100 Words on Chad Stahelski's John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum (2019)

https://www.slashfilm.com/john-wick-3-artist-series-posters/

By Thomas Puhr

John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum (2019) showcases some lush visuals, a cheeky sense of humor, and, most importantly, coherent and intricately-choreographed fight sequences. Nevertheless, the 2014 original remains the best in the series because of its crisp pacing (it’s still the shortest entry) and simple, but effective, characterization. For me, the small pleasure of watching Keanu Reeves kill someone with a book outweighs the other, grander set pieces on display in Parabellum. The sequels have become bogged down in their increasingly elaborate world-building and have lost sight of the original’s nimble style and wit. Alas, John Wick has become Marvel-ized.   

100 Words on Panos Cosmatos' Mandy (2018)

IMDb

By Thomas Puhr

If a precocious, 15-year-old D&D enthusiast was force-fed LSD and given carte blanche to make any movie they wanted, the end product might look something like Panos Cosmatos' latest. Mandy is visually gorgeous, but it is Nicolas Cage’s performance as Red Miller, a man seeking revenge against the cult that murdered his beloved Mandy (Andrea Riseborough), that seals the deal. Though gloriously unhinged (especially when his enemies’ heads start rolling), Cage also imbues his character with genuine pathos. The late Jóhann Jóhannsson’s score, finished shortly before his death, does not disappoint. In short, Mandy is off-the-wall crazy and often exhilarating.