The Playlist:
Written and directed by Benh Zeitlin, whose short, "Glory at Sea," was shot through with purpose and promise, "Beasts of the Southern Wild" is as stirring and striking a film as you could wish for. Shot and set in a Louisiana community called The Bathtub, on the wrong side of the levees that stop the water from encroaching on civilization, it's at heart the story of a little girl, Hushpuppy (Quvenzhané Wallis) who lives with her father Wink (Dwight Henry). That synopsis does not do the film justice, though, as the story -- based on a play by Lucy Alibar -- incorporates a flood that not only drowns The Bathtub but also huge, prehistoric beasts -- Aurochs -- returning to life from the frozen icecaps and stalking, gigantically, towards Hushpuppy's world. It's a flawed comparison -- and indeed, any comparison for a work as completely and startlingly unique as this will be flawed -- but I kept imagining "Beasts of the Southern Wild" as a pagan, powerful, Godless (but not loveless or hopeless) variation on "The Tree of Life," where parents and children cope with the passage of time and the end of life in a series of moments built as much on visual poetry as character interactions.
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga brings all the noise and heavy-metal action, but it also delivers an epic story about human resilience.
Yesterday After Tomorrow Review: The movie has its moments but falls flat due to its lacking character depths and bad acting.
What are some of the biggest movie sequels heading your way throughout the remainder of 2024? MenStuff takes a look at the most-anticipated incoming follow-ups.
This is going to be a limited release but I think I'm going to see if it's going to show somewhere in the area I live. I want to see this.