feels all too familiar with forced franchise elements incorporated, but is made into a watchable effort due to the power of its main lead. Without Remorse offers action fans nothing new and settles for old twists and formulas conducted by previous action-thrillers before it without taking any risks, but it still manages to make for a fairly entertaining experience that relies on the charisma of its main lead to elevate it to the level of being a mildly entertaining though forgettable effort.

      When it comes to Tom Clancy novels turned films, the filmmakers behind each story place the believability and realism of the story on the main cast. Clancy novels turned films typically boast a reliable group of actors/actresses, who give compelling performances that add to the intensity of the story. For the main roles, Clancy films often have strong leading men powering the stories ranging from Alec Baldwin to Harrison Ford, Ben Affleck, and Chris Pine with Michael B. Jordan establishing himself as being a worthy addition to the group of action stars that helped bring Clancy's work to the big screen in a thrilling fashion. Jordan is well-casted in the main role and balances both toughness and drama very well with him playing a character whom the audience can get behind with them wanting him to find those who killed his wife and unborn child. Jordan excels as Senior Chief John Kelly, whose first introduced with going on a mission to rescue a CIA operative taken hostage by a suspected pro-Assad paramilitary group. Jordan plays his character well with him quickly figuring out during his mission that his team isn't being told the complete truth regarding whose behind the kidnapping plot with him also uncovering a wide conspiracy regarding the murder of his wife and unborn child along with fellow members of his team. Jordan's performance here is terrific with him being engaging to watch, along with conveying the appropriate amounts of emotion and anger regarding his families murder in his search for the truth. The film works as being a watchable action movie largely thanks to his performance in the film. Jamie Bell manages to do well with what he's given as CIA operative Robert Ritter. Bell's character is treated as being a red-herring with him shown to be holding secrets from the team, prompting both Kelly as well as the audience to question his characters motives. Jodie Turner-Smith shines as Lieutenant Commander Karen Greer, whose shown to be a loyal friend and ally to Kelly. Guy Pearce continues to demonstrate himself as being a dependable actor with him turning in a solid performance regardless of the type of script he's handed with his appearance here proving to be no exception with him playing the films main antagonist, CIA Secretary of Defense Thomas Clay. Although he doesn't receive as much screentime as Jordan, Pearce makes the most of his role and creates a character whom the audience deems to be a slimy and untrustworthy authoritative individual. The rest of the cast give noteworthy performances from Lauren London in a brief yet effective performance as Pam Kelly, Like Mitchell as Rowdy King, Jack Kesy as Thunder, Brett Gelman as antagonist Victor Rykov, and Colman Domingo as Pastor West. The one thing that could be said about films based on Tom Clancy novels is regardless of whether audiences liked or disliked the films, it can always be agreed upon that each films respective casts delivered in giving strong and noteworthy performances overall. The cast for Without Remorse does the absolute best job they can with the material they have to work with. Although the supporting actors occasionally shine in this film, it's the performance of Michael B. Jordan that adds something fresh to the films plot that's​ far too generic for today's audiences. His performance is the glue that holds the film together and is what keeps it from being a tad above being completely forgettable.

      The directing put forth by Stefano Sollima is reasonably decent though comes across as being standard work for the genre despite some intense action sequences, such as the films thrilling opening which instantly draws audiences into the story. Sollima gives the film a look and feel that's common with today's action thrillers with the tone being dark and gritty with brisk pacing, that keeps the story constantly moving without it ever feeling slow. The films fight scenes are well-choreographed with the action blending a combination of explosive weapons usage, as well as a vigorous style of action that mirrors that of films such as John Wick and Netflix's Extraction. The music by Sigur Ros Jonsi serves as being both anxious and energetic in adding suspense to the story, along with carrying a futuristic sound to it. Jonsi's score along with the films quick pace prove to be most effective in adding necessary tension to the story as the plot unfolds. Sollima does a fairly solid job of crafting a military style thriller that literally screams Call Of Duty with the films effective opening scene involving Kelly's Navy SEAL team performing their rescue mission. Despite the story being so-so, Sollima brings the film alive through its impressively handled key set-pieces with the sequence involving the main characters on a plane being so brilliantly filmed, that audiences could easily choose it to be the signature moment of the film. Whereas the film stumbles in the writing department, Stefano Sollima tries his hardest to compensate for the scripts lack of innovativeness by crafting well-executed action sequences which often distract from the stories glaring issues ,as well as Jordan's performance. With how well Sollima handles the films action along with building up a dark and gritty atmosphere that fits the tone of the plot, it's a shame he didn't have a much stronger script to work with considering that he shows clear talent as a director of both action and building up strong main characters.

