(Welcome to Under the radara column where we highlight specific films, programs, trends, performances or scenes that caught our attention and deserved more attention… but otherwise went unnoticed. In this edition: Jeremy Saulnier's action film “Rebel Ridge”, the coming-of-age comedy “Snack Shack” and the wonderful Studio Ghibli documentary “Hayao Miyazaki and the Heron”.)
Don't look now, but 2024 is almost completely in our rearview mirror and you, our loyal /Film readers, should know what that means. Putting the finishing touches on our top 10 lists, engaging in needlessly angry debates about the hottest Oscar-worthy films, and lumping several disparate holidays into a hazy, months-long exercise in stream of consciousness is what the fall seasons are all about. and winter were made. ! But as this year in cinema begins to draw to a close, let no film enthusiast forget their most sacred duty of all. Of the many benefits of this column, perhaps none is more important than remembering every chapter so far, writing down the most unfamiliar choices, and obnoxiously berating your friends for sleeping on the job and missing out on all the benefits. best hidden gems. Guys, that's what we're here for: to make you look like a better, more informed viewer than the rest of the general public.
In that spirit, our newest edition of “Under the Radar” is united around a single theme: streaming. As much as movie theater proponents have a love/hate relationship with our new digital reality, there's no denying that streaming offers us an easy and convenient opportunity to catch up on what we missed the first time around. (In the past, we would have called this phenomenon “cable,” but so it is.) Over the past month, some of the best and most entertaining titles have hit the digital airwaves… and most of us, even yours truly, have almost missed them completely. From Netflix action extravaganzas to low-key dramedys and a documentary about our most talented living filmmaker, here are September's top picks.
Rebel Ridge
When all is said and done, you'll want to be on the right side of history when it comes to the work of Jeremy Saulnier. The idiosyncratic director has carved out a niche for himself over the years, first teaming up with friend and actor (and writer and producer) Macon Blair to deliver low-budget thrillers like 2007's “Murder Party” and, most notably, crime thrillers. seen “Blue Ruin” in 2013. He followed it up with the genre film “Green Room” (starring Patrick Stewart as the villain of a lifetime) and the underrated “Hold the Dark” a few years later. After taking some time to direct a few episodes of the third season of “True Detective,” he returned to the big screen (well, so to speak) with “Rebel Ridge,” which enjoyed quite a bit of hype before hitting Netflix for the last time. month. While the streamer's dubious metrics point to a success, we're not taking anything for granted this time around. Let's give this movie the love it clearly deserves.
Led by “Old Man” scene-stealer and our newest Green Lantern Aaron Pierre, “Rebel Ridge” sees the burly actor in a role he's perfectly cast to knock out of the park. Former Marine, Pierre's Terry Richmond invites immediate Jack Reacher vibes as a drifter freed from any real ties since leaving the army – outside of his family, of course. Cycling frantically to the local courthouse to deliver bail money to his incarcerated brother, the tension and stakes rise almost instantly when Terry is stopped by the police for, well, no real reason other than his skin color. Abused and ultimately robbed by the cops, he spends the rest of the time frantically trying to save his brother and, when that fails, exact revenge on one of the most corrupt institutions in America. Every step of the way, Saulnier directs it for maximum impact – literally speaking, once the bullets start flying and the tight script inevitably heads towards the cliff's edge. Modern action movies just don't get much better or more hard-hitting than this.
“Rebel Ridge” is currently streaming on Netflix.
Snack shop
You're a teenager in 1991 and it's the time of oversized T-shirts and Nike sneakers, long summer months with nothing to do but dream about get-rich-quick schemes and develop crushes on the new girl literally next door, and fight to Find a job when your overbearing parents decide to put an end to your troublesome ways and make you grow up already. Little do they know that this is nearly impossible for two best friends like AJ (Conor Sherry) and Moose (Gabriel LaBelle, last seen channeling a young Steven Spielberg in “The Fabelmans”) – a “package,” as Moose describes himself. from an early age. Set in Nebraska and following in the footsteps of “Dazed and Confused” (and countless coming-of-age films like it), “Snack Shack” is a warm, welcoming blast of nostalgia for much more innocent days long gone. While some may find it derivative of its throwback charm, writer/director Adam Rehmeier creates something uniquely specific and entirely real here in his story of two young friends obsessed with making it big.
If only they had some other life skill to make those big dreams come true. “I want to present you with an idea,” Moose states confidently, in what turns out to be the first of many stupid attempts to make money. After their latest business venture falls apart – AJ's parents discover the makeshift distillery they run and empty the surprisingly good beer they were selling to local high school students – the two decide to acquire the rights to run the decrepit Snack Shack located by the public pool. . For these little hucksters, it's certainly a better use of their time than karate-chopping each other's necks, taunting bullies, and betting on dog races while they should be on school trips. But when they both end up developing a crush on Brooke (Mika Abdalla) and are forced to deal with real issues for a change, what unfolds is a coming-of-age story that, yes, leans on all sorts of tropes… but never a strikes a false note.
Come for the hilarious and fun tone, stay for the trio of performances that herald stars in the making, and leave pleasantly surprised by this blast from the (recent) past.
“Snack Shack” is currently available streaming on Prime Video.
Hayao Miyazaki and the Crane
This was a documentary decades in the making, chronicling what many thought would be the great Hayao Miyazaki's last film before he sailed off into the sunset of retirement (for real, this time). It's everything longtime fans could want, detailing the long-suffering process — and emphasis on suffering — of overseeing every drawing and every frame of what would become “The Boy and the Crane.” It offers never-before-seen insights into the legendary director's creative process and personal life, making it clear how much each film (but especially this one) takes its toll. It's also a film that begins with Miyazaki in a hot tub and completely naked, with just a cheeky blur maintaining his dignity. Like Miyazaki himself, this film contains multitudes.
If a better documentary arrived this year, no one informed “Hayao Miyazaki and the Crane” of this small detail. The up-close-and-personal feature sheds a whole new light on the tortured genius who puts every ounce of himself into his art. Accordingly, however, no film comes as close to being an autobiography as “The Boy and the Crane.” Armed with years of videos shot in Miyazaki's home and studio, archival footage from his youth, and some brilliantly evocative editing, director Kaku Arakawa picks up the action in September 2013, when the master announced his “retirement”… just for starters. . production about a certain boy's adventure with a certain chatty crane-man just three years later. From there, he takes viewers through a countdown to the Japanese premiere of the filmmaker's latest triumph, tracing the painstaking journey and endless personal losses he suffered along the way – all of which influenced what the film would end up being.
“When I close my eyes, I can't stop thinking,” laments Miyazaki to no one in particular. Over the course of two hours, we slowly realize the truth of this statement. Whether a longtime fan or a relatively new admirer, “Hayao Miyazaki and the Crane” is an unmissable experience for anyone who loves the medium of cinema and the visionaries who make it special in the first place.
“Hayao Miyazaki and the Crane” is now streaming on Max.
