The Accountant 2
Ben Affleck reprises his fascinating role as an autistic accountant with mad fighting skills and a killer instinct in this passable but inferior sequel. Affleck and Jon Bernthal ignite the screen on fire with excellent performances in a movie whose unoriginal and unenthralling plot is somewhat beneath their talents. However, select strong character moments and exciting action sequences manage to help make The Accountant 2 rise above its shortcomings to be a solid, if sometimes underwhelming, effort.
GRADE: B-
Alien: Earth Season One
Dull, sprawling, and uninspired, I find it baffling that this prequel streaming series to the Alien franchise has been met with such acclaim. The show forgets what made the strongest installments of the universe (Alien, Aliens, Prometheus) so spectacular in the first place by bogging itself down with too many characters and subplots that fail to spark the imagination. While there are some cool creature effects and intermittent moments that provide thrills and scares, the first season of Alien: Earth is a tiresome and ill-fitting addition to a once-great group of films that have progressively lost their way.
Whoever could possibly think that ending each episode with a pop-rock song was a good fit for anything relating to Alien is beyond me.
GRADE: D+
All of You
Two best friends (impeccably portrayed by Brett Goldstein and Imogen Poots) decide to ignore their mutual attraction to one another. Things then get quite complicated when one of them gets married after utilizing a new technology that supposedly uncovers the identity of one’s true soul mate. After time passes, the inevitable occurs, and the two friends fall for each other and begin a secretive affair.
A story of a romance that struggles to survive its many obstacles, the film is consistently sensitive and achingly beautiful. However, the cooling and heating of its central love story is sometimes as frustrating and tiresome for the viewer as it is for its central characters. That being said, All of You still manages to be a wholly fascinating and profoundly resonant reminder to follow the many complications of one’s heart rather than rely on easily understood logic.
GRADE: B+
Americana
This beautifully tragic, darkly humorous, endlessly unique, and tonally daring depiction of a botched robbery involving a valuable Native American artifact is nothing short of an enormous artistic success from start to finish. Paul Walter Hauser and Sydney Sweeney brilliantly lead a flawless ensemble cast with effortless humanity. Writer/director Tony Tost makes a stunning feature debut with Americana, an unforgettable and enthralling thriller that never fails to deliver with its hefty and risky creative ambitions.
GRADE: A
Anniversary
Now, this is a perfect example of a movie that bites off more than it can chew. Its central storyline—about a family that is increasingly torn apart by the arrival of the son’s new, politically radical girlfriend—is interesting but unfortunately quite muddied due to far too many subplots, characters to keep track of, and underdeveloped ideas. Anniversary is a movie that is simply trying to say too much, and the result is something that winds up not saying much at all.
GRADE: C
Another Simple Favor
This sequel to 2018’s darkly comedic thriller, A Simple Favor, isn’t quite as deviously satisfying as its predecessor, but still manages to be a wickedly fun and funny good time. The freshness is missing, and the plot is a bit too forced and outlandish, but it’s still satisfying to see actors as talented as Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively reprise the meaty and amusing characters they were both born to play. Another Simple Favor manages to entertain despite how overall unnecessary its existence may be.
GRADE: B
Avatar: Fire and Ash
This third entry in the Avatar series (which needs no introduction or explanation) is a technical marvel that is endlessly gorgeous to look at. So, what’s the problem? We’ve seen it all before, and this movie spends three-and-a-half hours telling us repeatedly that it’s not interested in exploring anything particularly new with its story or characters. Creator/co-writer/director James Cameron is obviously in love with the world of Avatar, but the consistent redundancies found in Fire and Ash offer profound proof that he needs to set his sights and massive talents on something fresh and new for his next adventures in the director’s chair.
GRADE: C+
Black Bag
From the skilled and seasoned hands of director Steven Soderbergh and screenwriter David Koepp comes this stuffy, talky, lifeless “thriller” that fails to engage its audience for the vast majority of its duration despite occasional and brief flashes of greatness. Michael Fassbender portrays an intelligence agent who is given the task to uncover a traitor amongst a short list of suspects. Very little of interest ensues.
Black Bag is well-acted, well-shot, and all around well-made on a technical level, but its hollow, uninteresting, and dull nature consistently and sorely lacks some much-needed dramatic thunder.
GRADE: C-
Bono: Stories of Surrender
U2 frontman Bono shares his history and bares his soul in this visually striking film representation of a U2-less live show. Highly entertaining and insightful, the film’s only real detriment is that it can sometimes be a bit “frivolous and self-flattering”, as Bono himself confesses U2’s music was once accused of being. However, Bono: Stories of Surrender is still a fascinating glimpse into the legacy and life of one of the music industry’s loudest, most strikingly profound, most amusingly inventive, and most beautifully inspired voices of all time.
If you’re a fan of U2, this is a must-see. If you’re not, there’s a good deal of potential it will make you one.
GRADE: A-
Borderline
From writer/director Jimmy Warden comes this darkly comedic thriller about an escaped mental patient (a wholly mad and endlessly watchable Ray Nicholson) who relentlessly and amusingly stalks the pop star of his dreams (an always-committed Samra Weaving). The film is a fearless, colorful, and unapologetic depiction of insanity that wonderfully and effectively exhibits the interior life of its warped antagonist with no judgment or forced commentary. Borderline simply exists as it is and tells its story as freely and as openly as possible.
GRADE: A
Bride Hard
Con Air’s Simon West directs the funny-as-usual Rebel Wilson in her portrayal of a secret agent who is forced to protect her best friend’s wedding from mercenaries. The laughs are plentiful, though rarely huge, and the action is passable, though rarely thrilling. It’s not quite exceptional, but Bride Hard is still a cute, clever, and solid good time that showcases Wilson’s high talents without allowing them to reach their full potential.
