PSYCHOLOGICAL DRAMA THRILLER. “Little Joe.” / “The Killing of a Sacred Deer.” / “The Jacket.”

“Little Joe” (2019, Pluto TV) drama. A plant breeder and single mother creates "Little Joe,” a plant that gives its caretakers joy.

 

       This little movie is certainly an unorthodox movie but I don't think it qualifies as horror at all. Nothing's creepy about it. More a fantasy drama. Emily Beecham's understated, charming stoicism also works as deadpan enchantment. Her restrained take on plant breeder mom Alice Woodard won her the Best Actress plum in 2019's Cannes.

       All in all, Jessica Hausner's directorial thrift is a minimalist intrigue in a spaced-out set sans weirdness. 🎥💻📽


“The Killing of a Sacred Deer” (2017, HBO Max) absurdist psychological horror thriller film directed by Yorgos Lanthimos. A cardiac surgeon introduces his family to a teenage boy with a connection to his past, after which they mysteriously begin to fall ill. 



       Mr Lanthimos is famous for weird movies. Either you like ‘em or you don't. But critics almost unanimously praise his work. As for me, cinema is entertainment. I enjoyed 2018's “The Favourite,” but not the others. Those are just weird but still interesting somehow. 

       Sorry, critics, but this “sacred deer whatever” is not only uninteresting to me. It is extremely boring and I didn't see the point in the entire project at all. The only good thing? Barry Keoghan's remarkable performance. 🎥💻📽


“The Jacket” (2005, Plex) science-fiction psychological thriller. A Gulf war veteran is wrongly sent to a mental institution for insane criminals, where he becomes the object of a doctor's experiments, and his life is completely affected by them. Stars Adrien Brody, Keira Knightley, Kris Kristofferson, and Jennifer Jason Leigh. 



       This PTSD-tackling (supposedly) movie had the makings of a fine feature, featuring Adrien Brody's powerful performance. But the time-travel, sci-fi bit messed everything up. Yet still a fine watch. 🎥💻📽


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