Gus Van Sant's Constant Thematic and Cinematic Elements
The differences in these films could not be more blatant, and yet Gus Van Sant has found a way to portray the same messages and use the same techniques in each.

How far would you go to ease your pain? When desperation drives a woman to test an unproven drug, she finds herself crossing the boundary between our world and something far stranger. What begins as a risky experiment leaves a door open - and some doors can't be closed.
The differences in these films could not be more blatant, and yet Gus Van Sant has found a way to portray the same messages and use the same techniques in each.
Laggies is a fantastic movie, filled with down-to-earth characters, transcendent themes, and witty comedy
If “Good Time” was a lean exercise in suspense, “Uncut Gems” is an ongoing panic attack. It handcuffs us to an immoral man, made up of selfishness and unreliability. At every point, Adam Sandler connects himself to this idiotic soul, unearthing the misguided opportunism that comes with gambling addiction
Monster's plot is built around Steve Harmon's false accessory to felony murder accusation, and the anxiety and desperation experienced by him during incarceration and the corresponding trial.
A refreshing twist is that all the kids’ powers are…kind of useless. There’s a kid who can only move in slow motion, a kid who has every power in the world but can only use them randomly, and our main character Missy who has no powers at all. The thesis of the film seems to be that it doesn’t matter what kind of powers you have, its the way you use them, which is good for the warm and fuzzies.
From its visually stunning opening credits, which show women dancing through a forest to musical rhythms that sound almost primal, to its quiet, heartbreaking final frame, Mona Fastvold’s historical rendering of the Shaker religious movement is an experience that will stay with me for a long time.