Dear Watchers,On this Genre Movie Wednesday, we take a dreary, deadly walking journey with some teenagers, then head out on a Vietnam War mission in which a T-Rex is among the enemies. These two selections from our sci-fi expert Elisabeth Vincentelli come at the genre in very different ways. One is thoughtful and complex. The other has a ton of killer dinosaurs. Read what Elisabeth has to say about both below, then head here to see more of her picks. Happy Watching. ‘The Long Walk’
Where to watch: Stream “The Long Walk” on HBO Max. This adaptation of an early Stephen King novel (which was published in 1979 under the pseudonym Richard Bachman) is as grim as required by the source material. Set in a totalitarian, alternate-reality United States, the story often recalls that of the classic drama “They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?” (1969) about a dance marathon. Every year in the world of “The Long Walk,” 50 teenage boys compete in the titular endurance event — a brutal contest in which falling below three miles per hour means literal elimination. Slack off, and you’re shot; walk until you’re the last one standing. It’s important here to recalibrate your expectations: “The Long Walk” is not an action movie but an intimate drama centered on some of those boys — particularly on the friendship between Pete (David Jonsson) and Ray (Cooper Hoffman). The oppressive sense of hopelessness created by the director Francis Lawrence is more convincing than anything he has ever whipped up in his “Hunger Games” movies. Death here is simultaneously senseless and meaningful, each loss tragic, especially as we grow to know and care for the boys. ‘Primitive War’
Where to watch: Stream “Primitive War” on Hulu. Set in Vietnam in 1968, this proud slice of B-grade entertainment is for dinosaur-movie fans who thought “The End of Oak Street” was too quirky. “Primitive War” stays defiantly within the lines of genre conventions: A mysterious machine creates havoc, overhead shots of gigantic beasts abound, and the gore is served in generous portions. The visual effects are above average, too. But what makes this film from the director Luke Sparke really stand out is its dialogue. My favorite line drops after Sgt. Baker (Ryan Kwanten) and his elite unit are dispatched to an isolated valley and their mission instantly goes horribly wrong. “We’ve been attacked by all kinds of prehistoric beasts,” Baker radios his superior (Jeremy Piven), “all of them hungry, [expletive] off and chomping at the bit for their little piece of the American pie.” Dinosaurs are not the only ones doing serious munching here: Some of the actors must still be picking bits of scenery out of their teeth, with a special mention of Tricia Helfer as a stranded Soviet paleontologist.
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