Displaying items by tag: Djimon Housou

THRASH

Australia/US, 2026, 86 minutes, Colour.

Phoebe Dynevor, Whitney Peak, Djimon Hounsou, Matt Nable, Andrew Lees, Josh McConville, Costa D'Angelo,

Directed by Tommy Wirkola.

Yes, another shark movie. Since 1975 and Jaws, there have been so many shark movies, a very popular theme with the public. There have been serious films, parodies like the Sharknado series.

This film was written by a Norwegian writer-director, Tommy Wirkola, many of his horror films were set in Scandinavian snowy mountains.

The setting is South Carolina, a level 5 hurricane bearing down on the coast, huge waves, flooded streets, rooves removed, houses collapsing, vehicles crashing, stranded, the expected special effects for a hurricane. And, in addition, a number of sharks with a Great White leading to some heroism at the end!

There are several human stories. The first focuses on a young woman, grieving the death of her mother, confined to her house, her uncle an expert on shark tracking. Second is a family, a grossly swearing father, foster mother, three young children in foster care. The third is a young woman, pregnant, late in driving out of the town, stranded, pinned in by a branch in her car. There are also scenes with the uncle and his staff, eager television reporters, and their driving, then sailing to the rescue of the niece.

A whole lot of heroism. A number of gruesome deaths with sharks. Three children stranded, their foster father reappearing but again the sharks. They use their enterprise to distract the sharks to get the car to escape. The main emotions are for the pregnant woman, the niece seeing her, coming to her rescue, the credibility or not of the impending birth, and the child, the final rescue.

This is what one commentator called a serviceable entertainment, far-fetched but some grounds of credibility, some heroism, action, and audiences imagining what they might do in a similar situation.

Thrash was filmed in Melbourne and the supporting cast is largely Australian, especially Matt Nable as the foster father and three children.

A QUIET PLACE: DAY ONE

US, 2024, 100 minutes, Colour.

Lupita Nyong'o, Joseph Quinn, Alex Wolff, Djimon Hounsou.

Directed by Michael Sarnoski.

There is a dire meaning in the title, A Quiet Place. Monstrous creatures had invaded earth, lacking the power of site but hypersensitive to sound. The original film and its sequel had menaced humans desperate to be silent, avoiding any kind of sound to alert the roaming predators.

Which means that audiences for this contribution to the franchise, a prequel, go into the film knowing what the key issue is. Silence.

The film starts routinely enough, a hyperactive poet, Samira (Lupita Nyong’o), ill, in care, going to group meetings and being defiant, invited to go in to New York City to see a marionette show (a quite vivid interlude, in fact). She bargains with her nurse that they have to have a pizza in Harlem. This doesn’t quite happen.

When the creatures come, they wreak enormous devastation on the city, sometimes graphically filmed. The populace, taken unawares, easily become victims, and the mayhem in the city, crashed and crushed vehicles, buildings and ruins, are caught in an atmosphere of terror.

The filmmakers have decided to focus on the central character, her survival, her trying to get to her apartment, avoiding all sounds. Suddenly, emerging from the water is a well-dressed, suit and tie, Englishman, Eric (Joseph Quinn). He is more than shell-shocked, begins to follow for security, her urging him to get to a wharf because it emerges that the creatures cannot endure water. We do see barges on the New York Rivers full of refugees.

This part of the film has its moments of excitement, Eric venturing out to a pharmacy to get medication for the poet, increased menaces from the creatures – which, is probably why most of the audiences have paid for their tickets to see it.

The ending is not quite what we might have expected, moments of pathos and sadness, moments of rescue, moments of hope for survival despite everything.

If this film is popular, will there be Day Two?

1. The popularity of the first two films? prequel and explanations, origins, the audience presupposing details, especially about creatures, about silence in danger, from the original films?
2. The New York settings, the opening in the care home, the trip into the city, the marionette theatre, the audience, going to get pizza, and the attack? The vistas of the city, the destruction of the city, streets, cars, buildings? The musical score?
3. The visuals of the creatures, audiences appreciating them from the previous films? Monstrous, the detail, the attacks, stalking people? Noise and sounds and the attacks?
4. Sam as the focus, her physical health, in care, with Reuben, the groups, that she was a writer, her aggressive poem, persuaded to go into the city, wanting pizza in Harlem? Reuben, nurse, friendship, with Sam?
5. The marionette theatre, the skill of the puppeteer, the puppets, the balloon, flying? Audience response?
6. The sudden attack, the destruction, the creatures? The silence? Sam and Reuben, his death?
7. The importance of the cat, always with Sam, the trip, the theatre, throughout all the dangers, away, coming back? Companionship? A kind of guardian angel figure? Audience response to the cat – and more than nine lives?
8. Sam, the experience, bewilderment, determination, seeing so many people taken, in the streets, the helicopters flying overhead, the message for evacuation, to take to the water? Her wanting to go to her apartment?
9. Eric, emerging from the water, suit and tie, surviving, stunned, the encounters with Sam, silence, communication, her writing notes, his following her, the dangers, going to Harlem, her apartment, her book, sleep? Her urging him to go away? His personality, quiet, rising to occasions? Seeing the people on the boats in the middle of the river, being saved?
10. The refuge in the Church, peace, sanctuary and reflection?
11. The continued trek, Eric and his going to the pharmacy, getting the medical patches for Sam? Dangers, his being threatened, the cat?
12. Sam and her weakness, the daylight, going towards the boat, seeing the kindly man from the marionette theatre on the boat?
13. Sam, urging Eric to go, with the cat, her staying behind in weakening, Eric and the water, evading the creatures, onto the boat, reading Sam’s letter and the voice-over?