Sometimes, there is a very real fear among parents that they themselves will turn into their parents. Apparently, the prospect of such a notion was so horrifying that filmmakers have found a way to give this concept life on the silver screen. It’s an entry that goes into one genre in particular, one that might make viewers go, “huh? No way…” The genre that director Iris Shim’s Umma falls under, is horror. Odd as it might sound that mom is out to get you (as the villain), let’s dive into why it works so well as a horror film.
What Gives Umma That Extra Scary Kick?
The best horror stories aren’t always those that glorify an insane amount of gore, fun as those can be. Often, it is the stories that hit closest to home, whose frightening themes have an actual chance of happening to us as individuals.
Umma follows two women, a mother (Amanda played by Sandra Oh) and her daughter, Chris ( played by Fivel Stewart), both of whom sport a pretty reclusive lifestyle living on a bee farm. They appear to get along pretty well in the trailer, but everything comes to a head when a surprise visitor visits their farm. In tow, this visitor has brought Amanda the ashes of her Umma, which translates to mother in Korean. From there, we begin to see everything descend into chaos as they are plagued by the ghost of Umma.
At a glance, sure, it works perfectly as is. It’s a ghost story, so of course, it would fall under horror. But Umma goes the extra mile with its storytelling. According to an interview-style article by NPR, the crux of the story rests upon intergenerational trauma, specifically the fear of turning into one’s own mother. Now for some people, this isn’t a concept that is necessarily horrifying. But as we know all too well, no one is perfect. The same is said of parents, especially when it comes to what we pass on down to the next generation. Some of it is good, sure, but some of what is passed down can be damaging too.
It’s this notion specifically, that the film tries to grapple with. To quote the aforementioned article, the movie puts “three generations of women into conflict [with one another]”, each with their own sets of ideas and beliefs. How much do these values align? How much do they differ? These are all things that add to the film’s intrigue, making for the promise of some very interesting character interplay. To go even further, as stated earlier, this theme is what really makes the film such a fitting entry into the horror genre. If you’re the kind of person who can’t get on board with the supernatural in horror movies, this movie is perfect because the very real fear of becoming your parent is what grounds the film in reality and, ultimately, makes it even more compelling through and through.Umma is out in theaters now.
In need of a wholesome pick-me-up film? In the mood for that film to be beautifully animated? Look no further than Disney and Pixar’s latest release, Turning Red. The film stars Rosalie Chang as the main character, Meilin, Sandra Oh as Ming, Ava Morse as Miriam, Maitreyi Ramakrishnan as Priya, and Wai Ching Ho as Grandma, to name a few members of the cast. Turning Red, directed by Domee Shi, follows a relatively simple premise like most Pixar films do. Meilin is unique in that whenever she gets overly excited, she turns into a giant red panda. Don’t let the simplicity of the premise fool you though, because as is often the case with Pixar films, there’s much more to it than meets the eye.
Turning Red is a must watch and here’s why
Aside from being a movie animated by Pixar, Turning Red has a lot going for it. For one, it is a film that celebrates Asian culture. Disney already had its head start with the likes of Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and Raya and the Last Dragon in terms of Asian representation. What sets this film apart from its predecessors is that it’s a bit more family-friendly if violence and action aren’t for you and yours. As cool as fighting in movies can be, it’s nice to just be able to appreciate the culture without the need for physical conflict. You can appreciate it by delving into the traditions that add to and structure life, sharing the stories that inspire and enliven the imagination, or even something as simple as appreciating how good the cuisine is, these are all things that Turning Red does in spades (organically too).
Next up, this is also a movie that tackles a discussion that isn’t very often had in film. To quote EW’s review, the movie does well not to shy away from “normalizing the emotional and physical messiness of puberty”. A topic that’s considered a “cinematic boundary” has now lost one of its foundational bricks, and in a good way. Being able to have an open conversation is always a good thing, and it helps when there is a platform that aids in getting that conversation going. It goes without saying that puberty is a very important topic for boys and girls alike. To have the metaphor of the red panda transformation gives children coming into that age group a pretty smooth (and dare I say cute) transition into talking about puberty. That being said, Turning Red is looking like the next best coming-of-age film of our time.
