Two new series — one an absolute guilty pleasure and the other a sci-fi head trip — are worth a look this week.
But two indie features are even better: Oscar winner Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s exceptional eco-themed drama “Evil Does Not Exist” and Francis Galluppi’s noir homage “The Last Stop in Yuma County.”
Here’s our roundup.
“Dark Matter”: Cerebral sci-fi brain twisters such as Netflix’s “3 Body Problem” and this nine-part series (seven episodes would have sufficed) from Apple TV should come bearing a warning advising viewers to avoid all distractions since they’ll want to devote their full attention to this complex, mind-bending territory. The similarities between “Dark Matter” and Netflix’s “3 Body Problem” don’t stop there. Both series originated from popular novels, and while “Dark Matter” isn’t nearly as ambitious as its metaphysical cousin, it, too, centers on a thought-provoking concept. This one is centered on an abducted Chicago family man/physics professor Jason Dessen (Joel Edgerton, well cast as an everyman) and his seemingly endless attempts to keep opening doors to various alternative realities until he encounters the one that sends him back to his “normal” life with wife Daniela (Jennifer Connolly) and son Charlie (Oakes Fegley). What led him to this desperate act? Another version of himself has cozied up and is carrying on in his stead. The concept might seem silly, but the story by author Blake Crouch — who serves as showrunner and executive producer here and who also wrote many of the episodes — works, and challenges us to ponder what lengths we would go to if we were in not only Jason’s shoes but his wife Daniela’s as well (Connolly gives the role more dramatic shading than usual). Co-starring Alice Braga as another searcher with Jason in this weird multiverse, “Dark Matter” asks us to consider our own dual natures and how they would be altered if our worlds were different. Details: 3 stars out of 4; two episodes drop May 8, with one following every Wednesday through June 26.
“Pretty Little Liars: Summer School”: Horror and comedy don’t always mix well, often due to one genre showing up the other. But creator, writer and executive producer Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa respects both and strikes a good balance with a guilty pleasure that’s stuffed with killer salutes to iconic horror films as well as other pop culture touchstones “Xanadu,” anyone?). The eight-parter (it’s really Season 2 of “Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin”) follows in the bloody footprints of the first, but don’t worry if you’re new to the party. The Cliff Notes version supplied in its fast-paced recap at the start of “Summer School” caught me up with all the gory details about its five “final girls” — played by Bailee Madison, Chandler Kinney, Zaria, Malia Pyles and Maia Reficco. They’re guardedly upbeat since the serial killer known as A who hounded them before is on trial and facing a long sentence. Before you can say “Candyman” numerous times in front of a mirror, a killer pops up and starts slaying folks around Millwood, the high school and even that secluded, creepy cabin in the woods. As the body count rises and potential love interests emerge — including a cute new movie theater employee (Noah Alexander Gerry) and a handsome, often shirtless, Millwood Creamery ice cream coworker (Antonio Cipriano) — our five intrepid teens (who look notably older than a typical sophomore) tangle with an outraged parent and even the legend of Bloody Rose Waters. It also deals, at times seriously, with issues about overcoming trauma. All of this makes one hope that this “Liars” club sticks around least for its junior year. We might even follow them to grad school. Details: 3 stars; two episodes drop May 9, followed by one episode every Thursday through June 20.
“Evil Does Not Exist”: As a jocular crew from the big city searches for a remote, tranquil spot in Mizubiki, outside of Tokyo, for a glamping site, an assignment arises that upends the quiet existence of dad Takumi (Hitoshi Omika, astonishing in the role) and his daughter, Hana (Ryo Nishikawa). They live in a rustic cabin tucked comfortingly away from Japan’s busy city life; and the arrival of these strangers sets off a domino effect that leads to a startling, unpredictable outcome. Oscar winner Ryusuke Hamaguchi — one of our very best filmmakers — follows up his more straightforward “Drive My Car” with this ecological-themed surprise that mirrors the dramatic tempo and unexpected punch of a story written by the late Raymond Carver. Hamaguchi peers under the mossy rock of humanity and finds a simmering “evil” that exists within us all and it’s one that has the potential to destroy everything in its path. Details: Opens May 10 at the Rafael Film Center in San Rafael and Landmark Opera Plaza and AMC Kabuki in San Francisco.
