Brent & Brianna’s Top Ten (& Bottom Five) Films of 2018

Thank the heavens for cinema in 2018. I can say that about film pretty much every year, but in 2018—with the joint help of MoviePass (RIP) and AMC Stubs A-List (long live)—I saw more films than ever before, and escaped from the increasingly tumultuous world around me. Alongside my movie partner (and love of my life) Brianna, we saw upwards of 80 films in theaters in 2018, and have seen more than 70 films released in the calendar year of 2018, as of this writing. That’s a lot of movie-watching. There were some absolute stinkers (Tag is one of the most offensively horrible films I’ve ever seen; “teen” horror flicks like Blumhouse’s Truth or Dare, The Possession of Hannah Grace, and My Teacher, My Obsessionare so awful that I want to forget them from my memory; Vice was perhaps the most pandering, self-important dribble I’ve ever seen), plenty of middle-of-the-road films that are provided a much-needed decent time at the cinema (The Commuter, Bumblebee, Strangers: Prey at Night, and The Girl in the Spider’s Web), and movies and/or performances that have proven to be critically underrated (The Clovehitch Killer, Game Night, Bad Times at the El Royale, and the best performance of the year in Natalie Portman’s stunning turn as adult Celeste in Vox Lux). But the ten that we’ve ended up with at the top are something special, containing something or many things that shocked us, made us laugh, made us cry, and, most importantly, wowed us once again at the power of cinema. Thank whomever you want to, but thank someone that there continued to be important and jaw-dropping times at the cinema in 2018. – Brent & Brianna

 

Brent’s Top Ten

First, some honorable mentions: Unsane, Ocean’s 8, Avengers: Infinity War, Searching, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.

10. Roma

Roma is the most beautiful, heart-wrenching film of the year, and (if anyone in the Academy cared about my opinion) it would very likely get my vote for Best Picture. What makes Roma work so well is how relatable the whole film feels, even for a 23 year old white dude in Louisville, Kentucky. Alfonso Cuarón has such a deft touch behind the camera, and by never truly allowing Cleo (played with heartbreaking authenticity by Yalitza Aparicio) to leave the frame, his audience can’t help but feel every emotion that she feels, and experience every heartbreak right along with her. There’s a scene in Roma (captured in one of Cuarón’s signature single-takes) that’s the saddest of the year, and I would not do any justice spoiling it here. It can’t be longer than five minutes, but it feels like a painful eternity for the audience, and for Cleo. Roma is peak filmmaking, and the best part is that you can watch it from the comfort of your own home.

9. Halloween (2018)

David Gordon Green’s Halloween should not be as good—or as scary, or simply as thrilling—as it is, but, nonetheless, here we are. Halloween (2018) is the best slasher film in recent memory, and succeeds in spite of the odds stacked against it. Jamie Lee Curtis (thankfully revived from her non-canonical demise in Halloween: Resurrection) is the only one who should ever play the role of Laurie Strode (much apologies to Scout-Taylor Compton), and this performance proves it—she’s terrific. John Carpenter (and company’s) score is scary as hell, and Halloween(2018) makes it clear that it was his thumbprint that was sorely missing from Rob Zombie’s reboots in the late 2000s. I’ll likely end up watching Halloween (2018) more than any other film from the year, and it’s immediately become a yearly viewing.

8. Won’t You Be My Neighbor?

Sixteen years after his death, Fred Rogers is having a moment. With a Tom Hanks-starring biopic on its way later this year, and Morgan Neville’s touching, inspiring, and heartwarming documentary Won’t You Be My Neighbor?, it’s clear that Rogers’ status as one of America’s greatest treasures has been cemented. Rogers’ story is one worth telling: A tender, sweet man doing his best to make kindness and sincerity two traits that are available to us all, and presented to us while sitting on our couch. Won’t You Be My Neighbor? tells the story of a man simply too good and pure for this world, never drifting into sentimentality but remaining poignant and touching throughout. I left Won’t You Be My Neighbor? in a better mood than I did leaving any other film in 2018.

7. Eighth Grade

It’s unfair to compare Elsie Fisher to Brooklynn Prince—the star of my favorite film last year, The Florida Project—because the films, though both run through the gamut of emotions, are so different. Still, Fisher’s performance in Eighth Grade is similarly as eye-opening as Prince’s, both performances displaying a stunning array of talent that we’re incredibly lucky to have seen, especially two years in a row. Fisher wears every bit of emotion right on her sleeve, perfectly capturing the nuances of Bo Burnham’s wonderful screenplay every second that she’s on screen. The scene towards the end of the film with Fisher’s Kayla and her father—the equally terrific and underrated Josh Hamilton—is pure and beautiful filmmaking, and beckons the audience to question what makes you, you. Gucci!

6. Can You Ever Forgive Me?

This is the kind of film that Melissa McCarthy was meant to make. Can You Ever Forgive Me? allows her to fully become a new character, one that stands alone in her repertoire and gives her the chance to completely fall away into a role. Lee Israel is a complex character, but McCarthy absolutely nails it in a performance that’s equal parts hilarious, troubled, and inspiring. You can’t take your eyes off McCarthy as Israel, and the audience isn’t beckoned to either, as director Marielle Heller’s understated direction places Israel front and center, and rightfully so. You can’t ignore Best Supporting Actor favorite Richard E. Grant either, who nearly steals the show from McCarthy, and delivers a performance equally as complex and outstanding.

5. BlacKkKlansman

Not only is BlacKkKlansman a terrific political commentary, it’s a pulse-pounding thriller, and a laugh-out-loud comedy to boot. A movie of this caliber and skill doesn’t come around too often, and as someone who claims Do The Right Thing as one of the best films to have never been nominated for Best Picture, it’s a personally-affecting triumph to see Spike Lee direct a film that rivals that one’s brilliance. Lee is the right director to tackle a story this unique and insane (and true!), and his decision to direct this story in 2018 is a wise one. His script—which he wrote with Charlie Wachtel, David Rabinowitz, Kevin Willmott—is tight and fiery, and the entire cast—particularly John David Washington, Adam Driver, and Topher Grace—rises to the occasion. Peak-Spike, indeed.

