Tag: Sara Canning

INFLUENCER (2023)

~ jbg ~ Leave a comment

Directed By: Kurtis David Harder
Written By: Kurtis David Harder & Tesh Guttikonda 
Cinematography: David Schuurman 
Editor: Rob Grant & Kurtis David Harder 

Cast: Cassandra Naud, Emily Tennant, Sara Canning, Rory J. Saper, Justin Sams, Paul Spurrier 

While struggling on a solo backpacking trip in Thailand, social media influencer Madison meets CW, who travels with ease and shows her a more uninhibited way of living, but CW’s interest in her takes a darker turn.

The film l lives up to its title as everything in this film is pretty yet shallow. 

The film follows a familiar trend when it comes to a lot of thrillers recently involving the internet and revolving around it. Characters who are Influential on Social Media. 

The film is fairly predictable throughout. Despite trying to throw some twists that never amount to Much. Here at least the film tries to humanize the victims.

The film has a glossy Veneer which keeps it visually interesting. As it tries to say something about the shallowness of Social media before branding itself as kind of the same. 

As you only feel sympathy for the first victim and at times her boyfriend but he always seems To remain on the fence about how you should feel about him.

The only trace of originality is that it takes place overseas and that the main actress has a noticeable birthmark on her face.

Though the villains’ motives are never truly explained or revealed. Is she jealous of them?

Does she just want to live in their identities for a bit to see how the other half lives? Is it done for survival? Or is she just a psychopath? 

The film makes everything look good. Even the lead is much sexier than her victims and shows the most skin throughout. Though ever completely and set up a kind of sex scene. That is the most revealing she or the film Gets.

Cassandra Naud gives a believable performance and stays captivating throughout. Hopefully, she gets better material in her future films. 

This is a nice film for those beginning into thrillers or wanting one with not too much violence. So that it feels like a Lifetime Movie but maybe a little bit harder-edged.

Back in my day, we would’ve considered this a CW movie as that channel used to have television shows with very young casts that were model-looking or would have adults playing teenagers and adult situations. Everything in this film is picturesque at times too pretty to be believed. This film seems to want to showcase the darkness that runs underneath all that shines.

Grade: C –

SUPERHOST (2021)

~ jbg ~ Leave a comment

Written & Directed By: Brandon Christensen
Cinematography: Clayton Moore 

Cast: Sara Canning, Osric Chau, Gracie Gilliam, Barbara Crampton 

With their follower count dwindling, travel vloggers Teddy and Claire pivot to creating viral content around their most recent “superhost,” Rebecca, who wants more from the duo than a great review.

This would have been better handled as an episode of a horror anthology series. Think  AMERICAN HORROR STORY. At least as an episode it would show to get to an obvious point, that most of the audience sees coming except the protagonists and would be more heightened and direct not to mention gone for thrills more than subtle.

 As there is an interesting twist that almost makes the film surprising until it goes back on itself or even into the dark Hulu’s horror series as they are practically mini movies that barely make it to 90 minutes 

While luckily this film seems to keep it simple and straightforward exposing itself and having something to say about Online Culture.  Not to mention reality and manipulation and the results of it. 

What does keep the film afloat is the off-kilter over the top villain of the film who is energetic and polite to a t but also uncanny and once she fully lets loose. She is released and full. The film Leaves open the future for a sequel. Which would be good and hopefully give more of a chance to realize and fulfill Its ideas. 

As here while simple it sometimes feels like it is either holding back or doesn’t have much to say and is prolonging the inevitable and trying to fill out its time. Though at least in some of these scenes that seem to build up the suspense at least one is spooky. When he first leaves the house and sees someone with glowing eyes.

The film could have easily ended with a twist ending early but chooses to go on to make a point that has its victory but also comes off as basic. Then again the earlier ending might have been a cop-out to some. Though judging by the production this was meant to be an out and out horror.

The leads are meant to be both sides of the coin one innocent one guilty but we are least understand the reasoning of the guilty one and there is really only one other member of the cast shot is not a main character who comes off more so there can be more violence rather than necessary 

Grade: C+

THE BANANA SPLITS MOVIE (2019)

~ jbg ~ Leave a comment

Directed By: Danishka Esterhazy
Written By: Jed Blinoff & Scott Thomas 
Cinematography: Trevor Calverlay 
Editor: Michael P. Mason 

Cast: Dani Kind, Steve Lund, Celina Martin, Finlay Wojtak-Hissong, Sara Canning, Romeo Carrere, Maria Nash, Naledi Majola

A family attends a live taping of The Banana Splits television series, but are forced to survive as soon as the characters go haywire and start a killing spree around the studio.

You know what you are going to get from this type of film. Then again you might not of expecting this to be an exact big-screen version of the television show. Anyone going into this film can’t complain too much. As for how good or bad quality did you really think it would be?

As this is more a kind of reinvention. we have the characters more or less going on a murder spree. This is explained but seems a rather thin reason.

At first, the characters who are killed are generally unlikeable so you pretty much know they are going to be victims and the film doesn’t try to hide that fact, but then some rather likable and innocent characters start to get off.

The most enjoyable aspect of this film is the kills. The violence which like the show is very over the top and impressive in a ridiculous way. Keep in mind this Film was made to premiere in the Syfy network. Though bathes itself in gore.

The film plays like a dark comedy the only problem is that it really has no style. It just leaves the audience waiting for the kills. Then at first seems like a more demanding black comedy that at first is a revenge movie of sorts. Then just becomes a horror film. That flirts with killing children but then backs away from the edge that it tries to push us over.

There is an interesting part of the movie when a character cracks and becomes a totally different type. One that actually might relegate a sequel.

Though the film ends up being pretty predictable and comes off as a rushed Canadian horror feature. That is generic except for its pop-culture tie-in. That seems the best way to use the characters as we have already had a kind of animatronic live-action feature film in WILLY’S WONDERLAND

It doesn’t seem anyone including a studio was interested in trying to update it into a Family Comedy. So this seems an inventive way to go or at least a way to make a quick dollar for the franchise and bring them up to date maybe even be slightly subversive.

GRADE: D