ScreenFish

where faith and film are intertwined

Johnathan Stowe

Saint Maud: For the Right Reasons

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All Hail, Saint Maud! 

With an emphasis on psychological horror, Saint Maud makes you question whether or not what you’re seeing is reality or merely taking place in the mind of the protagonist. Is Maud trying to do all things through God, or is that just a way to hide the struggles that are really going on deep inside? Let’s take an in-depth look at Saint Maud.

Written and directed by Rose Glass, Saint Maud begins with Maud (Morfydd Clark), a very religious nurse who lost her job at the hospital where she was previously employed. (While it’s not really fully explained why she resigned, we are given hints in flashbacks and mentions throughout the film.) Maud looks to be forgiven and shown a second chance as she takes up a private nursing assignment. This assignment lands her at the home and care of Amanda Kohl (Jennifer Ehle), a former dancer with a terminal illness that put an end to her career and fame.

Amanda is determined to continue living out her Hollywood lifestyle and not let the illness stop her. As the two opposite forces come together, they begin to clash with their differences. Maud is focused on cutting out Amanda’s unhealthy lifestyle (smoking, drinking and sex) and save her soul. Amanda, on the other hand, is more focused on mocking Maud’s beliefs and calling her “My Saviour, Maud”. These clashes lead to some serious friction between the two and pushes Maud to take some disturbing actions.

Usually in horror movie these days, the focus is on the jump scares. If this is what you’re looking for, then this is not the movie for you. However, if you’re more interested on the plot twists backed up by great acting, Saint Maud may be just what you’re looking for. From her body movements to her interactions with all characters within the film, Morfydd Clark does an amazing job playing Maud. In addition, Jennifer Ehle also does an exceptional job portraying Amanda’s Hollywood-addicted lifestyle. 

Admittedly, there are several questions that do not get answered within the film. For example, Maud’s past is never fully explored, nor is the nature of the God’s presence she experiences. When she connects with God, Maud falls into a seizure-like state which leads her to blackout and wake up somewhere else. 

As someone that has grown up within the Christian faith, I see that Saint Maud relate to struggles that most followers face at some time. For instance, because everything that she did was for God, Maud questions and loses her faith, leading her to doing some sinful things. This is a great example of what can happen when we reject God because we’re depressed or things don’t go our way. Instead, we should look to do things for the glory of God, and not our own personal needs. Our obsession with our own desires or doing work to be praised or rewarded is usually what leads us away from God. In this film, Maud really cares about Amanda and the unnamed patient of her past, though her focus is on the obsession of being praised or rewarded by God. As a result, her motivation is not based on the unconditional love within her heart, but for the praises at the attention of saving the soul.

Though it may not be a typical example of the genre when held up against Paranormal Activity and The Conjuring franchises, Saint Maud offers a different type of terror. Well-written and performed, the film shows what can happen when we focus on doing things for our own glory and the damage that can follow.

Saint Maud is now available on VOD.

The Postcard Killings: Murder, with a Twist

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Imagine that, one day, you get a postcard that states, ‘Love will never die’. Would you be confused? What would you do with it? 

The Postcard Killings tells two stories from both the protagonist and antagonist points of view. Jacob Kanon (Jeffery Dean Morgan) is an NYPD detective who gets the call that his daughter and his son in-law have been murdered. Detective Kanon is determined to seek the killer of his daughter as her hands are missing from her body. Jacob’s wife, Valerie Kanon (Famke Janssen), decides to do some investigating close to home while Jacob takes himself overseas to Europe to pursue the killer. Their teamwork through phone calls and Facetime calls is spectacular. They help each other out during the investigation when one is stuck on a problem. What’s more, Jacob does not just have his wife as an ally, he also recruits Inspector Bubilitz (Joachim Krol) and Desse Lombard (Cush Jumbo), a Swedish reporter, to help in his search. When Lombard gets a postcard from the killer regarding their most recent murder, Desse decides to write a story on Jacob while trying to help him solve the case.

The Postcard Killings leaves you at the edge of your seat and takes you on a wild ride to see if Jacob will get his justice. (Also, the huge plot twist in the first 30 minutes leaves you shocked.) While I thought that The Postcard Killings would feel familiar in the vein of Taken, where the killers reveal themselves in the first few minutes of the film and the father decides to take justice into his own hands. But, this film is completely different as the killers remain hidden in plain sight, keeping their identities secret until later on in the film.

Jeffery Dean Morgan does a fantastic performance playing Detective Kanon. While you might think he would just play the tough guy detective that will stop at nothing to find justice for his daughter. However, Killings allows us to also see the detective’s soft side. For example, Morgan gives an emotional performance during the moments when he realizes that his daughter is gone or when he sees something that reminds him of his daughter. Because of his emotional display, the audience is really allowed to connect with his character.

