A real treat for movie fans this week. The best film of the year, also the scarriest WEAPONS open. Also opening are the excellent L'HISTOIRE DE SOULEYMANE and FREAKIER FRIDAY.
FILM REVIEWS:
ANIMALE (France/Belgium/Saudi Arabia 2024) ***
Directed by Emma Benestan
In the Camargue region of the South of France, there remains an infamous, long-standing tradition of bullfighting. Local youths participate in the elegant yet dangerous challenge, practicing a modernized version of the sport that seeks not to kill the animals but rather to showcase agility and dominance. Among them is Nejma, an intrepid twenty-two-year-old with dreams of one day winning the annual competition. The only woman working on the cattle ranch, she trains tirelessly to prove herself equal among the men, both in and outside of the arena. The ranchers share a deep respect for the bulls, though when a loose bull threatens the community of riders and young men begin turning up dead, a hunt to find and kill the creature begins. Nejma fears for the bull, beginning a dark, mysterious transformation of her own. The sophomore feature of French filmmaker Emma Benestan, ANIMALE is “a brutal disorienting horror fable burning with feminine anger.
The bullfighting scenes in the rink are exciting and marvellous to watch. It must not only be dangerous for the actors but also for the camera crew to get such candid shots as well as close-ups at the bus charging at the bull experts as well as they dodging the bull. The bull carries two white tassels and if a tassel is removed, there is a huge prize money involved. But the bull can also be injured as in one scene where Thunder (the name of the bull)is hurt and has to br brought back to the pen.
The film is shot in the Southern French coastal region, the Camargue, which is where the director grew up and was raised. The course camarguaise, the form of bull running seen in the film, originates from there and is practised in many villages. It is different from what the world knows as the other type of bullfighting, known as the corrida, in which the bull is killed.
The director is female and stresses the male-oriented nature of the sport seen on the screen.
The characterization of Nejma comes with a few problems. The story obviously should’ve had the audience rooting for her, for her female stance and the love of the bulls. But as she acts crazy, the audience does not end up rooting for a crazy person, and reacts opposite to how the story should feel.
The rogue bull attacking humans and the demand of the public to shut down the shows and restaurants feels something right about Steven Spielberg’s 1975 JAWS. But the audience is on the other side of JAWS; the audience wants the shows and restaurants opened, despite the rogue bull having to be found and killed. This is one of the problems of the film - the conflicted emotions of how the audience should feel and react.
The story plays with myth, horror and reality. The transformation of a human into an animal is the type seen before in werewolf films and in CAT PEOPLE. The credibility does not always work as the film plays more in reality than in mythical mystery.
ANIMALE is available Digital/DOD August 8th.
Trailer:
FREAKIER FRIDAY (USA 2025) ***½
Directed by Nisha Ganatra
There is a bit of history behind the latest Disney comedy, FREAKIER FRIDAY, that is released this weekend. The franchise began with FREAKY FRIDAY, made in 1975, directed by Gary Nelson with a young Jodie Foster swapping bodies with Barbara Harris, best known for her role as the female medium in Alfred Hitchcock’s comedy FAMILY PLOT. This was followed by the Mark Waters 2003 remake with Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis. This latest 2025 version, it should be noted, is a freakier version and not a remake, and it involves two pairs of body swapping.
In the 2003 film, Lohan was the daughter and Curtis the mother, swapping bodies. Now, Curtis is the grandmother, Tess Coleman and Lohan the single mother, Anna of a precocious surfer daughter, Harper played by Julia Bitters, last seen in ONCE U[ON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD. In FREAKIER FRIDAY, in a mere 10 minutes of screen time, Anna falls in love with a Brit from London, Eric (gorgeous hunk, Manny Jacinto), whose daughter Lily (Sophia Hammons) is Harper’s classmate and lab partner in school.
The body swaps involve Tess and Lily swapping bodies and Anna and Harper swapping bodies. Hard to remember? Well, it is really confusing when the body swaps take place at the 30-minute mark of the movie. But the writing is good and the actors are totally committed to the project and keep hammering at the story, so everything works well eventually and the audience soon knows who is who and who has swapped bodies with whom. It is a tough risk to have two pairs of body swapping, as the script has to be kept clear and non-confusing. Thankfully, it works.
