By Dan Bayer
Last week, we saw the release of "The Curse of La Llorona", the latest film in The Conjuring Universe. In large part thanks to the success of the low-fi, restrained, artfully done "The Conjuring" in 2013, the horror genre has been enjoying something of a renaissance in recent years, with lots of indie art house successes ("The Witch", "Under the Shadow", "Hereditary", and this year's "The Wind") making a dent in the culture and critics' lists. As a big fan of ghost stories in any form - from campground stories told by the light of the fire to episodes of "The Twilight Zone" to movies viewed at a slumber party where you can scream along with friends - I thought it would be fun to take a look at what this decade has had to offer on the front of silvery specters and shivery spirits. Join me on this haunted journey through the haunted houses, hotels, and tech of the 2010s. 10. "Unfriended"
At first, the premise sounds a little silly: A group of friends on a Skype call discover a mysterious entity on the call with them, one that will not leave and which seems to be causing them to kill themselves one by one. But “Unfriended”’s revolutionary format is what really makes it: The entire thing takes place on one computer desktop, so you can see every little part of its owner’s life - what songs they’re listening to, what websites they like to read, and what dirty little secrets they’re hiding in hidden folders. It’s a great match of form to function since the script deals with cyberbullying and how the digital age makes private things VERY public. True, that premise also ends up making every single character unlikeable, but watched late at night with the lights off, on a computer screen, it exerts a creepy pull unlike anything else.
9. "A Ghost Story"
It’s rare that we get ghost stories told from the ghost’s point of view, and rarer still that they end up as beautiful as David Lowery’s meditation on death and what waits for us after. Yes, "A Ghost Story" is all a bit pretentious, what with all the dorm-room philosophizing and square framing and that single-take scene of Rooney Mara just eating a pie, but there are some moments of tremendous beauty scattered throughout that make this a must-see, even if the whole doesn’t quite live up to the sum of its parts.
8. "Mama"
Andy Muschetti’s expansion of his short film benefits from the expanded story, largely through the magnetic performance of Jessica Chastain, as the new foster mother to two young girls found living in a feral state in a cabin in the woods. As a woman unsure if this whole settling down and becoming a mother thing is something she even wants, who slowly warms to the idea as she actually spends time with the girls, Chastain brings so much more to her performance than this movie deserves. “Mama” is drenched in latter-day horror movie tropes, but Muschetti stages everything with verve, making it all feel not exactly new, but refreshed enough to stand out.
|