So if you’re ready to cry as is typical with every Pixar movie that has come before it, Turning Red is definitely up there on the recommendation list for either a nice family night out or a cozy movie night with the kids. Turning Red can be streamed exclusively on Disney+, having yet to make its way to theaters in the United States.
Depending on who you ask, you’ll either get a giddy sense of excitement or a groan of disdain when you ask someone about historical fiction. There’ll be those who love it for what it is, and others who simply ask “why can’t they just pick a lane??” But for those of you who are fans of the genre, you’ve probably heard by now that Vikings: Valhalla (the series) was recently released on Netflix, and are rightfully excited. For those of you who are on the fence, perhaps this preparatory recap could convince you to give the show a shot. Maybe you’ll even find yourself a fan of the genre, or at the very least, of the show itself.
What Was The Previous Series About?
That’s right. Before this series was announced, there was a series that existed before it, simply titled Vikings. This show featured Travis Fimmel as Ragnar Lothbrok as the main character. The story mainly dealt with how the Vikings went about discovering the West. It took care to show the divisions in Viking society and also didn’t shy away from leaning a bit into supernatural aspects of Viking mythology. Vikings also covered their first encounter with England, which plays a very important role in the series after it, Valhalla. Overall, all these elements with the added spice of drama made for a very compelling 6 seasons. Vikings originally aired on Amazon Prime and the History channel.
What Will Vikings: Valhalla Cover?
This show will tell the story of one of the most well-known members of Vikings history, the legendary Leif Erikson, played by Sam Corlett. Accompanying Leif as the main character is his sister, Freydís Eríksdóttir. According to Collider, Valhalla takes place more than a century after the events of the first series. The show looks like it will place more focus on the tensions between the Vikings and the English, specifically the ramifications of each societies’ religions clashing with one another. Like its predecessor, it will do well to lean into the history behind the story, while also not being shy to include some supernatural elements (as an example, the show includes seers who more often than not, more or less validate the existence of the gods).
Unlike the original Vikings, our main characters do not have interests that necessarily align, making for a much more interesting and complex story. How interesting and engaging? If you want a better idea of how it goes, you can continue reading Collider’s review of the show. But if you want to challenge yourself and try something new, why not decide for yourself first?
Vikings: Valhalla was released on Netflix on February 25, 2022.
After the advent of COVID-19 and other minor setbacks, MJ the Musical, or simply MJ, finally came to theatres on the 1st of February. The show looks back at the journey of the one and only Michael Jackson. The show has been out for nearly a month now, and at a glance, the reviews seem conflicted. Some absolutely love it, while others are a little more critical of the show given certain elements, or rather the lack thereof. If you want to know a little more with regard to what’s up with this show, strap yourselves in, we’re going for a ride.
The Critical
Let’s kick this off with the issues those critical of the show have to say. The New York Times’ review of MJ the Musical contends that this project is one that is essentially “an authorized biography”. Normally, this wouldn’t be an issue, but in this particular case it is. Mostly because the show decides to look at everything that happens in Michael Jackson’s life, right up until the year 1992 wherein the pop star was preparing for his Dangerous tour.
There’s a reason 1992 is so significant as far as making the decision to end the show there. It effectively avoids some of the less flattering years of Michael Jackson’s life, the most notable being the accusations of pedophilia that police would come to investigate in August of 1993. To some, this move felt like the show was opting to edit history in a sense. When putting together a biography, one often expects the most complete picture possible of the subject or person in question. Leaving this part out, true or not, kind of compromises or at the very least undermines the show’s place in the genre of biography. As such, this has been the chief complaint reviewers have had when writing about MJ.