      Written by Taylor Sheridan and William Stapes, the script for Without Remorse attempts to provide audiences with a plot that serves as being twisty with characters meant to be looked upon as being both suspectible and untrustworthy in regards to their true intentions. The character of John Kelly is fairly well-established with him shown as being a smart Navy SEAL, who immediately questions his team's mission when discovering that they've been mislead. The script does well with developing Jordan's character enough for the audience to empathize with rather than making him feel one-dimensional. The rest of the characters in the script however, feel as if they're only present to serve either the main character or to help move the plot along until the next big set-piece arrives. Despite his dependable performance, Guy Pearce's character comes across as being a typical corrupt politician with a hidden agenda that can be found in any action movie with a similar plot. The plot relies on many themes that have been utilized in previous Tom Clancy novel turned films such as the main characters uncovering a major conspiracy, that generally involves putting two countries against each other in hopes of initiating a war. The story is presented as being extremely violent with Kelly's character being shown to be vengeful of his wife's death while finding himself committing actions, that would be near impossible to survive in reality. One of the scripts most interesting creative decisions is its desire to push representation with the character of John Kelly being presented as a strong African-American hero along with his commanding officer being a strong black woman, whose always shown to be professional with her interactions with other characters in the film being empowering due to the presence she brings. The changing of the stories setting from the 1970's to present day, is a wise move in adding to both the realism and believability of the plot. The films big reveal at the end would be much more shocking if it came out of the 1990's era given that the plot twist has been previously used an endless amount of times since then, ultimately lessening the impact of its reveal. With how much the filmmakers want to present a diverse action star with a largely appealing cast following their lead, it's profoundly disappointing that they choose to take that initiative with an average script which ultimately does its talented main star along with the stories legendary creator a significant amount of disservice. The script for Without Remorse feels like a slapped together effort that lacks passion behind its writing, but is made watchable due to the ability of both the director and its main star to make its generic plot a serviceable one. 

      Considering the foundation which the film draws its themes from, there really isn't much of an excuse as to why it feels uninspired in regards to the story it aims to tell. The biggest problem with the script for Without Remorse is the films desire to be two different stories simultaneously. The first is that it wants to be a Cold War type thriller with the villains main intention of starting a war between the U.S and Russia, with the second being a Taken and John Wick style revenge flick that involves the main character avenging both his wife and unborn child. The political elements which the story draws from are those that already have been done before far more effectively in previous films, with most cases having them being far better executed with their inclusion here feeling outdated. What saves the film from going completely underwater is the charismatic appeal of Michael B. Jordan as the main hero of the story, along with the films well-directed action sequences. Given the strength of the source material that the story draws from, the film should be so much more than just being a standard action-thriller. The greatest disappointment that one will have with watching the film is not how familiar its plot feels, but the lack of desire it carries in attempting to try something new. Without Remorse will satisfy the urges of action fans in the moment, but will not amount to much more beyond that. Considering the talent that's behind it, that's a shame as Tom Clancy, Michael B. Jordan, and Guy Pearce all deserve better.

