(upbeat music) Hey folks and welcome to the daily ratings podcast. It's a show we're each week. We're gonna be sitting down in the vidson daily to get his thoughts on the latest movies he's been watching. Both older films and new releases. And don't worry, there's no spoilers. Vince will give a brief review of the movie, share some thoughts, and of course, then rate the film. The daily ratings are always fair, honest, and most importantly, they're consistent. On today's show, Vince will be rating and reviewing. We have 2022 Speak No Evil, directed by Christian Taftrop. We then have newly released now in theaters, Speak No Evil, directed by James Watkins. And finally, also new released on Netflix. We have Rebel Rich, directed by Jeremy Sonier. So it's gonna be a new released week, folks, like we've been had to say about it. Stay tuned and enjoy the show. (upbeat music) (upbeat music) - It's a daily, how we doing over there, man? - Tommy Boy, how's it going? - It's going okay on this side of the table. How was your three-movie week? - Uh, the breezy, easy. Also saw them crack wheezy. - That's great, yeah. Honestly, I probably saw Speak No Evil three times over because of the trailer. It's a very, very spoilery trailer. - Actually had that note, I wanted to talk about that. - Yeah, yeah, there's a lot that goes away from it. But yeah, I enjoyed this week. I wouldn't say, I was expecting all three of these movies to be very, very strong, whether it be from critical reception or just like buzz online. No, it's not exactly the case, but yeah, still still a good week. - So, first of all, before I even start with anything, because I forgot to last episode. - Okay. - Was it even two episodes? I forgot it, no, I think it's just maybe one. We need to give respect and show our respects for James Earl Jones. - Oh yeah. - Was it tied last week? I made a note of it, forgot to bring it up. - Yeah. - 93 years old, we like James Earl Jones. - Absolutely. - Every character he plays in a movie, yes. You just refer to him as Darth Vader. James Earl Jones, so, great actor, great voice actor. - Yeah. - So, he will be best. - Absolutely. - 93 years old. - Yeah. - Okay, so we have the two, speak no evil. So, I want to talk about the one, the new one that just came out, the American one. - Okay. - I couldn't help, I mean, I saw the trailer multiple times in theaters. I couldn't help but think like, this is one of those trailers that is giving away everything. - Every month. - Everything, but I have to say this is a film that I had, I kind of had interest in. - Really? - Okay. - It's usually not my type of thing, but it looked okay enough, and then the two, the main couple, I like, and they both come from the AMC show "Halt and Catch Fire", which I was a fan of. - Oh, okay, okay. - No one else in the wild ever talk about it. (laughing) - One season, one season, oh. - No, that I've watched, I didn't finish it, but I did, I did not finish a series actually, but multiple series, multiple, multiple seasons I watched. I kind of thought it was okay. And then I found out when you were like, you're doing the original "Speak No Evil", I had no idea there was an original "Speak No Evil", but let alone that it came out two years ago. - Right, right. We could have very realistically like covered this on the podcast. - Right, yeah. - But I know it was kind of, it was more indie and foreign as well, so on load. But the original guy who did it also helped write the new one, 'cause at first I was like, oh, is this just shade? They're just taking this guy's work from after two years, but it seems like it was all done hand in hand. - Yeah, yeah, yeah, I mean, I'm obviously glad for the, it's a Christian and then a Mads is his brother, I believe that's the duo there. - And they're both writing, Mads is writing too, yeah. - Yeah, so I'm happy that they got this opportunity, but overall, I mean, the new one remake, it's too soon, it's definitely too soon. - It is too soon, yeah. - I get a lot of breathes. And then we have Rebel Ridge, Rebel Ridge for our boy Jeremy Sonnet, who-- - It's our Salneer! (laughing) - It gave me quite the shell shock that that's Salne. - And we brought him up a few times on the podcast too, 'cause we like his intensity. - Yes. - And he does a lot with a lower budget in his indie type films. And so this is, I think this was a $40 million budget, we'll get into it in a Netflix release, we'll see if we like that or not. But I did watch that one, so I can have some commentary on that, I was legitimately excited to watch that from him. But okay, any opening notes from you? - I got some trailer talk, but we could definitely save that for the end. - Oh, I guess trailer talk should be technically before the reviews. - Yeah, there you go, yeah, yeah, yeah. All right, just running out of the list. I've seen a lot of trailers, folks. Minecraft looks like a nightmare. - I didn't know. - It looks like an SNL sketch, and that SNL sketches like digital shorts and whatnot have gotten, you know, quite the production level of them has improved quite a bit in the recent years. I think in actuality, this Minecraft movie is just gonna get forgotten, brushed under the rug, like, you know, angry birds or the emoji movie. Like, just shit, that very clearly is just kid bait and there's nothing else there to it. - I'll get this agree. - Really? - The reason why is because the age group is up more, I think this actually might have that World of Warcraft effect. You have so many people that play the game. - True, I mean, Minecraft, there's nothing like Minecraft, so as far as the look of the film, I am just in fully in support of taking it back to the drawing board and pulling like a Sonic movie redesign. 'Cause it looks terrible. It looks really like God- - I haven't seen any bit of it to any clips. - It's been said a lot online, but it looks, whenever like a new like a graphics card, a graphics engine will come out, they'll do like-- - It's just talking to town for you guys. - Old Mario, but in new graphics, you know, and it looks like that. It looks like someone tried to just like punch up Minecraft and it's just like, no, this doesn't look great at all. The new Venom trailer looks like total trash. It looks like garbage. You know, I don't know how they have messed up a rated R Venom once, no less three times. - They're rated R? - No, they're not rated R. I'm saying make them rated R. I'm saying please, make them rated R. I mean, I'm not as mad about this one because they're going more like kind of a cosmic route with the villain. Man, just the fact that they drop the ball on Carnage, a character that is literally like a psychopath. It's such a shame, such a shame that these still aren't pulling the Logan, the Deadpool, make it rated R, put all the cursing you want in it. Make it dirt, you know, that's the appropriate time. - Yeah, but do you think that, I don't know. I mean, I totally agree with you, but do you think they just, maybe they realize it? Is everything that when you start with the first film being PG-13, there's no going back, right? - I guess, maybe, yeah, maybe there's an unspoken rule that you have to kind of stay with it in the franchise. - But technically, I guess X-Men broke that chain because they're all PG-13 and then Logan is R. - Sure, sure. I mean, yeah, maybe as far as like the numbered sequels to it, but yeah, does not look good. And them grabbing the most popular villain in the Venom comics in recent year is not going to help. I hate to be, well, actually I'd love to be a hater on that one, but I hate to be a downer, I guess. - Universal seems to be quietly continuing with the Dark Universe with their announcement of Wolfman. Wolfman, obviously, an old universal monster. - Obviously. - Yeah. (laughing) - It took me to work right out of my mouth and I said, "Jesus, if I hear about Wolfman once again, I mean, we all know." (laughing) - Fair, fair. - But it seemed like that was like dead in the ground, like dirt, bare-- - What has Universal been doing? Just name some of their other titles. - So, this is Dark Universe is the mummy reboot with Tom Cruise. - Oh my gosh. - Yeah, yeah, yeah, this is the Dark Universe. Invisible man, yeah. And now, like, that was supposed to be done, but this Wolfman is not only directed by Lee Wannell, who did be invisible. - Oh, it's on the trail of them. - Yes, yes, yes. - Yeah. It seems like it's very much in line with where they're going as far as like, they want to create this like cinematic universe of horror franchise. - And for keeping it going. - I guess so. - Did you ever see-- - Quietly. - Did you ever see the Tom Cruise, mummy? - No, I think there's actually like more horror beats, and I think it gets darker than maybe you would think. - Interesting. - I've fallen asleep to it twice. Somewhat enjoyed watching it, though, the bits I saw at this, seriously. We should maybe give that a try. - Yeah, I mean, listen, maybe when this comes out, we can do that. I mean, I'm not super huge on that Invisible Man remake, but people really did love that in 2020. - Is that the one with the, what's