Vulture’s review held some similar views, in that the narrative suffered because it felt like the story itself was under “a cross-examination” of sorts. To wrap up the critical side of the reviews, if you’re looking for a complete, comprehensive recollection of the King of Pop’s life that leaves no stone unturned, this is not the show you’re looking for.
The Good
Despite the controversy surrounding the production and narrative choices of the show, MJ the Musical has some good things going for it. For one, an article from The Washington Post maintains that one of the highlights the show has to offer is exceptional choreography. With Christopher Wheeldon at the helm in this department, it is by no means far-fetched to say that the dance performances did well to capture the essence and grace of Michael Jackson as a performer. Wheeldon is noted not only for his penchant for perfection but is recognized as “one of the world’s eminent ballet choreographers”. It’s not hard to imagine that it certainly shows in MJ the Musical.
What’s more, their review of the show goes on to say that despite what’s left out, MJ still manages to put on an entertaining show attesting to the King of Pop’s genius and popularity.
The music catalog is exactly what you think it’d be, with songs like Bad, Billie Jean, and Thriller to name a few. They even do well to include some of Michael Jackson’s lesser-known songs that provide a little more range than you’re used to. In a nutshell, the show does a pretty good job of harping on nostalgia and exceptional performances in order to deliver a great night out on Broadway.
The Verdict?
It’s quite a loaded question to answer, but in essence, it looks like MJ the Musical boils down to a question of expectation. The show’s mere existence lends itself to the conversation surrounding how we choose to remember Michael Jackson. Do we focus on how the man single-handedly revolutionized the Pop genre, or do we do well not to forget that he wasn’t as perfect as we thought he was? It is an approach you can take to just about anyone really (not everyone though), which is what makes this conversation so difficult. At the end of the day, it’s a conversation worth having.
In fairness, it is understandable why the Jackson Estate, which had a pretty active role in the production of MJ, made the decisions they did. The premise of a musical in general is that, more often than not, it’s supposed to be light-hearted and jovial and it’s clear they want to celebrate the legendary pop artist.
What appears to prevent the show from garnering unchallenged critical acclaim is its complex relationship with Michael Jackson’s history, one that people are still quite divided on. Perhaps striving to make this show more of a musical experience would have been a better route to take as opposed to the biographical alternative they ended up taking.
To err on the side of a lighter ending, it looks like a show you wouldn’t want to miss if you’re a fan of Michael Jackson. If you’re entranced by his music and his ability as a performer, this show is probably the closest thing you’ll get to feeling like you’re in a Michael Jackson concert.
Death on the Nile, a film starring Gal Gadot and a host of other actors, Kenneth Branagh, Armie Hammer, and Letitia Wright to name a few, is already out and about. Based on a book of the same name by Agatha Christie, Death on the Nile is the sequel to Murder on the Orient Express (2017). Despite the controversy surrounding the film, which has more to do with what went on behind the scenes than the actual film itself, there’s every chance that Death on the Nile is an enjoyable movie worth watching. Why you might ask? Simply because there’s nothing that beats a well-written whodunit.
If you want to learn a little more about this genre and its origins, look no further. We got you covered.
How Far Back Do Whodunits Go?
The first question that might be on your mind is how far back this genre goes. It begins with the coining of a phrase. There’s a little back and forth on who exactly created the term, but Cinema Journal holds that it was conceived by Donald Gordon in 1930 upon reviewing the book Half-Mast Murder.
The term ‘Whodunit’ would later be applied to movies for the first time in 1934, when the film adaptation for Arnold Ridley’s Recipe for Murder came out. After the passage of two world wars, the genre began to blossom and grow into what we know it to be today. Among the authors that rose to fame after World Wars I and II, the most famous of them was Agatha Christie. Cinema Journal notes that “she is considered a master of the genre.” If that name sounds familiar, it should, because her books are what Kenneth Branagh’s films use as adaptation material. Something which should attest to how good the film is.
