With great resistance, my birthday month has come to an end. Luckily, the entire month was filled with great movies and albums for us to take in. From the near-guaranteed brilliance of James Gunn and Deafheaven to the unexpected but welcome additions of Free Guy and Donda, there was a great variety of things to take in, so let's talk about it all!
What I Listened To
Kanye West - Donda You can say whatever you want about his past controversies, because chances are he deserves it. But you'll never be able to deny that the greatness his music is capable of, either. It's all on full display on Donda, the much-delayed, much-discussed album that had more missed release dates than most movies during the COVID lockdown. It was all well worth the wait, which is perhaps the best compliment West can receive after such a frustrating rollout process.
Deafheaven - Infinite Granite
It's pretty amazing that you pretty much go into every Deafheaven album knowing it's going to be a masterpiece. They've yet to not fulfill that prophecy. Now, on Infinite Granite, they've outdone themselves yet again, changing their sound in a way fans never could have expected. Somehow, they've come out with a new sound, and have never sounded better. Much like their previous albums, Infinite Granite is an album that should be experienced in full, as the journey it takes you on is unlike any you've been on with Deafheaven--or any other band-- before.
Foxing - Draw Down the Moon Foxing have put together some of emo's most memorable arrangements over the last decade, but it appears they've finally landed at their masterpiece. Sprawling yet intimate, expansive yet true to the band's identity, Draw Down the Moon is the best work by a band that had continuously raised the bar for itself over their career. There's no other band who sound like Foxing, and their dedication to their craft (evidenced by the album's genius rollout) isn't surpassed by anyone. It feels almost impossible that a song with such clear hit singles like "Go Down Together" or the album's title track exist on the same album as "Speak with the Dead" or "Beacons," but that's the genius of Foxing: they're capable of anything, and they've just arrived at the precipice of their talents.
CHVRCHES - Screen Violence After taking a deeply personal look inward on Love is Dead, CHVRCHES are taking their dark indie-pop and using it to look outward at the bleak, flawed world their music provides an escape from. There's plenty of problems that are too big to ignore these days, and Lauren Mayberry's songwriting is able to turn these issues into festival-ready anthems as effortlessly as anyone. We get more of a taste of guitar than we're used on Screen Violence, proving that CHVRCHES are still capable of adding new tricks to the arsenal while remaining the rulers of their genre.
What I Watched
The Suicide Squad Serious question: how difficult is it for these movie production studios to hire people who have proven talents, and then get the hell out of their way? After chopping and screwing David Ayer's 2016 Suicide Squad to the point of incoherence, DC and Warner Bros. finally let go of the reins, and in return, James Gunn gave them the most fun entry into the DCEU to date. It's violent, funny, action-packed, and above all else, memorable. While Idris Elba and Margot Robbie turn in their typical screen-commanding performances, we also get career-best turns from John Cena, David Dastmalchian, and Daniela Melchior to round out a genuinely surprising movie.
Free Guy I never in my wildest dreams thought that this movie was going to be as good at it was, but I guess Ryan Reynolds swished his heat-check shot. Free Guy is pretty similar to The Suicide Squad in that both movies are balls-to-the-wall from start to finish, and even if it's a bit too much at times, it's always fun. However, Free Guy also shows movies like Mortal Kombat and Space Jam: A New Legacy that you can jam-pack a movie with Easter eggs and cameos and not get lost telling the story along the way. This might be the defining movie of the summer?
The Night House Seriously, can we get some more work for Rebecca Hall? She's at least good in everything I've ever seen her in, and she's legitimately great here. Of course, The Night House is built around Hall giving a great performance, which is to say that the rest of the characters on screen aren't left with much to do. Still, Hall perfectly represents the day-to-day inconsistency of a person in the throes of grief, and the atmosphere of the movie remains tense throughout. There are some great scares, and the ending will definitely keep you thinking, which is all I can really ask for out of a horror movie.
Candyman A true showcase of the most talented newcomers in Hollywood in recent years, this follow-up to a horror classic from Nia DaCosta and Jordan Peele will have your skin crawling early and often. A timely adaptation that's shot beautifully, DaCosta effortlessly creates an immersive experience for the viewer, and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II continues his ascent amongst the best leading men in film today. Colman Domingo also continues his hot streak of 2021 in another immensely intriguing performance, as he matches Mateen's descent into madness with his own wicked turns throughout the movie. That's two horror movies in a row that I've really liked, so hopefully you'll understand my hesitation in seeing Malignant next month.
Looking forward to next month.
August is going to be tough to beat, but it does look like September has a chance to match it. Musically, we'll be getting new albums from The Band CAMINO, Thrice, and Eidola, all of which have already shown the chance for greatness. Meanwhile, we'll get to see the much-heralded Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, along with The Eyes of Tammy Faye (perhaps an Oscar nomination for Jessica Chastain?) and The Card Counter (Tiffany Haddish in a dramatic role? okay...). Oh yeah, it's also the start of football season. Strap in, everyone: we just got to the best part of the ride.
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