buddhajd

Shark is an original dark humor short film trilogy from Nash Edgerton, previously of Mr. In-Between fame. The shorts are all based around absurd, yet somehow plausible relationship-gone-wrong scenarios. I can't recommend it any higher, so if you have access to Hulu and a half hour to spare, please allow yourself some unforeseen hilarity.

Be forewarned: Devs is not for everyone.

If you're incapable of processing a show conceptually rather than literally, it's not for you. If you're too impatient and cannot wait until a show is complete to judge it, it's not for you. If you're not willing to put your phone down to watch this show, it's not for you. I could go on, but I think you understand what I'm saying by now.

Alex Garland is a visionary. His work takes big concepts and intermingles them with tried tropes to produce a unique form of entertainment. Devs was an example of that approach being further honed. Garland executed his idea for this show to perfection.

I've seen and heard so much criticism about the acting performances in Devs -- particularly directed toward Sonoya Mizuno -- but I thought the actors, and the characters Garland created for them, were spectacular. I'll grant you that most of the characters were (intentionally) low-key, but I staunchly believe that approach served the story very well. Mizuno, who has now worked with Garland three times, was a wild card. And she needed to be, all the way up until the end. My feeling is that most of the harsh Mizuno criticism is simply because she doesn't fit the typical idea of a leading lady, because I'm convinced she delivered the performance Garland hired her for.

Nonetheless, I think Devs was brilliant. Conceptually, it kept challenging the viewer throughout, and Garland's cheeky multi-trope plan paid off biggest in just the right moments. Visually, the David Lynch homages -- from Blue Velvet to Dune in one scene -- in the final episode alone were mesmerizing. It all worked and meshed together to surpass Ex Machina as Alex Garland's best work to date.

But I do look forward to so much more.

This film is really right in Jenna Fischer's wheelhouse. The cute woman who needs the man to give her the confidence to really be herself. She may be codependent, but she's not, however, desperate.

The movie juxtaposes Fischer's character's dating options against one another. On one hand, Topher Grace is the relatively successful writer who seems like Mr. Right. On the other hand, we find failing street artist Chris Messina as the titular Giant Mechanical Man.

We know who we hope she picks, and it doesn't change over time like the choice in Reality Bites has so clearly flip-flopped back to Ben Stiller over Ethan Hawk. Much like that flick, this one is a groovy indie that leaves us with a clear choice having been made with no idea what the future holds for either couple. But how is that different than in real life? We all have no actual idea about how anything will turn out now; or likely for a long time.

Stay safe and healthy and, most importantly, STAY HOME until this coronavirus situation has passed.

This film is lighthearted, pleasant & deadpan throughout. But it's a good hang, despite threatening to veer off into an unbearable level of twee. It keeps its balance and the utter lack of sentimentality keeps it tonally stable.

The story is quite uncomplicated on the surface. Point A to Point B and so on, but it moves at the perfect pace and tells a casually interwoven tale of life from a very novel perspective.

Nick Offerman & Jess Weixler are equally charming and, despite the simplicity of the film's concept, do a good enough job -- along with their acting cohorts -- to maybe spawn a philosophical question here or there.

This film is a Lucy Liu your de force. She's a little older than your average manic pixie dream girl, but it totally works. She's the mysterious, quirky girlfriend type so many people grow up dreaming about, an she nails it onscreen. The chemistry with Cillian Murphy isn't electric, but Murphy plays off of Liu and makes there scenes really work.

There are plenty of other readily recognizable faces -- Jason Sudeikis, Callie Thorne, Jason Ritter, Paul Scheer -- all pop in and out in order to keep you nice and comfy.

The general vibe of Watching The Detectives captures that of the film's low-key 90's counterparts. That consistently brings me back to it, despite its clear flaws. However, in the end, you don't regret watching it and it maybe even makes you feel pretty good.