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Fantasia 2019: ‘Harpoon’ is a Sharp, Powerful Thriller [REVIEW]

Published

5 years ago

July 27, 2019

Rivalries, dark secrets, and sexual tension crash together in Rob Grant’s Harpoon, a taut and delightfully dark comedic thriller. The film follows three friends who venture out on a yacht for a day trip, only to find themselves stranded in the ocean and at each other’s throats.

Harpoon explores friendship and the strains we put on our relationships. It makes us question the nature and history of our personal connections and why we choose to maintain them.

The film’s three leads – Richard (Christopher Gray), his girlfriend Sasha (Emily Tyra), and best friend Jonah (Munro Chambers) – are stuck in an everlasting cycle of enabling bad behavior. An opening statement in the narration — provided brilliantly by Brett Gelman — describes Aristotle’s philosophy of the three kinds of friendship; friendships of utility, friendships of pleasure, and friendships of the good. Through the film, it becomes clear that Richard, Sasha, and Jonah don’t exactly fit into any of these three categories.

They exist in a vacuum of their own nastiness, constantly pushing and pulling at each other in a way that shows their sickened dependence. While this collaborative friendship is truly toxic for everyone involved, it creates one hell of a compelling film.

via Fantasia Fest

For a film with only one set and three characters, Harpoon works surprisingly well thanks to its tight direction by Grant and excellent chemistry between the cast. Most notably, Chambers delivers a razor-sharp performance as Jonah, carving through each emotional scene with impressive precision.

Tyra is excellent as Sasha, the exasperated referee between her boyfriend and his best friend. While she holds an air of righteousness, she’s far from saintly herself. Gray is perfect as Richard, bringing life and humanity to a detestable character. The three work together in brilliant harmony to create a group of deeply flawed individuals with a friendship that walks the line between love and loathing.

As the film progresses, the boat begins to match the unraveling minds of our poor castaways; the lower deck goes from cozy to crazed thanks to a shifting set design. The lighting moves between painfully bright and depressingly low, but it’s done in a way that expresses the extremes that the characters experience without compromising the shot; scenes are washed with yellows and blues to impose a tone.

The script is wickedly clever with a delightful streak of dark humor. Gelman’s pitch-perfect narration provides some additional details about the characters and their situation, while lightly bumping up the tone of the film to keep it from getting too horrifically bleak. But don’t let the smooth, dulcet tones of Gelman’s voice distract you – Harpoon is sinfully dark and deeply satisfying.

Writers Rob Grant and Mike Kovac have found the perfect balance of comedy and intensity to really make the film click. There’s a building pressure that keeps the pace moving, driving the story forward despite the stagnant scenery. It’s like the ultimate bottle episode, taking full advantage of the creative liberties that can be found within that isolated focus.

via Fantasia Fest

The film pushes just enough to satisfy the audience’s desire for depravity while showing enough restraint to not go completely off the rails. It keeps one sea-shaky leg in the realm of realism while the other dances a mad dervish of disastrous worst-case scenarios.

Effectively, Harpoon raises some questions about the minefield of relationships. Is personal history enough to keep friends together? How dangerously close have we come to permanently damaging our friendships? When a bond has been broken, can it ever be repaired?

Once you’ve seen the worst in someone, can you ever go back?

The answers aren’t as simple as you’d think.

Harpoon is a bubbling ocean of deep resentment, dark comedy, and maritime superstitions gone awry. From the script to the direction, the performances, and the plot, it’s sharp, powerful, and deadly. If you have the opportunity, I’d recommend you take the shot.

Harpoon is playing as part of Fantasia Festival’s 2019 lineup. For an interview with writer/director Rob Grant, click here. Or click here to read our interview with one of the stars of the film, Munro Chambers.

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Netflix Releases First BTS ‘Fear Street: Prom Queen’ Footage

Published

17 hours ago

April 30, 2024

Timothy Rawles

It’s been three long years since Netflix unleashed the bloody, but enjoyable Fear Street on its platform. Released in a tryptic fashion, the streamer broke up the story into three episodes, each taking place in a different decade which by the finale were all tied together.

