(Life Through the Lens - Photo Illustration/MetroCreativeConnection)

“How did we get here? And even worse, is it worth it?”

***

Culture wars.

Humanity has very few mainstays — things that have simply always been. From the beginning, we’ve developed and persisted in language, understanding the importance of communication. We’ve insisted on and applauded creativity, understanding the weight of invention. We’ve also hungered for and cultivated culture… and ruthlessly strangled the culture of groups around us, next to us, under us.

Many beautiful pillars, ones that have led us, guided us, pushed us, and sustained us… and that one nasty one that we can’t seem to shake. Communication. Creativity. Cultural annihilation.

As far back as history can recall, humans have found it very difficult (to put it mildly) to share space with a foreign culture. Whether it be religion, values, rituals or expression, it seems the human default is “grow to be like us voluntarily or force will be applied.” When face to face with a new way of thinking, speaking and relating, an established culture sees no way forward but to squash the “antiquated ways” and insist on the “new, modern, and civilized ways” (a.k.a. their ways).

There is something so human about that! Individually, humans are usually kind, forgiving and flexible. Collectively, though… watch out! We (not I or you but we) are stubborn, violent and petty. If we feel something, it must be felt by all. If we do something, it must be done by all. If we value something, it must be valued by all. We do not negotiate with terrorists… and everyone outside our culture fits that broad box.

From the forced Christianity on African slaves to the “whitening” of Native American children to each and every current example of division and debasing. This is not solely an American problem, either; humanity is rampant with cultural carnage and extinction. My way or the highway is likely the epitaph on our collective tombstone.

Did I miss something? Is culture a competition? Can there only be one? Are there winners and losers in the never-ending culture wars? You know what they say about assimilation: it makes an a** out of you and me.

***

Mississippi, 1932: Twins Smoke and Stack Moore (Michael B. Jordan) have left their lucrative life of crime in Chicago to return to their hometown and reclaim a bit of what was previously out of reach. Now that they are grown, rich and infamous, they assert that now is the time to start their own juke joint and raise their bridled Black community. With the help of their young cousin Sammie (Miles Caton), who received a guitar as a gift from them years ago and religiously practices the blues, the joint opens to much fanfare and delight.

The more the party amps up, the more joy that flows freely between the patrons, the more the blues is soulfully sung, there is palpable power created in this place at this time. Ancestors are summoned – future generations are stirred – oh, and there are vampires, too. Apparently, vampires like blues music?

The first half of this movie really had me hooked. It speaks to lost culture and suppressed/rejected passions. Then it all falls apart amidst the backdrop of the horror genre. The movie had a deft hand early on, a skillful use of meaning and metaphor… until it didn’t. By the end, I no longer understood its objective and no longer felt its intended sting. I was just soaked with vampire blood.

I am a bit confused by writer/director Ryan Coogler. I hear of his brilliance, but his work is always disappointing to me. It seems to always remain instead of transcend. In the “Black Panther” and “Creed” movies, I feel the nagging reluctance of “genre” and a desperate hype of wishful potential. I feel those same things in “Sinners.” I appreciate the topics but want more from the conversations.

The movie had some technical standouts. The composition by Ludwig Göransson is often riveting and inventive. I didn’t love every song, but many were well placed and very effective, especially the blues pieces. The cinematography by Autumn Durald Arkapaw is steady – a bit heavy on the VFX which sometimes leave a warm reality very cold and “worked.” I especially disliked the shift in aspect ratio in key moments; that trend is almost always wasted motion.

I am a huge Michael Jordan fan… but I can’t seem to get behind Michael B. Jordan. I do not see his charisma or charm translate into character… and this movie has two of him! Caton is terrific as Sammie; his mournful singing voice is hypnotic. Tenaj L. Jackson is good as Beatrice, the lover and mystic. Jack O’Connell is memorable as the vampire Remmick. Hailee Steinfeld is effective as Mary, the paramour turned predator.

What began with promise and purpose ends with gore and glamour. To each his own. “Sinners” can be streamed on HBO Max.

REPORT CARD: Sinners

Grade: C+.

Assessment: A tale of two halves

***

New Mexico, May 2020: Sheriff Joe Cross (Joaquin Phoenix) watches as his small town descends into madness. First comes the panic of COVID-19… which no one in his town even has! The mask mandate triggers his asthma and his sense of justice. Then comes the town’s mayoral election led by incumbent (and possible abuser/swindler) Ted Garcia (Pedro Pascal). Then comes the Black Lives Matter protests and violence. Then comes the radical religious movement in to carry his unstable wife away. Then comes the Pueblo tribe and Antifa and all of it filtered and exacerbated by social media.

In a world gone mad, Sheriff Cross is determined to reestablish honor and honesty in his small town, no matter the cost. He takes matters into his own hands (hands that sometimes wield a gun, a phone, a secret).

Let me just start by saying that Ari Aster is quickly becoming a favorite of mine. His first two horror-genre movies were fine, but his last two movies have blown my lid (a lid that I had inspected and was deemed “difficult to blow”). “Beau Is Afraid” (2023) is a masterpiece, one that I thought nearly impossible to top… and now 2025’s “Eddington” is another piece of perfection! Back-to-back bangers! At only 39 years old, Aster has proven himself as a talent unequalled in Hollywood. Instead of the industry norm of toning down or settling into rhythm, Aster is an unquenchable creative that will chase any idea, no matter the risk or return. I applaud his fearlessness, especially in the face of misunderstanding and division.

In “Eddington,” Aster manages to recreate the collective trauma that was 2020. The perfect amount of time has passed because we all remember… but frequently forget. The mask debate, the unwinnable hostility, the sheer hopelessness, the unshakeable presence of fear at every turn… it’s all in there! All of the stupidity, all of the self-imposed loneliness, all of the desperation… it’s all in there! In true Aster-form, it is also hilarious, sidesplitting even. We laugh out of every dark corner of our experience – that’s what satire can do if done right.

The movie is beautifully composed by The Haxan Cloak and Daniel Pemberton; the simplicity paired with urgency is wonderful. The cinematography by Darius Khondji is free and energetic. The production design by Elliott Hostetter is filled with fun, lived-in details.

Phoenix is an actor with limitless talent; he has breathed life into some wild characters. His portrayal of Cross is filled with textured insecurity and masked hostility. Deirdre O’Connell is great as the paranoid mother-in-law Dawn. Emma Stone is quietly powerful as Joe’s held-on-by-a-string wife Louise Cross. Michael Ward is surprisingly gripping as young officer Michael. Although Pascal is oversaturated right now, he is efficient as mayor Ted Garcia. Matt Gomez Hidaka is a superb antagonist as the mayor’s son Eric Garcia. Cameron Mann is brilliantly clueless as dopey, white teen Brian.

The movie has split audiences but completely won me over. Beware but be adventurous!

REPORT CARD: “Eddington”

Grade: A+.

Assessment: The perfect encapsulation of 2020