Title: Humane

Director: Caitlin Cronenberg

Released: April 17, 2024 (Toronto, Canada)

Runtime: 1 hour 33 minutes

Available to stream on: Hulu and Shudder

There has been an environmental and ecological disaster that is threatening life as we know it. In order for humanity to survive, 20% of the human population must cease to exist. To help meet this goal, governments have mandated voluntary euthanasia.

Former news anchor, Charles York (Peter Gallagher), has called a family dinner with all of his children. Jared (Jay Baruchel), Ashley (Alanna Bale), Noah (Sebastian Chacon), Rachel (Emily Hampshire), and Rachel’s daughter Mia (Sirena Gulamgaus) all show up for family dinner, confused as to why they’re all there.

Right before dessert, Charles drops the bombshell on his family. He and his wife, Dawn (Uni Park) have decided to volunteer themselves to help humanity reach its 20% reduction point. His children are dumbfounded, unable to figure out why he’d volunteer to do that, let alone without discussing it with them first. As it turns out, Dawn wound up getting cold feet and has run away.

Shortly after, there’s a knock at the front door. The man at the door is Bob (Enrico Colantoni) with D.O.C.S. (Department of Citizen Strategy) and he’s here to perform the procedure on both Charles and Dawn. Charles tries to explain that Dawn isn’t here but if he can reschedule the appointment, he knows that he can get here back onboard.

Bob agrees and hands Charles some paperwork to sign in order to reschedule the appointment. However, as he is reading through the paperwork, Charles has second thoughts. In order to go through with the cancellation, all of his assets would be frozen and worst of all, Charles would be put on the government’s list of cowards for backing out of his appointment.

Choosing to save his reputation, Charles goes through with the procedure. Except, there’s just one small problem…Bob came to collect two bodies but he only has one. But it’s okay, there’s a solution to all of this.

Since Mia is so young, she’s exempt from the program. This leaves Jared, Ashley, Noah and Rachel with two hours to decide amongst themselves who will be the second body to leave the house in a body bag.

Well, if you were hoping to see another Cronenberg dive headfirst into body horror, hopefully you weren’t disappointed. Because with Humane (2024), Caitlin shows that she is more interested in the actual story than the horror elements within it. The story truly shines in the York family’s struggle as they face the heart-wrenching decision of who will join their father in a body bag.

While there are moments where Jay Baruchel is able to put his comedic chops on full display, he sort of felt miscast in the role of Jared. Yes, he’s easy to dislike, especially when more about Jared as a person comes to light. However, I’m not convinced that he was the right fit for the role. The same goes for Emily Hampshire as Rachel. Believable in the role, sure to an extent. Like Jay, Emily really gets to shine when things pick up in the second and third acts. But I wasn’t fully convinced by either of them in their respective roles.

Honestly, Enrico Colantoni as Bob was my favorite character. It is not hard to hate the character given his role, but his dark comedic timing sort of made him a character you both love and hate by the end.

Although I liked most of the performances, the writing kind of did them a disservice. There is a lot of meat on the bone with each character, despite this, we only seem to scratch the service. Everyone is rather one-dimensional and you can sort of pick up on where things for each of them is going.

Overall, Humane (2024) is a solid directorial debut from Caitlin Cronenberg. I, for one, will definitely be on the lookout for what she serves up next.

So, what about you? Have you seen Humane (2024)?

If so, drop a comment or reach out on Bluesky and let me hear your thoughts on it!

You can also follow me over on Letterboxd to see what else I’ve been watching lately.

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Title: Wagon Master

Director: John Ford

Released: April 22, 1950 (United States and Canada)

Runtime: 1 hour 26 minutes

Available to stream on: Tubi

Travis (Ben Johnson) and Sandy (Harry Carey Jr.) are a couple of savvy horse traders. With a fresh haul of horses at their disposal, they’re looking to cash in. As their luck would have it, a Mormon wagon train is about to embark on a journey to the San Juan Valley. Looking to secure more horses for their travels, Elder Wiggs (Ward Bond) pays out the nose for all the horses that Travis and Sandy can offer up.

