Delaney Quinn – Cut To The Chase

Directed By: Casper Kelly

Written By: Casper Kelly and Jamie King

Cinematography: Zach Kuperstein

Editor: Josh Ethier

Cast: Delaney Quinn, Caleb Williams, Cristin Milioti, Topher Grace, Keegan-Michael Key, Patton Oswalt, Michael Shannon, Clint Howard

A brave girl and her friends must escape a kids television show.

There are some movies where the less you know going in, the better. BUDDY is definitely one of them.

This is a film that can be ambiguous and awkward, but always feels just a bit off and creepy. Yet somewhat comfortable

If you’re familiar with writer-director Casper Kelly’s short for ADULT SWIM, TOO MANY COOKS you may already have an idea of the kind of strange, unsettling sense of humor he brings to the table. That short took something as harmless and familiar as television opening themes and slowly revealed something much darker bubbling underneath. This film plays with that same idea of innocence turning increasingly… well, not so innocent. And this film is definitely out there.

The first fifteen minutes might test your patience or your willingness to go along with it. As we’re introduced to what appears to be an actual children’s television show. Episode after episode, everything seems cute, cheerful and perfectly harmless. Then, almost imperceptibly, things begin to feel a little wrong. And then a little more wrong. Before long, you realize you’re not watching the movie you thought you were watching.

I won’t say much more, because discovering where BUDDY goes is part of the fun. The film has an unusual way of withholding information, and by the time it reaches the end, it leaves you with more questions than answers. Normally that might frustrate me, but here I found myself wanting to know more.

That’s probably the nicest thing I can say about the film: I wanted more.

The recognizable adult cast is used barely, with the kids essentially carrying the movie. And despite the innocent looking premise, this is absolutely not a movie for children. There is some disturbing violence involving kids that will understandably be difficult for some viewers.

But what makes the film refreshing is that it never seems particularly interested in giving you exactly what you expect.

This isn’t your typical horror movie. In fact, some people may find that disappointing. There are moments when you expect the film to push things further, only for it to pull back and leave you wondering what exactly you just watched.

Personally, I appreciated that restraint.

BUDDY is disturbing, strange and occasionally bizarre, but there’s something wonderfully curious about it. It feels like a movie that wants you to think about it afterward rather than simply move on to the next thing.

Is it for everybody? Absolutely not, But maybe that’s part of why I liked it.

There’s something to be said for a movie that doesn’t completely explain itself, doesn’t follow the usual rules and leaves you just curious enough to want to step back into its world.

So if you’re looking for something familiar, predictable and comfortably within the lines, this probably isn’t your movie. But if you’re willing to take a chance on something weird? Give it a try.

No matter what, I have a feeling you’ll remember it.

Grade: B+

Written & Directed By: Mary Bronstein

Cinematography: Christopher Messina

Editor: Lucian Johnston

Cast: Rose Byrne, A$ap Rocky, Conan O’Brien, Ivy Wolk, Delaney Quinn, Danielle Macdonald, Christian Slater, Josh Pais, Ella Beatty, Mary Bronstein

While trying to manage her own life and career, a woman on the verge of a breakdown must cope with her daughter’s illness, an absent husband, a missing person, and an unusual relationship with her therapist.

This is dramatic, but present presented as a dark comedy

One can remember the first time I saw Rose Byrne in a film. It was in a disastrous epic movie Troy and I remember not being that impressed by her and it seems like since then if she had heard, she took it as a personal upfront because it seems like since then she has done nothing but build her career and impress in numerous performances that she sometimes gets credited with, but not enough in my view and here she gives an Oscar level performance think general Rowlands in a woman under the influence and her intensity

The film also has her character leading with all sorts of catastrophes that are making her breakdown and the camera seems to present most scenes, especially with her an extreme close-up, so you can never escape her intensity just as she seems to never be able to escape her ongoing problems and challenges

IT’S interesting that her character is a therapist as clearly she is breaking down and has her own therapist, and her job is to listen to other people‘s problems and give advice, but she can’t seem to solve her own as well as taking care of a disabled daughter and a husband who is not supportive truly, and never there

Randomly Conan O’Brien is in this movie, which is a welcome surprise, especially if you’re a fan of his though in a role that is quite different

One of the wisest decisions is that her child is often in the scenes, but remains unseen, so while she has this illness, we never quite see her. She is kind of a phantom where we wonder what she looks like, but it might also be because it would be hard to find a child to give a physical and unbelievable performance for that character. While mostly throughout we are given fl glimpses of her. when eventually the child is revealed it is at a pivotal point. It seems as a must rather than play the character is almost invisible or imaginary.

Not sure that this film was produced by Josh Safdie, as it does feel like one of his films maybe not visually but with a main character going through increasing pressure and as the film goes on, they’re being an unrelenting tension that doesn’t seem to offer any distractions and the character coming more and more unhinged

Though the film is like the character at first, it seems a little light, a little more comedic and then as it goes along, it gets a little darker and has a little more pressure then by the end it just feels like there’s nowhere to go nowhere a turd and it doesn’t offer any answers or show that any character is a saint nor a villain they are just who they are in life. Is that way too there’s no definitive answer. There’s no let up Sometimes. It can be random.

It is surprising how much it has gripped you by the end and how much you care. Even as itnolays like an emotional horror film as it unfolds especially towards the end.

Grade: B+

Tag: Delaney Quinn

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