Final Verdict: Fans of Tom Clancy's work as well as Michael B. Jordan will find Amazon Prime's Without Remorse to be a marginally entertaining though forgettable action affair with the cinematic universe of Tom Clancy works seeing better days.

Judas And The Black Messiah Shines As Being An Extremely Well-Acted And Gripping Historical Drama That's Masterfully Told

 

      Whereas movies are made with the sole purpose of entertaining audiences, there are those select handful of films that aim to go beyond the value of being just satisfying pieces of entertainment with them carrying a strong political message, as well as serving as a reflection of our times. Some fact-based stories are compelling enough on their own right, that they make for genuinely compelling dramatization of actual events. That very much happens to be the case with Shaka King's Judas And The Black Messiah, with the film serving as being an explosively effective dramatization of the events surrounding the Illinois Chapter of the Black Panther party and its chairman Fred Hampton. Though serving as being a reflection of a past era of civil rights, the story behind Judas And The Black Messiah feels both timely and relevant with the film working to maximum effect as being a powerful stamp on the combating racial injustice. For both its director and main star Daniel Kaluuya, the film proves to be a major triumph for the main duo with the film being brilliantly-acted and directed with a genuine feeling of authenticity and energy behind telling its thrilling story of the revolutionary political organization and its fearless leader.

      Inspired by true events and real life figures, the story for Judas And The Black Messiah focuses on FBI informant William O' Neal (Lakeith Stanfield) infiltrating the Black Panther Party during their Illinois chapter after being offered a plea deal in exchange for gathering information on Chairman Fred Hampton (Daniel Kaluuya). The story of Fred Hampton and The Black Panther movement is one that's certainly worth telling, and is being touched upon at the ideal time given the current rise of the Black Lives Matter Movement mirroring that of the Panthers. With a story like Judas And The Black Messiah, the film was always going to hinge on the strength of its main star and their collaboration with the films director in bringing the latters vision to the big screen. With both Shaka King at the helm and Kaluuya in the main role as Hampton, their combined talents result in a film that's intensely engaging to watch from start to finish. Judas And The Black Messiah is a film that's powerfully told as well as feeling poignant in showing how one man dared to challenge the status quo, while showing how corrupt the FBI under the management of J. Edgar Hoover was in their efforts to dismantle Hampton's organization with them also committing an act of murder under the guise of serving the law. The films story is engrossing from start to finish with its overall presentation being one that's fearless in what it desires to show along with the message it wishes to convey. The film isn't just an extremely well-told and executed story, it serves a being a powerful experience for audiences that's absorbing along with being informative. Coming out of a year that was largely devoid of films, Judas And The Black Messiah is a gem of a film that demands to be seen and reflected on. 

