Photo courtesy of Sony Pictures
Black Christmas (Rated PG-13)
Made for a quaint $5 million, this slasher is the second loose remake of the original Canadian film (1974). As the holiday break looms at their college, a group of sorority girls are targeted by a ruthless killer. When unbelieving campus police ignore the girls’ pleas for help, the sorority sisters unite in an effort to fight back. Directed and co-written by Sophia Takal, this holiday-season counter-programming is timed to coincide with Friday the 13th. All hype aside, this horror film also points out that young women might want to consider the wisdom of accruing college debt.
Jumanji: The Next Level (Rated PG-13)
The previous Jumanji players find themselves back in the game, along with several new players. This time the settings are different, but the real gimmick has most Jumanji players returning as different avatars than those they previously assumed. Now inhabited by a pair of warring grandpas, Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart attempt to convey their player’s voices and attitudes, with varying results. Hit-and-miss juvenile humor does little to compliment imaginative set pieces that come close to making the grade.
Richard Jewell (Rated R)
This screenplay, adapted from an investigative essay, observes the folly of failing to fully investigate. It’s the 1996 Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta, when security guard Richard Jewell (Paul Walter Hauser) spots an abandoned backpack and evacuates the area just prior to a bomb explosion. Given his outcast status (i.e. living with his mom, played by Kathy Bates) and desire to be in law enforcement, FBI agent Tom Shaw (Jon Hamm) concludes Jewell planted the bomb to play the hero. Shaw’s suspicions become fodder for reporter Kathy Scruggs (Olivia Wilde), whose ambitions include bringing home the big scoop. Enter attorney Watson Bryant (Sam Rockwell), committed to clearing Jewell’s name. Excellently cast, the film delivers the right mix of backstory, action and well-drawn characters that allows the story to speak for itself.
