Displaying items by tag: Kyle Gallner

SMILE 2

US, 2024, 128 minutes, Colour.

Naomi Scott, Rosemarie de Witt, Lucas Gage, Miles Gutierrez-Riley, Peter Jacobson, Ray Nicholson.

Directed by Parker Finn.

Smile is a beguiling word. And many smiles themselves are beguiling. But, this is not the kind of smile in the title of this film. Rather, there is that other aspect of a smile, a grin, sometimes a fixed grin which might look immediately cheerful but is ultimately sinister.

In fact, this is the opening for this reviewer’s take on the original Smile. And it applies to this sequel – even more so. Smile was a popular and critical success or a horror/terror film in 2022. Now, fans and critics seem to be united in the view that Smile 2 is even better. One might say that if the two film were submitted for an examination, Smile might be awarded Distinction while Smile 2 gains a Higher Distinction.

But this does not mean that this is a film for every audience. Rather, it presupposes in its audience an interest in horror and terror, some bloodthirsty scenes but much more than this. And the crass language is gratingly incessant.

The original film was written and directed by Parker Finn. With the original success, he obviously feels that he can let himself go – and the film runs 128 minutes. There is a very clever and tantalisingly filmed prologue, headed “six days later”, so the continuity. And the actor, Kyle Gallner, reprises his role to pass on the deadly smile, some kind of evil parasite that takes over a person, their descent into hysteria and hallucinations, into madness, and the compulsion to pass on the parasite. The audience needs to pay attention to this opening sequence to appreciate what is happening later in the film.

But, this is a story that take place in the world of  ro ack ‘n’ roll singer, an aura of the Taylor Swift tours and concerts, with a number of song and dance sequences, elaborately staged, and the music videos style. In fact, the central character, Skye Riley, is played by British actress Naomi Scott, in fact a singer who has her own music videos. There is also her show business mother, Rosemarie de Witt, her entourage and supporters. This is her comeback after recovering from addiction, and a car crash which killed her husband (seen in flashbacks and played by Ray Nicholson, reminding audiences of his father, Jack Nicholson’s smile.)

Naomi Scott gives a powerhouse performance, and then some! She is on screen for most of the film, having her normal moments, the musical productions, the personal relationships, the aftermath of her husband’s death, her insecurities, and her being possessed by the smile parasite, leading to all kinds of hallucinations, a descent into violent madness. Naomi Scott is persuasive at every moment.

In many ways, the plot here is a variation on the original film, but taken in different directions, often spectacularly, frighteningly (and, whether it was the editing plus the sound volume, several jump shocks – and the man sitting behind this reviewer jumping, kicking the seat and exclaiming loudly!)

For audiences who like terror of films and their psychological dimensions.

1. The popular and critical success of the first film? Terror? Horror? Psychological dimensions?
2. The sequel beginning six days later, the prologue, a character in the car, observing, going to the house, the confrontation, the shooting, the drug dealers arriving? The issue of the man possessed by the parasite, the drug dealer observing and being possessed by the parasite?
3. The credibility of the plot, the reworking of the original, the issue of the parasite, scientific, psychological, paranormal? The smile, seeing others smile, the victim smiling, and the hallucinations? Unreality, mental disturbance? Violent consequences?
4. The story of Skye Riley, her success as a singer, the flashbacks to her earlier career, videos, her black hair and style? The story of the accident, the death of her husband, her injuries and surgery? The background of addiction? Her rehabilitation? Need for pain killers because of her back injury? (And the later flashback of the accident, the hostility between the couple, her engineering the crash, his death and smile?)
5. Skye and preparing for the new tour, her age, her career background, success, the number of fans, the Taylor Swift kind of aura? Her appearance, hair style, her appearances in the musical numbers, their style, performance, focusing on her? The music videos style?
6. Skye and her relationship with her mother, fostering her career, controlling it, always present? The young assistant and his eagerness? Those associated with productions, the choreographer and his style, patience, Skye and her falling, the hallucination with her leg,, injuries, her moods?
7. Skye, going out at night, going to the dealer, the strange encounter, his behaviour, disappearance, her looking for him, reappearance, smashing himself, his death? The parasite in her?
8. The style of the hallucinations, the visuals, the past, grotesques? The dreams, her waking hours, lapses in consciousness? The characters, behaviour, eerie? And the number of jump cuts and people jumping in their seats?
9. The reconciliation with Gemma, the stories of the past? The phone communications? Gemma’s arrival, the reconciliation, helping, Skye, oversleeping, her mother’s impatience, going to the meeting, her falling?
10. The scenes of the fans, the adoration, Skye managing with them, photos? Autographs? The main situation, the lineup, the girl and her smile, the obsessed fan and his threats…?
11. Darius, financial support, the request for the function, her being upset, the growing hallucinations, stage, the prompter and its stopping, her improvising, getting more awkward, about herself, the audience, the host on the stage, the confrontation, pushing the old lady and her injuries? The embarrassment, her being hurried away?
12. Growing possession, the text message from the friendly nursing aid, their meeting, his proposal, her rejecting, her growing desperation, the hallucinations worsening? Meeting him, the process, the freezer, the plan for her death, the apparition, the confrontation, the needle?
13. The hallucinations in her room, her mother arriving, the violent killing of her mother?
14. The failure of the operation, the parasite and its taking over, the end and the close-up of Skye and her smile?
15. Audiences and terror of films, touches of horror and violence? Psychological implications?