      When it comes to the performances of the cast, the acting in Judas And The Black Messiah reaches levels of being terrific work with everyone playing their roles with a clear amount of enthusiasm and devotion to their characters. There isn't one performance shown that's lacking with everyone bringing their A game to the project. The strongest work comes from both Daniel Kaluuya and Lakeith Stanfield in the films key roles as Black Panther party leader Fred Hampton, and FBI informant William O' Neil. Kaluuya is fantastic and utterly compelling to watch in the part of fast-talking Hampton with the actor channeling the latters level of energy and charisma. When Kaluuya's on the screen, audiences can't take their eyes off him as his performance commands their attention. Along with Kaluuya's performance, Stanfield delivers an equally impressive performance as career criminal turned FBI informant O' Neil with Stanfield managing to hold his own and engage the audience when Kaluuya's not dominating the screen. Stanfield does a fantastic job of playing someone whose conflicted with meeting the terms of his deal with the FBI, which keeps him out of jail by providing valuable intel on Hampton with Stanfield also feeling a bit of loyalty to the Black Panther party he's infiltrating in addition to opposing the FBI's desire to murder Hampton in an effort to blunt the organizations movement. Both Hampton and Stanfield give top notch performances that command the audiences attention, along with making them understand both men's situations and perspectives. Dominique Fishback impresses and gives a strong performance as Hampton's girlfriend and Black Panther member Deborah, who at times keeps Fred grounded while pointing out how he can better get his message across without tearing down other black people who may disagree with his methods. She showcases surprising amounts of emotion in playing her character with both her chemistry and Kaluuya's​ being spot-on with the audience buying into their relationship. Her character shows strength as being a strong black female character in the story with much of it being attributed to Fishback's performance. Jesse Plemons is also likable as O'Neil's shady and untrustworthy FBI Special Agent Handler Roy Mitchell. Plemons does well with playing an FBI agent who struggles to do his job correctly, but receives intense pressure from his boss to find more information on Hampton through O'Neil with him ultimately participating in the latters murder. Plemon's also does well with portraying his character as being foolishly misguided in what he was taught regarding both racism as well as the Black Panther party in general with him considering the latter to be equally bad to that of the KKK. Martin Sheen delivers a scene-stealing performance as head of the FBI, J. Edgar Hoover whose determined to stop both Hampton as well as the Black Panther Party from gaining further influence on society due to blatant racism. The rest of the cast give notable performances with Ashton Sanders and Algee Smith as Black Panther members Jimmy Palmer and Jake Winters, Darrell Britt-Gibson as co-founder of the Black Panther Party Chapter in Chicago Bobby Rush, Lil Rel Howery as undercover FBI agent Wayne, Dominigue Thorne as Black Panther member Judy Harmon, and Amari Cheatom as Rod Collins, leader of the Chicago gang Crowns. The cast for Judas And The Black Messiah as a whole is strong and full of talented actors who turn in fantastic performances, which ultimately add to both the believability and realism of the story. The film wouldn't be as powerful as it comes across in delivering its message if it didn't have the strength of its cast backing it who play their parts with dedication as well as utter devotion in telling the story. As solid as the cast for Judas And The Black Messiah comes across as being, it's the performances of both Kaluuya and Stanfield that make the film compelling to watch with both characters serving as being the heart of the story.

      The movies directing by Shaka King is surprisingly well-crafted and boasts confidence in telling its story. He does a great job of setting up the stories mood while allowing the actors enough freedom to play their roles effectively. King gives the stories time period a look and feel that's​ authentic, and instantly draws audiences back to the films 1960's setting in Southside Chicago. The films costume and set-design are both top-notch and go hand-in-hand in letting the audience become transported back to the era of the Black Panther movement. The cinematography is well-shot with the camera work beautifully replicating the visuals of 1960's Chicago with the film appropriately using closeups to capture the look and reactions on actors faces. One of the more interesting aspects that the film takes with its cinematography is the differentiating of the colors used between the scenes involving the Black Panther group and those involving the Federal Bureau Of Investigation. For the scenes involving the Black Panther party, the background carries a darkish green color that makes their presence more lively with the scenes at FBI headquarters carrying a brownish color in contrast to the Panthers with a touch of coldness added. The film also relies heavily on many scenes in the script taking place at night with those scenes being well-filmed and appropriately lighted. The editing gives the film a pacing that's​ slow-burning but feels absorbing with the story keeping the audience engaged as it unfolds. The music by Mark Isham works well with the jazzy tone fitting with both the time period and tone of the story. In terms of overall presentation, Judas And The Black Messiah is a well put together and masterfully crafted historical drama with Shaka King demonstrating strong craftsmanship as a filmmaker, along with a firm handling of the story. Considering that this is King's first feature film after directing a series of shorts, he does a remarkable job of helming a story with a historical setting while making it both a powerful and hard-hitting experience for audiences. 

