Welcome to this month’s Cinema Snapshots! At the beginning of each month, I reflect on what I watched the prior month and provide a quick “snapshot” of my thoughts on those films. So without further ado, here are my Cinema Snapshots for October 2024.
Uglies
In a futuristic world that imposes a cosmetic surgery at 16, Tally is eager for her turn to join the rest of society. But when a friend runs away, Tally embarks on a journey to save her that upends everything she thought she wanted.
I’d heard all the early negative reviews about Uglies, but as my wife and I opened Netflix to watch the new teen dystopia film, I thought to myself, “It can’t be that bad.”
It was, in fact, that bad. Uglies has barely any redeeming qualities, with everything from spotty CGI to over-exaggerated performances and poorly written dialogue bringing it down.
★☆☆☆☆ | (Don’t) Watch now on Netflix
Salem’s Lot
Author Ben Mears returns to his childhood home of Jerusalem’s Lot in search of inspiration for his neicxt book only to discover his hometown is being preyed upon by a bloodthirsty vampire.
I’ll admit this was a personal problem, but having seen years of “grittier” takes on vampires, I was not prepared for how exaggerated and campy this adaptation would be. Salem’s Lot hits that campy tone for those looking for some B-movie fun, but it’s just not my cup of tea.
That said, director Gary Dauberman has a beautiful understanding of film as a visual language, utilizing some gorgeous shot compositions and tonally perfect, moody lighting.
★★☆☆☆ | Watch now on Max
Wolfs
Global superstars George Clooney and Brad Pitt team up for the action comedy “Wolfs.” Clooney plays a professional fixer hired to cover up a high-profile crime. But when a second fixer (Pitt) shows up and the two “lone wolves” are forced to work together, they find their night spiraling out of control in ways that neither one of them expected.
Wolfs is a meandering thriller with no sense of urgency and a shocking lack of chemistry between its typically charismatic leads.
In Spider-Man: No Way Home I mentioned that director Jon Watts was beginning to show a sense of style behind the camera, and I’m thrilled to see that style further developed in his latest film. But directing is more than just camerawork, it’s about showing your control of pacing, tone, and performances, and that continues to be missing (for me) from a lot of his work.
Side note: it’s starting to feel as if Apple TV+ has a “house style” like A24 is rumored to have. I’m noticing more and more that most of their films and TV shows have similar lighting and color grades.
★★☆☆☆ | Watch now on Apple TV+
The Wild Robot
The epic adventure follows the journey of a robot—ROZZUM unit 7134, “Roz” for short — that is shipwrecked on an uninhabited island and must learn to adapt to the harsh surroundings, gradually building relationships with the animals on the island and becoming the adoptive parent of an orphaned gosling.
I saw The Wild Robot twice in October absolutely sobbed both times. The film delivers some of the year’s most emotional moments, and leaves you with a warm feeling inside long after it ends. The animation is beautiful, paired perfectly with a vibrant sense of camera motion (particularly during action scenes). Beyond that, the music is uplifting and triumphant, and the voice cast is stellar, much more than simply slapping celebrity names onto a project. I could go on and on.
I’ll admit, the film threw me for a loop a bit structurally, but I don’t think that’s a fault. It just has a different ebb and flow than I expected, almost episodic in nature.
The Wild Robot is already out on digital (and still in some theaters!) and I highly recommend it for the entire family.
★★★★☆ | Watch now in theaters and on digital
Apartment 7A
An ambitious young dancer Terry Gionoffrio (Julia Garner, Ozark) dreams of fame and fortune in New York City, but after suffering a devastating injury, an older, wealthy couple (Dianne Wiest, I Care a Lot, and Kevin McNally, Pirates of the Caribbean film series) welcomes her into their home in the luxury apartment building the Bramford. When fellow resident and influential Broadway producer (Jim Sturgess, Across the Universe) offers her another chance at fame, it seems that all her dreams are finally coming true. However, after an evening she can’t fully remember, disturbing circumstances soon have her second-guessing the sacrifices she’s willing to make for her career as she realizes that something evil is living not only in Apartment 7A, but in the Bramford itself.
Apartment 7A is an incredibly difficult film to judge on its own merit, acting more as a retread (pre-tread?) of Rosemary’s Baby. The film rarely even expands on the original film’s world or lore; it’s purely satisfied hitting the same beats as the 1968 film.
And ultimately that’s what holds this back - it has nothing interesting to say on its own. And it could have! We’ve gotten particularly interesting looks at these themes this year in Immaculate and even in another horror prequel, The First Omen. But Apartment 7A just doesn’t reach those narrative or thematic heights.
I enjoyed Julia Garner (all the performances, really) and the pacing was effective, but the lingering sense of deja vu is a huge barrier for enjoyment.
★★☆☆☆ | Watch now on Paramount+
The Apprentice
THE APPRENTICE is a dive into the underbelly of the American empire. It charts a young Donald Trump's ascent to power through a Faustian deal with the influential right-wing lawyer and political fixer Roy Cohn.
The Apprentice is a deeply sad film, structurally akin to a Scorsese mob film in the way that it shows wealth and power leading to greed, hubris, and cruelty. It’s careful not to acquit Trump of any blame, but instead shows how easily corrupted people can be when presented with what they want.