Now, the streamer is in production for its sequel Fear Street: Prom Queen which brings the story into the 80s. Netflix gives a synopsis of what to expect from Prom Queen on their blog site Tudum:

“Welcome back to Shadyside. In this next installment of the blood-soaked Fear Street franchise, prom season at Shadyside High is underway and the school’s wolfpack of It Girls is busy with its usual sweet and vicious campaigns for the crown. But when a gutsy outsider is unexpectedly nominated to the court, and the other girls start mysteriously disappearing, the class of ’88 is suddenly in for one hell of a prom night.”

Based on R.L. Stine’s massive series of Fear Street novels and spin-offs, this chapter is number 15 in the series and was published in 1992.

FEAR STREET: PROM QUEEN IS NOW IN PRODUCTION 🩸 Welcome to Shadyside High. We're gonna have a killer time. pic.twitter.com/jDl0zRa2CH
— Netflix (@netflix) April 30, 2024

Fear Street: Prom Queen features a killer ensemble cast, including India Fowler (The Nevers, Insomnia), Suzanna Son (Red Rocket, The Idol), Fina Strazza (Paper Girls, Above the Shadows), David Iacono (The Summer I Turned Pretty, Cinnamon), Ella Rubin (The Idea of You), Chris Klein (Sweet Magnolias, American Pie), Lili Taylor (Outer Range, Manhunt) and Katherine Waterston (The End We Start From, Perry Mason).

No word on when Netflix will drop the series into its catalog.

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Live Action Scooby-Doo Reboot Series In Works at Netflix

Published

18 hours ago

April 30, 2024

Timothy Rawles

The ghosthunting Great Dane with an anxiety problem, Scooby-Doo, is getting a reboot and Netflix is picking up the tab. Variety is reporting that the iconic show is becoming an hour-long series for the streamer although no details have been confirmed. In fact, Netflix execs declined to comment.

If the project is a go, this would be the first live-action movie based on the Hanna-Barbera cartoon since 2018’s Daphne & Velma. Before that, there were two theatrical live-action movies, Scooby-Doo (2002) and Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed (2004), then two sequels that premiered on The Cartoon Network.

Currently, the adult-oriented Velma is streaming on Max.

Scooby-Doo originated in 1969 under the creative team Hanna-Barbera. The cartoon follows a group of teenagers who investigate supernatural happenings. Known as Mystery Inc., the crew consists of Fred Jones, Daphne Blake, Velma Dinkley, and Shaggy Rogers, and his best friend, a talking dog named Scooby-Doo.

Normally the episodes revealed the hauntings they encountered were hoaxes developed by land-owners or other nefarious characters hoping to scare people away from their properties. The original TV series named Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! ran from 1969 to 1986. It was so successful that movie stars and pop culture icons would make guest appearances as themselves in the series.

Celebrities such as Sonny & Cher, KISS, Don Knotts, and The Harlem Globetrotters made cameos as did Vincent Price who portrayed Vincent Van Ghoul in a few episodes.

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News

BET Releasing New Original Thriller: The Deadly Getaway

Published

18 hours ago

April 30, 2024

Cameron McFarland

BET will soon be offering horror fans a rare treat. The studio has announced the official release date for their new original thriller, The Deadly Getaway. Directed by Charles Long (The Trophy Wife), this thriller sets up a heart racing game of cat and mouse for audiences to sink their teeth into.

Wanting to break up the monotony of their routine, Hope and Jacob set off to spend their vacation at a simple cabin in the woods. However, things go sideways when Hope’s ex-boyfriend shows up with a new girl at the same campsite. Things soon spiral out of control. Hope and Jacob must now work together to escape the woods with their lives.

The Deadly Getaway is written by Eric Dickens (Makeup X Breakup) and Chad Quinn (Reflections of US). The Film stars, Yandy Smith-Harris (Two Days in Harlem), Jason Weaver (The Jacksons: An American Dream), and Jeff Logan (My Valentine Wedding).

Showrunner Tressa Azarel Smallwood had the following to say about the project. “The Deadly Getaway is the perfect reintroduction to classic thrillers, which encompass dramatic twists, and spine-chilling moments. It showcases the range and diversity of emerging Black writers across genres of film and television.”

The Deadly Getaway will premiere on 5.9.2024, exclusively ion BET+.