Minority Mindset

Ralph Fiennes doesn’t just deliver a strong performance; his role is essential to the film’s success. Writer Alex Garland often prioritizes ideas over character development, and while The Bone Temple is an improvement over 28 Years Later, it’s weighed down by heavy themes of nihilism that risk turning it into a bleak and unnecessarily violent experience. This tendency of Garland’s explains why the isolated Britain depicted in the films feels more like a thought experiment than a real place. It’s hard to imagine truly living in constant fear of turning into a monster, or of others doing the same, but the communities we see in both movies don’t quite capture that desperate reality. (Most of the characters seem strangely resilient, considering the circumstances.) Kelson, who sings Duran Duran while collecting bodies in the countryside, is the only character who convincingly portrays someone witnessing the end of the world, or at least its continuation. He has a strange calmness that initially seems like insanity, but closer inspection reveals a deep sadness for what humanity has become. Through him, the film becomes both funnier and more poignant as it explores themes of suffering.

James Cameron’s latest Avatar film launched to huge success on December 19th and has remained the top movie ever since. However, after nearly a month, the highly anticipated and critically acclaimed new installment in the dystopian horror series, directed by Nia Da Costa, is poised to become one of the decade’s biggest horror hits.

A variant cover for the upcoming Batman #6 suggests Tim Drake might be stepping down as Robin.

There’s a lot of anticipation for the new MCU movie, but also some worry about how well it will do. It’s been a while since the last Avengers film, and following the massive success of Avengers: Endgame is a tough act. A recent preview suggests how the MCU is trying to generate excitement for the story, but this approach isn’t without its potential downsides.

First Reaction – Continental Split is the typical late-night disaster movie.

In a memorable scene from the movie, adapted from an Emily Henry novel, Poppy and Alex are on vacation in New Orleans and playfully pretend to be engaged. They continue the charade throughout their trip, despite not being a real couple—at least, not yet! It’s a bit more elaborate than anything I’ve ever done, but I definitely enjoy completely disconnecting and escaping when I get the chance to go on vacation.