Josh Bell
This week’s minor VOD releases travel the globe to explore 18th-century Polish rebellion, 11th-century Chinese corruption, and modern queer struggles in Lithuania and Australia.
Scarborn (Viaplay April 30): There are no large-scale battles in this Polish historical drama set during the 1794 Kościuszko Uprising against occupying Russian forces. Instead, director Paweł Maślona takes a more intimate approach, with nasty, direct confrontations in cramped, dingy locations. The efforts of real-life resistance leader Tadeusz Kościuszko (Jacek Braciak) often take a backseat to fictional succession intrigue with peasant Ignac Sikora (Bartosz Bielenia) attempting to secure an inheritance from his late nobleman father. Kościuszko is a national hero in Poland, so maybe a story adjacent to his famous exploits makes more sense there, but for international viewers, Scarborn feels like an extended footnote, ending just as the main action is about to get underway. Even giving Kościuszko an American companion (Jason Mitchell) who fought alongside him in the American Revolution doesn’t lend the narrative the proper scope. There’s some solid suspense, especially in a lengthy, Inglourious Basterds-like sequence of Polish rebels placating a Russian commander, but the story never reflects the urgency of the actual events it depicts. Grade: C+
The Fuzzies (VOD May 1): The practical effects in this horror movie are so good that it’s a shame the writing and performances aren’t up to their standards. Director and co-writer Josh Funk makes excellent use of puppetry and stop-motion animation as his protagonists are tormented by the creations of beloved children’s TV host Shirley Drysdale (Gordy Cassel). After dying at a young age under mysterious circumstances, Shirley leaves her remote, Willy Wonka-esque house to her childhood friends Rose (Rocío de la Grana) and Mick (co-writer Dustin Vaught), whom she hasn’t seen in years. Along with Rose’s girlfriend Mary (Baylee Toney), they plan to spend a weekend at the house, cataloguing its contents for possible preservation or sale to collectors. When Funk focuses on the grotesque puppets and other creepy-cute creatures come to life, The Fuzzies is entertainingly unsettling, and the design of Shirley’s home, a cross between Pee-wee’s Playhouse and a Saw trap, is impeccable. The plot is sluggish and the characters are dull, but the surroundings are mesmerizing. Grade: B-
Salt Along the Tongue (VOD May 1): It’s tough to say precisely what happens in this dreamlike Australian horror movie, but that off-kilter vibe is exactly what writer-director Parish Malfitano is going for. He draws on giallos and other European art-horror, getting by on woozy, impressionistic style and raw, unfiltered emotions. After the sudden death of her mother Mina (Dina Panozzo), young adult Mattia (Laneikka Denne) moves in with her mother’s sister Carol (also Panozzo), and strange things begin to occur. What strange things? Maybe the intellectually disabled (or just shy?) Mattia is possessed by the spirit of her late mother. Maybe Mina has also placed a curse on Carol. Maybe it’s all just a symbolic echo of the abuse that Mina and Carol suffered as children. Whatever it is, it looks gorgeous, in a movie that credits four food stylists and filters its queer witchcraft through the lavish recipes that Carol showcases on her homemade cooking show. There’s no need to define all the ingredients — just enjoy the sumptuous meal. Grade: B
The Activist (VOD May 12): The bland declaratory title is an indicator of the dry talking points in this well-meaning but inert Lithuanian drama. When gay-rights activist Deividas (Elvinas Juodkazis) is murdered, his boyfriend Andrius (Robertas Petraitis) is determined to find the culprit, even if that means infiltrating the neo-Nazi groups that have been harassing Deividas and his colleagues. Director and co-writer Romas Zabarauskas dutifully explains the dismal state of LGBTQ rights in Lithuania, but there’s more telling than showing in this insular story, which makes it seem like the country’s entire queer population is a handful of people who all attend the same meetings. The same goes for the equally simplistic right-wing community, as Andrius belatedly makes his way into their midst. What could be the account of a grieving man’s descent into obsession instead plays out as a sedate drama about permits for the city’s first-ever pride march. A third-act plot twist undermines Zabarauskas’ message of acceptance, making both Andrius’ and Deividas’ efforts seem like wasted time. Grade: C
The Butcher’s Blade (VOD May 12; DVD/Blu-ray July 7): The flurry of title cards at the beginning of this Chinese martial-arts movie provide more intricate legal information than is strictly necessary to appreciate the journey of a small-town constable to take down crooked Song dynasty officials. Xue Buyi (Liu Fengchao) is a humble local lawman who is constantly bulldozed by the powerful, dangerous business owners he’s theoretically meant to police. He gets the chance to join a larger task force investigating the theft of disaster-relief funds, only to discover the same abuse and corruption at a higher level. The plot gets bogged down in convoluted details of jurisdictions and hierarchies, but the real draw is the kinetic action staged by director Liu Wenpu. The editing is sometimes too frenetic to properly capture the impressive stunt work, but there are bravura sequences set in a laundry and a fireworks factory, utilizing the unique implements in each location. The upstanding loner faces massive armed opposition, and he furiously kicks and punches his way through all of it. Grade: B
