Summer Sundays!!!
2024 Edition
These are my exclusive print reviews of the big (and sometimes smaller) movies coming out!!!
Most recent releases at the top!!!
Click the poster for the review!!!
1992
⭐️⭐️
dis. Lionsgagte
Released Friday, August 30, 2024
Rating: R / Run Time: 96 minutes
Director: Ariel Vromen
Writer(s): Ariel Vromen and Sascha Penn
Starring: Tyrese Gibson, Scott Eastwood, Dylan Arnold, Christopher Ammanuel and Ray Liotta
Opening Weekend - Domestic (as per Box Office Mojo): August 30th-September 1st - coming soon
“Might get a little crazy out there today.”
Set against the backdrop of riot laden Los Angeles on the day that the police officers tried for the Rodney King assault were found not guilty, two father and son relationships will hit unique conflicts. On one side, we have Mercer (Gibbs) recently released from incarceration, working maintenance at Pluton Metals, a factory where they work with platinum to create catalytic converters, who is trying to rebuild a relationship with his son, Antoine (Ammanuel), a teenager who is dealing with the unrest by believing something needs to be done, despite Mercer trying to protect him. On the other side, we have Riggin (Eastwood) and Dennis (Arnold) who with their crew, including their father Lowell (Liotta), who want one less score. They have been casing Pluton Metals to steal the platinum as one more job that can set them up for life. Given the circumstances when LA has come to a standstill with business closing up and rioters running in the streets, Lowell figures this is the best night to get away with this. Through a series of events with bloody consequences, both Mercer and Antoine will end up at Pluton Metals facing off with Lowell and company as everyone tries to make it out alive. As the tensions mount, we will see how these fractured parent/child relationships pivot as the events play out in this factory as everyone else rages outside.
This is an interesting film. We have seen heist films before, but placing it amidst this historical backdrop, writer/director Vromen and co-writer Penn are able to imbue some character stakes in this film. There are touching scenes where you see how the riots are affecting the younger generation in this, specifically Antoine and Dennis, who at times are stunned to silence when they see what is going on. While there have been some films that have used historical backdrops in this vein a little better, you are willing to go along with this. The performances are decent. Gibson, stripping down the slick Roman bravado we have gotten used to seeing from the Fast franchise, was a delight to watch and he had chilling command of the screen and when it comes to him facing off against Liotta (in his last completed film role), the tension is felt, and Liotta’s appearance is welcome. Eastwood provides enough angst to play up the father/son tension, and his interactions with his brother Dennis work as well. The problem is that as the film tries to raise the tension, it falls a bit flat and repetitive. There are few surprises as we follow the film, and when eventually the film leaves the factory, the whole premise of the riots setting is abandoned and almost looks like we are in a setting filmed during the pandemic. This is a shame because there were some better moments early on, including one tense scene with Mercer and Antoine and a pair of policeman while they are trying to get to the factory.
All in all, the film is a little tonally mixed, but, it is interesting to see this historical period put back on screen and also one more chance to spend some time with Liotta.
Review by Cinephile Mike
AfrAId
⭐️
dis. Lionsgagte
Released Friday, August 30, 2024
Rating: PG-13 / Run Time: 85 minutes
Director: Chris Weitz
Writer: Chris Weitz
Starring: John Cho, Katherine Waterston, Keith Carradine, Havana Rose Liu, Ashley Romans, Lukita Maxwell, Wyatt Lindner, Isaac Bae and David Dastmalchian
Opening Weekend - Domestic (as per Box Office Mojo): August 30th-September 1st - coming soon
“If you’re wondering why a product is free, you’re the product.”
In a time when we are becoming more and more addicted to AI, hello Alexa, Siri and OK Google, along comes AIA. AIA is here to help, she is here to become whatever you need her to be. By having a primary standing unit, and operating from a variety of “eyes” which are mini cameras you hang all over your home, she can pretty much be the assistant you never knew you needed. Curtis (Cho), a marketing expert and his boss Marcus (Carradine) meet the team of Sam (Romans), Melody (Liu) and Lightning (an underused Dastmalchian) who need their support marketing AIA. Forced to bring the AI home at Marcus’ insistence, there is hesitation at first, but the money is good, and Curtis finds it hard to say no. Next thing you know, AIA has become the friend and quasi-therapist to scientist-turned-housewife Meredith (Waterston), that she didn’t know she needed, and helps Curtis and Meredith’s children in various ways. She helps shy Preston (Lindner) come out of his shell, handles teenager Iris’ (Maxwell) problems when her boyfriend engages in less than desirable behavior and diagnoses the illness that has stricken their youngest Cal (Bae). AIA orders organic meals for the kids, reads and shows movies to the kids (although why they chose The Emoji Movie is an interesting choice) to serve as a sitter so mom and dad can have alone time, or even handling the bills, all seems well, until AIA’s actions begin to take a slightly darker turn. Before we know it, Curtis and his family are in a battle of survival to get away from AIA, and also, a group of screen hooded stalkers in an RV?
Given society’s obsession and the recent strikes occurring as a result of AI likeness, there were so many more directions this film could have taken that would have raised the stakes a bit more. This is a thrill-less thriller that drags at a pace of 85 minutes. While I wasn’t a huge fan of last year’s The Creator, co-penned by Weitz who wrote this, there was a bit more action at the center of an AI story. Also, Weitz has proved a stronger screenwriter penning such classics as About A Boy and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, so one has to wonder where this piece missed the mark. Perhaps he was working with one of the any AI programs that have proved problematic. He makes an attempt at self-awareness with one of the jokes being AIA referencing Alexa as “that bitch,” and having Cho and Waterston make several many HAL jokes invoking Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey. However, these jokes prove a disservice to AfrAId because we recall a more detrimental AI that was more problematic and scary than AIA ever hopes to be. The film can’t even manage to bring up some of the visual jump scares that the trailer hinted at, instead of bringing those moments slowly out and having them fall flat. The talented cast is underused and not served much of a text and when the film finally comes to its end, we see that many of its actions are not even addressed, to say nothing of the inclusion of the aforementioned RV family.
All in all, this is a disappointing film that wasted its premise. I recommend going to watch 2001: A Space Odyssey or M3gan again, the AI scares are thoroughly more enjoyable.
Review by Cinephile Mike
Slingshot
⭐️
dis. Bleecker Street
Released Friday, August 30, 2024
Rating: R / Run Time: 109 minutes
Director: Mikael Håfström
Writer: R. Scott Adams and Nathan Parker
Starring: Casey Affleck, Laurence Fishburne, Emily Beecham and Tomer Capone
Opening Weekend - Domestic (as per Box Office Mojo): August 30th-September 1st - coming soon
“The drugs used to induce hibernation can produce side effects including confusion and disorientation.”
John (Affleck) is on a mission along with Captain Franks (Fishburne) and Nash (Capone) aboard the Odyssey 1 en route to Titan, one of Saturn’s moons. The purpose, collect a large amount of methane to help sustain the Earth. To do this, they need to rely on gravitational force from the atmosphere as they travel. Much of the traveling is done while John and Co. are in hibernation. They are in cycles of 90 days of hibernation versus a few days to check measures on the ship and so on. As the crew continues their journey, one day, there is an impact which causes the crew to get a little concerned as they are in space, and while Captain Franks is determined to complete the mission, Nash is not as positive, and he feels they need to turn back. John, serving as a middle man, is conflicted on whether to follow his orders from Franks, or to engage in mutiny with Nash. To make matters worse, John feels he is suffering as a result of the hibernation cycles. Every time he awakens, he has difficulty remembering things from his life, such as his girlfriend Zoe’s (Beecham) last name. As he investigates the ship, the damage, and ultimately weighs the pros and cons, he goes on a journey that will have severe psychological ramifications and the debate as to whether it is the hibernation drugs or the mission itself is to blame. Through a series of events, all will result in a potential destructive end for one or more involved in this mission.
You can’t see the trailer and not invoke other, better, space movies such as Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey, Duncan Jones’ Moon or Alfonso Cuaron’s Gravity. Whenever you put a person or a small crew on a ship with a difficult mission, comparisons happen. This film fails to reach the loftier premises of these films mainly by getting distracted by the story they want to tell. Adams and Parker are not sure if they want to create a psychological thriller with the angst that the crew is going on and the trauma brought on by potential destruction to the ship, or a relationship drama. Each time John goes into hibernation, we are treated to the various flashbacks of him and Zoe’s relationship, how they met, what caused him to be on the ship and so on, and while some of this information is needed, it only drags the screentime. As a result, when the film builds towards the climax, it feels unearned and disappointing. Affleck turns in a mostly one note performance, both in the flashbacks and on the ship, save one scene where he demonstrates some emotion, and Fishburne, while he comes in and out, only matches the deadpan which doesn’t make for an engaging film. The film ends quite ambiguously after several endings which won’t necessarily invoke thoughts about what is real or not, but more frustration as to the confusion of the plot.
All in all, this is an attempted space thriller that never quite gets the energy it needs to make the aforementioned slingshot, to whip the film around to a point.
Review by Cinephile Mike
Borderlands
⭐️
dis. Lionsgagte
Released Friday, August 9, 2024
Rating: PG-13 / Run Time: 102 minutes
Director: Eli Roth
Writer(s): Eli Roth and Joe Crombie based on a story by Roth
Starring: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Edgar Ramírez, Jamie Lee Curtis, Ariana Greenblatt, Florian Munteanu and Jack Black
Opening Weekend - Domestic (as per Box Office Mojo): August 9th-August 11th - coming soon
"She's dangerous, she's dirty and she's definitely a toxic waste dump, but she's my home."
Welcome to Pandora. Once a beautiful paradise, it has now become an apocalyptic wasteland. To save everyone, we must find "The Vault," the source that can restore everything and make everything whole again. This is the hope of Atlas, played by Ramírez. In order to do this, he needs his daughter, Tiny Tina, played by Greenblatt, who has an important part to play in this. However, in a prison break coup, Roland, a soldier, played by Hart, has rescued Tina from her prison, so that Atlas can't follow through on his plan for domination, and along the way, they pick up Kreig, a member of the so-called Psychos, played by Munteanu. The three escape, and in order to retrieve his daughter, Atlas hires famed bounty hunter Lilith, played by Blanchett, who is at first hesitant to return to her home planet, until she sees just how beneficial the pay day will be. Returning to Pandora, Lilith is quickly able to meet up with Tina and her companions, and she is also joined by Claptrap, a robot voiced by Black, who was sent to accompany her on her journey through Pandora. Lilith will quickly realize intentions are not as they should be, and so will change sides to help Tina accomplish her goal of beating her father to "The Vault." Along the way, they will pick up Tannis, played by Curtis, a partner to Roland, and also, Lilith's adoptive mother. As this ragtag team sets off to find and open "The Vault" they will be pursued by Atlas’ Crimson Lance, and ultimately will lead to a final battle for all the power contained.
On paper, there could have been an interesting film here, however, writer/director Roth, who has solid performances when staying in the horror lane, and his co-writer Crombie, can't quite seem to guide this very predictable story that almost plays like an early, scrapped draft of the first Guardians of the Galaxy movie. All of the tropes are repeated, as are the plot beats, and fun fact, Greenblatt plays the Gamora character, as she played Young Gamora in Avengers: Infinity War. James Gunn just pulled this premise of the ragtag group out to save the world better. There are some decent fight sequences, but they are very few and far between, and oftentimes Roth relies on action sequences and fights to carry this roughly 90 minute film along, although it feels longer than that. Additionally, cinematographer Rogier Stoffers, doesn't seem to quite capture these moments for impact. The primary cast, Blanchett, Hart, and Curtis seem to be phoning it in as if this film was an obligation to get through, which is unfortunate because as someone who is unfamiliar with the game, they were the draw for me, as was Roth. There was not much here to engage and the attempted laughs felt flat, and while Black's Claptrap was meant to provide levity, his character was a little less Groot enjoyable, but more Jar Jar Binks grasting.
All in all, this was just a disappointing trip to Pandora, however, fans of the game may find some enjoyable Easter Eggs.
Review by Cinephile Mike
Trap
⭐️⭐️⭐️
dis. Warner Bros. Pictures
Released Friday, August 2, 2024
Rating: PG-13 / Run Time: 105 minutes
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Writer: M. Night Shyamalan
Starring: Josh Hartnett, Ariel Donoghue, Saleka Shyamalan, Alison Pill, Jonathan Langdon and Hayley Mills
Opening Weekend - Domestic (as per Box Office Mojo): August 1st-August 4th - coming soon
“Maybe the trap wasn’t set at the concert, maybe it was here.”
It’s every dad’s dream. Do the right thing to make your child happy, and that is exactly what Cooper, played by Hartnett, is doing. His daughter, Riley, played by Donoghue, has achieved academic greatness, and so he has gotten her floor seats to see her favorite artist, Lady Raven, played by Saleka Shyamalan. Excitement runs high as Riley gets to see her favorite artist, although things this concert to be extreme as far as security goes. Heavily armed SWAT team members and multiple police officers and guards line every entrance and exit. They patrol the stands, and randomly pull male concertgoers out, and then allow them to return to their seats. Cooper takes this in, and investigates. He speaks with a very friendly t-shirt vendor, Jamie, played by Langdon, and learns that this whole concert has been set up to trap “The Butcher,” a serial killer who has eluded the authorities for years, but due to a tip, the authorities have learned will be attending this concert. Cooper appears to be shocked, and then, we quickly learn, as he checks his phone, that he is “The Butcher.” After checking in on his victim, handcuffed in the basement of an undisclosed house, Cooper will be going to see how he can escape the aforementioned trap. As he investigates all of his options throughout the arena, he will engage in various activities that will cause varied distraction and will eventually manipulate his way outside with help from an unlikely individual which will then cause his whole world to be turned upside down as we see people are not as truly honest as they seem.