      Written by both King and Will Berson with a story by Kenny and Keith Lucas, the screenplay for Judas And The Black Messiah tackles a wide variety of themes pertaining to racism, police harassment, activism, reform, and fighting against oppression with the story being shaped to focus on the perspectives of Fred Hampton and William O' Neil. With the former, the film explores the last year of his life as leader of the Chicago Black Panther party while exploring his relationship with Deborah. With O'Neil's character, the film opens and closes with clips from O' Neil's final interview regarding his role in the Black Panther movement/ Hampton's murder. The latters character arc in the story serves as being the heart of the film with O' Neil shown to be forced into gathering Intel on Hampton, while also being conflicted as he favors the Panther's intentions to improve the lives of blacks. The script does a fine job of balancing out both characters dynamics with the film also touching on the FBI's efforts to find any legitimate reason to halt the momentum of the Black Panther movement, with them even going to extreme measures such as imprisoning Hampton in order to do so before ultimately deciding on plotting his murder. What the writing does well is show the character of O'Neil becoming more conflicted with following the FBI's orders to infiltrate the movement with the more closer he grew to both Hampton and the organization as a whole. The script for Judas And The Black Messiah is well-rounded with the film breaking up into three core storylines regarding Hampton, O'Neil, and J. Edgar with strong side characters such as Deborah and FBI agent Roy Mitchell helping to flesh out the main characters in the story in a way that humanizes and makes the audience connect with them. The script for Judas has a great deal that it wants to say and does so in a way that feels natural and not overly preachy despite audiences getting that assumption judging by the films title. The screenplay is wordy but much of its dialogue is meaningful, and consists of lines similar to the title of the picture. The film highlights both the humanity and work that Hampton achieved in the final year of his life, while showing the perspective of his own Judas. Like the Netflix film The Trial Of The Chicago 7 that was released prior, both films play with themes and explore an era of activism that mirrors today's acts, though Black Messiah's handling of its themes and parallels feels less forced than the latter film. As far as scriptwriting goes, the screenplay for Judas And The Black Messiah is brilliant and well-deserving of its Oscar nomination in that category.  

      As a piece of entertainment, Judas And The Black Messiah is compelling work and ultimately keeps the audience engaged from start to finish. As a film that's meant to be informative and thought-provoking, it packs a powerful punch with its story desiring to be both a glorifying biopic of Hamilton, while simultaneously telling O' Neil's side of the story with the latter carrying a slight edge in regards to which of the two persons the story tilts towards with the film opening and closing with the real persons testimony in his final interview before tragically committing suicide. The film effectively shows how the U.S government both wrongfully and willingly labeled the Black Panther Party to be a national threat solely because of their stances on racial liberation, social, and economic justice with their efforts to undo systemic racism that's baked in American society and continues freely today. With all the recent news in the media regarding police brutality and Black Lives Matter, the timing feels perfect for the filmmakers to bring this story to the screen in an effort to show how the present hasn't really changed that much from the past with the government still attempting to control the population through the use of methods regarding both racism and capitalism. As a film that aspires to deliver that message without hammering it over the audiences head, Judas And The Black Messiah succeeds in doing so with it surprisingly enormously in both its style and quality in regards to storytelling. With the film, Shaka King establishes himself as being a promising young filmmaker with a strong skill for storytelling with both Kaluuya and Stanfield giving career-defining performances that bring their real-life counterparts to life while doing them justice. It may be longer than it needed to be with audiences being slightly confused with what message the film is trying to convey with the stories juggling of both main characters arcs, but for those who wish to learn more about the Black Panther organization as well as those unlearning all the misleading bits of information they were taught previously about the revolutionary group, Judas And The Black Messiah is a film to see, experience, and ultimately learn from.

Final Verdict: For history buffs and those wishing to learn more about black history, Judas And The Black Messiah is a must see film that will unquestionably fulfill audiences desires in that regard.

