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Tiny Reviews: "Mother Mary", "Michael", "Scary Movie 6" and "Undertone"

MOTHER MARY 
Anne Hathaway and, specially, Michaela Coel shine in a movie that feels really about... nothing! Stellar cinematography and inspired set pieces with some pretty smart and fluid transitions make Mother Mary impressive to look at at times, but feels like a sterile piece of filmmaking full of empty dialogue and music sequences I wish they were longer. Yes, it's the best Anne Hathaway performance since Rachel Getting Married and seeing her taking on a darker character sure is enough reason to watch it, but this film transported me to a cinematic void that didn't ignite a single emotion from me. It's a cinematic painting and maybe it's my problem that I didn't find the meaning behind it.
R: 4/10


MICHAEL
It's not as bad as some reactions made me believe, but it's not good either. It's a convential fan-friendly cash grabber biopic that never really explores the real Michael Jackson but makes it a Wikipedia-check cinematic journey. Jaafar Jackson shines with a commited performance that's more about being show-stopping than internally powerful (but again, so it's the movie itself), but it works in the way he makes for a captivating lead. Bad CGI and uninspired dialogue. Colman Domingo, makeup work and sound departament try to push the movie to positive ground but... Underwhelming and never impressive, but entertaining enough - still, such a complex iconic demanded more and better. You can't help but feel it was a movie meant to cash on Michael Jackson's legacy and eternal fame.
R: 5/10


SCARY MOVIE 6
I think it follows the Scream plot a bit too much and they recalled a lot of funny but smart horror references that felt underused.. Still, I had some laughs since there are not many films that embrace its own ridiculousness. Seeing Anna Faris & Regina Hall pairing together once again felt like a dream, but Scary Movie 6 should spend more time with them (which affects the movie deeply). The opening scene was a dream parody and I really felt this one could be a true saving grace for the franchise, but everything seems to derail after that... still...! Loved the attempt of satirical comments on woke culture and legacy characters in cash-cow franchises - I just wish it was made better, since they didn't really land! In the end, it feels like a waste of potential and 2000s nostalgia momentum.
R: 4,5/10


UNDERTONE
It's creepy because of the way it handles a horrific subjects, recalling the same kind of urban myths and stories of my 2000s chilhood making it extremely effective as a horror movie. Its third act is actually quite scary and the ending feels inevitable. Nina Kiri is fantastic here and I really felt like suffering right by her side. Andrew Garfield's voice work is also spellbinding here and it felt essential to create this movie's very specific atmosphere. Might be the feel bad movie of the year and I was surprised by how profound it actually was.
R: 8/10
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