Now with plenty of cash between the two of them, they turn down the Mormon’s offer of being their guides. Although, after just a day, they grow bored and chase down the train, agreeing to be their guides to the San Juan Valley. Not long into the journey, the wagon train comes across a couple of sheisters in the form of a medicine show. The group welcomes them into their fold and continues on.

It’s a good thing everyone seems to be getting along, their travels are far from over.

Well, one thing is for sure, Wagon Master (1950) is not your typical Western.

For starters, I definitely wasn’t expecting as many musical numbers as there were. It might seem a bit odd on a first viewing, but it never took me out of the moment. While there were a few instances where the random song sort of felt repetitive, it never felt shoehorned in.

Something else that I wasn’t expecting was the lack of action. Whenever I think of a Western, I have an image in my head of multiple action sequences. Don’t get it twisted though, Wagon Master (1950) isn’t without action of its own. It just so happens that John Ford decided instead to have the story be more about the decisions, choices, and actions of the characters rather than the action the characters get into.

But then again, this is John Ford. If there’s anyone who can slightly venture outside the lines and still make a Western work, it’s him.

Would I say that this is a genre-defining film? No.

But would I say it’s worth checking out? At a brisk 86-minutes, absolutely.

So, what about you? Have you seen Wagon Master (1950)?

If so, let me hear what you thought of it in the comments below or by reaching out to me on Bluesky!

As always, follow me over on Letterboxd to see everything else that I’ve been watching lately.

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Title: Infinity Baby

Director: Bob Byington

Released: March 11, 2017 (SXSW Film Festival – United States)

Runtime: 1 hour 20 minutes

Available to stream on: Prime Video and Tubi

In a nondescript but not-too-distant future, abortion is illegal. However, due to a stem cell research project gone wrong, liberals and conservatives have come to an agreement. A company by the name of Infinity Baby has stumbled upon a way to provide 3-month old babies that will never age.

That’s right, you now have the ability to have yourself a forever baby.

And the best part? They rarely cry and only poop once a week.

Neo (Nick Offerman), is the CEO of Infinity Baby and has turned it into quite the lucrative business. He’s employed his nephew, Ben (Kieran Culkin) to market Infinity Baby. For better or worse, Malcolm (Martin Starr) and Larry (Kevin Corrigan) are the two who are responsible for closing the deal with prospective parents and delivering the baby.

You’d think that people in roles of providing a child to someone would have their own lives in order to a certain extent, right? Well, nothing could be further from the truth when it comes to Ben.

When it comes to relationships, Ben checks out the moment things start to get serious. We learn that when commitment is inevitable, Ben enlists the help of his mother, Hester (Megan Mullally). Knowing that she is harsh on all of his girlfriends, he uses her not liking them as an excuse as to why they need to end things.

But what would happen if there was ever a girlfriend that Hester took a liking to?

If that all sounded a little short on substance, well, that’s because it is.

Honestly, that’s my biggest complaint with Infinity Baby (2017). We have interesting characters and a unique premise, but it’s lacking in depth.

The ensemble cast is just phenomenal here. There’s plenty of humor, albeit dry and deadpan. But dry and deadpan serve Martin Starr and Kevin Corrigan quite well. I wish we could have had more time with their characters, both together and individually. Same goes for Nick Offerman, you could argue that he was criminally underutilized here. Megan Mullally is wonderful as always, the twist with her character is when she truly shines. And Kieran shows again that he can really dial-in when it comes to playing an unlikeable jerk with oddly charming attributes.

Had Infinity Baby (2017) been longer that it’s brisk 80-minute runtime, I think one could argue that the cast is wasted and starving for more than what they’re given. However, given the brief runtime, I feel that it’s the cast who saves the film from itself.

Is this something that I think you should go out of your way to watch? No.

But it’s worth watching at least once for the cast and the premise.

So, what say you?

Have you seen Infinity Baby (2017)? If so, what did you think of it?

Tell me your thoughts on it in the comments below or by finding me on Bluesky!

As always, if you’re curious to see what else I’ve been watching, you can follow me over on Letterboxd.

