Is May 2022 literally starting this week? Yes, yes it is but goddamn it, I wanna talk about these movies and because of the chronological aesthetic that I want to uphold, this is going up now. I’ve wanted to review these movies separately and give them their own reviews but it’s really not realistic so this way I’m hitting three birds with one stone. I’ve been trying to catch up in terms of reviews and because of that, I haven’t really been covering any smaller movies which is a shame because these three movies have been some of my favourites from this year so far. Starting off this review roundup with the first movie I’ve seen from this bunch and that is the lovely ‘The Adam Project’.
‘The Adam Project’ (dir. Shawn Levy)
This is a movie that undeniably knows what it is and it turns it up to an eleven. It’s a cheesy, nostalgic, family-friendly blockbuster with a surprising amount of heart. Everything from the dialogue to the jokes to even the plot structure is so incredibly nostalgic. They simply don’t make movies like this anymore because they’re too busy trying to parody them. It’s cliched in every possible way and it’s predictable as hell but that’s fine because the movie actually uses those cliches very well. Ryan Reynolds stars as Ryan Reynolds, he does his thing and he does it very well. The real star here is newcomer Walker Scobell who embodies a mini-version of Reynolds with an impressive amount of charm and wit. Couldn’t be happier to see him play the new version of Percy Jackson. Jennifer Garner and Mark Ruffolo are also fantastic as the parents and once again, I did not expect myself to get so heavily invested in this story but I did and it genuinely got me emotional at the end. Overall, a very sweet, incredibly fun movie that feels like a palette cleanser in a sea of self-aware blockbusters.
‘The Adam Project’ is only available to stream on Netflix.
‘Fresh‘ (dir. Mimi Cave)
One of the weirdest movies I’ve ever seen and of course, I am talking about the Sebastian Stan and Daisy Edgar-Jones cannibal movie. The horrors of men and the dating scape are at the forefront of this movie and that alone makes it more horrifying than most horror movies today. It’s ironic because it disguises itself as a romantic dramedy only for it to become the ultimate anti-dating movie of all time by the end. ‘Fresh‘ is a movie which can be interpreted in many different ways as it tackles many different themes and combines a few different genres together. It tackles the heavy misogyny in the modern dating world and applies a horrific metaphor to it with the cannibalism and how some men literally view women as pieces of meat. It comments on how women are expected to find the love of their lives before they hit thirty and to experience an unrealistically perfect rom-com type of love as shown in the first act with the dating montage. What follows is this genuinely terrifying and at times darkly humorous survivor movie where the movie could’ve easily gone one route but it went the other way. I love how at the end of the day, this movie is really all about the power of women helping each other. The final girls all survive in the end because they helped one another, it’s a hopeful and refreshing ending in a story we’ve all heard going the other way around. It is entertaining all the way through and it is a damn blast. Definitely one of the more memorable movies I’ve seen in recent memory. Highly recommend this one.
‘Fresh‘ is weirdly enough available to stream on Disney Plus via Hulu or Starr.
‘X‘ (dir. Ti West)
With ‘Scream‘, ‘Fresh‘ and now A24’s ‘X‘, 2022 is already dishing out a few new horror classics. ‘X‘, however, is the one that will stay with you long after the credits finish rolling. What a goddamn blast this movie was. The cast was excellent, the horror was unsettling and well-utilized, the commentary on youth was quite effective even if a bit ironic but most importantly, this movie was fun. ‘X‘ is the type of movie that starts making you crave a rewatch the day after you’ve seen it. I’ve only seen it once but there are so many iconic scenes I can think of at the top of my head. The first half is all build-up but make no mistake, the charismatic cast more than makes up for it. Brittany Snow in particular is quite the surprising scene-stealer. Our new scream queen, Jenna Ortega returns to the scene just a couple months after her iconic role in the new ‘Scream‘ and while she isn’t as well utilized here, she screams like her life depends on it and her involvement alone gives the movie a higher value. She is the moment. Mia Goth who is the main star presents what is arguably the best representation of a modern final girl for a horror movie which is ironically set in the seventies. Overall, it’s must-see horror, it’s an A24 slasher, there’s nothing more I can say to convince you.
‘X‘ is available for online purchase right now.
Be sure to check out these movies on your own time and don’t you dare say original content is dying when movies like these, ‘The Northman’, ‘The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent’ and ‘Everything Everywhere All At Once’ are coming out. Support these movies and good filmmaking in general!
owen is a filmaholic 