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‘John Wick 2’ and ‘The Survivalist’ Prove the Movies Are Better With Practical Effects — Watch

IndieWire On Demand: These two vastly different movies take action filmmaking back to basics to thrilling results.
Indie VOD Pick: 'John Wick 2' and 'The Survivalist'
"John Wick: Chapter 2"
Summit Entertainment

Editor’s Note: Click here for more information about the indie films available from Movies on Demand.

From massive explosions to world-ending destruction, our current blockbuster age has become so reliant on visual effects that it’s impossible as a viewer not to feel a little numb these days. What a lot of big-budget movies don’t understand is that a little less goes a long way, and a more practical approach to genre filmmaking is often times more involving for the viewer than a non-stop VFX extravaganza.

READ MORE: How Keanu Reeves and His Former Stunt Double Turned ‘John Wick: Chapter 2’ Into An Ass-Kicking Sequel for the Ages

Two new titles on VOD are “John Wick 2” and “The Survivalist,” a couple of radically different movies that both share a love of practical filmmaking. Whether it’s the insane stunt work and fight choreography of the “John Wick” franchise or the more realistic approach to a dystopian future in “The Survivalist,” avoiding visual effects allows both movies to hit a nerve in the viewer.

Watch the video above as IndieWire film critics Eric Kohn and David Ehrlich discuss the practical approaches that make “John Wick 2” and “The Survivalist” such thrilling genre rides. Both movies are now available to watch on demand.

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