THE PASSENGER

US, 2023, 93 minutes, Colour.

Johnny Berchtold, Kyle Gallner, Liza Weil.

Directed by Carter Smith.

The Passenger is basically a two-hander road movie. However, it is an intriguing journey, destination unknown.

One character, young, timid, played by Johnny Berchtold effectively, wakes up, goes to work in a diner, is humiliated, but suddenly becomes a witness to a massacre of the staff. And this is perpetrated by one of the staff, mysterious, growing more sinister, erratic, violent, played by Kyle Gallner.

Other characters in the film include the young man’s mother, a visit to her, his dependence on her. And, there are unusual characters along the way.

While there is the local scenery to look at, there is a great deal of conversation throughout the film, the young man continually intimidated, eventually making a decision that precipitates a graphic climax. The erratic, violent man also gets the opportunity to make speeches – especially in connection with people along the way, a waitress in a diner whom he insults and later harrasses, a former teacher whom he brutalises …

But, the ultimate goal of the journey is to find a former teacher, the young man having accidentally blinded her in one eye in an incident at the school, her being persecuted and hounded out – and, now, 10 years later, with a daughter, confronting the two.

This is one of those films, because of the uncertainty of the destination, demands attention – and, would probably be even more interesting on a second viewing.

1. Title, Randy Bradley, life and background, problems, the encounter with Benson, the journey, his decisions?
2. The small town setting, the diner, homes, the streets, travelling the countryside, the school office and corridors, the scenes in the diner…? The musical score?
3. The story of Randy Bradley, unprepossessing, getting up, the dominance of his mother, going to work, observing, Chris and his bullying, making Bradley chew the old hamburger, his submission to Chris, shock, Benson and the killings, Benson not shooting him, helping stow the bodies in the freezer? The conversations with Benson, Benson taking him in the car? People calling him Bradley, his slowness in giving his actual name?
4. Benson, cleaning in the diner, observing, the confrontation with Chris, intervening, killing Chris, the girl, shooting the manager in his office? The bodies? His psychopathic behaviour?
5. The journey, Benson driving, Randy as passenger, quiet, Benson and his moods, the visit to the diner, Randy reluctant, the waitress, Benson turning on her, abusive, the later return to the diner, the waitress wanting him out, Benson defiant, shooting and wounding her?
6. Randy and the visit to his mother, dominating, the later phone calls?
7. The discussion with Benson about girlfriends, confessing to having the girlfriend, going to visit her, her work, the stuffed toys, awkwardness, the two men working, the blue crocodile, Randy and the conversation, her reasons for breaking the friendship?
8. The long conversation between the two about Randy and his memories, seven years old, Miss Beards, the behaviour, the slingshot, his anger, singled out, Miss Beards and the eye wound, losing her eye, the patch, the ridicule by the children, by the other teachers, a leave of absence? Years passing? Teaching again?
9. The visit to the school, Benson persuasive to get the address from the receptionist? The teacher, Benson identifying him, following him out, the brutal bashing and shooting? Randy and his non-involvement?
10. Miss Beards, the eyepatch, welcoming Randy, the joy of her daughter, her story, the divorce, accepting the situation, returning to teach? Welcoming the visitors, cup of tea, the conversation? Benson and his sense of menace? Randy taking the phone? The threats to is one Beards, the abduction, Benson silencing her?
11. The visit to the diner again, Randy saying he want to go to the toilet, making the phone call to the police, the shooting, the siren, Randy looking at Benson, telling him that he called the police? Benson and his pause, thinking, going out, the police, shooting him?
12. Randy later, the phone call from his mother, visiting Miss Beards, playing with her daughter, changing him, the assertion in calling the police, defying Benson?