4. Three Identical Strangers

Three Identical Strangers is the type of film that comes out of nowhere but leaves one of the biggest impacts. I had never heard of the titular strangers before walking into the theatre, but I left feeling like I had known them my whole life, thanks to the dynamic, holistic storytelling by director Tim Wardle. Three Identical Strangers is a complex movie, juggling twin concepts of nature v. nurture, fact and fiction, right and wrong. The highs and lows of the lives of its protagonists are honored and demonstrated here in a way that only a skillfully made documentary can, replicating a truly life-like experience. Three Identical Strangers remains the most surprising film I saw in 2018.

3. Tully

Charlize Theron’s performance anchors Tully, as does Diablo Cody’s script, which is arguably her best yet, in addition to being one of the best of the year. Tully tells a story of motherhood that is so worthy of being told (yet so untold in a wide-release film) that its mere existence feels like a breath of fresh air. Thankfully, the film doesn’t merely exist; Tullylives and breathes, feeling as authentic as a documentary with the usual sardonic humor and depth that comes from a Diablo Cody-Jason Reitman pairing. It seems as though Charlize Theron will have to settle for a Best Actress – Musical or Comedy nomination at the Golden Globes which is a real shame because she’s never been better, and her chemistry with Mackenzie Davis in the titular role is beautiful and real, and heartbreaking.

2. American Animals

American Animals is a film about failed American exceptionalism, a film that blatantly tells its audience they are not special and provides four examples of futile attempts to be special—the fact that I watched this film not long after Won’t You Be My Neighbor?, which preaches the opposite mantra, did not escape me. Despite this cynicism, I’ve seen American Animals more times than any other 2018 film, and I love every second of it. Perhaps it’s because of this cynicism that I’m so fascinated by the story it tells: that of a failed library heist, and the four individuals who become someone despite their insistence that they aren’t anyone. Bart Layton’s terrific script and unique docu-cinematic blend of storytelling—the real individuals involved in the heist taking up nearly as much screen time as the four talented young actors who portray them—and hip, fascinating editing by Nick Fenton, Chris Gill, and Julian Hart is going painfully unnoticed, which is a shame; Its tense, scary, and thrilling heist scene is worth the price of admission alone. The real gem of the film: A career-best, livewire performance from Evan Peters.

1. Widows

What can I say; I’m a sucker for heist films. Widows, though, is special. Nearly everything about this film is pitch-perfect: Steve McQueen’s typically brilliant direction, getting the most out of each and every shot, along with his cinematographer Sean Bobbitt; a tight, fundamentally sound and structured script by McQueen and co-writer Gillian Flynn (who continues to prove that she’s the queen of everything); and absolutely terrific performances from the entire cast, especially Elizabeth Debicki, Brian Tyree Henry, BAFTA-nominated Viola Davis, and the terrifying, calculating, and outstanding Daniel Kaluuya (not even mentioning the superstar canine actor, Olivia). Widows, like American Animals before it, is a heist film that manages to do so much more, making a commentary on race relations in America in addition to poking holes in the shady world of local politics, and, in the end, promoting its own unique brand of feminine strength, a theme that’s thankfully becoming more common in film every year. Compound these traits with a heist plot that’s thrilling and jaw-dropping in all the right places and you’ve got Widows: the best film of 2018.

 

Brianna’s Top Ten

10. Hereditary

Let’s face it, I’m a sucker for any dysfunctional family dramas. I’m not sure what it is about them that appeals to me; perhaps I see glimpses of my own family in there or maybe I just enjoy the chaos of knowing mine isn’t thatcrazy. But Hereditarytakes the dysfunctional family trope to new and horrifying heights with this film which features so many bone chilling and heart racing moments, I can’t remember the last time I was so unsettled and concerned about what the filmmakers would subject me to next. The final 15 minutes or so of this movie were better than most of the mainstream horror releases of the decade. Some of the elements of this film are clearly taken from some classics but Ari Aster wonderfully delivers some much-needed originality into the dying horror genre. You’ll never hear that tongue clicking noise the same again.

9. Ocean’s 8

It’s not an exaggeration to say that when this film was announced as a female lead sequel to Ocean’s 11-13, that people (mostly insecure angry men and incels) were kind of upset. “What do you mean there’s no Clooney?” they cried. Many refused to give it a chance but if they would’ve saw past their narrow minded, misogynistic lens, they would’ve seen a sharp, stylish and quite funny film about eight women from different backgrounds both economically, culturally and racially coming together for one of the coolest and perhaps most improbable heists ever on screen. But if your biggest hang up about this film is that it’s not realistic, then really ask yourself how realistic Fast and the Furious, Harry Potteror Mission: Impossible movies are. Movies are sometimes just for fun and an escape, and Ocean’s 8provides that.

8. Beautiful Boy

For better or for worse, 2018 was full of films about the perils and strife of drug addictions. Couple this film with Netflix’s 6 Balloons(also a great film) and Peter Hedges’ Ben is Backand you’ve got an unofficial, quite depressing, but realistic trilogy of addiction in today’s world – especially as it relates to heroin. Beautiful Boyin particular sees Timotheé Chalamet transform from a cute, average teenage boy into a young man deep in the bowels of his addiction and nearly dying more than once. It’s a biopic and so with a quick Google search you can easily read a quick summary of what happened to the real family but this movie is so poetically and carefully done that it’d be a real shame to miss out on seeing Chalamet and Steve Carell act their hearts out. This film isn’t an easy one to sit through but it’s important, timely and surprisingly, full of hope.

7. Game Night

This film was undoubtedly my first favorite film of 2018 and though it didn’t stay in the top spot, it was still the funniest movie of the year. Jesse Plemons’ character “Gary” is both parts creepy and hilarious. Every bit of dialogue, and the editing are masterful, and the film plays out like one big giant game. Rachel McAdams and the always charming Jason Bateman have amazing chemistry both with each other and the rest of the cast which makes the viewing experience all the more enjoyable. It’s rare, I feel, for me to want a sequel to a film so badly but that’s just how great this movie truly was. Who doesn’t enjoy the camaraderie of friends getting together for games of chance and skill?

6. BlacKkKlansman

It’s probably important to note that this was my introduction to Spike Lee’s filmography, which as a budding cinephile like myself is quite shameful, I know, but this film was exquisite. There were moments of genuine laughter (we all love David Bowie, by the way) and moments of disgust and horror. Topher Grace playing David Duke is a million times scarier than him playing Venom in Spider-Man 3. The story, which sounds wa, too convoluted to be real, plays out brilliantly and at the end for a brief moment you feel vindicated. But then Spike Lee delivers a brutal but necessary reminder of the evils that still live in this world and that racism is FAR from over… sorry “all lives matter” peeps.