The film is totally geared forth a female audience. The director and the four body swaps are all female. Then males Ryan (Mark Hammon), Jake (Chad Michael Murray), and Eric (Jacinto) are all feasts for the female eyes. The film also includes a rip-roaring concert performance performed partly by Lohan that should titillate female fans of pop and rock music.
Lohan and Curtis carry the film well, especially Curtis, who steals the show. Lohan plays the ‘straight’ role and allows Curtis to get the laughs. Curtis should win the Oscar for her performance in this film rather than in the overrated EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE.
The film is directed by veteran comedy Canadian-American director Nisha Ganatra, of Indian descent. She wrote, directed, and produced the independent comedy drama Chutney Popcorn (1999) and later directed the independent film Cosmopolitan (2003) and the romantic-comedy Cake (2005). Her Indian descent can be observed in the film with several minor character roles played by her fellow Indians.
It should be remembered that FREAKIER RIDAY is a teen female movie at heart, and given what it should be, the film hits well at its target audience, which is largely non-Marvel superhero fans. FREAKIER FRIDAY is solid comedy and the hard work put in by the cast and crew clearly shows in the film and works well.
FREAKIER FRIDAY opens in theatres August 8th.
Trailer:
HARLEY FLANAGAN WIRED FOR CHAOS (USA 2024) ***
Directed by Rex Miller
The film begins with a man jogging close to the woods with a guitar strung around his back. He says that he has been angry for the past 50 years, and that is not the man he wants to be. He is next shown exercising - the guy is quite fit despite his stocky build. He goes on to say that only death is certain and everything else is optional.
Who is this man? He is Harley Flanagan. I have not heard of the man, not being in the punk rock scene.
Harley Francis Flanagan (born March 8, 1967) is an American musician. Harley Flanagan founded the hardcore punk band the Cro-Mags. He is currently the bassist, vocalist, and sole remaining founding member of the band. Flanagan began his musical career at age 11 in 1978, drumming for the New York punk band the Stimulators alongside his aunt Denise Mercedes. By the early 1980s, he was a prominent figure in the developing New York hardcore, helping to found the Cro-Mags in 1981 and Murphy's Law in 1982.
Founder of the pioneering band Cro-Mags, Harley Flanagan is a punk rock/hardcore legend who’s defied the odds – along with neglect, sexual abuse, drugs, violence, and PTSD -- and lived to tell the tale. The feature-length documentary, HARLEY FLANAGAN: WIRED FOR CHAOS, dives headfirst into the wild life and times of this larger-than-life icon and is a no-holds-barred ride that isn’t just about the music; it’s about a man forged in fire who’s lived to tell the tale.
Raised by a Warhol Factory “it” girl, Harley was thrown into the Lower East Side’s underground scene in the ’70s. Left to fend for himself, by his teens, he was squatting in Alphabet City, stealing food, dodging gangs, and living in a world that he describes as “some serious Lord of the Flies shit.” But, as his life descended into a hellish day-to-day, he was simultaneously becoming a punk rock legend: at the age of 11, he was drumming at CBGBs and Max’s Kansas City with his aunt’s band, the Stimulators. Sex, drugs and rock ’n’ roll weren’t a choice – they were survival. But Harley was a fighter. Whether on stage, in the streets, or in the Jiu-Jitsu gym with Renzo Gracie, he never backed down. As the ferocious frontman of the Cro-Mags, he pushed NYC Hardcore into uncharted territory. But violence, addiction and a traumatic past left deep scars. The streets made him, but they also nearly destroyed him.
The film also includes interviews with: Flea (Red Hot Chili Peppers), Henry Rollins ( Black Flag, Henry Rollins Band), Ice T, Ian Mackaye (Minor Threat, Fugazi, Dischord Records), Keith Morris (Black Flag, Circle Jerks, OFF), Michael Imperioli, Lucy Sante (Author), Anthony Bourdain, Matt Serra (MMA, BJJ, UFC World Champion), Renzo Gracie ( BJJ World Champion) among others.