At face value, Sebastian Stan seems an odd choice to play Trump. But via great writing and impressive evocations (not imitations) of Trump’s mannerisms, Stan slowly evolves throughout the runtime into the the strange caricature we’ve come to expect.
That said, it’s hard to make a film about Donald Trump that doesn’t feel self aware, and The Apprentice is at its worst when winking at the camera like an MCU Easter egg. These moments didn’t ruin the film, but they did briefly take me out of the scene.
On the whole, a film that really surprised and impressed me.
★★★★☆ | Watch now in theaters and on digital
It’s What’s Inside
A pre-wedding party descends into an existential nightmare when an estranged friend arrives with a suitcase containing a mysterious device capable of inducing body swaps. Tempted into playing a twisted game, the group uncovers hidden truths, suppressed desires, and deep-seated grudges. As their lives are swept up by deceit and startling revelations, IT’S WHAT’S INSIDE peels back layers of intrigue with its mind-bending twists and turns.
It’s What’s Inside is a stylish and clever sci fi thriller that puts a unique spin on a classic concept - body switching. The inventive camerawork and meticulous long takes are a thing of beauty, and the edit finds ways to keep things exciting. I especially loved the film’s unique way of conveying flashback information to the audience.
While I can’t offer enough praise for the technical aspects and conceit of the film, there is frequently a sense of amateurishness from the acting and dialogue. This is perhaps more a fault of characterization than the acting itself - the film relies on caricatures and stereotypes rather than nuanced characters, and while that leads to immediate understanding on the audience’s part, it doesn’t lead to much revelation or character journeys.
On the whole though, It’s What’s Inside is an exciting, fun watch. I want Netflix to invest more in unusual films like this from up-and-coming filmmakers!
★★★☆☆ | Watch now on Netflix
Conclave
Conclave is a both a tense, exciting watch and a deeply impactful examination of religion, human nature, and systems of power. It’s one of my favorite films about faith, and one of the best films of 2024. Check out my long form review of it!
★★★★★ | Watch now in theaters
Saturday Night
At 11:30pm on October 11, 1975, a ferocious troupe of young comedians and writers changed television – and culture – forever. SATURDAY NIGHT is based on the true story of what happened behind the scenes in the 90 minutes leading up to the first broadcast of Saturday Night Live. Full of humor, chaos, and the magic of a revolution that almost wasn’t, we count down the minutes in real time until we hear those famous words…
Saturday Night feels a lot like the TV show Saturday Night Live: uneven, hard to watch at times, but with moments of brilliance that make you glad you tuned in.
Films that attempt to show events in “real time” can be challenging to pace. You need a lot of excitement and conflict to keep the momentum throughout the runtime. In theory the chaotic origins of Saturday Night Live should be perfect for such a structure, but each conflict’s setup is ineffective. Some conflicts lack any explanation, while other conflicts are spoon-fed via clunky dialogue (“Lorne, this is bad and the show is about to start!”).
That said, some elements of the film really elevate its weaker structure and writing. The ensemble cast is one of the best of the year (kudos to the casting director and the uncanny lookalikes they found!), Jon Batiste’s score is both appropriate to the story and also informed by SNL’s sonic history, and the frenetic camera movements add energy even when the script fails to.
It’s a fun watch! Just one that could’ve been better.
★★★☆☆ | Watch now in theaters
We Live in Time
Almut (Florence Pugh) and Tobias (Andrew Garfield) are brought together in a surprise encounter that changes their lives. As they embark on a path challenged by the limits of time, they learn to cherish each moment of the unconventional route their love story has taken, in filmmaker John Crowley's decade-spanning, deeply moving romance.
I was intrigued and excited by the first act’s promise of a nonlinear narrative, but the third act failed to deliver. If a film is going to be nonlinear (which really could have worked well here), it should fully commit to that structure! Give the audience a symphony of emotions at the end where all the scenes of love, loss, pain, and happiness intertwine, just like real life. Instead, the nonlinear progression keeps viewers at a distance and never pays off emotionally by the end.
However, Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh are a joy to watch and hold the film together beautifully. Garfield in particular just has a way of wordlessly conveying every little thing he’s feeling, easily inviting empathy from the audience. The film also impressively portrays a naturalistic love story, far removed from the exaggerated fairy tale romances we often see in books and films. Even if the structure and ending left a lot to be desired, the performances and realism make We Live in Time worth a watch.
★★★☆☆ | Watch now in theaters
Joker: Folie À Deux
You can also read my long form review of Joker: Folie à Deux. It’s a deeply flawed film, but one that nevertheless intrigued me with its music and themes.
★★★☆☆ | Watch now in theaters and on digital
Smile 2
About to embark on a new world tour, global pop sensation Skye Riley (Naomi Scott) begins experiencing increasingly terrifying and inexplicable events. Overwhelmed by the escalating horrors and pressures of fame, she must confront her dark past before her life spirals out of control.
Smile 2 boasts an absolutely terrific opening scene, but everything else just feels like a staler version of the first film. Other positives: the camerawork is really fun, and Naomi Scott carries the film with her standout performance.
Unfortunately, I found Smile 2 strangely lacking in terms of tension and escalating fear, replaced instead by unearned jump scares and gore. To each their own with horror, but that’s just not what I find to be an effective use of the genre.
★★☆☆☆ | Watch now in theaters