The Exorcism of God (Limited theatrical release and streaming on VUDU & AppleTV, March 11)
Director-cowriter Alejandro Hidalgo (House at the End of Time) twists the horror genre to his agenda. Here, he focuses on a well-meaning priest secretly carrying the burden of his own great sin. Father Peter Williams (Will Beinbrink), an American priest living in Mexico, dedicates himself to caring for the village orphans. The villagers consider him a saint. When a local woman is possessed, the demon causes the village children to fall gravely ill. Father Williams has no choice but confront the demon in an exorcism. He’s met this demon before and it knows his secret. Director Alejandro Hidalgo uses this script to ponder sin and redemption, but the serious of this topic doesn’t prevent him from creating demonic creatures that chill to the bone. The film’s special effects are accompanied by extended bursts of violence and a soundtrack that sets teeth on edge. (Lisa Miller)
Gold (Limited theatrical release and Streaming on VUDU, March 11)
This largely one-man film features a stranded, isolated man. While the setup is reminiscent of Cast Away, the difference is that Gold’s character (portrayed by Zac Efron) voluntarily places himself in peril. Credited as Man One, he, along with Man Two (played by director-cowriter Anthony Hayes) discovers an enormous gold nugget in the desert. It’s too large for them to excavate, let alone carry. They decide Man Two will leave to procure tools while Man One stays behind to guard their treasure. As the film progresses, Man Two fails to return in a timely manner, obliging Man One to fend off thirst, wolves and interlopers. The concept may suffer for those who believe they’d refuse to stay behind under these forbidding conditions. However, this chamber piece overcame that objection to receive a 90% fresh Rotten Tomatoes rating. (Lisa Miller)
They Say Nothing Stays the Same (Film Movement DVD)
The old ferryman, Toichi, rows his little boat across the river, back and forth again and again. Set in early 20th century Japan, in a thickly forested rural prefecture, They Say Nothing Stays the Same (2019) unfolds at the leisurely rhythm of Toichi’s life. He lives alone in a shack by the riverbank—as days pass into night and night brightens into day—until the arrival of a strange young girl in red who can’t remember her name or from where she came.
Actor Joe Odagri’s directorial debut is beautifully conceived, attentive to the sound of Toichi’s world and the strangeness in the shadows. The film flirts with ghosts in scenes of terror that break from the lilting rhythm. Hovering over Toichi is the construction of a nearby bridge that will render his little rowboat unnecessary. Already he’s aware of “progress” in the wider world—the river is dirtier and the fireflies fewer. Toichi must face his dawning obsolescence in a society whose increasing speed and desire for convenience is pushing aside an older way of life. (David Luhrssen)
