'Divinity' is a Lo-Fi, Mind-Melting, Perverted Affair
Director Eddie Alcazar has a gift for bringing to life the most mind-bending experimental films, and his latest Divinity is no different. In 2016, Alcazar released the grindhouse horror short film FUCKKKYOUUU, followed by his ambitious and equally mesmerizing feature, Perfect (2018). Unapologetic and defiantly bold, Divinity plays at the intersection of absurdity and video nasty – the place where Alcazar and his creativity thrive.
Set in an undefined time in the future, Divinity stars Stephen Dorff as Jaxxon Pierce, the heir of controversial scientist Sterling Pierce (Scott Bakula) who created a life-changing serum called "Divinity." When used properly, the serum promises immortality to those who inject it. High off of his father's legacy, Jaxxson's determination to take "Divinity" to the next level reaches a fever pitch when his vision of the future – one where he lives forever – becomes ever closer to reality. However, his plans for domination become thwarted when two unnamed brothers (Moises Arias, Jason Genao) show up unannounced with a plan to capture Jaxxson and get their hands on "Divinity" for themselves.
Not far away from the impending abduction is a sorority of women, led by a domineering Ziva (Bella Thorne). Her appearance throughout the film acts as interludes to the story's over-arcing structure, as she preaches about the destruction "Divinity" will cause to humanity. Another strong female character is the sex worker Nikita (Karrueche Tran), who initially finds herself at the home of Jaxxon Pierce to spend some two-on-one time with the brothers before accidentally inserting herself into their twisted game.
In addition to the acceptably kooky performances from all involved, the music is perhaps the biggest standout – which says a lot given the overwhelming distractions on screen at any given time. DJ Muggs and composer Dean Hurley, best known for his collaborations with David Lynch, create eerie, drone-heavy soundscapes that perfectly encapsulate Alcazar's bizarre world. Aiding in the film's visual aesthetic is cinematographer Danny Hiele, who previously worked in a similar 16mm black-and-white fashion on FUCKKKYOUUU. The crunchy quality feels as if it's been recovered from a 70's era time capsule, like a dirty little secret that should have never seen the light of day.
To call Divinity a wild ride would be an understatement. This is a lo-fi, mind-melting, perverted affair. Executive-produced by Steven Soderbergh, Divinity is another successful demonstration of Eddie Alcazar's unique and singular vision.
This review originally ran on January 30, 2023, during the Sundance Film Festival
In LA theaters on Friday, 10/20, and Nationwide on 11/3.
The Trial of 'Reality Winner': Hero or Traitor?
Former Air Force veteran and NSA contractor Reality Winner was just 25 years old when she was charged under the Espionage Act, facing a decade in prison for leaking a classified document that seemed to prove Russia's interference in the 2016 Presidential election. At the time, then-President Trump vehemently denied any wrongdoing in his quest for the ultimate power position, claiming that any talk of Russia's collusion was just a distraction from his victory. It was a tense time in America, made even more unbearable for Reality as she stared at a document that contradicted everything Trump was saying publicly. Taking matters into her own hands, she made a rushed decision to leak the document. Just as quickly, she was faced with the consequences.
The politically-charged documentarian Sonia Kennebeck (Enemies of the State, National Bird) brings the story of the now 31-year-old Reality Winner back into the public's consciousness in the self-titled documentary, Reality Winner. Executive produced by Wim Wenders, the film is the first official statement from Reality since her release from prison on June 2, 2021. Using intimate, never-before-heard conversations between Reality and her family, Kennebeck crafts a thought-provoking exposé about the risks of whistleblowing, even if acting in good faith on behalf of the country, and begs the question if her actions constitute that of a traitor or a hero.
Throughout the swift 94-minute runtime, Reality recounts the morning of her initial confrontation with FBI agents, her struggle to adjust to prison, and her eventual release and acclimation back into the world post-Covid. Soft-spoken yet unabashedly confident, Reality conducts the sit-down interview in the yard of her parent's home (and who can blame her for wanting to be outside after spending years in a jail cell). Assisting in the storytelling is Reality's mother, Billie Winner-Davis, whose own emotional rollercoaster is a painstaking watch. Through their own words and corresponding verité footage, Reality and Billie's individual experiences over the last five years show an unwavering strength in the midst of a radioactive political climate.
