Kanopy Recs

[bobz]

Being at home recovering from the flu was just right for Perfect Days, which is a fine film of the "Like Watching Paint Dry" genre. Which is to say, most movie watchers won't get into it at all. But I liked it. It's about a guy in Japan who's had some rough patches in life, but now cleans public toilets for a living, finds happiness in simple things, and comfort in routine; it helps that he has no computer or smartphone, and a good music collection.

[dookeyXXX]

ROBOT DREAMS This is a funny, yet poignant little animated film from Spain. It’s rich in detail—there is always something going on in the background, so it warrants repeated viewing—and big on heart. It’ll make you smile, but it’s also bittersweet. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hsJN20f9uAg

[dookeyXXX]

<p>
CUCKOO German director/screenwriter Tilman Singer&rsquo;s sophomore feature film builds upon the abstract horror he unleashed with 2018&rsquo;s eerie and engaging Luz. Here, however, he borrows a few pages from David Cronenberg in regards to creepy medical facilities and demented doctors. Tilman keeps us purposefully in the dark, quietly building up the tension from the get-go with giallo like precision. Sure, there are some plot holes, but as with his previous film, they seem calculated so as to keep the audience off-guard and confused. The acting is spot on and the sound design helps elevate the strange and heavily brooding atmosphere. RIYL Susperia (both versions); Beyond The Black Rainbow; A Cure For Wellness; Yummy; The Guest; Koko-di Koko-da https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NuON7HH0UkQ </p>

[dookeyXXX]

LONGLEGS This is a slow burn and extremely creepy affair that, while containing quite a few familiar beats, manages to bring a fresh take to the FBI-hunting-down-an-elusive-serial-killer motif. He accomplishes this through even pacing, drawing out kinetic performances, and just enough weirdness lurking in the fringes to keep us all on edge. It’s a wonderfully understated mash-up of psychological thriller, parapsychological horror, nefarious necromancy, and police procedural. Perkins’ casting choices were pretty brilliant (Blair Underwood was a wonderfully inspired choice, imho) and the twists, turns, and underlying ambiguity all combine to make for an enthralling and unnerving endeavor. https://youtu.be/RcUwYIfnTrg?si=DoY9iphlaT7fVy-C

[buttahflake]

I’ve been avoiding it, but it’s another cold rainy day back east, might give it a go.