This week at the movies is a horror show, literally. Jake Gyllenhaal goes for the real-life gore; Nicole Kidman tries to figure out what haunts her mind; and Saw returns, just to give you more nightmares.
Nightcrawler
Jake Gyllenhaal went all “method acting” for this thriller, losing a bunch of weight to get that strung-out look sported by obsessive journalists the world over. He plays Lou Bloom, a freelance photographer who is a bit of an ambulance chaser, encouraged by a news producer, played by Rene Russo, to bring her something “people can’t turn away from.” When he starts getting to the scene of the crime before the police do, Bloom finds himself in a moral morass.
Perfect For: Adrenaline and news junkies. Also: I smell Oscar bait.
What the Critics Say: Mostly praise, especially for Gyllenhaal. AV Club: “All the same, Nightcrawler is well worth seeing just for Gyllenhaal’s spectacularly creepy performance.” New York Times: “Nightcrawler” is a modest and effectively executed urban thriller, suspenseful and entertaining in its clammy, overwrought way.”
Our Take: Totally going.
Watch the Trailer:
Before I Go to Sleep
A highbrow horror movie (we call those thrillers) starring Nicole Kidman as a woman with amnesia who wakes up every morning and doesn’t know who she is. She’s married to Colin Firth, who may or may not be the man he seems. And she meets an investigator who tells her to take photos to help her remember her days. Bit by bit, she uncovers more unsavory truths.
Perfect For: People who like psychological thrillers and two of the finest actors of our time.
What the Critics Say: They are mixed so far; some think it’s dull, others like the premise enough to stick with it. Writes USA Today: “Before I Go to Sleep feels like a recurring nightmare - the kind you wake up from and wonder why you dream in clichés.” Time Out: “Before I Go To Sleep's combination of talents on both sides of the camera means that while it may not rocket you to the edge of your seat as quickly and cruelly as the recent Gone Girl, it's hardly a snooze.”
Our Take: As a fan of Firth and Kidman, I’m intrigued enough to check it out.
Watch the Trailer:
Saw 10th Anniversary Re-Release
Relive the gruesome memories from the 2004 debut of James Wan. Gruesome, gory, and nobody’s idea of a lighthearted romp at the movies, Saw is about a madman who kidnaps people and tortures them in his own weird, made up game of ultra-violence.
Perfect For: Not the kids, obviously. But, you’re weird and you like these gory flicks, so relive it all on the big screen, for just a week.
What the Critics Say: Terrible, very bad, and no good. So, it’ll be a huge hit. The late, great Roger Ebert: “An efficiently made thriller, cheerfully gruesome, and finally not quite worth the ordeal it puts us through.” AV Club: “Though dumber than a box of rocks, Saw forges ahead with the kind of conviction and energy that will keep bad-cinema junkies sitting bolt upright.”
Our Take: There isn’t enough money to see this again, but then, we jump at the mere mention of “boo.”
Watch the Trailer:
