Custody
This film has some perspective issues that had me thinking I was hating it, but by the end I think I actually quite liked it. It opens on a custody hearing in a divorce. The father has a history of violent behavior, though his counsel plays due process and demands proof. She cites positive character references from, I shit you not, his hunting club. In the first half of the film, the perspective seems to be mostly through his eyes though as he takes his shared custody times. I was not sure that I was going to be on board with a "thriller" that has domestic violence as a premise, especially to the degree that it seemed to be respecting his view. I worried that it was giving us some twisted men's rights argument.
The final act, following the son's perspective over to his mother, really seals the good will. Being both an effective thriller but a responsible drama. It uses the power of cinema to show some of the pure terror of the real problem of domestic violence in or after relationships. It is something we still do not take seriously enough in the US, and given this film's setting, in France too. Certainly our gun policies are woefully weak in how they interact.
Skin
Upon being announced as the winner for live action short, this became the only Oscar winner this year I hadn't seen so I sought it out. Oh boy. While I hear and agree with many concerns about Green Book, I do think it has a lot still pushing in its favor. This short film however is just a complete train wreck. The perspective is almost entirely set among a group of white racists responsible for the unprompted act of aggression that sets things off. And yet somehow it is them who get the real tragic beat that is supposed to make us think. It feels like piling on Green Book is criticizing the imperfect ally while the actual enemy is sitting right here.