New Movie Reviews: March
Mickey 17, Black Bag, Death of a Unicorn
I caught a few new releases back in March that I simply haven’t had the time to write about until now. I unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on how you look at it) didn’t catch every new March movie (ahem, Snow White). But, here is a snapshot of some thoughts on three of last month’s biggest films:
Mickey 17
Rating: 4/5
Bong Joon-ho has so much fun telling us fascism is bad and we’re all probably doomed.
The award-winning director of Parasite returns with a movie that, on the surface, is nothing like Parasite. Mickey 17 is an epic space adventure. Parasite is an earth-bound family drama. Yet it probably comes as no surprise to fans of his work that Mickey 17 follows several of the thematic through lines present in all his films.
Mickey becomes an “expendable” on a space voyage to a new planet. Mickey is repeatedly killed and brought back to life using advanced cloning technology. With this film, Bong brings some of his familiar worries about classism and elitism to the forefront. What Mickey 17 and its predecessor have in common, along with all of Bong’s movies, is effective use of social satire. The satire here, though, is perhaps blunter than any of his works. Subtlety is not necessarily one of Bong’s strengths. I’ve described his work as “simple but potent.” This approach may bother some viewers, but I found it effective and entertaining.
Black Bag
Rating: 3.5/5
Steven Soderbergh cranked out a slick, sexy, spy thriller that basically anyone can find enjoyment in. George Woodhouse (Michael Fassbender) is an MI6 agent tasked investigating possible traitors, one of whom happens to be his wife, Kathryn (Cate Blanchett). If that premise doesn’t sound cool to you, then we probably can’t be friends.
Soderbergh’s consistent technicality continues to baffle me. The editing, production design, and cinematography all contribute to the film’s fast-paced nature, even in some of the “slower” scenes. The performances from the two leads — especially Blanchett — deliver (though some may find Fassbender a little too stoic).
This is not an “action” movie, and some may find trouble grasping the plot’s inner machinations, but I found it to be engaging from start to finish, and I attribute that to the director’s uncanny ability to find fresh spins on these types of genre films.
Death of a Unicorn
Rating: 3/5
I knew Death of a Unicorn had the potential to be abysmal. Luckily, it (just barely) hit the minimum requirements for me to be pleasantly surprised and entertained. Father and daughter (Paul Rudd and Jenna Ortega), strained relationship and all, travel to the home of the father’s boss. Suddenly, they hit and kill what appears to be an ancient mythical creature…
The movie ultimately works because it knows what it is: a goofy critique of the wealthy. When we get to the estate, this satire is on full display, with the likes of Richard E. Grant, Will Poulter, Téa Leoni oozing “rich scumbag” energy. The CGI is subpar, but that kind of adds to the film’s unassuming nature. Not all the jokes work, but just enough do. Oh, and it’s pretty gruesome!
The overall reviews seem mixed, but this is a good movie to throw on with some friends and have some laughs.
SWSW Films
In addition to these new releases, I also had the chance to virtually cover South by Southwest (SXSW) Film Festival. I watched four films and reviewed all of them for Loud and Clear Reviews. Check out those reviews here:
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