Ambulance - Directed by Michael Bay
Yahya Abdul-Mahteen II and Jake Gullenhaal in Michael Bay’s Ambulance
An adaptation of a 2005 Danish film of the same name, Bay’s approach is the same as all his previous films: a tidal wave of style in the form of gorgeous compositions, editing that can only be described as organized chaos and storytelling that feels like the script is someone telling you what happened in the movie rather than written with depth. This film is lean and mean by Bay’s standards, based entirely around a high concept hostage situation/movie long car chase.
Abdul-Mahteen II (The Matrix Resurrections) plays Will Sharp, a veteran desperate to raise money for life-saving surgery that insurance will not cover for his wife Amy (Moses Ingram). He reaches out to his adoptive, ne’er-do-well brother Danny (Gyllenhaal) for a loan and immediately gets recruited for a bank robbery that goes wrong. When EMT Cam Thompson (Gonzalez) arrives to provide medical service to potential robbery victims, Will and Danny hijack her ambulance and messily sneak away as what seems like the entire police force pursues them across the city.
Behind the camera, Bay embraces his reputation as a “shooter” first, finding a through line in his reams of footage in the editing room. His increasingly frantic assembly of the dozens (if not hundreds) of angles culled from drones and more traditional hero shots— all of which he seems to love equally—produces a relentless barrage of imagery that makes the viewer a part of the film’s narrative insanity in the best way.
Ambulance is traditional Michael Bay, a thrill ride full of muscle, testosterone, and style. If you decide to watch, expect to hold on tight. I hope you survive the ride.
Ambulance is now streaming on Amazon Prime.
Confess, Fletch - Directed by Greg Mottola
Ayden Mayeri and Jon Hamm in Greg Mottola’s Confess, Fletch.
In 1985, Fletch took an interesting approach to Gregory McDonald’s novel—essentially keeping the same story but changing the tone, dialing down some of its darker elements and allowing star Chevy Chase to give the character some charm that the novel version often lacked. Now, more than 30 years later, the world is finally being given another proper adaptation of the late author’s award-winning series, with Jon Hamm taking over as Irwin Maurice Fletcher, alias “Fletch.”
In the opening scene, Fletch discovers a woman’s corpse in his apartment and, despite calling the police himself, becomes the prime suspect in her murder. Not a bad start for a mystery, but it ultimately plays second fiddle to a more complicated plot about an art collection. As we learn when the cops come, this isn’t Fletch’s actual apartment, but one he’s crashing at while he’s in Boston attempting to help his girlfriend Angela (Lorenza Izzo) find some paintings that were stolen from her family—which are now needed to pay the ransom for her kidnapped father, the Count de Grassi.
Propelling the story along is Fletch himself, played by Joh Hamm who delivers some standout sarcasm and hysterical off the cuff replies. His repartee with lead investigator Monroe (Roy Wood Jr.) is delightful. The laughs aid the fact that for the most part the film tells a pretty low stakes story. Fans of the novel will be pleased to see a faithful adaption on screen and those with little to know knowledge of the previous Fletch films or novels will still have a great time.
Confess, Fletch is now streaming on Showtime.
The Last Movie Stars - Directed by Ethan Hawke
Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward
The Last Movie Stars is actor/director Ethan Hawke's nonfiction series on acting, creativity, Hollywood, marriage, and a lot of other subjects. It’s lead subject Paul Newman as you probably know was a sought-after leading man for five decades. His wife Joanne Woodward began her career with critical acclaim but as her husband’s shadow grew so too did her difficulty landing roles in projects he wasn’t a part of.
The project draws heavily on recorded interviews with Newman and Woodward but in many cases the quality was too poor to be used so Hawke employs actors George Clooney, Laura Linney as the star pair as well as other actors as supporting players in their lives. The end result feels as if a radio play or podcast has been set to period footage of the star’s lives.