The story of Reality Winner is a fascinating one but we must remember that at the center of it all is a young woman who still struggles to navigate through these uncharted territories. She says as much toward the end of the film by professing she is still battling an uphill fight. She has joined the ranks of previous whistleblowers Chelsea Manning, Thomas Drake, and Edward Snowden, a group she never intended to be part of. While there isn't any "new" information shed on Reality that isn't already accessible on Google, the documentary is still an engaging story and recounts a historic moment in American politics.
Ironically, in June of 2023, Donald Trump was also indicted under the Espionage Act for his possession of classified documents, just like Reality five years prior.
Codebreaker Films / 94 minutes / English
'The Mission' Investigates a Fatal Sermon
The Broadway musical "The Book of Mormon" is highly praised for its tongue-in-cheek mockery of well-meaning but ignorant religious zealots. As the story goes, a young and naive Mormon missionary enters into unwelcome territory with his Godly paraphernalia in hand, determined to convert an entire Ugandan tribal community into followers of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The musical is outrageous, flamboyantly exaggerated, and makes for the perfect date night activity. However, after American missionary John Chau died during an attempt to proselytize his beliefs to the isolated and highly unpredictable Sentinelese tribe, the plot of the silly musical that felt so farfetched suddenly feels much darker.
Emmy-winning directors Jesse Moss and Amanda McBaine (Boys State) bring the tragic story of John Chau's fatal sermon to the screen in The Mission. In 2018, John's death made headlines around the world when he was killed with bows and arrows at the hands of the Indigenous people who live on the remote North Sentinel Island. The Sentinelese are widely considered to be among the most vulnerable and dangerous in the world, and history has shown that they don't take kindly to foreigners entering their territory. John saw these obstacles as all the more reason to venture, illegally, to the remote island. He viewed the Sentinelese as victims of Satan's last stronghold, and he was determined to be the one who could convince them to follow God and was willing to die trying.
The backbone of the documentary relies on John's posthumous diary, which was turned over to his family after his death. Journal entries are read aloud by a voice actor who captures John's wide-eyed optimism and free spirit mentality. "If God is for you, who can be against you," he writes–an eerie foreshadowing of how his false sense of security put him in a deadly situation. Interviews with his family and friends tell a similar story of a young man who was adventurous, self-sufficient, and deeply committed to his church. Limited archival footage also means that the dependency on video archives is crucial, and animation is used to depict scenes that could otherwise not have been shown.
What makes John's story all the more heartbreaking is his unintentional arrogance and assumption that he was invincible under God's eye, which turned his final sermon into a self-inflicted suicide mission. Experts and religious leaders comment on the fact that "people who exist out of time"–much like the Sentinelese–is a seductive narrative to Westerners who feel compelled to push their beliefs and societal structure onto them. But not everybody needs or wants "saving."
On one hand, John's Evangelical Christian faith gave him purpose. On the other, his dedication was responsible for his death. The filmmakers bring up both sides of this conundrum, making it difficult to confidently place blame on any one person. Was he brainwashed into thinking he could actually save these people? Did he literally believe he was a messiah? And if so, did the church encourage these delusions? John's story is harrowing because of how unavoidable the outcome could have been, making The Mission a fascinating albeit heartbreaking watch.
National Geographic Documentary Films / 103 mins / USA / 2023 / English, Latin, Piraha, Hindi, Sarikoli, Onge
'A Binding Truth' Uncovers a Complicated Familial History
Two former high school classmates, one black and one white, explore a complicated familial history in director Louise Woehrle's incredible documentary, A Binding Truth. What initially started out as a sports biopic about the regional football superstar Jimmie Lee Kirkpatrick gracefully morphs into something far more affecting. Making its Midwest Premiere at the Heartland International Film Festival in Indianapolis next week, A Binding Truth turns a sports story into a larger civil rights story, ultimately crafting a universal story of America.
Back in the mid-1960s, Jimmie Lee Kirkpatrick was highly regarded as one of the best football players in his hometown of North Carolina. His skill and coordination on the field were so precise that he caught the attention of a neighboring high school coach, who persuaded Jimmie to transfer and play for his team. This move was unprecedented for many reasons but mainly because that meant Jimmie would be leaving his black, segregated high school in order to join the team at the white, affluent school. The move ultimately ended up being the best decision Jimmie ever made. Not only because he made history as the high school's first black football star, but because a connection he made with one of his classmates nearly 50 years later uncovered a decades-long truth about his family's history as slaves in the American South.