Wrong Turn 2021 Aims To Inject New Life Into Its Popular Horror Series But Leaves Audiences Confused More Than Satisfied

 

When it comes to reboots of burned out horror franchises, the results are usually on the negative side with most cases having them fail to rejuvenate their respective franchises that ultimately flamed out. Examples range from 2017's Rings to 2020's poorly executed The Grudge reboot with the only exception being David Gordon Green's 2018's Halloween reboot/sequel. Fast-forward three years later, the horror genre attempts to take another stab at rebooting a throwaway horror franchise that burnt out with 2021's Wrong Turn. Bringing back the writer of the 2003 horror film with Alan B. McElroy penning the script for the ninth installment of the popular series, the newest Wrong Turn aims to take the franchise in an entirely new direction with zero connections to the previous films with it only bearing resemblance to the rest of the franchise by name. In a move that can be considered as being highly bold while also cementing itself for facing total condemnation as well as scrutiny by horror fans for bearing no similarities to the original outside of the whole trapped in the woods concept, the newest Wrong Turn aspires to reinvent the wheel for the series in a similar fashion to what Halloween lll: The Season Of The Witch tried to do for its franchise back in the day. Although that film ended up becoming both a box office and critical disappointment upon release with it later gaining cult status by horror fans as being a solid horror film on its own right, Wrong Turn is unlikely to follow the same pattern despite it coming across as being a better film than what one expects it to be, though a tad pointless given that it bears no connection to the previous set of films. Wrong Turn 2021 is not a perfect horror film by any means, but it surprises with both its desire and ambition to move the series in a new direction with its greatest misstep being its main title. 

      Abandoning the cannibalistic inbred hillbillies who served as being the first films villains, the newest Wrong Turn focuses on a group of friends hiking on the Appalachian Trial finding themselves being confronted by a community of people called 'The Foundation,' who have lived in the mountains for hundreds of years. The first Wrong Turn wasn't anything special besides being passable horror-themed entertainment as it never attempted to separate itself from the slasher films that came out around its time. That film worked as being more of a guilty pleasure in terms of giving audiences a basic plot with disposable characters, creepy creature like villains, and effective moments of gore. As fun and entertaining as that film turned out to be, it didn't do anything to differentiate itself from others of its kind. That however, isn't the case with the 2021 reboot as the new film attempts to elevate itself to being more of a more realistic and thoughtful horror flick, that carries a more serious tone which contains underlining political undertones underneath its general plot. Whereas the original Wrong Turn carried a brisk pace in regards to introducing the audience to its main characters and having them get stranded early on, the reboot is slower-paced and more atmospheric in terms of building up its suspense. The feels of the two films are completely different with their only resemblance to each other being solely in name with their goals to entertain their audience being completely different. The newest Wrong Turn aims to adapt to the modern style of horror films with a millennial group of characters fighting to survive against an enemy that's less frightening lookwise, though more believable in terms of ideology. The filmmakers took a bold step in trying to give the franchise a much needed makeover in hopes of making it compete with today's modern horror, though the film finds itself being a little too serious and overly preachy for the type of franchise it comes from. One of the main aspects of the original 2003 Wrong Turn that made it fairly entertaining to watch, was the fact that it didn't concern itself so much with giving its story or characters thorough development, but chose to get straight to the point with its concept along with give horror fans what they wanted to see which was a 1970's B movie style thrill ride of terror. As cheesy and predictable as the original Wrong Turn's plot came across as being, it worked with the film never aspiring to be anything more than forgettable horror entertainment. The reboot is a film that wants to be taken more seriously by audiences, with it having much more on its mind in regards to its main plot and themes. As a film that's meant to be an installment of the long-running Wrong Turn series which had a mediocre start and continued its gradual decrease in quality, the newest reboot provides a stronger entry than the previous efforts but is lacking the carefree energy and thrills of the original 2003 film that drew horror fans to it. The reboot works better as being a standalone horror film than it does as being apart of the series whose name it borrows from. For those who view the film as its own separate thing, it's actually better than what one expects. 

