American Ultra

The core audience for “American Ultra” (2015) is 20-year-old gamer types, not 50-year-old stay-at-home-on-a-Friday-night types. I get that. It was a wise move, since the gamers paid $10 to watch it in a theater, while I paid 60 cents to rent it from Redbox (and stay at home on a Friday night). So the fact I thought the violence was waaay too cartoonishly bloody means little. The fact I thought said violence put a damper on the ingeniously compelling story of a sleeper-cell stoner means little. I’m sure the gamers ate it up. My reward? Friday night with Connie Britton.

 

The Cake Eaters

There’s a fine line between quirky and creepy. I’m not sure the makers of “The Cake Eaters” (2007) appreciated that. There’s a mom who takes naked pictures of her teenage daughter (It’s not what you think!). A guy who works in the high school lunchroom has sex with a special-needs student (It’s not what you think?). A guy who’s wife passed away two months ago is boinking some lady across town (It’s not what you think…). You know, the trailer is only a minute and 47 seconds, and it pretty much shows you the whole movie. And it’s better edited.