your face? - What's your face from Mad Men? - Mad Men and the Red Scarlet show, thanks. - Yes, yes, that was a call. - Oh, man, I have forgot. Damn. (laughing) - That's terrible. - You're so right. - The thing is, the reason why I don't have that in recent memory is, I have to say, like next to Drew Barrymore, that is an actress. I really just like, just the name, just hate, yeah. Just viscerally hate, you know, for no good reason, honestly. And really, really no good reason. - She did a good job in, was it Elizabeth something? - Elizabeth. - That's close, maybe. - Anyway, Elizabeth Taylor? - No, no way. Anyway, anyway, but that Invisible Man. - Yes. - I always forget it's part of that for a while, okay. - We touched on Lee Wannell in our insidious episode. He did, not that it's a great, yeah. It's a great movie, but insidious chapter three, probably the best of the insidious is. - You hated all those. - Yeah, I really did, that was a frustrating week. I will always remember that week of that being, me moving into a new place and not being scared by those films. - Oh, that's right, I forgot about that. - Where I was kind of excited to be scared. Only good trailer though, folks, that I saw was for the fabled Mickey 17 from Bongju Ho. - Don't say too much. - I won't. - I have purposely saying away from it. - Yes, yes. - Okay, go ahead. - And I think that's a smart call because it does give away quite a bit, not that it's like, I feel like there's a lot of spoilers to the trailer, it's just that I kind of liked the aspect of not knowing what he was gonna do with like a raw sci-fi, there's no like mix of genres there. And frankly, there's just like a lot going on in that trailer that I just didn't expect. And I would have maybe like to, at least personally, just find that out walking into the movie. - Okay, well hopefully everything to show was in the first five minutes and that's how crazy it is. That's a goal. - Yeah, it's a lot. - For those of you not aware, just what's going on with Mickey 17 and/or Mikey 17. - Wait, is it Mickey or Mikey? - I've heard it done both. So I think we can just keep on switching it back and forth and we know what it was gonna do. - Just like saw me here. - But anyway, so Bongju Ho, if that doesn't ring a bell, that's the same guy that did the famous movie Parasite, which is the first foreign film to win best picture at the Oscars. We then proactively, retroactively, whatever. In the podcast kind of poked away at some of his other films, almost all of them being extremely good. - Oh yeah. - Memories of a murder, maybe not being so tight, but you've had some really good experiences with him. - Yeah. - So this was a big budget and American kind of feature film that he was gonna come out with, "The Blockbuster." It was slated to come out in spring of this year. Then they pushed it back. Not because a writer's strike, it was a big mystery why they pushed it back. And they put it in, I believe, January or February, which it has, which is known as "Dumpuary." - Yeah. - 'Cause that's where you put all your bad films, 'cause no one's gonna do the theater. Then I read that the reason why they held it back is 'cause Bongju Ho has final cut or finally got final cut. And so he's making edits to actually make it his own vision, which sounds even better. - Yeah, absolutely. - Now I'm getting excited for "Dumpuary," 'cause our biggest thing is just like, people do, it's winter time in a lot of parts of the States. Like, why would you not want people to go see movies? Why do you only market half the year? Makes sense to me. But now we have Mickey slash Mikey 17 coming out. We have "Paddington 3," which is like my low key. It's on the back, it's like a fire in my gut ready to go. - Wait, wait, you want to see it or you have? - All I know is "Paddington 1" and "2" are consistently rated incredibly good. "Paddington 2" being better apparently than the first. Like, in a phenomenal movie, haven't seen any of them, but I'm so excited to watch them and then go see "Paddington 3" with you. Because we might have a trifectone or something like that. I don't know. - All right, I'm down, I'm down. I, yeah, that is such a meme. I mean, even to the point that in that unbearable way to massive talent with the cage, they even referenced "Paddington 2" in there. - Oh my gosh, that's right. - Yeah, they're going through like their best movies and together. - Anyway, it hasn't, you know, another, that's that January release date. It's January 31st, I think it's coming out. That worried me yet again, just how we were kind of worried about it, you know, the first time. We'll see. - Okay, so with that, okay, let's go to our film. Did I say the opener that we have three new releases? Did I accidentally say that? - Maybe. Maybe I'm just treating the first "Speak No Evil" - It's that recent, yeah, absolutely. - So it's not new new, but we'll go, we'll jump back to 2022. This is the original "Speak No Evil." It's directed by, we discussed it before, Christian Taftruff, and then whoever his brother is, mad something. - Yeah. - Also writing this. But why don't you set this up a little bit and tell us, tell us all about it. - Well, folks, on first glance at the trailer for the remake this week, producer of the show "JP Frampton" was adamant about two things. One, that the trailer gave away far too much. Like, way, way, way, way too much. And I can say that again, I will say it probably multiple times between these two reviews. I feel like I've seen these movies three times over. And second, that the original was something I had to check out. Both of those statements were right on the money. In addition to watching this story twice for the week, the remakes trailer spoils nearly everything for both films, creating collateral damage in two directions. But I'm also very, very happy to say that this was an excellent film, easily the best of the week, and punching way above its weight for a shutter original. This was-- - Oh, that was shutter. - Yeah, yeah. I have seen "Midnight" and "Shutter." I don't know who has more of a major hand, but I mean, this is, if "Late Night with the Devil" was something like, "Oh, yeah, this is pretty damn good for a shutter original." This punching way above its weight, I mean, beyond anything I expected, this is like a good A24 film. This is like one of the upper tier of the A24 film. And really, just like was very, very surprised by this. This is an excellent, excellent movie. On top of this original version being Danish, there are many choices in the filmmaking that feel distinctly European. If the new version wants to lean into shock and outrage, this original could be seen as having subtlety to a diamond tip. Many story beats will have no sinister spin to them, and are left bare for the audience to imagine how they might react to this pair of, let's call them abrasive hosts. (laughs) This chaotic host. It's truly a case where I wish I knew absolutely nothing about the story going into this, and I will certainly try my best to dance around that for two whole ass reviews that I have to talk about the movie. But mainly because this original is so masterful at giving a psychological experience to any viewer of this. Any viewer has a game they can play to say, how would I react to this family? How would I react to these outrageous scenarios being put in front of me, and plays kind of a social game for that reason? With that said, "Speak No Evil" is a deeply social and psychological thriller that sees two families mingle on a Tuscan vacation and continuing their time together for an extended stay at their home. Our Danish family on one side is calm, intellectual, and lacking a spark of excitement, even while on vacation. There's something slightly off about it, but maybe just on the surface. While our Dutch family is bold, more than a bit obnoxious, but grabs the interest of everyone around them for better or worse. They hit it off so much that an invitation is made to stay over at their Dutch home in the middle of nowhere with the implication being they might have to live a bit differently for the time over there. Each family being similar in age and having one kid each shows that they're almost mere versions of each other. A fact that will cause our Danish family to question the many quirks of their counterparts' relationship and maybe a bit of their own as well. That really is the cornerstone of both of these films. It's holding up a mirror to something that on the surface looks pretty exact, but through actions is different. Parental decisions. Power dynamics in the relationship. Just social norms and everything like that. That's what Speak No Evil is about. Holding up a mirror for these characters, but also kind of like a, I don't know, not a people watching, but a curiosity that any viewer would have to say like, what would I do in this type of scenario? And I feel in that way kind of fits into a subgenre of thrillers where it's a realistic thriller. That's a type of thriller that's thrilling because any of us can kind of imagine ourselves in the shoes-- - Somewhat relatable. - Yeah. - At