If you really like crime and mystery films and are looking for something that isn’t afraid to try something new, then this is the movie for you. The characters are great and even with the plot leaves you at the edge of your seat as you are trying to solve the mystery as well. I highly recommend this movie to some crime fans that are out there. The movie leaves you with a slight sigh of relief (and also a potential sequel opportunity as well). 

Check out The Postcard Killings.

The Postcard Killings is available on VOD now.

Inside the Rain: Prejudice and Mental Health

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‘Put some respect on my name!’ is the name of the game.

Inside the Rain starts with our main character, a college student named Benjamin Glass (Aaron Fisher). Glass is a student suffering from ADHD, OCD, Borderline personality and he is Bipolar. He wants to prove to everyone around him that he is smart (or smarter than what people give him credit for). When Glass goes to a party, he meets up with a girl and, after a nightly encounter, the police arrive at his door the next day and arrest him for something he didn’t commit. After his release from police custody, he is told by the college dean that, because of the schools 2 strike policy, they are going to kick him out of school. Glass comes up with a plan to win this misunderstanding case by making a film recreating the events of that night to prove his innocence.

However, he needs an actress to play the girl who wrongfully accused him and Glass hires local moonlight sex worker named Emma (Ellen Toland). Glass’ parents (Catherine Curtin and Paul Schulze) send their son to Doctor Holloway (Rosie Perez) on a consistent basis. Glass tells Holloway about his romantic interest in Emma and the movie he is filming to prove his innocence. Holloway feels that those decisions are not good for him and will only lead to him being hurt but Glass’s ambitious desire to prove himself causes him to ignore her advice. With some help from an anonymous donor, Glass now has the money to create his film and prove his innocence. 

As a romantic comedy, Inside The Rain does have its moments but really the movie is more than just a funny rom-com. Throughout the film, we follow Glass as he preps and shoots his film to recreate the incident. In doing so, Glass shows us his life and his world through his eyes, as well as every prejudice that he has faced along the way. I believe this movie touches on topics that society does not want to talk about or just don’t have enough information about. As I watched Inside The Rain, the first thing that came to my mind what that this movie is really about is the cultural prejudice facing people who are living with bipolar disorder. Aaron Fisher who plays Glass does an amazing job of authentically portraying the many disorders that his character is afflicted by. The accuracy from when Glass is taking his meds and seeing his behaviour to when he is off the meds is a thing of beauty. Glass’ father (Paul Schluze) thinks he is crazy making a film and should accept defeat, and that, if word gets out that his son is making a film, he will in the mental ward. The manner in which his father deals with his son in these situations is how a lot of people in society mishandle people who suffer from disorders by looking at them as thought they are mentally ill, need help or are limited to what they can do. This is why, throughout the movie, Glass tells his peers to not tell his parents he is making the film.

Furthermore, the movie also touches on the prejudices faced by sex workers face as well. For example, when we first meet Emma, some patrons from the strip club are trying to force her for a hookup after work until Glass stands up and defends her from the group. Also, when Emma goes to meet Glass’s parents for dinner, Glass whispers to her to not tell his parents that she is a moonlight sex worker. The movie really puts us in the shoes of these two characters and makes you want to root for their relationship and the fight to prove everyone wrong. 

Overall, Inside The Rain is a good movie that touches on the difficult topic of prejudice. Personally, I highly recommend this movie to movie lovers of unique Rom Coms. This would be a great movie for those who are interested in psychology and behaviour. As a psychology major myself, I really enjoyed Glass’s character development and seeing through the eyes of someone with bipolar disorder. With strong performances by a good cast and the topic this movie touches on, Inside the Rain proves to be very successful and worth a watch.

Inside the Rain is available on VOD now.

My Spy: Mission Accomplished

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MY SPY

Since the Spy Kids films, the wave of live action, family-friendly spy movies seems to have died out over the past few years. However, the release of My Spy looks to bring that era of family adventures that focus on friendship, comedy, and the benefits of family back to theaters. But does My Spy accomplish or fail their mission? 

My Spy tells the story of JJ (Dave Bautista), a former member of military Special Forces that’s now working as a CIA Spy Agent. He has all the necessary skills that a spy could want and his co-workers love his work in the field. But, he lacks stealth and will only work alone. When he botches a mission, his boss Kim (Ken Jeong) takes him out of the field and forces both he and another co-worker, Bobbi (Kristen Schaal), to watch over a family consisting of nine-year-old Sophie (Chloe Coleman) and her mother, Kate (Parisa Fitz-Henley). Having moved from Paris to Chicago to start a new life, Kate struggles to find time for Sophie as her work has her working extended hours. Sophie is the typical new girl at school, trying to make friends but instead bullied by other girls. While JJ and Bobbi are continuing their surveillance, Sophie discovers that she is being watched and tracks the spies to another apartment room. Once discovered, Sophie offers a deal to JJ that, if he teaches her how to be a spy, she will keep their secret. Begrudgingly, JJ accepts and this starts their adventure together.  