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Title: Contract Killer (Original title is Hitman)

Director: Stephen Tung Wai

Released: April 3, 1998 (Hong Kong)

Runtime: 1 hour 43 minutes

Available to stream on: Peacock, Pluto, Prime Video (These are all the English dub released as Contract Killer, and it’s a pretty rough dubbing. The original Cantonese version with English subtitles is out there somewhere…)

A wealthy ex-yakuza businessman named Tsukamoto (Kenji Sahara) is assassinated by a hitman only known as “The King of Killers”. However, being the savvy individual that he was, Tsukamoto set aside a sort of revenge fund with $100 million in it. In the event of his assassination, those funds become the bounty on the head of his killer.

Fu (Jet Li) is an ex-soldier working in a small ragtag gang. Word travels fast about the bounty and when he hears of it, he decides he wants in. When Fu attempts to gain access to the building where Tsukamoto’s lawyers are meeting, security steps in. What security wasn’t expecting though was Fu to lay waste to them with his martial arts skills. This catches the eye of a small-time crook by the name of Lo (Eric Tsang Chi-Wai) who decides to hire Fu as his muscle.

Now with a hired assassin on his payroll, Lo feels like collecting on that bounty will be a breeze. Although, one thing remains a bit of a mystery…

Is Fu the cold-blooded assassin Lo believes him to be?

I was unable to find an easily accessible original version of this film. Somewhere out there is Hitman in Cantonese with English subtitles. Unfortunately, all that is available stateside to stream is Contract Killer, a heavily edited and English dubbed version of Hitman with a ton of rap songs shoehorned in because why not. The dubbing is impressively bad and can be a bit of a challenge to get past.

However, if you’re able to stick it out, what you get is a bit of a mixed bag from Jet Li. One thing we aren’t accustomed to seeing from Jet Li (at least in 1998) is comedy mixed into his martial arts films. For the most part, up to this point, it’s straight forward action. It was neat to see him try something new, especially considering this was his last film before coming over to America. While he’s no Jackie Chan, Li was able to hold his own from a comedic standpoint. Nothing felt forced or completely awkward.

The one thing you do expect from a Jet Li film is action. On that front, Contract Killer (1998) delivers, somewhat. Yes, there are some intense action sequences. And the ones we do get are a lot of fun, like the one in the elevator shaft. What’s a bit of a let down though is that they are few and far between.

Like I said, this is a bit of a mixed bag. The story works well enough, the choreography in the action scenes is impressive and fun, and Jet Li shows that he has some comedic chops. But good lord, the unnecessary addition of rap songs and the dubbing really brings the whole thing down for me. This is not a knock on the film, just the English cut of it that was released.

If you consider yourself a fan of Jet Li, Contract Killer (1998) is worth checking out.

If you’re like me, you’ll be on the lookout for a Cantonese version of Hitman afterwards.

So, what say you? Have you seen Contract Killer (1998)?

If so, let me know your thoughts on it in the comments or over on Bluesky.

You can also follow me over on Letterboxd to see what else I’ve been watching lately.

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Title: Memoir of a Snail

Director: Adam Elliot

Released: June 10, 2024 (France – Annecy International Animation Film Festival)

Runtime: 1 hour 34 minutes

Available to stream on: Sundance Now

Grace (voiced by Sarah Snook) and Gilbert (voiced by Kodi Smit-McPhee) are twins who have known heartache and struggle from the moment they entered this world. Not only were they born premature but their mother passed away while giving birth to them. If that wasn’t enough, Grace was born with a “floppy lip”, struggled with asthma, and was a bit of a runt. This unfortunate trifecta led to relentless harassment and bullying at school. Luckily for her though, Gilbert was her protector. He was always there to stand up for her, even if it meant taking a beating of his own.

Their father, a former stop-motion animator now a paraplegic, suffered from sleep apnea. Usually, the twins would start clapping and their father would wake up. One day, they clapped, but he didn’t wake up, turning Gilbert and Grace’s lives completely upside down. Now orphans, Child Services took them into custody and sent them to live with separate families.

Grace found herself with a couple who were far more into the swinger lifestyle than looking after a child. Seeing as her new “parents” were never around, Grace creates her own family with clay snail figurines. These snails become her companions and in the world she’s created with them, Grace is able to find a sense of comfort. However, to an outsider, it’s obvious that Grace has put up walls and become a sort of recluse in a shell of her own making.

