‘Agnes’
I first saw director Mickey Reece’s “Climate of the Hunter” earlier this year. He is such an interesting voice because of his unique storytelling. That is one way to describe his newest film “Agnes,” which had its Online World Premiere as part of this year’s Tribeca Film Festival.
The film is a blend of drama and horror set at a convent. There, a young nun, the titular Agnes (Hayley McFarland), is believed to be possessed. This triggers a church investigation, where a priest surrounded by controversy, Father Donaghue (Ben Hall), and young priest in training Benjamin (Jake Horowitz), are sent to investigate. Once there, they’re confronted by temptation, bloodshed and crises of faith. The latter is especially true for young nun Mary (Molly C. Quinn, who also executive produces), best friend of the possessed Agnes.
This is a rather unique demonic possession film, incorporating some great dark humour (there’s a dry joke about Father Donaghue’s controversy that is hilarious), as well as some great introduction scenes. An intro to a man named Father Black (Chris Browning) on a talk show is one of the film’s most amusing and unique scenes.
Jake Horowitz, Ben Hall and Mary Buss in “Agnes.” Photo: Courtesy Tribeca Festival 2021.
As well, I love the style where we meet the nuns in three separate shots where they look like they are posing for an album cover. Another occasion where the priests first meet Agnes is awesome as they walk up a hallway in slow motion on their way to see her, followed by nuns like Mother Superior (a great Mary Buss) and Sister Mary. These scenes showcase Reece’s style as a director, and it’s great seeing what he can do with a larger cast and more resources.
A tale of two halves
The horror of the possession is great In the first half. In the first half we get a lot of backstory for Sister Mary. This is integral in hindsight as the second half shifts focus to her. This is where “Agnes” jumps the shark, as the second half feels like a different film. It has similar themes and characters, but it explores a different genre tonally for the most part.
It makes the film feel less cohesive as a whole, though Quinn delivers a great performance, both in emotion and getting to the root of her character as she navigates a very different world. That’s what intrigued me about the second half. However, I totally loved the first half and I wanted to go back there, so the sudden shift caught me off guard. This seems to be Mickey Reece staying true to his own voice, and always subverting expectations.
‘Agnes’ had its Online World Premiere as part of Tribeca at Home on June 12 at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival.
Kali Reis as Kaylee in “Catch the Fair One.” (Photo Credit: Ross Giardina.)
‘Catch the Fair One’
Boxing champion Kali Reis brings her prowess to the big screen in her feature film debut in not a boxing sports film but human trafficking thriller “Catch the Fair One.” In the film, she still does play a former boxer named Kaylee, and her fight as a person is at the centre of the film. She’s a boxer that fell from grace when her sister went missing. Now, she has a lead that her sister Weeta (Mainaku Borrero) is a victim of a human trafficking ring. Kaylee sets out to save her from the inside and bring her sister home.
While also being a compelling thriller, Josef Kubota Wladyka’s “Catch the Fair One” also sheds light on the important issue of missing Indigenous women in America, and all over the world in general. These conversations are authentic and important. The grief from missing family members and the mark it leaves on families is beautifully portrayed. Incorporating the heritage gives the film great authenticity, through the music of the film, as well as its themes.
A natural performance
Wladyka pens the screenplay for the film and developed it with Kali Reis over two years, as Reis also has a “story by” credit. Reis comes from the world of boxing but is a natural in the world of acting, becoming a character that’s similar to herself in terms of fight and her voice. She also makes Kaylee feel like her own beast. She tackles the emotions incredibly well, as well as the more “action heavy” portions of her character. I loved spotting a detail in the film where she plays with a wristband, in a motion like wrapping her hands before a fight. It seems to make her keep her cool because of all the trauma she has endured.
Structurally, the film’s a concise thriller as she follows leads trying to find her sister. It keeps things quick as we hope that Kaylee finds her sister, and the brutality that comes out of this journey is raw. That rawness comes across in her fight to find her sister, and in the actual boxing scenes where she trains.
At its core, this is not a “boxing” film, as it merely incorporates boxing into the character. However, with the rawness and brutality brought to the action, and how the film looks (lensed by Ross Giardina), I’d love to see the style Wladyka and Reis would actually bring to a legitimate boxing film. Perhaps that won’t be as bloody, but with the way they handle these characters, it could be very powerful.
‘Catch the Fair One’ had its World Premiere on June 13 as part of the US Narrative Competition at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival.
Skylan Brooks in ‘No Running.’ (Courtesy of Tribeca Film Festival.)
‘No Running’
Director Delmar Washington and first-time screenwriter Tucker Morgan join forces to create a fascinating film in “No Running.” Blending components of science fiction, conspiracy and the Black experience, the film is about young teen Jaylen (Skylan Brooks).
When at a dock with love interest Amira (Clark Backo), Jaylen’s world is turned upside down. He’s thrown into the water and sees a blue light. When he comes back up, Amira is gone. He tells everyone she was abducted and naturally, no one believes him. Jaylen is forced to go on the run because everyone assumes that he’s responsible for her disappearance.
Tucker Morgan creates an immersive world where Jaylen is caught in a trap. No matter what he says, authorities won’t believe him and everything’s stacked against him. It’s a fascinating parallel to our society today and how those elements work so well together. Delmar Washington’s direction is great, too, especially visually with the science fiction scenes and the drama.
Conspiracy theories
One thing that is important for me in these conspiracy theory stories is how much I believe the reason to investigate this conspiracy. With Jaylen trying to clear his name as he’s under suspicion, this is a very believable motivation. The information he finds also makes for a fascinating conspiracy.
Jaylen seems all alone on the run, besides an unlikely ally in Tim (Bill Engvall). He’s one of the few in the town to believe him. This is because years ago, he saw those same blue lights, too.
As well, Skylan Brooks as Jaylen is phenomenal; capturing the anxiety of the situation incredibly well. There’s emotion in the performance, as well. In one heartbreaking aspect of his performance, he is treated like an adult. This is despite his young age, and this aspect makes the stakes more frightening.
Every cop in the town seems like they’re after the death penalty, spearheaded by the town sheriff (Shane West). Some of his motivations seem a bit iffy, and I think some of the themes went over my head. However, I found the thriller rather compelling and unpredictable, so it’s more than worth the watch.
‘No Running’ had its Online World Premiere as part of Tribeca at Home on June 11 as part of this year’s Tribeca Film Festival.
*You can read a full review/alternate take of “No Running” on The Movie Buff by clicking the following link.
