TwoOhSix at SIFF recaps all the movies I was able to see during each week of this year's festival. This "Week Three" edition includes movies seen between May 26th and June 1st. You will not find any full reviews in these posts as many of the movies are waiting on domestic release dates. I will try to get all those reviews posted as soon as I am able.
Laurence Fishburn in The Signal
The Signal is a really intense piece of science fiction that doesn't pull any punches when it comes to delivering a very unique take on the genre. At times, this movie is visually stunning with a soundtrack to match and the pacing pretty much keeps you on the edge of your seat from start to finish. Highly recommended for any fans of the genre.
Elizabeth Banks and Boyd Holbrook in Little Accidents
Director Sara Colangelo has carved out a piece of harsh southern reality similar in vein to Mud which helped Matthew McConaughey earn a ton of praise last year. Hopefully this film does the same for Elizabeth Banks as Little Accidents is the perfect vehicle to take her career to the next level as well as Boyd Holbrook who gives a performance that should garner some serious recognition.
Dead Snow: Red vs. Dead
The original Dead Snow was a very welcome addition to the zombie genre and Dead Snow: Red vs. Dead takes the campy, undead concept and kicks it up about ten notches. Director Tommy Wirkola brings his special brand of comedy and horror that pays homage to classic films like The Thing and The Evil Dead.
Kelly Noonan, Jeff Fahey, and Joey Kern in Beneath
If you suffer from Claustrophobia, you may want to stay away from Beneath. After a cave-in traps a mining team under a mountain of solid rock, they begin to realize that something even more terrifying might be buried deep within the cave walls that surround them. Director Ben Ketai keeps the intensity at a high level from beginning to end with some truly scary moments and plenty of gore to go around.
Bryce Johnson and Alexie Gilmore in Willow Creek
Willow Creek is Bobcat Goldthwait's entry into the horror genre as he sends a young couple deep into the forests of the great northwest to find out if the infamous sasquatch really does exist. This found footage scare fest ultimately falls flat with an ending that is more laughable than anything else. Best moments are the extended take scenes that find Jim and Kelly trapped in their tent with danger closing in around them.
Rakel Wärmländer stars in Love and Lemons
Love and Lemons turned out to be exactly what I was hoping for. This Swedish cooking comedy directed by Teresa Fabik is filled with so much charm, you think it might burst at any moment. Rakel Wärmländer is perfectly cast as Agnes who is an awkwardly cute and creatively bumbling young woman who has dreams of opening a restaurant of her own, but first she must learn the secret ingredients to achieving real happiness.
Rinko Kikuchi in Kumiko, the Treaure Hunter
The only reason I wanted to see Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter is because Rinko Kikuchi is in it. While she delivers a standout performance, the movie itself doesn't quite match her expertise. Confusing at times and just plain lost at others, it never lives up the promise of turning an urban legend into the fantastic fiction it tries to be. Worst of all is a soundtrack that wavers between distracting and annoying.
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