DEREK EX MACHINA, created by author and editor Derek L.H., is a blog dedicated to exploring the effect that video games and film have on people.
All tagged Film
Through its dark humor and brilliantly realized characters, The Art of Self-Defense manages to say a lot about violence and masculinity without every coming across as full of itself or preachy. Self-Defense is a film that very much understands what it is and the kind of story it’s trying to tell, and doesn’t attempt to be anything that it isn’t. What results is a film that is tightly focused, funny, and intelligent.
Widows - while certainly having some excellently realized commentary on modern western culture and the increasing spread of apathy - doesn’t manage to do much you haven’t seen before in a heist film […] It’s certainly flawed, but it’s clear that this film was a product of smart and lovingly-crafted writing and direction, which alone makes it worth a watch.
Beautiful Boy creates a narrative experience that was intimate in a way that few other films are able to replicate. This film provides a refreshing and insightful look into the extent to which addiction affects family. More than anything, though, Beautiful Boy dares to show the lengths we’re willing to go to save those we care about, even when we know that it very well may be for nothing.
With a screenplay that feels awkward and tonally confused, performances that either feel miscast or missing strong characterization, and a structure that feels both formulaic and dated, Venom is a corporate, mediocre mess. Given the plethora of comic-book-to-film adaptations we’ve seen this decade, there are many, many better ways to spend your time if you’re looking for an enjoyable comic book adaptation.