Why They’ll Be With Us For A Long Time
Now onto why Whodunits won’t be leaving us anytime soon. What makes a really well-executed whodunit film special is that it can be engaging for all audiences. In an age where people like predicting things and making speculations left and right, these movies allow viewers to do that in spades. Especially in an era where properties like the MCU drive speculation through the roof with appearances alone.
Depending on the level of complexity a given story decides to employ, as well as gore and other adult themes, they can generally reach and entertain people of multiple if not all age groups. It’s a solid genre that can get the whole family engaged through the aforementioned penchant for inspiring speculations and theories. It’s quite fun as an activity too when everyone has differing theories. Essentially, if you don’t have any party poopers or spoilers, watching whodunits have the potential to be great family pastimes.
That being said, Death on the Nile looks like a pretty solid whodunit, having a decent scoring on Rotten Tomatoes. So if you want to start a new family tradition and explore the world of whodunit, maybe consider putting Death on the Nile on your queue.
With a new year comes a whole fresh batch of movies. There’s a lot to be looking forward to this year too, so much it seems nearly impossible to stay on top of. We’ve picked some films from this year’s catalog that you should definitely consider checking out when they’re out.
11.) Spider-Man: Across The Spiderverse (Part One)
Release Date: October 7th, 2022
Spider-Man has been all the craze since Spider-Man: No Way Home released in theaters. Even before that entry into the MCU, there was another film that worked up just as much of a commotion for the webhead. Going all the way back to 2018, that film was none other than Spider-Man: Into The Spiderverse. Utilizing an art style that could’ve just as easily been ripped out of a comic, the film was adored by fans and newcomers alike. Spider-Man: Across the Spiderverse (Part One) is the sequel to this rousing success of a movie, one that all Spider-Man fans are just dying to sink their teeth into.
10.) Doctor Strange: Into The Multiverse of Madness
Release Date: May 6th 2022
Piggybacking off of Spider-Man: No Way Home, the last post credits scene of the film served as a “backdoor trailer release” of sorts. In short, we got to see where the next phase of Doctor Strange’s journey takes him in the trailer for the upcoming film Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Now that trailer was something else, teasing the return of Mordo from the first Doctor Strange, revealing the role Wanda Maximoff will be playing in the film, as well as a few other little easter eggs if you know where to look (like the possible appearance of Strange Supreme from Marvel’s What If). With all the crazy things that happened in Spider-Man: Now Way Home alone, the new Doctor Strange movie looks like it’s going to be dialing that up 200%, and we can’t wait to see it.
9.) Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Release Date: November 11th, 2022
This entry into the MCU is sure to be an emotional one. There was scarce a person that didn’t enjoy Chadwick Boseman’s performance as the legendary Black Panther. We also grew to love the nation of Wakanda, the country the Black Panther hails from. Wakanda is a city/nation-state that’s one of the greatest technological marvels that exists in the Marvel universe. Wakanda Forever will very likely revisit that setting and will give fans a proper goodbye to Boseman’s character, as the actor tragically passed away in 2020.
8.) Black Adam
Release Date: July 29th, 2022
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has been tooting the horn for this film for quite a long time. The quote was always “the hierarchy of power in the DC Universe is about to change”. Well, come July 29th, that hierarchy officially changes. The great thing about Black Adam is that he fits into the interesting “antihero” category, so it’s not gonna be your typical superhero movie. Long story short, it’s going to be deeply gratifying to see all that hype the Rock drummed up for us finally come to fruition.
7.) The Batman
Release Date: March 4th, 2022
Speaking of even more hype, there’s one upcoming DC project that probably trumps them all. The Batman has undergone quite the journey. It started out with Ben Affleck at the helm as the director, writer, and Batman. The project then underwent various changes as time marched on, the most notable being that Ben Affleck was no longer involved. Once the project finally came into focus, people liked what they saw, and what they saw was a film that looked like it leaned into the detective side of Batman – though it looks like we’ll get plenty of the brawler side too. Either way you slice it, The Batman is going to be a blast when it comes out. A very thrilling blast.
