The Wasteland Reviewer

The Wasteland Reviewer Recommends (March 30th, 2025)

This series will highlight my weekly journey through previously released films, whether they are rewatches for me or new discoveries. Here are my picks:     

A Page of Madness (1926)

How unique is Japanese cinema? Even from as early as the 1920’s, Japanese filmmakers were making films that had such unique and compelling approaches and perspectives. Back in 1926, director Teinosuke Kinugasa offered up some early avant garde cinema with A Page of Madness. With a film depicting hysteria and mental illness, you can have some crazy fun with how the story is presented on the screen. The filmmaking feels modern with a mixture of quick editing, distortion, and bold visuals that create plenty of tension and unnerving experiences. This story of a man desperately trying to save his love from an asylum is a daring narrative that delivers plenty of violent and impactful moments. There are brawls throughout the asylum that are captured with long takes and tracking shots which feel so modern and engrossing. The performances are committed…but not as committed as Kinugasa and his bold and unique filmmaking choices. Few early films will deliver an experience quite like this.

The Guest (2014)

How great is Dan Stevens? He is one of the most underappreciated actors working today and just injects so much fun into his performances. You could tell from the first moment he pops up in The Guest. Adam Wingard’s thriller channels all the 80s energy he can muster, and Stevens makes the perfect lead. His performance is charismatic and magnetic. “David” charms the pants off everyone in this small rural town…except for Maika Monroe’s Anna. Stevens delivers the necessary physicality, has great comedic timing with the best facial reactions, and his intense stares will put you on edge. Monroe shows off her future “final girl” persona as well. This flick has a killer score and great needle drops that just capture the right atmosphere. The climax in a Halloween dance maze is just a creative and fun way to wrap up this pulpy and engrossing flick.

You’re Next (2013)

Adam Wingard and Simon Barrett make for a great combination, don’t they? They showed from early on that they make for a compelling director/writer partnership. You’re Next is a great showcase of what they two can do together. The cast is a group of mostly unknowns and the film rises above that limitation to deliver something darkly funny and brutal. The kills are creative and ridiculous at times (others are just plain brutal). There are some great lines and plenty of family ribbing to go around. The final girl of the film is resourceful, badass, and all around exciting to watch. There are plenty of twists and turns along the way that will reframe the whole experience. This crafty little horror/thriller has “cult classic” written all over it. There is plenty of potential here and enough execution for a fun time for sure.

Rob Roy (1995)

Wait…there was another great historical epic about Scotland that came out in 1995? You all might know Braveheart, but you should also know Rob Roy. This 18^th century set epic stars Liam Neeson as the warrior leader of a village of Scots who come into conflict with English aristocrats. Deceit, murder, rape, and duels pepper this drama with plenty of tension and shocking moments. There is bloodshed and tears for sure as Neeson leads a strong cast that includes the likes of Jessica Lange, John Hurt, Tim Roth, and Brian Cox. This is not a film for the faint of heart, but it delivers plenty of drama, honor, and emotion along the way. The film is probably most known for Roth’s hammy Oscar-nominated supporting turn as well as the raw and authentic duel of blades between the crafty and skilled Cunningham (Roth) and the brutish blade work of McGregor (Neeson). Overshadowed by Braveheart, Rob Roy deserves plenty of praise and attention.

The French Dispatch (2021)

What is one of the most significant and influential professions in society? Journalism. Wes Anderson crafted his own special love letter to journalists and the work they do in the form of The French Dispatch. This anthology story is an endless lesson in filmmaking and storytelling craft. The anthology format that stems from the final edition of this titular paper gives the film a unique perspective and approach. This film is told in the wake of their editor’s death and then the film presents four different articles in filmic form. Not all the stories are equal but they each bring their own positives with a couple of them reaching deeper and delivering such an emotional and affecting experience. This cast is one of the most insane cast members ever put on film with so many standouts. Jeffrey Wright steals the show for sure with this layered and complex food critic. Whether it was the animated chase sequence, the alluring dynamic between imprisoned artist (Benicio del Toro) and Lea Seydoux’s guard, or the dual screen “then & now” comparison means there is just an endless number of great elements to this film.

 Safe in Hell (1931)

What would you do…sell your body for freedom or die with dignity? Safe in Hell is a shocking film that shows the pitfalls of the female experience in a world surrounded by men. A sex worker who accidentally kills her attempted rapist runs away to an island filled with unsavory and predatory men. This lean film packs some laughs (especially with this oddball crew of strange characters). But this film shines on when the film takes some darker turns that highlights just what women must sacrifice for their safety. Shocking. Emotionally devastating. Darkly funny. Poignant. These are all descriptions of Safe in Hell or its protagonist Gilda Carlson (Dorothy Mackaill). This narrative takes you into dark and twisted places, but Mackaill’s performance is a revelation for sure. The finale delivers an emotional climax that leads into the final moment which is so harrowing and challenging.

Ready or Not (2019)

Do you enjoy a good old game of hide and seek? Not when you are hiding for your life and trying to avoid a Satanic ritual! The gang over at Radio Silence took such a simple and beloved game and turned it into a dark, twisted horror comedy full of substance. First off, this ensemble of characters offers up plenty of laughs along the way. Adam Brody is full of laughs and emotion in Ready or Not. Samara Weaving is clever, charming, and resourceful as the “final girl” of this film. Her character is a tough cookie who goes toe-to-toe with a whole blue-blooded family and their upper-class ignorance. This film tackles classism and toxic family dynamics like it is nobody’s business. This might be a wild and over-the-top twist on toxic family dynamics, but it is endlessly relatable and accurate. Radio Silence brings the goods with competent direction, a darkly funny experience that will have you laughing around every corner, and a bloody good time with all the buckets of blood you could want.