5. Halloween (2018)

Let’s be real. When I heard that David Gordon Green, the director of Pineapple Express(which yes, is a fantastic stoner comedy) andDanny McBride, also of Pineapple Expressfame, among other things, were going to be bringing up a new Halloweenmovie, I really began to believe we lived in a simulation. I could’ve never guessed that they would somehow be able to revitalize a franchise that had been soiled time and time again with countless subpar sequels (there’s really no excuse for Halloween 6or Resurrectionfor that matter), but they did with great brilliance. Halloween(2018 – NOT 1974 or 2007) was a welcomed edition for me, a wannabe horror aficionado and lover of Michael Myers. The story, the acting, the moments of sheer horror (the scene at the end of the movie when Laurie is walking around that house in the dark…my life still hasn’t known peace) all created this masterpiece of horror cinema. It gave old fans endless Easter eggs and it gave new fans a way into this crazy but fun franchise. I’ve never loved Jamie Lee Curtis more nor have I ever been more terrified for her.

4. Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse

I’m a tad bit biased on this one because Spider-Man has been, is, and always will be my favorite superhero. I’ve seen every live action Spider-Man film from Tobey Maguire to Tom Holland, and I mostly loved them all in their own way (sorry, but Spider-Man 3… wyd?). Not only do we get a biracial Spider-Man in Miles Morales but we also get Spider Gwen, Spider-Man Noir (hell YES Nicolas Cage) and an Asian Spider-Woman all in one. This movie is sweet, action packed and hilarious – a perfect movie for all kids who find themselves under represented in other superhero movies. This movie gives you the feeling that you too, can be Spider-Man. And PS. I totally want a Spider Gwen t-shirt now.

3. Widows

How often do we see a film that shows women (three of which are of color!) in positions of power versus peril? Widowsshows young girls everywhere that you are capable of doing whatever the hell you want, frankly, and albeit most of us won’t go out and plan a heist, it sure does look stylish and exciting and powerful in this brilliant film. Viola Davis is, as always amazing, and Elizabeth Debicki is as mesmerizing as she is tall (note: she’s 6’3”!). What a goddamn shame this film has flown so far under the radar but Widowsis IT.

2. Eighth Grade

How is it utterly possible that a fully grown man could so perfectly capture the torture of being an 8th grade girl teetering on the edge of just having been thrust into puberty and nearly being old enough to drive a car? Eighth grade (the actual grade not the film) is a time filled with so much awkwardness and discomfort, it’s hard to believe any of us survive it. But Bo Burnham created the perfect picture of what I imagine being a preteen is like in today’s Snapchat and Instagram world, and still managed to leave in the timeless struggles of not fitting in and feeling insecure. Elsie Fisher is irresistibly adorable as she is awkward and how utterly refreshing it is to finallysee a teen girl playing a teen girl (Riverdale, do better). There’s not a single scene or line or character that goes to waste and the scenes between Kayla (Fisher) and her father (Josh Hamilton) are some of the most heartwarming and real scenes ever put on film. A classic film that will live on for years and will serve as a reminder to all young girls that they’re not alone in feeling weird or uncool.

1. Won’t You Be My Neighbor?

When you’re really little you often idolize celebrities, and when you grow up you realize most of the time they’re problematic in one way or another, because they’re human. That’s not the case for Mister Fred Rogers, a truly pure, wholesome and kind soul. Of course I’ve never met Mister Rogers, not really anyways unless you consider all the times I watched his show as a child and fell in love with his soft voice and routine of changing into a cardigan (is that where I get my love of a good cardigan? Maybe). But this documentary is a clear love letter to the memory of a man who affected so many children and adults alike. I was enthralled the entire time and (secretly and shamefully) kept waiting for a moment in which my view of this man would be shaken – surely someone had something bad to say about him or surely he did something problematic, but no. Instead I listened to his wife, children, friends and loved ones speak about how amazing of a man he was and I couldn’t help but feel sad that he was no longer alive in this world which has been plagued with tragedy and darkness. His presence in the world was a light, and this documentary was incredibly illuminating as well. I’ve always loved Mister Rogers but Won’t You Be My Neighbor?helped me realize how much of a hero he was and still is to me. Beautiful filmmaking.

 

Brent’s Bottom Five

70. Blumhouse’s Truth or Dare

I think it’s worth noting that this movie made a boat-load of money (almost $100 million dollars worldwide!). Horror films will continue to make a profit in the near future because they’re made for such little money, and because horror films strike a chord that resonates with an audience’s wallet unlike any other genre. The Jason Blum machine is very real, so why did he decide to put his company’s name in the official title of this utter dumpster fire? Given the youthful nature of the cast and their presence on popular teen television shows (Pretty Little Liars’ Lucy Hale and Teen Wolf’s Tyler Posey, neither of whom know how to act convincingly like adults), it’s clear who this film is marketed towards, but that doesn’t excuse lazy and unfocused direction, a genuinely awful script, and an alienating, utterly confounding twist ending. You’d think that one of the film’s four credited screenwriters would know how young people speak, but that isn’t the case as Truth or Dare features some of the worst dialogue of 2018. Maybe a party game just isn’t the best basis for a feature film (see the 2017 Syfy original movie of the same name for further proof).

61. My Teacher, My Obsession
62. The Possession of Hannah Grace
63. Christmas with a View
64. Tag

Brianna captured my feelings for our shared bottom four quite well, so I’m going to let her speak for me.

 

Brianna’s Bottom Five

71. Dude

Somehow two of my least favorite 2018 films have Lucy Hale in them. I’m not surprised seeing as how the only film to date I can remember enjoying of hers is Scream 4… which isn’t saying much. Admittedly, I was excited to see a female led stoner comedy as so little of those exist (I love you so much, Smiley Face) but this was… not it. Four girls, two of which are really just background characters (Awkwafina, girl, why are you playing a high school senior??) smoke weed and drink and have sex, just teen stuff. There’s some weird sexual relationship between one girl and her teacher and some unspoken and not really addressed r*pe scene as well. All in all, this movie is disappointing and forgettable.

