Hello and welcome to another weekend of the Banana Meter! For those not aware of how this works, let me explain it to you. First, our critics check out a film. Then, they rate it on our scale of 0-100%, we gather the percentage from all of your critics and that’s how we get our rating on the Banana Meter.
What is the Banana Meter scale, you ask?
When a film hits above 85% or higher from our critics, it means it hit Bonafide Bananas status.
When a film hits between 55-84% or higher from our critics, it means it hit Ripe status.
When the film hits under 55%, it means it hit Sour Status.
Our next film to hit the Banana Meter is Elvis
Here is what our Ripe Banana Critics are saying about the film:
Christian Salazar
Banana Meter Rating: 70%
“It may be formulaic but, I appreciate what Baz Luhrmann has done with “Elvis”, a flawed yet well-directed biopic that is anchored by a star-making performance by Austin Butler.”
Dean Asquith
Banana Meter Rating: 100%
A spectacular tribute to The King! Merging classic with modern in a beautiful moment in movie history.
Edward Douglas
Banana Meter Rating: 80%
A cinematic achievement whose positive values far outweigh any issues some might have with Luhrmann’s non-conformist approach with Elvis’ life and career.
Ryan Terry
Banana Meter Rating: 75%
‘The King’ of visually spectacular biopics! A landmark biopic for the technical achievement and performative elements of the mise-en-scene; however, the screenwriting lacks the gravitas of the visual elements. Tom Hanks and Austin Butler deliver command performances that transcend impersonations and transform them into The Colonel and The King.
Tarek Fayoumi
Banana Meter Rating: 85%
The grandeur of director Baz Luhrmann is on full display in his newest offering, Elvis.
Jasmine Waters
Banana Meter Rating: 75%
There are certainly clever and considered decisions peppered all throughout Elvis. From the choice to include a varied and inclusive soundtrack to the sweeping montages of big-stakes action, risk mostly pays off with reward. Criticism will undoubtedly spring from Luhrmann’s choice of cinematic lens, and rightly so. Yet the film’s somewhat vacant nature is a haunting afterthought to a man tortured by the world around him.
Matthieu Côté
Banana Meter Rating: 100%
I was incredibly nervous about this one but I ended up adoring every ounce of Elvis, it’s a sensational tribute and love letter to the man & the icon that is Elvis Presley. Baz Luhrmann’s flamboyant style fits the story of Elvis like a glove, Austin Butler is undoubtedly a new star!
Nick Lapolla
Banana Meter Rating: 80%
Elvis may not reinvent the musical Biopic wheel but thanks to Baz’s direction and Butler and Hanks’s performances the 160 min run time feels enjoyable and fun and of course, filled with great songs
What is Elvis Banana Meter Rating?
Our other film to hit the Banana Meter is Black Phone
Here is what our Ripe Banana Critics are saying about the film:
Alex Madden
Banana Meter Rating: 90%
Putting Ethan Hawke behind a mask for the majority of the movie makes him terrifying. What he does with his voice makes him even more terrifying.
Juan Mojica
Banana Meter Rating: 75%
I dreaded watching The Black Phone after not liking Sinister, but I am surprised with how much I LIKED this. This is the fuel that nightmares are made of. I was glued to my chair the entire time & anxious to know what happened next. Ethan Hawke’s performance was spine-chilling.
Kat Hughes
Banana Meter Rating: 65%
Sinister is always going to be a tough act for Derrickson to follow and though The Black Phone doesn’t work on the same level, it still remains an entertaining film. Packed with interesting characters and some scene-stealing turns, The Black Phone has plenty about it to enjoy and entice, it just doesn’t push as hard as the source allows.
Larry Chillson Jr.
Banana Meter Rating: 75%
The Black Phone delivers a creepy atmosphere that builds on well-constructed scares to create an original, tension-filled viewing. Ethan Hawke is matched by 2 stellar child performances to elevate a script that may have faltered accompanied by lesser performances.
Matt Neglia
Banana Meter Rating: 70%
THE BLACK PHONE terrifies the most when its story of discovering inner strength in the face of real-world horror is grounded in reality. Ethan Hawke’s performance is bone-chilling & Scott Derrickson crafts a tense atmosphere with some really great jump scares. The paranormal bits partially rob the film of its thematic power but I still enjoyed it overall.
Renato Vieira
Banana Meter Rating: 65%
Derrickson’s sure-handed yet stripped-back direction allows the horror, performances and thrills to shine with unrelenting intensity, elevating what is a somewhat underwhelming script.
Jerome Muscarella
Banana Meter Rating: 92%
The Black Phone is Derrickson’s best since Sinister. Entertaining, raw characters and a surprisingly disturbing atmosphere Derrickson creates an interesting film that is bound to get under your skin.
Dom Fisher
Banana Meter Rating: 50%
The Black Phone is a supernatural thriller that is super underwhelming. It has an incomplete story that fails to answer its most burning questions.
Neil Vagg
Banana Meter Rating: 80%
The Black Phone infiltrates viewer’s nightmares thanks to a transcendent performance by Ethan Hawke. Teamed with incredibly compelling performances from Madeleine McGraw and Mason Thames, this adaption of Joe Hill’s short is chilling but ultimately lacking in context.
Ben Wiebe
Banana Meter Rating: 70%
For all of its successes in building tension, anxiety, and supernatural elements, The Black Phone fails to construct a tale worth remembering. It’s brisk runtime, while sweet, harms the character depth possible and leaves a forgettable tale that is sure to scare.
Jon Pascuzzi
Banana Meter Rating: 80%
For 102 minutes, Hawke, McGraw and Thames shine in the adapted short story. Unsettling, haunting yet full of persistence and bravery, Derrickson, Cargill and Blumhouse have another horror hit on their hands
What is Black Phone Banana Meter Rating?
Ripe Banana 