It is safe to say that this film, billed as an M. Night Shyamalan Experience is a bit misleading. This is a Josh Hartnett Experience. Hartnett, who has not been seen in as many mainstream films as of late, before returning post pandemic in Guy Ritchie’s Wrath of Man and Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre and Christopher Nolan’s Oppenhemier, slips into his lead role with the comfort of roles he played at the turn of the century. Playing the serial killer who is a mashup of Norman Bates and Patrick Bateman, his expressions turn on a dime and make him a magnetic appeal on the screen. While he is bogged down by some plot twists that are a bit much, and sadly, similar to what we expect of much of Shyamalan’s work, save a few gems, he handles this deftly, you just wish the script was a little stronger. The premise Shyamalan has is very unique, but it seems that he didn’t fully explore the characters he is giving us. They have a lot to dig through, and as a result, some talented performers such as Pill, as his wife Rachel and Mills, the FBI profiler assigned to “The Butcher” case, get severely wasted. Shyamalan’s daughter Saleka, as Lady Raven, in her acting debut does a fine job playing a pop star that is designed as a Taylor Swift/Beyonce mashup. The music she wrote for the film, 14 songs in total, all mostly appear in chunks as we hear the concert happening, and her voice is pleasant enough if some songs are not fully distinguished as others. However, they provide a nice juxtaposition to the psychological and thrills happening around the arena. The film falls apart once they leave the arena, which is unfortunate because there was a missed opportunity to see this all play out in the various settings within the venue that could have made for a true “experience.”
All in all, Hartnett is a pure delight to see and he makes this film watchable and move at its fairly rapid pace, although you may be left wanting more.
Review by Cinephile Mike
Deadpool & Wolverine
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
dis. Marvel Studios
Released Friday, July 26, 2024
Rating: R / Run Time: 127 minutes
Director: Shawn Levy
Writer(s): Ryan Reynolds, Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick, Zeb Wells and Shawn Levy
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, Emma Corrin, Matthew Macfadyen, Aaron Stanford, Dafne Keen, Morena Baccarin, Rob Delaney and Leslie Uggams (and MANY others)
Opening Weekend - Domestic (as per Box Office Mojo): July 26th-July 28th - $211,435,291
"Sometimes the people we save, save us right back.”
It's been 6 years since we've seen Reynolds' Deadpool on screens, and from the opening sequence, he is back with a vengeance to make up for every profane word and death he can fit in before the opening credits end that we haven't had. Since we last saw him, he has tried to join and been rejected by the Avengers, he attempted a happy life with Vanessa (Baccarin), which has fallen apart, and has now resigned himself to being Wade, wearing a fun toupee and selling cars with Peter (Delaney), whom he saved thanks to Cable's time turner from the last film, and moved back into a one bedroom with Blind Al (Uggams). At his birthday celebration, he is accosted by the Time Variance Authority, the TVA, and is brought to their boss, Mr. Paradox (a delightful Macfadyen), who explains that since Wolverine, the “anchor being” of this world died (at the end of 2017’s Logan), the world’s strand of the Sacred Timeline is slowly fading away, and Paradox plans to use a time ripper to do it quickly, and offers Wade a chance to live on a different Earth, and make a difference (bringing us the trailer’s popular, “I’m Marvel Jesus,”), however, he realizes that what he needs to do, is to bring Wolverine (Jackman) back. Using the TemPad he takes from Paradox, Deadpool returns with a Wolverine that he learns is one of the worst in the multiverse. Unhappy with this, Paradox sends them both to the Void at the End of Time (introduced in 2021’s first season of Loki). Once there, Deadpool and Wolverine will engage in verbal and physical sparring as they try to settle their differences and try to find a way to get back and save their world. On the way, they will encounter Cassandra Nova (Corrin), the telepathic twin sister to Charles Xavier, who runs the Void while ruling over a series of mutants, some we have not seen since earlier X-Men films, including Stanford’s Pyro.
Without spoiling too much, I will end the summary there, but I will say, this was film was both a refreshing Marvel film, as well as feeling a bit derivative of Marvel films. Now that Marvel has the chance to play in the full toybox with the return of The X-Men, The Fantastic Four, Daredevil, The Punisher, amongst many others, the writing team knew how they wanted to play with this. The film provides both fan service as well as assist with the disintegration of the 20th Century Fox films, and they way they incorporate the TVA to do this is quite entertaining, and Reynolds never misses a chance to break the fourth wall and remind us of this. Given that this is the MCU’s first R-rated entry, they push the boundaries as far as possible if they even have to lay a filter over it as it ultimately is a Disney film, so some of the drug and sexually explicit jokes we had in the first two Deadpool films are absent here. Also, there is no denying the rapport between Reynolds and Jackman, and when they spar back and forth, especially in the verbal bouts, it is a pleasure to the ear. Additionally, Corrin plays Cassandra Nova with the slick, villainous appeal that makes you wonder whether she is as evil as is discussed, or if this just disguises someone who wants to be a true confidant. Rounding out the cast is a long list of cameos that brought a smile to my face. That being said, many of the film’s beats run parallel to 2022’s Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness, and this is a bit disappointing. Weaving in this with elements from the Loki television series gives a bit of “been there, done that,” but with a comic twist.
All in all, MCU fans will not be disappointed, and the fact that this is the beginning of a new direction for the MCU, it starts to show we can get back to what made us rush out to these movies the way we did at the Infinity War/Endgame hype.
Review by Cinephile Mike
The Fabulous Four
⭐️
dis. Bleecker Street
Released Friday, July 26, 2024
Rating: R / Run Time: 98 minutes
Director: Jocelyn Moorhouse
Writer(s): Ann Marie Allison and Jenna Milly
Starring: Susan Sarandon, Bette Midler, Megan Mullally, Sheryl Lee Ralph and Bruce Greenwood
Opening Weekend - Domestic (as per Box Office Mojo): July 26th-July 28th - $1,042,021
"Love is gold, and time is a thief."
Marilyn (Midler) and Lou (Sarandon) have been friends for years since they went to college together. Shortly after meeting, they met Alice (Mullally) and Kitty (Ralph), and the four form our titular fab four. Since those early years, Lou has become a cardiac surgeon, and Hemingway obsessed cat lady, Alice has had a career serving as a singer who has toured the world with different artists, Kitty has become a botanist who grows edibles in her home and has a successful line of edibles, and Marilyn is a recently widowed woman who refuses to give into her aging, and has found a new life moving to Key West, discovering TikTok, and her new fiancé, Bradley. This wedding, occurring within 6 months of being widowed, she has contacted Alice and Kitty to come be bridesmaids, and hopes Lou will join. Why is Lou’s attendance in question? Well, as we learn, Lou and Marilyn had a falling out decades ago, and have not spoken. Through a carefully planned story, Alice and Kitty trick Lou into coming to Key West, and our four are reunited for the first time in years. Underlying tensions abound as we build towards Marilyn’s wedding. Throughout this time, Lou will have a sort of coming of age journey where she will find a potential love interest, befriend some millennials, and learn that there is still life left to be lived. As we approach the wedding, the tea will be spilt and we will see if there can be any forward movement for these friends to return to how they were.
As several other film entries within the last two years or so, such as this summer’s Summer Camp we have seen actresses of a certain age be brought together to be put into sitcom plotlines that are expanded into features while playing stereotypical tropes.This film unfortunately wastes a very talented cast with a series of subplots that don’t do much service to their talents and reduce them to stereotypes. We have the randy widow, the cat lady, the promiscuous cougar and the hippie. Heaven forbid they are given more ensemble driven dramas or even action roles, as proven can be successful, see June Squibb’s turn in Thelma. As we follow our core four through drug use, TikTok videos, clothes ripping fights and raunchy bachelorette parties, we see them try to do the best with the thin script they are given. The saving grace for the film is that the four stars, whose abilities are never fully on display, have a certain charisma and are able to sell some moments that will bring a light chuckle. Also, there is a nice moment where we see the trio of Midler, Mullally and Ralph sing Johnny Nash’s “I Can See Clearly Now” while parasailing above the Atlantic Ocean, before, again, being dropped into a sitcom like landing. Additionally, the film attempts too many subplots to flesh out all of the characters, and unfortunately cannot properly wrap them up or give them the necessary attention, and so as we build towards a predictable ending, it doesn’t feel earned.
All in all, charisma is not enough to save this film, but kudos to these women for attempting to present a tale about the importance of female friendship and communication. Here’s hoping the next attempt has a bit more substance and presents a stronger showcase for these powerhouse talents.
Review by Cinephile Mike
Twisters
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
dis. Universal Pictures
Released Friday, July 19, 2024
Rating: PG-13 / Run Time: 122 minutes
Director: Lee Isaac Chung
Writer: Mark L. Smith based on a story by Joseph Kosinski
Starring: Daisy Edgar-Jones, Glen Powell, Anthony Ramos, Brandon Perea, David Corenswet, Harry Hadden-Paton and Maura Tierney
Opening Weekend - Domestic (as per Box Office Mojo): July 19th-July 21st - $81,251,415
"You don't face your fears, you ride ‘em.”
With Dorothy still being used to send her sensors up in tornadoes, the college team of Kate (Edgar-Jones), Javi (Ramos), Jeb (Daryl McCormick), Addy (Kiernan Shipka) and Praveen (Nik Dodani) head off to test Kate's theory of releasing a polymer mix that can cause a tornado to dissipate by chasing a tornado in Oklahoma. Kate has a reputation for reading the weather and storm patterns better than anyone. Almost as fast as they see some success as the tornado seems small, it quickly grows too big, and only Kate and Javi survive. Five years later, Kate is living and working in New York at a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration office, trading the field for an office. One day, Javi shows up and convinces Kate to join him, his partner Scott (Corenswet) and their company, Storm Par, in Oklahoma, to chase again as they have new technology that can scan the makeup of tornadoes, and pride the data needed to see makeup of tornadoes and create opportunities to warn and save communities.
Hesitant, Kate agrees to give Javi one week and upon arrival, she meets Tyler (Powell) and his ragtag group of YouTube famous tornado wranglers, including his cameraman and fireworks enthusiast Boone (Perea), a stark difference to Javi's corporate team, who seem to be in it for the thrills and the money of selling t-shirts and mugs who are accompanied by British journalist, Ben (Hadden-Patton), who's writing a piece on American storm chasing. As Kate begins to follow along and engage with both teams, also while dealing with some PTSD from the tragedy 5 years earlier, she will learn that intentions of each team may or may not be what they first appear to be, and as we go from twister to twister to with each team, these will become clear which will lead her to revisit her own research to see what went wrong the last time, and realize that sometimes help can come from unexpected places.
Chung brings an action film that not only pays homage to the original 1996 film, but also to the great action films of the 90s in the vein of Speed and The River Wild. Employing more practical effects in addition to excessive CGI, you feel every moment of tragedy and it is impressive to see on the biggest screen possible, especially for one epic sequence taking place in a movie theatre. As we follow the story, each scenario gets more and more intense, and yet still manages to craft moments of levity. While the original holds a special place in many hearts, this film, while following the skeleton of its predecessor, Kosinski's story and Smith's script pays a little more attention to character and plot as well as action allowing the viewer to engage with the film in a more meaningful way. Additionally, and this is a testament of the experts brought in, there is much more explanation of the science we are seeing on the screens in front of us.
The core trio of the film, Edgar-Jones, Ramos and Powell carry the story effectively, but standing out is the charisma of Powell's Tyler. Powell exudes equal levels of charm and arrogance and proves between this and performances in Hit Man and Anyone But You, that he has the high wattage movie star power along the lines of his Top Gun: Maverick mentor, Tom Cruise. With these three, the rest of the supporting cast that fills out Tyler’s group including Boone, Lily (Sasha Lane), Dexter (Tunde Adebimpe) and Dani (Kati O'Brian) evoke the true spirit of Helen HuntLs crew in the first.
All in all, while the plot is a bit predictable, and one plot regarding Javi's funders is shorthanded a bit, this film is an action packed, feel good time that will invoke the right nostalgia for fans of the first, and bring love to the franchise for the new.
Review by Cinephile Mike
Oddity
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
dis. IFC Films
Released Friday, July 19, 2024
Rating: R / Run Time: 98 minutes
Director: Damian McCarthy
Writer: Damian McCarthy
Starring: Gwilym Lee, Carolyn Bracken, Tadhg Murphy, Caroline Menton and Steve Wall
Opening Weekend - Domestic (as per Box Office Mojo): July 19th-July 21st - $562,333
“The one good thing about working in a place like this is that no one asks any questions.”
One night when Dani, (played by Bracken in one of her dual roles) is trying to renovate her new home, an old Gothic type barn in rural Ireland, shears a knock at the door, and a strange man, Olin Boole (Murphy), a man with a glass eye that happens to be a psychiatric patient of Dani’s husband Ted (Lee), warns her that someone is inside her house, we will begin a psychological and paranormal story as we try to decipher what happened to Dani, as we learn she was killed that night. Less than a year after this, Ted, having finished the remodel of the home, is attempting to rebuild his life with his new girlfriend, pharmaceutical rep, Yana (Melton) and move on.
One day he goes to visit Darcy, Dani's twin sister, (played by Bracken in her second role), a blind psychic who runs her deceased mother's oddity shop. She sells odd items that were all once cursed, that she has now cleansed. Additionally, she is able to get readings and connect with the deceased individuals attached to the objects. Ted arrives because he is able to deliver the Boole’s glass eye, as Darcy wanted to see what was going on in his mind when he killed Dani.
Shortly after, Darcy arrives at Ted’s home to investigate and see what happened to her sister. She has brought an item from the shop, a life sized wooden mannequin, that has the power to help her in this endeavor. As she continues to investigate, we will see that things are not quite as they seem to be. The mannequin, looking like a melting man in agony, will play its role in developing the tension in this fraught paranormal horror. McCarthy has created a stunning film that crafts moments of tension where you are not sure if people should run or hide with the energy onscreen. Aiding this is the mannequin that seems to move on its own. Or does it? Is there more to Darcy’s presence in the home? To this end, while the performances are all strong, Bracken really is the standout playing the double roles of Dani and Darcy.
Lauren Kelly’s production design is on point creating a home that is surprisingly modern in its Gothic aesthetic and behind every corner seems to be something ominous, and this is captured gloriously by Colm Hogan’s cinematography. While I am not usually responsive to horror films, perhaps I have seen one or too many, I have to say there were genuine moments that made me start, including a unique moment at the end that brings the film whole circle and will make us believe that we may not have seen the end of the oddities in Darcy’s shop.
All in all, this is a paranormal horror film that lands on its feet and will truly speak to the horror fan.
