Judas and the Black Messiah
Chronicling the life of Black Panther and civil rights activist Fred Hampton, Judas and the Black Messiah stars Daniel Kaluuya and LeKeith Stanfield. This movie had already been generating a ton of positive buzz, so I knew I was in for a treat going in. I was so impressed with what I saw. Daniel Kaluuya gives the best performance of his young career, and the story is one that sits with you for days.
The movie does such an excellent job of telling the story of Fred Hampton in the late 1960s, as well has his assassination by the FBI, and the impact it had on the community in Chicago. In a time where racial tensions feel like they’re at a peak, Judas and the Blacl Messiah feels like required viewing.
Bloody Hell
If you like horror flicks that really dial up the blood and gore to an 11, boy do I have the movie for you. The protagonist in the film spends 8 years in prison after causing a civilian death while thwarting a bank robbery. Interesting premise, cool. He then immediately flies to Finland because he blew a spitball at a world map and that’s where it landed. Wait, what? That’s why he’s going to Finland? What a lazy setup. I too would fly across the world to a random ass country with absolutely no plan, no connections, or no friends. Not to victim shame, but dude was kind of asking for it.
After hailing a taxi at the Finland airport, dude guy is kidnapped by what turns out to be a cannibalistic family. They’re pretty much like the family from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, except 100 percent less intimidating. The rest of the movie is more or less a gore fest, with the protagonist becoming the knight in shining armor for one of the daughters. It’s pretty weird. This one had some good reviews, too, but I wasn’t a fan.
The Hunt
A comedy about a bunch of liberals hunting and killing right-wingers for sport? That alone should be enough to not make you want to watch this movie. There’s some pretty decent action, and the opening sequence is really well done if you haven’t seen ANY trailers/marketing. However, the rest of the movie is just a big nope.
I guess it’s cool that the writers tried to make fun of super hard-leaning democrats and republicans, but all of the jokes are just so bottom of the barrel and uncreative, it feels like a 90 minute SNL sketch. Maybe the Trump era has ruined modern political humor for me, but I just didn’t care for The Hunt.