GRADE: B-
Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy
Everyone’s favorite, lovably clumsy, charmingly air-headed, and surprisingly wise British singleton returns for a fourth installment in the film series that explores her always-entertaining yet never-entirely-successful love life. This time around, Bridget Jones (an adorable and effervescent Renee Zellweger) is a single mom who has found love with a younger man (Leo Woodall) while slowly recognizing the hidden charms of a strict yet kind science teacher (Chiwetel Ejiofor) whose personality recalls that of the now-departed love of her life (Colin Firth). Hijinks, hilarity, and amusing misunderstandings commence.
The film is a whimsical and wistful addition to a series of films (based on the book series by Helen Fielding) that provide great, heartfelt, and intelligent relief to singletons everywhere and of any age. Though the pacing is a tad too loosey goosey and the outcomes of Bridget’s struggles are getting a tad predictable, the film’s performances, lightly humorous tone, and wittily incisive writing still make it stand tall amongst its charming predecessors. Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy is a romantic comedy whose formula might be a tad familiar, but it is still likely to lift the spirits of its viewers significantly.
GRADE: B
Bugonia
The often-great Yorgos Lanthimos directs this oddly and darkly comedic thriller about two men (Jesse Plemons and Aidan Delbos) who kidnap a rich and powerful CEO (Emma Stone) because they think she’s an alien who can save Earth’s bee population. Richly themed, unpredictably plotted, perfectly acted, precisely shot, uniquely executed, and expertly, methodically paced, the film succeeds beautifully with every one of its many, off-kilter aspirations. Bugonia is another masterwork that belongs to no easily defined category other than being realized by Lanthimos, a talent whose sensibilities are unlike any other.
GRADE: A
Captain America: Brave New World
This MCU entry creates a passably entertaining but mildly dull viewing experience. Nothing particularly stands out about it compared to previous entries in the franchise. Harrison Ford’s presence helps, and Anthony Mackie is a great Captain America, but neither of them is given enough memorable material to fully exhibit their talents until the (thankfully) impressive climax.
Captain America: Brave New World is a fun enough time, but it falls short of being anything truly special.
GRADE: C+
Caught Stealing
A New York City bartender (Austin Butler) becomes the target of the criminal underworld after coming across a mysterious key while caring for his neighbor’s cat. Funny, suspenseful, and largely unpredictable, the film is an overall grittily exciting experience. It’s just too bad that it lacks in-depth character development and loses the majority of its dramatic power by the time it reaches its last half-hour.
Directed by Darren Aronofsky (Requiem for a Dream, Black Swan, The Wrestler), Caught Stealing is a disappointing but still amusingly solid low point of a career that mostly consists of masterworks.
GRADE: B
Christy
Sydney Sweeney continues to prove that 2025 was her year with her portrayal of ‘90s female boxing champion Christy Martin in this biopic. Sweeney owns the role and the film, portraying the titular subject with fierce energy, deep humanity, and wholly relatable human imperfections. Ben Foster also excels as Martin’s abusive coach/husband.
Christy is an entirely successful and moving character study about perseverance, the psychology of abuse, and the comfort of wholly committing oneself to what they love.
GRADE: A
Cleaner
Daisy Ridley stars as a high-rise window cleaner who is forced to battle criminals who take over her workplace. Solid action, acting, and filmmaking make the generic and derivative storyline tolerable and, on numerous occasions, quite entertaining. Cleaner is nothing special, but it gets the job done if you’re in need of a good action fix.
GRADE: B-
Companion
This darkly comedic science fiction thriller focuses on a robot (Sophie Thatcher) whose programming to be a docile girlfriend for her owner (Jack Quaid) is tampered with. Now armed with self-awareness and the desire for survival, she is forced to fight against being used for a murder/theft scheme that will likely result in the end of her existence. Unique, inventive, thrilling, funny, and thought-provoking, there’s very little to which the film aspires that it doesn’t accomplish. The trivial decision to give too much away in the beginning disempowers some of the film’s potential suspense, but its otherwise high quality still manages to persevere.
Though just shy of greatness, Companion is a fresh and exciting piece of genre filmmaking.
GRADE: A-
The Conjuring: Last Rites
This supposed final entry in the Conjuring series (at least with original cast members Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga as the reality-based paranormal investigators, Ed and Lorraine Warren), is a wholly spooky and thrilling effort. The character development is rich, the scares are expertly executed, and the filmmaking is impressively skillful and inventive. Though the pacing is ever-so-slightly sluggish at times, The Conjuring: Last Rites is still the best entry in the beloved franchise since the terrifying and indisputably classic original.
GRADE: A-
Deathstalker
From the beautifully bent, dementedly funny, and wickedly creative mind of writer/director Steven Kostanski (Psycho Goreman) comes this endlessly entertaining reimagining of the sword and sorcery eighties cult classic of the same name. While the story is a bit too convoluted for its own good at times and the pacing could have been quickened a bit, the film still knows how to take full and consistent advantage of the fun factor found within its premise of a cursed swordsman fighting monstrous entities. Deathstalker is a fantastically entertaining tribute to the beautiful cheesiness of classic B-movies.
GRADE: B+
Die My Love
Exquisite filmmaking from director Lynne Ramsay and her crew, along with emotionally charged and effectively raw lead performances by Jennifer Lawrence and Robert Pattinson, can’t save a film that is thematically muddy and depressingly pointless. While the film bravely takes on the often-ignored topic of postpartum depression, it doesn’t appear to know what it wants to say about it. Die My Love is a tale told by some very talented people, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.