Review by Cinephile Mike
National Anthem
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
dis. Variance Films
Released Friday, June 12, 2024 (limited), Friday, June 19, 2024 (expanded)
Rating: R / Run Time: 96 minutes
Director: Luke Gilford
Writer(s): Kevin Best, Luke Gilford and David Largman Murray
Starring: Charlie Plummer, Eve Lindley, Rene Rosado, Mason Alexander Park, Robyn Lively and Joey DeLeon
Opening Weekend - Domestic (as per Box Office Mojo): July 12th-July 14th - $41,864
"I don't think you're boring. I just don't think you've met your people yet."
Dylan (played by Plummer) is a 21-year-old construction worker living in New Mexico. He lives at home with his hard living mother, Fiona (played by Lively), who sometimes works as a hairdresser, but often enjoys going out and living her life, while Dylan fills the role of primary caregiver to his younger brother, about 10 or 11 years old, Cassidy (played by DeLeon). Dylan is a little lost, but he needs to work to help support his family, while squirreling some away as he has a dream to get an RV and travel around the country. As a means to make more income, he begins to look for day work and a chance hiring leads him to begin a new journey in life.
Dylan gets work at the House of Splendor ranch by Pepe (played by Rosado). As he begins to work, he meets, and becomes a bit infatuated with Sky (played by Lindley), a trans woman, and one of the horse trainers on the ranch. As Dylan begins to explore, he sees that all the residents of the ranch represent a range of members of the queer community, and he begins to see that there is a kinship and support in this group that he has been missing. Additionally, used to hard work where people don’t seem satisfied, he sees that everyone here, while working hard, is happy and relishes the work that they do. He becomes involved with the group, after a chance encounter at a superstore after hours, and ends up spending more time with Sky and all the others including Carrie (played by Park), a drag queen and kindred spirit. Of the different activities he ventures to, are the trips to the rodeo that is part of the International Gay Rodeo Association. He sees a chance to explore his own identity and feelings alongside all these ranchers who are also seeking their own variations of the American Dream. As he begins to grow closer to Sky, this also leads to an interesting role in Sky’s open relationship with the ranch’s owner, Pepe. As we follow Dylan on his journey to self-discovery, we will see love and heartbreak on varied levels. There is a conflict of loyalty to oneself to family that is a universal theme many go through.
This was a true coming of age story that wonderfully presented a tale of love and acceptance in the queer community sans the tragedy that often accompanies the films such as these, which is a refreshing take, not to say that loss is not completely absent here, and this is a testament to first time film director, Gilford. Additionally, this is a beautifully shot film, a testament to cinematographer, Katelin Arizmendi. She captures the sweeping grace of the New Mexico canyons and mountains as if visual postcards fly across the screen. Plummer gives a wonderful performance as Dylan and you feel every emotion he experiences as he wears his heart on his sleeve and his face is quite expressive and invests you for the 95 minutes or so of the story.
All in all, this is an enjoyable film that raises awareness of many issues, but does so in a way that doesn’t beat you over the head with its message, but just invites you on a journey, and the lack of “drama” is a wonderful change of pace.
Review by Cinephile Mike
Fly Me to the Moon
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
dis. Universal Pictures
Released Friday, July 12, 2024
Rating: PG-13 / Run Time: 132 minutes
Director: Greg Berlanti
Writer: Rose Gilroy from a story by Keenan Flynn and Bill Kirstein
Starring: Scarlett Johansson, Channing Tatum, Woody Harrelson, Ray Romano, Jim Rash and Anna Garcia
Opening Weekend - Domestic (as per Box Office Mojo): July 12th-July 14th - $9,402,176
"Not everybody likes to advertise.”
Right at the start, from the first click of the heel, we see that Kelly Jones (an always wonderful Johansson) is a no-nonsense marketing ruler. She commands a room and will do whatever it takes to land the campaign. This is a skillset that sometimes gets her noticed for the good, and perhaps not. One night, she is enjoying a nice drink and meets Moe Berkus (a delightfully smarmy Harrelson), an employee for President Richard Nixon, who presents Kelly with a dossier that causes her to raise an eyebrow, until Moe says it can all be erased, if, she comes to work for NASA and SELLS them to the American public who is feeling distraught as the country is behind Russia in the Space Race. If she sells NASA, life can be all the better. Agreeing to take the post, Kelly, alongside her loyal assistant Ruby (a quick-witted Garcia), leaves the pleasures of Madison Avenue and heads to Cocoa Beach, Florida to sell NASA. There, she encounters Cole Davis (a smooth if awkward Tatum). Cole is the Launch Director in charge of the upcoming Apollo 11, the famed mission which, OK, spoiler alert, will launch Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins to the moon. Cole has a past as well, but not as secret as Kelly’s, his is more public, which makes him cautious of how much exposure and information is shared via Kelly to the general public. Complicating this, while things seem to be moving successfully, Moe will skulk back in and present Kelly with Project Artemis, Nixon’s pet project, where Kelly will assemble a team to film the moon landing to be broadcast all over the country, so despite whether or not Apollo 11 is successful, America will be able to see “a” landing. So, Kelly will put together a secret team, led by the man they got, instead of Kubrick, Lance Vespertine (a high energy and well comic timed performance by Rash), to direct this broadcast. But, how can Kelly pull this all off, as she is also having feelings for Cole.
This film is a unique approach to the Romantic Comedy. While I didn’t highlight this yet, this is also a love story of our PR Maven and our Launch Director. Helping this along, Johansson and Tatum have incredible chemistry that recalls some of the other great romcom pairings of Roberts and Gere, or Crystal and Ryan. They handle Gilroy’s quick worded script with the skill of two well-versed tennis players in a match like we saw earlier in this year’s Challengers. Additionally, the trope is flipped on its head as instead of introducing a third party in the form of another individual, we see the challenge keeping our two leads apart is their work and what they deem is their “purpose.” Berlanti does an excellent job sculpting this unique triangle, or square, as he did in his 2023’s Red, White and Royal Blue which Berlanti produced. As we build towards the climactic Apollo 11 mission, we are along for the ride, and while this subplot veers a bit away from the central love story, it is done in a way that makes it important for the journey of these characters, and not just a device thrown in for the purposes of the story. To that end, Shane Valentino’s production design is on point and it feels like the world of Mad Men has been brought back with all the fitting 1960s aesthetics, also aided by Mary Zophres’ costumes. All shot by Dariusz Wolski in all its technicolor gloriousness.
All in all, the film is a fun watch which will make you excited to revisit the Apollo 11 mission as we did with 2016’s Hidden Figures.
Review by Cinephile Mike
Longlegs
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
dis. Neon
Released Friday, July 12, 2024
Rating: R / Run Time: 101 minutes
Director: Osgood Perkins
Writer: Osgood Perkins
Starring: Maika Monroe, Blair Underwood, Alicia Witt, Kiernan Shipka and Nicolas Cage
Opening Weekend - Domestic (as per Box Office Mojo): July 12th-July 14th - $22,400,119
"I’m doing this for you, just like I’ve always done.”
Right at the jump, we are in 1970s Oregon, where a young girl is approached by an eccentric, pale skinned man, who references her upcoming birthday with a shriek. Next, cut to the 1990s, and we have FBI agent Lee Harker (Monroe), a woman who seems to have preternatural gifts of seeing visions, and reading symbols, and as a result, is assigned to a multi-year case of murder-suicides that have occurred throughout the state of Oregon. Every incident shows that the father of the families would kill his wife and children before committing suicide, and a strange note would be left, signed by an individual named Longlegs. Through research, Lee will put two and two together and show her peers, including her somewhat skeptical boss, Agent Carter (played by Underwood), that the connection surrounding these murders is related to the fact that each had a 9 year old daughter born on the 14th of the respective month, and died within six days of said date.
Following the clues, Lee will find her way to speak with one survivor of an incident, the institutionalized Carrie Anne Camera (Shipka), and also dig into some other details that will reveal that she may be more interconnected to these cases than originally assumed. This will bring her to confront her mother, Ruth (Witt) as she pieces everything together until the fateful moment when she is acquainted with Longlegs himself, or, is it reacquainted?
Perkins delivers a unique thriller that while billed as a horror film, and has some of those elements, gives us more of a psychological thriller about the actions of those who live by Satanic ritual, while happily discussing, “Mr. Downstairs.” He plays with the format where we have two climaxes within the film, and you would think it shouldn’t work, but it does. This is a multi-layered story that plays effectively within its 100 or so minutes that doesn’t add unnecessary exposition, and ties up all the loose ends that it presents. Additionally, setting this film in a time devoid of all the technology that is often seen with present day films was a nice escape. It is with the aid of some stellar sound effects led by the team of Eugenio Battaglia and a haunting score by Zilgi, that will have you shifting uncomfortably in your seats as we follow along this dingy, desolate and very clever cinematography of Andres Arochi. Within this, Cage as Longlegs is delightfully unhinged and injects just the right amount of kinetic energy and crazy without derailing the story that Perkins is setting out to tell. Monroe continues to cement her status as one of the new Scream Queens for this generation and gives a lived in performance that will keep you thinking about the actions we see her take when pushed to the edge.
All in all, another decent horror film for 2024, and they are coming, that will have you squirming in your seats.
Review by Cinephile Mike
Touch
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
dis. Focus Features
Released Friday, July 12, 2024
Rating: R / Run Time: 101 minutes
Director: Baltasar Kormákur
Writer: Baltasar Kormákur and Ólafur Jóhann Ólafsson
Starring: Egill Ólafsson, Palmi Kormákur, Kôki, Masahiro Motoki and Meg Kubota
Opening Weekend - Domestic (as per Box Office Mojo): July 12th-July 14th - $446,590
"Kristófer, in situations like yours, people often seize the opportunity to take care of unfinished business.”
On the brink of the world shutting down as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, Kristófer, played by Ólafsson, a widower in his 60s, living in his native Iceland, is receiving the results of a medical diagnosis that will begin to impact his motor skills and memory, and decides, as the quote above is stated by his doctor, to take care of unfinished business. The unfinished business being, locating his first love, whom he hasn’t seen in about 50 years. Jumping back to 1960s London, we meet a much younger Kristófer, played in flashback by Kormákur, a student at the London School of Economics, and an activist as well, being disillusioned with society decides to drop out of school and live a simple life, applying for a job at a Japanese restaurant, where he is hired by Takahashi-san, played by Motoki, as a dishwasher, and meets his daughter, Miko, played by Kôki, who works part time as a waitress, and is a student studying psychology herself. We learn that Miko’s family survived the bombing of Hiroshima and sought a new life in London. Becoming enmeshed in the restaurant, Kristófer leads a simple life, learning Japanese, and teaching himself to cook, while falling in love with Miko. Through a series of events, when the restaurant closes for the holidays, when Kristófer returns, he learns that Takahashi-san has closed the restaurant and moved himself and Miko back to Japan. We learn that Kristófer moved on, married and raised a daughter. However, back in 2020, given these new life circumstances, he constantly dodges calls from his daughter as he wants to travel to find Miko, despite the fact that a global lockdown is imminent. We will then follow Kristófer as he journeys from Iceland to London and finally Japan in the hopes of finding his first love before it is too late, if he is even able to do so.
Kormákur crafts a sweeping epic love story that spans continents as we follow Kristófer on his journey. While traveling, the landscapes we see from plane and train windows shows the longing this man has had for so many years, and while there is no guarantee that we will have a happy ending, we are hooked. Much of this rides on two factors. The first, is the chemistry between Kormákur and Kôki as the younger versions of our star-crossed lovers. Without spoiling too much, there are many factors that can keep these two apart, more so than just the different heritage of Kristófer. Every moment, and pardon the pun, touch, we see these two have is electric, and so as we keep cutting back and forth in time from the 60s to present day, you root for Kristófer despite the fact that at every turn there is a threat of not being able to leave the hotel he is in as the lockdown clock chimes. You feel every hope and heartbreak from a wonderful performance from Ólafsson that makes the last third of the film quite gripping. Credit excellent editing by Sigurður Eyþórsson and cinematography by Bergsteinn Björgúlfsson with moving this two hour story along quite nicely. While I am unfamiliar with the source material, this film makes me excited to read it just to see what other details are included in this story.
All in all, this is a film that will give you all the feels, and be sure to bring the tissues with you.
Review by Cinephile Mike
MaxXxine
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
dis. A24
Released Friday, July 5, 2024
Rating: R / Run Time: 104 minutes
Director: Ti West
Writer: Ti West
Starring: Mia Goth, Elizabeth Debicki, Moses Sumney, Michelle Monaghan, Bobby Cannavale, Halsey, Lily Collins, Giancarlo Esposito and Kevin Bacon
Opening Weekend - Domestic (as per Box Office Mojo): July 5th-July 7th - $6,705,038
"Never give up. It’s hard work. You have to be willing to do whatever it takes."
Mia Goth’s Maxine Minx is back. After surviving what has been named the “Texas Porn Star Massacre” in Ti West’s 2022 X, Maxine has fled Texas for Los Angeles, where in the preceding 6 years, has become well known in the porn industry, but, she wants a change, and a high profile audition for an upcoming horror film is her way out. Landing a role in The Puritan 2, directed by Elizabeth Bender, played by Debicki, Maxine can become the star she was destined to become. However, just as her life begins to turn around, her past comes back to haunt her, with unfortunate circumstances. Within days of receiving her new role, friends of hers begin to turn up dead, styled after Richard Ramirez, the Night Stalker. With this, she also has to deal with a suspicious private investigator, John Labat, played by Bacon, and two police detectives, Williams and Torres, played respectively by Monaghan and Cannavale, who want to know Maxine’s connection. Maxine, not one to take things lying down, will set off to solve this mystery with some assistance from her agent Teddy Night, Esq., played by Esposito, and see who is targeting her friends and colleagues leading to a dramatic showdown in the Hollywood Hills.
In his X trilogy, West has crafted a unique story of Pearl and Maxine, two women whose lives started similarly and have different trajectories. In this final chapter, West turns the formula of the first two on its heads a bit. Without resorting to spoilers for anyone who may have not seen X, or the prequel, 2022’s Pearl, where these two films early on showed who the killers are, and highlighted their drive, MaxXxine plays more like the whodunit horror films. We have to go along with Maxine to solve the mystery. A well used trope, West does a good job because he also inverts the “Final Girl” trope. In many similar films, the “Final Girl” runs, screams and may ultimately fight their way in the end, but here, we have a “Final Girl” who isn’t afraid to take matters into her key-wielding hands, or for that matter, stiletto heel wearing feet, and confront things head on. Goth has an intensity on screen that has you both rooting for her and also wondering if there is more behind those eyes, and sweet, high-pitched southern accent. She has the charisma to carry the film, and when Maxine looks in the mirror and says her mantra, “You’re an effing movie star,” you believe Goth saying it as well for herself.