BEST PICTURE Nomadland (31) - AFCC, AWFJ, BOFCA, BSFC, CFCA, CIC, DFWFCA, GG, GOTHAM, GWNYFCA, HFCS, IFCA, IFJA, IPA, KCFCC, LFCC, LVFCS, NDFS, NSFC, NTFCA, OFCS, PFCS, SEFCA, SFBAFCC, SFCS, StLFCA, TFCA, TIFF, VENICE, VFCC, WAFCA Promising Young Woman (9) - AACTA, COFCA, HCA, KCFCC, MCFCA, NFCS, OAFFC, SCA, SDFCS Minari (4) - NCFCA, NYFCO, OFCC, UFCA Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (3) - BFCC, CIC, PFCC Da 5 Bloods (2) - CIC, NBR First Cow (2) - FFCC, NYFCC The Trial Of The Chicago 7 (2) - DFCS, HFCS Another Round - EFA Dwelling In The Fuchun Mountains - ICS Rocks - BIFA Small Axe - LAFCA The United States vs. Billie Holiday - AARP BEST DIRECTOR Chloé Zhao (41) - AACTA, AFCC, AWFJ, BOFCA, BFCC, BSFC, CFCA, COFCA, DFCS, DFWFCA, FFCC, GG, GWNYFCA, HCA, HFCS, IFCA, IFJA, IPA, KCFCC, LAFCA, LVFCS, MSFCA, NCFCA, NDFS, NSFC, NTFCA, NYFCC, NYFCO, OAFFC, OFCC, OFCS, PFCC, PFCS, SEFCA, SDFCS, SFBAFCC, SFCS, StLFCA, TFCA, VFCC, WAFCA Spike Lee (3) - CIC, HFCS, NBR Regina King (2) - BFCC, UFCA Emerald Fennell - NFCS Darius Marder - SCA Steve McQueen - LFCC Andrew Patterson - GOTHAM Kelly Reichardt - ICS Aaron Sorkin - AARP Thomas Vinterberg - EFA Remi Weekes - BIFA BEST ACTRESS Frances McDormand (23) - AWFJ, BOFCA, CFCA, FFCC, GWNYFCA, HFCS, IFCA, IFJA, IPA, LFCC, LVFCS, NCFCA, NDFS, NSFC, OFCC, OFCS, SEFCA, SFBAFCC, SFCS, TFCA, UFCA, VFCC, WAFCA Carey Mulligan (19) - AACTA, AFCC, COFCA, DFCS, DFWFCA, HCA, HFCS, KCFCC, LAFCA, MCFCA, NBR, NFCS, NTFCA, NYFCO, OAFFC, PFCS, SCA, SDFCS, StLFCA Viola Davis (3) - BFCC, CIC, PFCC Sidney Flanigan (2) - BSFC, NYFCC Maria Bakalova - IPA Paula Beer - EFA Nicole Beharie - GOTHAM Andra Day - GG Sophia Loren - AARP Rosamund Pike - GG Wunmi Mosaku - BIFA Isabel Sandoval - ICS BEST ACTOR Riz Ahmed (19) - AFCC, COFCA, GOTHAM, GWNYFCA, HFCS, IPA, KCFCC, LVFCS, NBR, NDFS, NFCS, NYFCO, OAFFC, OFCC, SCA, SDFCS, SFCS, TFCA, UFCA Chadwick Boseman (18) - AACTA, AWFJ, BFCC, CFCA, CIC, DFCS, DFWFCA, GG, IFCA, LAFCA, LFCC, MSFCA, PFCS, SEFCA, SFBAFCC, StLFCA, VFCC, WAFCA Delroy Lindo (9) - BOFCA, HCA, HFCS, IFJA, NCFCA, NSFC, NYFCC, OFCS, PFCC Anthony Hopkins (5) - AARP, BIFA, BSFC, FFCC, NFCS Sacha Baron Cohen (2) - GG, IPA Mads Mikkelsen - EFA Aditya Modak - ICS Steven Yeun - NTFCA BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS Youn Yuh-jung (25) - AWFJ, BFCC, BSFC, COFCA, GWNYFCA, HCA, IFCA, KCFCC, LAFCA, MCFCA, NBR, NCFCA, NTFCA, NYFCO, OAFFC, OFCC, PFCS, SCA, SEFCA, SDFCS, SFBAFCC, SFCS, StLFCA, VFCC, WAFCA Maria Bakalaova (15) - AFCC, BOFCA, CFCA, CIC, FFCC, HFCS, IFJA, LFCC, MCFCA, NDFS, NSFC, NYFCC, OFCS, TFCA, UFCA Amanda Seyfried (4) - DFWFCA, IPA, LVFCS, PFCC Ellen Burstyn (2) - DFCS, NYFCO Jodie Foster (2) - AARP, GG Kosar Ali - BIFA Sônia Braga - ICS Glenn Close - NFCS Olivia Colman - AACTA Olivia Cooke - HFCS BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR Paul Raci (17) - AFCC, BOFCA, BSFC, CFCA, COFCA, FFCC, GWNYFCA, HCA, HFCS, IFCA, NBR, NSFC, OFCC, SCA, SDFCS, SFBAFCC, StLFCA