Ethan Hawke, Riley Keough, Paul Dano, Peter Sarsgaard, Bill Burr, Eli Goree, and Da’Vine Joy Randolph, but Gyllenhal anchors the film with a tour de force performance, bringing much-needed shading to a complicated character.
A deliciously satirical, post-modern teen flick, Heathers is the smart, subversive tale about high school mean girls and the outsiders who resent them so much, that they resort to murder. Dark, yet wickedly funny, Heathers is high camp, but in the best way. Featuring breakout performances by Winona Ryder and Christian Slater, Heathers manages to have insightful things to say about high school politics, teen suicide, and peer pressure while reflecting the viciousness lurking within adolescence. If you haven’t watched this cult film yet, then like, what’s your damage?
Children of the Corn is a lean, mean Stephen King adaptation that managed to make a generation afraid of cornfields and think twice whenever they see a large group of children without adult supervision. Set in the fictitious rural town of Gatlin, Nebraska, the film tells the story of a demonic presence referred to as “He Who Walks Behind the Rows” which brainwashes the town’s children into ritually murdering the town’s adults. When a couple with car trouble finds themselves stranded in Gatlin, they must do what it takes to survive. A young Linda Hamilton stars as one half of the couple, but the memorable performances are delivered by Courtney Gains and John Franklin, as the murderous Malachai and zealot preacher Issac, two of the creepiest horror film kids in history. If you’re looking for a quick slasher fix, these children will deliver.
Sitcom legends Bonnie and Terry Turner essentially took the premise of their film Coneheads and turned it into a long-running, much-beloved half-hour show for NBC. Third Rock From the Sun centers on a group of aliens sent to Earth to observe and study the behavior of humans, a mission that the group finds insignificant. The stellar cast features John Lithgow, Kristen Johnston, French Stewart, and a young Joseph Gordon-Levitt as the oldest member of the crew forced to live in the body of a teenager. The light sci-fi premise of aliens acting as fish out of the water, feeling superior to humans, but nonetheless caught up in our frivolous ways, has been done many times since, but 3rd Rock still holds up as an excellent ‘90s comedy worth revisiting.
Taika Waititi has become a favorite in Hollywood due to his lighthearted, quirky tone and offbeat comedic sensibility. One of his best films is the eccentric outdoors adventure Hunt for the Wilderpeople, loosely based on Barry Crump’s novel Wild Pork And Watercress. The film follows Deadpool 2’s Julian Dennison as Ricky Baker, an overweight orphan sent to the sticks to live with his new foster family. Ricky initially clashes with his new foster uncle, played by Sam Neill, but when the pair find themselves stranded in the wilderness with a gaggle of eccentrics, weirdos, and lunatics, they form an unexpected bond. Wilderpeople has such affection for its characters and gets so much goodwill from the chemistry between its two leads. If you’re anxiously awaiting Waititi’s upcoming Thor film, allow Hunt for the Wilderpeople to tide you over.