Also, the film continues the tradition of paying homage to the genre films that have come before. There are some entertaining scenes involving a Bates Motel set from Psycho II and the hazy neon streets of mid-1980s Los Angeles. Jason Kisvarday and Kelsi Ephraim’s production design evokes the necessary feelings on nostalgia, and all is captured in both long shots and sweeping pans by Eliot Rockett’s cinematography. As he did in the first two films in the trilogy, Rockett shoots films giving just enough to evoke the other films of the times when they are set. Adding all of this with some great needle drops from artists such as ZZ Top, Judas Priest and Frankie Goes to Hollywood makes an enjoyable watch.
All in all, it is a decent conclusion to the trilogy and while it may not have all the bite the first two films did, it wraps up the loose ends as best as it can, and while this may be the end of Maxine Minx, here’s to hoping to more from Goth.
Review by Cinephile Mike
Despicable Me 4
⭐️⭐️
dis. Universal Pictures
Released Wednesday, July 3, 2024
Rating: PG / Run Time: 94 minutes
Director(s): Chris Renaud and Patrick Delage
Writer(s): Mike White and Ken Daurio
Starring: Steve Carell, Kristen Wiig, Pierre Coffin, Joey King, Miranda Cosgrove, Sofia Vergara and Will Ferrell
Opening Weekend - Domestic (as per Box Office Mojo): July 3rd-July 7th - $75,009,210
"Gru, your family’s lives are at stake.”
Carell’s Gru is back. Now living an honest life working for the AVL alongside his wife Lucy (voiced by Wiig), he is raising his three girls, Margo, Edith and Agnes and the newest addition, Gru, Jr. Attending his reunion at Lycee Pas Bon, the school for fledgling villains, his former nemesis, Maxime Le Mal (voiced by Ferrell) is awarded for his villainous accomplishments, which most recently involves him being able to turn himself into a human-cockroach hybrid. However, Gru is not there for a fun time, but to arrest Maxime for the AVL, which he does. However, this victory is short lived, as with the assistance of his girlfriend Valentina (voiced by a criminally underused Vergara), escapes and vows revenge on Gru and plots to kidnap his son and turn him also into the hybrid. As a result, Gru, Lucy and the whole family will have to enter witness protection and relocate for their safety. However, Gru leaves a long shadow, and is quickly approached by his neighbor’s daughter, Poppy (voiced by King) who knows his real identity, and embroils him in a heist to prove her villainous mettle as she hopes to attend Lycee Pas Bon. Meanwhile, Lucy and the girls will have their own challenges with their new identities in the town, and also try to keep themselves hidden from Maxime. Now, as this involves being away from everyone, the Minions, save three that accompany Gru and family, are brought into the AVL, and five are selected to become the Mega Minions, taking a Captain America type of serum, that turns them from basic minions to variants of Superman, Cyclops, Mr. Fantastic, The Thing and the Hulk in the AVL’s attempt to catch Maxime before he finds Gru.
What makes the previous film entries work, where this one does not, is the simplicity of the plot. There is a basic good guy vs. villain that ends in a happy ending with many laughs provided by the Minions along the way. Here, the film tries to do too much with all the subplots and takes the core cast from these little yellow ones, and as a result, stumbles trying to wrap all the varied plotlines. The voice cast is still a delight to hear, and there is enough physical humor to keep the kids engaged, and enough jokes for the adults to be entertained, for example, at one point, you see an employee reading a book entitled, I Hate My Boss: Surviving a Toxic Workplace, but the three different plotlines get all crammed into a just under 90 minute runtime and as a result, characters don’t get to shine and make an impact. Ferrell and Vergara are a delight but criminally underused as we have the plots with Gru and Poppy on their heist, and Lucy dealing with an unhappy client (there is a whole subplot in a beauty parlor) that we have to see play out that the central conflict of Gru and Maxime that is advertised is almost an afterthought. This is to say nothing of ensuring we give time to the Minions and their new colleagues, the Mega Minions, some screentime for a subplot akin to Shazam: Fury of the Gods. It almost seems that we have 3 short films, each one which could have been developed into its own film, but gets strung together.
All in all, while I hope this isn’t the last of this franchise, and I am sure it won’t be, I hope they revisit the formulas of what worked in the earlier entries. That said, if this is a world you enjoy, there are some laughs to be had, but you will be left wanting more.
Review by Cinephile Mike
A Quiet Place : Day One
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
dis. Paramount Pictures
Released Friday, June 28, 2024
Rating: PG-13 / Run Time: 100 minutes
Director: Michael Sarnoski
Writer: Michael Sarnoski
Starring: Lupita N’yongo, Joseph Quinn, Alex Wolff and Djimon Hounsou
Opening Weekend - Domestic (as per Box Office Mojo): June 28th-June 30th - $52,202,495
“Thank you for bringing me home. Thank you for helping me live again.”
Approximately 3 months before the start of 2018's Oscar nominated film, A Quiet Place, we meet Sam (N'yongo), a terminally ill patient living at a hospice center outside New York City with her service cat, Frodo, always at her side. She reluctantly goes on a day trip to New York City in hopes to get some real New York City pizza, something promised to her by Reuben (Wolff), one of the hospice workers. When in the city, the patients are treated to a puppet show, something not up Sam's alley. Waiting for her pizza, Reuben is informed he needs to get everyone back aboard the bus and that there isn't time to get the pizza. Next thing, meteors seem to be falling from the sky which reveal the Death Angels upon their first arrival to Earth.
All hell breaks loose as the Death Angels pick the noisy humans off one by one. Through a series of events, Sam finds sanctuary inside the puppet theater where she is reunited with Reuben and Frodo, and also meets Henri (Hounsou) reprising the character we met in 2020's A Quiet Place: Part II. They all realize that they need to get out of New York City, but this becomes difficult as we see the armed forces blow every bridge connecting Manhattan to the rest of the boroughs. Through a series of events, Sam will ultimately leave the theater to get to Harlem on her quest to get her pizza. Along the way, she will meet another survivor, Eric, an English law student (Quinn), who will follow Sam to Harlem, and ultimately, see them try to get to South Street Seaport which is where we hear announcements from the skies that it is where the evacuation boats are leaving from as they have learned that the Death Angels cannot swim, or survive in water. We will follow Sam and Eric across the city both above, and below.
Given the sharpness and tension built through the first two films, a prequel wasn't fully necessary, although expected given the success of the two films, and fortunately, writer/director Sarnoski finds a fresh energy to bring to the franchise. N'yongo and Quinn carry much of the film and do so with gritty performances that are often done more with looks and physicality as talking is difficult, but they make you feel the tensions they are in. Despite knowing the look of the Death Angels, Sarnoski finds moments for some good jump scares and other moments that are more suspense filled.
Alexis Grapsas’ simple score fills the screen when needed, and even more effective is the sound led by sound designer Lawrence Zipf. Each sound, when we know they are coming, will make you sit up and wonder if our characters will get away. One area where the film could have maybe been a bit stronger was to expand the core group. Given the early stages of this invasion, the streets of a heavily populated city like New York seem picked too clean at times, but, we can forgive this due to the solid performances of N’yongo and Quinn who raise their performances above the traditional base we often get in genre films such as these. A tradition continued from the casts of this film’s predecessors.
All in all, viewers should enjoy this decently paced revisit to the world of the new dominant race, the Death Angels.
Review by Cinephile Mike
A Sacrifice
⭐️
dis. Vertical
Released Friday, June 28, 2024
Rating: PG-13 / Run Time: 94 minutes
Director: Jordan Scott
Writer: Jordan Scott
Starring: Sadie Sink, Eric Bana, Sylvia Hoeks, Jonas Dassler, Sophie Rois, Stepghan Kampwirth and Lara Feith
Opening Weekend - Domestic (as per Box Office Mojo): June 28th-June 30th - unreported
"We need people like you who think of the bigger picture."
At the beginning of A Sacrifice we meet Ben Monroe (Bana), an American social psychologist, who has relocated to Germany, to research his newest book. He is meeting with a homebound woman who is one of the interviewees for a new book he is writing about cult culture. He is also invited to visit crime scenes that depict ritualistic deaths by Nina (Hoeks), a police detective who is friends with Ben’s colleague, Max (Kampwirth). While he is working on the book, he is also trying to rebuild a relationship with his daughter, Mazzy (Sink), who has come to stay with him as he is separated from her mother. He hopes to rebuild the fractured relationship with his daughter. Upon her arrival, she also meets a charming, young man, Martin (Dassler). While Ben is busy working on his book and developing a relationship with Nina, which causes Mazzy some ire, she forges into a relationship with Martin, and sneaking away to spend time with him.
Martin, Mazzy learns, is part of an environmental NGO in Germany that looks at the challenges of the world being tread upon too much by mankind, and he invites her to a meeting one day. When there, she meets “mother,” Hilma (Rois), the leader of this group, and yet, not all is as it seems. As Mazzy ingratiates herself more into the group with Martin and Hilma, pulling her farther from her father, relationships will begin to shatter even more. In addition to this, it seems that not everyone entering the lives of this father and daughter have the most genuine of intentions, and this will build to a rather extreme climax.
The problem with A Sacrifice is that it doesn’t deliver on all of the prospects it sets up. At a too fast 90 minutes, Scott throws a lot at the viewer, and it is a little difficult to believe it is genuine. There is a decent premise introducing the effects of cult culture and what those who are members of these do, but we skim only a surface level, and they try to ratchet up the drama so much, the conclusion charges like a bulldozer in the last 15 minutes and seems to use the set up as a plot device as opposed to going deeper into the impact of “groupthink.” While I am not familiar with the source material, Nicholas Hogg’s Tokyo, I have to wonder if the payoff is a little more layered.
That said, there are some decent performances. Rois presents a leader in Hilma that is both terrifying and yet comforting, and her speeches that are played throughout the film set her up as a worthy antagonist for Ben and Mazzy, and Sink does her best to play Mazzy with the levels of one falling in with a group and trying to get out, and delivers another decent performance, following up the angsty teen she played in Darren Aronofsky’s Oscar winning film, The Whale. However, decent performances can’t save a lackluster script.
All in all, there isn’t much to say other than that the 90 minutes doesn’t deliver the suspense promised by the trailer, however, if the source material does provide more substance, there could be a time for it to be revisited as a limited series where there is time to explore this culture.
Review by Cinephile Mike
Kinds of Kindness
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
dis. Searchlight Pictures
Released Friday, June 21, 2024 (limited), Friday, June 28, 2024 (expanded)
Rating: R / Run Time: 144 minutes
Director: Yorgos Lanthimos
Writer(s): Yorgos Lanthimos and Efthimis Filippou
Starring: Emma Stone, Jesse Plemmons, Willem Dafoe, Margaret Qualley, Hong Chau, Joe Alwyn, Mamoudou Athie and Yorgos Stefanakos
Opening Weekend - Domestic (as per Box Office Mojo): June 21st-June 23rd - $377,289
“Thank you so much. You’re very kind.”
As in the trailer, right over the opening Searchlight Pictures logo, we hear Annie Lennox sing, “Some of them want to use you, some of them want to get used by you, some of them want to abuse you, some of them want to be abused.” The perfect framing for not just one movie, but the three short films we get here, in Lanthimos’ Kinds of Kindness, a film that takes a strong left turn from his two recent Oscar winning projects The Favourite and Poor Things. Kinds of Kindness gives us three short films featuring R.M.F. (played by Stefanakos), who for want of spoilers, I won’t reference again in this review, a character in all three films which also features the same cast in different roles in each film, with this lyric from “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)” being the best throughline.
The first film, “The Death of R.M.F.” is about a couple Robert (played by Plemmons) and Sarah (played by Chau) who deal with the pressures by Robert’s boss, Raymond (played by Dafoe) to do certain things that he may not want to do, despite the repercussions. Raymond weaves an intricate web of control that brings not only Robert and Sarah into his game, but also Rita (played by Stone) and his wife Viviane (played by Qualley). The second film, “R.M.F. is Flying” is another story of two couples, this time Daniel, a cop, and Liz, played respectively by Plemmons and Stone, and their friends Neil, Daniel’s partner and Martha, played respectively by Athie and Qualley. Liz returns home after being lost on a mission, and is seemingly not who Daniel remembers. He will go through a journey to uncover who this person is, despite everyone else believing she is the real Liz. Finally, we have “R.M.F. Eats a Sandwich” in which Emily and Andrew, played respectively by Stone and Plemmons, who are on a mission for their cult, led by Omi and Aka, played respectively by Dafoe and Chau, to find an individual with the ability to bring people back from the dead. This will only be complicated when the rules of the cult are not necessarily followed by all involved.
It is difficult to say too much more without spoiling the content of the films, however, with the first two running about 50 minutes each and the third at a little over an hour, each tells a distinct narrative with a beginning, middle and end, even if you wonder about what happens at the completion of each. Lanthimos and Filippou craft interesting stories that peer behind the curtain and make you consider why we do the things we do, and whether or not these are the best decisions to make. There are uncomfortable laughs and moments of shock, and the cast all playing different roles in each film, give unique presences to delineate each from the next. The slick styles of each film with their slightly varied genres, bending from drama to sci fi to the absurd work best when you don’t spend too much time trying to dig into throughlines for all three, but enjoy each for what they are, and each does stand alone. Thye dialogue is crisp and delivered in almost a monotone by all the actors which almost seem like its weak acting, but is in fact the style that works for the tales we are watching, a testament to the performances by this very game ensemble with Stone and Plemmons being the standouts.
All in all, a fascinating view into the inner psyche about control, those who have it, those who don’t and what we do to gain it or succumb to that of others.
Review by Cinephile Mike
The Bikeriders
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
dis. Focus Features
Released Friday, June 21, 2024
Rating: R / Run Time: 116 minutes
Director: Jeff Nichols
Writer: Jeff Nichols
Starring: Jodie Comer, Austin Butler, Tom Hardy, Michael Shannon, Mike Faist, Boyd Holbrook and Norman Reedus
Opening Weekend - Domestic (as per Box Office Mojo): June 21st-June 23rd - $9,698,275
“It would be funny if it wasn’t so tragic.”
