“Dust Bunny”
Good gateway horror movies are few and far between—so when a truly special one comes along, we owe it to our inner children to celebrate it. Bryan Fuller’s work on shows like “Pushing Daisies” and “Hannibal” has earned him the reputation of being a visionary director, and that creativity is on full display with this story about a young girl who hires a hitman to kill the monster under his bed. “Dust Bunny” is beautiful—seriously, I wish I loved anything as much as Fuller loves art deco—but what really makes the movie is the rich characterizations of Mads Mikkelsen and Sophie Sloan as an unlikely duo. But don’t just take my word for it: in his review for The Playlist, Ankit Jhunjhunwala explained why “Dust Bunny” is a “treat for families” and a perfect parallel for fans of Wes Anderson. – MM
“Him”
One of the fun meta-games of film criticism is trying to predict which contemporary bombs will be beloved tomorrow. And for my money, “Him” is the kind of movie that will feature a ravenous fanbase in a few years’ time. Justin Tipping’s film is not without its merits—it features the same nods to secret societies and intergenerational dynasties that are ubiquitous in horror, and I’m not convinced that the ending really works—but what makes it truly special is the kinetic filmmaking from Tipping and collaborator Kira Kelly. “Him” coopts and contorts the visual language of sports cinematography, resulting in a fever dream of toxic masculinity that would not look out of place on the shelf next to Nicolas Winding Refn’s “Neon Demon.” – MM
“Keeper”
Given the laurels laid upon Osgood Perkins’ “Longlegs,” one can understand why critics and audiences alike thought they were in for a different flavor of celluloid from the director. Instead, Perkins made the kind of horror he does best: an understated exercise in wrongness that keeps the audience from settling in until the very end. “Keeper” is destined to be a divisive film in the director’s filmography, but for my money, it’s a gorgeous and haunting examination of people plowing past their alarm bells. Tatiana Maslany also gives the kind of standout performance that could win awards if the reviews had been just a little kinder across the board. Ignore everyone else (maybe even the Playlist review?) and only trust me: “Keeper” is the real deal. – MM
“The Long Walk”
It’s a tall order to turn a movie about kids walking into a fast-paced thriller, but Francis Lawrence deserves a lot of credit for translating one of Stephen King’s best novellas into one of his best films. “The Long Walk” perfectly captures the cruelty and innocence of youth, with Cooper Hoffman and David Jonsson continuing their meteoric rise to stardom as unlikely allies. But what makes the film work so well is how much it makes us care about the cast. Lawrence and screenwriter JT Mollner spend almost the entire film’s runtime building a fragile sense of community among these young men, only to break them down in unimaginable and graphic ways. It’s a tough watch, as it should be. – MM
“The Monkey”
If I have a complaint about the current wave of Stephen King adaptations, it’s that too many filmmakers are preoccupied with the notion of grand stories and the good versus evil dichotomy. Not enough people understand the true essence of King: creating a crappy little town full of terrible people and just massacring the hell out of it. Sure, “The Monkey” is kind of Osgood Perkins doing “Final Destination,” but it’s also the director embracing a ridiculous excess too often missing from horror these days. In a world where most horror movies feel the need to make grand pronouncements about trauma and grief, “The Monkey” is just comic gore and Theo James’reaction’ reaction shots, and I’d gladly take another dozen just like it. – MM