GRADE: C-
Dust Bunny
Famed television creator Bryan Fuller (Pushing Daisies, Hannibal) makes his feature writing/directing debut with this dark fairy tale about a young girl (Sophie Sloan) who hires her hitman neighbor (Mads Mikkelsen) to destroy the monster under her bed that ate her parents. Overly dialogue-heavy and a bit too slow-paced, the film falters on numerous occasions early on by not giving enough character development or a sense of story to which its audience can connect. A strong second half (despite digital creature effects that feel unfinished) somewhat makes up for it, however, to create an overall complete and rewarding cinematic experience.
There is a lot of talent both in front of and behind the camera in Dust Bunny, and it shows by resulting in a film that rises above its initial faults to be an engrossing visual marvel (the set and costume designs are mesmerizing), not quite like anything else.
GRADE: B
Echo Valley
Julianne Moore gives a wholly committed, emotionally vulnerable performance as a mother struggling to help her addicted and troublesome daughter (an explosively brilliant Sydney Sweeney), then finds herself in the middle of a complex murder cover-up. The well-developed characters and relatable storyline make the film work as an insightful look into the complexities of human relationships. The high-stakes drama, shocking twists, and effective thrills make it work as an endlessly enthralling piece of entertainment. Echo Valley is ultimately a riveting and profoundly deep examination of addiction’s many helpless victims.
GRADE: A
Eddington
Set during the height of the COVID pandemic and starring Joaquin Phoenix as a mask-denying, small-town New Mexico sheriff, this darkly humorous and ultra-violent satire from writer/director Ari Aster presents an unflinching and bold look at the destructive division of contemporary American life. When Phoenix runs for mayor against the current position holder (Pedro Pascal), all hell breaks loose in the most extreme and brutal of ways. While it sporadically struggles due to inconsistent and sometimes sluggish pacing, Eddington still manages to pack a sizable punch with its powerfully astute critique of the highly troubled state of modern American society.
GRADE: A-
Eenie Meanie
Samara Weaving adds another excellent performance to her resume as a retired getaway driver who is forced to return for one more job to help the father of her unborn child (Karl Glusman). Shockingly abrupt violence, hilariously dark humor, and surprisingly effective moments of drama all work together to make for a full and rewarding film-watching experience. Slow moments go on a bit too long sometimes and affect the flow of the otherwise kinetic pacing, but the strengths of the film still allow it to be a noteworthy success.
Eenie Meanie is a smart and character-driven action/comedy/drama that successfully blends numerous tones to create something truly memorable and unique.
GRADE: A-
Ella McCay
A supporting cast of seasoned greats (Woody Harrelson, Jamie Lee Curtis, Albert Brooks, Julie Kavner, Kumail Nanjiani) can’t quite ignite this often-placid, unfocused, and tonally and thematically dated effort from the great writer/director James L. Brooks. The story—about an aspiring young female governor in 2008—tries to showcase another Brooksian depiction of a strong and self-sufficient woman making her way in a male-dominated world (as previously seen in Terms of Endearment, Broadcast News, and As Good as It Gets). However, the title character (and Emma Mackey, the actress who portrays her) doesn’t quite evoke the same fiery integrity as Debra Winger, Shirley MacLaine, Holly Hunter, or Helen Hunt—despite her being passably interesting.
Though it feels like it should have been made in the ‘80s or ‘90s (if the 2008 recession backdrop were removed, that is), Ella McCay is moderately entertaining if you can allow yourself to look past its sometimes-obnoxious and often-forced cuteness and instead focus on the solid (though underwhelming) writing, acting, and filmmaking. It’s unfortunate to say it, but James L. Brooks and company have all seen brighter days.
GRADE: C+
The Electric State
Set in an alternate reality in the 1990s, this science fiction action/adventure follows a young woman (a charming Millie Bobby Brown) who goes searching for her missing brother with the aid of a Han Solo-esque smuggler (an always-likable Chris Pratt). Filled to the brim with inventive designs and concepts, the film sparks the imagination throughout its duration and provides consistent entertainment and excitement. However, it’s a tad too bloated with ideas, and its plot is a bit too convoluted to provide the easygoing viewing experience that it needs to in order to fully succeed.
The Electric State is a lot of fun, despite falling slightly short of being the truly great piece of escapist entertainment that it had the potential to be.
GRADE: B
Eternity
Elizabeth Olsen stars as a recently deceased woman who is forced to decide between spending the eternity of her afterlife with her first husband, who died early in her marriage (Callum Turner), and her second husband with whom she spent the majority of her life (Miles Teller). At its best, the film is a romantic, thought-provoking, clever, and comforting depiction of the afterlife that evokes memories of the Albert Brooks classic, Defending Your Life. Though it can be a little too cute for its own good at times, and it is guilty of playing it a tad too safe in the end, Eternity is an overall charming and inventive film that good-naturedly and optimistically examines the complex reality behind the nature of true love.
GRADE: B
F1
Star Brad Pitt’s endless and effortless charisma can’t save this car-racing drama from drowning in its own stale, formulaic storytelling and endless depiction of toxic, obnoxious machismo. Technically well-made (the editing and the cinematography are exemplary) but hollow, the movie is about as exciting as watching an actual prolonged car race, but, hey, if that’s your cup of tea, you might actually dig it. For anyone not into cars, racing, or forced masculinity, however, F1 is simply not worth the ride.
GRADE: C-
The Fantastic Four: First Steps
The MCU finally gets back on track with this bubbly, warm, funny, exciting, and all-around well-executed entry into its once-flailing franchise. Four astronauts mutate while on a mission and gain superpowers, which enable them to defend Earth from an all-powerful entity named Galactus. Great character and cast chemistry (Pedro Pascal, Vanesa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach all excel), inventive filmmaking, and impressive VFX work in harmony to make The Fantastic Four: First Steps the best Marvel movie in what feels like an eternity.