Daniel Kaluuya (9) - DFWFCA, GG, LVFCS, NFCS, OAFFC, PFCS, SFCS, TFCA, VFCC Leslie Odom Jr. (9) - AWFJ, BFCC, HFCS, IFJA, KCFCC, NYFCO, OFCS, UFCA, WAFCA Sacha Baron Cohen (7) - AACTA, DFCS, MCFCA, NCFCA, NDFS, NTFCA, SEFCA Chadwick Boseman (4) - CIC, IPA, NYFCC, PFCC Francisco Barreiro - ICS Demián Bichir - AARP D’angelou Osei Kissiedu - BIFA Shaun Parkes - LFCC Glynn Turman - LAFCA BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY Nomadland (14) - AWFJ, CFCA, COFCA, GWNYFCA, HFCS, IFJA, KCFCC, LFCC, NCFCA, OAFFC, OFCC, OFCS, SEFCA, WAFCA The Father (5) - BIFA, IPA, NFCS, SCA, SDFCS I'm Thinking Of Ending Things (5) - BOFCA, BSFC, FFCC, StLFCA, UFCA First Cow (4) - DFCS, ICS, PFCC, SFBAFCC One Night In Miami (3) - HCA, LVFCS, PFCS Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (2) - BFCC, CIC News Of The World - NBR BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY Promising Young Woman (19) - AFCC, AWFJ, CIC, COFCA, DFWFCA, HCA, HFCS, IPA, KCFCC, LAFCA, NDFS, NFCS, NYFCO, OAFFC, OFCC, OFCS, SFCS, StLFCA, WAFCA The Trial Of The Chicago 7 (10) - AACTA, AARP, CIC, DFCS, GG, HFCS, MCFCA, PFCS, UFCA, VFCC Minari (8) - BFCC, FFCC, NBR, NCFCA, SDFCS, SEFCA, SFBAFCC, TFCA Never, Rarely, Sometimes, Always (6) - CFCA, GWNYFCA, IFJA, NSFC, NYFCC, OAFFC Another Round - EFA Bacurau - ICS The Forty-Year-Old-Version - GOTHAM Fourteen - GOTHAM Judas And The Black Messiah - LVFCS BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY Nomadland (28) - AFCC, AWFJ, BOFCA, BSFC, CFCA, CIC, COFCA, DFWFCA, GWNYFCA, HCA, HFCS, LVFCS, MCFCA, NBR, NCFCA, NDFS, NSFC, NYFCO, OAFFC, OFCS, PFCC, PFCS, SDFCS, SEFCA, SFCS, StLFCA, UFCA, WAFCA Mank (4) - FFCC, IPA, OFCC, SCA Tenet (4) - BFCC, HFCS, NFCS, NTFCA Small Axe (2) - LAFCA, NYFCC Dwelling In The Fuchun Mountains - ICS First Cow - SFBAFCC Hidden Away - EFA Saint Maud - BIFA The Vast Of Night - KCFCC BEST COSTUME DESIGN Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (5) - CIC, HFCS, LVFCS, PFCS, SFCS Emma. (2) - CFCA, SDFCS The Personal History Of David Copperfield (2) - HCA, IPA Hidden Away - EFA Misbehaviour - BIFA BEST FILM EDITING Nomadland (8) - AWFJ, BOFCA, GWNYFCA, NDFS, OFCS, SFBAFCC, SFCS, StLFCA The Trial Of The Chicago 7 (8) - CIC, COFCA, HCA, HFCS, IPA, MCFCA, PFCS, UFCA The Father (2) - BIFA, LAFCA I'm Thinking Of Ending Things (2) - BSFC, CFCA The Invisible Man (2) - MCFCA, SDFCS Once More Unto The Breach - EFA Sound Of Metal - LVFCS Tenet - WAFCA The Wasteland - ICS BEST MAKEUP & HAIRSTYLING Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (2) - CIC, HCA The Endless Trench - EFA Mank - HFCS Misbehaviour - BIFA BEST ORIGINAL SCORE Soul (24) - AFCC, BOFCA, CFCA, CIC, COFCA, DFCS, FFCC, GG, GWNYFCA, HCA, HFCS, HMMA, LAFCA, LVFCS, NCFCA, OFCC, OFCS, PFCS, SCL, SFBAFCC, SFCS, StLFCA, UFCA, WAFCA Tenet (4) - HMMA, IFJA, MCFCA, SCA Mank (3) - DFWFCA, HFCS, NDFS David Attenborough: A Life On Our Planet (2) - HMMA, IFMCA Minari (2) - BSFC, HMMA