By Jason Pyles
*This column was originally printed in the December 2018 edition of The BP Times newspaper.
Drama is conflict. If you examine any engaging story with a protagonist that you’re rooting for, you will discover that your lead character is probably beset with conflict.
For this month’s column, I have two movie recommendations that you can stream right now on Amazon. Each movie has a protagonist whose plight elicits sympathy, due to having to face overwhelming conflict.
Eighth Grade (2018) – Do you remember middle school, or have you tried to block that experience from your memory? Many people consider middle school a brutal period in their lives. That’s mostly the case with Elsie Fisher’s character, Kayla, in Bo Burnham’s wince-inducing “Eighth Grade.” This film captures and painfully depicts the awkwardness and insecurity that Kayla feels every day at school. But remarkably, it also shows us the courage and resilience of a young person who’s trying to successfully assert herself into the social stratum.
Since many viewers have experienced similar struggles at that age, this movie has a universal and identifiable quality.
Elsie Fisher’s performance is poignant and perceptive about her peer group. I can’t imagine playing this role for the big screen while currently living in the headspace of an adolescent. Viewing this film “from the outside, looking in,” with the 20/20 hindsight of an adult makes me wonder how 13- and 14-year-olds might experience this film.
At any rate, if you enjoy uncomfortable but endearing dramas, then I’d recommend “Eighth Grade.”
The Clovehitch Killer (2018) – For those who want something darker, “The Clovehitch Killer” is a suspenseful thriller directed by Duncan Skiles. This movie is set in a small town that was once terrorized by a serial killer whose modus operandi involved leaving a clovehitch knot tied near the murder scene. As the film begins, the killer was never captured, and the case has gone cold after years of inactivity.
But teenage Tyler (Charlie Plummer) begins to suspect that his father (Dylan McDermott) might actually be the infamous Clovehitch Killer. Is he? Or isn’t he? We don’t know, either, because the film keeps us in suspense with its ambiguity. It’s a slow burn mystery, but what a ride!
If you’ve seen this year’s “Summer of 84,” it has a similar premise. In both films, we spend our time with paranoid youth who begin to suspect that a person close to them might be capable of unthinkable things.
Charlie Plummer’s Tyler character is one of the most sympathetic, most likable protagonists of the year. And without question, this is Dylan McDermott’s finest performance. The nature of the film’s premise requires McDermott to balance and wobble on a very thin tight rope of nuance. You might think you know how this film unfolds, but trust me, you don’t! It’s a must-see!
Lesser-known holiday film recommendation: “Joyeux Noel” (2005) – Stream it on VOD.
Next month: Be sure to read next month’s column when I bring you my Top 10 Movies of 2018!
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