      As far as the films acting goes, the performances from the main cast serve as being relatively decent and standard for a horror movie. With one such as Wrong Turn, it's not required for the acting to be more than serviceable with anything beyond that being a nice plus. The cast as a whole work well together as a group of Gen Z millennials, who find themselves being targeted in the woods by a twisted cult like group while hiking the Appalachian Trial. The cast for the original Wrong Turn consisted of young up-and-coming actors/actresses that were not only appealing but kept continued the trend of new faces dominating the horror genre during its late 90's/early 00's resurgence. Outside of Matthew Modine being the most well-known actor in the new film, the cast presented is mostly unrecognizable yet effective in their roles. Charlotte Vega shines as the films main character Jen Shaw with her convincingly portraying her characters unfamiliarness regarding her surroundings and fear of being hunted in the woods. Vega's performance creates a fairly strong female character that audiences can sympathize with and ultimately want to see survive her ordeal. Adian Bradley also impresses as Charlotte's boyfriend Darius with his character boasting an interesting dynamic as the story progresses. Matthew Modine makes the most of his part as Jen's father Scott Shaw with Modine conveying the audiences sympathy in playing the role of a concerned father, who knows that something is off regarding his daughters sudden disappearance. Bill Sage proves to be effectively chilling as The Foundations leader Venable with the audience being creeped out by the characters hold on the brainwashed community. The rest of the cast give notable performances with Emma Dumont and Dylan McTee playing couples Milla and Adam, who tag along with Jen and Darius on their trip along with Vardaan Arora and Adrian Favela as the groups male couple Gary and Luis. Other supporting roles include Daisy Head as Edith, one of The Foundations young members, and Tim De Zarn as the towns local Redneck Nate Roades who aggressively warns the group against venturing off the marked trail. In terms of making the most of their roles, the cast for Wrong Turn does a good job of making the audience believe in the terror unfolding on the big screen regardless of whether they agree with the direction the new reboot takes with the franchise.

      The films directing by Mike P. Nelson comes across as being standard work for a modern horror flick with nothing new or impressive being shown besides the film boasting a carefully paced buildup of suspense. Nelson keeps the film grounded within its woods setting with the atmosphere being both dark and tense. The films booby traps are decent as well as effective in showcasing the films moments of gore for the audience. The violence shown is intensely graphic with characters being shown to be killed off in brutal ways which include the use of traps, arrows, characters being sliced up by knives, and severely beaten. Watching the film, it's​ clear that Nelson aims to be creative with the kills though he never taps into the level of energy and carelessness that was visibly dominant throughout the 2003 film. Whereas that film was quick paced with it carrying a running time of just 84 minutes, the reboot is nearly a full half hour longer with it clocking in at 109 minutes. The newer film feels more slower-paced and atmospheric in comparison to the previous film with audiences getting a stronger reading of both the main characters and The Foundation tribe. The cinematography is one area that pales in comparison to the original film. Whereas the camera work captures the look and feel of the woods in the newest Wrong Turn, it doesn't quite capture the creepy vibe that the 70's style cinematography in the original film conveyed. The films score works hand-in-hand in adding to the films level of suspense and tension. As far as the directing for the new Wrong Turn goes, Mike P. Nelsen takes the opposite approach of what was done in the 2003 film with him relying heavily on both atmosphere and tension to scare audiences with the occasional splash of blood occurring throughout the film. Although the film isn't as blatant as its predecessor in its desire to kill off its on screen characters in the most brutal and disturbing ways, Nelsen's film relies on old-fashioned psychological terror and suspense to build up the anticipation of the main characters encountering carefully placed booby traps and disturbing​ death scenes. It's a different approach that the film takes in presenting its horror in comparison to the rest of the series, but Nelsen's slower approach deserves some commending for attempting to try something different in an effort to add substance.