Meanwhile, Gilbert wound up with a family of cult-like Christian extremists who run an apple farm. They require that he speak in tongues and eat meat just like their other children. Gilbert draws the line with shaving his head though. He works, against his will, on the farm, slapping stickers onto each apple as it rolls down the assembly line. His work earns him mere pennies. Pennies the family snatches back, forcing him to surrender them to the family church in the name of God.

Despite both siblings being on opposite sides of the country, they write each other religiously (no pun intended). With every letter, Gilbert vows to save up enough money, return across Australia, and rescue Grace. While Gilbert realizes the chances of that happening are rather slim, he continues to say it to bring comfort to Grace.

Grace finds hope not only in the thought of reuniting with her brother but also in an older woman named Pinky (voiced by Jacki Weaver). Pinky tells Grace about the wild life she has lived and how she has no intention of slowing down. In her own way, Pinky tries to get Grace to see that life has too much to offer to stay cooped up in one’s own shell.

Time will tell if Gilbert and Grace can be reunited and whether or not Grace is able to live in a world outside of her own making. However, one thing is for certain, no matter what…

Life can only be understood backwards, but we have to live it forwards.

No burying the lede here, I loved this film and would encourage anyone who hasn’t seen it to remedy that as soon as possible.

There’s so much more that takes place in the story of Grace and Gilbert that I didn’t even touch on above. Hats off to Adam Elliot, to take such a layered, yet grounded, story and decide to use stop-motion animation as the vessel was a bold choice. But it was a choice that paid dividends.

Admittedly, I have not yet seen his other stop-motion feature, Mary and Max. So, while I can’t compare the two, I will say that the way he was able to tap into emotions simply by using shadows, wrinkles and colors was incredibly impressive.

Usually when you have animation that carries an R-rating (or TV-MA), it’s going to be one that has that rating because of crude humor. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, crude humor has its time and place. However, it was incredibly refreshing to see an R-rated animated film that wasn’t afraid to be dark and bleak. There wasn’t a focus on wrapping everything up in a nice bow by the end, rather it was an honest look at how life can be.

No matter how shitty of a hand life might deal you, there’s positive out there.

Sometimes we just have to peek out from our self-constructed shells to find it.

Well, now it’s your turn.

If you’ve seen Memoirs of a Snail (2024), I want to hear from you.

Did you happen to love it as well?

Was there something that just didn’t work for you?

Do you feel it’s worthy of its Academy Award nomination?

Tell me all about it in the comments below or by reaching out to me over on Bluesky!

And as always, if you’re curious to see what else I’ve been watching lately, give me a follow over on Letterboxd.

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Title: Ozma

Director: Keith John Adams

Released: June 2, 2023 (United Kingdom – Sci-Fi London Film Festival)

Runtime: 1 hour 21 minutes

Available to stream on: Tubi

Jeff (Ferdy Roberts) has been struggling with insomnia ever since his wife passed away. He’s grown so accustomed to not sleeping that he has the nightly struggle down to a science. That is, until one night when out of the blue, Ozma (voiced by Éva Magyar), a sentient jellyfish, appears in the alleyway next to his house.

At this point, you have a decision to make. You’re either going to shut this off or you’re going to settle in and enjoy the ride.

While in the alleyway, Ozma taps into the same wavelength energy field as Jeff’s. Yes, that’s right, Jeff and the jellyfish can now communicate with each other.

Jeff takes Ozma in and helps nurse her back to health. As they talk more, he discovers that two police officers are hunting Ozma. But these aren’t just any officers, they wield cucumbers and relentlessly chase Ozma, determined to catch her before Jeff can secure her safety.

Yes, this is a genuinely weird movie. There is no questioning that.

For instance, I’m not sure that I have ever seen the people performing the soundtrack in the scene with an actor before. I certainly haven’t ever seen cutaways to the musicians as the scene continues on. Yet, for as out of place as that felt, it wasn’t a complete miss for me. In fact, it worked best when we first meet Jeff in his bed and the horn section is there in the bedroom with him.

