Thursday, March 24, 2022

One More Dream - Ambitious and Profound Coming-Of-Age Drama

 

Throughout the numerous phases of the cinematic art, the genre that follows the entrance of children into the world of adults is as fascinating today as it ever was. Known as the coming-of-age genre, it often manages to touch many of us, even if we live very far from the actual location where the film's plot takes place. The same things apply to One More Dream, a touching drama written and directed by Ricky Burchell. It also promises to be a film that captures the highs and the lows of the current generation of young adults in the US.

The film follows Jeremy, who struggles with his own fears and doubts, but is also looking for a way to pursue his dreams. However, an humiliating encounter with a bully sets his life into another rocky and difficult path. On the same journey, however, Jeremy gets a chance to grow and learn, not just from his peers (who are also struggling with their issues - including the same bully) but also other people who are older and who came up in very far-away lands.

All of them are tied by that human desire to love and be loved, as well as to evolve and change. For the current generation, that process is a minefield of negative influences and wayward paths. However, One More Dream shows us that the most important thing is not to give up and let go of people, no matter what.

Ricky Burchell managed to create a dynamic and engaging coming-of-age film. It will reach out not just to those who are young and going through all of this, but those who went through their own similar experiences years ago. In both cases, One More Dream will have a lot to offer to its viewers!

Monday, March 14, 2022

Two Paragraph Review: The Night House (2020)

Most successful modern horror movies that do not follow a super-tight genre guideline come with a special kind of elegant simplicity. Early films from James Wan are bursting with it. Now, David Buckner is showing a similar tendency and The Night House showcases it really well. In a straightforward story of Beth, a woman who loses her husband to suicide only to gradually find out that he might not be completely gone, Buckner elegantly tackles all kinds of fears.

Some of them might point to the unnatural, but others are very much grounded in the real world and its woes. Chief among them is loneliness and the sense of isolation, even when with other people. At the same time, The Night House is also very crafty with its mystery part, which works almost outside of any horror environment. Here as well, Buckner is focused on the tactile nature of things like strange architectural notebooks with potential gateways to some other place. The final excellent element of this great horror film is Rebecca Hall, who does Beth masterfully, yet keeps her very much grounded and believable. The same thing applies to the movie as well.