Harley Flanagan has had a tough and totally intriguing life, creating lots of trouble as well as punk hits. A doc is often as interesting as its subject, and the saying is true here.
Harley Flanagan: Wired for Chaos is a 2024 American documentary film that follows the story of Harley Flanagan, directed and produced by Rex Miller. The film premiered at the Doc NYC on November 14, 2024, and will be available online for a One-Week Run Beginning August 8th.
Trailer:
RUSSIANS AT WAR (Canada/France 2024) ***
Directed by Anastasia Trofimova
Russian Canadian filmmaker Anastasia Trofimova’s gripping first-person documentary takes the audience beyond the headlines to join Russian soldiers, actually mainly medics, as they place themselves in a battle for reasons that become only more obscure with each gruelling day, each confusing command, each gut-wrenching casualty. On a more personal note, the film follows a Ukrainian named Ilya, who is about to leave his family and go to war for Russia. Trofimova, though lacking permission, joins Ilya and his supply unit as they make their harrowing journey to the front line. Many soldiers fighting alongside Ilya are very young. Some believe they’re going to vanquish Ukrainian Naziism. If one wants answers to the reason for the fighting, the film provides none. Rather, the film emphasizes the futility of war. In a war, no one wins. And in the doc, all the soldiers want to go home. Unfortunately, some don’t, and others return home wounded. It is still an emotional doc, with one audience screaming during the premiere screening at the Toronto International Film Festival last year that the film is all propaganda. Whether it is or not, it is up to the individual to decide, as the director takes no sides. The film was pulled out of TIFF following the incident, but the film finally opens directly to audiences on August 12.
Trailer:
SOULEYMANE’S STORY (L’HISTOIRE DE SOULEYMANE ) (France 2024) ****
Directed by Boris Lojkine
SOULEYMANE’S STORY follows Souleymane, a recent Guinean immigrant, through the streets of Paris as he prepares for his asylum application interview while working for a meal delivery service on his e-bike.
Racing through the streets of Paris, making food deliveries on his bicycle, Guinean immigrant Souleymane (Abou Sangare) is struggling to stay afloat. In two days, he has to report for an asylum application interview, where he must plead his case to an immigration officer (Nina Meurisse) who will determine his future in France. As he rides, he repeats his story. But Souleymane is not ready.
At times, the film feels like an updated modern version of Vittorio De Sica’s Bicycle Thieves, as Souleymane relies 100% on his e-bike to survive. The audience winces at the point when the bike might be stolen. However, the director steers away from this cliché of the bike being stolen, instead having Souleymane encounter a bike accident. But the bike still works after a few adjustments anyway.
The film plays like Murphy's Law taking effect on the poor protagonist, Souleymane. Everything seems to be going wrong for him. His deliveries are difficult, and if the customers are not giving him a hard time (like the lady with the complaint of the crushed bag) or the restaurateurs (Souleymane is told to wait for his turn, thus missing other deliveries). He encounters an accident on his bike. His delivery account gets cancelled due to complaints. He keeps almost missing his last bus back to his lodging, while actually missing one. He is harassed by the police. He has trouble with renting his bike and setting up his delivery account. To add fuel to the fire, there is trouble back home. His mother is still ill and not improving. His girlfriend, who still loves him, is about to give up on him. The question on the audience’s mind is whether anything else can get worse? And this is one flaw of the film, as it appears that the film attempts to manipulate the audience too much to feel the trials and tribulations of poor Souleymane. The flaw is lightened with a few acts of kindness in the story. A restaurateur gives Souleymane a bonbon. It is a small but kind and effective measure. Souleymane’s girlfriend ends up being sympathetic.
The themes revolve around the exploitation of the 'sans papiers' (without papers) often by fellow Africans - one a fellow immigrant from northern Guinea who lazily coaches asylum applicants to recite false stories of political persecution at their hearings in return for payment, and another who lends Souleymane a food delivery account but then takes half of his earnings every week. The film largely avoids depictions of racism, but equally, there are few acts of kindness in the film.
