Posts Tagged ‘Hulu’
INTO THE DARK: NEW YEAR, NEW YOU Review Without Spoilers
Suki Waterhouse as Alexis
Another Delta plane flight, another dive into Hulu’s offerings. I haven’t yet paid for Hulu’s streaming service. Maybe I will. I’ve been impressed with their original productions. What I viewed today, my second INTO THE DARK* episode, this one celebrating New Year’s Day: NEW YEAR, NEW YOU. This film is 84 minutes long, rated R for adult themes and violence, though the gore was not over-the-top. INTO THE DARK was co-written by director, Sophia Takal and Adam Gaines.
MY SHORT REVIEW: 5 Reasons I Recommend
- Compact story, tension ratcheting up with every scene.
- All-female cast of characters, all solid performances
- Surprising turns in the story
- Well done production, including a creepy soundtrack
- Director, Sophia Takal is a talent worth watching and following
LONGER REVIEW
NEW YEAR, NEW YOU is Mean Girls on steroids. Those viewing INTO THE DARK know the genre, so it’s not a giveaway to say that the story opens with flashes a tragedy, the body of a young woman with cuts across her face, floating face up in a swimming pool. It’s a quick and foggy flash and not explained initially. In the next scene the audience attaches to the main character, a young woman named Alexis. Alexis is the nanny for a teen girl. Together they are watching a video of an Instagram/YouTube star: Danielle. Danielle’s screen presence feels part shopping channel, part self-help guru, part inspirational speaker. Based on the enthusiastic fawning of the teen, the audience understands Danielle to be one of those personalities able to drive her fans to buy products (including a line of her own overpriced juices) that promise to deliver the screen-projected happiness she exudes.
Carly Chaikin as Danielle
Alexis is disgusted by Danielle’s image and message. The audience sees this in her face, her attitude, her posture. Alexis is one angry woman. She bears a scar along her jawline, also not explained. Alexis notices it often, touches it, focuses on it as she looks at her face in a mirror at least twice. The audience grows in understanding that Alexis’ old friend and now superstar, Danielle, might have something to do with Alexis’ scar.
In the second set of scenes, Alexis is preparing her house for a New Year’s Eve party, but there is little joy in her preparation.
Point of view shifts briefly to the interior of a car. Two other women, Kayla and Chloe, are driving in a rainstorm on their way to Alexis’ party. Danielle comes up in their dialogue, both her fame and how much money she has been making. Kayla and Chloe wind up with a flat tire a few blocks from Alexis’ home and walk in the rain the remainder of the way.
The two of them are warmly welcomed by Alexis. Danielle, has been invited to the party as well, though these women haven’t seen her in a while and are uncertain whether or not she will come. Danielle finally shows up, a much anticipated moment for the audience. She is alone.
Kayla and Chloe seem excited to see Danielle. Alexis tries to act happy, but she’s not a great faker. The friends proceed to drink and celebrate their evening. Danielle pushes her agenda, wanting to shoot various videos of her friends to promote herself/her lifestyle. Her controlling and shallow presence draws out the worst in Alexis, literally and figuratively. The climax takes place as the women countdown to midnight, at which point all hell breaks loose.
I didn’t come close to predicting all the twists and turns of NEW YEAR, NEW YOU, but it was a pleasure to feel on edge from beginning to end, which is why I consume such tales.
*INTO THE DARK…The series, INTO THE DARK, is a Hulu concept, a horror anthology series in the vein of The Twilight Zone, though each production is as long as a feature film. In the anthology’s first season, Hulu released one episode per month, starting with Halloween and for a total of 12 episodes. All of the episodes were tied thematically to a holiday that falls within that month. NEW YEAR, NEW YOU is the 4th episode in the anthology. It is tied to New Year’s Day.
INTO THE DARK: ALL THAT WE DESTROY, A No Spoiler Review
ALL THAT WE DESTROY is a Hulu original written by Sean Keller and Jim Agnew, directed by Chelsea Stardust.
The series, INTO THE DARK, is a Hulu concept, a horror anthology series in the vein of The Twilight Zone, though each production is as long as a feature film. In the show’s first season, Hulu released one episode per month, for a total of 12 episodes. All of the episodes were tied thematically to a holiday that falls within that month.
The 8th episode was released in May under the title: ALL THAT WE DESTROY. The story is inspired by Mother’s Day.
ALL THAT WE DESTROY is horror, but with a scifi twist. It is a tale in the vein of Ex Machina, the drama unfolding around a brilliant scientist who runs a lab in a remote location. It’s a story as old as Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and a trope that will please both the science fiction nut and the horror fan. In other words, this HULU original does not disappoint in terms of revealing a monster or two…
I would rate this film R for violence and language. Trigger warning to those who might be disturbed by violence perpetrated against the vulnerable. This is a monster movie.
Short Review: Four Reasons To Watch INTO THE DARK
- Lots of edge-of-your-seat suspense and mystery.
- The characters surprise, yet for all their weirdness, they are relatable.
- Strong female leads, with themes around motherhood and life-creation.
- The story takes place in a desert hideaway where the sun shines brightly. I found it refreshing to see this setting for such a dark and troubling tale.
Longer Review:
Point of View determines how a story like INTO THE DARK will unfold. In the case of this film, the POV primarily rests with the supposed monster, the creation. In the opening scene, the audience watches her wake up out of a tub of black sludge. The audience learns within the first 20 minutes of the film that this young woman is a clone. The clone is lovingly washed and dressed by the scientist, whose hands the audience sees, but does not meet until later. Instead, we meet the scientist’s son. His mother is the scientist and she is a woman fixated on solving the dilemma of her son. She’s doing this in the only way she knows how, by using her science in what is clearly an unethical way.
The twist in this story, as you might imagine, is that the clone may or may not be the true monster.
Ex Machina was on my mind during much of the viewing of INTO THE DARK
In the case of Ex Machina (which I loved, but still haven’t reviewed on this site), the point of view is mostly held by the visitor who enters the lab. Mystery about what the heck the scientist has created drives the plot, ramping up tension as the visitor discovers (therefore, we the audience discover) the horrors of the scientist’s experiments. This tension culminates as the visitor understands that in order to survive, he will need to escape from the lab before the monster overcomes him. This is where a story such as Ex Machina, science fiction in its vibe, follows the haunted house script. Think Poltergeist, Amityville Horror, The Shining. Survival equals escape. Will the hero make it out?
INTO THE DARK gives the audience a twist on this haunted house trope. The point of view starts with the clone, but moves to the scientist and to the son at various points in the film. The clone is innocent in her birth and clueless about the dangers that lurk. The audience understands those dangers and strongly empathizes with her, is rooting for her.
Part way into the film, a visitor enters the action. It’s a chance meeting, but reveals the vulnerability of the scientist, her son and the ghastly experiment she has been conducting. The finale brings all the characters together. I liked the ending. It was packed with symbolism, but not overdone. A true Mother’s Day tale.