least at the beginning until we know whatever, the thrilling ensues. - Right. - But that's a good point where it is a bit of holding a mirror up. - Yeah, absolutely. I mean this as the highest praise possible with this, but when I say the film is like a thousand paper cuts, I really mean like it is a thousand paper cuts of tension. This is, you know, like I already said, subtlety to a diamond tip, thousand paper cuts, these are the two things constantly in my mind watching this. And I hope that's like as good as an elevator pitch as I want it to be because it really felt like, I mean that is such a praise of this film. - Meaning basically you're sitting there feeling awkward, even though you're not even part of it, you feel uncomfortable. - Yeah. It's awkward, but it's like little microtensions all over the film. Even things that are not necessarily like big moments, moments that would make the cut in the trailer, for instance. - Right. - There's just such an excellent job done at still making us feel these little things, or notice little things in the film as just beats of tension that build and build and build over the course of the runtime. I mean, it was really phenomenal. I was amazed with how much real dread was able to be built up in this otherwise kind of social what would you do type of story. And let me tell you, this build up to the dread explodes in an ending that is strange, terrifying, and 100% not going to be the same as the new American remake. - Oh, okay. Well, that's good to know we're getting something different actually. - Yeah, yeah. It's mainly in that ending that the films take to very different terms. - Oh, wow, okay. - And I mean, I'll say it at the end of the review for the remake, the new film this week. I think my recommendation is really only to check out one, but if there's any skin in the game to check out both, it's just to see how wild this one goes in a different direction, so. - Okay, okay, I wasn't expecting that. - Yeah, it's, again, the feeling of dread really builds over this. And how that results in what type of ending they make with it, it was just like, wow. - Yeah, I was shocked with this. - Wow, wow, okay. - Wow, okay. - A big reason why I said this, punches above its weight, is all in the sound department. The music was done by Sun Kostar, Sunay Kostar, and Tom, it is fucking good, like really, really good. I try not to compare to Kubrick too often. - Well, buckle in here. - Yeah, buckle in here. (laughs) But in combination with the focus on dread, this soundtrack totally conjures the same quality as the shining, a type of looming or foreboding evil that just perfectly contrasts how everything else is presented in the film, almost as a misdirection. Really the only thing kewing, you know, keying us in a lot of the times to these thriller aspects is just this soundtrack, and it was just like phenomenal. - So what's, okay, so it sounds like it wasn't in your face, but maybe we set the mood to help you sink into the weirdness even more. - Absolutely. - I have to say, because when I was putting this on the site, I didn't recognize the name, so I, you know, obviously I tried to go into him and see anything. I mean, we've covered, nothing was recognizable of what this person could have before. We haven't covered anything. Yeah, Sun Kostar, Kost Kostar, simple but effective, would you say? - Oh, beyond that. Simple, effective, and like, phenomenal. - Okay, it was just such, it was my favorite part of the movie was sound design, was the sound department, and I think that's a lot to say in that this type of story works on its own elevator pitch. I feel like it's a very strong hook of, you know, again, setting up a type of thriller that anyone can kind of put their self into, and kind of think about how they would react, or even examine how these characters are reacting and compare that with themselves. But it's all in the filmmaking for this Danish original. That's why it is the superior product. The sound design itself is incredible as well. Something woefully missing from the remake this week. I kid you not, folks. There is a tooth brushing scene in this so unnerving that it might be the scariest moment between both of these films. I'm not joking, like a tooth brushing scene. - I'm down, I like this. I wish I was joking, but I was thinking about that scene days on end of just like, wow, that is how you create tension. This is how you take a concept and you make it thrilling, really, really phenomenal. I was just absolutely in love with so much of what was done in the sound department for this. I wanna end with talking about the importance of language in this, because once again, it's another area where the remake doesn't even attempt to replicate it. And I think that's okay. Something I love is when multiple languages are juggled in a script. On the surface level, if I'm reading subtitles, it really makes some difference to me 'cause I'm reading them already. I also really have gotten in the habit of just subtitles on by default for everything. It's just been helping a lot with, yeah, it's been helping a lot with, I don't know, I'm not saying that I don't comprehend the stories normally, but it helps with like, I don't have to rewind. It's just like, oh yeah, they said that. - Interesting. I find myself getting into the way. - Really? - If I know the language already, I-- - You're focusing more on the lines. - Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. - But I mean, I didn't teach you so much. - It's just something I've been doing more and more. - Sure. - But much like last year's anatomy of the fall, multiple languages are not only juggled in a very European way, but our Dutch family has a backwoods language that is intentionally hidden, even with subtitles on, to quote Dr. Evil in a very loving way. Yeah, I don't speak your freaky, deaky Dutch. (laughing) For real though, this secret language is double-edged. Not only does it create tension between the families, it also is the main hint to what the thriller is really about and kind of connecting to these power dynamics. As it turns out, that answer has nothing to do with big freak outs on screen, like the new film will try to make you feel like it's about. And instead, it revolves around the dynamics of what is social, what is acceptable, and what attracts us. With that said, we're gonna go ahead and give Speak No Evil 2022 a whopping 81. - 81%. - It is a phenomenal movie. - And it's only like an hour and a half, this film. 81%, very, very good. Wow. - Really great, really great. - So, because there's no fluff, I mean, this reminds me almost like mass that we covered. Very unknown from last year, but small cast, small story, but it's through the actors delivering just a tight script and it's all about those little notions. I don't know if you've described that as a thousand paper cuts, but that film is all about noticing the little tiny things with each individual person. - Sure, sure. - That builds a realness to it, you know? That's kind of just what I'm hearing a little bit, where maybe just believable, maybe just the fact the believableness of it. - And also just the quadrant of four adults, two relationships back and forth. I will say though, the filmmaking here is, again, from sound department to shots to performances as well, but the filmmaking itself is what pushes this above and pushes this above way above anything shutter has produced that I've seen. And again, into the zone of not only an A24 film, but a good A24 film, an excellent A24 film. - Okay, so basically, and so this is still on shutter then presumably, right? - Yes. - Okay, do you have that or do you go in and out of shutter to kind of-- - No, I usually do three Amazon. - Oh, you rent it, yeah, yeah. Yeah, because I will say this was going through the circuits a decent amount as far as film festivals go. Now we never got a wide release or anything like that, but when it just came out, it was getting some sort of like small localized buzz, which is cool. But okay, speak no evil, 2022, folks. - 2022, 81%. - Yeah, give 'em which one you rent it. - Okay, so we only have two films left, but before we get into them, Finn, we're gonna go into our producer segment because we have someone that produced this week. And an old friend of the show, Matt Dee, right then. - Oh, look at that, look at that. - So Matt Dee wrote, yeah, he sent in, what did he send in? Movie ticket, movie ticket along with the transfer fees. (laughing) So Matt Dee writes great episode last week looking at Tim Burton. I had no idea, he directed Mars attacks, exclamation point, or Peewee's big adventure. I also didn't realize how prolific he was in his early work. He followed up Peewee with Beetlejuice, Batman, Edward Scissorhands, Batman Returns, and Ed Wood, all in just six years. - Yeah, it's an incredible-- - Incredible, absolutely. - Just after Ed Wood then, he also does Mars attacks. - Yeah, yeah, it's 96, yeah. - I've been thinking a little bit about your conversation regarding when or why, quote, messy films work, or what makes a messy movie more enjoyable. I