Berlin Alexanderplatz - EFA Blizzard Of Souls - SCL The Call Of The Wild - IFMCA Fukushima 50 - IFMCA The Invisible Man - HMMA The Midnight Sky - IPA News Of The World - HMMA Nomadland - IFCA The Personal History Of David Copperfield - IFMCA Preparations To Be Together For An Unknown Period Of Time - ICS Wolfwalkers - IFMCA Wonder Woman 1984 - IFMCA BEST ORIGINAL SONG One Night In Miami (7) - CIC, DFCS, HFCS, HFCS, IFCA, MCFCA, PFCS The Life Ahead (3) - GG, HMMA, IPA Eurovision (2) - HCA, SCL Giving Voice - HMMA Judas And The Black Messiah - LVFCS The Outpost - HMMA Over The Moon - NDFS Trolls: World Tour - HMMA BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN Mank (16) - CFCA, CIC, FFCC, HCA, HFCS, IPA, LAFCA, LVFCS, MCFCA, NDFS, NFCS, PFCS, SDFCS, SFCS, StLFCA, WAFCA First Cow - SFBAFCC His House - BIFA The Personal History Of David Copperfield - EFA A Portuguesa - ICS BEST SOUND Sound Of Metal (3) - HFCS, ICS, IPA Little Girl - EFA The Reason I Jump - BIFA BEST VISUAL EFFECTS Tenet (10) - DFCS, HFCS, HFCS, IPA, NCFCA, NFCS, PFCS, SDFCS, SFCS, StLFCA The Invisible Man (4) - CFCA, CIC, HCA, LVFCS The Platform - EFA Possessor - FFCC BEST ANIMATED FEATURE Soul (28) - AFCC, AWFJ, BFCC, CCA, CIC, DFCS, DFWFCA, FFCC, GG, HFCS, IFCA, IFJA, LVFCS, MSFCA, NBR, NCFCA, NDFS, NFCS, NTFCA, NYFCO, OFCC, OFCS, PFCC, PFCS, SEFCA, SFBAFCC, StLFCA, WAFCA Wolfwalkers (14) - BOFCA, CFCA, COFCA, GWNYFCA, HCA, IPA, KCFCC, LAFCA, NYFCC, OAFFC, SDFCS, SFCS, TFCA, UFCA Josep (2) - EFA, ICS The Wolf House - BSFC BEST INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM Another Round (16) - AFCC, AWFJ, CFCA, EFA, IFJA, KCFCC, LFCC, LVFCS, MCFCA, NCFCA, PFCS, SEFCA, SFBAFCC, StLFCA, UFCA, WAFCA Minari (10) - COFCA, DFCS, DFWFCA, GG, GWNYFCA, NTFCA, NYFCO, OFCS, SFCS, VFCC La Llorona (4) - BSFC, HCA, IPA, NBR Bacurau (3) - BOFCA, NYFCC, TFCA Collective (2) - AARP, NSFC The Life Ahead (2) - HFCS, SDFCS And Then We Danced - NDFS A Sun - HFCS Beanpole - LAFCA His House - CIC Identifying Features - GOTHAM Jumbo - PFCC Los Fuertes - FFCC Martin Eden - OFCC Night Of The Kings - BFCC BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE Time (11) - AFCC, BFCC, DFWFCA, GOTHAM, GWNYFCA, LAFCA, NBR, NYFCC, PFCC, SDFCS, SEFCA Collective (9) - BSFC, EFA, IPA, LFCC, OAFFC, SFBAFCC, StLFCA, TFCA, VFCC Dick Johnson Is Dead (8) - CCA, CFCA, COFCA, IFCA, IFJA, NCFCA, OFCS, UFCA Boys State (6) - CIC, DFCS, LVFCS, OFCC, PFCS, WAFCA All In: The Fight For Democracy (4) - AWFJ, HCA, NDFS, NTFCA The Dissident (2) - KCFCC, NFCS The Painter And The Thief (2) - AWFJ, BOFCA Beastie Boys Story - HFCS Class Action Park - HCA Crip Camp - IDA The History of the Seattle Mariners: Supercut Edition - SFCS My Octopus Teacher - HFCS The Reason I Jump - BIFA A Secret Love - AARP The Social Dilemma - MCFCA A Thousand Cuts - GOTHAM The Way I See It - NYFCO The Year Of The Discovery - ICS You Don't Nomi - FFCC AuthorsNicole Ackman Archives
March 2021
Categories
All
|