Brett Conder

A truly extraordinary, distinctive, and captivating addition to Wes Anderson's illustrious filmography, Asteroid City shines with a constellation of stellar performances, cleverly crafted dialogue, exquisite cinematography, and meticulous set designs that reflect a masterclass in visual storytelling. Wes Anderson exhibits a remarkable ability to transcend conventional storytelling norms, especially in the contemporary cinematic landscape, effectively driving home the film's thematic resonance. The deliberate incorporation of dry, deadpan, and convoluted elements serves as the primary means to evoke emotions of loneliness and disenchantment, precisely as intended by the director. The film requires a departure from conventional analytical scrutiny, inviting viewers to forego exhaustive dissection of every detail and speculative predictions. Instead, the true beauty of Asteroid City unveils itself through an immersive viewing experience unburdened by preconceived notions about "the right way" to engage with the narrative. Embracing the film on its own terms allows one to fully appreciate the depth and originality that Wes Anderson brings to this cinematic masterpiece.

I Know What You Did Last Summer is a clever, interesting, beautifully shot, and campy end to a bygone era of slasher films. Even with the writers choosing to write a more complex, plot oriented slasher film, they never go beyond what they know they can deliver. While I would not consider the script groundbreaking by an stretch, the set design and cinematography of the movie provides the main bones and structure for the film. You can really feel like you are immersed in this little seaside town. The final girl sequence is done how you would expect: no real surprises, no disappointments. While the movie may not be one of the scariest slashers out there, it is definitely one that produces one of the highest qualities in script writing, set design, and cinematography.

While the plot had a lot of imagination and potential behind it, the writers fall short to deliver in the big moments. Most of the down time in the movie consists of the writers trying to create more plot lines and more factors that could make the watcher look back on them at the end as some type of full circle moment. This moment never comes though. I think the reason many may be confused by the ending is that they cannot believe that a story with such potential, could ultimately be kick in the face and a waste of 2 hours. The pacing of the film also seems off, creating a weird sense that was not intended by the writers. Overall, the writers constructed a really well thought out concept; however, they seemed to overestimate how smart and clever they really are and fail to meet the full potential of the world they built.

The first half of the movie is a delight. Thoughtful dialogue, great camerawork, smart writing to create tension, and a sense of being left in the dark creates a very entertaining 60 minutes of film. The second half of the film collapses under the excellence of the first. The writers were quite unique and clever in writing their first half, their pool of witfullness and creative ran dry trying to write the second. They showed all of their tricks way to early. Hawke and Herrold excel in the supporting roles they are given. The movie reinforces that Ali works better as a supporting actor. Roberts gives her usual bland and tasteless performance; never hitting the mark on her heavier dialogue, always unwatchable during her weaker dialogue. Her character would be served much better by an actress with a wider range: Hilary Swank, Kirsten Dunst, Amy Adams. Much of the negatives could have been overlooked except for the ending: a sloppy series of events that were most likely put together due to time or budget restraints.