think mess works when organization isn't the point. When there are other elements that overshadow or otherwise make the plot irrelevant. With Mars attacks, exclamation point, we get a combination of Ernest Camp, good characters you can sympathize with, and good creature design, along with a creative and funny script, and plenty of memorable scenes. If these other elements are strong enough, the mess is a plus. Maybe when the mess doesn't matter, it's a cult classic territory, and when the mess is big enough, it moves into the spig territory. (laughing) - It's not true. - Some movies that come to mind that are enjoyable messes are Mars attacks, the adventures of Buckaroo Bonsai across the A-the universe. (laughing) Which is on the site, by the way. - Very big doozy. - The fifth element, mystery men, little monsters, wet hot American summer, death becomes her, Raimi's Evil Dead movies, Mad Max films, and Kevin Smith films. I bet most people don't love some of these movies, and some love them dearly, and don't care for others. Some have a satire element, some are just straightforward. It's a personal taste thing, it hits or it doesn't. If a messy movie doesn't hit, then maybe it didn't have the right combination of other elements for your personal taste. Maybe you weren't in the mood and need to give it a second watch with your expectations to set the mess. - Yeah. - I'm kind of spit ballin' here, what do you guys think? - I think that's great. I think throwing fifth element in the messy but works, I think it's tough. - I think that's totally fair, I love more than that. - I agree, I just know some of our friends in our personal life would be enough for all over that. - But absolutely, I think a great example is the third evil dead in the rainy trilogy, Army of Darkness, where the horror honestly takes a back seat to some of the silly and the campy element. - He goes full out camp, that's the most campy, right? - Absolutely, that's the one where it's like a medieval zombie, basically. - Right, that's right. - Yeah, it's tough because maybe by design, a messy movie, you can't put it in a box, you can't put the strong definition around it. - Put it in the messy box. - Yeah, yeah. - I'm in a trash can I guess. But I actually, I don't know if you can kind of cross over camp and mess, but there is that thing where if we all just understand what the movie is and there's enough going on, then it's scrumptious, it's delicious. - Right, right. - Delicious garbage. - So yeah, right, there you go. So Matt, I think you make a couple of good points here. - Yeah, and that's a hell of a list as well. I mean, I think that could be a messy compilation in itself. Though I don't think, probably only about half of those are on the site right now. I would have to look at it again. - I think most of these are. - Oh yeah? - I mean, Mars Attack, Metchers, Buckaroo, Fifth Elements on there. What, how'd American Summer maybe? - No, no, I don't think so. - All the Mad Maxes and the Evil Deads are. - Yeah, yeah. - Thank you and some Kevin Smith films. But okay, all right. Yeah, good points there, Matt. 'Cause I think he does make a couple of good points, especially when the plot kind of is irrelevant. You are there for other, you're there for other things. And can totally make it good. - Yeah, and for some of those, especially the world building itself is what you're there for. Fifth Element is probably a good example of just like, oh, they gotta get to the big pyramid, actually. - I shouldn't be trying to recall Fifth Element on the watch of that movie, but it's about getting Lulu Dallas to the pyramid. She's Fifth Element, but it's very much about experiencing the world and the crazy designs all over that. - Yeah, yeah. Okay, Matt, all right, first of all, excellent note. And thank you for once again, producing. You're an executive producer of episode 152. We thank you so much. You've always been with us for a while here, Matt. And if anybody's listening, wanna know what the hell's going on? Or have you heard the pitch before? Basically, Vin and I are producer supported. The daily ratings is producer supported, and we're going off the value for value model. So we're not gonna do any advertising here on the daily ratings. And we're also not gonna do any pay to play. No pay to get content. It's all technically free. There's no paywalls or there's no tier structures. There's no Patreon where you're forced to pay a certain amount and then we give you an extra content. None of that. It's all free for you or all of our stuff is out there. But the idea is if you're enjoying it, using it and finding it valuable, we kinda look at that as it's value in your pocket. Can you send us value back in our pocket? And anyone who financially supports us, financially donates to the show, you become an actual legitimate producer of the daily ratings. It's just like in Hollywood, when you financially support a project, you're a producer of the project. So when you go to the daily ratings.com, head to the donations tab, and everything is right there for you. Credit card, Venmo, PayPal, even Satoshi's, if you're in a podcasting 2.0, we have a lot of different ways that you can kinda donate money in. And that's our big hub, the daily ratings.com and head to the donations tab. And when you donate, just like Matt Diaz, we wanna hear from our producers. It's a through line to you that we kinda have open up a conversation, communication. And we want people who donate to be able to write in a note, whether it be questions, comments, critiques, suggestions, or just kinda throw something out there for dialogue, for a conversation. We kinda look at it as a through line to you, and not only to say thanks for donating, but again, you're a producer, it means something we also wanna hear from you. You can send in a note to us, you can email a note basically at tom.vin at the daily ratings.com. That's our email, so just send it there. And if you wanna be anonymous, by the way, just at the end, sign in anonymous, say hey, keep me anonymous, that way you can donate, but your name won't be set on the podcast. And that's how we're doing it, folks. We have some fun set donations on this site, but also the big idea of it is, it's whatever amount of value you're getting from it. Everybody's on their own finances, so $5 is a lot of money to you. We really appreciate it if you send five bucks in, and that could be $100 is a small amount, or $500 is a small amount, we really appreciate it. So there's a big value for value button there on the donations page, and that could be any amount that you want. If it's a one time, you can set it to a monthly, you can even set it to a yearly. If you wanna give five or 10 bucks a year, totally fine, you can send in a note whenever and we'll read it here on the air. Once again, so Matt, we thank you for being executive producer of episode 152, and then folks out there, if you wanna be a producer of episode 153, head to the daily ratings.com. Okay, Vin, with our new released here, we're gonna jump into, we'll usually start with the Netflix one, but we're gonna go straight into speak no evil once again. So this is same title, speak no evil, two years later, we do have the director and the original writer helping writing this, they are co-writers on this. Set it up a little bit, I feel like it's gonna be a lot of the same type of story, and more so, how did this Americanized Blumhouse version do? - God, well, you nailed it. - Americanized Blumhouse version of a subtle Danish film is exactly how this comes out. (laughing) It's really not description, it hits it. This new version is very much in line with the countless unhinged actor projects we've gotten in recent years. Most of these are new HB movies, let's be honest, but 2016's Split was probably one of the most successful and legitimately good projects to come out of this trend in movies. This aspect made for a natural marketing for this remake, around McAvoy returning to his most popular unhinged acting style, and the proof is in the pudding as both the box office and review wise has been getting a lot of love. What's interesting is that that kind of tapered off. I felt like, I saw this on the Friday release, packed theater, absolutely packed. I was kind of wondering like, was this going to sweep the box office? Actually, surprisingly, no, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice still was on top, I believe. - Well, yeah, but after that opening weekend that Beetlejuice had. I was figuring that this was still gonna be number one. Speaking of evil, it's still a bit of a niche horror. - Yeah, I guess so. - So it really didn't have a great week, sir. It was number two, didn't have the greatest weekend, just over 11 million. - Yep, yep. - But I'm not surprised that it had your theater was packed because I definitely think something like this has a cult following. What if Blumhouse or you're always gonna get those horror people coming out? - It's true. I'd be surprised there's some love for that original too. - Yeah, and I think it's just again, there's almost a natural