ELB-6

I watched 'A Hole in the Fence' given its strong rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and I was not disappointed. It is currently streaming on Shudder (7/2024) but this is not truly a horror film in any sort of jump-scare sense. But it is pure horror in terms of the horrible things colonialism, privilege and classism compel people to do, especially when carried out in the name of 'God.' This film is a blistering indictment on how the Catholic church sweeps its own sins diligently under the carpet and the chaos that ensues when those charged with taking care of youth abuse and neglect them instead. This brought up many uncomfortable memories of being bullied in junior high school, and how a bullied child so easily turns into a bully. Not an easy watch. But an incredibly thoughtful, insightful and disturbing one.

I like movies that are difficult to follow, and that allow or require the viewer to figure things out. Even if a movie ends up being a fragmented mess, I can still enjoy it if it is compelling, or leaves me with a certain tone. This movie was a fragmented mess that left me irritated, confused, bored and finally vaguely angry. There *may* have been a story here but the writer/director did not seem to understand how to convey it. It is a rare director who can write and appear in their own work. The person behind this film would do well to concentrate on one of the three: either write, direct or act. This combination certainly did not work for me.

Ms. Marvel is a rarity: a superhero show that cares about its characters and their development more than just putting them in endless action sequences. By the end of the first episode I was completely hooked, and found myself actually caring about Kamala Khan and the odd turn her life was taking. I also find it amazing that the main character is unapologetically brown and Muslim. (We have had SO many white white white superheroes) The writing is smart, the dialogue is brisk and often funny. The actors are 100% believable in largely unbelievable settings.

This is a superhero tale for the current age, and I am HERE for it.