The Mosley Review: Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die
Can I tell you something kind of creepy that happened while watching this film? For awhile now, AMC Theatres has been showing ads after a couple of a trailers play. The ad that ran was a scene between a college professor and a student and what was weird is that the professor was overly smiley and complementary. I caught something odd in his right eye. A slight unnatural movement of his bottom right eye lid occurred as he started spouting out what seemed like an AI driven critique on her essay. Right then I knew it was an AI advertisement and I was right. Not only did I feel uncomfortable, but whole theatre was shocked. It was the perfect primer for the insane adventure we were about to embark on. Filmmakers like, The Wachowski's, Steven Spielberg and James Cameron have all made films based on the idea and eventual reality of artificial intelligence taking over the world and well, they were right. Their films were ahead of their time, but this film is very much of our time. I loved the zany and unhinged dark humor in this film as it is a commentary on how desensitized to real violence and brainwashed humanity has become by social media and the very thing you're reading this review on, your phone. The apocalyptic time travel storyline has been done before, but this was truly a fresh take as it tackles multiple storytelling structures, horror elements and social commentaries. To say this film sucks you in and takes you to places nobody would dare go to today is an understatement. I truly had so much fun with this film as I couldn't really predict what was going to happen and that is rare nowadays.
Sam Rockwell and his infinite charisma blasts onto screen as the witty, eccentric and kind of tragic lead character with no name. He comes off as "The End is Nigh" archetype that we've seen before, but his opening speech delivery and striking appearance truly makes you pay attention to everything he says and does. I loved his sarcastic personality and as the story continues, you get to know more about his horrific future. There is a heart to the character as he actually cares for the people he chooses to help save the future. Sam brings his trademark charm, comedic timing and physicality to the character and he continues be the most magnetic person on screen. Michael Pena was great as the nervous substitute school teacher, Mark. I liked his genuine timidness when facing a class of insufferable students. His introductory scene was filled with the perfect amount of awkward comedy and frustration as he highlights the obsessive nature of the youth over social media. Zazie Beetz was great as his girlfriend, Janet. She was the more confident one at times, but also equally cautious when dealing with the teens. Through their story, you get treated to the first salvo of the fun and strange things that happen in the story. It was very much The Faculty meets Cell inspired creepiness happening in the school. Juno Temple was great as the grieving mother, Susan. I won't say exactly what here story was, but I'll say how they handle it was the highlight of the dark humor that covers a major problem in society now. It was sad and then it took an unexpected The 6th Day turn that I clocked the moment she talked to the 3 other parents that tried to comfort her. She was outstanding and her contribution to this story was interesting. Asim Chaudhry was a scene stealer as Scott. He doesn't have that much mystery to him, but I loved his back and forth with Sam Rockwell's character. Haley Lu Richardson shines as Ingrid. She had a rare condition that I've never seen before portrayed and it was used wisely for some comedy, but more on the dramatic side of things. Haley gives so much depth to the character the moment she's on screen and I loved her journey from her flashback to the end of the film. Tom Taylor was great as her love interest, Tim. The two of them highlighted another tragic piece of social commentary that was heartbreaking.
The score by Geoff Zanelli perfectly balanced the level of zany, creepy and emotional tones at play in the film. It felt like a throwback to the more smaller scale scores you'd hear from the 90's sci fi films without being overpowering. As the film became more eerie in its final half, his score mirrored that brilliantly. Visually, this film was great to look at as it clearly was made on a modest budget that helped keep it grounded and personal. The effects in the film were great too as the finale features one of the greatest payoffs to a character prompt I've ever seen. What I truly loved was the attention to detail as for example, the main characters only drive analog vehicles. Like The Terminator, The Matrix and the other films I mentioned, this film plays was a fun, but terrifying reminder of where we are going or where we are as a tech oriented society. It has been a long time since Director Gore Verbinski has graced us with a good story and by all means, this was his return to form as brilliant storyteller. This is a must see in theatres and I cannot recommend this film enough. Let me know what you thought of this film or my review in the comments below. Thanks for reading!