6.) Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore
Release Date: July 25th, 2022
For the Harry Potter fans in the crowd, there’s a new film coming out just for you. Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore picks up after the events of Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, as Dumbledore puts together a team of capable wizards and witches to stop Grindelwald from making his power play in the wizarding world. If you’ve been following the Harry Potter prequels or just want to watch something with just the right amount of magic and mythical beasts, this film will be right up your alley.
5.) Halloween Ends
Release Date: October 14th, 2022
The thrilling conclusion to Jamie Lee Curtis’ Laurie Strode and Hollywood’s most infamous slasher, Michael Myers’, story comes to a close this October. It feels very surreal because not unlike the character himself, the Halloween franchise seemed like it could go on forever, never truly staying dead. That all comes to a gruesome finish with the final installment in the sequel/reboot trilogy, Halloween Ends. Once again, Laurie Strode will be facing off against one of horror’s greatest icons, but as the title suggests, it might be for the last time.
4.) Lightyear
Release Date: June 17th, 2022
Once upon a time, Disney came out with what can be considered some of the most seminal movies in the history of film and animation. You guessed it, we’re talking about Toy Story. Even though the original franchise is pretty much done, it looks like Disney and Pixar have found another way to bring these classic characters back to the silver screen. Lightyear tells the story of Buzz Lightyear, but not the toy whom we are all much more familiar with. It looks like this film will tell the story of the man the toy is inspired by if that makes sense. Different though it may be, it looks interesting enough to check out.
3.) Avatar 2
Release Date: December 16th, 2022
The first Avatar, directed and written by James Cameron, is still the highest-grossing movie of all time. Now he’s back at it again, set to deliver Avatar 2 in mid-December. According to Rotten Tomatoes, the film will once again follow Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldana Neytiri’s characters on Pandora along with the family they’ve built together. Following the return of old foes, they’re forced out of their home and search for a new one. The film has a pretty interesting lineup (including the dream team that made the first one work), which now includes Kate Winslet, Michelle Yeoh, and Edie Falco.
2.) Top Gun: Maverick
Release Date: May 27th, 2022
This particular film took its sweet time cooking in the oven. After a whopping 30 plus years, Top Gun (1986) is finally getting a sequel. It’s certainly an exciting time to be a Top Gun fan, especially since it looks like they’re going all out for this film. Tom Cruise is set to return as Maverick, Val Kilmer as Iceman, and they’ve even gone as far as recruiting Miles Teller in order to portray Goose’s son, writes Rotten Tomatoes. If as a viewer, you want to see Tom Cruise some off-the-wall tricks and stunts with a jet, by all means, we implore you to give Top Gun: Maverick a shot.
1.) The Northman
Release Date: April 22nd, 2022
Last but not least, we have an all-new project coming out in April called The Northman. Did you like The Lighthouse? Did you like The Witch too? Well the guy who directed both movies, Robert Eggers, is more than likely going to wow you again with this gory, unhinged film. The setting is tenth-century Iceland, and a viking Prince is out for blood after his father is murdered. Per Rotten Tomatoes, Eggers took care to do it right too, co-writing with Icelandic writer Sjón, and also features Björk, a famous singer-songwriter from Iceland. The cast is extra crunchy too, featuring the likes of Anya Taylor-Joy, Willem Dafoe, Nicole Kidman, Ethan Hawke, and Alexander Skarsgard.
2022 is looking like a very good year for movies, and we can’t wait to see how awesome all these new films turn out (and hopefully you, most avid reader, can’t wait either)!
Look alive folks, voting for the 94th Academy Awards has opened up. Despite how tough this year has been on the movie industry, some pretty great films came out nonetheless. That said, there are only so many awards to give out, and quite a selection of potential contenders. We’ll be going over who we think will be the prime contenders for the big five awards.