Despite their superficial differences, Jimmie Kirkpatrick and his new white classmate, Hugh "De" Kirkpatrick, had more in common than they realized. They shared the same last name, which led to an investigation into the backstory of both Jimmie and De's family trees. Burdened with the guilt of generations before him, De, a forensic psychologist, dives deep into his research to ask the question, "How could anyone justify owning another human being?". The reason they shared a last name is because De's family had forced it upon Jimmie's family as a signal of "property ownership". This family secret of once being slaveholders was unknown to De, and the film gracefully allows both De and Jimmie to come to terms with this uncomfortable reality at their own pace.
There are some moments that are difficult to get through with dry eyes. The archival interviews from Jimmie and De's family and friends can be haunting, uncomfortable, and yet absolutely necessary to hear. As far as subject matter goes, the film has a Remember the Titans quality to it, so fans of the Denzel Washington-led blockbuster should no doubt seek out this indie documentary.
Ending on an overall heartwarming note, the film does leave audiences with some sobering statistics. It's hard to imagine now, but in 1860, nearly 40% of the county's population, where they grew up, was enslaved. While De Kirkpatrick is not at fault for the actions of the generations before him, he teaches us that acknowledging the wrongdoings and committing to making a change is all any of us can do to ensure a compassionate future for all. Jimmie's resilience throughout the film is equally as commendable and an example of how resiliency and the power of positive connection contribute to healing.
'Foe' Explores Modern Love in A Dystopian Future
Paul Mescal continues to ignite indie film fans with his sensitive, connection-driven characters. Most recently, this includes Foe, the sci-fi dystopian romance from director Garth Davis. Based on the book by Iain Reid, who co-wrote the screenplay alongside Davis, Foe is a dysfunctional love story for our modern times. More than just an examination of a relationship on life support, Foe seductively gets under the skin and passionately pulls at the heartstrings of anyone who has ever felt like an outsider looking in on their own life, trapped in a body with no control over how to use it.
Set forty years in the future but for the most part, still grounded in reality, a young man and his wife live in a secluded farmhouse far away from the commotion of the city. There is a palpable tension from the moment we meet Junior (Mescal) and Hen (Saoirse Ronan) but it is hard to pinpoint exactly what is creating their invisible walls. There does not seem to be a presence of anger, but more so the lack of empathy.
One night, Junior and Hen receive an unexpected knock at their door and find a stranger named Terrance (Aaron Pierre) on the porch. The man claims to be a representative of OuterMore, a corporate entity exploring the viability of off-world habitation, and he comes with shocking news: Junior has been involuntarily drafted into their space program. The exact dates are unclear but it wouldn't be a stretch to assume that Junior would be gone for years. Hen, rightfully devastated and confused, is consoled by Terrance's follow-up proposition. He tells her that in Junior's absence, an AI body double will be created in his place.
Junior–who has had no say in the matter and is visibly agitated that his life is being thrown into chaos–is against the idea of an AI model. Despite his outrage, Terrance tells Junior he has no choice but to go along with the plan and quickly infiltrates the couple's life, conducting experiments and intimate interviews all in the name of research. Going through this uncertainty together creates an unstable and highly emotional ebb and flow between Junior and Hen that swirls to a tsunami-like crescendo towards the film's bittersweet end.
https://youtu.be/sAh-xgggcfI?si=qlk25ddNdH9ty9wZ
Garth Davis crafts an emotionally-drenched story about autonomy and choice in the name of love. Three characters make up the world of Foe, and all are truly spellbinding. For his part as the slowly unraveling and desperate Junior, Paul Mescal gives the performance of a lifetime. No stone is left unturned as he dials up the manic and physical outbursts, with his vulnerability (including his naked body) on display. Saoirse Ronan commands the room in every scene with her gentle and quietly stirring force. Her embodiment of a woman who exists as just a shell of herself is both relatable and frustrating.
Setting the film's visual tone is award-winning cinematographer Mátyás Erdély who makes desolation and despair look so beautiful. Musically, the score is stunning-which is no surprise given that composer and cellist Oliver Coates reteams with the Aftersun star for another melodic heartbreaker. Coates contributes more of the classical elements to the score while Korean composer Park Jiha aided in more of the soundtrack's primal and worldly sounds.
At times, the film does feel a bit clunky and overly dramatic. A more subtle approach, especially with Junior's emotional expression, would have felt more authentic and made his periodic breakdowns feel more impactful and affecting. Instead, we begin to lose compassion seeing him wail in nearly every other scene. I also couldn't help but wonder how Drake Doremus would have approached this script. His gentle touch when it comes to stirring up the raw and ugly side of love is what this film would have benefited from immensely.
