Buzz Blog

Deaf President Now! ***
Considering how effectively co-directors Nyle DiMarco and Davis Guggenheim navigate between sound and silence in this documentary about a pivotal battle for the Deaf community, there’s one decision here that’s kind of shocking in its miscalculation. Mostly, this is a thorough and fascinating exploration of the 1988 protests at Gallaudet University for the Deaf after the board of trustees once again selects a hearing candidate—Elizabeth Zinser—to be the new university president. The filmmakers give center stage to four of the key student leaders—Greg Hlibok, Jerry Covell, Bridgetta Bourne-Firl and Tim Rarus—in describing that tumultuous week, including the internal disagreements over how best to achieve their goals that feel intrinsic to any protest movement. And there’s a keen sense on display for just how much historical context is necessary, both for the biographies of the main characters in particular and for the traditional approach to “treating” Deafness both medically and societally. So it’s utterly baffling that when Hlibok, Covell, et al. are sharing their stories, we hear actors performing their voices, rather than simply captioning their signing, or at most including the voice of a single ASL translator. This is such a solidly informative narrative on so many levels that I can’t wrap my head around how someone thought a story about Deaf people making their metaphorical voices heard required making their literal voices heard. Available May 16 via AppleTV+. (NR)

Final Destination Bloodlines ***
As someone whose familiarity with this franchise consists solely of the 2000 original Final Destination, I can’t claim to be hip to its thematic vibes over the years, so maybe others will be less surprised that in addition to delivering creative kills, this one feels kind of wise about the way we approach the uncertainty of death. In an extended prologue, we see a 1960s catastrophe that haunts the dreams of college student Stefani (Kaitlyn Santa Juana), and which she ultimately discovers is connected to her grandmother’s improbable survival and subsequently landing the entire family on the bad side of the Grim Reaper. Directors Zach Lipovsky and Adam B. Stein definitely don’t skimp on the gory details, setting up the convoluted chain-reaction mishaps with a gleeful ability to build and release tension. Yet there’s also material buzzing around here about the anxieties of helicopter parents who believe it’s possible to protect their kids from harm, when that kind of certainty is impossible, and the damage that can be done to relationships by the inability simply to be present. The series’ premise calls for a recognition that Death is undefeated over mortal humans, which gives a little kick to how the horror genre as a whole invites us to laugh in the face of that knowledge. And it somehow hits a little harder when the late Tony Todd—in his final screen performance—is the one reminding us that we need to appreciate every moment of life. Available May 16 in theaters. (R)

Hurry Up Tomorrow *1/2
Since no artist in their own head is likely to think of what they have planned as a “vanity project,” it’s important that rich and famous people have folks in their lives that they can trust to tell them, when the need arises, “Oh, honey, no.” Because what producer/star/co-writer Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye has concocted in this companion piece to his new album of the same name—casting himself as a fictionalized version of himself, wrestling with various personal crises at a moment when he connects with a troubled fan (Jenna Ortega)—feels like it never even had a chance to be anything but a colossal misfire. Co-writer/director Trey Edward Shults (Waves) attempts to provide a hallucinatory edge to everything from post-concert bacchanalias to a boardwalk date night, and Ortega at least gives her all to her unhinged performance, including cutting loose in dance to the mega-hit “Blinding Lights.” But it’s virtually impossible to get past the notion that this is a messy mix of self-mythologizing and self-pity, acknowledging that Tesfaye might be a player unable to maintain a stable relationship, sure, but it’s only because of stuff from his past—not that we’ll ever feel any real emotion about that, since Tesfaye isn’t a good enough actor to convincingly play himself. You almost have to admire the stones it takes for Tesfaye to wrap up such a navel-gazing exercise with a shot of himself staring at himself in a mirror. Available May 16 in theaters. (R)