Best Picture
Right off the bat, the first movie to come to mind is Dune. It has to have been one of the most beautifully shot movies of 2021. It boasts many breathtaking scenic shots as well as some great set pieces for the camera operators to take advantage of. To be frank, it’s the closest thing you’ll get to a modern marvel where the silver screen is concerned.
According to the Los Angeles Times, other contenders for this award include The Tragedy of Macbeth, Don’t Look Up, CODA, Belfast, King Richard, West Side Story, The Power of the Dog, and Tick, Tick … Boom!
Best Director
There’s also something to be said of the director who helmed Dune, Denis Villeneuve. He took what was once considered an unfilmable property and managed to make a pretty satisfying iteration of Dune. Without his willingness to take the project and his vision for it, a good Dune movie might have taken a little longer to come about.
Another director worth mentioning is Sam Raimi and his film Spider-Man: No Way Home. Marvel has had a pretty great track record so far when it comes to handling its properties. Sony? This answer tends to vary. The newest Spider-Man however took the best of what Sony had to offer, without forgetting to progress and enhance the newest Spider-Man’s story. All while delivering a pretty satisfying story to newer and old fans alike.
According to the Los Angeles Times, other contenders for this award include Paul Thomas Anderson for his film Licorice Pizza, Steven Spielberg for West Side Story, Jane Campion for The Power of the Dog, and Ryûsuke Hamaguchi for Drive My Car.
Best Lead Actor
For this category, hats truly have to go off for Denzel Washington. Last year, he had the privilege of playing the tragic figure Macbeth in The Tragedy of Macbeth. His performance was true to form as always, doing justice to the conflicted nature of the character, playing off the supporting characters in an exceptional manner that was nothing short of remarkable.
The Los Angeles Times offers Javier Bardem for his work in Being The Ricardos for best lead actor, positing that many of the voters more likely saw Being the Ricardos more than anything else, a feasible argument to be sure. Other possible contenders they offer for this award include Benedict Cumberbatch for his role in The Power of the Dog, Andrew Garfield for his role in Tick, Tick … Boom!, and Will Smith for his role in King Richard.
Best Lead Actress
According to Awards Watch, there are a couple of different notable contenders for this award.
First up we have Jessica Chastain for her role as Tammy Faye Bakker in The Eyes of Tammy Faye. The actress showed just how committed she was to the project, as she had to put on layers upon layers of makeup and prosthetics in order to play the role.
Another plausible candidate for this award is Jennifer Hudson for her portrayal of Aretha Franklin in Respect. The actress did well to do justice to some of the artist’s greatest hits and portrayed the music star just as admirably. Jennifer Hudson has also won an Oscar before, back in 2008 for her role as a supporting actress in Dream Girls.
Nicole Kidman is also in the running for trying her hand at portraying Lucille Ball in Being the Ricardos. Initial on-set photos left the internet in an uproar, but that uproar would soon die down as the actress shocked viewers of the movie with how great her performance was. Nicole Kidman has won the Best Actress award before for her performance in The Hours in 2002.
Last but not least we have the multi-talented Lady Gaga for portraying Patrizia Reggiani in House of Gucci. The actress really got to let loose with this role, showing viewers what 10 years of studying method acting looks like (she did that before she became a musician). Lady Gaga came close to winning an Academy Award when she starred in 2018’s A Star Is Born and was nominated for Best Actress. Perhaps this time around, she’ll get the award outright.
Best Screenplay
Best Screenplay is interesting. According to Variety, the Writers Guild of America released their nominations which include Being the Ricardos, The French Dispatch, King Richard, Licorice Pizza, and lastly, Don’t Look Up. Of the five listed here, Don’t Look Up probably stands the best chance though. Why? Well, despite being quite a heavy-handed comedy, there’s a lot that takes place in the movie that deeply resonates with waking life. A scary amount, in fact. While comedic, it did not shy away from its dark ending either, which only piles on to the respect this film deserves. Despite the mixed reviews it garnered, it speaks to some of the biggest issues of our time in a manner that manages to be both witty and take itself somewhat seriously at the same time.
