Mid-year review round up
midlandsmovies • July 11, 2020
Mid-year review round up
We take a look at Dark Waters, Brahms: The Boy 2, Colour Out of Space and True History of the Kelly Gang in our mid-2020 review round-up of films that are now available on UK home release.
Dark Waters (2020) Dir. Todd Haynes
I hate the term “so relevant right now” (or some variation thereof) as it’s a far too easy shortcut to express ‘something in the film is related to this week’s news that’s on my mind’. HOWEVER, given the worldwide pandemic this film certainly does tap into our global consciousness as it covers contamination and cover ups. Mark Ruffalo plays real-life lawyer Robert Bilott, who fights the DuPont chemical company over the span of 20 years to reveal a gigantic cover up of pollution. From the discovery of a mysterious poisoning on a small farm, through to a whole town and then the implications across the world, the film is a forensic look at the shady practices of multinational companies. His researching through boxes of files and archive material echo Ruffalo’s role in Spotlight – a film uncovering more shocking misdeeds – and his everyman quality helps us sympathise with his crusade and understand the complexities of the case. The lifetime effects of the chemical dumping – and then shockingly, its use in everyday TEFAL products – ensures Dark Waters eye-opening malpractice themes speak to a wide audience. Although it doesn’t have the immediacy or speed of other classic corporate scandal movies like Erin Brockovich or Wall Street, it’s a low-key and slow-burn drama that I’d go as far as saying IS so relevant right now. ★★★★
Brahms: The Boy 2 (2020) Dir. William Brent Bell
[Some minor spoilers] From Chucky to Annabelle creepy dolls are as common as scream queens these days in the horror genre but unlike those two currently (mildly) successful franchises, this sequel to 2016’s The Boy fails at every turn. Re-framing (or retconning) the story from the first film, what we get is a series of boring horror beats as a traumatized young boy moves into a new house (yawn) and starts to bond with the supposedly spooky porcelain doll. Despite smashing to smithereens in the original, the doll is now back in one piece yet that isn’t the worse crime as Brahms is now some kind of conduit to a supernatural entity that has been plaguing its different owners through history. What? Bees coming out of mouths and waking up suddenly from nightmarish visions are just some of the clichés. And Katie Holmes and Ralph “Finchey from The Office” Ineson both deliver terrible performances from a shoddy and frankly boring script. My only comfort was imagining a different film where we discover where Brahms got his little braces from, Ineson blasting Brahms with a blunderbuss into next week or Brahms being punted into the nearby lake. Atrocious film and best avoided even for fans of the original which it takes a huge shit on anyways. ★
True History of the Kelly Gang (2020) Dir. Justin Kurzel
George MacKay plays Ned Kelly in this brutal fictionalised retelling of the Australian outlaw which follows his life from childhood to becoming an 1870s gang leader. Orlando Schwerdt as young Ned is great as he is brought up by his uncompromising mother (an excellent Essie Davis), becoming the “man” of the house after his father dies. As she sells her body and he’s washed in a metal bath, the bloody and violent household is portrayed in gruesome detail, moulding Kelly along the way to his inevitable life of crime. An unrecognisable Santa Claus-looking Russell Crowe appears as Harry Power who takes the boy under his wing and Nicholas Hoult plays Constable Fitzpatrick – a man who is at first charming but then chilling. A complex set of themes from kin and family, the animosity between the Irish and English and commentary of colonialism, the film isn’t short of big ideas but also very intimate moments. An amazing soundtrack by Jed Kurzel and great cinematography capturing the dry trees and remoteness of the Outback adds to the positives. Although the irony being that when the gang narrative kicks in at the 90-minute mark, it’s the least interesting part in a way and the movie loses a bit of momentum. But with evocative imagery, crash-bang-wallop sound and editing (and a few epilepsy-inducing flashing light sequences), the film mixes biographical period drama with music video aesthetics and a great cast to thrilling effect. ★★★★
