Female Film Critics 24/375
Following the success of Barbarian, Zach Cregger brings us the most highly anticipated horror film of the summer, Weapons…and you won’t be disappointed. You may not be totally satisfied or even understand what you just watched, but you won’t be let down. Even though the narrative Cregger wrote is fictional, the emotional center is rooted in reality, inspired by social issues, real life events and Cregger’s personal experiences.
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Early reactions called this film a hardcore, terrifying watch. Outside of a couple of jump scares, Wolf Man lacks fear, suspense, and most importantly, fun. We don’t expect a film like this to be groundbreaking or have an amazing story, but at the very least, provide some entertainment. The film is slow, spending most of its time sitting around in the dimly lit home waiting for the dad to turn full werewolf. This might have to do with Whannell’s attempt at a “deeper” story about how to parent and love your child. But this message is completely lost on audiences, as the film never finds its footing and the actors never fully commit to their performance. Both Abbott and Garner deserve more from their script and it’s evident, they showed up for the paycheck and nothing more.
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Women have played significant roles in science fiction and horror films since the inception of the genres, and over the years, the female characters have become increasingly complex and empowering. In recent decades, there has been a growing trend towards strong female protagonists in sci-fi and horror films. These characters challenge traditional gender roles and demonstrate intelligence in horrific situations. They are often portrayed as capable leaders, skilled fighters, or brilliant scientists. Some notable examples of strong female protagonists in sci-fi and horror include Ellen Ripley from the Alien franchise, Sarah Connor from the Terminator franchise, Laurie Stroud from the Halloween series and Alice from Resident Evil. 2024 has been a year filled with highly anticipated prequels that included many strong performances from women in the lead roles.
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Following her success with the film The Assistant starring Julia Garner, writer-director Kitty Green is back with another film reuniting her with the actress. In The Royal Hotel, Americans Hanna (Garner) and Liv (Jessica Henwick) are backpacking in Australia and take a temporary live-in job in a remote Outback mining town. Soon, they find themselves trapped in an unnerving situation that grows rapidly out of their control.
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Consider the desperation, courage, and naiveté prompting two young American friends, Hanna and Liv, to accept a job bartending at the completely misnamed Royal Hotel, located in a remote Australian Outback mining town. As backpacking tourists in Sydney without any viable options, they certainly need the money. However, Hanna and Liv fail utterly to anticipate the clientele, to their dismay.
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Australian director Kitty Green’s second narrative feature The Royal Hotel is a wholly unnerving and totally engrossing thriller. Atmospheric and all too realistic, it’s the kind of story that sticks with you long after the credits have rolled. The film is paced to perfection and each and every well-planned element is woven expertly together to build layers upon layers of truly discomforting suspense. With Green’s keen eye the film becomes a riveting exploration of isolation and what it truly feels like to be a young woman in the world. It helps too that Julia Garner and Jessica Henwick nail their characters.
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Australian filmmaker Kitty Green delves into the war between men and women in The Royal Hotel, a film about two young backpackers who take barmaid jobs in a mining area in Australia’s isolated outback. How they fare in an environment drenched in testosterone and alcohol is an edge-of-your-seat psychological thriller about gender dynamics. Julia Garner and Jessica Henwick star in The Royal Hotel as the tourists who take pub jobs to top up their holiday fund. The Royal Hotel is about systemic issues, says Green, “about drinking culture and women feeling threatened in certain spaces.
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The murder and mayhem that characterized the poplar Netflix series Ozark has come to an end – as season four concludes the Bryde family’s compelling crime drama. So it’s a perfect time to binge-watch. After moving from Chicago to a lakefront house in the Ozarks, Marty (Jason Bateman) and Wendy (Laura Linney) Bryde, along with their adolescent offspring – Jonah (Skylar Gaertner) and Charlotte (Sofia Hublitz) – pursue lives of corruption and crime.
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You may recognize Emmy-winner Julia Garner’s face and distinctively nasal voice from Ozark, but in the nine episodes of Inventing Anna she plays enigmatic grifter Anna Sorokin – a.k.a. Anna Delvey. For years, brazen Anna passed herself off as the daughter of a German tycoon, gliding through Manhattan’s opulent hotels, restaurants and night clubs, clad in expensive couture. Posing as an heiress, she cleverly befriended socialites, high-fashion designers and moneyed tech moguls.
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Made all-the-more timely given the verdict in the sexual misconduct trial of disgraced Miramax mogul Harvey Weinstein, Kitty Green’s workplace drama profiles how power enforces silence about sexual coercion and harassment.
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