Taking a trip back to 1965, we meet Kathy (played by Comer), a heavily accented midwesterner, who is recounting stories to a reporter, Danny (played by Faist) about the Vandals, a motorcycle club that was started by her husband Benny’s (played by Butler) best friend Johnny (played by Hardy). Johnny loves his boys and riding his bike, and decides, after watching Marlon Brando in The Wild One, that he wants to start a motorcycle club, which is what he does. Amongst the core members are his number 2 Brucie (played by Damon Herriman), Benny, Cal (played by Holbrook), Zipco (played by Shannon) and Cockroach (played by Emory Cohen). Things start innocently enough, but slowly, we see the downward spiral that the club will go through as fun times of riding and talking about bikes turns dark as other members join the club and they meet other clubs that have other axes to grind.
As we keep learning about the club members, we see that they are all slightly lost and find a sense of belonging through this found family, and when things begin to shatter this ideal, everyone responds a little differently. The challenge, and this is well painted by Nichols, is some of the challenges that many experience as several members that join are either ex-Vets from Vietnam dealing with PTSD, or those who have other views of the war, and may or may not agree with what is occurring, and Johnny begins to see his dream get challenged also by the desire of a younger generation wanting to come in with their own agenda, specifically one played by a character called simply, The Kid (played by Toby Wallace).
What makes the film unique is that instead of following the chronology of the club from formation to where it is in 1965, we have it all framed by Kathy’s recollection to Danny. Danny is a reporter who was fascinated by motorcycle clubs, and when the Vandals were in their heyday, rode on the bikes of others, taking interviews and taking pictures. He left the club at one point, and now returned to collect the rest of the story. Kathy is very forthcoming in her tale, being very open, maybe more so than others would prefer, but so much time has passed, she figures it's safe. Nichols unintentionally, or maybe so, crafts a mystery because the fates of certain players roll our differently than one expects right up to the final shots before the credits roll.
The Bikeriders is an excellent slice of Americana presented by a talented and game ensemble cast. Even smaller roles have fun moments to shine and we get a glimpse into the inner workings of the motorcycle club mentality. Hardy and Butler have good chemistry when it is called for and even in silent moments, you can read everything they are thinking on their faces. Providing the more lively tone to their stoical ones is a high energy performance from Comer. In addition to the performances, there is some nice work on the other side of the camera. From every beehive to each beat up rather jacket, Erin Benach's costumes help you feel like you are right in there as a member of the Vandals, and Music Supervisors Bruce Gilbert and Lauren Mikus provide all the right needle drops with the songs selected that evoke the era throughout. Also, the vibrancy of the sounds of the bikes is stellar almost making them yet another supporting player in the film.
All in all, The Bikeriders is an enjoyable film that may make everyone jump on a bike and ride cross country.
Review by Cinephile Mike
Thelma
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
dis. Magnolia Pictures
Released Friday, June 21, 2024
Rating: PG-13 / Run Time: 98 minutes
Director: Josh Margolin
Writer: Josh Margolin
Starring: June Squibb, Richard Roundtree, Fred Hechinger, Parker Posey, Clark Gregg and Malcolm McDowell
Opening Weekend - Domestic (as per Box Office Mojo): June 21st-June 23rd - $2,303,222
“When she sets her mind to something, there’s no stopping her. She doesn’t eat. She doesn’t sleep. She just keeps that laser focus until the task is done.”
Thelma Post (played Squibb) is a strong, independent nonagenarian, who lives in Los Angeles. Her grandson Danny (played by Hechinger), a bit of a slacker, is entirely devoted to her and loves to spend time with her. So when Thelma receives a phone call from a distressed Danny that he has been arrested, and a defense attorney tells her to mail $10,000 cash for his defense, nothing stops Thelma from doing so. However, once the money is sent, she learns she was scammed. The police inform her that this happens, but there isn’t really anything they can do, and so, Thelma decides it time to take matters into her own hands. Her family, including Danny, her overprotective daughter Gail (played by Posey) and her son-in-law Alan (played by Gregg) tells her to just move on, but this isn’t enough for her. Cleverly sidestepping her family, Thelma will reach out to an old friend Ben (played by Roundtree in one of his final film’s as he passed last October), get her hands on a scooter, and travel with Ben to Van Nuys to get her money back.
Along the way, as Thelma goes on her journey there will be many laughs, and many grasping moments as she begins to realizes some of the limitations she has being of a certain age. Squibb in her first leading role (a crime) at the age of 94, plays Thelma with all the gusto of a character at least 2 or 3 decades younger. Nothing gets in her way, be it a flight of stairs, a high bed, a gun, or the struggles to figure out how to use a computer, even if she doesn’t always see the “X” right away to close a browser window. Every time she is told “no” it just makes her go that much stronger. Along this journey is the former Shaft himself, Roundtree, trying to be the voice of reason, but also understanding that this is something that needs to be done. These two have an incredible rapport that helps this movie move almost too quickly in its 98 minutes. The moments they share make you wonder if there is more footage somewhere on the cutting room floor. First time director Margolin based much of this on a real life experience that his own grandmother experienced when she was the victim of a phone scam. As a result, you can see how much loving detail was written into the role of Thelma that allows Squibb to shine.
There are times when you watch the film you almost think it is going to tip into farce, but Margolin walks a nice line to ground everything, and nothing that happens seems “theatricalized” and while it dips into comedic tropes, it doesn’t shy away from presenting the challenges of aging right in front of you. There are some moments where the scariest thing that will have you sit up are some things that happen to Thelma, save nothing about the final showdown. I would also be remiss if I didn’t reference the supporting performances. It is always a joy to see Gregg and Posey lean into their comic sides, and here they are provided the chance to do so in a way that doesn’t fall into the over the top sitcom levels we are used to.
All in all, Thelma is a delight that will be enjoyed by the whole family. Presenting strong characters who will not be sidelined due to age is a refreshing take to see.
Review by Cinephile Mike
Ghostlight
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
dis. Searchlight Pictures
Released Friday, June 21, 2024
Rating: R / Run Time: 110 minutes
Director(s): Kelly O’Sullivan and Alex Thompson
Writer: Kelly O’Sullivan
Starring: Keith Kupferer, Katherine Mallen Kupferer, Tara Mallen, Dolly De Leon and Hanna Dworkin
Opening Weekend - Domestic (as per Box Office Mojo): June 21st-June 23rd - $38,513
“Many of us live our lives repressing our emotions because out there they can be a liability but in here we can put those into good use.”
In a Chicago suburb, we meet Dan (played by Kupferer), a construction worker going through the day to day. We quickly see that he is a caring father to his wife Sharon (played by Mallen) and their daughter Daisy (played by Mallen Kupferer), but there is something bubbling underneath, a frustration and anger that isn’t quite as present in his wife, but is more than present in his daughter who screams at oncoming traffic and challenges authority. There is something boiling beneath the surface of this family and it will take a while to get there, but the journey is a unique one to go on. One day, some of these repressed anger comes forth, and Dan assaults a pedestrian driving through the construction zone, and this is witnessed by several people on the street, including Rita (played by De Leon), an actress, working in the theater across the street. Through a series of events, Dan will be placed on leave from his job, and end up playing Romeo to Rita’s Juliet in this small production by a group of folks in the town lead with enthusiasm by their director Lanora (played by Dworkin). Keeping this a secret from his family, Dan goes to rehearsal each day and begins to find a kinship with the troupe. Meanwhile, Daisy, who is on a suspension from school for some inappropriate behavior, follows her dad one day and at first thinks he is having an affair, but sees that he is in the show. An aspiring actress, Daisy joins the troupe also after everyone comes clean about the production. However, there is still unearthed frustrations with Dan’s family which will slowly be revealed and we will see how the parallels of their lives and the words of the Bard, align and help to heal this fractured family.
This film is unique because at times, while slow, it fully grips you with its cast of colorful supporting characters, the standout being De Leon, as she was in her performance in Triangle of Sadness. As this company squabbles and rotates roles, we see this ragtag production of Romeo and Juliet come together. Having his role changed from Lord Capulet to Romeo, Dan will come to terms with some very uncomfortable, recent memories, and Kupferer plays these moments in ways that are both real and heartbreaking, and yet comedic when he tries to understand why a man his age is playing Romeo, when De Leon says, well, I’m over 50 and playing Juliet. Kupferer and De Leon have a strong chemistry that shows true platonic friendship which is often overshadowed by a will they/won’t they in some films, but O’Sullivan and Thompson smartly sidestep this. Also this film is unique in that there is undeniable chemistry, Kupferer, Mallen and Mallen Kupferer are a real family. As a result, they are able to provide every uncomfortable moment, as well as the heartfelt land.
All in all, this is a powerful film that shows the healing power of the arts that will have you both laughing and reaching for the tissues.
Review by Cinephile Mike
Review by Cinephile Mike
Fresh Kills
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
dis. Quiver Distribution
Released Friday, June 14, 2024
Rating: Unrated / Run Time: 120 minutes
Director: Jennifer Espositio
Writer: Jennifer Espositio
Starring: Emily Bader, Odessa A’zion, Domenick Lombardozzi, Nicholas Cirillo, Annabella Sciorra and Jennifer Esposito
Opening Weekend - Domestic (as per Box Office Mojo): June 14th-June 16th - $7,578
“I don’t understand why I’m crazy if I want to be more than a wife.”
From the jump off, when we meet the Larusso family in the late 1980s as they have relocated to Staten Island, we see that this is a family with spunk, mostly. Patriarch and mobster, Joe (played by Lombardozzi) will do anything for his family which includes his wife Francine (played by Esposito) and his two daughters, Connie (played as a pre-teen by Taylor Madeline Hand, and then by A’zion) and Rose (played as a pre-teen by Anastasia Veronica Lee, and then as Bader). The two daughters are very different. Connie is the defacto tough girl, almost the stand in son for Joe, ready to scrap and do whatever is necessary to defend herself and her family, and then we have more introverted Rose who wants more than is traditionally in the future for her. However, the pull of family keeps these two tethered to their father and at times both loving, and antagonistic mother. Connie is more the daddy’s girl and Rose more the momma’s girl. AS we follow these two young woman, we will see how the pull of the “family business” keep them ingrained, through family businesses, arrests, betrayal and more than one loud family argument around the dinner table.
We have seen mafia family films before, and often, they are told from those in the business, and the women and children in the background, are just that, put upon to deal with its implications, but are never fully fleshed out. Not so here. Esposito puts the women front and center which makes for a much more engaging film because while we see some actions of the mobs, the majority of this film focuses on how these events take a toll on the rest of the family that is left behind to pick up the pieces. Early on, Joe is sent to jail, and now the sisters have to figure things out in order to get by while dealing with family members, such as their cousin Allie (played by Cirillo), who is about as useful as a screen door on a submarine. Francine is the stereotypical mother and wife, on the surface. She takes care of the family and the house, and expects her daughters to follow suit, even if she longs for days of something more, reflecting on her earlier, potential, modeling career. She even has some of these aspirations for her daughters, although when things get tough, it is still about the family. Connie has no problems with her expected role. She gets married, has a child, and when her husband is arrested, she follows the steps of her mother. She takes care of her daughter and does whatever she needs to do for the family business. Rose on the other hand, she wants more. She doesn’t just want to be another mafia wife, running a family business and having children. She even auditions to be a talk show host like Sally Jesse Raphael. This conflict is one we will follow for her to some less than desired outcomes.
First time filmmaker Esposito, absolutely shines both on and off-camera. In her supporting role as Francine, she paints a tragic-like character, but doesn’t overshadow her daughters. She keeps the movie running at a decent pace, where you follow the scope of the Larusso family as they find ways to go on through with their lives despite the challenges. She guides Bader and A’zion to avoid the easy pits of one-layered characters to give fully fleshed out performances that will make you feel every tear and every shout.
All in all, if you are looking for a strong alternative to the “mafia movie,” this is the one, and excites me for what Esposito has next up her sleeve. Without spoiling too much, I would have loved to see what happens after the film’s closing moments.
Inside Out 2
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
dis. Pixar/Walt Disney Studios
Released Friday, June 14, 2024
Rating: PG / Run Time: 96 minutes
Director: Kelsey Mann
Writer(s): Meg LeFauve and Dave Holstein
Starring: Amy Poehler, Maya Hawke, Kensington Tallman, Phyllis Smith, Lewis Black, Liza Lapira, Tony Hale, Ayo Edebiri, Adèle Exarchopoulos and Paul Walter Hauser
Opening Weekend - Domestic (as per Box Office Mojo): June 14th-June 16th - $154,201,673
“Of course I'm delusional! Do you know how hard it is to stay positive all the time?”
Joy, voiced by Poehler, and her crew Sadness (voiced by Smith), Disgust (voiced by Lapira), Anger (voiced by Black) and Fear (voiced by Hale), are back to help Riley (voiced by Tallman) navigate the next chapter of her life. From birth to twelve years old, as we saw Riley in the first film, there were childhood challenges to overcome, and as we saw at the end of the film, the emotions learned they needed to work together and their new emotion console had a new Puberty button which the emotions weren’t sure what it was, but they posited, “After all, Riley’s twelve now, what could happen.” Well, that Puberty button comes into play, and as we all remember from our pre-teen into teen years, we have a whole new set of complicated emotions to come which here are Embarrassment (voiced by Hauser), Ennui (voiced by Exarchopoulos), Envy (voiced by Edebiri) and the leader of this new crew, Anxiety (voiced by Hawke). We will follow them as they follow Riley to summer hockey camp where she will have to battle the challenges of leaving her old friends behind and trying to fit in with a whole new group of older students.
Anxiety, trying to be a team player, quickly reveals to the core emotion group that things are not that simple anymore, and all emotional options need to be planned and controlled now for life to turn out a specific way, and the basics of joy, sadness, et.al. are too basic, and thus, Joy and Co. are sent to the back of Riley’s mind and become, as Fear shouts, suppressed emotions. However, Joy will not be put out, and we will follow them as they fight their way back to Riley’s command center and show they are not out of the game yet. Be it a ride down the stream of consciousness, and a challenge to get across the sar-chasm (get it), Joy will try to get the team back while also dealing with her own self-doubt about what they are getting in to.
