Nope (2022)

"WHAT ARE YOU WILLING TO SACRIFICE?!!!!" "EVERYTHING!!!!!" This is but one of a multitude of highly emphatic questions, and subsequent answers, being asked in the newest feature film from one of the current masters of horror, Jordan Peele ("Get Out", "Us" and "Nope"). I must give Peele credit in that he continues to push the boundaries of specific genres and their associated tropes in order to provide what ends up amounting to subtly then jarringly intense, yet still character and story-driven, cinema that speaks more to indie stylings than mainstream.

The more and more I consume media, be it literature, theatre, television, etc., the more I’ve come to understand that art is a reactive medium. The narratives we see explored are a response to the world we inhabit and the conflicts we experience as a society. Because of this, even when a specific topic has been addressed previously, there are always nuances to be further excavated, always a new lens to peer through, to see aspects that have yet to be showcased onscreen. And with something as complex as racism and the stereotypical representation of “Blackness,” we are in need of as many interpretations as we can get to even begin to comprehend the full scope of this lived experience.

Enter Cord Jefferson’s sharp, hysterical, enlightening satire, American Fiction, which places an only-somewhat-exaggerated mirror in front of our 21st century society. Adapted from Percival Everett's book, Erasure, and boasting a cast of seasoned actors, each of whom has their own history of portraying the nuances to the Black experience, the film tells you what it is going to be from the first frame; and not only does it not disappoint, it proves to be even more wise, even more cunning than you could begin to imagine possible.

We stan a QUEEN!!!

Viola Davis earned the legendary Holy Grail of the entertainment industry, EGOT status, on Sunday, February 5, 2023.

“It has just been such a journey. . .I just EGOT!” Davis says in her acceptance speech. Her fans (including me) have been celebrating all over social media.

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1FfCHeDsY8[/embed]

Indeed, Viola Davis has had an incredible journey replete with wins (and obstacles to overcome). She started in the 1990s with Broadway productions like August Wilson's Seven Guitars. She continued building her career with off-Broadway productions and television appearances on shows like NYPD Blue and New York Undercover. She also had smaller roles in films like the military comedy, The Pentagon Wars on HBO alongside Kelsey Grammer of Frasier and Cheers fame. She continued appearing in films and TV shows through the 2000s like Antwone Fisher, Ocean's Eleven, Far From Heaven, and Law & Order: Special Victim's Unit. She also continued her acclaimed Broadway career, working with Meryl Streep, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and Amy Adams in John Patrick Shanley's Doubt. The 2010s saw her profile rise to superstardom with major roles in The Help, Get on Up, Lila & Eve, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, and Suicide Squad. Viola Davis' success has continued into today with producing credits and Box Office success with The Woman King and her bestselling memoir. She is even nominated for Best Actress in a Leading Role at this year's BAFTA Awards (British Academy of Film and Television Arts).

Editor's Note: The following review contains spoilers for 'Barbarian'

Barbarian has a lot of set-up. By the hour 20-minute mark I had to tell myself that perhaps not everything in this story will be explained. With only 15-20 minutes left in the film, it would be impossible for every question to be answered or every mystery to be revealed. Recent movies have somewhat trained me to prepare myself for such withholding of information. Pig never really gets to why Nicholas Cage’s character became a hermit. Nope never really explains why Gordy the chimpanzee went on a killing spree. While I appreciated both of those movies, the lack of explanations for these story points left me dissatisfied.

But I was ready for Barbarian. I was ready to appreciate whatever ending it was going to throw at me. We may not learn why this one house on Barbary lane is the only liveable space on the block, why ‘The Mother’ has super strength, how Frank ends up capturing all his victims, or what exactly is on those VHS tapes. And that’s okay. In some cases, what’s left to the imagination ends up being the scariest thing of all.

Barbarian begins with a young African American woman named Tess, played by Georgina Campbell, arriving at an Air BnB late one rainy night. Due to some scheduling mishap, Tess finds herself sharing the rental with another man named Keith, played by Bill Skarsgard of It fame. Unable to contact the property manager, they end up agreeing to share the place. The next afternoon Tess discovers a hidden corridor after accidentally locking herself in the basement. Down the corridor, there is a room with a camcorder and a dirty mattress. Panicked and still trapped in the basement, she, fortunately, escapes through a window with Keith’s help. After hearing what Tess has seen, Keith goes down to the basement to investigate. When he does not return, Tess goes down and into the underground tunnel to find Keith, only to make a startling discovery.

From there, we’re introduced to a character named AJ, played by Justin Long, driving down some sunny west coast highway. AJ is an actor whose career is on the brink of collapse due to accusations of sexual assault from a TV series co-star. As the owner of the property that Keith and Tess are staying in, he visits the site in anticipation of selling his assets to cover lawyer expenses. Soon AJ discovers the corridor in the basement and ventures in, where something horrible awaits.