GRADE: A-
Flight Risk
This Mel Gibson-directed thriller centers on a United States Marshal (an intensely focused Michelle Dockery) who is escorting a criminal witness (a believably and amusingly squirmy Topher Grace) in a private plane that is flown by a pilot (an entertainingly edgy and kinda gross Mark Wahlberg) who may not be exactly who he says. The filmmaking is impressively solid, and the story is consistently thrilling enough to overcome some occasionally shaky logic (how exactly does the plane appear to be making smooth turns while on autopilot?), underwritten/rushed plot details (who’s the head bad guy again?), and a somewhat weak and abrupt ending.
Flight Risk is an overall suspenseful and fun thriller that was realized with some impressive talent to be a predominant, if not entirely complete, success.
GRADE: B-
Fountain of Youth
John Krasinksi and Natalie Portman give energetic and likable performances as a pair of bickering siblings who go hunting for the fountain of youth in this sometimes (and typically) kinetic Guy Ritchie-directed effort. Solid filmmaking and a talented cast can’t save a story that is far too scattered and predictable to be easy to follow or engrossing. Fountain of Youth aspires to be grand escapist filmmaking, but ultimately proves itself to be predominantly underwhelming and frustratingly dull.
GRADE: C
Freaky Tales
This quirky, hyperviolent, and stylish eighties-set dark comedy/action/thriller/character drama is comprised of four loosely connected stories centering on everything from rap-offs to revenge. The complete movie is overall compelling, funny, and fresh, but its lack of organically effortless cohesion occasionally makes it feel a tad aimless. While individually impressive, the stories sometimes struggle to work as one big experience, and the overall result is slightly too choppy.
Freaky Tales could have used some finessing, but it’s still a highly amusing piece of bizarro cinema that pays wonderful tribute to the magical cheesiness of the ‘80s.
GRADE: B+
The Gilgo Beach Killer: House of Secrets
This three-part documentary closely details the case of an elusive serial killer who dumped bodies at Gilgo Beach in New York for years. It also heavily examines the case’s prime suspect, who was still awaiting trial at the time of this film’s release, and the disbelief of his tormented family. The film does the best it can in telling a story that was incomplete at the time of its making, but the lack of information on key details slightly trivializes it and makes it seem as if it somewhat jumped the gun on production and completion. The Gilgo Beach Killer: House of Secrets is plenty fascinating and informative, but it probably would have been even better if it had waited to be made until it could tell the whole story.
GRADE: B
Good Boy
Entirely told from the perspective of a loyal dog who senses a dark presence haunting his ill owner, this film, at the very least, deserves points for risk-taking and originality. Even at a lean sub-seventy-five-minute runtime, the premise does occasionally get old, but still manages to never quite cross over to territory that can be labelled as boring. It’s also hard to say who, exactly, the film is geared towards, sometimes, as non-animal lovers will probably have little interest in the story and its execution, and animal lovers will find it rather uncomfortable to see a dog that is frequently in a state of distress and fear.
Good Boy isn’t a perfect film, and its concept would have probably been best realized as a short, but there are just enough compelling moments throughout, and the resolution reaches such emotionally moving heights that it’s hard not to admit that it deserves some kind of treat.
GRADE: B
Good Fortune
Comedian/actor Aziz Ansari makes his feature directorial debut with this clever and charming comic morality fable about an angel (Keanu Reeves) who shows a financially struggling individual (Ansari) a different, more luxurious way of life at the expense of a clueless but good-hearted millionaire (Seth Rogen). Though the movie struggles in both setting itself up and finishing itself off, the majority of its duration is funny, heartfelt, and politely and astutely thought-provoking. Good Fortune benefits from some hefty talent both in front of and behind the camera, and is also the kind of thoughtful comedy that we don’t see enough of these days.
GRADE: B+
The Gorge
Miles Teller and Anya Taylor-Joy star as military personnel who are assigned to keep watch on guard towers on opposite sides of a deep valley that contains mysterious creatures who pose a threat to humanity. The first half, which explores Teller and Taylor-Joy’s budding romance, is more unique and involving than the second, which contains a plethora of solid but unspectacular and derivative science fiction/horror/action sequences. The Gorge is solid entertainment that could have been great if it had ultimately taken a road significantly less traveled.
GRADE: B-
Gunslingers
This low-budget Western revolves around a standoff in a town primarily dominated by wanted criminals. Though moderately entertaining, the overall quality is consistently marred by odd editing choices, inconsistent pacing, and bland cinematography. Nicolas Cage quirkily stands out amongst a group of largely uninteresting and unshaded characters as a raspy-voiced religious fanatic with a mysterious past.
Gunslingers has just enough life and energy to make it watchable, though not quite enough to make it particularly good.
GRADE: C
Hallow Road
Rosamund Pike and Matthew Rhys deliver top-notch performances as parents who go out for a late-night drive in search of their daughter after receiving a hysterical phone call from her in which she claims to have been in a disastrous car accident. The tension is steady, the confined atmosphere is effective, and the filmmaking is rock solid throughout. The film is highly engrossing for the majority of its duration, but falters significantly when it comes time to wrap things up by showcasing far too many unbelievable twists and frustrating ambiguities for its own good.
Hallow Road is yet another example of a film that knows how to initially grab its audience’s attention, but sadly fails to keep it due to an unsatisfying climax and an incomplete ending.
GRADE: C+
The Hand That Rocks the Cradle
This reimagining of the solid 1992 Curtis Hanson-directed, Rebecca De Mornay-starring thriller is a chillingly profound effort. Maika Monroe continues her winning streak as the nanny from hell who sets her sights on turning a mother and wife’s (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) life into a living nightmare. The film may be a bit too much of a slow burn at first, but it ultimately reveals itself to be a dramatic thriller with more heart and in-depth character motivations than the original, making this updated version of The Hand That Rocks the Cradle powerfully, hauntingly, and tragically resonant.
