The SXSW Film Festival is still screening films through March 20th over in Austin, Texas, but I've returned early to let you all know about some of the films making waves as the fest nears its final bow. I'll be back later in the week to present you with a few more titles to watch for, but in the meantime here are two fanboy flicks you'll definitely want to put on your must-watch list.
The Buzz: I'm sure you've already heard about this one, but after seeing it for myself on opening night I can tell you one thing is for sure: this film kicks a whole lotta ass. It's very R-rated, with lots of blood, violence and more dirty language from the mouth of a 12-year-old girl than you'd probably care to witness, but this sucker packs a nasty punch – especially during the last third of the film, when our make-believe superheroes square off against the final villain.
Special props go to newcomer Chloe Moretz, who absolutely steals every scene she's in as a young girl who's been trained by her father (Nicolas Cage) to, well, kick ass. Aside from them shoving a teen sex comedy subplot into what should've been a much heavier comic book flick, Kick-Ass is sure to entertain those over the age of 17 who will be allowed to see it. It's a fun, unique take on the superhero genre, and it's probably bound to inspire a lot more people to become amateur superheroes…which, as this movie proves, probably won't be a good thing.Kick-Ass hits theaters on April 16th.
Monsters
The Buzz: Another film that's certainly not on your radar yet is one called Monsters, which, luckily for you, was just picked up for release by Magnet Releasing. Described by critic Scott Weinberg as "Mumblefield" (that's Mumblecore meets Cloverfield), Monsters is a low-budget indie that's set in a world where a NASA space probe has crashed to earth, releasing eggs of an alien race that quickly spread across all of Central America. The central premise finds a photographer who's asked to escort his boss' daughter through the "infected" zone and across the border into America.
Since it's extremely low-budget, you're not going to get blasted by over-the-top special effects; instead, director Gareth Edwards gives us a road-trip movie that's more about these two characters than it is about the monsters they're trying to avoid along the way. Sure, you'll see those monsters – just as you eventually did in Cloverfield – but by the time you do, you'll be more invested in the human story at the center of it all.
Is it the next Paranormal Activity, as some have suggested? Probably not. But the film is another indication that small-scale science fiction is still popular, and 2009 wasn't a fluke year. I don't know about you, but I'm excited to see what these up-and-coming directors have in store for us next. Right now, there's no word on when you'll be able to see Monsters, but we'll keep you posted.
