Film Review: Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile

"There Are Things You Don’t Know That Will Shock You Beyond Your Worst Nightmares..."

When it comes to searching Hollywood for A-List stars who adequately fit the bill for portraying an infamous mass murderer, the annoyingly charming Zac Efron (Baywatch) isn't exactly the first person that comes to mind. Following in the footsteps of Charlize Theron who famously won the Academy Award for her transformative performance in Patty Jenkins' 2003 crime drama, Monsters, Efron puts aside the nice-guy image for a cinematic re-imagining of the life of Ted Bundy, the cold hearted serial killer, kidnapper, necrophile and self-proclaimed sociopath who ran riot throughout America during the mid 1970's. Based on The Phantom Prince: My Life with Ted Bundy by Bundy's former girlfriend, Elizabeth Kendall, and directed by American filmmaker Joe Berlinger, Extremely Wicked sees Berlinger return to the topic of Ted Bundy after his work earlier in the year with the Netflix distributed, Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes, and whilst dramatic works always seem to entice a larger audience rather than their documentary counterparts, there is no doubting that the inclusion of Efron opens the door for many more people to have a basic understanding of the single-handed crime spree that was Mr. Bundy. 

Whilst Berlinger undoubtedly finds the figure of Bundy remarkably interesting as a contemporary case of just how bad human nature can turn inside just one person, Extremely Wicked annoyingly fails to bring such dedication and obsessive levels of detail to the big screen, with the screenplay at the centre of the drama failing to delve anywhere near past the initial surface of Efron's character as we skip through the beginning of his relationship with Kendall, as played by the marvelous Lily Collins (Tolkien), and the various court proceedings which take place as he finally comes face to face with the justice he truly deserves. Whilst the central relationship between Kendall and Bundy is only minimally developed, it is the performances which really set in stone the crazed bond between the two, with Collins once again outshining her male counterpart after doing so previously in Tolkien, as we observe the faithfulness and guilt-filled resentment of her character as she watches her beloved be accused of crimes beyond the realm of human plausibility. With an electric pacing which zaps the drama rather sharpish towards the finish line, such luxuries ultimately take away any chance of meaningful depth, particularly when it comes to a deeper understanding of Bundy's actions and the many cases brought to court, and for someone with only a brief awareness of the name, the character and the killings, Extremely Wicked is suitably fine for a cliff notes version of one of America's most infamous twentieth century characters, but for real substance and clarity, the documentary will undoubtedly be much better served. Your choice. 

Overall Score: 6/10

Film Review: Sicario 2: Soldado

"You Wanna See This Thing Through? I'm Gonna Have To Get, Dirty..."

With Denis Villeneuve showing a wider audience what was to come of his expert film-making prowess back in 2015 with Sicario, a expertly crafted, white-knuckle thriller which laid the basis for the similarly masterful Arrival and Blade Runner 2049 in terms of what the French-Canadian could achieve with the right backing, arguably the more impressive element of the feature was Taylor Sheridan, an American most famous at the time for his stint on Sons of Anarchy but whose screenplay for Sicario was both smart and compelling, one swiftly followed by equally impressive screenplays for both Hell or High Water and Wind River, capping off a trio of superbly written movies. each with a dedicated lust for heavy doses of substance and style in equal measure. Returning to writing duties again for the eagerly anticipated Sicario sequel, subtitled Soldado, the absence of Villeneuve means Italian director Stefano Sollima (Suburra) takes charge of a movie which continues the oppressive, ominous tone of the original whilst working through a genuinely thrilling narrative, one which sees the return of Josh Brolin (Avengers: Infinity War) and Benicio del Toro (Star Wars: The Last Jedi) as Matt Graver and Alejandro Gillick as they attempt to orchestrate a war between the Mexican cartels after they are seen to be aiding agents of ISIS cross the border in order to carry out their destructive message, and whilst Soldado doesn't entirely hit the heavy heights of its' near-perfect predecessor come the end credits, Sollima's movie is still an unnerving, powerful work of war at its' most darkest and lawless.

Beginning with a catalogue of terrorist related events, including a jaw-dropping and horrific supermarket explosion in which the camera lingers closely from outside through every familiar step of contemporary terror, Soldado quickly re-introduces the reunion of Graver and Gillick as they are handed the freedom to do as they please in order to combat the ever-increasing Mexican cartel presence on the US-border which has now taken extra precedence due their involvement in potential terror activities. With a central narrative which sees the kidnapping of the young, spoiled daughter of a renowned Mexican cartel boss, one which ultimately results in in-house allegiances being put to the test, Sheridan's screenplay also follows closely the exploits of newcomer Elijah Rodriguez's Miguel as he crawls up the ranks of the cartel's people smuggling operation, and whilst the sequel doesn't entirely hit the brooding, ambiguity which drove through the entirety of its' predecessor up until the very end, the tight-knit, unbearable tension does manage to completely follow over, rearing its' head throughout a high proportion of a movie which aside from one sarcastic aside, primarily holds its' tone as completely and utterly serious. With a Michael Mann-esque, militaristic sensibility which sees countless shots of rampaging army vehicles cruising across the vacant, perilous landscapes of the US/Mexican border, Soldado is wickedly spectacular in its' approach to action set pieces, with the piercing sound of bullets echoing the overripe mixing of Christopher Nolan's Dunkirk merging spectacularly with endless cinematic screenshots of whirring helicopters, over-head drones and enough firepower to start and end a small coup. 

With the inclusion of much more lusciously orchestrated action scenes second time around, the question remains whether the overall screenplay deserves such luxuries, and even as an overall body of work Soldado doesn't piece together as tightly or rigidly as Sicario, with particular crucial plot threads concluding rather suddenly without any real sense of full-blooded purpose, the avenues which Sheridan's writing takes us undoubtedly suits the bleak mould of the series, particularly in the movies' penchant for gut-wrenching murder sequences and a concluding near-death experience which undeniably ranks up there with one of the more brutal character arcs in recent history. With Brolin and del Toro on superb, angst-ridden, macho-growling form, with the latter having much more space for a deeper layer of examination this time around as his character's uncertain, ambiguous nature is slowly scraped at and given light, young Isabela Moner (Transformers: The Last Knight) as the similarly tough Isabela Reyes gives an equally impressive performance as the daughter of the cartel boss responsible for the death of Alejandro's wife and daughter. With a bruising, battling, war torn sensibility which is as tough at times as it is riotously engaging and enjoyable, Soldado is a sequel success story which both pays homage to its' predecessor with utmost respect whilst developing its' characters in fascinating ways, and with the possibility of a third film coming to nicely round the series off as a trilogy, one can only query how much further Sheridan can continue his winning scripture streak. 

Overall Score: 8/10