Yesterday - Light Fun

Movie: Yesterday

My Rating: 3 stars

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 This movie is light, and fun, and completely without conflict.  And I can’t lie, that’s exactly what I was looking for when I sat down to watch this one. Because I just haven’t been in the mood for anything really heavy lately—no movies about people making bad choices, or about aggressive competition.  And, this movie satisfied my criteria beautifully.  It’s a story about a guy, Jack Malik, who wakes up one day to discover that many big items or events in pop culture have magically never happened.  But, he remembers them all.  In this case, he discovers that the Beatles were never a thing.  So, he does what anyone would do, and sets out to perform and record all the famous Beatles songs, and claim them as his own.

 I was avoiding this movie at first.  I thought there was definitely going to be an uncomfortable streak running through it where some people knew he was a fraud, and were constantly threatening to expose him.  I imagined a very cringe-worthy final confrontation scene with fingers being pointed and accusations being thrown.  But, my dad assured me that this movie was a delight, so I took that on faith and watched the film.  And as it turns out, I didn’t need to worry, because as I mentioned above, this movie has no conflict.  It’s just a story about a small-time musician rocketing to fame and fortune courtesy of the whole Beatles back catalog.  Of course, he does feel a bit guilty about the whole thing.  People keep telling our protagonist that he’s a total genius, and he does suffer some pangs of conscience.  And, the film does manufacture a bit of romantic tension.  But, that’s hardly conflict.  I can live with a little regret.  And, the movie really is just an excuse to sing along to all the most famous Beatles songs, and fantasize about being in the same position.  So, this is definitely a must for any kind of Beatles fan out there.

This movie is fun and frothy. It’s not the most complex or compelling storyline.  But, it’s a really fun idea.  And, it’s well-executed and has its fair share of humor (mostly courtesy of Kate McKinnon—she’s the best). This film is definitely worth a watch if you’re in the mood for something light. And really, who isn’t these days?

The Platform - Existential Horror

Movie: The Platform

My Rating: 5 stars

 It’s been a long time since I’ve been this jazzed about a movie.  It feels uncommon to encounter new ideas.  And, while this film isn’t exactly working with a new idea, it does manage to present the material in a way that feels really fresh and exciting . . . and terrifying, and dreadful.  This is a slow burn horror film made by Basque filmmakers.  And, it combines some of my favorite film genres.  At its core, this is a prison movie.  And, it’s set in a moderately dystopic future. Not a society that’s completely broken down, but more like one controlled by a totalitarian, bureaucratic government that cares so little for the common working man that its citizens are willing to risk anything to get ahead in the world. 

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 The movie is set entirely within the prison, so we never really get to see how political conditions are on the outside.  But, there are enough context clues to convey what an oppressive and hopeless place this must be to live.  (The message feels like a political statement).  It seems like some inmates are there as punishment.  But, others have chosen to enter voluntarily with the promise that the government will grant them some sort of modest status boost as reward.  Life on the outside must be pretty dire, because this is a huge gamble to make on the chance of a slightly easier life.  Especially since no one really knows what’s going on inside.  The layout of this prison is incredibly simple, and terribly chilling.  It seems to be a shaft built deep into the earth, with a single cell on each “floor.”  There are two inhabitants per floor.  And, prisoners eat once day from a platform that slowly descends through the shaft.  The platform is only loaded once with food at the top, so while the residents on higher floors can feast, the people on lower floors aren’t so lucky.  And, no one really knows how deep the prison goes.  The script really plays with this sense of foreboding.

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 This is a very dark movie.  And, it really teases out that feeling of dread.  The tension starts off as just a little confusion as we acclimate to the situation our main character wakes up it.  But, it gradually ratchets up to all-out existential dread.  Individuals who go into this prison don’t come out the same people . . . if they ever come out at all.  It’s an expertly crafted story, and was truly written by a master of suspense.  And, this is an especially impressive feat given that the whole thing is almost a closed-room drama.  All we’re given is the interactions and interpersonal relations between the very few characters we meet.

I rate this one as a definite, must-watch . . . if you can handle stressful existential horror stories . . . and a fair amount of violence.  But, it isn’t counting on cheap scares or hideous monsters to frighten the viewer.  It’s more of a “stress horror,” with a barely-veiled political message condemning authoritarianism or something.  But, however you categorize it, this is top-notch filmmaking, and I think I’m going to have to watch it again.