October 2023 – MOVIESMARKUS

The Exorcist: Believer

Posted on October 10, 2023 by Markus Robinson

Going in knowing it would be a near impossibility for this to come close to the greatness of the 1973 original, all I needed from The Exorcist: Believer was for it to be slightly better than the most middle-of-the-road possession movie. And writer/director David Gordon Green (Halloween, Halloween Kills, Halloween Ends) couldn’t even give me that.

Among other things, this is a poorly directed film with few highlights to speak of. The story is essentially, two little girls walk into the woods and come out possessed. The first half sees a very basic horror setup inexplicably fumbled, as things happen that are neither scary or engaging. The idea of creating actual tension and/or scares seems to baffle Green this time around, as he repeatedly chooses to substitute loud noises for any and all scary moments. I don’t honestly remember one legitimate scare amidst the nearly two-hour runtime.

My hope was once Ellen Burstyn (reprising her role from the original film) entered the story around the halfway mark, the film would find its footing. But instead, the back-half is even worse. A sloppy incoherent mess, culminating in an exorcism sequence which can only be described as a scattershot of ideas which somebody forgot to edit down into something coherent.

Final Thought: The Exorcist: Believer inexplicably reeks of inexperience. Fluctuating between a very sloppy and very unsure attempt at horror. Was Green intimidated and overwhelmed by this project? It certainly looks so. But I’d rather have seen an exorcism film with Green taking huge risks and failing hard, than end up with a product which comes across as poorly conceived, uneventful and boring.

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Movie Review

Totally Killer

Posted on October 10, 2023 by Markus Robinson

In 1987 a serial killer by the name of the “Sweet Sixteen Killer” murders three teenage girls in a small town. Thirty-five years later (in that same town) the killer is back, murdering the mother of Jamie Hughes (Kiernan Shipka). Jamie then accidentally travels back to 1987 in an attempt to stop the killer.

Strongly implying that this is Scream meets Back to the Future makes the film sound better than it is. Sadly, Totally Killer is not well written enough to hit the high bar it’s set for itself.

It’s still a somewhat fun and passable horror/comedy, where some jokes work while others don’t. Directed by Nahnatchka Khan (Always Be My Maybe), the kills are well filmed and the story never drags. Khan also unsurprisingly and quite smartly leans heavily into the 1980’s visuals and pop culture references, which will certainly make this movie more entertaining for those who become instantly enchanted by anything 80’s related.

Final Thought: There are flashes of something a bit more elevated dispersed throughout, mostly in the idea of how time is dealt with in this particular world. But outside of that, this is an average and completely watchable October flick.

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Movie Review

A Million Miles Away

Posted on October 10, 2023 by Markus Robinson

The true story of José Hernandez (Michael Peña), a Mexican immigrant who grew up to become an engineer and eventually the first former migrant worker turned NASA astronaut.

Definitely full of heart and eager to showcase a specific Latino community/culture, director Alejandra Márquez Abella builds a world that feels warm and familiar. The vibe here is very much Latino biopic meets Disney live-action. If that sounds like your kind of movie, then A Million Miles Away will be a more than satisfying experience.

Before I get to my lone hangup, I do want to mention that there are things that I (as a Latino) really appreciate about this film. The fact that most of the familial dialogue is in Spanish, a soundtrack which perfectly drives home a particular nostalgic feel and the chemistry between actors Peña and Rosa Salazar (who plays Adela, the wife of Hernandez) all work to create a far better viewing experience than I’d initially anticipated. My only criticism of a film like this is that it is family friendly to a fault.

I dislike using “family friendly” as a pejorative. But when what we get is a story about a man who worked in the fields with his family, then worked in an office building where he was seemingly the only brown face, and then enters the space program against all odds, and the end result feels instantly watered down, the term “family friendly” in this instance will translate into an unnecessarily corny viewing experience for some. Every hardship Hernandez goes through is addressed with a PG rating in mind, and at times I felt like I was watching something more interested in driving home an inspirational message, rather than showcasing an authentic story. While I do appreciate that movies like these are made about important and often forgotten historical Latino figures, the subject matter here warranted more cinematic authenticity and grittiness.

Final Thought: There is a place for movies like these. A family movie night perhaps. It wouldn’t surprise me if a year from now A Million Miles Away was playing in elementary schools during Hispanic Heritage Month. Hell, I’m quite sure once my Mexican mother sees this movie, it will be her favorite film of the year. And there is nothing wrong with any of that. A movie made with good intentions, love for its characters and clearly engaging enough to disregard the telegraphed nature of the story beats, this is a film I’d feel good recommending. I simply want to praise this more than the film will allow.

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