marketing built into McAvoy, you know, being crazy on screen. They've, you know, they love CNN being unhinged. - The trailer shows so much I have to say, he does have a freakish. It seems like he's good at this character. - Yeah, yeah, absolutely, absolutely. Without a doubt, he is the best part. It's just more so the movie wrapped around it that wasn't really the best. Originally I was going to open up with discussing how odd it was to have this remade two years later. Not only does this have nearly an identical story beats to it, but it's kind of a shame not to bring over any of the actors from the original, especially the father that plays Bjorn in the first one. - Does he speak good English? - No, he's definitely a Danish actor, but he's like really good. It's just a little bit of a shame. Then I remembered and like you opened up with Tom, it's a Blumhouse production, you know, so any curiosity is solved by that. - I hope you're not shitting on my boy Scoot. - Scoot, Scoot McNary? He plays the other father, he plays the other dad. - He definitely wasn't good as Bjorn in the Danish one. Scoot, how is he your boy? - No, he was in the Toulton catch fire film. Scoot and Mackenzie Davis, the one in the couple in this one. - Right, right. I didn't know, and he's watching a few, but he makes it past that one season. - He's an argo, you know? (laughing) - Folks, I think the best comparison for this I can make is when David Fincher remade "Girl with a Dragon Tattoo" only two years after that releasing. Both were successful foreign thrillers, one Danish, one Swedish. Both have their plot kind of shuffled slightly in these remakes, but most importantly, both are a louder and less subtle version of the story. Realistically, for most viewers, this is going to be a beat-for-beat retelling. Once again, the trailer spoils me twice over on key points, but unlike my recommendations way back when when we covered that Fincher remake, I strongly recommend watching the original if you can, or like I said, really only watching one or the other 'cause the, not the twists, but the heavy hits of these story aren't gonna hit hard once, and arguably, they aren't gonna hit for me once. - Right, right. - That's a great point though. No matter what the second watch is gonna be somewhat like Lester, or at least you know what's coming around the corner. - Absolutely. - To an extent. - Absolutely. - I'm gonna turn the endings different, but great point. - Yeah, you know, I feel the way I do about this film in its execution, but I will say that watching them back to back was a little bit of a hindrance as well, and the one to lose out was this American remake. So. - No shocker there. - Yeah. (laughing) It didn't have a Kubrick soundtrack, so. How's the saying go though? Second verse, same as the first. Speak No Evil 2024 has a few alterations to the story, but not that really amount to anything different. We still get our two families meeting over vacation, one English and one Irish this time, which leads them to be invited back to their secluded countryside home. The English family is going through a bit more of a rough patch in this one, which pushes them to go on an extended trip. Some of that relates to drama in the relationship, which is fleshed out a bit more, where that really wasn't present in the original, but also it also comes from their child having a expanded role in the story and being a step behind in her development. I would say if there's one key piece here is that both of the children on both sides have a lot more of an active role in unpacking the mystery. And on that, this thriller is still definitely a psychological thriller, but it's a bit more of a mystery on top of that as well. Those are the big shifts in the story. Once again, curiosity stirs within the couple when they see how much of a mirror reflection the other family is, making them critical of everything from their parenting styles to social norms, but quickly they find out the country life isn't for them at the hands of one very aggressive host, no less to. Folks, I kind of want to stay away and praise this movie, review this movie on its own merits because it's again realistic for many audiences that they won't seek out the foreign. It's either you've seen it, maybe you're in a small percentage, like myself and our producer, Frampton, that you have some awareness of this. I feel like realistically all these audiences have seen this opening weekend. They only saw a new one. Yeah, yeah. But boy oh boy, this is just missing every ounce of soul that made the details, the details specifically of the first one, such a good watch. It's also missing that delicious signing shining Kubrick-like score. And in fact, doesn't really have any soundtrack at all. I thought this was actually an interesting choice. Yeah, not a bad choice. I think when music is done too generically or too often, I mean a lot of movies now I just think there's too much music all the time. Yeah. And not enough quiet. I find myself this year watching a lot of films where it's like boy, I would almost prefer zero soundtrack. Yeah. I have to say. And that was the approach here. I thought it was an interesting decision, maybe in an attempt to highlight the social or parenting conflict to each of the scenes. But by the end, I'm not sure why they went with a more minimal route because it does get very loud. This is the louder, more bombastic version of the story. American, yeah. Right, right. Exactly. I wonder if it's that, once you just get settled in, it's that tension, it's almost like you're there. And to feel that, maybe it's that. You know, just draws you in a little bit more. Or even drive up the awkwardness. Yes, the awkward silences and the awkwardness. Yes, yes, yes. So, it's not a bad tactic, by the way. Yeah, no, I don't think it is. I just was wondering why it went out the door for the end and especially with how much of a unique note the original soundtrack was. Why not just, maybe not try to copy it, but just have some semblance. Like a Trent Reznor in there doing something cool. I love it. He's in the 80s. This rendition of the story leans a lot more directly into the mystery of this couple to the degree that scenes literally have characters pointing to the answers on screen, which was a little bit much. In a good way, this lets a lot of the unraveling of our craze host have a bit more to it. There's a bit more substance here. All of this falls on McAvoy's shoulders, which in addition to getting more screen time, will drop hints in the character's dialogue to puzzle things together. Like I said though, the children have a much larger role in unpacking it, which is both good and bad. It's not that the kid acting was terrible here. If anything, the little boy in this was pretty halfway decent. I could imagine him going on to some kind of acting career. Having this focus takes away from the magic of seeing these outrageous situations and either making up our own mind on them or at least getting reactions from the parents. I feel like more time with the kids, it just made the feeling of the film I don't know, this incorporation of more mystery, this incorporation of evidence gathering, it made it feel a little bit more disjointed when the film is kind of about the parents very directly. It's not about the kids. - And I bet that's why I was wondering what was gonna be added to this film because it's a decent amount longer. The original was like an hour and 37 and this one's like an hour and 50. So it's a lot of extra kid. - Yeah, and just more mystery. More answers, frankly. So where the ending of the original Danish one was strange and disturbing and odd. Almost every question is answered with this one. I'm saying that maybe with my leanings towards the original, but I don't necessarily think that's a bad thing. I feel like this one could scratch a bit more of an itch when it comes to like, oh, I care about these characters and I'm certainly interested in Mackaboy's character for how much of a electric force he is on screen. - Right, right. - So on that note, James Mackaboy wonderfully, wonderfully hammy in this. He even steals the show from his female counterpart with just how much he is able to push buttons, the inflammatory, just absolutely a nail, a splinter under the skin. Like he's really, really does a phenomenal job here. Overall, his scenes are less about little cuts of tension like I talked about and more about stretching out these big moments in these stories, the trailer moments, most importantly. An easy one to point to in the comparison of this is the kid rehearsed dance scene, where while in both versions in the story, it's present. This scene is almost identical. Here, Mackaboy gets his own solo time on screen to come off as even more unhinged after the scene closes. And I think in that way, he does a great job. I like Mackaboy quite a bit. Actually, looking back at his films most recently in the last four years does not really maybe like a standout. - Yeah, I'm not too impressed. I'm not the biggest fan of them. - Yeah, I get it. - But I think he plays this