CJXzoic1970

I was more impressed with this movie than I expected, especially since the Vampire film genre is often overdone. As the dynamic duo of Ryan Coogler and Michael B. Jordan have created another brilliant film, packed with compelling drama, suspense, action, and horror, this film stands out, offering a deeper understanding of human connection, a quality that I believe most reviewers have overlooked.

As many viewers noticed, music plays a significant role in this story, which starts with the importance of the church in the black community. Sammie Moore (Miles Caton) aka the Preacher's Son, is coming of age by defying his father's wishes and playing 'the devil's music' with his hardcore cousins-twins Elijah and Elias, bka Stack and Smoke, both portrayed by Michael B. Jordan. This sets the tone for the film's themes of good versus evil, light versus darkness, and humanity versus the undead.

As the setting is in the 1930s Jim Crow era in rural Mississippi, racism underpins various aspects of life, from the blatant separation of black and white business districts to the looming threat of violence from the Ku Klux Klan. The most striking and symbolic danger woven throughout this story is the attraction of the undead to the living through the soulful rhythms of the blues. This attraction fuels people's obsessions with black performers from the dawn of time, as vividly shown in the film's centerpiece-the moment when Preacher's boy makes his guitar cry out, conjuring up legendary performances with nods to future artists, from conga drums to two turntables and a microphone. This mesmerizing rhythm draws vampire Remmick (Jack O'Connell) to Smoke and Stacks' overnight Jook Joint, as he hints that Sammie's music will free his tormented soul.

His small band of followers attempts to lure them with their charm and talk of 'unification' and 'banding together in fellowship' to the small resistance group, much like cult leaders recruiting followers. They offer help with life's problems by ominously welcoming death. It's a captivating, unique view of the mystical villain and vampires in general, as Remmick energizes his growing number of newly undead partygoers, increasing the body count. They join him in an Irish jig dance (ironically, since they are all full of Irish beer that Smoke and Stack stole from Chicago), which symbolizes his Irish heritage and serves as an act of defiance, as the Irish were originally outlaws of the British.

There are many other parables, such as Smoke reuniting with his estranged earthly wife, Annie (Wunmi Mosaku), who practices Hoodoo, adding a mythical twist to the story. Conversely, Stack encounters his former girlfriend, Mary (Hailee Steinfeld), who passes for Caucasian because she is only 1/8 black. Both partners symbolize opposite sides of the complex relationships people face, and their ongoing presence tests the strengths and vulnerabilities of these fragile bonds.

Another interesting connection is with other marginalized groups, such as Asian Americans and Native Americans, that builds on the human connection we all share, even amid the rampant oppression practiced sadly in our country for centuries. As Sammie's father warned him to give up playing the guitar and repent, turning to Christ, the film begins with a narration about how some music is said to be so powerful that it can summon spirits from the past and the future, good or evil-this power, which Sammie taps into with his guitar playing is what makes Sinners a very captivating and solid film with a deeper purpose than simply frightening filmgoers.

If gore is your main focus, there's plenty of it, similar to "To Dusk Till Dawn" or "30 Days of Night," and none of the glamour and sparkle of recent vampiredom. The fire tornado was especially captivating. There's a spectacular final scene against the KKK that didn't require any monsters, just full-on payback. While there could have been more tension and buildup, the impact came with the larger purpose of showing black Americans as a beautiful community, united without the need for power, greed, or evil, which are often, sadly, showcased in society.

While I didn't expect Shakespere on wheels when I finally watched Baby Driver, I also didn't expect the huge flat this ride produced. While the cinematography, sequencing, and musical score were top-notch, the screenplay and acting were completely dead on arrival! With a plot copied from every great car chase caper before it, the premise offered nothing new besides a young traumatized man navigating his life between being a hired getaway driver and his desire to get away from it all. The acting from the veteran to the unknown actors was pretty basic; let me do enough to collect the check as I worked with the clumsily drawn-out script. Neither Jamie Foxx, John Hamm, nor Kevin Spacey could heal this hot mess.

Overall, expect a clunky, confusing storyline, meh acting, and super cool car chases in beautiful locations.

For suspenseful spy/assassin drama fans, The Day of the Jackal is a must-view. From the first mind-twisting episode, I was intrigued to follow the entire series. How did this man develop these impressive skills, and who is helping him exactly? The weapons were awe-inspiring yet very scary. The suspense surrounding their development was also captivating. Eddie Redmayne played a suave and capable-for-hire assassin, aka the villain assigned to perform close-to-impossible feats. His vulnerability shone through in dealing with his burgeoning family situation, as his wife, played by Ursula Corbero, did an excellent job connecting the dots of his ulterior personality and how it put their family in danger. It was heartbreaking to see how his aloof character treated his wife coldly and despicably, walking out at his child's birthday party and cheating on her, putting his so-called job first. Although he seemed to care for her, honestly, he had an ugly way of showing it, which further made his character trifling.

I hope she is smart enough to elude him in a second season, as he doesn't deserve her or to be a father. While they shared why he became an assassin, they did not dive into what made him a cold-hearted villain. The way he killed innocent people who got in the way, with little to no remorse, was very off-putting. Of course, I understand that innocent people can be collateral in these situations. The number of unnecessary dead bodies was jarring. It was more satisfying to watch him debate whether to spare a young man who just drove him to freedom versus torturing a scared elderly couple - even if she poked him with a knife - he could have shown some compassion. Or what he did to his military unit. What type of person does this to his friends and peers? The older man made a good point: if his parents were good people, what made him not one? That background is missing in this series.

While several episodes were extraordinarily captivating and impressive, the ending was a significant letdown as the build-up between Jackal and the agent chasing him, Bianca, went out with a thud. Lashana Lynch played a complicated and misunderstood agent torn between her family life and work. One could feel her brain working, trying to uncover the clues about her target and track him down, as she did an excellent job connecting the dots and pushing against upper management. I wanted to see her have some success versus the blatant corruption flowing through the authorities above her. Alas, it was a huge disappointment when we finally got to a showdown between the two. I was cursing at the screen while I was sure some viewers didn't like her, which is an injustice. As they did not officially 'check her for dead' or show 'a funeral,' I hope they do her character a solid and have her fake her death to come back for her revenge against him and the corrupt powers that be. It would reveal more about her upbringing and why she was determined to solve this case. She was an instrumental character worth investing in and deserves a comeback. And how did he escape that final car crash? There are so many unanswered questions! The man has more lives than a cat! It is a captivating series marred by plenty of plot holes and disappointments that hopefully will be addressed in a second installment.