While the film doesn’t really break the formula from the first, they find some new, clever ways to anthropomorphize the different parts of our mind as we follow our group on their journey. Visually, the animation is just as bright and expressive as our core group of emotions. In that, Hawke as Anxiety adds some other bright colors and presents quite a unique approach that will make all of us consider our own anxieties as pre-teens. However, where some of those moments soar, the other new emotions don’t get as much of a chance to stand out as the core group did in the first. There are a few genuine laughs, but the way that the initial group stood out, aside from Anxiety, you may not really remember the rest along the way. That being said, the film is enjoyable and stands as a good sequel that stands up to the original in the ways that the Toy Story franchise soared, unlike some of the other Pixar sequels. A lot of this comes from the game voice cast who are a delight to listen to, and LeFauve and Holstein’s script is a genuine snapshot into the mind of a teenager trying to find their own way and many of us, be you male or female, will definitely relate to some of Riley’s journey.
All in all, a fun time to be enjoyed by all that will entertain the children, but also provide laughs for the adults who may have to explain some of the jokes to their children.
Review by Cinephile Mike
Tuesday
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
dis. A24
Released Friday, June 7, 2024 (limited), Friday, June 14, 2024 (expanded)
Rating: R / Run Time: 111 minutes
Director: Daina Oniunas-Pusić
Writer: Daina Oniunas-Pusić
Starring: Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Lola Petticrew, Leah Harvey and Arinzé Kene
Opening Weekend - Domestic (as per Box Office Mojo): June 7th-June 9th - $25,665
“I don’t know what the world is without you in it.”
Tuesday is unique in that it could almost be a fairy tale adaptation of the five stages of grief as coined by Elisabeth Kübler-Ross. We are first introduced to Zora, played by Louis-Drefus, who is trying to sell a set of taxidermied mice to a local merchant in London as a means to have some money to help her best take care of teenage daughter, nicknamed Tuesday, played by Petticrew, who is terminally ill. When we meet Tuesday, she is predominantly spending her days confined either to her wheelchair or sitting on the couch being attended to by her nurse Billie, played by Harvey. Zora fills her days with being anywhere but at home, not wanting to face the illness facing her daughter. Meanwhile, when alone, Tuesday is visited by Death, here in the form of a gorgeously CGI’d parrot, voiced by Kene. Death will spend time with Tuesday helping her to accept what is to come, a journey Tuesday is willing to go on, even if her mother isn’t. Eventually, Zora will meet Death as well, and in the energy we would expect from any mother desperate to keep their child alive, we will follow Zora and Death as she moves through the stages, denial, anger, bargaining, depression and ultimately acceptance in some rather extreme, fantastical methodologies.
That may come across as a minor spoiler, but much of this is suggested in the trailer, however, the way we go crosses the boundary from a narrative film to an almost fantastical fantasy world. The film posits such questions as, What is the afterlife? What can it be? Does this exist? In doing so, you journey with Zora as she goes about her path. Louis-Drefus absolutely soars, pardon the pun, in this film and doesn’t shy away from presenting everything, the good, the bad and the ugly, as she creates a forceful presence going toe-to-toe with Death. Petticrew as well plays Tuesday with a quiet strength, even in the midst of the illness, to allow Zora to process her pain. The film, which could have easily crossed into deep depths of misery, given the heady topic, escapes this trap with Oniunas-Pusić’s script providing just enough moments of levity at the right times. Even if the film does go on a little bit long in the third act, it still lands the message that it hopes to while leaving you to ponder other moments.
The entire visual effects team did a stellar job creating Death and every closeup of the eye, or wide shot of Death flying through the air, is colorfully vibrant and greatly detailed that you may forget it is CGI. With this, Kene’s deep, sparsely dialogue voice provides a unique supporting player in this tale. Additionally, Anna Meredith’s score does a fine job to underscore the action without playing into too many deep, maudlin tones making for a film that lets the story, and not the music, evoke the audience reaction. First time feature writer and director Oniunas-Pusić proves to be one to watch.
All in all, this is a thought-provoking film that will hit harder to anyone who has gone through these circumstances.
Review by Cinephile Mike
The Watchers
⭐️⭐️⭐️
dis. Warner Bros. Pictures
Released Friday, June 7, 2024
Rating: PG-13 / Run Time: 102 minutes
Director: Ishana Night Shyamalan
Writer: Ishana Night Shyamalan
Starring: Dakota Fanning, Georgina Campbell, Olwen Fouéré and Oliver Finnegan
Opening Weekend - Domestic (as per Box Office Mojo): June 7th-June 9th - $7,003,537
“If you care for your life, you’re going to have to run.”
In the midst of a woods scene that seems transplanted from the recent In a Violent Nature, we see a young man running through the woods, beyond signs that say, "Point of No Return." With a scream and flash, he is dragged into a burrow hole. Smash cut, we meet Mina (played by Fanning), a young American woman living in Ireland, working her days in a petshop, and her nights haunting bars in wigs or other cosplay trying to be anyone else. One day, she is tasked with delivering a bird by her boss to a zoo. En route, she will find herself in the same woods where we last saw our young man pulled into the burrow. After her car breaks down, Mina tries to find some help, but gets a bit lost in the woods before realizing her car is gone, and as night falls, she will hear strange sounds and hears, “If you care for your life, you’re going to have to run, called by an older woman, Madeline (played by Fouéré), and just in time, Mina will enter "The Coop." A home built in the middle of the woods with one whole side that is a 2-way mirror. Also inside, Mina will meet fellow occupants, Ciara (played by Campbell) and Daniel (played by Finnegan). They have all been there for different periods of time, and they are there to serve as “entertainment” for the Watchers. They are allowed to live provided they follow the two basic rules: stay inside “The Coop” at night, or they will be killed by the Watchers, and, no one must enter the Burrows, the series of tunnels the Watchers use during the day. Otherwise they may wander the woods for food and leisure during the day. At night, they go about their lives to be studied. Not one for following the rules, slowly, after going through the routines, Mina, along with others, will break some of the rules, which will lead them to discovering a whole new world outside of “The Coop.” A mini spoiler, at one point, some, will escape the woods, but are they done with the Watchers?
Shyamalan crafts an interesting film with some jump scares and Abel Korzeniowski’s haunting score is a wonderful underplay for the action we see. The first ⅔ of the film, set in the woods works very well. The suspense is built up, if a little slow paced at time, but we invest in the four occupants of “The Coop.” Eli Arenson’s cinematography, with many low angle shots, helps build the tension and raises the creepiness of the woods, fitting the tone, and the sounds of the Watchers are expertly inserted as needed, and that we don’t see them at times is a nice touch. However, once we return to civilization, after a rather long exposition dump, the third act falls apart a bit. We are left wanting to know more about the Watchers, and we abandon them to see one resolution with, let’s say, a partial watcher, and the story bogs down in too much folklore before it ends. Also, while we learn that Mina’s character has a tragic past, we aren’t sure why that is what led her to “The Coop,” and we don’t learn much more about the others who are there, some of their stories, save one, seem cheated.
While not a perfect film, Shyamalan makes a decent feature directorial debut and may have taken on more than was ready to, however, there is a glimpse of what will come down the pipe, provided the next opportunity comes.
All in all, fans of M. Night Shyamalan films will see the inspiration and appreciate it somewhat, but may feel let down by the end.
Review by Cinephile Mike
Bad Boys: Ride or Die
⭐️⭐️
dis. Sony Pictures Releasing
Released Friday, June 7, 2024
Rating: R / Run Time: 115 minutes
Director(s): Adil & Bilall
Writer(s): Chris Bremner and Will Beall
Starring: Will Smith, Martin Lawrence, Vanessa Hudgens, Alexander Ludwig, Paola Núñez, Eric Dane, Ioan Gruffudd, Jacob Scipio and Joe Pantoliano
Opening Weekend - Domestic (as per Box Office Mojo): June 7th-June 9th - $56,527,324
“You're my bad boys. Now clear my name.”
The Bad Boys, Lowery and Burnett (played by Smith and Lawrence respectively), are back, and this time, they have one thing to do, clear the name of their beloved Captain Howard (played by Pantaliano in several pre-recorded messages and visions) who is being branded now as a dirty cop who has allegedly been taking kickbacks from drug cartels for the past 20 or so years. Lowery and Burnett need to set off, of course, but who can they trust? Questions of family and loyalty go a long way in this fourth installment of the franchise, as one of the keys that they need to help them do this is Armando (played by Scipio), Lowery’s son, whom we met in the last film and was the man who killed Howard. Currently incarcerated, Lowery and Burnett convince their new captain, Rita (played by Núñez) to transfer Armando to Miami because he is being threatened in his current facility and they need his help. Rita agrees, and on the transport, the cartels discover the boys are on their trail, and blow their transfer chopper out of the sky. The boys and Armando escape, but are now pegged as partners to the late Captain Howard, and now need to clear their names as well. Following this will be a manhunt headed by US Marshall Judy Howard, yes, the late captain’s daughter, to recover Armando, Lowery and Burnett and close this case.
The plot is a little convoluted, but the film does deliver some slick action sequences. There is nothing new the film adds to the action-comedy genre, and while the chemistry between Smith and Lawrene is solid, it doesn’t do much to enhance this chapter of the franchise. Bremner and Beall recognize that these “boys” are of a certain age and some of those elements, health, age and recognition of mortality are presented, but there are no definitive stakes established. Additionally, they try to work in other returning characters from the franchise, including the return of two of the three AMMO team we had in the third film, Dorn, played by Ludwig and Kelly, played by Hudgens, but it serves as a disservice to pack in too many players into a basic “clear the name” plot. Additionally, TIffany Haddish is wasted in a throwaway scene that does little to develop the plot along with a wasted return by DJ Khaled.
It seems as if the film is trying to do too much with too little behind it and what we are presented with is a simplistic plot with a fun third act, action packed explosion shootout with of all things, a large alligator that looks like it finally escaped Lake Placid. That said, the third act shootout fills the screen with both sharp action and some of the wit from the earlier films in the franchise. While some franchises are able to maintain their steam over almost three decades, others, such as this one, may need to find the time to hang up the badges.
All in all, fans of the franchise will enjoy seeing Smith and Lawrence back on screen together, but will probably notice much of the shine is off those badges.
Review by Cinephile Mike
In a Violent Nature
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
dis. IFC Films/Shudder
Released Friday, May 31, 2024
Rating: Unrated / Run Time: 94 minutes
Director: Chris Nash
Writer: Chris Nash
Starring: Ry Barrett, Andrea Pavlovic, Cameron Love, Reece Presley, Liam Leone, Charlotte Creaghan and Lauren-Marie Taylor
Opening Weekend - Domestic (as per Box Office Mojo): May 31st-June 2nd - $2,155,346
“You don’t know what you just did. It’s the only thing holding his soul at rest.”
In an idyllic setting, a calm forest, we hear an offscreen conversation, and hone in on a locket hanging from a pipe in the ground. One of the voices we hear, reaches in, and takes the locket. As the voices walk off, we slowly see from forth the ground, rise the form of Jimmy, played by Barrett. A hulking form, we see him walk off with no specific goal. Much of the opening in the film will have us following behind Jimmy as he goes on his journey. His goal, simple, retrieve the necklace that was taken. As we will learn through some exposition over a campfire, there was a vicious slaughter that took place and the cause of it, Jimmy, was eventually stopped. Or so our revelers thought.
One by one, Jimmy will do whatever he needs to in order to find who has his necklace, and to say that these are some of the grisliest kills captured on film, well, he would give horror maestros a run for their money. Without saying a word, nor racing after his victims, he is very controlled, and not much can stop him.
First time feature writer and director Chris Nash crafts a unique, experimental horror film for his first round. In slasher films, we usually have certain expectations, and here, Nash throws them out the window. It doesn’t matter be it day or night, when Jimmy can do what he needs to do, he does it. Also, some of the biggest scares are what happens when nothing is happening. The tension is ratcheted up in the silence, or in many of the silent tracking shots when we are following Jimmy through the woods. We see the grisly murders and shift uncontrollably, but it isn’t done in a jump scare move. This is the film’s strength. It doesn’t play into horror stereotype, and the ten minute finale has so much tension in just a simple truck ride down the road.
The cast of mainly newcomers doesn’t have too much to do except be the victims, and that is OK. This film doesn’t layer in lots of plot or backstory for the cast, and we don’t need it. We get the backstory we need from the ranger when we meet him, and that is enough. This application of slow cinema works with less is more told in long, silent takes. Barrett is a formidable presence, even when we only get one glance of his face, as the rest of the time it is under a fireman’s mask. If anything, he even makes similar characters like Jason and Michael Myers a bit less frightening. Some of the kills he does may seem a bit excessive, see the scene with the wood splitter, or one with his two hooks attached by chain. That said, Nash, with his background in special effects, worked well with Special Effects Coordinator, Michael W. Hamilton, to give us some of these extreme moments. Pierce Derks’ cinematography captures the woods in both a beautiful scene and a horrific one. You feel uncomfortable just looking at the woods and hearing the crunch of the twigs or the shrill screams you hear off screen at times.
All in all, Nash proves an exciting voice in the horror realm and this was a thoroughly enjoyable slasher film that was not afraid to go against the grain and make its audience as uncomfortable as possible.
Review by Cinephile Mike
Ezra
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
dis. Bleecker Street
Released Friday, May 31, 2024
Rating: R / Run Time: 101 minutes
Director: Tony Goldwyn
Writer: Tony Spiridakis
Starring: Bobby Cannavale, Rose Byrne, Vera Farmiga, Whoopi Goldberg, Rainn Wilson, Tony Goldwyn, William Fitzgerald and Robert DeNiro
Opening Weekend - Domestic (as per Box Office Mojo): May 31st-June 2nd - $1,242,678
“I don't want him in his own world. I want him in this one.”
Ezra, played by Fitzgerald in his debut film role, is a Big Lebowski and Breaking Bad loving youth who quotes his favorite films and has a big smile that can melt your heart. Also, he is autistic, and as a result of some of these visual stimuli he is presented with by his stand-up comic father Max, played by Cannavale, sometimes cause him to act out in severely irrational ways that his school can no longer handle. Max and his ex-wife Jenna, played by Byrne, are trying to do their best to raise their son. They don’t want to medicate him and they don’t want to put him in a special school for autistic students, they want him to have a normal experience. But this isn’t without its challenges. After one major altercation, there is no other choice but to do exactly that. Jenna accepts this, but Max refuses to, and as a result, is arrested. This is just another frustration for Max, who is still in love with Jenna, although she has moved on with lawyer Bruce, played by Goldwyn, and he is having career trouble. Known for a violent temperament, he apparently punched Conan O’Brien in the balls, and a rather crass stand-up style, his career is kind of plateaued, and he only gets minor gigs at the Comedy Cellar. Also, as a result of the situation at the hospital, Max’s custody hits a snag and he is not allowed to see his son.