GRADE: B+
Havoc
A dirty but selectively moral cop (Tom Hardy) searches for a missing politician’s son and finds himself facing all kinds of corruption and violence. The action is visceral, hyperreal, and kinetically thrilling, but the many slow spaces in between don’t offer much by way of engrossing character or plot development and consistently break the film’s overall momentum. Hardy and writer/director Gareth Evans (The Raid) need to aim higher and select projects that are more worthy of their massive talents in the future.
Havoc has a lot going for it, but the things going against it are nearly as plentiful and mar the overall experience of viewing it significantly.
GRADE: C
Highest 2 Lowest
Director Spike Lee is (finally) back to greatness with some truly top-notch filmmaking in this Denzel Washington-starring kidnapping thriller based on the classic Akira Kurosawa noir, High and Low. Society-imposed Black desperation and ego are explored with thought-provoking sensitivity, along with the presentness of equal-parts suspense and engrossment. Highest 2 Lowest is a reminder of what an undeniably gifted and important statement-and entertainment-driven filmmaker Lee can be when he is fully in his element.
GRADE: A
Honey Don’t!
The talented Margaret Qualley can’t save this hopelessly dull and frustratingly uninteresting film with her portrayal of a private investigator who gets in deep while inspecting multiple connected murders. I honestly have no idea how these murders ultimately string together, however, because the film is nearly impossible to pay attention to or get anything out of, despite being co-written and directed by the massively gifted Ethan Coen. The technically solid filmmaking and a gifted cast (which also includes Aubrey Plaza and Chris Evans)can’t hide the fact that Honey Don’t! is a comedy that isn’t funny, a thriller that isn’t thrilling, and a mystery that is so unengrossing that its ultimate reveal is only rewarding because it means the movie is mercifully over.
GRADE: D
The Housemaid
Sydney Sweeney stars as a housekeeper running from her past, only to take on a new job with a family (headed by Amanda Seyfried and Brandon Sklenar) hoarding disturbing secrets of their own. Unpredictably twisty and twisted, beautifully performed, and impeccably crafted by director Paul Feig and his crew, this is a near-flawless thriller in just about every conceivable manner.
The Housemaid is pop filmmaking that boasts both class and gleefully demented entertainment.
GRADE: A
The Idaho Student Murders
The infamous 2022 murder of four University of Idaho students—Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin—is the focus of this riveting and moving documentary. The pain felt by their surviving loved ones is thoroughly explored throughout, and the victims are fully shaded as living, breathing human beings and not just mere statistics. While suspected murderer Bryan Kohberger (who pled guilty to the crimes while the documentary was being made) is given plenty of focus, the film admirably and thoughtfully makes sure not to fully revolve around him.
The Idaho Student Murders isn’t about exploiting a grisly crime or exploring the man who most likely committed it; it’s about paying respects towards and giving a voice to the victims who tragically met their end far too early in life.
GRADE: A
If I Had Legs I’d Kick You
Rose Byrne gives a sensational performance as a woman whose mounting pressures in her life (a career as a therapist, an absent husband, a flooded apartment, a sick child) start to take their toll. The majority of the film is a powerful depiction of the many overbearing responsibilities modern women face on a daily basis, but, like so many other movies of the current time, it just doesn’t know how to wrap itself up in a meaningful or satisfying manner. Despite its potential, If I Had Legs I’d Kick You falls short of greatness because it can‘t fully communicate what, exactly, it’s trying to say.
GRADE: B-
Inheritance
After the untimely death of her mother, a young woman (a sensational Phoebe Dynevor) reconnects with her estranged father (an equally sensational Rhys Ifans) only to become involved in a complex conspiracy after he is abruptly kidnapped. It takes a tad too long before it truly feels like the film is in motion, but once it finds its stride, its suspense is unrelenting, its plot is riveting, and its complicated characters are thoroughly and satisfyingly explored. Inheritance is an intelligent and gripping thriller that is expertly executed in just about every conceivable manner.
GRADE: A-
Keeper
Due to my extreme love of exactly half of writer/director Osgood Perkins’ filmography to date (The Blackcoat’s Daughter, Longlegs, The Monkey), I gave this effort from him no less than three chances (okay, once with the director’s commentary) to find things to love about it. The atmosphere is typically successfully creepy, and the visuals are sometimes nightmarishly unique and effective, but it’s truly impossible to make heads or tails of the story (about a couple who confronts darkness while retreating to a cabin in the woods), characters, or themes. Keeper was undeniably executed with genuine talent, but if there’s a point to any of it, Perkins seems to take far too much pleasure in not making it remotely accessible to his audience.
GRADE: D+
Kevin Costner Presents: The First Christmas
Kevin Costner hosts this documentary about/dramatic re-enactment of the events surrounding the birth of Jesus and the beginning of Christmas. Though informative and thoughtful, the film is a bit too dry and uninspired to truly make a memorable impact. Kevin Costner Presents: The First Christmas has its heart in the right place, but it could have used a bit more narrative spice and dramatic urgency to hook its audience to what had the potential to be a truly compelling story.
GRADE: C+
Kinda Pregnant
Co-writer/star Amy Schumer successfully continues her unique brand of intelligent, sincere, and insightful vulgarity with this comedy in which she portrays a depressed singleton who fakes her own pregnancy, then finds herself in the middle of some hilariously tense situations that increasingly threaten to expose her ruse. While the core of the story risks making its conniving lead character rather unlikable in a way that is never entirely resolved, Schumer’s inherent charms and piercing wit help make such faults forgivable. Kinda Pregnant threatens to feel kinda icky at times, but there’s a good chance that its audience can overlook and possibly even forget about it because they’re too busy being entertained by Amy Schumer’s massive talent and the many big laugh moments that result from it.
