Zoey Deutch

  • Zombieland: Double Tap (2019)

    Zombieland: Double Tap (2019)

    ByChristian Sauvé Movie Review

    (Amazon Streaming, December 2020) The first Zombieland was almost too good to be real, and perhaps Zombieland: Double Tap’s biggest success is that it remains generally comparable to its predecessor rather than drop the ball completely. It can’t equal or even approach the first film, obviously – the zeitgeist has moved on from zombies, the sarcastic simplicity of the first film can’t be re-done, and the actors are all ten years older. But Double Tap does find its own off-beat way, with new characters (the best being played by Zoey Deutch and Rosario Dawson), new settings from Graceland to Atlanta, and a spin on a hopeful finale. The sense of humour remains the most distinguishing characteristic of this take on the zombie mythos, along with a fast-paced rhythm and a generous use of both narration and on-screen gags. While still a regression to the mean, Double Tap is still a worth follow-up to the first film and will make a pretty good double bill with it.

  • Everybody Wants Some!! (2016)

    Everybody Wants Some!! (2016)

    ByChristian Sauvé Movie Review

    (On Cable TV, June 2017) I’m not sure when Richard Linklater landed on my list of interesting directors. Probably by the time I got tired of writing, “you know, I didn’t really expect to enjoy this but…” about nearly every one of his recent films. Here, Linklater goes back to college in describing the first few days of his protagonist’s arrival on campus. Unlike other college movies (and much in-line with Linklater’s playful habit of playing with time in his films), Everybody Wants Some!! takes place nearly entirely before the beginning of classes, in-between our protagonist’s arrival at the house where his baseball team stays, and the first course he attends. The three days in-between are a charmingly plotless mixture of girl-chasing, parties, baseball practice and spirited conversations. There is a plot of sorts, but much of the movie feels like the pilot episode of a much longer series, delicately setting up plot threads but ending on an upbeat anything-is-possible note. Against every single one of my expectations (and keep in mind that my college experience was barely PG rated), Everybody Wants Some!! is immediately and steadily engrossing. The characters are likable, the situations have just enough nostalgia to be compelling and the dialogues are razor-sharp. Blake Jenner is blandly likable as the viewpoint protagonist, while Zoey Deutch is too cute for words as the eventual romantic interest and Glen Powell steals the show as the wizened sarcastic Finnegan. A terrific soundtrack wraps up everything nicely. Atypical and successful as most of Linklater’s movies now seem to be, Everybody Wants Some!! feels like an unexpected hit, even for those who have nothing in common for the early-eighties nostalgia it invokes.