The cameraman follows the actor on his e-bike as the filming takes place in and around Paris, demonstrating the urgency and desperation of Souleymane’s situation.
The cast is nothing short of excellent, as can be observed in the last 10 minutes of the film’s climax and conclusion of the film. Abou Sangaré is phenomenal as Souleymane and is
Nina Meurisse as the OFPRA agent. Camerawork and editing deserve credit for the last 10 minutes of the film.
The film opens in theatres on August 8th. The film is also the winner of the Un Certain Regard Jury Prize and Un Certain Regard Best Actor Prize at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival.
Trailer:
WEAPONS (USA 2025) ***** TOP 10
Directed by Zach Cregger
As both the trailer and the film’s introduction go, in the voice of a boy, a mystery has occurred in his town, a mystery that the police have never quite solved and are covering up. It all happened one night, when 17 children—all but one child from Justine Gandy's (Julia Garner) classroom—simultaneously woke up and ran off into the night. Justine and the rest of the community are left questioning who or what is behind the children's disappearance.
This is a wild premise, and one wonders if the solution to the mystery delivered at the film’s conclusion would be able to match the premise. Fortunately, it does, in a very weird and unexpected way. WEAPONS, the reason the film is so-called, is explained in the middle of the film is definitely the most fucked up film of the year, which is arguable the best horror film, if not the best film of the year. It is a brilliant concoction of horror, mystery, action, drama, filled with raw emotions of anger and desperation, doused with a splatter of wicked black humour, a film that parodies itself as well. For example, director Cregger knows that his film is a fucked up film, so it is even funnier when a character screams the words: “What the fuck???
The film unfolds in chapters, with each chapter named after one of the story’s characters. The first chapter is called Justine, followed by Archer, and finally Alex, the last and longest part that explains all the happenings, six chapters in all. Each chapter unfolds as it is named for the character’s contribution to the story, rather than their points of view. As would be expected, many segments overlap, which is a pleasure in a way, as the audience sees certain explanations provided then.
As a horror movie, there are enough blood and gore as well as jump scares. I am not a fan of cheap jump scares, but director Cregger does wonders with his jump scares. In fact, one jump scare is the funniest part of the movie, which had the whole cinema bursting in laughter. As far as blood and gore, there are drug needles plunged onto a face, tearing of body insides and head bashings. Director Cregger also pokes fun at the slasher genre with an undead creature rising up half a dozen times to jump at Archer, refusing to stay dead.
Amy Madigan is simply over-the-top as a cozy Aunt Gladys while Josh Brolin plays the obsessed father Archer who would do anything to find his disappeared son, including helping those he first thinks are irresponsible for the disappearance. Other notable performances include Garner as Justine, Benedict Wong as Marcus the gay school principal and young Cary Christopher as Alex, the only non-disappearing boy in Justine’s class.
As far as predictability goes, no one can guess what will happen next in the story. This is also what makes the film so intriguing. Director Cregger keeps the surprises and shocks coming,
WEAPONS is aptly written and directed by BARBARIAN’s Zach Creger for a modest $38 million. A definite must-see, WEAPONS opens in theatres this week, August 8th.
Trailer:
STOLEN: HEIST OF THE CENTURY (UK 2025) ***
Directed by Mark Lewis
STOELN: HEIST OF THE CENTURY is based on the famous 2003 diamond robbery that took place in the diamond capital of the world, Antwerp. The doc is based on the book “Flawless” by Scott Andrew Selby and Greg Campbell.
There were no fingerprints on the sensors, and duct tape on other sensors. “We were very impressed. The robbery was flawlessly executed,” says a forensic officer investigator in the documentary.
The doc moves along with quick efficiency, very much like a planned robbery would be executed, making the doc more exciting and pressing in its delivery. The doc is told primarily from the investigators’ points of view, spoken in accented English, so that the audience has the feel of expert knowledge being delivered in the film. Also, the title of the film ‘The heist of the century’ emphasizes the enormity of the subject.
The magic question that the film toys with is the identity of the thief or thieves, and how the heist was carried out. The doc satisfies.
STOLEN: HEIST OF THE CENTURY opens for streaming on Netflix Friday, August 8th.