When it comes to cult classics, the horror genre has always had an overwhelming number of B-movies. Horror B-movies refer to the low-budget feature films as compared to major feature films. One might call them “low-grade” cinema as opposed to the more artistic endeavours, but I’d refrain from saying that. The horror B-movie is a source of unbridled entertainment and for the fans of spooky business, it’s the perfect way to round out Halloween night or any night in which they’re in the mood for horror. Usually characterized by a somewhat loose storyline, sometimes some quite silly characters, a little over-the-top acting and a bunch of practical effects, horror B-movies used to rule the world of horror during the ’70s and ’80s with franchises like Friday the 13, Slumber Party Massacre and Halloween.

But since the late '90s, with big-budget horror films like End of Days and Hollow Man, the focus has shifted from the horror B-movie. We now have major horror features like It and Midsommar and every year, there are almost ceremonial releases from the studio A24 which gave us The Witch and Hereditary. This year itself, Ti West's X and Jordan Peele’s Nope came out, which are far from being horror B-movies. But that being said, it’s only the focus that has shifted because we still have horror B-movies being made. If you enjoy the bizarre, less refined and entertaining world of the horror B-movies and want a break from the nuanced and poignant big-budget horror releases, I have a list of gore-fests from the last ten years to enjoy this October. Here are fifteen films for the fifteen days that remain till the auspicious date of Halloween!

The biggest subcategory of horror B-movies by percentage is the slasher film. Almost overdone violence and heavy reliance on practical effects as opposed to CGI characterize the slasher. And of course, the heavily criticized but also equally loved trope of the final girl is a slasher staple. Some of the most gruesome on-screen deaths have been courtesy of the slasher horror B-movie and I’m here to offer you some more horrible killings. If gore makes you queasy, you may consider skipping this segment.

In Hulu’s Not Okay, it’s totally okay if you don’t like the female protagonist. In fact, you’re not supposed to. Spoilers ahead. 

Not Okay is about a young, privileged white woman named Danni Sanders (Zoey Deutch) who is so bored with her life that she fakes a trip to Paris for clout and the attention of her crush, Colin (Dylan O’Brien). However, things take a turn when a real terrorist attack happens during her fake trip. She capitalizes on this, writing an article about her experience that skyrockets her to fame. She even joins a survivor’s group and befriends a passionate gun reform activist named Rowan (Mia Isaac). But her great new life is threatened when her coworker discovers her lie, and Danni is forced to expose herself to avoid being exposed. In the aftermath, she’s doxxed and hated online. While it initially sounds nothing like Nope, the focus on recording/sharing everything—especially trauma—for profit makes it similar to Jordan Peele’s newest movie. 

The content warning at the beginning warns that Not Okay features an unlikable protagonist, and they weren't kidding! If the content warning went over your head, then you either didn’t watch the movie, didn’t understand it, or you related too much to Danni. Not Okay is a genius satire that criticizes people like Danni Sanders who wish to profit off trauma (like Ricky/Jupe in Nope). Unfortunately, there are a lot of people like her out there. Like many modern, young white women, Danni is chronically online yet out of touch with reality. She wishes she could be a minority or that she could have trauma because she thinks it would make her life more interesting. She is also a consumer first and foremost, displayed in her Y2K fast fashion choices, her rouge blonde bangs, and her big plastic rings that all come from familiar social media trends. (The costume and makeup department for Not Okay did a fantastic job at capturing these current styles). She is the epitome of white mediocrity that seems so marketable.

Danni is an unlikable protagonist. Yet she is also a compelling one at times. There are moments here and there when the audience can sympathize with her. She’s truly depressed and lonely, which many young people can relate to right now. But Danni’s depression is not an excuse to hurt others and co-opt vulnerable voices to amplify her own for attention and clout. Danni has many opportunities to stop herself and apologize over the course of this movie, but she never does. Even after her lie has been exposed, she can’t confront the survivor’s group and apologize. She can’t even give Rowan a heartfelt apology, instead writing a distanced Notes-app apology that looks like it was written by a PR team instead of a real person. The apology isn’t truly for Rowan—it’s for Danni, to make herself feel better. Up until the end, Danni acts selfishly, which is why the movie smartly doesn’t give her a “redemption arc.” 

The July episode of Incluvie Movie Highlights provides 4 exciting films that have polarizing reviews! Special guest and Incluvie movie critic Daleyna joins in to discussMr Malcolm's List, a regency-era film set in England, starring leads of Indian and African heritage (Freida Pinto and Sope Dirisu), which is a first!Don't Make Me Go, starring an Asian and Blasian lead (John Cho and Mia Isaac), is a sincere film with a controversial ending! Don't worry, no spoilers.1Up, about a team of female gamers led by Paris Berelc, who's half Asian, receives acclaim on Incluvie, but much hate everywhere else on the internet. And the feature film... isNope! One cohost thinks the film was imaginative, while the other cohost insists it was boring (but with good social commentary)! Who thought what? Tune in with your hosts: Cathy Yee and Hazel Bolivar!

Listen on Spotify and Apple Podcasts!

'Mr. Malcolm's List' Is A Lighter Version of 'Bridgerton'- Daleyna

Lighthearted but Shallow: 1Up's Take on Women in Gaming- Melanie Ojwang