72. My Teacher, My Obsession

Yikes. A teacher who looks more like a former male model or adult film actor becomes the crush of a teenage girl because we lovethe crazy, boy obsessed, psychotic girl tropes, don’t we?? The teacher, of course, nearly has sex with his student – who thankfully, I guess, is 18 – although if we’re being honest, the fact that he’d almost have sex with her is gross and weird because A) he’s her goddamn teacher and that’s a major imbalance of power and B) she’s barely 18! The rest of the film plays out like any generic lifetime movie you’ve seen before and is essentially soft core porn. A David Fincher directed film, this movie is not.

73. The Possession of Hannah Grace

If you watched the trailer, you watched the movie. There are absolutely no moments of suspense if you’ve ever seen an American paranormal horror flick before, and the titular Hannah Grace is more alive than this film’s energy (and she’s dead). Also, if you were expecting a movie about a girl named Hannah Grace becoming possessed, then get over it because the movie begins afterthe possession has taken place, because fuck you, I guess. Instead we get to follow Megan, played by Shay Mitchell, who’s an ex-cop and addict trying to rid herself of her guilt over her partner being shot and killed; her drug/alcohol addiction however is merely a plot device used to make her seem crazy and unstable when things at her morgue start getting weird. Sadly, the filmmakers drastically overestimated how much I cared about Megan judging from that lackluster end scene.

74. Christmas with a View

I literally remember almost nothing about this film and sure, it could be because I was so bored I was on my phone or because I cringed so hard my face began to hurt at the dialogue. But this movie with its weird lighting (???) and it’s basic as fuck romance was not worth remembering anyways. If you’re looking for a Hallmark-brand Christmas movie, obviously you’re not looking for high quality filmmaking but this movie is so formulaic and dull. But if you’re a city planner then maybe you’ll enjoy a very odd scene in which a female character proclaims that unlike mostcity planners, her man is notboring. Thank God.

75. Tag

         Imagine the worst group of adult friends ever to grace a movie screen – literally – and their main objective the entire film is to tagtheir friend, played by Jeremy Renner. It feels unfair to compare this disaster of a movie to the film Game Nightbut in a very basic way they have a similar premise (friends getting together to play a game of some sort but things going awry). But unlike Game Night, Tagis chock full of weirdly unnecessary narration and slow motion action scenes, painfully unfunny dialogue mostly coming from Jake Johnson and oh yes, a miscarriage joke – because what is funnier than something that thousands of women go through all the time! Tagis undoubtedly and irredeemably, garbage.

My Top Ten Films of 2017

2017 was an odd year. Politics and social turmoil notwithstanding, the film industry—Hollywood in particular—experienced supreme highs and extreme lows, both critically and at the box office. In the United States, the year saw the release of films that were met with praise from both critics and audiences alike (Wonder Woman; Thor: Ragnarok; Star Wars: The Last Jedi; Coco; Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle), the wide release of films that debuted earlier on international markets (like the criminally undermentioned gem Raw, which would be in my top ten had it not gotten a French release in 2016), as well as a whole mess of stinkers (Jigsaw, the disappointing Suburbicon, Justice League, and Transformers: The Last Knight, to name a few). Still, I felt that 2017 was an improvement, quality wise, from the previous years, and filling out the rest of my top ten list was more difficult—in a good way! Check out my top ten list below, as I reflect on a genuinely fun year at the movies.

10. Spider-Man: Homecoming

The closer I got to the release of Spider-Man: Homecoming the more nervous I became—the film has six credited screenwriters, a still relatively-unproven director at the helm, that poster is absolutely terrible, and there are enough supporting characters in this one film to fill any franchise. Still, all my fears were eased the second Tom Holland walked on-screen with his intense charisma and charm literally dominating every frame he’s in. More so than just about any film this year, Spider-Man: Homecoming is immensely fun and reminds me why I enjoy going to the movies so much. Holland and the rest of the cast are hilarious and adorably awkward, nailing the high school dynamic perfectly, but Michael Keaton nearly steals the entire show with a complex and restrained performance as Adrian Toomes/Vulture, rivaling Alfred Molina’s Doc Ock as the best on-screen Spider-Man villain. I eagerly await for the 2019 sequel which hopefully retains all the moving parts that makes this film so good.

9. Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Frances McDormand is an absolute powerhouse, and she proves it in Martin McDonagh’s Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. McDormand as Mildred Hayes—a mother who is done putting up with your shit—hits notes of grief, strength, fear, and most importantly humor in a film that demands all of those characteristics and more. Three Billboards deals with some heavy themes, but McDonagh’s script weaves them all together masterfully, never coming across as preachy or otherwise (although that is not the agreed upon opinion about the film’s messages). The real gem about this film, though, is the supporting cast who all hold their own against a career-best McDormand; Sam Rockwell and Woody Harrelson are getting well deserved attention with their dual SAG nominations and Rockwell’s Globes win, but Peter Dinklage and John Hawkes are also phenomenal in every scene they’re in. And what a year for Lucas Hedges and Caleb Landry Jones, both of whom will appear in multiple other films on this list.

8. Get Out

There wasn’t another film released in 2017 that had the same sort of societal reverberations that Jordan Peele’s directorial debut Get Out had. Grossing 254 million dollars against a mere 4 and a half million dollar budget, Peele’s scary-as-hell horror film (sure, there are funny moments but it isn’t necessarily a comedy as the Golden Globes claim) had perfect timing being released in the doldrums of the February box office and remains important almost a year later. Skewing the white-liberal frame of mind better than any comedy bit since the 2016 election, Get Out is bolstered exponentially by Peele’s outstanding script, and a terrifically wide-eyed star-making performance from English actor Daniel Kaluuya. In a cinematic world dominated by horror sequels and reboots—we had a fourth Insidious movie released this month!!—Get Out reigns supreme, thanks in large part to the political implications involved.

7. Logan

It’s been quite a while since I first checked out Logan—almost a full calendar year now—but the film has stuck with me, and I’ve revisited it on home media to remind myself of just how great it is. In a world where superhero fatigue is quite real—I mean just how many superhero films does one country need a year??—Logan and the previously mentioned reboot of Spider-Man do their own sort of service without the unnecessary restraints of cinematic universe-building. James Mangold’s Logan does this even better than Homecoming by placing his titular character so far outside of the X-Men timeline, and allowing his film to function on numerous levels: a Western (with a healthy amount of allusions to Shane), a family-or-something-like-it drama, and, perhaps most importantly, a superhero film that redefines what the genre can be and aims a gleeful middle finger at it, too. If these really are the last performances of Hugh Jackman and Patrick Stewart as Wolverine and Professor X respectively, then they certainly go out with style.