While the film is not perfect, it does bring up existential questions that are worth pondering like the use of AI to express our thoughts through words that we don't write ourselves, and the harsh reality of saving troubled relationships on a declining planet. "Do you think more about the future, or the past," asks Hen one morning. It's a simple question but one that I personally haven't been able to honestly answer myself. Foe is a film that asks thought-provoking questions like these in spades. If you are like me and love a film that leaves you spiritually and intellectually stimulated, Foe will be your friend.
Amazon Studios / 108 Minutes / Rated R / English
The Crazy Case of 'Mister Organ': David Farrier Dips Into Darkness
From the filmmaker behind the disturbingly engrossing 2016 documentary, Tickled, comes another wacky story about the dark underbelly of society. Journalist David Farrier stumbles into another absurd dimension in Mister Organ, where an accidental run-in with a man acting as a wheel clamper turns into a nonstop psychological game of cat and mouse, and the repercussions of engaging with a psychopath still haunt David to this day.
This story is one that only David Farrier is qualified to tell. In his own words, this is the type of "weird mess" that he has become synonymous with. What starts out as a rather mundane inquiry into the abnormal parking enforcements of a New Zealand antique shop, Bashford Antiques, spirals into a whodunit-type mystery that ends up leaving David with more questions than answers.
Jillian Bashford is the owner of Bashford Antiques, and she has a parking problem. Frustrated with the public using her private carport, she hires a man named Michael Organ as her late-night watchdog. If anyone is caught parking in the shop's designated area, Michael clamps their tires and only releases them for $700. Naturally, people are outraged. But not Ms. Bashford or Mr. Organ. Hearing the outrageous fee piques David's interest, and so he begins investigating the situation. Quickly, he discovers that there is so much more than meets the eye. As David gathers clues in real time, he begins piecing together the fact that Michael Organ is a mysterious, possibly dangerous, man. Court records and public documents show that he has claimed to be a prince as well as a lawyer, but his discovery is quickly met with caution as David discovers that Michael has also purposefully misspelled his name on legal documents to cover his tracks. Conversations with former acquaintances uncover even more intrigue, and all roads eventually lead to David and Michael meeting face-to-face.
What follows is unhinged chaos. Michael Organ is a black hole, and David Farrier has fallen into it. Michael is hostile and intimidating but also flamboyant and speaks in a monotone, molasses-like cadence. He is also extremely arrogant, the type of man who talks over you and won't stop talking until his point is made, regardless if he's interrupting an interview or live radio broadcast. Over the course of the film, as David unrelentingly pursues answers to his questions, his sanity begins to suffer. A psychological battle against a narcissist is one that David cannot win, and he realizes he has to stop.
Mister Organ will stir up plenty of emotions throughout its 96-minute runtime. Intrigue, annoyance, and hilarity all stay at the surface, mixing interchangeably depending on Michael Organ's mood and willingness to engage with David. Bringing the dark energy to an already palpable sense of tension is the score by composer Lachlan Anderson. The music is simmering and creepy, the perfect slow burn to accompany the arc of the film.
As a documentary journalist, David Farrier proves in Mister Organ that not all stories have happy endings or even conclusive ones. Calling Michael a "fuckwit who bores people to death until they jump off a building" may not live up to traditional journalist standards but David's vulnerability and defeatedness after engaging with Michael for three years on and off is a fascinating thing to witness. Mister Organ is an enthralling and equally disturbing documentary that exposes hidden secrets. It's also a cautionary tale about blind trust, begging us to think twice before engaging with a stranger.
Distributed by Drafthouse Films and MUBI / 96 minutes / New Zealand / 2022 / English
'Grasshopper Republic': Discover the Magic of These Delicate-Winged Insects
Shot in cinema verité style with special attention paid to spatial structure, director Daniel McCabe immerses audiences into the harvest season of a Ugandan grasshopper trapping team in the reverential documentary, Grasshopper Republic. Mesmerizing close-ups of these intricate and delicate winged insects with vibrant coloring and distinct chirping sounds, display a quality of beauty that is so often overlooked. As magical as they appear, the grasshoppers are more often regarded as a life source for a section of the Ugandan community, both as a bartering tool and in their food supply. Over the course of three seasons, McCabe highlights the tireless efforts of the trapping team and the lengths they go to secure this elusive prey by the barrel load.
