Mayday (2021)

MOVIE #1,352 • 🍿🍿🍿🍿🍿🍿🍿 • 02.06.24 This is an audacious and messy film. But, as usual, I appreciate the big swings. The audience is inundated with non-stop metaphors and clunky lines of dialogue like, “you've been in a war your whole life, you just didn't know it.” The film is a fantasy insomuch as it depicts a version of the afterlife where put-upon young women who have committed suicide get to reenact/experience payback in the form of a constant war against men. It’s every little girl's wish come true: living in a dream world (heaven, you're dead duh, from suicide duh) where you get to lure unexpecting sailors to their demise by posing as damsels in distress.

My suggestion is here to simply try and vibe with it, and absorb its heavy handedness. Because “heaven as a place for constant revenge scenarios” is an interesting concept, on paper, and while it isn’t executed perfectly, there’s still a lot to like. The movie is so weird and constantly surprising. Take, for example, the soldier dance sequence which I didn't see coming, but felt somehow worked. It’s also nicely shot and the great Colin Stetson did some very cool work with the soundtrack. There were times when I felt too frustrated but it always pulled me back in. And when you attempt to fill your film with weighty quips, you’re bound to stumble on a good one here or there. Like this one about heroes and psychos being the same thing…

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Mayday is a 2021 American action drama film, written and directed by Karen Cinorre in her feature directorial debut. The film stars Grace Van Patten, Mia Goth, Juliette Lewis, Soko and Havana Rose Liu. Mayday had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, where it was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize. It was released on January 31, 2021.