6. Star Wars: The Last Jedi

I wanted this film to be my number one film of the year—in fact, I actively hoped for this as soon as I entered my opening Thursday-night screening—but it’ll have to settle for a respectable number six. Don’t let the fanboys and the nay-sayers dissuade you—Star Wars: The Last Jedi is damn good and a ridiculous amount of fun. That Rian Johnson can continue to blaze new trails with a franchise on its eighth installment is remarkable in its own right, but Johnson has also proved himself to be a filmmaker independent of a major studio and capable of putting his own stamp on a property. The Last Jedi is beautiful to look at, instrumentally impactful to the fate of the franchise, and a wonderful tribute to the late Carrie Fisher, and it also gives stars Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, and Mark Hamill the chance to really shine. There is indeed hope in the galaxy, and, also, Porgs are the greatest.

5. Lady Bird

It’s a testament to director and writer Greta Gerwig for making a 17 year-old girl from Northern California in the early 2000s so relatable across all spectrums of life. What struck me so much about Lady Bird was just how effective it was; every decision from Gerwig behind the camera feels so vital to the story, and absolutely nothing in this film gets the short straw. Give additional credit to Gerwig and her editor Nick Houy for their beautiful editing that skillfully draws parallels between Lady Bird and her mother Christine (whose relationship forms the genuine beating heart of this film), as well as the ensemble cast who all hold their own: Saoirse Ronan and Laurie Metcalfe (who are dynamite when they share the screen), Tracy Letts, Beanie Feldstein, Timothée Chalamet, and Lucas Hedges. Gerwig created something special with this film, and Lady Bird is truly one of the more affecting and hilarious coming-of-age films since Superbad in 2007.

4. Detroit

Released in an absurd window at the tail end of the summer movie season, it’s a real shame that Detroit has been routinely ignored by the guilds and the Academy precursors. The story of the Detroit Riots of 1967 is the story of our time, and perhaps some of the reason that Detroit hasn’t been given the attention it deserves is because it’s just so damn relevant to today’s society. Just about everything in this film is perfect—Kathryn Bigelow’s skilled and remarkably personal direction, Mark Boal’s tight and emotionally powerful script, and so many performances. John Boyega, Algee Smith, Jason Mitchell, and especially Will Poulter as the terrifying and racist police officer Philip Krauss should be in consideration for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, but none of them will be, which is a shame. Here’s to hoping Detroit will gain some kind of second life on home video.

3. The Disaster Artist

I’ve always been a big fan of the Apatow brand of comedy and, although The Disaster Artist doesn’t exactly qualify, I have to admit that the presence of Seth Rogen and James Franco in another film together made me excited for this one since it was first announced in 2014. There’s no beating around the bush here: James Franco as The Room writer-director-star Tommy Wiseau is the best performance of the year. Franco attempts so many difficult nuances here—confident yet insecure, cruel yet tender, hilarious yet sad—and nails every one of them. His performance as Tommy carries the entire film (which is wonderful even disregarding the performance at its heart), and Franco should be the frontrunner for the Academy Award for Best Actor, especially after his victory in the Best Actor – Comedy or Musical category at the Golden Globes. He’s a real triumph here, and I relished every minute of it.

2. Coco

Despite my affinity for 2016’s Finding Dory, Pixar seems to make the most waves for me when they put their effort behind an original film. Inside Out, Up, and WALL-E remain remarkably crafted pieces of art, perhaps even more so because they stand alone so well. Coco, directed by Lee Unkrich and Adrian Molina, is no exception to this rule, and is further solidifies that Pixar is a force to be reckoned with when giving it their all. Not only is Coco quite probably the most beautiful animated film—or any film, really—that I’ve ever seen, it’s also full of the rich humor, heart, and positivity that Pixar has made their bread and butter. The talented voice cast, led by 13-year old Anthony Gonzalez voicing Miguel, and Michael Giacchino’s Mexican-influenced score further beautify this already beautiful film.

1. The Florida Project

Sean Baker’s The Florida Project is not only far and away the best film of 2017, it has to be in contention for the best film of the past decade. Featuring star-making turns from Brooklynn Prince and Bria Vinatie and the best performance of Willem Dafoe’s career, The Florida Project highlights an underrepresented portion of the American population—those living in extreme poverty—but never attempts to make any sort of judgment about the characters it presents, or the circumstances in which they live. Alexis Zabe’s simple yet stunning cinematography, coupled with Baker’s subtly fly-on-the-wall direction, create such an utterly realistic setting that it could only make sense for it to be true—and it is. Filmed and set in the Mickey Mouse-shaped shadow of Disney World in Orlando, Florida, the film benefits exponentially from its documentary like filmmaking, and, although it sounds cliché, audiences often have to remind themselves they’re watching a movie and not a stylishly edited piece of someone’s life. Baker is known to yield strong performances from his first time actors, like Mya Taylor and Kitana Kiki Rodriguez in 2015’s Tangerine, but the strength of Prince and Vinatie cannot be understated, they are just that good. Both command the screen with every frame they appear in, and mesh into their characters of Moonee and Halley respectively with ease, grace, and immense skill. The Florida Project demands to be rewatched for many reasons, least of which is the final scene of Moonee and her friend Jancey as they sprint through towards Cinderella’s Castle filmed in gloriously distinctive iPhone quality. Dafoe should win the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, but hopefully this is not merely a consolation prize—The Florida Project deserves all the attention it gets, and more.

On November 15, at 3:02 PM

I am a bit obsessed with true crime, specifically serial murder. This isn’t a bad thing I don’t think, although it isn’t necessarily something that you want to shout from the rooftops, especially not in mixed company. Succinctly, serial murder is something you have to ease into a conversation, and I’ve done that pretty well until very recently. It’s starting to seep into my everyday life. Uh oh?

For example, I’m finding it hard to not shout out instances of true crime when someone mentions the name of a town: Gainesville, Florida? You ever heard of Danny Rollins? Gainesville Ripper? Killed five college students in three days? It’s not hard for me to restrain myself from dropping knowledge on people, but I shouldn’t prevent myself from happiness, right? Although I can’t talk to everyone I meet about true crime–get with the program people!!–I can have the outlet of writing thankfully and, if I really have the hankering to get some murderously creative juices flowing, I can turn to the word processor on my computer and get going.

