‘892’ (Directed by Abi Damaris Corbin)
John Boyega has shown time to time that he is a prominent screen actor. Most people know him for his role as Finn in the latest “Star Wars” trilogy; but since then, he has done notable work like Kathryn Bigelow’s “Detroit” and Steve McQueen’s “Red, White, and Blue” as part of his “Small Axe” series of films.
Because of that, I have always been excited to see what he does next. So, when I saw that he appeared in a new movie at the Sundance, I didn’t anticipate watching it. Abi Damaris Corbin’s debut directorial debut tells the story of Brian Brown-Easley, which is based on a true story. When Easley’s (John Boyega) disability check fails to materialize from the VA (Veterans Affairs), he has lost all hope. He is working two jobs, and he is still on the brink of homelessness. He is trying to do it all for his daughter and ex-wife, and with no other option in sight, he walks into the Wells Fargo Bank near him and says, “I’ve got a bomb.”
What comes next is a “Dog Day Afternoon” type situation, with Easley holding some workers at the bank hostage until the VA can right their wrongs. Now, “892” touches on the mistreatment of veterans and the homeless, as well as mental health. Additionally it contains a solid performance by John Boyega and the appearance of Michael K. Williams (which is his final performance) breaks your heart.
Nevertheless, the movie doesn’t have that big of an impact; it mainly sticks to the trappings of hostage flicks doesn’t know from which perspective to tell the story. It mainly focuses on Easley, but then it switches to the view of a reporter (Connie Britton) and then an officer. These types of flicks depend on character to keep the interest going for the film’s entirety; unfortunately, this suffers from that aspect as well, even if the performances are strong.
Our Grade: C
‘Sharp Stick’ (Directed by Lena Dunham)
It has been twelve years since Lena Dunham delivered her directorial debut, “Tiny Furniture.” Still, she has been swamped, for better or worse (mainly for the latter, in my opinion). Involved in many projects like “Girls,” “Genera+ion,” “Camping,” and more, Dunham has made sure that her signature style is felt in every project she is involved in as a writer, director, or producer.
Her latest work, “Sharp Stick,” is more of the same Dunham-esque cringe-fest. It’s an awkward sex-comedy that centers around the sexual awakening of a 26-year-old woman named Sarah Jo (Kristine Froseth), who lives with her disillusioned mother (Jennifer Jason Leigh) and her influencer sister Treina (Taylour Paige), as in T for Tina and “reina” because that means queen in Spanish.
“Sharp Stick” wants to be a companion piece to Sean Baker’s “Red Rocket;” however, you never know if it’s a drama or a comedy since there is no engagement, laughs, or whatever it needs to suffice the genre’s needs. It’s primarily cringe-worthy but ultimately insufferable. It wants to provoke with no substance and wants to say something without saying anything at all. Dunham has had her fair share of half-“funny” scripts (mostly in TV), but her follow-up to “Tiny Furniture” has zero to no laughs. It’s the feeling of wanting to sneeze; you have the tickle in the back of your nose, but there’s nothing.
Our Grade: F
‘Watcher’ (Directed by Chloe Okuno)
I was interested in watching Chloe Okuno’s “Watcher” because Maika Monroe is attached. I know her presence isn’t that big of a wow factor for many people, but for me, it is. She always seems to be connected to interesting yet divisive works, like “The Bling Ring,” “Villains,” “Greta,” or even “The Tribes of Palos Verdes.”
“Watcher” is yet another one of those films. The film is about an American woman, Julia (Maika Monroe), who uproots her life to accompany her husband, Francis (Karl Glusman), to Bucharest for a new job. The tension comes nigh; alone the entire day, Julia gets obsessed with a figure in the darkness that keeps staring at her from another building opposite to her’s. She then gets into a web of sinister entrapments dealing with a murderer nicknamed The Spider.
“Watcher” is a psychological thriller that thoroughly encapsulates paranoia, dread, gaslighting, and unease. Its atmosphere is its deadliest weapon; nevertheless, it is treated as a double-edged sword. By focusing on the environment, for the most part, the thrills of the mystery are sub-par and their resolutions predictable. There are some impressive POV shots and lighting techniques, as well as decent camerawork and a good performance by Maika Monroe, possibly her best in a long while. Yet, its narrative is fractured by the trappings of feature directorial debuts.
Our Grade: C
This review was written from day 4 of Sundance Film Festival’s 2022 programming.
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