Mike Goes To Movies

Come to Daddy (2020) Like the dynamics of the father-son relationship at the heart of its story, Come to Daddy has layers waiting to be peeled back and revealed; each one rife with surprises and secrets, drama, and more than a few oddities. Nothing is ever as it seems in Come to Daddy, something that the deft filmmakers here fully understand and play with, turning and twisting the plot on its head and ratcheting up the suspense and action in ways that are equally absurd and surprisingly relatable. As far as unique indie films go, Come to Daddy hits all of its marks. The setup for the film is quite uncomplicated, allowing the creeping tension to begin building right from the get-go. Norval Greenwood (Elijah Wood) receives a letter from his estranged-father who he hasn't seen for over thirty years to come out to visit him at his secluded beach-side house. Immediately upon arriving, Norval takes note of the less-than enthusiastic welcome he receives from his dad (Stephen McHatti...

Burning (2018) Burning is the kind of masterful film that stays with you long after it ends - its deep, contemplative layers slowly seep into your subconsciousness, imparting you with new meaning and emotion that you may not have picked up during the actual viewing. Normally, I am the type of filmgoer who will wait a decent amount of time before watching a film again, regardless of the film. However,  Burning is that rare exception that made me desire to rewatch it very shortly after finishing it so that I could once again observe the beauty of the shots, the compelling story, and try to, once again, uncover the treasures hidden with. The film is somewhat difficult to discuss as its seemingly straightforward plot becomes much less so as the film proceeds, and to talk about it would be to ruin some critical developments and twists. This may not be all that surprising because the film, by famed Korean director, Lee Chang-dong, is loosely adapted from Haruki Murakami's short sto...