My affinity with true crime likely stems from my preferred types of literature and film/television. As a kid, I was never shielded from movies like Scream and The Silence of the Lambs, and my early literature also dealt fairly heavily with death and murder. It’s only natural that I began to read actually cases of true crime–like Ann Rule’s The Stranger Beside Me and a novel about the murders of the Camm family right across the water from Louisville–and these horrifying scenarios have influenced my writing recently, too. I suppose my most recent story “Dances with Chainsaws” is my earnest attempt at a true crime story; it’s based on something that actually happened and focuses on both the victim and the perpetrator. Still it’s heavily fictionalized, of course. I have yet to dabble in creative non-fiction, yet this story, and another that I’m currently drafting, are half-hearted attempts to write a true crime story. Eventually I’ll get there, and I will happily use true crime as a stepping stone to non-fiction.

I’m thinking about creative non-fiction a lot lately because I’m trying to broaden my horizons and tackle a new genre of writing to diversify myself a bit. This is easier said than done, but there are certainly wonderful non-fiction items to model myself after: the aforementioned Ann Rule, the non-fiction book Mindhunter that the Netflix television show of the same name is based on, Raymond Carver’s essays in Fires, and podcasts like Serial and S-Town that make non-fiction way more fun than I originally thought it was. If anyone has further recommendations, I’d love to hear them!

Brent’s Spooky and Scary Tips to Make Writing Not So Spooky and Scary

Source: Brent’s Spooky and Scary Tips to Make Writing Not So Spooky and Scary

On October 17, at 7:00 PM

After finishing Herman Koch’s The Dinner and having a class discussion about the novel, I wondered why likability is such a prominent word (and goal) in our society. From characters in our literature and film, to our politicians–I just finished Hillary Clinton’s What Happened, so likable politicians are on the brain–Americans have an affinity for likable people, although that term, in my eyes, means everything and nothing.

Simply put, likability is overrated; I say this as a person who makes a genuine attempt to be “likable” on a daily basis, but also as one who knows that there is no one thing that is considered “likable” to the grand spectrum of people. The most likable and unproblematic person I can think of, Tom Hanks, is probably not liked by at least one sorry person in this world. In literature and film this is still a divisive topic, and I was surprised by how passionate my classmates were about likability in The Dinner. Many of them, and other reviewers of the novel, were turned off by Paul and his supreme un-likability, and I do get that. Paul is a problematic and difficult character, as written by Koch, and his actions in the novel are hard to wrap your head around, and impossible to support. Still, I found his narrative voice to be utterly compelling, and, although of course he’s unlikable, I was drawn to Paul nonetheless.

In a more general way, what defines likability as a character? A persistent and overwhelming niceness? A constant need to be and do good? A morally right person? I’m not sure if a concrete definition exists, but I’ve personally always been attracted to unlikable characters—the George’s, the Saul Goodman’s, and the Llewyn Davis’ of the world. In John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men, George doesn’t come off as very likable; he’s mean and dismissive to his friend Lennie, and, although he’s been tasked with Lennie’s care, he seems to put himself first more often than not. The lawyer Saul Goodman, in the television series Breaking Bad and its prequel Better Call Saul, is downright smarmy and uses the wrong side of the law to advance his own legal activities. The title character of Inside Llewyn Davis is rude, lazy, cold-hearted, and arguably untalented as the folk musician that he perceives himself to be. I mention these characters, and their specific attributes, to give a wide spectrum of things that can make a character unlikable. But, as the vivacious reader and filmgoer I am, I would also call these attributes fun. I’ve read Of Mice and Men a dozen times, and each time I do I find something else about George to enjoy. I’ve re-watched the aforementioned TV shows and film plenty of times as well, and each time I’m amazed at just how compelling and relatable the two characters are. When pressed to think of a likable character, I turn to Scott from To Kill a Mockingbird. Would anyone press me on that? Probably. There is a spectrum of likability, and it makes great conversation to see where characters fall for particular readers or viewers.

When I wasn’t musing about likability, I had a few pop culture items to keep myself busy: the four original Friday the 13th films, two Netflix Originals (Mindhunter and American Vandal), 2 Chainz’s Pretty Girls Like Trap Music, Led Zeppelin III, Chance the Rapper’s 2016 masterpiece Coloring Book, and (shameless plug) my own podcast I created with my colleague TBA with Brent and Nicole (now available on iTunes!).

On September 25, at 9:58 AM

In my mind, film and literature walk hand-in-hand–after all, this blog began as one for my Senior Capstone film class while at Western Kentucky University, and I spent most of my time reviewing episodes of Big Little Lies and Better Call Saul. Throughout my undergraduate experience as a film major, I often turned to studies of literature and adaptation, as well as film criticism, to enter into the academic conversation, so to speak. There were no official “tracks” to guide me during my pursuit of a film degree, yet there were two that I noticed: the “production track,” where students were molded to enter the industry directly, and the “education track,” where students were shuttled into the exciting world of academia. Although I have production experience, I gleefully took the second track. And now here I am in an English Graduate program. No regrets.

The idea of adaptation is one that is fraught with debate, not only among me and my friends, but among culture as a whole; if I had a dollar for every time I heard someone say, “yeah, but the book is always better,” I’d drop out of school and pay people to tell me how good my writing is. The thing is that no, the book isn’t always better, and oftentimes that comparison is wholly unjust. The book/comic/essay/whatever and the film/television show/whatever it’s based on are two different things, and should be evaluated as such. In my apartment my book shelf and media shelf are standing right next to each other, and I’m looking at how many titles appear in both. The previously mentioned Big Little Lies is a superb novel, but an awe-inspiring television series that is among the best I’ve ever seen. Still, I don’t see the series as any less than the novel, and vice versa. Stephen King’s The Green Mile is very similar to Frank Darabont’s adaptation of the same name, but I find myself appreciating both of them. Books and film make people feel connections to the works, in different ways. I can’t spend my life lessening one work of art in service to another so I won’t do it. If I were in consideration for a directorship in some English-Film department in the future, I’d campaign on a pro-fidelity criticism platform. (More on that later in my graduate school life, I’m sure.)

This is all an extended introduction to what I’m currently working on now. I won’t spoil it for anyone, and I’d like for whoever to read it to enter the reading experience semi-blind, but I’ll say that it’s a kind of a reverse adaptation: taking something from film into a heavily fictionalized piece of short fiction. Maybe it’s a foolproof answer to the question if the source text is better than it’s adaptation? I won’t get ahead of myself.