Colour Out of Space (2020) Dir. Richard Stanley
Based on the short story "The Colour Out of Space" by H. P. Lovecraft, the film sees the return of director Richard Stanley who after years in the wilderness, comes back with a fantastic slice of horror and madness. Nic Cage stars as the father of a family who, after moving to an Alpaca farm begin to experience cosmic incidents after a meteor crashes on their land. After polluting the nearby area, they begin to witness mutations to animal and plant life. And the family’s personalities are affected by the weirdness around them and both their DNA and family unit begin to metamorphosise. The lighting, using strong strobes and vibrant purples, excellently captures the strange scenario and there are moments of both dark comedy and unshakable dream-like imagery. The practical effects are a retro-delight and along with the well-designed creatures, the film’s sound adds to the eerie atmosphere with its 80s-style inflections. The film does have John Carpenter-inspired vibes but it’s great to see a film hark back to the era without having Huey Lewis and the News playing in the background or the protagonist in a Thundercats tee. Speaking of which there’s enough Nic Cage eccentricity here without it being too NIC CAGE either. Each well thought out disgusting horror sequence builds to an apocalyptic crescendo and an incident involving his wife (Joely Richardson) and son fusing together is truly horrific. The first feature film directed since his firing from The Island of Dr. Moreau in 1996 (alluded to when Cage watches Marlon Brando on TV), Stanley has come back with an excellent movie exploring darkness and body horror. Although there are many familiar elements seen elsewhere (Annihilation, Signs, The Thing, War of the Worlds to name just a few) there are more than enough extra additions to gain Color Out of Space admiration from fans of disturbing horror and creepy Lovecraftian happenings. ★★★★
Michael Sales
On Sunday 26th April Midlands Movies Editor Michael Sales & awards ceremony co-host Ed Stagg (BBC Radio) announced the nominations for the 2026 Midlands Movies Awards live from the Queen of Bradgate Vintage Cinema in Leicester. A big thanks was given to the entire Jury Panel of industry experts who gave up their precious time to watch a huge selection of creative projects and as always, had a difficult time choosing from the excellent number of films from the region. You can read the full list of nominations across all 16 categories below and watch our announcement videos here: Part 1 & Part 2 And please also check out our great awards partner Chrome Video Best Actress in a Leading Role Karendip Phull for Family Kate Bracken for The Lace Rachel Baker for Throwing Fruit Chloe Wade for How Long Sophie Bullock for Ma Prison Best Animated Film Of All the Things by Steff Lee Big Red by James Pyle Statue in the Garden by Qianhui Yu Butterfly by Jacob Christie Best Director Luke Worrall for The Waterline Lily Portman for Quiet Jack Richardson for Daniel’s Room Jonathan Hawes for Sorry We’re Closed Sophia Dall'Aglio for Man from Mars Best Documentary Nothing's Impossible by Jacob Thomas McClean A Birmingham Symphony by Jemma Saunders We Bring Light: Leicester's Diwali Legacy by Kieran Vyas The Sunshine Café by Jill Lampert Through the Viewfinder by William North Best Sound (Editing or Mixing) Neil Evans & his team for Artificial Insanity Alasdair Gretton for Dead on Distribution Deepanjali Patel for Earworm David Hamilton-Smith for The Pause Heidi Wilson for Of All The Things Best Actor in a Supporting Role Devon Junior for Lazar Tim Sparrow for Safety Net Shaiek Ahmed Rana for Family Luke Rollason for Quiet Peter Willoughby for A Story of Spring Best Visual & Special Effects Jake Wesley-Worrall for Soul Trader Steve Askey & team for The Correction Unit Nick Willett, Matt Burkey & Jayne Hyman for Black Goat JaqD SFX MUA, Mind Magic Studios and Ben Harker for Beyond the Witching Hour Pete Key, Jai Blanks and Jacob Christie for Countenance Best Cinematography Gary Rogers for The Pause Laurence Mason-Guetta for Sorry We’re Closed Ian Snape for Soul Trader Ash Connaughton for Daniel’s Room Duane Adamoli for Surfing (nominations continue below...)
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