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: Monsters

Monsters’ 94 minutes feels about three times as long in this science fiction drama. Devoid of any real sense of threat, the film is not engaging in the least, opting for shallow symbolism and ample screen time for two of the most boring protagonists imaginable.

Six years after a probe carrying samples of alien life crash landed in Mexico, have the country is quarantined as an ‘Infection Zone’. An American photographer is tasked with getting his boss’s daughter safely back across the zone to America. With limited travel options, the pair must avoid the monsters that the military struggle to contain…

The main problem with Monsters is that it functions neither as an effective science fiction film, nor as an engaging drama. For a film titled ‘Monsters’, there is no feeling of danger despite the protagonists frequently being placed in situations that call for a sense of precariousness. Coupled with this are two protagonists who are not well crafted enough for the audience to care about their fates, let alone their motivations.

Gareth Edwards wrote and directed the film, as well as acting as cinematographer, production designer and special effects supervisor. If the energy he spent on the visual aesthetics of the film could have been replicated in the narrative department, the film may have been fairly decent. Instead, Monsters is slow moving, which would not be a problem if the protagonists were not so dull.

Kaulder, an ambitious photographer, supposedly sees the light during the course of the movie; photographing dead children, which apparently would be his meal ticket, is just too horrifying when it comes down to it. Sam, meanwhile, contends with the absolutely thrilling issue of whether or not she should marry her fiancé. Performances by Scoot McNairy and Whitney Able are not terrible, yet they lack the impetus to engage viewers.

Monsters brings to mind Close Encounters of the Third Kind to a certain extent. Although Edwards may see this as a compliment, it really is not meant as one. Both films have a slow build, but only Close Encounters has the acumen to reward the audience’s patience with a big pay-off in the finale. Monsters falters even at this last hurdle, offering something visually attractive, but lacking in tension, drama or surprise.

Some may argue that Monsters is a different type of science fiction film. Yet, its use of symbolism (building a wall at the US border to keep the ‘monsters’ of Mexico out) simply shows a continuation of one of the pivotal conventions of the genre. Furthermore, the allegory here is so superficial it eradicates any thought-provoking potential. Edwards may have thought he was doing something different with his climax, but it is hardly groundbreaking or highly original.

Visual effects are very good, especially considering the film’s low budget. Edwards captures some beautiful imagery in Mexico, as well as some effectively dystopian shots later in the film. This, however, is not enough to save Monsters. Vertigo Films may wish to play up comparisons to District 9, but Monsters lacks the charm and energy of Neill Blomkamp’s fantastic 2009 film.