Pop culture that has made me happy these past few weeks: The Dinner by Herman Koch, for class; The Best American Short Stories of 1999, for pleasure; the audiobook version of Hillary Clinton’s What Happened, for peace of mind (politics aside it’s a remarkable tale of a woman dealing with a supreme loss, and it’s helped me get through a confusing time in my life); Insecure, because Issa Rae is a wonderful writer-actor; American Horror Story: Cult, because I’m a sucker for television that I fully acknowledge is not of great merit; and the works of Stevie Nicks, because if I were alive in the 70’s my celebrity crush would have been too much for me to handle.

 

On September 4, at 6:51 PM

I’ve been discussing and thinking about my writing a little more than usual lately, particularly over this long Labor Day holiday weekend. From submitting a recent story to various literary magazines and journals, to celebrating the recent publication of my short story “{Reminiscent of Sugar}” in Western Kentucky University’s undergraduate literary magazine Zephyrus, to exposing my writing to someone new and being excited by their feedback (which, as of right now, I have not yet received), it has been a productive weekend for the writing of Brent Coughenour.

The extent to which I’ve talked about writing is a new one for me. Until very recently I was quite hesitant to discuss my writing with anyone else, let alone allow them to read it–what a terrifying thought!–but now it’s something I welcome and revel in. Why has this change occurred? I haven’t necessarily grown any more confident in my writing, but now I’m comfortable with sharing it with others, and in the case of one particular person, anxious to hear what she has to say about it. I’ve grown as a person, sure, and I’ve realized that if I ever want to publish my writing anywhere else I have to let my guard down just a little bit, but that doesn’t mean I have to enjoy hearing feedback. Still that’s just what has happened, and I think it’s likely because of the workshop model that I’ve come to know and love in both my undergraduate education, as well as my graduate level learning.

Simply, I have no choice but to participate in workshop. I could always hide under the desk every time a piece of mine was up to bat, I guess, but my early workshop experiences, which started about two years ago, were immense learning experiences and they helped me pull off the proverbial band aid. The workshopping experience has not only made me less afraid, but has also given me an outlet to read a ton of stories (from my classmates as well as professional writers) and to think and discuss these stories in a setting where I felt like my ideas mattered. What a relief that was! Being involved in a writer’s workshop at least once a semester for the past two years has been a completely revealing experience, and one that I have strived for ever since the very start. If workshopping were a drug, I might be addicted to it.

On the literary front I’ve stayed busy, which I’ve come to discover is what I need to do in order to produce material that I enjoy–if my mind is always working with something new, it normally spells good news for my own creative output. Last week I submitted a new story “lagartija” for future workshop and have begun brainstorming ideas for its follow-up. I’m reading Rebecca by Daphne de Maurier for class, which has taken up a fair bit of my reading time, but I’m also reading Careers for Women by Joanna Scott and listening to the audiobook It by Stephen King in preparation for the newest cinematic adaptation. On television, I’m still working my way through Game of Thrones. Movies that I’ve watched and enjoyed this week include It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (Kramer, 1963), Blow (Demme, 2001), Logan Lucky (Soderbergh, 2017), and 12 Angry Men (Lumet, 1957).

 

Review: Better Call Saul, Episode 305: “Chicanery”

In the days since the fifth episode of Better Call Saul‘s third season aired I’ve convinced myself that it’s one of the best episodes of television that I’ve had the pleasure of seeing. “Chicanery” is great, almost in spite of how little action actually happens on the screen–most of the action takes place during one scene inside the courtroom of Jimmy’s disbarment hearing–although these characters advance exponentially over the course of 45 minutes. It’s cliche to say that lines are drawn and things will never be the same, yet it rings true for this episode of monumental importance.

The action in the courtroom is what surprised and impressed me that most on both a narrative and cinematic standpoint. Director Daniel Sackheim and his cinematographer Marshall Adams manage to make every shot from that tight courtroom feel claustrophobic and vital, never extraneous and consistently gorgeous. There’s a real struggle with realistically lighting dark rooms due to Chuck’s sensitivity, yet the crew of Better Call Saul does it each week with aplomb. This week it’s not only the courtroom, but  Chuck’s home in a cold open flashback to a dinner with Rebecca, now Chuck’s ex-wife. Not only is the the cold open lit almost entirely by candlelight as Chuck lies to Rebecca about his condition, but it’s also tinged with blue, a unique choice for flashback, but one that the show has used so well.

Each scene in this episode is heart-wrenching, but the cold open with Rebecca might take the prize. The show tries very hard to make Chuck relatable, or at the very least understandable, and it succeeds, yet it still can’t make Chuck likable. I don’t think that’s necessarily the intention of the writers–his actions are insufferable and his motives are often frustrating, but we understand that his tumultuous relationship with his brother and with the Law define who he is. These two come to a head during the episode’s final act, as Jimmy cross-examines his brother.

The entire episode builds to this one set piece. Watching the episode again, days later, “Chicanery” has a narratively cinematic vibe that is unparalleled. Each character gets their own scene before the dramatic tension of the hearing–Jimmy as he employs the familiar Huell Babineaux, Kim as she saves face to Mesa Verde by opening up to them about her legal predicament, and Hamlin telling Chuck, in lesser words, that he cares most about his firm, and not the man whose surname follows his own in the firm’s name. Unlike other episodes this season, the absence of characters from our other storyline (Nacho, Mike, Gus) doesn’t feel jarring, and indeed it feels necessary. Rhea Seehorn, Michael McKean, and Bob Odenkirk are remarkable in this episode, and all should submit this episode for consideration for this year’s Emmy nominations.

The tension between Chuck and Jimmy holds this episode together. They little ways they one up each other is both petty and awesome in the truest sense of the word. Jimmy’s actions in this episode have the potential to ruin Chuck’s life; Jimmy embarrasses him publicly in the legal setting that Chuck most admires, and he also embarrasses him in front of the woman he still loves when Jimmy brings in Rebecca to view the proceedings. Jimmy may have tainted Chuck’s life in a way that he cannot recover from, yet Chuck has been striving to do the same thing throughout the series. It’s Chuck’s own folly that he’s not as quick as his brother is.

A+. Television critics and scholars will be talking about this episode long after Better Call Saul has ended. 

