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Review of The History of Concrete (2026) by screenqueeen: 👍 4.5/5

John Wilson can make anything captivating. he uncovers thematic goldmines in what 'normal' people would consider mundane, connecting threads together by a unifying, underlying human element because after all humans have made everything that we have to interface with -- at least the way that it is now. the adoption of the hallmark formula does some incredible things for Wilson here: it allows him to probe an industry whose veneer seems antihuman, a near-literal monolith of its own material that suggests a negation of emotional connection; evidently brutalist by conception, design and execution. the formula also proves another thing: it works really, really fucking well.

jackhammers, earthquakes and strong roots of trees bursting through the underside aren't the only forces that can penetrate concrete. Wilson proves just how universally applicable the hallmark formula is when emotions derived from those who work intimately with concrete break through its tough exterior. they are as with all humans emotions mixed between that of their own lives and experiences. some more so involved with the medium of concrete, some less so. there are those who work in the operating areas of the industry, managing the planning and usage of it with regards to how their respective companies can and should deploy it. they have the privilege to enjoy being on the top of it, the outer shell that receives the protections they promise and are lighthearted almost solely because of it. they dance together on its surface, joyful and elated. those that work in the actual physical nature of applying and distributing the material are emotionally nonplussed; manual labor is a job and they'll work what they can to earn a living, but there is an unspoken solemnity to their craft beyond just a thankless effort. there may be a sentiment implied that the light-hearted footsteps of concrete execs (for lack of a better term) push through straight to the underside holding it all up, in another way a sadly timeless metaphor for the structure of wealth in countries like the usa.

Wilson doesn't quite get at that so much, perhaps by design and by adhering to the cheery hallmark formula. because where there are working class struggles, there is also trauma that pokes out threatening no possible resolution within reach -- at least not one that later contributes to a positive arc that can fit in the telling of a story, regardless if it's every been told before. even the exploration of Jack Macco (of Nebulus, a surprisingly good and authentic-sounding old school metal band) and his sudden, unexpected experience with loss endangers the concept of what could be considered 'positive enough' of a narrative structure to suggest a narrative growth past that initial shock. that arc is proven to be stronger than it seems on paper. in other words, relatively concrete and immutable.*

he (both Wilson and Macco, really) helps prove that more than anything this substance is a shell, an armor that may last a long time but not forever. so too does the potentially forever substance prove directly applicable to hallmark and how they make their films. some make their own formulas and guard the recipe like a forever buried secret, handed down to those who pass endless tests of loyalty and trust (whether or not it's even worth defending). others give theirs freely to those who wish to use it, spreading its efficacy wider and wider that serves to advertise just how resilient it can be in the face of all that has juxtaposes it. it fits our world perfectly despite how repulsively it stands out. it's just a matter of perspective.

*you know i had to do it to em: https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/001/790/326/797.jpg