vandeman-scott

ADOLESCENCE hits some very sensitive nerves, especially when viewed from the perspective of an upper elementary school teacher. With each episode, I felt my stomach twist -- not out of shock at the wanton behavior on display, but because I wasn't shocked at all. Everything depicted in this series, as it relates to children, is disturbingly real, and this stark realism serves as the driving force behind much of the series' conflict, making it all the more compelling.

ADOLESCENCE poignantly tackles a variety of pressing social issues that parents, educators, and law enforcement confront daily. Among them: children exposed to too much too soon, laissez-faire parenting, and the corrosive influence of social media -- especially on youth.

All of this is delivered through insightful writing, riveting performances, and a distinctive single-take filming style. The minimal use of cuts heightens the intensity and suspense, making it impossible to look away, even when the audience might want to.

Two performances stand out. Owen Cooper, a 15-year-old making his acting debut, delivers a stunning performance as 13-year-old murderer Jamie Miller. He masterfully balances vulnerability and menace, worldliness and innocence, fear and defiance, all without veering into exaggeration. It's a delicate act to embody the contradictory realities of early-teen rage and childlike insecurity while keeping it convincing, but Cooper executes it with great aplomb. One can't help but wonder what this new talent has in store for the future.

Equally, if not more, riveting is Stephen Graham's portrayal of Eddie Miller, a father trapped in every parent's worst nightmare. Scene after scene, he brings a sickening intensity and palpable anxiety to his role. It's impossible not to empathize with the complex layers of anger, guilt, and sorrow infused in his every word and movement. At times, he simmers with explosive rage; at others, he is utterly broken. But in every moment, he radiates a pain so visceral that the audience can't help but feel it along with him.

While all the major performances range from very good to outstanding, a couple of others deserve mention.

Erin Doherty delivers a nuanced portrayal of a court-appointed psychologist who wrestles with conflicting emotions toward Jamie, seeing him not just as an offender but also as a victim of cyberbullying. She acknowledges that Jamie's crime didn't happen in isolation -- he was cruelly provoked -- yet she stops short of excusing his actions or shifting blame onto the victim. Her affection for Jamie is evident, but with great difficulty, she maintains professional detachment.

Ashley Walters, as Detective Inspector Luke Bascombe, relentlessly pursues evidence and charges against Jamie while also navigating a strained relationship with his own teenage son, Adam (Amari Bacchus), a peer of Jamie's. Through their interactions, the audience learns that the victim was a notorious bully whose actions contributed to the escalating tensions that ultimately led to her death.

The themes in ADOLESCENCE repeatedly remind us that our society is in desperate need of a course correction. We must revive a culture of kindness, and where kindness fails, reinforce a culture of accountability. We must shield children from the pervasive negative influences of media, particularly the unfiltered chaos of the internet and social media. And, above all, we must truly parent our children, because when we don't, bad things happen. And not just on TV.

MYSTERIES OF THE TERRA COTTA WARRIORS is a first-rate documentary exploring one of the world's great archaeological finds. Created to guard the tomb of China's first emperor, the warriors are an artistic and cultural marvel. This film, however, goes far beyond the statues themselves, providing a riveting look into Chinese history, specifically the history of the Qin Dynasty.

Much of the history as it is told in this documentary has remained unproven, some would say apocryphal. Now, archaeologists are poised on the brink of proving that these stories and the historical figures they portray are very real indeed.

Careful archaeology and science are at the fore in MYSTERIES OF THE TERRA COTTA WARRIORS, yet the documentary never gets bogged down in scientific detail and remains accessible to a general audience. Dramatic reenactments of the past add interest without getting overly speculative and losing their educational value.

With excellent organization and pacing, the filmmakers have brought a bit of the history of what may be the world's oldest known civilization to life. This window into the China of two millennia ago can be considered nothing less than awe inspiring.

MYSTERIES OF THE TERRA COTTA WARRIORS truly is an outstanding documentary that will delight viewers of all ages. Recommendation: Strong watch.

Once again, a good movie is panned by so-called critics simply because it is rooted in a Christian worldview. NEFARIOUS isn't a perfect film. It is, however, a gripping, intellectual thriller that seizes one's attention from the get go and never loosens its grip.

NEFARIOUS depicts a battle of wits between a condemned serial killer (Sean Patrick Flanery) and a psychiatrist charged with determining mental competency for execution (Jordan Belfi). The condemned man claims to be a demon, and this sets up the film's central conflict.

With the bulk of the action taking place between two characters in one room, a tight script is essential. NEFARIOUS sports riveting dialog that creates and maintains suspense in this confrontation between mismatched characters. The demon outwits his opponent at every turn, while his foe swims in a sea of smug superiority and unjustified self-righteousness. That the story is really a battle between evil and lesser evil, rather than a battle between good and evil, makes the film infinitely more interesting.

Flanery's past work has not been particularly memorable, but this performance will stay with viewers for the long haul. One expects over-the-top bombast and supernatural shenanigans in low-budget, independent movies about demonic possession. Flanery instead delivers a pleasant surprise: subtlety. His admirable performance both interests and chills, and it's not the standard fare.

NEFARIOUS could have scored one more star if the second lead had been better cast. Belfi gives a passable performance, but one that pales in comparison to Flanery's. As an aside, Belfi's character is 35 years old, and Belfi is 10 very obvious years older. It's an unforced error. There's no reason short of vanity that the character couldn't have been true to the actor's age. In fact, it would have made him a bit more interesting. Fortunately, the script does allow Belfi's character to grow and change for the better, which props up the otherwise mediocre performance. One wonders what the part could have been in the hands of a more skilled actor.

The ongoing, reflexive bias against films with a faith message is unfortunate. One doesn't have to agree with every element of the filmmakers' message in order to recognize and acknowledge with fairness a creative work's virtues. NEFARIOUS is a solid, thoughtful drama with plenty of suspense, interestingly imperfect characters, and a message that's thought-provoking if you're willing to engage with different points of view.

Unfortunately, these days, that seems to be too much to ask.