Review: Better Call Saul, Episode 304: “Sabrosito”

In the few days since this episode has aired (it’s taken me a bit longer than usual to digest this one), I have called it one of the most satisfying episodes of television I’ve ever seen. Three days after its initial airing, I’m sticking to my initial praise: “Sabrosito” is the best episode of Better Call Saul‘s third season, so far, and manages to piece together the show’s interweaving storylines in a way that I knew was capable, but was itching to see since the first second of the season’s first episode “Mabel.”

As per usual, Mike Ehrmantraut is the glue that holds these two superficially different shows together. The first half of this week’s episode focused solely on Mike’s new friendemy Gustavo Fring and his dealings with Hector Salamanca, as well as Don Eladio (Steven Bauer, yet another Breaking Bad reprisal). We see the initial jealousy form between Hector and Gustavo here, a brilliantly intelligent touch that I never really thought we’d see explored in such detail, as Hector realizes that Gus is quickly becoming Don Eladio’s favorite drug smuggler, even though Hector has named his ice cream business after Eladio–“The Winking Greek. ”

Something that I’m frequently amazed with while watching this show is how well it makes you care for characters whose fates you are already aware of. The teaser of “Sabrosito,” which is entirely in Spanish, features no characters whose fates we are unsure of–Hector, Eladio, and Gus will all die within the decade. Still, I care for these characters, especially Mike, who doesn’t appear until a bit later. I’m captivated by their actions, thanks in large part due to the consistently wonderful ways they’re written–this episode was written by Jonathan Glazer.

After leaving Don Eladio’s home, a location I never though I’d see again, we’re transported back into Los Pollos Hermanos, where Nacho appears for the first time this season. I’ve missed him dearly and, although he doesn’t do much, his presence is always appreciated as Michael Mando just has a way about standing there and looking menacing. The scene in Los Pollos where Hector intimidates the customers and employees is so well done and so captivating on numerous levels that I had to remind myself I was watching Better Call Saul and not an episode of Breaking Bad. Show co-creator Vince Gilligan is on record as saying that “Sabrosito” is like the 64th episode of Breaking Bad, and I can see why.

Part of this feeling is because Jimmy and Kim do not appear until more than halfway through the episode, an incredibly brave choice that I’ve noted in Better Call Saul before. Even when Jimmy does appear though, the presence of Mike continues to remind audiences that much more is at work in this universe than Jimmy’s conflict with his brother. Mike posing as a handyman and fixing Chuck’s broken down door, all the while playing spy for Kim and Jimmy is hilarious and comically jarring as he and Chuck had never appeared in a scene together before. There is more going on in this storyline than meets the eye, as evidenced by a fair amount of suspicious conversation about the price of a cassette tape, yet the writers and directors of Better Call Saul will reveal this information slowly, milking every second of their limited ten episode per season run.

Although it is a near perfect episode of television, “Sabrosito” still feels like two separate television shows in many ways. There’s not quite the same kind of concrete uniformity as in Breaking Bad (everything revolved around Walter in that show), yet that can be attributed to the fact that there are two main characters in Better Call Saul: Jimmy and Mike. For now I’ll enjoy getting two TV shows for the price of one, but I anxiously await the moment when Jimmy is drawn into the Gustavo Fring cycle of scum and villainy.

A.

Review: Better Call Saul, Episode 303: “Sunk Costs”

I’m of the opinion that there will never be any kind of equilibrium for any of these characters, at least not for the duration of Better Call Saul. Even Saul Goodman won’t get much equilibrium in his future, as Walter White will certainly come along, yet in this timeline, too, it feels impossible. There will always be a case, always something to work out, and always something to prevent Jimmy, our flawed hero, from succeeding in his life.

Still, the ending of “Sunk Costs” almost feels like it could be happy one. Kim and Jimmy share a cigarette, hatch a plan, and hold hands to form an “M” with their arms, an undeniably sweet moment in an episode that hadn’t been full of them for Jimmy. He’s already been arrested, booked, and released on bail, so this moment with Kim feels all the more important to him. He’s realized that Chuck is likely aiming to disbar him, yet he and Kim have a line of defense. Only time will tell if it succeeds–smart money is that no, it will not–yet there’s a semblance of happiness among the partners at law, and maybe that’s what they need as troubled waters sit in their way. Speaking of Kim, there’s a brilliant Bond-esque montage of Kim getting herself ready in the morning, as she’s sleeping in the office and getting ready for her day in the gym across the street. She walks out of gym, clean and refreshed, along with the people covered in sweat from working out. I half-expected the building to blow up behind her as she left.

Mike, on the other hand, seems to be willing to wade in the troubled waters. Towards the beginning of the episode, Gus, who has still not been officially given his name, offers Mike the chance to get out, and to leave the Salamancas behind. Gus doesn’t want Hector Salamanca dead, not yet at least, but he doesn’t want Mike messing around with him either. Giancarlo Esposito, who has been promoted to the main cast starting with this episode, is still so terrifying as Gus, especially when he’s dressed in all black and framed against the desert. Again, the show is phenomenal at de-escalating and not giving us what we want. It would be all too easy for Gus and Mike to willingly team up together yet that isn’t the case, although Mike certainly pulls off an elaborate stab at the Salamanca ice cream truck/drug dealing operation. It’ll take a while for Gus and Mike to fully embrace each other’s unique talents, just like everything else on this show.

Chuck continues to become one of the more despicable villains in the Gilligan-verse, which is saying a lot when people like Gus Fring and Walter White are walking around. I think the reason that Chuck’s villainy feels so cold is because he still thinks he’s doing something good for Jimmy. Keeping Jimmy in the mailroom is exactly the same thing as pressing charges against him, with he methodically does this episode, and Chuck justifies his own actions by saying that he’s helping his brother out. I anticipated Jimmy to call Chuck a “pig fucker” in this episode, yet his ice-cold assessment of Chuck’s future health issues is even worse.

I briefly noted last week that certain characters have yet to make any kind of impact on the show so far this season, specifically Michael Mando’s Nacho (and Patrick Fabian’s Howard Hamlin was also absent this week). There is a delicate balance that shows with large casts of characters have to juggle week-in and week-out to effectively showcase all of its working pieces, and I do think Better Call Saul does that well, yet this week it felt a little off. An “off” episode of Better Call Saul is better than just about anything on television though, and the show barrels on to the ever-promising future.

B.