Hi everyone!
Well, this is it: our first official Takeover Tuesday, and I couldn’t be happier that our first podcast sponsor, Andrew Campbell, decided to help test drive the process. Andrew and I met last year during the #DLMChallenge, which he’ll explain in a bit, but I have always found his criticism of films to be insightful and from the position of someone who has seen a LOT of movies.
If you think you have what it takes to record a review for this podcast, head on over to onemoviepunch.com/takeover-tuesday for more information. And if you want to get involved, or have any feedback on these early Takeover Tuesday episodes, reach out to the podcast either using the contact form or over social media. Feedback is always appreciated, and we would love to have you on the podcast!
Take it away, Andrew…
Hi there!
Andrew here; glad to be a part of the podcast. Inspired by Doug Benson’s one-movie-per-day challenge on the Doug Loves Movies podcast, I finished my 365thmovie of 2017 on the last day of the year. This unhealthy habit continued into 2018 inspired in part by One Movie Punch, which continues to set the pace while providing some great recommendations along the way.
Without further ado…
Today’s movie is “Terminal” (2018), the film written and directed by Vaughn Stein. The film follows Annie (Margot Robbie), a waitress at an all-night diner seemingly living at least a couple different lives and Bill (Simon Pegg), her frequent (and often only) customer, who happens to be terminally ill and contemplating suicide.
Spoilers ahead.
The cast of Terminal is rounded out by Dexter Fletcher and Max Irons, playing a mismatched pair of hitmen who spend most of the film at each other’s throats as they wait for days in various locales for their mystery target. Finally, we have Mike Myers as the mysterious train station janitor – a character that feels straight out of Austin Powers – from his overblown accent, obvious prosthetic makeup and a bizarre humor about him that sits in stark contrast to the rest of the film.
Visually, this film offers up some well-crafted shots with unique and varied perspectives that enhance a neon, post-apocalyptic London underground. Writer-Director Vaughn Stein shows a talent for cinematography and world-building in his debut feature film, but look past the surface and the problems begin to add up quickly. Simon Pegg turns in an excellent performance as the stakes of his conversation with Margot Robbie’s waitress/femme-fatale character grow ever-darker in the film’s lone interesting storyline, but Robbie is hamming it up with a smugness and over-the-top elocution that end up in a performance that is a far cry from her work in I, Tonya. Meanwhile, the subplot with our two hitmen is a cloudy and confusing mess as the audiences waits to catch back up with the main characters.
The final third of the film concludes with twist after twist upon twist – some you see coming a mile away, but most of which don’t land with the gravitas the director hopes to elicit. Story, script and acting aside, the film’s visuals are strong enough to make it worth a watch and make Vaughn Stein a talent to keep an eye on – so long as he brings in some collaborators on his next picture.
“Terminal” (2018) is a glossy, yet gritty noir film that is missing a few key pieces, but manages to hold one’s attention. Fans of stylized crime stories like Sin City, Smokin’ Aces or Hotel Artemis should check out this film. It’s also worth a watch for Simon Pegg completists; just know going in it that it’s a movie you may not long remember.
Rotten Tomatoes: 21%
Metacritic: 27
One Movie Punch: 7.4/10
“Terminal” (2018) is not rated and is currently streaming on Hulu.
Thanks for listening to my Takeover Tuesday review. For your chance to contribute head over to onemoviepunch.com for more information. Follow me on Twitter @anrcampbell for my 280-character reviews as I gear up for Fantastic Fest in a couple weeks – the largest genre film festival in the U.S. – where I’ll be watching and reviewing some wild new domestic and international horror, sci-fi and fantasy films.