GRADE: B
Last Breath
This dramatic thriller is based on the true story of a deep-sea diver whose oxygen supply is cut off while he is stranded near the bottom of the ocean. Even if you don’t know the outcome of the story, its formulaic plot points are a bit predictable and lack true suspense. Solid filmmaking and sturdy performances from Woody Harrelson, Simu Liu, and Finn Cole help to somewhat rectify the film’s uninspired design.
Last Breath tells a worthwhile and interesting tale, but it could have been a better movie if it had done so with a bit more life and originality.
GRADE: B-
The Life of Chuck
Screenwriter/director Mike Flanagan hits another home run with this optimistic, magical, resonating, tragic, and downright beautiful depiction of a man’s (a pitch-perfect Tom Hiddleston) life that is somehow connected to the end of the world. The less said from there, the better, as the majority of the film’s many rewards are dependent upon taking the journey and discovering its meaning for yourself. The Life of Chuck is based on a short story by none other than Stephen King, and it ranks comfortably alongside the most noteworthy of his adapted cinematic masterworks.
GRADE: A
Locked
Bill Skarsgard stars as a down-on-his-luck delivery man who resorts to theft to support himself and consequently gets locked in a targeted SUV for days while being tormented by the car’s sadistic owner (Anthony Hopkins). A great premise, great acting, impressive filmmaking, and a strong finale make up for the film’s sporadically bumpy pacing and the lack of momentum it temporarily neglects near its mid-point. Locked has its faults, but it still manages to be a smart and character-driven thriller that will keep you engrossed for the majority of its duration.
GRADE: B+
Long Distance
This charming, exciting, and intelligently humorous science fiction thriller focuses on an asteroid miner (a likable and naturalistic Anthony Ramos) who crashes onto an unknown planet, then has to cross dangerous and alien-infested terrain to reach another survivor (an equally likable and committed Naomi Scott) before he runs out of oxygen. The film engrosses from beginning to end, never once slowing down enough during its under-ninety-minute runtime to break its steady momentum. While the ending is a bit too open-ended to be fully satisfying and the visual effects sometimes seem to lack full care and craftsmanship, Long Distance is still a wholly thrilling and entertaining viewing experience.
GRADE: A-
The Lost Bus
Based on the story behind the most dangerous wildfire in California history, this Paul Greengrass-directed thriller focuses on a school bus driver (portrayed with believable integrity and intensity by Matthew McConaughey) who has to transport a group of children to safety through the raging inferno. Endless suspense, grounded characters, and grittily docu-realistic action filmmaking (a Greengrass trademark) make this a film-watching experience that is remarkably and engrossingly life-like. The Lost Bus is an endlessly moving and exciting cinematic tribute to real-life heroism.
GRADE: A
Love Hurts
Impressive stunt work and fight choreography, and the many charms and talents of star Key Huy Quan (Everything Everywhere All at Once) can’t save a tired and underwritten storyline about a realtor (Quan) who gets sucked back into his violent past after receiving a mysterious note. The plot is uninteresting and confusing (though, admittedly, I may have just had trouble paying attention to it), most of the characters are thinly developed, and the pacing is so uneven that it’s downright jarring at times. Love Hurts had potential to be a fun piece of escapism if it underwent some hefty rethinking and rewriting, but it, unfortunately, fails to fully entertain or impress as it is.
GRADE: C-
The Luckiest Man in America
The always-great Paul Walter Hauser stars in this reality-based tale about a man who attempts to con his way into winning thousands of dollars on a popular ‘80s game show. The film is very much like the game it depicts in that it is tense, engrossing, and makes it nearly impossible not to want to see it through. Unfortunately, character development is a bit thin, so it’s difficult to root for or against just about anyone involved, despite the movie making knowledge of the outcome highly desirable.
The Luckiest Man in America isn’t exactly a fully satisfying movie-watching experience, but it does offer just enough meat on the bone to keep you interested until the end.
GRADE: B
Materialists
A premiere dating service matchmaker (Dakota Johnson) finds herself in a love triangle involving a rich man who looks great on paper (Pedro Pascal) and her poor, struggling actor ex (Chris Evans). Sharp, insightful, unflinchingly honest, realistically optimistic, devastatingly dramatic, and charmingly funny, the film simply works marvelously with its multiple aspirations. Writer/director Celine Song delivers an unforgettably heartfelt and bluntly truthful romantic dramedy with Materialists.
GRADE: A
M3GAN 2.0
This sequel to the 2022 AI-centered horror/sci-fi/comedy is a witty and silly blast with very few scares this time around, but plenty of entertainment value. This one would probably be best described as an action/sci-fi/comedy, as it refreshingly doesn’t seem interested in repeating the ideas or tone of the first film. M3GAN 2.0 does wear thin from time to time (it didn’t need to be a full two hours long), but still manages to be an overall joyous and memorable romp.
GRADE: B+
Mickey 17
From writer/director Boon Joon Ho (Parasite) comes this intelligently and darkly comedic science fiction satire that focuses on an “expendable” government employee (a typically and highly committed Robert Pattinson) who is essentially hired to face and provide documentation on dangerous situations until he dies and is then cloned back to life with his memories intact. Endlessly inventive and wisely observational, the film is practically overflowing with big ideas. However, these ideas aren’t always particularly well organized, and the film occasionally veers off course because it doesn’t fully know what to do with them or how to consistently make them an organic part of its plot progression.
Mickey 17 has numerous merits and deserves credit for its unique sensibilities, but its potential for greatness is partially squandered due to its lack of consistent forward momentum and a reliably grounded structure.
