The Last Exorcism

#FTRQ "The Last Exorcism" - I steered clear of this film for a long while, mostly because I heard bad things about it. Bu the other day I saw a trailer for "The Last Exorcism 2", and I was intrigued enough to rent this first installment. I was very pleasantly surprised to see a young Caleb Landry Jones in this, as faithful readers will know I try to watch everything he's in. This isn't nearly as bad as I'd heard or feared. It was a well acted horror show, found footage style, which I admit I have a penchant for. The script was interesting and I really enjoyed Patrick Fabian and Ashley Bell in this. I'm happy I saw it, and will now queue up the sequel for next week. 3/5

EDITED TO ADD: I'm glad I hadn't hit send on this yet, because I remembered seeing a song credit for Caleb Landry Jones in the credits. I just did a Google search, and just discovered he makes music too! I'm stunned. Now I'm grateful to have rented this film all the more!

The Last Exorcism on Netflix

Contraband

Seriously, when did Mark Wahlberg decide he was going to actually act again? I've been disliking and avoiding his films for so long that I apparently missed when he discovered he really liked acting and wanted to do it well. This 2012 heist film had a snappy script and great acting across the board, including Wahlberg. Of course, I had to see it, because Caleb Landry Jones is in it, but it was definitely worth the watch. Solid film, I enjoyed it. 4/5

Contaband on Netflix

Queen and Country

In my quest to watch every film Caleb Landry Jones is in I found this period British dramedy. I almost didn't recognize Jones without his glorious ginger locks, but he was captivating as ever even without them. I wish I had known this was a sequel to "Hope and Glory", which I have never seen, as it might have made the seemingly disjointed plot a bit more clear. I found the story jumped around too much and couldn't seem to settle between drama and comedy for more than a few minutes, which was off-putting to me. However, the acting was superb all around, and the film kept my attention throughout. All in all, good, but not great. 3/5

Queen and Country on Netflix

Byzantium

Although I figured out what kind of movie this was about ten minutes in, I was nonetheless hooked by it. Ronan was fabulous, perhaps even better than she was in "Brooklyn", which is saying a lot. And I would like to pass a law that mandates that Caleb Landry Jones must be in all films made, as he is so wonderful. I quite enjoyed this. 4/5

Byzantium on Netflix

Stonewall

I know this film got a lot of bad press in the gay community, and I'm not knowledgeable enough to discuss what is or isn't factual about it. What I can say was that, purely as a film, I found it inspiring and very well acted all around. Well paced and well directed as well - this is a solid film. 3.5/5

Stonewall on Netflix

Heaven Knows What

This tense drama attempts to recapture the feel of "Requiem for a Dream" but misses the mark. Good not great. However, everyone remember the name Caleb Landry Jones. He's going to be the next Phillip Seymour Hoffman - he's amazing. I'm on record now. 3/5

Heaven Knows What on Netflix

God's Pocket

Slattery directs PSH in his last film - a gritty, no nonsense drama with a great pace & strong acting. 3.5/5

God's Pocket on Netflix

Antiviral

This is going to be longer, because a review of a film this innovative should be. This is the first feature from Brandon Cronenberg, which he both wrote and directed, and in one film I feel he has surpassed the best things his father ever did. It is, quite simply, the best sci-fi film I've seen in a long while and perhaps the most innovative one in years. The writing was marvelous, engaging, sinister, and disturbing, without ever breaking its own rules. The star of the film who I have never seen before, Caleb Landry Jones, was sheer perfection. Most everything about this film was just that - sheer perfection - and I feel sorry for the many on Netflix who gave this poor reviews after just not grasping the plot. This is the type of film ardent movie fans should be supporting, which is why I immediately bought it on DVD. I encourage anyone who likes visually stunning, dark, cerebral sci-fi films to watch this with haste - you will thank me. 5/5

Antiviral on Netflix