Grasshopper Republic opens with the trance-like birth of a grasshopper, which looks more like an alien species than an earthly animal. Pale green transparent bodies with long extended antennas and black beady eyes fill the screen, all captured with special macro cameras akin to BBC's Planet Earth. This birth sequence foreshadows the pacing of the remainder of the film, which is to say it is slow and methodical. There is an intentional lack of dialogue and no talking head interviews are given. Rather, Daniel McCabe relies on field recordings and natural audio from the remote forests and villages to help build out the film's natural aesthetic.
With no acknowledgment of a camera presence, the documentary's biggest strength is its commitment to being immersive and observational. We quietly watch as the trapping team builds makeshift traps to catch grasshoppers and the ecological fallout that comes along with it, including the potential havoc wreaked on the village crops. Bringing this intensity to life is the wonderfully rich score from composer Robert Aiki Aubrey Lowe (Candyman, Master, Telemarketers). His use of synths and reverb sounds like the buzzing of a swarm of insects, which really hits a crescendo near the end of the film when millions of grasshoppers appear in the sky like shooting stars.
Director Daniel McCabe found inspiration for Grasshopper Republic in the photobook "Nsenene" by Michele Sibiloni. This influence translates into a gorgeous documentary that plays more like an art piece than a traditional film. Commentary on living in symbiosis with nature is prevalent throughout the 94-minute runtime and serves as a beautiful reminder of gratitude for nature and its abundance.
Joseph Trapanese Premieres Tracks From 'No One Will Save You'
Award-winning composer Joseph Trapanese gets otherwordly in his latest film No One Will Save You, Netflix's new sci-fi thriller starring Kaitlyn Dever. Adding eerie flare to an otherwise predominately orchestral score, the 30-song soundtrack is a tightly packaged medley of anxiety and sonic exploration, making it an easy contender for standalone listening during the upcoming spooky season.
In No One Will Save You, written and directed by Brian Duffield, Brynn (Kaitlyn Dever) is an outcast who finds herself alienated from her community. She finds peace in her childhood home, comforted by nostalgia for the past. One night, Brynn wakes up in a panic to the sound of strange noises which turn out to be coming from alien intruders. Threatening her safety and future, Brynn is forced to fight the extraterrestrial beings if she stands any chance of survival. From 20th Century Studios, No One Will Save You begins streaming on Sept. 22, 2023, exclusively on Hulu in the U.S., Star+ in Latin America, and Disney+ in all other territories.
Cinemacy is excited to share excerpts from three tracks: "Preparation", "Bike Into Town", and "Storm Chaser", from Netflix's No One Will Save You, below:
If you've seen the trailer, then you know just how important the sound design is to the film's overall atmospheric unease. There is no dialogue or line delivery of any kind in the trailer, just sound effects, foley, and score. The threat that Brynn faces is heightened by the music, and Trapanese delivers the psychological tension with his haunting score. Using re-recorded fragments of ideas, detuned and reversed with the orchestra, he crafts a tense sonic landscape that will keep audiences on edge. "Preparation", "Bike Into Town", and "Storm Chaser" all blend orchestral elements with altered textures that create a uniquely dark and moody ambiance.
Joseph Trapanese began his film scoring career as the key collaborator on some of the most memorable scores of recent cinema history – as arranger and orchestrator for Daft Punk’s Tron: Legacy, co-composer, arranger, orchestrator, and conductor for M83’s Oblivion, and co-composer and co-producer with Mike Shinoda for The Raid series. Known for integrating his extensive classical training with his skill producing electronic music, he has crafted uniquely hybrid and inventive scores for a number of films including director Joseph Kosinski’s 2022 sci-fi thriller Spiderhead, Nicolas Cage’s genre-bending 2021 Sundance selection Prisoners of the Ghostland, Disney’s 2019 live-action remake Lady and the Tramp, Kumail Nanjiani and Dave Bautista’s buddy cop action-comedy Stuber, Mads Mikkelson’s 2018 Cannes selection Arctic, Universal’s landmark rap biopic Straight Outta Compton, and the second and third installments of the Divergent series, Insurgent and Allegiant. In addition, he has lent his innovative sound to Netflix’s The Witcher, the critically acclaimed original series Shadow and Bone, and interactive projects for Disney Interactive, EA, Lucasfilm, and Ubisoft.
Hollywood Recordings is releasing the 'No One Will Save You (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)' on Friday, September 22nd.