GRADE: B
Mission: Impossible—The Final Reckoning
This eighth and supposedly final entry in producer/star Tom Cruise’s Mission: Impossible film series is a solid, though mildly underwhelming, sendoff. The stunts, action, and character interactions are as good as they’ve always been, but the overly long runtime, uneven pacing, sometimes-confusing and cluttered storyline, and largely overdone nostalgia prevent the series from ending on the superior note it needed. Mission: Impossible—The Final Reckoning, though often quite good, proves that the franchise is just about out of steam and that its time to be laid to rest has come.
GRADE: B
The Monkey
Orphaned twin boys come across an animatronic toy monkey that they soon find is responsible for the brutal death of someone of its choosing every time the key on its back is wound. Based on a Stephen King short story and directed by Longlegs’ Osgood Perkins, this darkly humorous horror effort succeeds marvelously due to an intelligently playful tone, a plethora of inventively executed deaths, and precisely, impressively controlled filmmaking. The Monkey plentifully and consistently provides quality and thoroughly demented fun to its audience.
GRADE: A
The Naked Gun
Liam Neeson is downright hilarious in this soft and overall successful reboot of The Naked Gun films. While the jokes fall flat as often as they succeed and the pacing sometimes drags, the film almost always recovers with a big laugh moment that will leave you gasping for air. Pamela Anderson comedically shines as Neeson’s love interest with a number of scene-stealing moments.
The Naked Gun isn’t quite the classic spoof that the first film from the ‘80s is, but it’s still a rather charming, cute, and consistently funny effort that will please fans of the original series quite splendidly.
GRADE: B+
Neighborhood Watch
A mentally ill young man (a wonderful and dedicated Jack Quaid) witnesses a woman being kidnapped, then enlists the help of his crusty, former security guard neighbor (an also-wonderful Jeffrey Dean Morgan) to help find her after the police show little concern. The fascinating characters and the actors who portray them are the primary highlight of this overall compelling film. While the plot itself isn’t quite as engrossing, it still more than passably houses the elements that make it so special in the first place.
Neighborhood Watch is an in-depth and downright rich character study posing as an above-average and effectively entertaining thriller.
GRADE: B+
Novocaine
Jack Quaid is charming and hilarious in the role of a banker who uses a lifelong medical condition that makes it impossible for him to feel pain to his advantage in aiding his kidnapped girlfriend/coworker (an affable Amber Midthunder). Hyperkinetic, hyperviolent, and darkly amusing, the film never lets up once it gets going, something that is both exhilarating and exhausting at the same time. While the filmmakers’ and cast’s commitment to unrelenting energy is overall entertainingly effective, it also increasingly gets old the more the film unravels.
Novocaine is an often-funny and sometimes-thrilling actioner along the lines of Kick-Ass and Nobody that works just fine as it is, but it could have been even better if it occasionally let up on the action and made room for a few moments of peace to add some minor and much-needed tonal variety.
GRADE: B-
One Battle After Another
A modern-day ex-revolutionary (Leonardo DiCaprio) is forced to face his past when he has to rescue his teenage daughter (Chase Infiniti) from the grasp of an old adversary and corrupt Army colonel (Sean Penn). Thrilling, funny, consistently fast-paced (no small accomplishment for a near-three-hour movie), perfectly performed, intelligently provocative, beautifully written, and skillfully directed, this film combines the exuberance of writer/director Paul Thomas Anderson’s early work (Boogie Nights, Magnolia) with the grounded maturity of his latter work (There Will Be Blood, Phantom Thread). One Battle After Another is, quite simply, a massively impressive accomplishment in every conceivable way.
GRADE: A
Paddington in Peru
The beloved titular bear, who speaks with a British accent, returns to his homeland in order to search for his lost Aunt Lucy. This third entry in the now-trilogy of films is a clever, funny, heartfelt, and adventure-filled experience that does justice to its excellent and justifiably lauded predecessors. Paddington in Peru is a delightful piece of escapist entertainment for any age—nothing more and certainly nothing less.
GRADE: B+
Peacemaker: Season 2
James Gunn seemed to have locked up his id for his dull and family-friendly take on Superman, but he lets it explode all over the screen for all eight episodes of the second season of Peacemaker, every episode of which he wrote and three of which he directed. The season is sharp, raunchy, violent, explicit, and hilarious—though you do have to forgive some occasional moments of sloppiness in both structure and logic, and a somewhat unsatisfying finale. The best aspects of the second season of Peacemaker showcase Gunn at his most unrestrained, which is more than welcome for his longtime fans after seeing him compromise himself so heavily with the sub-mediocre Superman.
GRADE: B+
Pee-wee as Himself
This two-part documentary on Paul Reubens (aka Pee-wee Herman) is a revelatory and thorough (perhaps overly so) look at one of the few performers in recent memory who elevated their craft into an art form. The film is so full of information that it drags the pacing down at times (did we really need to hear the details about Reubens’ personal assistants?), but hardcore Pee-wee fans will undoubtedly be thrilled by the plethora of minute details. Pee-wee as Himself probably would have worked better with a shortened and tightened feature-length runtime, but it still manages to properly celebrate and pay due respect to Reubens’ one-of-a-kind artistic genius.
GRADE: A-
The Plague
A young boy faces the scrutiny and disdain of his water polo camp peers when he takes pity on an ostracized boy who is suffering from an inexplicable rash. Emotionally brutal and bluntly frank, the film examines adolescent cruelty, judgment, and social exclusion without any form of compromise, hope, or relief. The Plague is a downright harsh film to sit through, but it’s one that has quite a bit to say about the dark side of the human condition.
GRADE: A-
Play Dirty
Mark Wahlberg stars as a professional thief who finds himself a part of an enormous heist with a woman (Rosa Salazar) who previously double-crossed him. The overly complex story isn’t quite compelling enough to follow or pay full attention to, but the naturalistically charming cast (Wahlberg and costar LaKeith Stanfield have great chemistry), solid action scenes, and playful tone keep the film modestly entertaining. Play Dirty certainly isn’t the best thing its massively talented co-writer and director Shane Black (Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, The Nice Guys) has ever done, but it contains just enough of his voice to be a worthwhile piece within his filmography.