psycho, can kind of go off the handle well. - Absolutely, absolutely. And I think-- - His facial expressions can be good, like he sells it. Like he seems like a guy that when you're near him, you're getting a little nervous. - Absolutely. - 'Cause you don't know what's gonna happen. And that's good. I mean, he's doing his job. - Yeah, that's this character to a tee. I do have an issue with just how spelled out some of these moments come across, especially later on in the alternate version of the finale. But acting-wise, I thought he was super entertaining and brought his best to the character. Definitely one to check out for the performance alone. Other than that though, I would say story-wise, this is close enough that the two films are interchangeable and probably only recommend to check out one of these. The twists are only going to hit hard for that first time. And in addition to that god-awful trailer, once again, I felt like I saw this three times over this week. And obviously made it an absolute nightmare, Tom, writing it because I really didn't want to spoil anything for both of these films. - For sure. And it's just like, I feel like it's hard not to talk about, all the moments 'cause they're so prescribed a memory. My vote obviously goes for the far superior original because that style and that filmmaking was just on a whole different level. But if this is your first experience, it's still a pretty solid thriller story. And maybe if you lean towards McAvoy, you'll get even more out of the enjoyment of his performance and that hand-y acting to boot. We're gonna go ahead and give Speak No Evil 2024 a 62. - Okay, 62, noticeable drop. I think, I don't know, maybe there's something there. Does, do you think that this, maybe not worth going to see in the movies, but maybe like a date night at the house type thing? - Absolutely, good streaming watch, good Netflix watch. - Easy to watch too. - Absolutely. - Okay. - And in that sense, that's the Blumhouse market. You know, it's, that's the, that's the, you know, hey, if it was good, great. You found something that you liked. If not, it's the throwaway, you know? And I feel like that's what a lot of these, these Blumhouse productions are. - But really, if you did have to pick one, go to the original. - Yes. - Whether it's on Amazon, I mean, nobody has shutter, but, you know how much it was. - It had to be pretty cheap rental fee, right? - I think it was the same on Amazon, you know, as everything, okay. - Yeah, yeah. - They're not the same though. - They are, they are. - Rentals? - Yeah. - Come on. - It only changes when you get those digital rewards, which I'm a big fan of, but, you know, send me my package late and I'm giving me some cash. That's all right. - And this director we haven't covered before. I mean, he's done films called Eden Lake, The Take, The Woman in Black, things that nobody's radar really. - I saw him, he was part of one Black Mirror episode. You know, I like tracking that stuff just because I think Black Mirror's a good show, but yeah, yeah. - Okay. - Pretty much a no name. - All right, well, 62% for speak, no evil, the US version, and we'll move on to our last film here. It is only in Netflix. You cannot see this in theaters, and it's Rebel Ridge. And I don't know, it wasn't on a radar at all, and yet Vin and I, like I said, we bring up this guy once in a while, and the funny thing is I heard this being talked about, and it just nothing, none of the directors name didn't trigger anything, just the word didn't trigger anything for me, but again, Rebel Ridge, that the director is Jeremy Sonier, is what we're gonna go with. - Sonier, Sonier, and intense guy, a very dark guy, very visceral and raw, is kind of how I look at him. And we have talked about Blue Ruin and the Green Room. He might've had a third one. - Yeah, yeah, hold the dark. - Oh, that's right, which is actually his last film that he did. - Yeah, yep. - So why don't we get into it? This is, I think this is almost his biggest film. This is something like a $40 million budget. - Interesting. - Seems a little bit high, but he's getting a bigger profile. This is getting pushed out big time on Netflix, and not as some kind of anything that people need to seek out. It's a little bit more shoved in here. So anyway, Rebel Ridge, set it up for it. Vin, we'll take it back and forth. - Oh, well, I'm with you 100% Tom. This creeped up seemingly out of nowhere, but I'm really glad it was getting critical praise, 'cause otherwise, I don't think I might have caught this. Jeremy Sonier has been a new director on the scene since the 2010s, and known for his mix of hyper violence, and very intense storylines to his film. Personally, I always put him side by side with director Craig Zayler, both creating kind of purposefully intenseful experiences in the last decade. - He's the bone tomahawk guy, correct? - Yes, Bingo. - Bingo. Cell block 99, and then-- - Drag to cross concrete. - Drag to cross concrete. - Oh, yeah, love drag to cross concrete. That's great. - Yeah, we had an ongoing thing. Not a feud, but-- - No, it was a feud. I did like him for a while. - Yeah, not as hot on this director, Greg Zayler, but he may have another one in the works, actually. - Yeah, I think so, I think so, or at least I hope he's continuing to work. - But I agree, by the way, even, I don't even know if we talked about it, I totally kind of crossed these guys, not that they're moving to the scene. - Oh, 100%. - They're not the same at all. I mean, their movies are definitely different, but there is a visceral, visually dark and gory at times. - Yes, yes. Not exactly a feel-good movie you're walking out of, even if there's action that empowers it and whatnot. With just a handful of films under his belt, we could have easily done a five spot for him this week, and honestly, I really do want to encourage anyone at home to do their own study on them, if you enjoy even one of these films. Both 2013's "Blue Ruin" and 2016's "Green Room" are excellent examples of his style, brutal, unexpected, and filled to the brim with tension. - Jump forward to 2018, and we see Netflix actually partner up with him for his release of "Hold the Dark," one of his only films he doesn't write himself and still just as intense as any other. - Yeah, and a Netflix release too. I don't want to say that I forgot that was actually got some buzz when it did come out, but it was still a smaller film, I know. - Yeah, yeah. And it's like we always comment on, Netflix really has almost zero logic in picking and choosing what they put marketing towards or what actually gets like pushed out to front page and whatnot. Now that Netflix partnership has continued on with this, Rebel Ridge seeing him return to both writing and directing, as well as his efficient two-word naming formula that hopefully he sticks with with his whole career, maybe he'll run out of name and color combinations. Rebel Ridge is a crime drama that spirals through a police conspiracy that quickly escalates into a full fire. Corruption in the base of small-time cops puts them on the dangerous end of one badass motherfucker that no one seems to be ready to deal with. Aaron Pierre plays Terry Richmond, an ex-marine who is in peak physical and mental condition, en route to post bail with 30K cash in hand. He has an unfortunate running with the law or rather they have a running with him. These cops dance around regulations to keep their small department independent and Don Johnson plays one hell of a perfect son of a bitch that runs the whole show, I mean-- - It's so great. He was really-- - More Don Johnson. More Don Johnson. - I'm with that. - And speaking of which, the Greg Zoller, the other director he brought up uses him as well. - Oh, really? - Don Johnson's smaller roles. - That's great, that's great. - Yeah, I mean, maybe that's just who he has to partner with, but yeah, I really enjoyed him in this. He was an excellent antagonist, excellent villain. Well, they continue to kick the hornets nest repeatedly. Terry Richmond starts digging around and finds he might need to do a lot more than just get revenge for himself. I would say, and I'm glad you watched this, Tom, 'cause I wanted to kind of bounce this a little bit. The story, to me, feels like it's walking a dicey line, and frankly had me craving the first Rambo for how much it's like man versus establishment in the conflict. I don't like speaking about social issues on the podcast, I certainly not bringing this up to unpack either of these topics, but it feels like this script is a product of both ACAB mentalities, but also pulling from the auditing communities online. - What do you mean by both? - Well, ACAB is like all cops are bad mentalities. - Gotcha, gotcha, gotcha, gotcha. - And then auditing communities are basically those people that are going up filming cops and asking them for badge numbers and trying to catch the bad cops. - No, I see, I see. - Two separate communities, but equally, this script feels like, I don't know, it feels like it's a product of that type of hyperexamination, and especially in our cops