The 94th Academy Awards will take place on March 27th at the Dolby Theater in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California.
In the year 1999, a film was released that would change the world. Perhaps one of the most iconic movies of all time, The Matrix captivated audiences with its rich storytelling with what was then considered the peak of digital effects. The following two movies succeeding would be relatively okay, but that isn’t what’s important. What IS important is that now, nearly 22 years later, the next installment in The Matrix franchise, The Matrix Resurrections is coming to theaters. That’s a long time for a franchise to be rising once again, so we will walk you through what you need to know and what you might expect from this film.
Where Did We Leave Off?
First of all, if you haven’t seen the first Matrix, you need to go ahead and put that on your to-do list immediately. Take in everything it has to offer, then come back and read this game of catch-up. After finding out that Neo, played by none other than Keanu Reeves, is The One – a person who is prophesied to bring about the end of The Matrix, a simulation run by machines created to keep humans docile while turning them into living batteries – he sets about doing what this title entails of him. Aiding him the most consistently are Trinity, who is played by Carrie Ann Moss, Morpheus who is played by Laurence Fishburne, and The Oracle. In the second installment, The Matrix Reloaded, his quest to unravel the Matrix puts him into conflict with characters such as the Merovingian (played by Lambert Wilson) and the Architect (played by Helmut Bakaitis), as well as the Agent he seemingly destroyed in the first film, Agent Smith (played by Hugo Weaving). To add some icing on top of this cake, the aforementioned machines that turned humans into batteries sent an army of Sentinels (warrior machines) to wipe out the last human city called Zion, adding another layer of stakes to Neo’s quest. By the movie’s end, Neo falls into unconsciousness as he uses a newfound power to control machines in the waking world.
In the third movie, The Matrix Revolutions, Neo is trapped in a sort of limbo between The Matrix and the machine world which is known as Mobil Avenue. He is freed by his friends and returns to the waking world with Trinity and Morpheus to interrogate a man called Bane – the only survivor of a catastrophe surrounding the destruction of a fellow ship from Zion in the second film. This person turns out to be the perpetrator of said destruction and is revealed to be Agent Smith possessing a human body. During Neo’s fight with Bane, he is blinded but still manages to defeat Bane/Smith anyway, at least in the waking world.
At this point, our heroes splinter off, Neo goes with Trinity to the Machine City, so he can confront the A.I. behind the machines. Morpheus and Niobe – a human from Zion first introduced in the second film – go back to Zion in order to aid the effort against the machine invasion. On their way to the Machine City, Neo and Trinity are ambushed by a swarm of Sentinels, a chase and crash landing ensues and results in Trinity becoming fatally wounded. Neo presses on and finally comes face to face with the A.I. or the “Deus Ex Machina” and strikes a deal. Neo offers to defeat Agent Smith, who has become too unruly within the Matrix, in exchange for peace with Zion. As Neo goes into the Matrix to fight Agent Smith, the machines halt their onslaught. Following a drawn-out fight with Smith, Neo allows himself to be assimilated by him in order to allow the Deus Ex Machina to put an end to Smith once and for all, sacrificing Neo in the process. The end sees the Matrix rebooted, Zion free of the danger of the Sentinel army, and people given the option to choose whether or not they want to stay in the Matrix.
What Can We Expect?
Wowee. That was a lot of information to absorb. To close out our (hopefully) helpful recap of what happened last let’s brass some tacks. The new trailer has a lot of information embedded within it, much of it probably red herrings and things not appearing as they seem. There are some sure-fire things you should probably keep track of though. For one, Neo is clearly alive somehow, and so is Trinity (both actors reprising their roles from the earlier movies). The “White Rabbit” clue from the first film has also become a character and is played by Jessica Henwick. Morpheus has been recast with Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, and according to IMDb, Agent Smith has been recast with Jonathan Groff. The only other characters that seem to be reprising their roles are Jada Pinkett Smith who played Niobe from The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions, as well as The Merovingian who was played by Adam Lambert.
