Lights, Camera, Action

I do apologize for the delay in posts for this year's list.  I sustained two critical injuries all within a month- both of which sent me to the ER- that made it difficult for me to type and update my blog.  Thankfully, it's been a slow movie year, so there's still plenty of upcoming releases to look forward to.  Hope you are all enjoying my picks.  Thanks for reading!   THE TOP 50 PART VI (50-41) 50) Stowaway Director: Joe Penna ( Arctic )  Cast: Toni Collette, Anna Kendrick, Daniel Dae Kim, and Shamier Anderson. I love it when a debut film comes along from a new director that leaves you completely blindsided by how unexpectedly exceptional it is.  Such was the case for me when I watched Joe Penna's Arctic , a minimalist indie gem that still managed to feel epic in scope thanks to its powerful, humanistic drama, gorgeous photography, and a riveting performance from Mads Mikkelsen.  Truthfully, I had only walked into the film to begin with because ...

  PART V (60-51) 60) In the Earth Director: Ben Wheatley ( A Field in England , Kill List )  Cast: Joel Fry, Ellora Torchia, Hayley Squires, and Reece Shearsmith.  In the previous entry, I mentioned how it wasn't uncommon for directors to shoot projects in secret and that one such project was even included on this list.  That would be the latest horror film from avant-garde auteur, Ben Wheatley, which was picked up by Neon before debuting last month at the Sundance Film Festival.  Set during a global pandemic as the world searches for a cure to an unnamed virus, In the Earth follows a scientist and park ranger who venture into the woods on a routine equipment run, getting much more than they bargained for as they find themselves in the middle of a clash between human nature and mother nature.  Based on the plot description, it's easy to believe that Wheatley wrote the script for this during last year's lockdown (which he then shot over the course of 15 days...