Kevin is back to review the recent films that he watched in the ‘Se7en with Kevin’ series.

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It has been a hell of a journey finishing up the films of 2022.

1. Three Thousand Years of Longing – (3 out of 5) – Before George Miller goes back to his Mad Max Universe, he gave us a project that is as creative as it is mad. A practical and logical professor, played by Tilda Swinton, obtains a lamp, containing a Genie, played by Idris Elba. What makes Miller’s take interesting is that the Swinton doesn’t jump into the wish fulfillment right away. She has questions and thoughts about the whole process, mainly about the man who resides in the lamp. Paired with the effects of his director, Elba creates an all-powerful, but flawed being who has lived too long in the world. The stories of each of his masters are where the director’s style comes into play, with some unforgettable imagery. I wish the movie’s third act had as much creative juice as the first two. Either way, if you are a fan of Miller, give it a shot.

2. The Greatest Beer Run Ever – (3 out of 5) Peter Farrelly’s follow up to Green Book seems like a ridiculous premise, but it is mostly all true. Zac Efron, who I have praised in other reviews, has the right amount of charm and humor to make this all work. He stars as a man who decides to go to Vietnam to have a beer with all his buddies, who are stationed over there. It does get a bit preachy, but it has its heart in the right place.

3. Emancipation – (2 out of 5)- While the cinematography is beautiful, this is a film that does nothing new with the slave genre. Yes, it is awful to behold the ugliness of humanity, but we have seen it all done before. The last act of the movie, supposedly the original treatment, which lasts 30 minutes, is a far more interesting story than Will Smith fighting off an alligator, underwater, with a small log. In the final half hour, we see the story of a man who now has the power to save and avenge his people. Before that, it is just torture porn.

4. Devotion (3 out of 5) – Johnathan Majors and Glenn Powell have the right amount of chemistry to make this typical fighter pilot movie work. Based upon the life of expert African American pilot Jesse Brown, Majors gives the right amount of swag, emotion, and character, to make this a fitting tribute to a fallen hero. The dog fight scenes are nicely done as well. Powell, who also was a fighter pilot in 2022’s Top Gun: Maverick gives Majors plenty to work with as a convincing brother in arms performance.

5. The Son – (3 out of 5) – Writer and Director Florian Zeller’s follow up to 2020’s The Father, which got Anthony Hopkins his second Oscar, is a devasting, but an important watch. Laura Dern and Hugh Jackman star as divorced parents whose son is suicidal. The affluent couple try everything to figure out what is wrong with him, each other, and themselves. The movie has been accused of its characters being laughably clueless about the topic of suicide. While the film does become a little too melodramatic, it shows that not everyone is equipped to handle this kind of horror. Hopkins shows up as Jackman’s father and completely owns the screen for the short amount of time he is there. It isn’t a perfect film, but it does what art should… develop a conversation.

6. Prey of the Devil – (1.5 out of 5) – Another year, another one of these exorcism films that fails to recreate the thrills, horror, and craftsmanship that The Exorcist accomplished 50 years ago.

7. Spoiler Alert – (3 out of 5) – Jim Parsons is admirable as a gay man that recounts the relationship with a man who is slowly dying. Michael Showalter, who isn’t a stranger to dramedys, comedy and drama mixed, he did 2017’s The Big Sick, does a fine job with the material. It is an incredibly sad picture that has some questionable filmmaking decisions, in the form of a fantasy sitcom narrative that runs parallel with the regular one. It is apparent what Showalter was trying to accomplish, but the tonal differences take away the power of the love story.

8. The Inspection – (2 out of 5 ) – A24’s film about a closeted gay man joining the military, seemed like something that the studio would succeed with, but it doesn’t work. Maybe 20 years ago this movie would’ve been controversial, but we live in a progressive world where themes don’t hit as hard as they used to. The film also doesn’t command your attention, but instead just slogs along its run time.

9. Bones and All – (2.5 out of 5) Luca Guadagnino can be a stellar director. His 2017 film Call me by Your Name, was a poetic look at a romantic summer relationship between Armie Hammer and Timothee Chamalet. He takes Chamalet and tries to do a cannibalistic version of “Bonnie and Clyde.”  Chamalet’s costar Taylor Russell is well cast as a lost girl taken in by the lifestyle and the love of his character. The film has some interesting ideas and performances, Mark Rylance is creepy as hell as a fellow cannibal and Michael Stuhlbarg, in a brief appearance, is as unsettling. The film moves at a snail’s pace and isn’t as deep or interesting as it thinks that it is. Here, the premise is a lot of interesting than the result.

10. Living – (4 out of 5) – Bill Nighy was nominated for his FIRST Academy Award for his role as an older man who is in crisis after being diagnosed with a terminal disease. Nighy deserved that nomination for a quiet performance that cuts deep and is completely memorable. The film, despite its dark set up, is one that celebrates life and comes off as completely genuine.

11. Armageddon Time – (2.5 out of 5) – James Gray, who directed Ad Astra and The Lost City of Z, is given a chance to fictionalize his childhood into a major motion picture. In his story, Anne Hathaway is his mother, Anthony Hopkins is grandfather, and Jeremy Strong is his dad. All do the grumpy Jewish Brooklyn trope well. The central story is about a troubled youth, based upon the director, and his friendship with a black classmate. Bank Repeta has the difficult task of making the very unlikable Paul a joy to watch. When you have an abrasive lead character mixed with dull direction, the results will never come out in your favor.