One day, seeing Ezra not happy at his new school, he decides he needs to get him away from the situation. Sneaking into Jenna’s home one night, Max takes Ezra on a road trip to visit some friends played by Wilson and Farmiga in small, but memorable roles. In addition, he learns that he has a chance to rebuild his career by booking a spot on Jimmy Kimmell Live! So from New Jersey to California we go. However, this does not go over well with Jenna or Max’s father, Stan, played by Robert DeNiro, who has his own issues with his son. So Jenna and Stan go off after them, and there are also other decisions made that will raise the stakes as this harmless cross-country drive becomes anything but.
The biggest strength of this film is the chemistry between Fitzgerald and Cannavale. Their father/son relationship is greatly believable and will have you smiling as broadly as Ezra, and at times fighting back the tears as they know when to pull at the heartstrings, if even a bit schmaltzy at times. Goldwyn made it a point to cast an actor on the spectrum for this role, and it does the film a great service. Also, he had members of the autism committee work on the film to ensure they were being authentic and it works. Fitzgerald has a promising future if he stays on the acting track as he carries his leading role with the same command as his more experienced peers. The film moves along and walks the fine line nicely not falling into the tragedy of its heady themes or onto cheap laughs. Also, real life couple Cannavale and Byrne, frequent collaborators, enter territory that you truly hope was left on set when Goldwyn called cut.
All in all, this is an important film given the subject matter and is an enjoyable watch with lived in performances and lots of heart.
Review by Cinephile Mike
Summer Camp
⭐️⭐️
dis. Roadside Attractions
Released Friday, May 31, 2024
Rating: PG / Run Time: 95 minutes
Director: Castille Landon
Writer: Castille Landon
Starring: Diane Keaton, Kathy Bates, Alfre Woodard, Dennis Haysbert and Eugene Levy
Opening Weekend - Domestic (as per Box Office Mojo): May 31st-June 2nd - $1,086,602
“Can’t you just spend time with us?...Just be present with us.”
It’s summertime in the 1970s, and three girls arrive at summer camp. Quiet and shy Nora, soft spoken and anxious Mary and brash and brassy Ginny. They quickly become besties and can’t wait to see each other at camp each summer. As time passes, life has changed. In the present day, our friends still talk, but are not as present as they were. In voiceover, Ginny, played by Bates in adulthood, informs us that she has become the big thing in motivation, the next Dr. Phil, Mary, played by Woodard in adulthood, had dreams of becoming a doctor, but got married, had a child and became a nurse and Nors, played in adulthood by Keaton, has become a workaholic in her scientific research company. They are reuniting for the first ever camp reunion at Camp Pinnacle, the place where they came of age in a simpler time. The film follows this reunion over the week they are forced into simpler times as they have surrendered their cell phones and other technology.
As we follow this trio, we will see them reunite with some of the boys they crushed on years ago, played by Eugene Levy and Dennis Haysbert, revisit some of the physical joys they loved as kids and then step out of their comfort zones. As they do all this, they will also be forced to confront their bullies, the Pretty Committee, played by the criminally underused Beverly D’Angelo, Maria Howell and Victoria Rowell and also confront some of the repressed feelings they also have towards one another.
This film presents an interesting premise, and screenwriter/director Landon does the best she can to frame it, and she has a trio of stellar actresses at the forefront, but the script leans into some physical comedy that doesn’t land. Also, the plots are so predictable that you don’t really invest in the circumstances so when everything comes to a head, it is so surface level, that the resolution feels unearned. If the characters had a little more to dig into, we would invest more, and these are performers who can and have done this in other projects. That said, there are some funny moments, especially Bates, the standout, deliver some zingers in the dialogue as our resident self-help guru, although don’t call her that, and a fun supporting turn by Josh Peck as a camp worker who never quite finds his niche as every job he is put in charge of has something go wrong.
The most enjoyable visuals are the camp itself which is captured beautifully by cinematographer Karsten Gopinath. One sequence in particular is the “lazy river” trip the gals go on, that ends with a splash! Also, while part of the goal of this trip is to create a simple time, the cabin our trio stays in is anything but, and while it is out of the norm, Scott Daniel’s production design and Alexandra Tibbe’s set decoration work nicely together. Underscoring all of these images is the pleasant score by Tim Howe that is always on hand to underscore each moment with the right amount of upbeat or low-key maudlin when it needs to be.
All in all, there are other movies in this genre that do stories such as these better, but there is a modicum of joy that this trio brings, they are just deserving of a stronger script.
Review by Cinephile Mike
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
dis. Warner Bros. Pictures
Released Friday, May 24, 2024
Rating: R / Run Time: 148 minutes
Director: George Miller
Writer(s): George Miller and Nico Lathouris
Starring: Anya Taylor-Joy, Chris Hemsworth, Tom Burke and Ayla Brown
Opening Weekend - Domestic (as per Box Office Mojo): May 24th-May 27th - $32,343,145
“There will always be war. But to get home, Furiosa fought the world.”
With a crash and a boom, we are brought back to Miller’s post-apocalyptic Australian wasteland. However, within this, is one area, the Green Place of Many Mothers, where we see that there is still a place where plants can grow and food can be readily found on the trees. We meet a young girl, Furiosa (played in her younger years by Brown), who sees a group of motorcycle marauders who have found their way here. Keeping the existence of the Green Place hidden is the one job of its inhabitants, and this is to be defended. In doing so, young Furiosa is captured and taken to the camp of warlord Dementus (played by Hemsworth), but not before she can kill her captor before he speaks of the Green Place, who takes in the girl and hopes to be taken to the Green Place, though Furiosa remains silent. Dementus has grand plans to take over the different settlements in order to be overlord of the wasteland. In one of his failed attempts to take the Citadel, run by Immortan Joe, Dementus is released to supervise Gastown, the supplier for the Citadel, but he takes Furiosa to eventually be one of his wives.
Through a series of events, we will follow young Furiosa as she grows into her more adult version, played by Taylor-Joy. Through cunning means, she becomes a trusted worker for Immortan Joe and serving as a driver and mechanic (passing herself off as a mute boy) where she eveutually works with Praetorian Jack, the main driver for the Citadel who does runs back and forth on the Fury Road to get supplies for the Citadel. Furiosa will eventually come to be who we see her in Mad Max: Fury Road, so I will end the synopsis there. However, this film serves as a nice prequel to the character Charlize Theron gave us nine years ago The only problem is, that while Miller brings us into his world again, some of the stakes aren’t fully earned because we know who she will become, so the moments of how she loses her arm and decides to cut her hair don’t have the emotional stakes we would want them to. This doesn’t take away from the work the cast does. Taylor-Joy embodies Furiosa with all the angst you expect her to have and provides quite a nice equal to Hemsworth’s larger than life villain Dementus. Hemsworth loses himself in the role with fun abandon that although he is detestable, he has moments where his dialogue will have you laughing out loud as if he completely understands the absurdity of the circumstances surrounding us. Also, Brown is also a good foil to Hemsworth for the time she shares with him. In fact, you could almost divide the Furiosa role as Brown anchors the first hour of the film before Taylor-Joy rounds out the second hour and twenty minutes or so.
In addition to the cast performances, the action is stellar. Miller reteams with some of his Oscar winning colleagues from Fury Road to craft this action filled tale, so much so that the boiler plate plot of the Mad Max films is still alive and well. Returning editor Margaret Sixel, teamed with Eliot Knapman, cuts all of new cinematographer John Seale’s work into a masterclass of action. With quick cuts between the different players during the chase scenes is fast, but effective. You never feel you are getting whiplash despite the quick moves. Seale fills the scenes with the barren landscape so that every explosion lights up the screen. Jenny Beaven returns to costume our team of heroes and villains with the abandon that one would have in this setting. She especially has fun with certain costume pieces that change as the film progresses. While this film is a bit more tame in some senses than the superior Fury Road, it is still a satisfying film that fills its two and a half hour runtime.
All in all, you will have fun revisiting Miller’s world and all the chaos that it includes.
Review by Cinephile Mike
The Garfield Movie
⭐️
dis. Sony Pictures
Released Friday, May 24, 2024
Rating: PG / Run Time: 101 minutes
Director: Mark Dindal
Writer(s): Paul A. Kaplan, Mark Torgove and David Reynolds
Starring: Chris Pratt, Samuel L. Jackson, Hannah Waddingham, Ving Rhames and Nicholas Hoult
Opening Weekend - Domestic (as per Box Office Mojo): May 24th-May 27th - $31,255,905
“I apologize in advance. The eating you're about to see will not be pretty. And if you have young children, this would be a good time for them to leave the room.”
The Garfield Movie, the newest iteration of our favorite, lasagna eating, Monday hating cat is here for a new adventure that will take our housebound cat out of his comfort zone and go on a journey. Learning early that his father left him in an alley, which enabled him as a young cat to find Jon at a local pizza place, Garfield (voiced by Pratt) will in voiceover describe his early life and what it took to him adopting Jon and building his new, cushy life, which will eventually include the ever loyal Odie. One night, while feeling peckish, Garfield and Odie are cat and dog napped by two dogs and taken to an abandoned mall. Here they will be rescued by Vic (voiced by Jackson) who we learn is Garfield’s estranged dad. Before they can escape, they will all be accosted by Jinx (voiced by Waddingham), a cat with an axe to grind after she had served time in the pound when Vic had bailed on her during a milk heist. Saying she will leave them alone if they do a milk heist for her from a farm, Garfield, Odie and Vic go on their journey. Along the way, they will encounter and team up with a bull named Otto (voiced by Rhames) and they will all work together to get the milk and save Otto’s girlfriend, Ethel, a cow working inside the farm.
If this all sounds complicated for a simple children’s film about a constantly eating cat, that is only the start. The Garfield Movie suffers from a script that attempts to do so much, the build a complicated backstory for all its characters, and in order to serve them as best they can, they lack any sense of humor along the way. The attempts at humor fall flat, and what has always made Garfield work are the simple challenges of him interacting with Jon, Odie and his family. Turning him into an action star unfortunately doesn’t work. Also, the film stretched out to about an hour and forty-five minutes doesn’t do service to the varied storylines being presented, i tonly allows for more forced attempts at humor and storylines that will not engage the adults in the audience, nor be clear to the younger children looking for entertainment.
The cast does a decent job with the material they are provided. The standout is Waddingham who plays our villainous Jinx with an angsty purr. She lands some jokes, and has comedic timing, but the material doesn’t allow her to play back and forth. Pratt imbues Garfield with a little too much high energy which is not what we expect from our titular cat. Also, some of the charm with Garfield is that he interacts with Odie, and talks, but we never see his mouth move, leaning into the joys of his telepathy with his fellow four legged companions. Here, his mouth is moving and engaging with the various characters he engages with on this journey. The subplot of dealing with parental abandonment is a bit much, and the chemistry he has with Jackson is a little lacking to make this work.
All in all, this is one to skip. At the top of the review, I referenced the quote about a good time for the children to leave the room. Well, it might also be a good time for the rest of us to leave the theatre and seek out the much better Garfield animated shorts.
Review by Cinephile Mike
Evil Does Not Exist
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
dis. Janus Films
Released Friday, May 3, 2024 (limited), Friday, May 17, 2024 (expanded)
Rating: Unrated / Run Time: 106 minutes
Director: Ryûsuke Hamaguchi
Writer(s): Ryûsuke Hamaguchi and Eiko Ishibashi
Starring: Hitoshi Omika, Ryô Nishikawa, Ryûji Kosaka and Ayaka Shibutani
Opening Weekend - Domestic (as per Box Office Mojo): May 3rd-May 5th - $42,752
“Water always flows downhill. What you do upstream will end up affecting those living downstream.”
Opening with a series of nature shots capturing the beauty of a small rural community in Japan, we meet young Hana (played by Nishikawa) and she is running through the woods, and meets up with her father Takumi (played by Omika) who explains the different types of trees and shows off the deer tracks. This is our setting. Takumi is the local odd-job man. He gets the water for the local udon restaurant, he chops wood for other businesses, and lives a quiet life with Hana in their home in the woods. All the people in this town live calm, quiet lives, and this is about to be upended with the arrival of two individuals, who work for an organization that is preparing to open a glamping site near the town. Believing this will be a good economical move, the organization send two representatives, Takahashi (played by Kosaka) and Mayuzumi (played by Shibutani), to meet with the townspeople. As they do, the town realizes the negative impacts this plan will have on the natural resources in the town as well as the pollution it will incur.
Following up his Oscar winning Drive My Car, Hamaguchi again gives a very simple, lived in story (albeit a lot shorter running about an hour and forty minutes). One of the longest scenes in the film is the meeting where Takahashi and Mayuzumi are speaking with the townspeople at a forum about the site. While the locals are very upset about what is coming, they never raise their voices above declarative statements and questions. You can see how uncomfortable the reps from the organization are getting. It is in these moments that we see the humanity Hamaguchi wants us to see. We get these throughout the film. The performances are also very genuine which is probably a testament to him filling the cast with unknown, or inexperienced actors. They are able to portray the circumstances in a real way that never seems staged. Everything is just a conversation. Cinematographer Yoshio Kitagawa does an excellent job capturing the moments with the townspeople almost as if he is filing a home movie, which is then juxtaposed with beautiful shots of the woods when we follow Hana on her walks, or even when we see Takumi engage in such simple acts as chopping wood, or collecting water in the stream. Eiko Isibashi fills the screen with a simple, melodic score that is at once gorgeous to highlight the nature we are seeing, and almost suspenseful as we see what is at risk should the glamping site go through.
All of the elements we see build to a possible tragedy that I will not spoil here, but will lead to a rather enigmatic ending that will leave the audience wondering what just happened, and what will happen. Even after two viewings, I am still trying to process this, as the film will bookend with some of the same nature shots that is started with. The film tackles issues we have all seen in regards to pollution and its impact on the communities and nature around them. Is progress for the sake of progress worth it? This is one of the many questions Hamaguchi and Ishibashi want us to think about.
