The Bikeriders, Kinds of Kindness, & Firebrand Review
The Bikeriders, Kinds of Kindness, & Firebrand Review
Plus Inside Out 2, Bad Boys 4, and Hit Man
Summer movie season is in full swing at the box office! The panic in Hollywood has subsided (at least for the moment) as Inside Out 2 just crossed $1 billion at the global box office in just its third weekend in theaters.
Despite the success of Inside Out 2, this summer is still lacking the usual headliner titles that audiences expect come this time of year. Some arthouse movies are attempting to take advantage of this by capturing more of the mainstream audience.
You wouldn’t normally expect a Dave Nicholas movie, a Yorgos Lanthimos movie, and a biopic about Katherine Parr to release during the summer. These are all films or filmmakers that would normally have the fall circled for release. In 2024, they have chosen the summer.
Will it be successful? Probably not, but I love that they are trying!
To me, it is at least more summer excitement than the fifth installment of some pitiful action movie franchise or the 78th superhero film. Maybe it will give more general audiences the chance to enjoy something other than what they are used to being spoon fed each summer.
So today we have reviews of the three films I referenced above - The Bikeriders, Kinds of Kindness, and Firebrand. After that, we will dive into the more mainstream films of the summer - Inside Out 2, Bad Boys 4, and Hit Man.
Enjoy!
The Bikeriders (Directed by Jeff Nichols)
Just never quite clicked with this one as much as I was hoping. Far too many things throughout the 116 minute runtime take you out of the world. For some it will be as simple as the accents throughout the film (especially Jodie Comer swinging for the fences). For others it will be the choice of framing device & how that choice prevents any kind of rhythm throughout. Then there is the directorial choice to focus on imagery over plot. Any of those things by themselves are enough to take you out of the grimy world that The Bikeriders exist in, but with all three, it becomes nearly impossible to be rooted in the world that the film is attempting to portray.
There are moments & images that will resonate in my head, especially the first half an hour as we are getting acquainted with the cast of characters in the club and the rules they live by. Of course there is also Austin Butler’s movie star moments that will be worth the price of admission for those who are into that kind of thing. But as great as both of these things are, it isn’t enough to really tie everything together to form a narrative film.
It’s quite literally a photo book of moments, which is ironic given that the movie is based on a photo book of some biker riders. Nichols does a remarkable job putting those moments and characters into images on screen, but it just never feels anything more than that or ties together well enough to justify the feature film format. I’m glad it exists because there is quite obviously a respect & admiration for the world & messaging that is attempting to be portrayed. I just wish there was more meat on the bone & a story that was as rich as some of the characters are.
Rating - 3/5
Kinds of Kindness (Directed by Yorgos Lanthimos)
My biggest problem with anthologies is that you are inevitably going to leave wishing that one of the segments was a feature length film, that one had been more fully baked, and that one had been scrapped.
Kinds of Kindness is no different, even if it is elevated by the artistry that Yorgos brings to the table.
Of all filmmakers, his style may be least suitable to an anthology. Think about it, there is always some bizarre premise or lots of rules to his created worlds that take time to grasp. It is after you get all of that where the real story begins in most of his films. With Kinds of Kindness we never get that chance.
The same overall theme throughout each of the stories helped me enjoy this compared to most anthologies. However, there is something about spending almost three hours in Yorgos style and tone that starts to wear on you a bit by the end.
While I don’t think this one is effective as Yorgos at his best, it is still a great film at times. And just when you never thought there was a way for Yorgos to make an even more Yorgos film. He does just that.
Rating - 3.5/5
Firebrand (Directed by Karim Ainouz)
I’m an avid student of history, but not always an avid fan of historical films. Far too often when filmmakers attempt to tackle historical figures or events they make the mistake of biting off more than they can chew. It's near impossible to capture the entirety of someone’s life or decades of historical events in a two hour film. That approach leaves the audience feeling as though they only glimpsed several moments instead of actually inhabiting the world the characters do.
Firebrand is a textbook example that sometimes less is more when it comes to a period piece. Instead of trying to cover all of Katherine Parr’s life or tackle multiple wives of Henry VIII, the film only exists in a brief moment of time. Enough for us to root ourselves in the world and gain a much deeper understanding of the players involved.