Despite being just over an hour and twenty-minutes long, it felt a lot longer. There were scenes that either carried on too long or were completely unnecessary to the overall story. Removing those would tighten things up and not have the movie feel like it’s a lot longer than it needed to be.

All of that being said, for as odd as it could be at times, I rather enjoyed what the story wound up unfolding to be. It’s a unique way to frame grief and loss and I can appreciate how Keith John Adams decided to put a sci-fi spin on it.

This happened to be the feature directorial debut for Keith John Adams, who also wrote, shot, and edited it along with being in charge of the sound and production design. I, for one, will be on the lookout for what he does next.

If you read this far and still haven’t seen Ozma yet, here’s your recommendation to go and fix that.

So, if you have seen Ozma (2023), what did you think of it?

Let me know in the comments below or by reaching out to me over on Bluesky!

Follow me over on Letterboxd to see what else I’ve been watching lately.

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Title: Tag

Director: Jeff Tomsic

Released: May 30, 2018 (Australia)

Runtime: 1 hour 40 minutes

Available to stream on: Prime Video

Odds are, when you were growing up, you played a game of tag with your friends. You might even still have a close relationship with those same friends. However, I doubt you’re playing tag with those friends thirty years later.

There is one exception. The friend group of Hoagie (Ed Helms), Callahan (Jon Hamm), Chilli (Jake Johnson), Sable (Hannibal Buress) and Jerry (Jeremy Renner) are still very much involved in a game of tag that has continued on since childhood.

But how in the world are they able to keep the game going as adults? It’s simple, the game is only active for one month out of the year. At the end of the month, whoever is ‘it’ carries that shame until the game restarts the next year.

Throughout the history of their game, only one of them has somehow managed to remain untagged. Jerry has a perfect streak and his friends are determined to see it come to an end. When they see his wedding announcement in the paper, which they weren’t invited to, they collectively decide that the streak dies at Jerry’s wedding.

With it basically being four against one, five when you include Hoagie’s ruthlessly competitive wife Anna (Isla Fisher), surely the odds are in the group’s favor…right?

The premise of Tag (2018) is absolutely absurd. However, learning it was loosely based on a true story piqued my curiosity enough to check it out.

There’s no misdirection from what you see in the trailer, it’s literally an hour and forty-minutes of friends playing a game of tag.

Luckily, the ensemble cast has incredible chemistry which allowed me to buy-in and go along with their adventures. The degree to which they bust chops feels as genuine as it would amongst a group of longterm friends.

Another highlight for me was the scenes of tag, or attempted tag, with Jerry. Time slows down and Jerry’s super abilities to evade his friends are on full display. He correctly predicts how each of his friends would approach him and is able to ward off their attempts to break his streak.

That being said, this movie should have been a tight eighty-minutes, or maybe even something similar to a recurring SNL digital short. While there are funny parts throughout, there isn’t enough meat on the bone to justify the runtime.

Unfortunately, for as much as I enjoyed parts of Tag (2018), I can’t say that I’d strongly recommend it.

However, if you’re looking for something to be able to turn on so you can turn off your brain, this is exactly what the doctor ordered.

So, have you seen Tag (2018)? If so, let me hear your thoughts on it!

You can leave a comment below or find me over on Bluesky.

As always, if you want to see what else I’ve been watching, you can follow me over on Letterboxd.

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Title: Miracle Mile

Director: Steve De Jarnatt

Released: May 19, 1988 (United States)

Runtime: 1 hour 28 minutes

Available to stream on: MGM+, Prime Video, and Pluto TV

Harry Washello (Anthony Edwards) is over the moon. It only took him 30 years, but he has finally found the girl of his dreams in Julie (Mare Winningham). After a day at the Tar Pits, Harry wants to see Julie again that night but she lets him know that she has to work. However, she gets off at midnight and Harry seems eager to see her so he agrees to meet her as soon as her shift ends outside the restaurant she works at.

To pass the time, Harry goes back to his hotel and decides to set an alarm and take a nap. As Harry’s luck would have it, the hotel experiences a power outage while he’s asleep. The power comes back and his alarm eventually goes off. He jumps out of bed and gets ready as he realizes that the TV says it’s nearly 4am.

