(Welcome to Under the radara column in which we highlight specific movies, shows, trends, performances, or scenes that caught our attention and deserved more attention… but otherwise went unnoticed. This release: Jeremy Saulnier's action flick “Rebel Ridge,” the coming-of-age comedy “Snack Shack,” and the great Studio Ghibli documentary “Hayao Miyazaki and the Heron.”)
Don't look now, but 2024 is almost entirely in our rearview mirror, and you, our loyal /Film readers, need to know what that means. Putting the finishing touches on our top 10 lists, engaging in unnecessary and angry debates about the most talked about Oscar-worthy films, and cramming many different holidays into one vague, months-long stream of consciousness exercise – that's what the fall/winter season was created for! But as this year of cinema comes to an end, let not a single film enthusiast forget his most sacred duty of all. Of the many benefits of this column, perhaps none is more important than looking back at each installment so far, noting the most hidden picks, and obnoxiously scolding your friends for sleeping on the job and missing all the best hidden gems. People, that's what we're here for: to make you seem like a better, more aware moviegoer than the rest of society.
In that spirit, our latest edition of “Under the Radar” focused on one topic: streaming. While moviegoers have a love/hate relationship with our new digital reality, there's no denying that streaming provides us with an easy and convenient opportunity to catch up on what we missed the first time around. (In the old days we would have called this phenomenon “cable,” but it happens.) Last month, it so happened that some of the best and most entertaining titles hit the digital airwaves… and most of us, even yours truly, missed them almost entirely . From Netflix action extravaganzas to low-key dramas to a documentary about arguably the most talented filmmaker alive, here are September's best picks.
Rebel Hill
When all is said and done, you'll want to be on the right side of history when it comes to Jeremy Saulnier's body of work. The idiosyncratic director has carved out quite a niche for himself over the years, first teaming up with friend and actor (and writer and producer) Macon Blair to create low-budget thrillers like 2007's Murder Party and, most notably, the criminally underrated Blue Ruin ” in 2013. He then made the brutal, Nazi-murdering genre film “Green Room” (starring Patrick Stewart in the villainous role 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, sort of) with “Rebel Ridge,” which had a lot of buzz before hitting Netflix last month. While questionable streamer metrics point to a hit, we're not taking anything for granted this time. Let's give this movie the love it so clearly deserves.
Led by “Old Man” scene stealer and our newest Green Lantern Aaron Pierre, “Rebel Ridge” features a powerful actor in a role he's perfectly cast to keep him off balance. Former Marine Terry Richmond, played by Pierre, immediately gives off a Jack Reacher vibe as a drifter unencumbered by any real ties since leaving the military – apart from his family, of course. Frantically riding his bike to the local courthouse to hand over the bail money to his imprisoned brother, the tension and stakes increase almost immediately when Terry is pulled over by the police for, well, no real reason other than the color of his skin. Exploited and ultimately robbed by officers, he spends the rest of his time frantically trying to save his brother and, when that fails, take revenge on one of the most corrupt institutions in America. At every turn, Saulnier strives for maximum impact – literally, once the bullets start flying and the tense script inevitably heads towards a cliff edge. Modern action movies simply don't get any better or edgier than this.
“Rebel Ridge” is currently available on Netflix.
Snack hut
You're a teenager in 1991 and it's a time of oversized T-shirts and Nike sneakers, long summer months with nothing to do but hatch get-rich-quick schemes, fall in love with the new girl literally next door, and scramble to get a job, when your overbearing parents decide to put an end to your troublesome ways and make you grow up. Little do they know that's almost impossible with a pair of best buds like AJ (Conor Sherry) and Moose (Gabriel LaBelle, last seen channeling young Steven Spielberg in “The Fabelmans”) – a “package deal” as Moose describes himself early. Set in Nebraska, “Snack Shack” follows in the footsteps of “Dazed and Confused” (and countless coming-of-age movies) and is a warm and welcoming blast of nostalgia for much more innocent days gone by. While some may consider it a derivative of the glamor of the past, writer/director Adam Rehmeier creates something uniquely specific and entirely true here in his story of two young friends obsessed with becoming famous.
If only they had some other life skill that would enable them to achieve these big dreams. “I want to give you an idea,” Moose says confidently, which turns out to be the first of many crazy money-making temptations. When their latest business venture falls to pieces – AJ's parents discover the makeshift distillery they were running and empty the surprisingly good beer they had been selling to local high school students – the two set out to acquire the rights to manage the ruined Snack Shack company located next to the public swimming pool. It's certainly a better use of time for these small-time dealers than karate chopping each other in the neck, provoking thugs and betting on dog races when they should be on class trips. But when they both fall in love with Brooke (Mika Abdalla) and are forced to face real problems for a change, a coming-of-age story unfolds that may rely on all sorts of tropes… but never once hits a false note.
Come for the fun and humorous tone, stay for the three performances announcing future stars, and leave pleasantly surprised by the blast from the (recent) past.
“Snack Shack” is currently available to stream on Prime Video.
Hayao Miyazaki and the heron
It was a documentary decades in the making, chronicling what many believed to be the last film of the great Hayao Miyazaki before his retirement (for real this time). It's everything longtime fans could want, detailing the patient process — with an emphasis on suffering — of overseeing every drawing and every frame of what ultimately became “The Boy and the Heron.” It offers a never-before-seen insight into the legendary director's creative process and personal life, clearly revealing the toll that each film (but especially this one) takes. It's also a movie that opens with Miyazaki in a hot tub, completely naked, with only a cheeky smear maintaining his dignity. Like Miyazaki himself, this film has plenty of them.
If there was a better documentary this year, no one informed “Hayao Miyazaki and the Heron” about this little detail. The up-close film sheds a whole new light on a tortured genius who pours every ounce of himself into his art. However, no film comes as close to autobiography as “The Boy and the Heron.” Armed with videos shot over the years in Miyazaki's home and studio, archival footage from his youth and incredibly evocative editing, director Kaku Arakawa begins the action in September 2013, when the master announced his “retirement”… just three years later, a production telling the adventure of one a boy with a certain noisy heron. He then walks viewers through the countdown to the Japanese premiere of the director's latest triumph, chronicling the arduous journey and endless personal losses he suffered along the way – all of which impacted the film's final shape.
“When I close my eyes, I can't stop thinking,” Miyazaki laments, to no one in particular. Over the course of two hours, we slowly realize the truth of this statement. Whether you're a longtime fan or a relatively new admirer, “Hayao Miyazaki and the Heron” is a must-see for anyone who loves the medium of film and the visionaries who make it special in the first place.
“Hayao Miyazaki and the Heron” is now streaming on Max.
