Together
Rated R for language, graphic nudity, brief drug content, sexual content, violent/disturbing content
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 99%
In Theaters
From the twisted mind of brand-new filmmaker Michael Shanks comes this horror film starring real-life spouses Alison Brie and Dave Franco as Millie and Tim, a stressed couple who move from their fairly comfy life in the big city to a new environment in the country in order for her to take a job as a school teacher. Even though there is a lot of tension between them, and growing more every day, they attempt to put their troubles aside to make it work. One day as they are on a hike near their new home, they fall into a hole in the ground where they are stuck for the night. When they finally escape, they discover a new, scary attraction towards each other, like something is trying to make their bodies actually join together. Normally I wouldn’t think a movie like this could be such a hit, but it has truly turned some heads, and audiences and critics alike have become quite taken with it. It helps that Dave and Allison have incredible chemistry, as would be expected for a young married couple like this. But it is also fearless in its attempts to gross the audience out while creating a macabre sense of humor at the same time. While it falls firmly into the horror genre, it is quite funny and even romantic at times. At other times, it does push boundaries and I had to turn my head more than once. But I still found it to be enjoyable, even amongst all of the violence and disgusting drama. A special kudos goes to the makeup and special effects teams for their artistic and seriously disgusting creations. While I didn’t lose my dinner while watching at the Alamo Drafthouse, there were many moments when I wondered how I could possibly keep the food down while taking in such horrific sights. B
Happy Gilmore 2
Rated PG-13 for some thematic material, partial nudity, crude/sexual material, and strong language
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 62%
Streaming on Netflix
It has been almost thirty years since the original Happy Gilmore propelled Adam Sandler into notoriety, and now Netflix is showing us what happens to Happy all these years later. After accidentally killing his wife (Julie Brown) in a tragic golf accident, he goes on an epic drinking spree while trying to take care of his multitude of rowdy children. But when he runs out of money and his daughter needs tuition to attend a prestigious ballet school, he enters the golf world again to earn the necessary income to make that happen. But the golf world has evolved as a tech bro has created a new style of gameplay called Maxi Golf that threatens the traditional world of golf, much like Happy did decades ago. Most of us who grew up with Happy understand that it is a stupid yet lovable movie that you can enjoy tremendously, as long as you don’t take it seriously, and maybe down a few cocktails while taking it in. And this second one is just more of the same – and that ain’t bad. It is extremely funny at times, and insultingly dumb at others, but the dumb never gets you down if you’re willing to put up with it. I’m not sure why this couldn’t have been a theatrical release first, as it doesn’t feel like a straight to streaming affair. But it’s also not a perfect idiotic comedy either. While they successfully go over the top many times, they do a lot of really bad flashbacks to make sure we remember old Happy moments to give relevance to the cameo of the minute. While those script elements are a bit irritating, what does truly work are some of the bigger casting surprises like Bad Bunny, John Daly and Travis Kelce, who all turn in some unexpected great performances. Overall, I really enjoyed the new Happy and was glad to share in another golf adventure with him. B+
Danny Minton may be reached at danny@dannyminton.com.Â
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