Triangle of Sadness

This amazing film was the winner of the Palme d’Or at Cannes this year and it was written and directed by Swedish filmmaker Ruben Östlund (The Square). The film is a fun/crazy ride and follows models Carl and Yaya when they are invited to join a group of extremely wealthy guests on a luxurious cruise. Initially, everything seems worthy of an Instagram post, but the cruise ends tragically, leaving the passengers stranded on a desert island. Nothing that I will write here can properly prepare you for the intensity of this film. Because the shocking degree to which it accurately describes our current reality is unsettling. Triangle of Sadness is a hilarious, sarcastic, and caustic parody of social roles and class. It is wildly amusing but also disgusting and nauseating at times. The film is well-directed and the cast does a truly exceptional job. It could have been a bit shorter, but it's still very entertaining. A nearly flawless strike on the mega-rich.

Hellraiser

This new Hellraiser is surprisingly better than I was expecting. Mainly because the director David Bruckner provided the structure that was lacking in the many sequels of this franchise. The plot is straightforward, a young woman fighting addiction acquires an antique puzzle box. But of course, she is unaware that it will summon the Cenobites, a gang of nasty supernatural monsters from another dimension.

I liked how this has the original's flick morbid atmosphere but with a slasher spin on it. The first two acts of the movie are enjoyable but somewhat formulaic. And if the third act had gone in the route it looked it was going, I would probably be writing a very different review of it. However, Bruckner puts one well-timed twist that takes us all in a deliciously interesting direction.

Overall, David Bruckner's Hellraiser is perfect for the spooky season and will be a treat for some of the franchise's faithful followers. After a string of poor sequels that failed to live up to the original, we finally have something worth watching.

Descendant

Descendant tells the story of the Clotilda, the last ship known to have unlawfully brought enslaved Africans to the United States. The ship was found in Mobile, Alabama, and documentary director Margaret Brown returns to her birthplace to document this historic discovery. This intelligent and captivating documentary covers a relevant part of American history and how it should be interpreted, along with the need to make amends for past wrongdoings. Despite some minor imperfections in terms of execution, Descendant captures an important and profoundly terrible story and its impact on the Africatown community. Overall, this is a well-made and well-paced documentary that places a strong emphasis on memory keeping and how one community struggles to find the most suitable manner to remember their ancestors and I highly recommend watching it.

Piggy

This is Spanish director/writer Carlota Pereda’s debut feature film and tackles the effects of fatphobia and bullying. The film revolves around Sara (Laura Galán), the butcher's daughter of a small town in rural Spain, who is constantly harassed about her weight by village girls.

Piggy twists the predicted revenge film genre into something truly upsetting. Instead of acting out a vicious fantasy, Pereda's screenplay is far more focused on highlighting the complex nature that exists in all of us. Doing that, the film brilliantly employs genre thrills and a compelling social critique. I also liked all the creepy and disturbing details that she includes in the script to heighten the story's tension and dread. Laura Galán's engaged performance brings Piggy disturbingly to life. And the whole production was just tremendously well-crafted.

Given that this is Pereda's debut full-length film, I can say that I was very impressed with her skill as a director. I can’t wait for her next project!

Athena

The foundation for this bold, passionate, and exciting Netflix original movie is laid by a story of loss and tragedy between three brothers. The film showcases director Romain Gavras’ talents and uses them to create a meaningful discourse. Gavras pushes the viewers to use their minds, heart, and anger to make them see what he's putting in front of them. Athena is not easy to watch and it feels like a modern Greek tragedy. The film’s main focus is contemporary French society, specifically, the alienation and dissatisfaction felt by non-white citizens of African and North African heritage. They have to deal with police abuse, and the complete failure of French society to tackle racial and religious intolerance. The film is fast-paced and has multiple jaw-dropping tracking shots and tumultuous Parisian riot scenes. I think this film is a prophecy of the future of society in Europe. Don’t get me wrong, I love living here and I wouldn’t move anywhere else. But a lot of things need to be fixed before chaotic scenarios like the one happening in this film start happening in real life. Anyway, I liked Athena and I highly recommend it.