From Damsel to Imaginary, Should You Add These To Your Watchlist?
A warrior princess, a terrifying teddy bear, and giant sand worms… here’s the best and worst of the films the Pop Culture Planet writers have watched this week.
Damsel
In Damsel, Millie Bobby Brown plays Elodie who gets sworn into a life of royalty to help her people. This is no fairytale as the prince she’s marrying comes from an ancient kingdom that owes a centuries long debt. In order for the kingdom to live on, a sacrifice must be made. Brown is astounding as the sacrificial princess. Her performance keeps you engaged as she displays trepidation and determination to get out of her predicament. Brown does an excellent service to Elodie’s character as an endearing and witty young woman that felt authentic on screen.
Though there are CGI flaws, such as the glowing worms, the film does a very great job with the dragon voiced by Shohreh Aghdashloo. Aghdashloo brings not only a haunting sense, but also a depth in vulnerability to her role. Taking what could’ve been a simple revenge story and adding a more sentimental aspect to her makes it enjoyable to unpack. The bond Elodie and the dragon create is an unexpected twist that adds to the tension towards the kingdom that lied to both of them. Compassion for the misunderstood is at the forefront of this film and makes for a compelling narrative.
Damsel is out now on Netflix.
- Paola Cardenas
Dune 2
In Dune: Part 2, Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) unites with the Fremen while seeking revenge against those who destroyed his family. When he’s faced with a terrible future only he can foresee, he has a choice between love and the fate of the universe.
Based on the sci-fi epic book series by Frank Herbert, Dune: Part Two wasn’t for me — and that’s okay. I found the film to be long and dragged out, while the cultural and religious aspects felt whitewashed. The film is star-studded with actors like Christopher Walken that felt more like glorified cameos that don’t add much to the story. There is also a Blonde-level moment of cringe around Lady Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson) that comes off as ridiculous. The highlights were the epic action with the sand worms and Florence Pugh’s gorgeous wardrobe as Princess Irulan.
Dune 2 is playing in theaters.
- Kristen Maldonado
Imaginary
It’s been a great time for original horror in theaters, but Blumhouse hasn’t been getting it right. From lackluster entries like The Exorcist: Believer and Night Swim, Imaginary is another L on the list. The film follows Jessica (DeWanda Wise) who moves back into her childhood home with her family. The behavior of her youngest stepdaughter Alice (Pyper Braun) becomes concerning when she finds a stuffed teddy bear named Chauncey that is much more that he seems.
While Imaginary has surprising twists and turns, it’s ultimately cheesy and unserious. It is full of weak performances and even worse dialogue, including an awkward line from a therapist asking if Alice has taken on new hobbies like ventriloquism to explain Chauncey’s voice. Chauncey is more silly than scary — although under the right direction, he could’ve come across as more campy to win over audiences. My theater was laughing a lot but more from weak dialogue, which I don’t think was the intent. The stand outs in the film were the positive relationship that builds between Jessica and her stepdaughters, breaking the mold from typical stereotypes, and the unique practical set of the imaginary world of the Never Ever, which gave off Labyrinth energy.
Imaginary is playing in theaters.
- Kristen Maldonado
Night Shift
A young woman, eager to earn some cash, arrives in a new town and secures a night shift at a sketchy motel managed by Teddy Miles (Lamorne Morris), who is friendly but slightly on edge and eager to leave. Miles assures Gwen (Phoebe Tonkin) that the place is harmless, despite all evidence to the contrary. When Miles leaves, Gwen is sure she is being watched by someone from her past, but as the night progresses… she becomes convinced the motel is haunted.
Night Shift is a movie that offers a few jump scares, but takes too long to pick up. The plot falls very flat and, while the actors are good, the characters introduced along the way are underdeveloped and underutilized. While I thought the choice of committing to one location was just right for the film, it could have been stronger if the story had more moments of spontaneity. The story was pretty lackluster and predictable. Though the major plot twist was intriguing, it created a rushed ending that failed to add to the story.
- Makkedah Ramsey