DINNER IN AMERICA

US, 2020, 106 minutes, Colour.

Kyle Gallner, Emily Skeggs, Leah Thompson, Nick Chinlund, Sean Rogers, Mary Lynn Rajskub, Pat Healy, Griffin Gluck.

Directed by Adam Reihmeier.

This is a small budget independent film, winner of quite a number of awards at small festivals.

The title is evocative, two key scenes in the film of the family dinners, arguments, bickering, smoothing things out, contrasting with praying grace but the telling of lies. And there are some dinners in diners.

The focus of the film is on Simon, unlikeable, obnoxious in behaviour flirting with a girl, going home to her house, dinner with her parents, misbehaviour with the wife, being ousted. He also makes contact with a young girl, Patty, who has limited mental abilities. Once again, he ingratiates himself, going to her family’s house for dinner, posing as a son of African missionaries, but also provocative, wanting to stay while he hides from drug dealers.

Most of the film shows the relationship between Patty and Simon, she at home, trying to be defiant, follower of a band and writing cards to the band leader (who turns out to be Simon who is shocked by the discovery), working in a pet shop being treated badly by the owner, not paid, mocked by the sports jocks and their girlfriends.

In fact, Simon and Patty Bond, Simon showing a bit more humanity, defending Patty against the jocks but being bashed (and, to his and Patty’s – and the audiences – bringing on their violent comeuppance).

There are further revelations about Simon, his affluent family, misfit, ousted, intruding on the house. Then there is relationship with the members of his band and money problems. And, the development of the relationship with Patty and defending her, and confronting the owner of the shop for her payment.

The film is well acted, the characters credible, even if not likeable.

1. Expectations from the title? The number of dinners seen in the film? Family dinners and interactions? Dinners in diners?
2. Independent film, small budget, the cast?
3. Themes, misfits, family pressure, bullying, mental abilities, relationships?
4. The focus on Simon, unlikeable for most of the film, seen eating, flirting, going home with the girl, dinner with the family, his manners and style, wanting somewhere to stay, the wife and the kissing, ousted? Wandering, hiding?
5. Patty, her parents, district background, scenes at home, Kevin as adopted and the later revelation about this and effect on him? Her work at the shop, treatment by the owner, not paying her? Abusive behaviour? At the bus stop, on the bus, the two boys and their bullying her, the two boys kissing and their girlfriends in the bus, mocking her? Physical and mental bullying? Her going home, her room, music, the band, writing letters and cards to the leader of the band?
6. Kevin, teenager, surly at the dinner table, discovering he was adopted, the drugs with Simon, their friendship, change of attitudes?
7. Simon, the band, talking with the fellow musicians, their urging for a deal, the stoned member siding with Simon? Their music? Punk? Simon and his hairdo and people’s comments?
8. Simon, the encounters with Patty, the attraction, going home, the meal, his telling lies, his parents as missionaries in Tanzania, blurting out Kevin’s adoption, Patty’s embarrassment having told him? The effect on the parents? His asking to stay, with Patty?
9. The time together, the bonding, her story, his going to their home, getting her to sing her creative songs, the discovery that she was writing the cards, mixing the music, the family coming home, the hostility of the various members, Simon and his reactions, the husband and the children, aggressive behaviour, being ousted?
10. The night with Patty, sexual, emotional, the effect?
11. The boys and their mockery, going to their sports event, Simon taunting them, their bashing him? The revenge, getting Patty to lure them, bashing and stripping them, setting fire to their clothes, the reaction of the coach and the other players?
12. The confrontation with the owner of the pet shop, the new employee, demanding the payment?
13. Simon, his identity as Johnny, his role in the band, going to the venue, the clash with the producer, money issues? Onstage, performance, Pat’s response?
14. Likeable and unlikeable characters, misfits, family and society pressures, behaviour, unsympathetic, sympathetic?