Arriving at Julie’s work right at 4am, Harry asks if she’s still there. One of her co-workers obviously says no and that it’s way too late for him to try and call her. Ignoring the advice, Harry steps outside and into the phone booth to call Julie. To no one’s surprise, he gets her answering machine, so he leaves a message apologizing for being late and trying to explain what happened. As he turns to head back inside, the payphone rings and he answers hoping to hear Julie on the other end.

Unfortunately, it’s not Julie on the other end of the line. No, it’s someone by the name of Chip who is frantically explaining that nuclear war is going to break out in just over an hour. Harry eventually is able to get a word in edge wise and asks who Chip is and if this is a joke. Chip realizes he dialed the wrong number while trying to get ahold of his dad. He then tells Harry to apologize to his dad, we then hear gunfire on the other end of the line.

Harry slowly walks back into the restaurant and sits down at the counter, still trying to process what he just heard. When he tries to explain what it was he heard on the phone, the staff and patrons all look at Harry like he has three heads. Surely he is just another drunk rambling about some end times nonsense.

But what if Chip was right?

For the first maybe 15-minutes or so of Miracle Mile (1988) you think you’re about to settle in for a feel-good story about a dorky guy who finally finds the girl of his dreams. While that is technically what we get, it’s certainly not the love story I was expecting.

Once Harry gets off the phone with Chip, things take a sharp turn. Pivoting from love story to possible impending destruction of Earth is quite the bold swing for a movie that clocks in at just under 90-minutes. While I was onboard with the idea in theory, the finished product never quite came together in a cohesive way. Honestly, it’s a bit of a mess…but it’s a lovable mess.

In a cast full of “that guy/girl from that thing”, Anthony Edwards brings an endearing amount of heart to the role of Harry Washello. Despite the chaos unfolding around him, Harry’s determination to get to Julie reminds us that this started out as a romantic comedy.

If there is one major issue I have, it’s that the conversations that take place seem like an afterthought. Very rarely does the dialogue match the tone of the situation, let alone feel natural. There are also portions of the film that feel busy just for the sake of being busy.

That being said, other facets of De Jarnatt’s writing and direction are what makes Miracle Mile (1988) work for me. As the viewer, we’re just as much unsure of what’s really going on as Harry is. When the tension is escalating, for the most part it feels palpable and real.

Were it not for me seeking out the featured lists on Letterboxd, I’m not sure Miracle Mile (1988) would have ever been on my radar. However, I can say that I’m glad I watched it and would recommend everyone check it out at least once.

Have you seen Miracle Mile (1988)?

If so, leave a comment below or reach out to me on Bluesky and tell me what you thought of it!

Curious to see what else I’ve been watching?

Give me a follow over on Letterboxd where I leave quick thoughts on every movie I watch and log.

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Title: Skincare

Director: Austin Peters

Released: August 16, 2024 (United States)

Runtime: 1 hour 36 minutes

Available to stream on: Sundance Now

Hope Goldman (Elizabeth Banks) is a renowned aesthetician who runs her own successful studio in Los Angeles. She is on the verge of launching her own line of skincare products and has taped a segment with the local news to hype up the launch.

While at her studio one day, Hope learns that the empty business across the way from her is going to be occupied by another skincare studio. The owner of the new studio, Angel (Luis Gerardo Méndez), rubs Hope the wrong way from the jump when he astutely points out that she has parked in one of the spots designated for his studio.

When it comes time for Hope’s segment to air on local television…it never happens. Instead, what airs is a profile piece for Angel and his new studio. This leads to some of Hope’s clients starting to go to Angel’s studio rather than hers. As if all of that wasn’t enough to deal with, someone hacked Hope’s email account and sent out a very provocative email to all of her clients and contacts.

With the launch of her product line just days away, Hope is trying to just keep it together. Although, keeping it together while attempting to do damage control to save her image, keep her landlord off her back about rent, and figure out who is behind the smear campaign against her is proving to be quite the task.