“The Last Stop in Yuma County”: Expect to hear the name Francis Galluppi mentioned far more in the future — that is, if this knockout feature debut, a sly, lethal slice of bloody neo noir, portends what the screenwriter and director has in store in the future. Galluppi confines two-thirds of this film to a well-worn locale — an off-the-beaten-track diner cum gas station, a place that normally sees few customers. On this most unfortunate day, however, a suspicious assortment of folks arrive, including a knife salesman (Jim Cummings). They wait it out not only for their fried grub to be served by a wary waitress (Jocelin Donahue) and a gas truck so they can fill up tanks and skedaddle. Enter two violent bank robbers (Richard Brake and Nicholas Logan). Tension builds to a breaking point in Galluppi’s salute to noirs past and present that has a distinct style all to its own. Details: 3½ stars; available to rent May 10.
“East Bay”: Shot and set throughout the East Bay and occasionally in San Francisco, director Daniel Yoon’s quirky drama finds a 39-year-old Korean American part-time filmmaker lamenting that he’s been a loser in life. Told in an unconventional, fit-and-start manner, “East Bay” distinguishes itself with humorous characters and comedic encounters, along with a sweet romance Jack (Yoon) has with a film festival organizer (Constance Wu of “Crazy Rich Asians”). At times, though, it plays things a little too loose (a bit featuring gay slurs backfires) for its own good. Still, “East Bay’s” puppy-dog demeanor and existential ways will likely win you over. Details: 3 stars; in select theaters and available to rent.
“The Image of You”: Pour yourself a glass of the cheapest chardonnay to be found in a cardboard box, and let the guilty pleasure times roll. This hysterical, over-the-top thriller takes the exhausted-beyond-all-belief plot device about twin sisters for a spin, and the result is a bumpy ride from start to finish. One sis happens to be annoyingly sweet and clueless, the other a wild vixen with an out-of-control libido. What a shock! Trouble goes down the tubes when bland and boring sis Anna falls for clueless but easy-on-the-eyes stock trader Nick (Parker Young) and soon the jealous and volatile sis Zoe sets her eyes, thighs and everything on him. Director Jeff Fisher realizes he’s throwing some trash about and lets his cast go for it. “Pretty Little Liars” Sasha Pieterse ping-pongs between the unlike twins with gusto. Infrequently, Mira Sorvino and Nestor Carbonell pop their heads in the door to play the concerned but enabling parents. Expect to howl (depending on how much wine has been consumed) almost as much as you did during Tommy Wiseau’s “The Room.” The difference is that this one knows exactly what it’s doing. Hats off, to that. Details: 2½ stars; available May 10 for rental.
“Force of Nature: The Dry 2”: In this sequel also based on a Jane Harper novel, Aussie federal agent Aaron Falk (a subdued Eric Bana, at times too subdued) and his colleague Carmen Cooper (Jacqueline McKenzie) search for missing informant Alice (Anna Torv) in the rugged, but fictional Giralang Ranges. Alice was aiding Aaron in a case that implicated her boss and she was poised to hand over documents. But a corporate wilderness retreat with four coworkers, considered problematic and in need of some bonding, puts the investigation in jeopardy after everyone but Alice returns after getting lost in the woods. Director/screenwriter Robert Connolly takes full advantage of gorgeous but treacherous Australian locales – including a waterfall – and all of it is quite a sight to behold. In the end, though, the mystery at the center of “Force of Nature” lacks the emotional, personal depth of the 2020 film, even if Aaron is haunted by more events from his past. But it makes up for that with its message about the high toll of exacting justice, and if the ends do indeed justify the means. Details: 3 stars; available to rent May 10.
“Tarot”: A potentially fun horror concept wherein an evil spirit summoned up via a deck of hand-drawn Tarot cards exacts vengeance on an unsuspecting batch of seven rich college chums in Massachusetts comes undone by muddled mythology and a lackadaisical script reliant on too many jump scares and illogic. Nondescript, underwritten characters get picked off, admittedly with some invention, after an impromptu card reading at a mansion where the friends gathered to celebrate a birthday. Directors/creenwriters Spenser Cohen and Anna Halpern hem themselves in with a PG-13 rating and fail to capitalize on what works – namely the demons conjured up and even the slayings. A bogus ending all but seals its fate. Too bad since there’s something worth saving. But this one’s not playing with a full deck and cribs too often from better horror franchises, including “Final Destinations,” even “Saw.” Watch “Infected” on Shudder for something creepy-crawly instead. Details: 1½ stars; in theaters now.
“The Lost Boys”: Although set in Belgium, director Zeno Graton’s taut drama examines a very American problem — the incarceration of young male teens. Graton’s knockout debut is just as convincing in portraying the all-consuming attraction between unwanted Joe (Khalil Gharbia of “Peter von Kant”) and volatile William (Julien de Saint Jean). The leads are exceptional, and Graton’s direction and pacing never slackens in this astute observation into the lives of these “lost boys” who find each other. Details: 3 stars, available to rent May 10.
Contact Randy Myers at soitsrandy@gmail.com.