dancing a line so much on how they stay in power and how they're kind of dancing around regulations and whatnot. I don't know, what are your thoughts there? - Well, one, I mean, honestly, double feature or double header, I mean, totally this and tried to cross concrete by Greg Saylor. - Hell yeah. - So, we're really gonna be, just in my mind, I'm constantly switching these guys. Regardless, you have the first 10 minutes, I didn't know for 20 minutes maybe, you don't really know what this film is going to be, and join the acting, you have Roy from "The Office" and his biggest role, I've noticed him in. So, it's like, okay, let's see where this goes, yeah. - Yeah, yeah, yeah. - And then I-- - So true, yeah. - But then when I realized, it's really about, it's a story of the thing of civil forfeiture, which is the whole thing of grabbing cash and horrible reasons, you know, the police, and this is something I've just been paying attention to for a while and can't stand it, no one's talking about it, and there's been some really good written reports on it, but it's a thing that actually happens, and then, I don't know, as I was kind of unfolding it and realizing, oh, this is all about kind of just all around civil forfeiture angle? - Yeah, yeah. - I was gonna into it, I liked it, and I thought it told one, it's shed a light on it, which I liked, two, the way it did it, I thought it was really good, because it's also just small town grub cop type thing. There's also a whole other angle with the cops, too, where it's just like, no, this is out of our survival, this is what happens, it kinda tells multiple little angles here in this. - You get that in Don Johnson's monologue at the one point. - Right, you said it exactly right, where it's kind of dancing on an edge, it's balancing on it, I think it comes out on top, where this isn't just an internet movie. - Yes, right. - Or playing to those internet kind of tropes or people. - Yeah, yeah, that's where I land on it, I would say. - It was interesting just because it just felt like such a byproduct of, frankly, two very different communities, but over the same type of topic of, there is corruption, let's use this corruption to have a modern spin on like a Rambo, a modern spin on a man versus establishment type of story. I think for me, I felt a lot of this in just how detailed the legal jargon is all over this film. - Love it. - Many plot points follow Terry's step-by-step process, navigating things, even if that's maybe even mundane at sometimes, waiting in courthouses and whatnot. But most of all, our characters are written the way they are by being a product of the legal hardships they've endured. The corruption, this police force has unintended consequences and we see Terry be the final straw to those. But I thought it was an interesting thing and something that watching it, I didn't really have a desire to watch it again, but something that felt a little bit more heady, a little bit more substance than a usual Netflix release. - Yeah, and that's why I say it took the first 20 minutes, you're wondering which way that's gonna go. You know what I mean? Is it just gonna be a Netflix? I don't expect it from this guy to be so... - Maybe like a real word. - You can say two on the nose a little bit. So the fact that it went down, especially based on the civil-fortuner thing, I really dug it and I was getting a little bit, especially just this setting, small town Alabama, just small town cops and everything, definitely placed beyond the pines I was getting. - Oh, okay. - I mean, I know that takes place in New York, but just the low budget film and your characters and they're roaming around this same town. - Yes. - You know what I mean? - Same wood walls in every community building and you know. - Yeah, I don't know, I guess that's as far as I kind of think about that. Oh, overall, I like this film and I'll all return it this easy. - Interesting. - Yeah, this is a flip it on for me and let's just throw it on. - Sure. - Because I like, I love Don Johnson and Aaron Pierre was phenomenal at Lee Roll, Terry Richmond. - Absolutely. - I mean, really good. I think this is, he hasn't acted in much, but I think this is a big open up point for him. - I think he crushed it, yeah. - Absolutely. Almost for the same reason these details made for an interesting story though, when some of the action turns up, it feels like those details get tossed out the window a little bit. I couldn't shake that some of the second act of the middle of the film had some made for TV vibes, especially during like little bits when they're gathering evidence and whatnot. Like for every ounce of realism, the story is obsessed with in the first half. Many moments in the action are given a hand wave at really pivotal moments. Now, I'm torn on this ultimately because what is the movie ultimately trying to be? I feel like it is trying to still be an action movie. I feel like an elevator pitch of a modern Rambo, or the first Rambo when he's just coming back to town. It feels like exactly like that in a lot of ways, but emphasizing that modern side of it. Ultimately, I really did like the details in the first half more than I liked the action, even though everyone was badass and whatnot, and I thought the action was good. I just felt like there was just so much more of an interest I had personally in that first half. - I think there's a case to be made that with, it best in the first act, a little bit not as great as second, and then the worst is a third. - So you're with me there. - Yeah, because when things pick up, I just kind of think things happen a little bit too conveniently. And too fast, where getting into the weeds, which is what you're doing for the first half hour or so, at 45 minutes, is what's drawing you into the film. - Yes. - So, although things are unfolding and there's more going on, it things happen a little bit too fast and conveniently. - Yeah, I just love the unraveling of like-- - Exactly. - Wow, they have every angle cornered. They have every angle considered on this, and then even a John Wick quality to like, whoa, this Terry Richards are pretty badass, you know? There was a lot there that was attracted to it, but, you know, it just comes down to like, one moment the cops are mindful of every line they need to sidestep, and then the next they're just spewing out a mouthful of excuses to start to shoot out by the end, and it's just like, well, (laughs) I don't know, I wish those details kind of kept up. I wish they were still kind of covering their ass to the very end, you know? - Yeah, definitely. - Now, it seems like not many are bothered by this, as like I said, the film has a lot of great reviews online, and frankly, it might all be worth it to cut right to Aaron Pierre being a huge badass in this. The action and combat in this is very tactical. The best moments work when Pierre flips on a switch of his usual kind of stoic routine and shows just how cunning he is when he's, you know, going all out. Like all of our director's movies, I really love the style and how crazy intense he is able to crank up some of these scenes. There's close to a dozen shots of cops just tailing people, and each is more panic-inducing in the last. There's one in particular that it's almost like a jump-scaler, just like, you drive by and anyone's experiencing it and just like, oh, no. - You get that feeling in the pit of your stomach. - Yeah, yeah, yeah, he's camping out there, and just how the camera moves from like, the attention of Terry to his side view mirror and then the cop pulling out just really great, like, wonderful tension built there. - I think what he did as a director here, and I think some of the camera work and stuff, it's really good. It's not a first time kind of by the book, just maybe normal Netflix release. So I really liked it. I would just say for this guy that his, by far, his most tame film. So I think those feelings of tension, those feelings of just, of stress, honestly. I think there were a lot of elements that he could have capitalized on that and done that, and done more with that. And especially in the second and in the third act. So I just felt, I was expecting a little bit more knowing some of his stuff that he's come from before. - Yeah, yeah. - But at the same time, I can't, I'm not gonna call that this was cookie cutter because there was something where his fingerprints were all over this, and it showed, you know? - Yeah, absolutely. Yeah, I would say less intense than, well, I don't know, it's been a while since it seemed blue-ruined, but maybe on that level. - That film gets very crazy at the end. - There's stress over, yeah. - There's stress, so for instance, you know, in this film, "Drive By a Cop" cornered, there's stress, I mean, I was expecting it to be more and longer. - Yes, yes. - And based on blue-ruined, that really just drags you through. - Same with the green-room, it's just like, I need to escape the room, I need to leave. - Right. - So yeah, I'm with you there. There was a lot that was conjured, but I don't know, somewhere, I thought it was gonna be