 

      The screenplay by Alan B. McElroy aims to give the franchise a more realistic and modern approach with the new group being more diverse than the previous one with the new batch consisting of two young women, one black man, a Latinx and Indian man with the latter two shown to be a gay couple. Although the attempt to present a more rounded group is noble, it doesn't leave the intended impact with the audience as everyone in the group besides Jen and Darius characters feel both one-dimensional and stereotypical. The films main antagonists, particularly Venable, serves as being charismatic as well as maintaining the audiences interest with his chilling persona as the story unfolds. Though the figures in The Foundation tribe never come across as being as scary as the inbred hillbillies from the original Wrong Turn, they still manage to be effectively creepy with them having a subplot that feels similar to that of Wicker Man. The main characters shown in the film are portrayed as being a diverse group of privileged millineals, who look down on the Southern town they're visiting while being aware that they're out of their traditional comfort zone with them being stared at and harassed by a group of redneck hillbillies, who may or may not be trying to warn them off from going on the trail. Of course given that the story is horror themed, the film wouldn't be complete without pointless throwaway characters such as the hotheaded member of Jen's group Adam, who conveniently gets his leg stuck in a trap and ultimately dragged off through the woods. The dialogue is about what one expects for a horror film with it landing on the level of being average with characters saying nothing more interesting than screaming each other's names out. The more interesting moments regarding character development and dialogue include Darius fantasizing about a cult-like dynamic in which "everyone works and everyone shares", which ultimately presents an interesting dynamic for his character later on in the story. Jen is portrayed as believing that there's only right and wrong with no shades of grey in between. Adams character is portrayed as being a total jerk with audiences eagarly awaiting his demise. Whereas the hillbillies in the original Wrong Turn had no motive in wanting to kill the group of young teens other than them being deformed psychopaths, The Foundation tribes motive is interesting with the group being revealed to have migrated into the woods to avoid being caught up in the divide of the country during the Civil War era with them vigorously defending the village with set traps. The concept for the new Wrong Turn sets itself apart from the rest of the series in the sense that the villains aren't​ just hunting and killing civilians for sport, but are doing it now with a clear purpose that makes sense and is thoughtful. It almost feels like a plot twist that would come out of a horror film like Get Out with the film playing on both racial and political themes in the midst of its story. Overall, the writing for Wrong Turn surprises in the sense that it attempts to add some depth to its characters, as well as making its villains appear to be more realistic and relatable. The script isn't devoid of falling into the basic traps of modern horror films such as cliched character tropes and uninspired dialogue, but its desire to add more to the series concept is admirable despite having virtually no connection to the previous films.

      With how different the new Wrong Turn presents itself as being in comparison to the rest of the series, the question arises of why the filmmakers chose to give it the same title as the original film given that the plots are completely different. It's no question that fans who both watched and enjoyed the previous Wrong Turn films prior will be confused and disappointed to see how much the filmmakers deter from the original story. The film appears to be confident in the story it wants to tell, but requires clearer clarification with horror fans regarding its solo story arc in comparison to the rest of the series. Wrong Turn 2021 is a film that works best as its own thing with no ties to the rest of the series. The problem is its bound to those films whether it desires to or not because of the filmmakers choice to make it an official reboot for the 2003 film. If one can manage to separate the two, they'll see that the new film is better than what they initially expect of it going in. The reboot serves as being a film that appears to have a bit on its mind and aims to take the series in a different direction for a more modern audience. Although its efforts to be more than just a mindless throwaway horror flick are greatly appreciated, the fact that its filmmakers can't decide on whether or not they intend to make the film a true reimagining of the series holds it back from having the maximum desired effect with audiences. Wrong Turn 2021 is dark, violent, ambitious, edgy, and ultimately confusing in what its actual intentions are in reinvigorating a horror franchise which respectably, was never great to begin with. 

Final Verdict: Horror fans will find the newest installment of the Wrong Turn franchise to be completely opposite of what was done prior, but may be surprised at how the film does a fairly decent job of telling the new story that's designed to reshape the hit series that ultimately flamed out. Those however, who are hardcore fans of the original should avoid the reboot and revisit that film instead.