Dave Bautista stars in MY SPY.

As the relationship between JJ and Sophie builds, they begin to share their personal struggles with one another and help each other out. There’s a solid chemistry between Bautista and Coleman that helps the audience to really feel the emotional connection between them. Set between Toronto and Chicago, the film’s comedy is solid and never feels forced. (In fact, as someone from Toronto, I felt the film also was  a great spotlight for the city as it featured iconic local settings like Nathan Phillips Square and Forest Hill.) 

My Spy speaks to the paralyzing power of fear, especially the fear of the people you love getting hurt. This idea was best shown through the character of JJ, who struggles with fear to the point that he feels as though he must keep to himself, affecting his social and love life. Though, as his character learns how to live without fear, his life begins to change as he becomes more open to relationships of all types. 

MY SPY

Similarly, My Spy also addresses the damage that comes through bullying. Because she was from out of town, Sophie experiences the pain of being bullied by her peers from all sides. (This includes a poignant scene when she brings in JJ for ‘take your parent’ to work’ day) Interestingly, My Spy focuses on the fact that much bullying stems from those who choose to remain inclusive, rather than exclusive. While Sophie hopes to fit in, the girls who bully her the most refuse to include her as they’re focused on themselves and, potentially, others those who fit their mould. Bullying remains an important issue that today’s youth should look at when trying to make new friends and My Spy handles the topic well. 

Overall, My Spy is worth a watch! The comedy is enjoyable, the plot works (and, again, the film gets points for its portrayal of Toronto.) If you are looking for a movie that has action, comedy and appropriate for the family, check out My Spy. In my books, it has accomplished its mission. 

MY SPY

My Spy lands in theatres in Canada on Friday, March 13th, 2020.

Ne Zha: Choose Your Future

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These days, anime films do not get as much attention as they deserve. Hopefully, however, Ne Zha might just change that. With its compelling story and beautiful animations, Ne Zha is is worth checking out. What makes this movie so good in my eyes? What does the plot of the movie have to do with this generation of children? Let’s dive right into this fiery review. 

Directed by Jiaozi, Ne Zha tells the story of Ne Zha, a demon boy that goes from outcast to a hero. Picking up a few years before Ne Zha’s birth, the film introduces us to Tianzun, a Supreme God who has two immortal disciples Taiyi and Shen who are tasked with subduing the Chaos Pearl. Despite their best efforts, only Tianzun is able to seal the pearl away and separate it into two parts: the Demon Pearl and the Spirit Pearl. After Shen fights Taiyi in order to steal the Spirit Orb, Ne Zha is born with the Demon Pearl instead of the Spirit Pearl. As a result, Ne Zha’s parents lie to him about his demonic nature. to make him happy to hide his demonic nature. As he grows, Taiyi decides to train the impatient and stubborn Ne Zha in magical skills. When Ne Zha decides to abandon his training in order to hunt a demon, his decision results in damage to the village, causing them to fear him greatly. As a result, those around him must decide whether or not to hunt the estranged Ne Zha or see him for his true value.

Ne Zha has a very clear message that you choose your own faith! Throughout the movie, Ne Zha has been bound by faith and he cannot do anything to change it. However, Ne Zha reminds us that, no matter what destiny does not decide who we are or what is the outcome, we decide and make those choices ourselves. Personally, I especially loved the moment when Ne Zha told Ao Bing that ‘ when faith comes at you swinging, you swing harder’. Here, the film uses Ao Bing to remind us not to give up and push yourself to make your own choices instead. 

As mentioned earlier, Ne Zha also relates to this generation of kids and adolescents by tackling the issue of bullying as Ne Zha struggles with the feat that as the kids and other villagers would attack him. Interestingly, from a religious stand point, Ne Zha also echoes the Biblical story of Cain and Abel through the relationship between Taiyi and Shen. Blessed with by the supreme God, Taiyi is clearly the favoured one (as was Abel). This causes tension with Shen who, similar to Cain, also attempts to kill his brother to steal the blessing for himself. 

Ne Zha has great visuals, amazing animation and the fight scenes are well executed, especially during the final battle. The characters are loveable and the audience forms an especially deep connection to the main protagonist who wishes to be loved by the villagers without fear. (At times, for the English dub at least, there are times the audio doesn’t match with the scenes, making it difficult to watch, but not everything can be perfect.) Overall, Ne Zha was a fun experience and I do recommend this movie to anyone who loves animation. As Ne Zha would say, the film is a fire experience.   

Ne Zha is available on Blu-Ray or VOD now.