All in all, this is a thought-provoking film that needs to be seen and discussed. The simplicity is what makes it such an enjoyable piece of art, even if the film’s title may make you wonder.
Review by Cinephile Mike
The Strangers: Chapter 1
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
dis. Janus Films
Released Friday, May 17, 2024
Rating: R / Run Time: 91 minutes
Director: Renny Harlin
Writer(s): Alan R. Cohen and Alan Freedland
Starring: Madelaine Petsch and Froy Gutierrez
Opening Weekend - Domestic (as per Box Office Mojo): May 17th-May 19th - $11,825,058
“Do you hear that? The silence? It’s nice.”
On the third day of their roadtrip across the country en route from “the city” to Oregon, Maya, played by Madelaine Petsch, and her boyfriend, Ryan, played by Froy Gutierrez, stop off in a small town called Venus to get some food at a local diner. Being greeted by the fellow townspeople in something akin to the warmth of Robin Hardy’s The Wicker Man, complete with a pair of Mormon-dressed corn children, Maya and Ryan found that their car won’t start and end up having to spend the night in the town. All that is available to them is a local Airbnb, an old hunting cabin out in the middle of the woods. Driven there by the one seemingly polite townsperson, their waitress Shelly, Maya and Ryan settle in for the night.
Enjoying the quiet, they try to settle in, until that fateful knock on the door of a young woman asking if Tamara is there. They explain that she isn’t, but the young woman keeps coming back, and eventually, Maya and Ryan find themselves under attack by three individuals wielding weapons and named Scarecrow, Dollface and Pin-Up Girl. Throughout the night, we will see Maya and Ryan fight for their lives against these three “strangers” and try to make it through the night.
For those who have seen the original 2008 film starring Liv Tyler and Scott Speedman, it is true, there isn’t much new ground to tread here, and yes, in many ways, this is almost a remake of that film, however, going in, it is known that this is the first part of a trilogy, all films said to be released this year. In this film, we have a much longer slow burn setting up the climax that comes at the end, but this is only the beginning. That said, there are some nice scares built in and some clever use of camerawork by cinematographer José David Montero that allows for some moments that are more than just the usual quick jump scares these films can go for. As the anchor of these films, Petsch is more than game and creates a final girl to route for, if we see her experience more than most final girls do. In a role that could be played for camp, she cleverly bypasses this and gives a more grounded performance than the larger than life Cheryl Blossom many know her for in seven seasons of Riverdale.
To be clear, when you go into this film, if you are looking for a rapid, quick horror film, you will be displeased, because Harlin and crew are here for the long game, and the set-up for the next two films is unique. Yes, this one does leave a bit to be desired, but I was excited to see how it would play out and continue to be so. There is a lot of set-up, especially with the townfolk and we can only hope that we don’t have to wait too long for the next films.
All in all, a good time if you like a slow burn. You will be entertained, and have moments of unease, not scared, but unease. Stay for the mid credits, it will excite you for Chapter 2.
Review by Cinephile Mike
Back to Black
⭐️⭐️
dis. Focus Features
Released Friday, May 17, 2024
Rating: R / Run Time: 122 minutes
Director: Sam Taylor-Johnson
Writer: Matt Greenhaigh
Starring: Marisa Abela, Jack O’Connell, Eddie Marsan and Leslie Manville
Opening Weekend - Domestic (as per Box Office Mojo): May 17th-May 19th - $2,835,720
“I want people to hear my voice, and just forget their troubles for five minutes.”
Amy Winehouse was a girl who had one dream, to have people know her music. She didn’t want fame or glamour, just the simple life, make music, be a wife, be a mom, have a family and be happy. This new biopic gives us just a glimpse into the life of the 5 time Grammy winner on the success of her second album, Back to Black. Skipping over her early years, and what led to her being kicked out of drama school, we see Amy, played by Marisa Abela, determine her trajectory. Through a connection, she is able to sign with Island records, and once she confirms with them that she won’t be another variant of a Spice Girl, she begins her meteoric rise.
On this rise, following her first album Frank, she will fall hard for Blake, played by Jack O’Connell. Stealing Blake from another girl when they meet in a bar, Amy will begin a downward spiral of booze and drugs that causes a rift with her label and her relationship with Blake. The relationship will end, and Amy will be fueled with what she needs to create her sophomore album, the title being that of our film, Back to Black. As her success rises, Blake will come back into her life, and we will see how this continues to have its impact on her. We will follow this journey up to the 5 wins she has for the album.
It is hard to review a film like this when the subject has so much of her life known in the press, and that is the problem with the film. The film plays much like the front pages of the British tabloids and unfortunately reduces Winehouse to a lovesick alcoholic and drug addict. Also, the film tries to only focus in on the years of her fame, but they move through so much so quickly that you don’t even know which events have happened. For example, within less than 10 minutes, we go from her being signed to the first album being released, which we only know because her father references a poster, and then she is being pressured to release album number 2. Additionally, so much is happening, that we don’t really get to see Amy’s character develop based on the circumstances, we just see her reacting to what she is dealt. Unfortunately, it brings her down to a cliché, and she deserves better.
This is not to take anything away from what Abela does with the role. You can tell that she studied Amy closely and from the brashest part of the accent, to the heartbreaking notes she hits in singing the songs make you wish she had better material to work with. This is true for the rest of the cast. Leslie Manville shines as Amy’s grandmother, Cynthia, and Eddie Marsan has nice moments as Amy’s father, Mitch, but their dialogue is phoned in to, again, bring the newspapers to life. We don’t get to see too much behind the scenes, and what we do see almost seems glossed over because there is no substance to it.
All in all, this is one that is won’t shed any new light on who Winehouse was, and will make you want the story that really explores her life. All you have here is a lot of jumps in time chronicling the short life of the star.
Review by Cinephile Mike
IF
⭐️⭐️
dis. Paramount Pictures
Released Friday, May 17, 2024
Rating: PG / Run Time: 104 minutes
Director: John Krasinski
Writer: John Krasinski
Starring: Cailey Fleming, Ryan Reynolds, John Krasinski, Fiona Shaw, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Louis Gossett, Jr. and Steve Carell
Opening Weekend - Domestic (as per Box Office Mojo): May 17th-May 19th - $33,715,801
“What if I told you imaginary friends are real? And when they're kids grow up, they're forgotten.”
We all grow up with imaginary friends. What happens to them? This is what this new film written by John Krasinski seeks to explore. At the center of this film is 12-year-old Bea, played by Cailey Fleming, who is living with her grandmother (Fiona Shaw) while her father (John Krasinski) awaits heart surgery. Complicating this is the poor feelings Bea has of hospitals, as her mother died of cancer in one a few years earlier. Trying to come to terms with her new surroundings, she acts as if she is beyond her years, despite her dad trying to remind her that she is a child. One night, while walking home, she sees a strange creature walk into her building. Seeing the creature the next day walking with a man and another creature, she follows them to an apartment in the building, and when she arrives, she sees the man, and two odd creatures, and faints. When she awakens, she learns the man, played by Ryan Reynolds, is named Cal, and he works with IFs, the nickname for imaginary friends, and tries to match them with new children as the previous ones have grown up. The two creatures she meets are a large purple creature named Blue, voiced by Steve Carell and a 1950s era animated butterfly-type creature named Blossom, voiced by Phoebe Waller-Bridge.
Wanting to learn more, Cal takes Bea to a retirement home for IFs that is run by Lewis, voiced by Louis Gossett, Jr. She meets the IFs and is given a chance to sort of reimagine the space as she sees fit as she believes it to be a little rundown. Reliving some of the innocence of her younger years, Bea begins to have fun again and forget some of her troubles. Then, upon meeting a young, sick boy in the hospital, she becomes determined to help him find an IF to keep him company as he is lonely in the hospital. As she begins to work on this, and learn more about the world of IFs, she sees it is not as easy to pair them up, and learns, maybe these creatures need to be reunited with those that forgot them. This will take her and Cal on a journey that will lead to surprising revelations.
The film has a unique premise, but unfortunately gets a bit bogged down in plot complications with the two worlds. There is the reason Bea is going on this journey, but we don’t really get to explore this as she is embroiled in the task of helping the IFs, and the cause is never fully explained. However, Fleming does a good job playing the girl caught between being a kid and wanting to feel grown past the kids emotions, and is a nice counterpart to the manchild Reynolds is playing as her fellow cynic in arms as they go on the journey. The standout in the cast is Shaw who is charming as Bea’s grandmother but not given too much to do, save a nice moment in the third act that reminds us not to let go of our childhood. Also, similar to last summer’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, there is a true who’s who of cameo voices for the IFs, but save Carell and Waller-Bridge, they are tragically underused.
All in all, children may enjoy the film, but it is sluggish at times and often tries to appeal more to the adults in its message of remembering who you were when you were younger.
Review by Cinephile Mike
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
⭐️⭐️⭐️
dis. 20th Century Studios
Released Friday, May 10, 2024
Rating: PG-13 / Run Time: 145 minutes
Director: Wes Ball
Writer: Josh Friedman
Starring: Owen Teague, Freya Allen, Kevin Durand, Peter Macon and William H. Macy
Opening Weekend - Domestic (as per Box Office Mojo): May 10th-May 12th - $58,400,788
“The elders did not tell us everything about this world.”
The apes are back at it again. This new film seeks to show what has happened in the generations since Caesar died at the end of War for the Planet of the Apes. Civilization has reversed. Apes are the dominant species, with full ability to speak and move humanlike. The human race, for the most part with minor exceptions have reverted to mute slaves, ripe for the picking by the apes. Additionally, we see that the apes have begun creating their own civilizations. The main one we are with are the Eagle Clan led by Koro. His son, Noa (played by Owen Teague) is preparing for his coming of age ceremony which involves him collecting an eagle egg. However, through a series of circumstances, one involving a seemingly lone human, Noa’s egg is destroyed, and on his journey to get another one, he meets a tribe of apes who attack other colonies, and soon, Noa finds his father dead and his colony destroyed. He sets off to find his people, and ends up partnering up with the said human, whose name we learn is Mae (played by Freya Allen).
As Noa and Mae go off to find Noa’s people, they will eventually come upon an oceanside camp where they were all taken. All raided ape colonies are brought here to work the lands under the proclaimed Proximus Caesar (played by Kevin Durand), the main alpha who constantly chants, “For Caesar.” Proximus is using all his resources to break into a vault that he believes will be the key to bringing his apes through the full evolutionary practice he seeks, to bring them to do what the humans did, fly, speak over the seas, and all other human achievements prior to the downfall. All will build to a climax where we see where the true kingdom will fall, and see where loyalties lie and who can be trusted. Man? Ape?
Writer Josh Friedman and director Wes Ball present an interesting chapter into this long running franchise. There are a lot of nice visuals and action scenes, as well as just enough in the plot to have us care about these characters, even if it does drag a bit and could have done with a bit more editing. At a run time of two hours and twenty minutes, it is the longest film in the franchise, and there are times when this is felt. The motion capture continues to impress and you feel every emotion each ape is feeling. The idea of an almost civil war where each colony is seeking to imbue the next is an interesting approach which moves us away from the ape vs. human conflict we had in the last three films.
All in all, a good time will be had if you are a fan of the franchise. If you are unfamiliar, or have not seen the other films, this one can be enjoyed separately as there is just enough exposition presented, and we are a few hundred years from the events of the last film.
Review by Cinephile Mike
The Fall Guy
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
dis. Universal Pictures
Released Friday, May 3, 2024
Rating: PG-13 / Run Time: 126 minutes
Director: David Leitch
Writer(s): Drew Pearce and Glen A. Larson
Starring: Ryan Gosling, Emily Blunt, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Hannah Waddingham, Teresa Palmer, Stephanie Hsu and Winston Duke
Opening Weekend - Domestic (as per Box Office Mojo): May 3rd-May 5th - $27,747,035
“What are you doing later? Wanna go to a beach somewhere, drink a spicy margarita and make some bad decisions.”
Heading out to the cinemas to check out The Fall Guy, will NOT be a bad decision. David Letich delivers a love letter to the stunt community in his newest action hit. Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt smother with chemistry as the stunt man who left his director love. Colt Seavers (Gosling) has been the double for action star Tom Ryder (Taylor-Johnson) for several years. A close relationship, so long as Colt makes it seem that Tom does his own stunts. While working on a film, Colt is also enjoying a fledgling relationship with camera operator Jody Moreno (Blunt). On set, Colt suffers a tragic accident, breaking his back, and this causes his relationship with Jody to fail.
Eighteen months later, uber-energetic producer Gail Meyer (a delightfully unhinged Waddingham) convinces Colt that Jody’s wish is to have him come to double Tom on their current film Metalstorm which is Jody’s big break as a director preparing the big Comic Con Hall H spectacular. However, not all will be as it appears. After a contentious reunion, Colt learns he is back not to double Tom (although this sequence includes a Guinness World Record stunt) but that Gail needs his help to save Tom as he has gotten in over his head with the wrong people. This will put Colt on a journey where he will have to use all his skills and survive the Australian city as he strives to set things right not just for Tom, but for himself and Jody.
Leitch proves after such earlier work as Bullet Train and Atomic Blonde that the bigger the stunts, the better. You can tell that he worked closely with his team to create a quite enjoyable flick that makes you feel every blow in each fight scene. He creates a very meta commentary on the work of stunt teams with a cleverly placed speech about stunt teams and the Oscars and the proper ways stunt performers communicate with one another. Additionally, the cast all work very well together and are able to make this absurd story both humorous and action packed. At times there are some moments that drag and don’t quite play the way you want the romantic comedy moments to play, but Gosling and Blunt are game and make the best with the material on the page. Additionally, as I stated, Waddingham plays a delightfully unhinges Hollywood producer which makes you wonder if that is how producers really do communicate and behave on sets, as well as nice moments for Winston Duke, playing the promoted stunt coordinator, Dan Tucker, on Metalstorm. He gets to have a little more fun with the action than in his MCU stint.
All in all, a little bloated with exposition, but more than made up for with great action that, if I may say, is the first film we have had in a while that REQUIRES big screen viewing (especially IMAX if you are able). You are sure to have a good time.
Review by Cinephile Mike