04 | January | 2022 | Movie Reviews 101

Director: Kevin Willmott

Writer: Kevin Willmott, Trai Byers (Screenplay)

Starring: Trai Byers, Bashir Salahuddin, Aja Naomi King, Mo McRae, Tosin Morohunfola, Mykelti Williamson, Thomas Haden Church

Plot: It is the story of the all-black Twenty-Fourth United States Infantry Regiment, and the Houston Riot of 1917.

Runtime: 1 Hour 53 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: The 24^th starts as we meet the black members of the 24^th infantry regiment Boston (Byers) gets pushed up the ranks, becoming the first black man to arrest a white man for the murder of a black man. This will see the black soldiers follow his lead in standing up for themselves, with Col North (Church) expecting the soldiers to get the equal rights.

As the tensions between the races continue to rise, the racist white locals and police look to use the power they believe they have to take out the black men, but the soldiers aren’t going down without a fight.

Thoughts on The 24th

Thoughts – The 24th is the story behind one of many racist attacks put on the black men in America, ones that were willing to stand up for the country, regardless of what people thought of them, knowing if they fought together, they could help change the mindset. This is told in the typical way of the strict horrible white man piling on the pressure towards the black men, knowing they could get away with it, as they are forced to deal with it, knowing the consequences if they go against them. It shows a time where America was horrendously backwards and that another group of men will stand up for what is right, even if it meant grave consequences for them. The performances in the film are great, with writer lead Trai Byers standing out with his powerful lead performance. This will be seen as one of the more important stories that will highlight just how much had to be fought for to make a difference.

Final Thoughts – The 24^th is an important drama, even if it unfolds the same as many others about needing to take a stand.

Director: Robert Connolly

Writer: Harry Cripps, Robet Connolly (Screenplay) Jane Harper (Book)

Starring: Eric Bana, Genevieve O’Reilly, Keir O’Donnell, John Polson, Julia Blake, Bruce Spence

Plot: Aaron Falk returns to his drought-stricken hometown to attend a tragic funeral. But his return opens a decades-old wound – the unsolved death of a teenage girl.

Runtime: 1 Hour 57 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: The Dry starts when Aaron Falk (Bana) returns to his childhood town after his old friend and his family is murdered in what looks like a murder suicide. This trip for Aaron will make his face his past around an unsolved murder from his teenage years, one that included his friend.

With half the town hating him, Aaron is asked to look into these latest murders, where he will get to the bottom of what really happened, which will see him pushing people who still believe he was involved in the murder.

Thoughts on The Dry

Thoughts – The Dry will follow a disgraced member of a town that will return to try and figure out who was behind the murder of his old friend and his family, while facing the demons of what he once did or covered up in the town. This is the type of mystery that will offer up plenty of potential suspects, which will keep us guessing along, without giving away everything like many other mystery might well do. The fact that Aaron continues to help on the case, despite the fact most of the town hates him, shows the dedication he will give to make the story come out, but his guilt will hold everything back from him. This is a film covered in brilliant performances from everyone involved, with Eric Bana shining in the leading role. The location being used is a draught covered town, that will show how desperate the people in the town might become, but also how much a community they will have created together. This is a mystery that will bring everything to the table to keep us trying to unpick the story and find out who was behind the murders.

Final Thoughts – The Dry is a brilliant mystery, one that keeps us guessing as to what will happen next.