Serge Marcos

Timely and quirky Common Side Effects deftly balances and distills anxieties about the relationship between Government Agencies, Big Pharma, health care and the resurgence in psychedelic research as an alternative while navigating the drama and dynamics of it's cast of characters.

Visually stunning. It's definitely a concept artist/ visual development dream film. So fans of videogames, sci fi, manga and animé would find it easy enough to sit through the film. The run time sits under 3hrs. So make sure your schedule is clear and be prepared to be whisked away for the epic journey ahead of you. The near seemless blend of practical & cg effects displayed here is setting a new bar in sci-fi films. The sound design and scoring of the film definitely deserve to be experienced in a theatrical setting. Sure I get it lasers don't really make sounds but for the purpose of experiencing the film I'm willing to suspend my disbelief to hear what the sound design team accomplished. It was nice to hear Radio Head on that scale of a sound system. Hearing that song with those visuals had my hairs standing on end. Definitely one of the most haunting moments I've ever experienced in a film. That being said the characters and plot are developed well enough. Not sure if the chapter like breaks and cutting back and forth between past & present work as well in conveying the plot as well as it could have been done. Since the film is set in the future some in the audience may find it hard to recognize what is the past and present when the film zips back & forth between a flash back and the film's present day. Over all I had no trouble empathazing with the characters. Some may feel the films Asia centric locale & pro AI sympathizing maybe a big ask for most western audiences to get behind in an era of AI weary protest and headlines. But again I'll suspend my disbelief long enough to take in Gareth Edwards latest offering. Some critics and friends were comparing Gareth Edward's Rogue One to a WWII film in that in character, tone and plot it had more in common with that genre of film than the average Star Wars film. I definitely agreed with that assessment. And I'll reason If Rogue One is akin to WWII genre film, I'd say the Creator is akin to the Vietnam War veteran genre. You have John David Washington delivering a believable and emotionally taut performance as a traumatized veteran on a journey to find his wife. And through his remarkable journey we see him grow from selfish lone wolf to self giving protector. We even see an anti war protest near the end of the film. Taking all this into account with editing & plot gripes aside I'm willing to say the Creator is destined to become a cult classic and definitely a film ahead of it's time.

A refreshing take on a superhero film being set in the guise as a teenage psychological horror film. Being a fan of Chris Claremont's run of Marvel mutant books I was intrigued to see how Hollywood would interpret the material for todays audience. It's unfortunate the the release and timing of this film had it fall into that awkward inbetween period where one studio is handing owner ship of a franchise off to another studio so it's unlikely we'll see the same cast together again in a sequel (but in a post Spider Man No Way Homeworld who's to say what isn't possible). History aside the cast delivers believable performances while the eerie abandoned private school setting really does set the tone for psychological trauma each of the characters need to overcome. A worthy effort that hopefully sets the tone & cast for a follow up film.

3.5/5 The shakey camera/documentary style of cinematography takes away from the story at times. But there are some genuine thrills & chills sprinkled throughout this dark film.

A well shot, casted and paced film asking if fate is predetermined by chance or destiny. Skeptics will say it's all random coincidence. Others will believe things happen for reasons big & small, seen or unseen. Science and the observable universe dictates all actions have consequences. Ultimately it's up to people to decide whether or not these actions & consequences have any meaning, purpose, or relevance in their lives. Sure the film brings it all together in a convenient 90 minute package, and sure it follows familiar romantic & dramatic tropes. However, it's a satisfying 90 minute departure worth the time spent as opposed to spending 90 minutes scrolling aimlessly through the endlessly random social media post from would be "content creators".