Last Looks

It might be cliche for me to compare “Last Looks” (2022) to “Get Shorty” or “Jackie Brown.” Or it might have been cliche for executive producer and star Charlie Hunnam to make a movie like those two from his childhood. Or it might have been cliche for Howard Michael Gould’s novel, upon which the film is based, to evoke Elmore Leonard. Regardless, it works as an above-average, inside-Hollywood whodunit, thanks to Hunnam’s low-key detective and a scenery-devouring display from thespian and murder suspect Mel Gibson (who’s still got it as an actor, despite having a screw loose in real life).

Fear of Rain

I don’t know enough about schizophrenia to know whether “Fear of Rain” (2021) is portraying or exploiting the condition, but as a film, it’s quite compelling. It follows a path laid out by “Conspiracy Theory,” the 1997 gem with Mel Gibson and Julia Roberts that illustrated the idea, “just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean they’re not out to get you.” This time we’re in Young Adult Dramaville as a high school girl struggles to filter reality through multiple demons: teen angst and a crowd of voices inside her head. Someone’s in danger, but can she – and we – figure out who?

Mad Max

The interesting thing about “Mad Max” (1980) is that Max is only mad for a few scenes at the end of the film. Talk about a slow buildup. It’s a cheaply made, poorly acted, abysmally edited cross between a police procedural and a sci-fi flick. And don’t get me started about the sound editing. It’s full-bore, Spaghetti Western quality (who knew Australian needed to be dubbed into English?). All that adds up to the perfect B movie, which is why it was such a cult classic, why it spawned a big-budget franchise and why it made Mel Gibson a star.