The Couch Critic
The Couch Critic is your laid-back guide to movies and TV shows that deserve your attention—or maybe don’t. Nathan dives deep into storytelling, character development, and cinematic style with a sharp eye and a wry sense of humor. Whether it’s a blockbuster hit, a hidden gem, or a cult classic, Nathan’s relatable approach ensures every episode feels like a cozy chat with a friend who just happens to love film. Perfect for casual watchers and cinephiles alike, The Couch Critic brings thoughtful critique without the fluff. Grab your favorite snack, settle in, and let Nathan guide you through the world of screen entertainment.
The Couch Critic
Cinema Saturday: From Despair to Hope with "Brave the Dark"
What would it mean to be a guiding light in someone's darkest hour? This week on Cinema Saturday, join me, Nathan, as I recount the unforgettable journey depicted in Angel Studios' latest release, "Brave the Dark." Starring Sasha Bhasin, Jared Harris, and Nicholas Hamilton, this powerful narrative tells the true story of Nate Williams, a young man saved from despair by the unwavering support of his drama teacher, Mr. Deen. As an elementary theatre teacher myself, I find this story deeply resonates with my own experiences, reminding us of the monumental impact educators can have beyond the classroom.
"Brave the Dark" is not just a film; it's a testament to the unsung heroes in our education system. With outstanding performances and an accessible storyline that transcends religious boundaries, it underscores the themes of kindness, resilience, and the enduring power of human connection. As a guild member of Angel Studios, I was privileged to witness this tale unfold, and I'm excited to delve deeper into the nuances of this film on my other podcast, "The Curtain and the Cross," alongside my fellow teacher and friend, Grace Jones. This episode is a heartfelt tribute to teachers who shape lives, often unnoticed—don't miss out!
The weekend's here. It's time to unwind. Grab your snacks, leave the week behind. Blockbusters classics, they're all on the way.
Speaker 2:Let's kick it off with Cinema Saturdays hey everybody, welcome to another Cinema Saturday episode of the Couch Critic. I'm your host, nathan, and on today's episode I'm talking about one movie. That's right. I believe I had hinted that I was going to be doing a double feature episode, but I believe that the movie I'm going to be talking about today deserves its own episode. This movie is Angel Studios' newest movie Brave the Dark. Before I talk about this movie, I have to go over the synopsis. Haunted by torturous childhood memories, nate Williams finds himself engulfed in darkness when his drama teacher, mr Dean, bails him out of jail and takes him in. Nate must confront his past before it leads to his own destruction. Brave the Dark stars Sasha Bassan, jared Harris and Nicholas Hamilton. Again, this is the newest movie from Angel Studios.
Speaker 2:My wife and I went to go see this. We are guild members of Angel Studios, so we get two complimentary tickets to every single Angel Studios production. And, oh my goodness, this movie spoke so much to me because if you've listened to the show, then you know that I am myself a drama teacher, just like Mr Dean, and so this movie spoke a lot about the impact that teachers can have on their students. I teach elementary theater and I hope that I make an impact on my students every single day. I believe that I do. I know that I have good interactions with them, I have good interactions with their families, and so I truly do believe that I'm making somewhat of an impact.
Speaker 2:But this movie takes it to a whole other level, and what's so amazing about it is that this is based on a true story. So this actually happened. There was a real mr stan dean who was a drama teacher and he saw this student hurting and he didn't know all that had gone on in this student's life. But he took it upon himself to be just a mentor and basically a father figure to this student. The acting in this movie was just top notch. Acting in this movie was just top notch. What could have been a very cheesy over the top performance by Jared Harris, who plays Mr Dean, was just so endearing and it really did inspire me to be that light to my students, be that example of Christ to my students.
Speaker 2:What I also really enjoyed about this Angel Studios movie in particular is that it wasn't overtly Christian, and I'm not saying that movies that talk about God are bad, but I appreciated that anyone can watch this movie. You don't have to be a Christian to appreciate this movie, to watch this movie. I don't even think that Mr Dean mentions being a Christian, but from what interviews I've heard about the real Nate Williams and everything like that, mr Dean was a Christian and his beliefs and his faith took the forefront into every decision that he made in the life of his students. What I also thought was cool was the fact that he knew the names of basically every single student, like he would say hi to every single student and say their names and it's just like little details like that just make this even more real and relatable and it was just a really well done drama. Nicholas hamilton plays nate williams, or I believe, in real life nate williams becomes nate dean because small little spoiler he does get adopted by Mr Dean and you learn everything that this kid had gone through. I'm not going to talk too much about it because I do believe that people need to go see this movie.
Speaker 2:Teachers are underappreciated all the time. People don't understand all that teachers have to do. They don't just teach the kids, they are mentors. Sometimes they are doctors, nurses, taking care of these kids All these things that teachers do and it never really goes noticed as much as it should be, and it's a movie like this that really shines that light that teachers are important, mentors are important. Kids need someone in their lives sometimes not just their parents to be a guiding light to them and I just really, really, really liked this movie, really, really liked this movie.
Speaker 2:And I hope to talk about this movie even more on my other podcast, the curtain and the cross, with my friend grace, because we're both teachers and this movie is just. It's just. I think it's. It should be required viewing for teachers and required viewing for anybody who's ever felt the impact of a kind, loving teacher. I can't speak highly enough of this movie. I thought it was very good. Speak highly enough of this movie. I thought it was very good. There were some brief moments that it was like borderline cheese, but I didn't care because I really really didn't enjoy this. So I'm gonna give brave the dark a five out of five but, like said, my wife did go see this with me. So here's the segment Elizabeth likes and dislikes.
Speaker 3:What I liked about the movie was that it was based on a real story and they actually included the actual guy in it at the end, which I thought was really cool, and it's a very inspiring story.
Speaker 2:It really gets, really gets your heart and gets you thinking about things, and I can't think of anything I really didn't like about it so, yeah, my wife didn't see anything wrong with it either, and so I would say that she would probably give it a five out of five stars as well, maybe a 4.5, because my wife is more of the not every movie's perfect. Next cinema, saturday, I'll be talking about the other movie I was going to be reviewing today. But I'm not going to be reviewing today, but I'm not going to reveal the title, but I am going to give you an ear peek of what it's going to be. My friends, don't hate you.
Speaker 1:Cat does.
Speaker 2:Yeah, maybe, but cat hates everybody.
Speaker 1:I just don't want to screw everything up. You're not going to screw everything up, just relax.
Speaker 2:You know, don't be all mopey and weird, just remember to remember to smile and act happy. So if you know what it's going to be, don't tell your friends, that was just an ear peak hint. So check it out next Saturday on Cinema Saturday. Check it out next Saturday on Cinema Saturday, and then you can listen to Tuesday's episode of the Couch Critic. We'll all be talking about the movie About a Boy. This has been the Couch Critic, where every movie gets its close-up so grab a seat, let the credits play.
Speaker 1:We'll see you next for cinema saturdays.