You don’t have to examine someone’s whole life to get a sense of who they are, sometimes a detailed look at a brief moment will give you all you need. In fact, sometimes that says more about who they are than a surface level conclusion of many years worth of “highlights”.
From the opening minutes, Firebrand feels lived in and conveys the rawness of the stakes & pain for everyone throughout the story. The moment Jude Law enters the picture as Henry VIII, the tension is immediately felt through his menacing yet nuanced performance of the infamous King of England. Surprisingly though, it isn’t this well known figure of history that is the central character of Firebrand, it’s his sixth wife, Katherine Parr.
Firebrand goes to great lengths to not only depict the struggles we all could imagine she faced with one of the most notorious men in history, but also to depict her acts as a mother to children that weren’t her own & her dedication above all to her faith & her God. It’s a story that feels lost among most of the many stories that get thrown around about Henry VIII and his six wives. And a story worth telling.
While it is a story worth telling, it isn’t one that moves at a breakneck pace. It's a slow burn. One that will frustrate many at just how long it takes for the water to start boiling. Once it does though, you are grateful for all the groundwork laid. And by the time the pot boils over, you may not only have a different view of Parr, but history itself.
Rating - 3/5
Inside Out 2 (Directed by Kelsey Mann)
Pixar has had a rough go of it over the past couple of years. While I wouldn’t necessarily say that Inside Out 2 is a return to form, I do think it is a step in the right direction for a studio that has been treading water for north of five years now.
Therapy culture has ruined many films. We have seen almost every iteration possible of anxiety on the big screen over the years, but no film has given a more informative depiction of it than Inside Out 2. The way in which puberty and anxiety are portrayed throughout the film is top notch execution from the Pixar team. It captures both the complexity and gravity of the topic in a masterful way and distills it down in so that kids not only understand it, but chew on it. The door that this film will open for parents to have these types of conversations will not only benefit this generation of kids, but generations to come. Heck, I even thought it was a helpful visualization for myself and my understanding of the topic.
While some of the story and flow of the film is a bit iterative of the first installment of the franchise, there is enough new here to satisfy both child and adult audiences alike. It isn’t one of those Pixar movies you will wish to fire up thousands of times (although I am sure that many young kids will want to), but it is a good one. And one that will do more good than had it never been made, which is a win for any film.
Rating - 3.5/5
Bad Boys: Ride or Die (Directed by Adil El Arbi & Bilal Fallah)
I have never sat down to a watch the fourth installment of a franchise without watching the previous films. Well, until Bad Boys 4 came along.
I really had no intention of seeing it, but there were so few movies out during the first half of June that I sort of stumbled my way into seeing it. Rousing endorsement, I know.
Went in expecting to really dislike it (as many know, I am much more a rom-com kind of guy than an action guy), but was actually pleasantly surprised. Some good laughs, fun action set pieces, and good vibes. Just an overall good time at the movies! Exactly what you think it will be and nothing more, which sometimes is perfectly okay for a movie!
Rating - 3/5
Hit Man (Directed by Richard Linklater)
Can’t emphasize enough how much I loved everything about Hit Man. It reminded me just how great it is to anticipate a film for so long and it live up to the hype. It is fun, sexy, hilarious, and smart in the best ways possible. The marketing for the film makes you think it is going to be more of an action movie than a Rom Com, but to my surprise it actually had more romance elements than action (which plays in its favor). It is the perfect date night movie. Little bit of something for the guys and the gals.
Richard Linklater gives us another all timer in the “great hang” movie cannon and Glen Powell confirms he’s got the stuff to be the next great movie star. If you missed it, I wrote about how Glenn Powell was the next great movie star a few weeks ago & I couldn’t be feeling better about that take.
Twenty years from now, if I look at what movies I have rewatched the most from 2024, I have a feeling it will be Hit Man by a mile. It has that charm and rewatchability of the great movies from the 80s and 90s. If you have seen the film, you know exactly what I am talking about. If you haven’t already seen it, stop reading this & watch it now!
Rating - 4/5
That is all for now. Hope everyone stays cool in the summer heat!
I will be back soon with my top 10 films from the first half of 2024.
As always, enjoy some great films until next time!
Aaron Nolan