even even more intense to it. - Great camera work. - Yes, yeah. And I feel like maybe that's the secret ingredient. I mean, obviously, it's how he's constructing these scenes. Probably second to that is just how the scene is written, but there's something in the cinematography work to it. I believe as well he is a director cinematographer by trade. - Yeah, and he was, I think he's tagged for cinematographer on this one. - Yeah. But honestly, - Oh, editing. - Oh, editing, yeah, yeah. For my money folks, this was a, for me, a better version of another Netflix crime drama we covered last year, "Reptile." While that movie was certainly trying to be something different stylistically, like a neo-noir, this movie has a similar conspiracy spin and internal and fairs type of spin that actually has something to say and give substance in its opening third of that. I personally thought the movie worked best when it didn't have the answers just yet. That hook was the best part for me. When the action takes center stage though, I couldn't help but feel that some of the attention to detail just goes out the door. Maybe that doesn't matter for the payoff to a modern spin on Rambo, but once again, I think the key word there is modern, dealing with modern issues, dealing with a modern intelligence to the script. Once again, the legal jargon here and the intelligence of our characters is not to be brushed aside because this had the brains to be one of Sonya's top films if he kept with it all the way through. With that said, we're gonna go ahead and give Rebel Ridge a 67. - Oh wow, 67, a little bit lower than I thought. - Yeah. - But I mean, honestly, by the end of the third act, I was feeling a little empty. I felt like there was more gas in the tank, actually, where I guess there could have been, I was just expecting more from this guy. That being said, the way he executed it through was expecting more sure, but my three main points coming out of it is I'm excited to see more of Jeremy Sonya, the director. I'm excited to see more of Aaron Pierre, the main actor, and I'm excited to see more Don Johnson, whatever he decides to be in or do. - Yeah, that's a good point. It's about the performances here. - And honestly, that's a pretty, it's hard for me to say the movie was bad at any way when the three main elements of the film I was enjoying. - Yeah. - The director and the two main guys, basically. - Yeah, yeah. - So, and the main girl, and it's okay, Anna Sofia Rob, I thought she did a pretty good job. I thought maybe she delivered her lines a little bit too quickly. I was like, needling her a little bit. But overall, that's my main three takeaways. - Yeah. - And that's why I can see myself flipping it on again. And to your point, you're compared to Reptile, I think Netflix in general, for a lot of the crap that they pump out and this year specifically, hey, if you don't, as far as digital releases go, watch this. - Yeah. - Don't watch "Fly Me to the Moon" which came on Apple. Don't watch the new Mark Wahlberg, Holly Berry one. This is an actual good movie like Friday night, Saturday night movie to watch. - Yeah, absolutely. - And for that, it does its job. - Yeah, yeah. And I think, you know, even though bashing on that action a tiny bit just because it didn't have that detail focus, I do think the action was good. I feel like the action had an interesting voice. - The movement was good. - Yeah, it was very tactical, it was very, I don't know. - Let's not shoot 'em up, bang, bang. - Yeah, and it's not John Wick either, not at all. So it's not like this fluid, kinetic action. It was much more of like, I can't get hit once, so I need to consider every move, you know? - Yeah. - And that was good. - Excellent. And 67 is good, it's good. - Yes. - Maybe I'm not all that shocked by it on, so that kind of makes sense. 67, yeah? - I think so, well, I agree with you being shocked 'cause I was kind of shocked. The critical praise on this, I had a week basically. - I think we both were kind of expecting based on some of that stuff. - Yeah. - People were calling this like, not only his best, but like, Netflix's best movie in a while. And I guess maybe I could be back. - As far as Netflix releases go, I mean, would you rather watch two very different films? - Atlas, no. - I was gonna say like, one of the extractions. - Oh, this was definitely better. - Yeah, this was better. Even though I do, like-- - Just going back to those movies, I did like how the action was filmed, very fluid moments and whatnot in that action and the choreography, but-- - This has wit. - Yes. - This film, this rebel ridge has not like, yeah. - It's got brains. - Yeah, exactly. - And even if that attention to detail goes out the window by the end, it's still, those brains are what I was so hooked for in the beginning. - Right, yeah. - 'Cause it's a match of wits first before it's a match of strength. It's a match of wits between Terry and I don't know what Don Johnson's character is called. - Chief Sandy Burns. (laughing) - Well, yeah. But like, these are two like hyper-intelligent characters. They know their shit. They got their shit down. So seeing them match up. - It's a test match, yeah. - Yeah, exactly. - That's what I was interested in. That was the hook for me. - All right, excellent Ben. So 67 for rebel ridge, modest stuff, modest check it out there. I'm not gonna give it two shoes, but yeah. All right, Ben. So looking at these scores or anything coming up in the week you wanna touch on or roll credits, what do you wanna do? - Well, next week there was a lot of different things we could have covered, but probably just gonna do the three new slots that I can get to, which is Transformers One, the animated one. Never let go with Holly Berry looks like Blumhouse Schlock but by a different name. (laughing) But one I'm very excited for is The Substance, which looks probably like the closest thing to a Cronenberg film by not being made by either of the Cronenbergs. - We don't know much about it. I know it's kind of getting some buzz because of the craziness apparently. - Yeah, yeah. - The substance has and big cast, correct? - Yep, yep. - Do you think Rickrium for a dream a little bit? - Maybe, there seems, well, I mean, there's clearly some sort of addiction element to it to the beauty side of it. - Right. - But it looks very surreal. I actually was spoiled pretty hard on a scene that someone I follow just posted a video of them just filming in the theater of it. I was like, what is this? I watched for a while, then I realized what it was. I was like, son of a bitch, oh my god. So I'm expecting it to be kind of actually pretty scary. - So it's horror. It's not so much like that large drama or something. - Yeah, yeah. It's definitely somewhere in the spectrum of psychological-- - Two hours and 20 minutes. - Oh, really? - Yeah, yeah, yeah. - I don't know that. But excited for that. What I am more excited for and almost can't contain my excitement for is the last week of September, we finally got it, folks. We can see megalopolis. We can see what the dumpster fire is. - Fancy for it. - I was talking to you, Tom, before the episode, but folks, we're probably very rare chance we're gonna be having an opportunity to do a Coppola episode. I don't know if he's gonna be having another winery to sell to fund another movie. (laughing) But I'm really excited to do a five spot for that because Coppola is obviously super legendary, probably could be the subject of one of the director first specials when we tackle earlier directors. - Right, right. - But really, really excited to watch that movie and tackle some Coppola movies. - Yeah, Coppola, that's gonna be two weeks from now and a big one 'cause it's Coppola and then we're also gonna be covering a big one of one of his. (laughing) So that'll be exciting. And for next week, it's gonna be all newbies. So Vin, thank you so much for watching these three movies. Folks at home, we're running down one more time. We have 2022 Speak No Evil with an 81%. 2024 Speak No Evil with a 62. And finally, Netflix's Rebel Ridge with a 67%. Folks, we thank you so much for coming back week after week and for those of you who are finding us. We thank you so much for listening and enjoying and we'll see you next week on the Daily Ratings Podcast. (upbeat music) Hey, if you enjoyed the podcast, if you would, give us a good rating or get the word out and tell a friend about us. And just a reminder that the Daily Ratings is completely producer supported. We wanna stay away from advertising and we don't wanna have any paywalls or tier structures or subscriptions. It's all just value for value. So are you finding value in any of the things that we're doing here at the Daily Ratings? Then become a producer and donate whatever amount of value that is. Just go to the donations tab on thedailybrainings.com And while you're there, be sure to check out the massive amount of films that Vince has rated. So thanks so much, everybody. We'll see you next time on the Daily Ratings Podcast. (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (air whooshing)