I noticed Skincare (2024) was available to rent and it caught my eye both for the poster and it starring Elizabeth Banks. No matter what she pops up in, she always manages to understand the assignment and deliver. In this instance, I don’t think the film, as a whole, works as well if it’s anyone else playing Hope Goldman.

Usually when we see Elizabeth Banks in a role, she’s super upbeat and chipper. She manages to bring a sort of uplifting radiance to her performances. This gels perfectly with the character of Hope who is falling apart at the seams. Faced with losing it all and realizing that her life is/was indistinguishable from her work, Hope still is able to keep it together and present a face of someone who has the world in the palm of her hand. While Banks shines and elevates the entire film, Lewis Pullman, as Jordan, also delivers in a supporting role as an overeager life-coach.

The story itself is rather predictable. You’re able to pick up on where things are going pretty early on. However, despite a cheerful facade being put on to the rest of the world, the journey through the darkness that is the reality of the situation is what keeps you engaged throughout.

While I wouldn’t recommend dropping everything to rush out and see it, Skincare (2024) is most definitely deserving of at least one viewing.

Well, now it’s your turn. Have you seen Skincare (2024)?

If so, I want to hear your thoughts on it. You can leave a comment below or reach out to me on Bluesky!

As always, follow me on Letterboxd to keep up with everything else that I’ve been watching.

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Title: Deluge

Director: Felix E. Feist

Released: August 17, 1933 (United States)

Runtime: 1 hour 10 minutes

Watched via: Kanopy

Meteorologists in New York are stunned by an unprecedented event, a massive superstorm that is engulfing the entire world. They’re at a loss to explain its origins, and worse, they have no solutions for survival. There’s no escaping this storm, no fleeing to higher ground. Humanity has no choice but to face the destruction and hope to endure it.

As the storm crashes into New York City, it unleashes absolute destruction. The skyline crumbles and streets are flooded with ocean surge. When the chaos subsides, Claire (Peggy Shannon), relying on her strong swimming skills, survives and washes ashore where Jepson (Fred Kohler) and Norwood (Ralf Harolde) discover her amidst the wreckage. Their intentions quickly turn sinister as they argue over who “owns” her. Realizing the danger, Claire knows she must escape.

Fortunately, the logic of geography and distance seems to collapse in this post-apocalyptic world, or at least it does in Deluge (1933). Claire manages to swim to another beach that looks remarkably similar but lies just far enough away to leave Jepson and Norwood behind. There, she encounters Martin (Sidney Blackmer), a man who believes his wife and children perished in the storm. Whether that’s true remains uncertain, but Martin, convinced he’s alone, has no qualms about forming a close bond with Claire.

Vowing to survive together, can Claire and Martin endure the challenges of this new, broken world?

Or will its dangers prove too great?

Well, one thing is for certain with Deluge (1933)…if you think you know what you’re in for, you’re wrong.

Touted as one of the first disaster movies, in pre-Code Hollywood no less, it only manages to be what we consider today as a “disaster movie” for about the first 15 minutes or so. However, the use of miniatures to portray the destruction on an entire city, is rather impressive for the time. There are a few instances where they hold on a particular shot too long, but overall, I like to imagine that Roland Emmerich is a big fan of the first quarter of Deluge (1933).

However, once New York is destroyed and Claire washes ashore, thanks to her apparent Aquaman-like swimming abilities, there isn’t much “disaster” to be had. Rather, things shift to a sort of social drama for the remainder of the runtime. Now, that’s not to say that the rest of the film is disappointing. It just feels clumsy and disappointing coming off the heels of the opening sequences. There are a lot of things either mentioned briefly, hinted at, or implied that never go anywhere or serve the narrative in any impactful way.

Despite its flaws, Deluge (1933) manages to be an enjoyable enough of a watch. What helps this is the short runtime of just over an hour in length. Were it pushing the 80-90 minute mark, it would begin to teeter on the verge of being a painful watch to sit through.

If nothing else, this is worth watching solely for the destruction of New York City and the clever use of miniatures to portray it all and to see the humble beginnings of the disaster movie genre.

So, have you seen the once lost film that is Deluge (1933)? If so, I want to hear your thoughts on it!

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