In terms of the plot, it looks like Neo (like the franchise itself) has been in some way, shape, or form resurrected and is part of the Matrix once more. Trinity seems to have suffered a similar fate. Given all the blue pills Neo appears to be taking, it looks like someone (or something) is either trying to keep him under control or Neo was in some capacity doing this willingly, its really too early to tell though. What we do know is that Morpheus and those that resist the machines are looking to enlist him in their fight once more. But as is usual with The Matrix franchise, things might not appear as they seem. The Matrix Resurrections was released in theaters on December 22nd, 202 and is available to stream on HBO Max.
There’s something about revisiting a story you know and love that is truly satisfying. For some, it could be the ever-popular Marvel movies. For others, it could be a book or a video game – fill in the blank as you will. Last month, a Shakespeare classic got a fresh adaptation starring Denzel Washington in the lead role. That timeless story, which we’ll be speaking about today, is none other than The Tragedy of Macbeth. We know the story, and we know it well…but the conversation we’re about to have spans beyond this film, yet is intricately connected to it, as well as the future of all films.
This Film Is More Than “Another Adaptation”
Now, before you bellyache and go, “come on….not another adaptation”, hear me out. Granted, it wasn’t too long ago we spoke about repackaging and reselling content (or in this case, stories) when we covered Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Pokemon Shining Pearl, but there is a pretty valid argument to be made here. The difference between conversations surrounding the aforementioned topic and The Tragedy of Macbeth is that we’re talking about two different industries. It is pretty safe to say that the gaming industry has been booming, the pandemic playing a large part in that. Just to give you an idea, an article from the Washington Post reads that just for Microsoft alone, the company “reported a 130-percent increase in multiplayer engagement across March and April [of 2020]”. Not to mention the success Microsoft’s Game Pass has seen, which raked in 10 million subscribers in 2020 alone (Washington Post, 2020).
The movie industry on the other hand, has not been doing so hot. Where gaming and its respective industry thrived because of the fact that everyone was stuck at home, the movie industry suffered for it. The bigger theaters like AMC and Regal Cinemas are still around, but smaller theaters wouldn’t have fared as favorably. Those are just the places that show movies, what’s to be said of the people making films? Covid restrictions undoubtedly made films harder to shell out, and since no one was going to the theaters, many films were forced to release on streaming services like Disney+. This was a problem too because deciding how to pay the filmmakers and their teams was something that needed to be done, and it was not always handled successfully (see our article on Scarjo v. Disney for an idea).
This is why The Tragedy of Macbeth is perfect. As people are now starting to come back to the theaters, there will be less figuring out how to accommodate new releases on streaming platforms and less worrying about economic returns. We can go back to filmmakers receiving their dues the way they were originally intended to. Taking the opportunity to tell a story as epic and tragic as Macbeth’s once again is no mistake. In fact, what better way to pull viewers back into movie theaters than with the promise of a story you already know and love? Sure, Marvel is already doing a good job of bringing people back to theaters, but for those whose tastes lean towards the classics, Macbeth is surely the way to go if you’re trying to tap into that specific audience. As the end of the trailer suggests, The Tragedy of Macbeth looks like a movie that is fit for the silver screen, much in the way Dune was made to be as well. This film isn’t truly marketing a Shakespearean play, it is marketing the value of the silver screen. Streaming is great and all, but in truth, nothing beats the experience of watching a film in theaters. This is why supporting your local theater is important now more so than ever before. That is why there’s more to The Tragedy Of Macbeth than meets the eye. The Tragedy of Macbeth was released in theaters on December 25th, 2021, and starts streaming on Apple TV+ on January 14th, 2022.
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