Previews: The House Trailer, Get Out, More!

Plenty to see in this week’s preview of coming attractions, including The House trailer, Get Out, Aftermath, and more…

The House Trailer

This new The House trailer depicts an unusual way for parents to pay for their child’s tuition fees. Will Ferrell and Amy Poehler are the parents who decide to operate an underground casino to ensure their daughter can go to university. The comedy is the directorial debut of screenwriter Andrew Jay Cohen (responsible for the scripts of Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates and others). The House is set for release in UK cinemas on 30th June 2017.

Kong: Skull Island Image

Here is anew image for the upcoming Kong: Skull Island. The film features a stellar cast that includes Samuel L. Jackson, Brie Larson, Tom Hiddleston, and John C. Reilly. The film reimagines the origins of the mythic Kong. Kong: Skull Island launches on to UK screens on 9th March 2017.

Aftermath Trailer

Here is the trailer for thriller Aftermath. Arnold Schwarzenegger stars as a husband and father who hunts down the air traffic controller who he holds responsible for the crash that killed his family. The film also stars Scoot McNairy and Maggie Grace, and is produced by Darren Aronofsky. Aftermath will hit UK cinemas on 7th April 2017.

Catfight Trailer

Catfight is a comedy about two old college friends who meet again years later. When wealthy housewife Veronica and struggling artist Ashley clash, their rivalry lasts years. The film stars Anne Heche, Sandra Oh, and Alicia Silverstone. Catfight is out in cinemas and on VOD in 10th March 2017.

Get Out Poster

Get Out is a thriller about a black man who visits his white girlfriend’s family estate. Worried that her family don’t realise he is black, the reality is about to get much worse. The trailer can be viewed here. The film is written and directed by Jordan Peele, and stars Daniel Kaluuya and Allison Williams. Get Out hits UK screens on 17th March 2017.

Logan Clip

Above is footage of Laura, a new character from the upcoming Logan. It reveals a little more about the young character who seems to have the same condition as the title character. Starring Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, and Dafne Keen. Logan is out in UK cinemas on 1st March 2017.

Life Poster

Life is a new sci-fi thriller about a group of scientists who discover a new life form is space. The film stars Jake Gyllenhaal, Rebecca Ferguson, and Ryan Reynolds. Directed by Daniel Espinosa, Life will be released in UK cinemas on 24th March 2017.

Everything Everything Trailer

This is the new trailer for Everything Everything, based on the best-selling novel of the same name. The film is about Maddy, a teenage girl with a condition that means she can’t leave her house, and her neighbour Olly who wants to be with her. Starring Amandla Stenberg and Nick Robinson, Everything Everything is coming to cinemas soon.

Gleason Trailer

Here is the trailer for documentary Gleason. The film is about Steve Gleason, an American football star who is diagnosed with motor neurone disease (MND) at the age of 34. The documentary is directed by Clay Tweel. Gleason is out in UK cinemas from 17th march 2017.

Film Review: Easy Money

Daniel Espinosa’s Easy Money is an entertaining, thriller, despite being slightly overlong.

JW is a business student who tries to keep up appearances with his wealthy classmates, despite his humble background. Driving a taxi to earn money, JW is enticed into the world of organised crime to pay for the lifestyle he wants…

Espinosa’s film, based on Jens Lapidus’ novel, is a competent thriller. Easy Money generates sufficient tension to keep viewers hooked. Moreover, the narrative is crafted in a manner which is both engaging and satisfying.

Easy Money revolves around three main characters, of which JW has the leading role. These characters are well developed and authentic enough for the audience to care about their fates. Nevertheless, given the time dedicated to drawing and developing these characters and their journeys, Easy Money can stumble at times in terms of momentum.

Despite this occasional dip in pacing, Espinosa’s film is well executed. The climactic scenes in particular are adept in conveying the chaos and tension of the situation.

Easy Money offers universal themes of crime and class that could be applicable to pretty much any period or setting. It is not difficult to identify with JW in particular, in wanting to fit in with his counterparts. His choices may not be the most moral, but the reasoning behind his decisions will be something most can empathise with. Likewise with Jorge and Mrado, their actions are somewhat negated by the reasons behind them.

Joel Kinnaman offers a strong and convincing performance as student JW. He persuades viewers to sympathise with his character and predicament. Other performances in the film are also solid. Production values are good, although the soundtrack does become overbearing on occasion.

Despite some minor flaws, Easy Money is a worthwhile watch. Espinosa appears to know what makes a good thriller.

Film Review: Safe House

Safe House is a little by-the-numbers, but is a decent action thriller. Those looking for a tense, action-packed film are unlikely to be disappointed.

Matt Weston is a young CIA agent desperate to attain more field experience. Having to supervise a safe house in South Africa, Weston’s day suddenly gets interesting when notorious rogue agent Tobin Frost is brought in for questioning. As the questioning commences an interruption leads Weston to make a life-changing decision…

Writer David Guggenheim offers a fairly predictable plot for this genre. Nevertheless, Safe House retains a sense of mystery by not revealing the contents of the file for the best part of the duration. This works well to reel viewers in, keeping the audience guessing over the secrets which could be exposed.

There is one element of Safe House which seemed to have been dumbed down. A clue is over-emphasised by way of a flashback. Director Daniel Espinosa should give his audience more credit at being able to recollect details from the past hour; it is not as if the film is overly complex, or crammed with superfluous detail. Otherwise, Espinosa’s direction is fine. The crowded shots and shaky camera work well to set the tone, and help to amplify the action-heavy sequences. The sound is bombastic. The noticeable loudness heightens tension and gives the film an air of brashness.

The twist in Safe House functions well. It is not amazingly imaginative, but is not expected either. The film is very contemporary in terms of themes. There is a link to current affairs that is unambiguous. The comment made by Safe House seems to fit in with most other thrillers of this type. The film distinguishes itself by its reference to a current new story, one that should not pass anyone by.

Denzel Washington is as good as ever. His character Frost is interesting as far as the film retains the ambiguity over his motives. Ryan Reynolds puts in a competent performance as rooky agent Weston.

Safe House is not the type of film that lingers long after viewing. Nevertheless, it does the job of entertaining throughout, just as good action thrillers should.