In the past decade, David Lowery has emerged as one of the most exciting young writers/directors in the film industry. While his films haven’t become mainstream hits like Greta Gerwig, Lowery has carved out a unique place within the independent film community and continues to do groundbreaking work. There’s a formal elegance to the way that his stories are crafted that makes them stand out, but there’s also a diversity. The Old Man & The Gun was a terrific send-off for one of cinema’s greatest icons, Ain’t Them Bodies Saints was an untraditional western, and A Ghost Story is an experimental masterpiece that touches on the biggest questions in the universe.
While it’s exciting that there’s such a versatility to Lowery’s filmography, it’s clear that his greatest passion is fantasy. The fantasy genre is desperately in need of support right now; while television shows like Game of Thrones, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, and The Witcher are quite popular, there have been less smash hits in the fantasy genre on the big screen. Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves recently underperformed at the box office, and some of the most notorious cinematic financial failures of all time fall into the fantasy genre. It’s exciting to know that Lowery only needs originality and dedication to bring classical fairy tales back to life.
Pete's Dragon Completely Reimagined the Original
1977’s Pete’s Dragon is ironically not a film that’s particularly memorable compared to Disney’s other live-action family classics. While older films like Swiss Family Robinsons still hold up today and more experimental productions like The Black Hole are still relatively interesting, Pete’s Dragon is a film that may have not been remembered at all if it wasn’t for Disney’s marketing tactics. It’s a fairly charming, heartfelt fantasy adventure, and the performances by Mickey Rooney and Helen Reddy are certainly compelling. However, Pete’s Dragon is still very much a children’s story with a fairly generic storyline and visuals that just don’t hold up.
Compared to the other films that Disney has tried to remake, Pete’s Dragon was a bit of an oddity; it’s not like the original film was a smash hit and cultural landmark in the same way that Beauty and the Beast, The Jungle Book, or Dumbo were. However, Lowery used the opportunity to create a thrilling new spin on the narrative that appealed to his interests. Despite the heavy amount of computer-generated imagery, Pete’s Dragon feels like it takes place within a lived-in world that has a reverence for nature. The environmentalist themes are quite touching, and they make Pete’s Dragon a great film for younger viewers to watch; Lowery proved that just because a film is geared towards children doesn’t mean that it has to talk down to the audience. It’s a film that works for all audiences, even those that didn’t see the original.
In order to show his respect for the audience, Lowery didn’t just cash in on casting famous movie stars as a way to put a spotlight on the film. There’s a tendency for actors to simply “phone in” appearances in children’s films because they don’t think that kids will notice, but there’s an importance in showing younger audiences what good filmmaking looks like. Robert Redford’s performance as Conrad Meachum is one of his best in recent years; he represents an eternal sense of youthful optimism and creativity, which carries through to his daughter Grace (Bryce Dallas Howard). Howard has proven to be an excellent actress on many occasions, but in blockbusters like Spider-Man 3 and Jurassic World, she’s often wasted. However, seeing her as a caring, yet realistic forest ranger caring for her aging father shows how talented she truly is.
The Green Knight Was a Soulful Interpretation of Mythology
The Green Knight interprets one of the most integral texts within Arthurian mythology. Scholars have debated the meaning of the 14th Century poem for centuries, making it difficult for any new adaptation to stand out. However, Lowery delivered a bold and wondrous spiritual epic that examined the qualities of heroism and the importance of accepting fate. It’s one of the most visually stunning achievements in A24’s history, with practical effects, sets, and designs that look better than many of the blockbusters with significantly higher budgets. The Green Knight is Lowery’s most rewatchable film, as the audience can take something new away from each subsequent viewing.
The Green Knight may be a more slowly paced film with strong arthouse elements, but that doesn’t mean that it isn’t also a great adventure story. Much of the entertainment value is due to Dev Patel’s performance as Sir Gawain, the young, charismatic knight and nephew of King Arthur (Sean Harris). In many ways, the film is a coming-of-age story; after decapitating the evil Green Knight (Ralph Ineson) in combat, Gawain must go on a quest to overcome his childish overconfidence and develop a more nuanced perspective on his chivalry.
Peter Pan & Wendy Avoided the Disney Live-Action Curse
Peter Pan & Wendy is the latest in Disney’s recent trend of remaking their classic animated films as live-action features. This has often been simply a cynical practice that results in films that are highly successful at the box office because they appeal to those familiar with the originals, yet strip the original films of their magic. The remakes of The Lion King, Aladdin, Pinocchio, and Alice in Wonderland are simply recreations of films that work perfectly as works of animation; replicating them note for note in live-action robs them of their aesthetic value and simply makes them look ugly. There’s no reason to watch them when the originals still exist.
However, Lowery’s new take on Peter Pan & Wendy is actually superior to the original animated film. While the animated film has some iconic moments, it’s filled with problematic stereotypes and antiquated gender notions. Lowery’s film feels like a modern adventure that actually shows a more complex dynamic between Peter (Alexander Molony) and his longtime nemesis Captain Hook (Jude Law).