The six-hour series follows the two actors from their first appearance together in the same New York stage castthrough the final years of their lives. Along the way, The Last Movie Stars surveys the changing times. All the expected high points get touched on, from Woodward and Newman's most acclaimed performances on the stage and screen (including Woodward's Oscar for The Three Faces of Eve and Newman's belated recognition for The Color of Money) to their civil rights activism and Newman's forays into race car driving and gourmet food products (Newman's eldest daughter Nell founded Newman's Own, which gives all profits to charity). You feel the weight and length of the six hours, but not in a bad way. Watching the series is like reading one of those engrossing doorstop-sized biographies that wants to say everything that could possibly said about its subject, and that takes a while to get through. Going in with only a passing knowledge of the couple’s history I found it rivetting.
The Last Movie Stars is streaming on HBO Max.
Aftersun - Directed by Charlotte Wells
(from left) Frankie Corio and Paul Mescal in Charlotte Wells’ Aftersun.
Written and directed by first-time Scottish filmmaker Charlotte Wells, Aftersun is inspired by memories from her own childhood. In the film, Sophie (Frankie Corio) takes a budget vacation to Turkey with her father, Calum (Paul Mescal). She’s been living with her mother in Scotland while he stays in London. Later, an adult Sophie (Celia Rowlson-Hall) reminisces about their trip, hinting that it’s the last experience she shared with her enigmatic father—a set-up that indicates this fictional story is inspired by true events, or perhaps a concocted memory that Wells conceived in place of her elusive real memories. Hence, Aftersun feels like a combination of memory and hallucination, but rooted in truth.
Even though Calum tries to be a present father for Sophie, his reckless youthfulness interferes; occasionally, he either sulks or abandons his responsibilities altogether. Yet Wells shows us an indisputably tactile relationship between father and daughter as the camera lovingly follows hands and limbs as they touch each other in ways that belie their deep connection.
Aftersun is as much a story of parental guilt as it is a childhood memory piece. Calum is able to be both loving and distant, and Sophie is confused by his different modes. Wells intercuts all that with the older Sophie as she becomes a parent herself. That same confidence distinguishes Wells’ work as well. For a new filmmaker, Wells trusts her actors to convey much more than is articulated in her scattered screenplay. She dramatizes memory, using home video footage that suggests the parts of our lives that we record aren’t necessarily representative of what actually occurs in them. Instead, the audience must decipher the difference. Wells is undeniably a major discovery, and if there are any flaws to be found in this film, they are the result of its filmmaker’s not yet mature eye, Aftersun announces the arrival of an artistic voice that moviegoers will be watching for many years to come.
Aftersun is available to rent on Amazon Prime.
Barbarian - Directed by Zach Cregger
Georgina Chapman plays Tess in Zach Cregger’s Barbarian.
Barbarian is the kind of film that leaves you speechless—which is why everyone will tell you to go into it knowing as little as possible. Described sparingly, Tess (Georgina Campbell) arrives at an Airbnb in Detroit to discover that it’s been double-booked. Her surprise roommate Keith (Bill Skarsgård) seems nice, but his presence immediately unsettles Tess. Keith eventually charms her into lowering her guard, but an eerie wake-up call raises those defenses when she discovers a secret passageway burrowed into her rental’s basement.
The mystery of what exactly is going on in (and below) this random rental property is compelling because Campbell does an excellent job of balancing Tess’ curiosity and her fearful recognition that exploring it is a bad idea. There’s a distinct impression that Tess has seen a horror movie or two, and Cregger brings a barbed comic edge to the dialogue and direction that Campbell plays up expertly, making her a fantastic protagonist to follow.
Barbarian is a twisted little film, a descent into a hell that is so achingly human that it loops back around as a funhouse reflection. It’s an extremely dark joke told by a master comedian, with a punchline that’s all the more horrific for the grains of relatability and truth sprinkled within. This outlandish, messy, compelling swing of a movie may not work for everyone, but its ambition, audacity, and sheer confidence should inspire awe even for those who feel like its parts don’t quite all fit together.
Barbarian is streaming on HBO Max.