WOLF MAN Review, ONE OF THEM DAYS Review — 2 Genre Pleasers

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Lisa Johnson Mandell’s Wolf Man review and One of Them Days review says that if you’re a horror fan or a buddy comedy connoisseur (or both), one will scare you and the other will snare you.

Wolf Man review

Wolf Man review, One of Them Days reviewNot being an expert in the horror genre, I use three simplistic criteria to judge scary movies.

1. Is it scary?

2. Is it a story well told

3. Does it look good?

I’m pleased to tell you Wolf Man does well all categories

1. Is it scary? In addition to the jump scares, and there are plenty of those, there’s the over arching fear of whether or not the monster can be beaten, and who the next victim will be. And of course there are numerous “Don’t go in there’s!”

If I’m nervous about walking to my care after a screening and fear driving home alone, the film I’ve just seen has done its job. Incidentally, I ran to my car after Wolf Man, and only partially because it was freezing outside.

2. Is it a story well told? I get bored with genre films that rely more on blood, guts and gross out rather than on plot, (ie: The Substance). More gory than story. Wolf Man does not fall into that category. The characters are well developed, and many important plot points are told wordlessly, rather than being obviously explained.

This is the story of a son raised by a father in a remote part of Oregon. Dad is short-fused and overly strict, explaining that he’s only trying to protect his son.

Fast forward to present day and that boy had grown to become the stay-at-home dad Blake,(Christopher Abbott) of an adorable daughter Ginger, (Matilda Firth), and husband to bread-winning journalist Charlotte (Julia Garner). They live in New York, but decide to take a long trip to clear out the old Oregon homestead, after  Blake receives news of his father’s mysterious death. What could go wrong?

3. Does it look good? It’s a clever idea to make the vast forests of the Oregon wilderness look claustrophobic. It’s a relief when dark and dreary settings are smartly lit so you can actually discern what’s going on. Also, I admire the fact that this is not your typical, hirsute wolfman. He’s more of a zombie/wolfman, which in this case is appropriate.

In essence, Wolf Man may not become a horror classic, but it’s a scary story well told and it looks fine. That’s entertainment.

Rated R

1 Hour 43 Minutes

One of Them Days review

Wolf Man review, One of Them Days reviewThe unexpected delight that is One of Them Days has leads so endearing I wish they could be my nieces. And yes, I would loan them all the money they need if they would promise to do my makeup for the Critics Choice Awards.

Keke Palmer and SZA have remarkable buddy chemistry, starring as best friends/roommates Dreux and Alyssa. They can’t pay their rent because Alyssa’s boyfriend took off with the money. Their landlord gives them until the end of the day to pay what they owe, or he’ll evict them from their ratty apartment.

As they maneuver the streets of L.A. looking for ways to come up with the cash, they meet a variety of capacious characters who steer them wrong and right. Look for great comedy turns by Kat Williams, Lil Rel Howery, Janelle James, Keyla Monterroso Mejia and many others. Just about everyone gets the opportunity to light up the screen in one way or another—even the biscuit burglar.

Freshman director Lawrence Lamont shows great promise, handily mixing raucous slapstick with a great deal of heart. Heaven knows we can all use the diversion right now.

Rated R

1 Hour 37 Minutes

If either this Wolf Man review or One of Them Days review beckons you to the cineplex, get times and tickets at Fandango.com.

Lisa Johnson Mandell’s Wolf Man review and One of Them Days review says that if you’re a horror hound or a buddy comedy connoisseur (or both), one will scare you and the other will snare you.

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Lisa Johnson Mandell

Lisa Johnson Mandell is an award winning journalist, author and film/TV critic. She can be heard regularly on Cumulus radio stations throughout the US, and seen on Rotten Tomatoes. She is the author of three bestselling books, and spends as much of her free time as possible with her husband Jim and her jolly therapy Labradoodle Frankie Feldman.

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