GRADE: B-
Predator: Badlands
This installment of the Predator franchise sees an outcast Predator alien on a dangerous planet with a damaged android from the Alien universe (an endearingly chipper Elle Fanning) for company while searching for prey whose defeat will bring him the respect of his peers. Though it gets dangerously close to being a tad too cute in select moments (did we really need the monkey?), there is no denying that this somewhat softer, cleverer Predator movie is an exciting and engrossing piece of the series that admirably follows the beat of its own drum. Predator: Badlands is a fine example of quality popcorn entertainment that begets the strong desire for future parts of its thrilling world.
GRADE: B+
Predator: Killer of Killers
This stylishly animated trilogy of separate stories that eventually converge depicts humans from different cultures and time periods battling the infamous Predator alien. The film initially requires patience, as it takes a bit of time to find its footing. Once it does, however, it’s a pretty darn cool and thrilling film that, along with the previous installment of Prey, further breathes life into a franchise that at one point not so long ago seemed to have run out of creative steam.
Predator: Killer of Killers expands and enriches the Predator universe with immense skill, sparkling creativity, and fiery excitement.
GRADE: B+
The Rental Family
Brendan Fraser excels as a struggling American actor in Japan who starts working for an agency that hires people to replace the long-lost family members of clients looking to alleviate their loss. The great concept at the film’s core isn’t quite explored fully enough to reach optimal emotional or intellectual satisfaction, but the reality-grounded performances and the top-notch filmmaking from co-writer/director Hikari and his crew help make it a notable effort. The Rental Family is a little too dry and underdeveloped to be a home run, but the endlessly impressive artistry that it exhibits still makes it a film well worth seeing.
GRADE: B+
Roofman
Co-writer/director Derek Cianfrance makes a welcome return to feature filmmaking (his last feature was 2016’s The Light Between Oceans) with this funny, romantic, thrilling, and tragic tale that is based on the true story of an escaped convict (a charming yet vulnerable Channing Tatum) who somehow eluded the authorities by hiding out in a Toys “R” Us store for months. The film impressively and successfully shifts through many different tones for the duration of its two-hour-plus runtime, providing the viewer with a thorough and lifelike emotional experience. Kirsten Dunst, LaKeith Stanfield, Juno Temple, Peter Dinklage, and many others round out the exceptional and flawless ensemble cast.
Roofman is an amusing and highly moving film whose story is so outlandish that it couldn’t be anything but true.
GRADE: A
The Roses
This remake of the 1989 Danny DeVito-directed classic, The War of the Roses, and reimagining of the 1981 Warren Adler novel of the same name is an entertaining and moderately insightful, if not entirely necessary, effort. Olivia Colman and Benedict Cumberbatch give strong and lively performances as a married couple who start to lose touch with one another while endlessly bickering in increasingly intense and violent ways. Though the extremities at which the story ultimately arrives feel a tad forced, director Jay Roach and screenwriter Tony McNamara still deserve credit for creating something fresh and moderately challenging out of source material that had previously been interpreted quite successfully.
The Roses doesn’t reach greatness the way the movie The War of the Roses did over thirty years ago, but it’s still a darkly absurd glimpse into the often-brutal and never-ending war of the sexes.
GRADE: B
The Rule of Jenny Pen
Geoffrey Rush gives a heart-wrenching and dedicated performance as a stroke survivor and former Judge who is confined to a nursing home where he is forced to face a psychopath (a fascinatingly and freely sadistic John Lithgow) who terrorizes the residents with a baby-faced hand puppet. Overall compelling, darkly humorous, effectively disturbing, and intelligently horrifying, the film will make you squirm in your seat in the best possible way throughout its duration, then linger in your mind long after it’s over. The only real fault to the film is its pacing, which frustratingly drags periodically and sometimes weakens the power of its otherwise riveting story.
Though it could have been a good ten or fifteen minutes shorter, The Rule of Jenny Pen is still a uniquely terrifying tale that needs to be seen in order to be fully believed.
GRADE: B+
The Running Man
This update of the Stephen King novel/remake of the 1987 Arnold Schwarzenegger action extravaganza works as both an effective social satire and as a wholly engrossing action/thriller. Glen Powell believably and charismatically stars as a struggling everyman who enrolls himself in a lethal and sadistic game show in order to provide for his family. It beautifully works right up until its slightly unbalanced, underexplained, overcrowded, and rushed ending, but this incarnation of The Running Man still provokes a great deal of thought while providing a great deal of entertainment.
GRADE: A-
Sharp Corner
Ben Foster gives yet another stellar performance as a family man who becomes obsessed with controlling and fixing the consistently accident-causing sharp turn that lies outside his newly purchased home. The film starts off quite strong but progressively derails due to sometimes-sluggish pacing and complex, ambiguous character motivation that isn’t properly explained, explored, or developed. By the time it reaches its unsatisfying and abrupt ending, it’s hard to decipher what, exactly, the point of the film is.
Sharp Corner is wonderfully acted and well-crafted on a technical level, but its lack of clarity and definition prevents it from fully succeeding.
GRADE: C+
Sinners
Part historical drama, part examination of Black American lives, part actioner, and part kick-ass vampire movie, you’d be hard-pressed to find a fuller cinematic experience than this masterwork from writer/director Ryan Coogler (Creed, Black Panther). Michael B. Jordan intensely yet effortlessly owns the screen as a pair of twins who return to their Mississippi hometown in the 1930s to open a juke joint. Otherworldly trouble ensues, as does endlessly captivating brilliance.
Sinners is a methodically slow-burning and skillfully multi-genred instant classic that will make you want to see it again and again… and again.
GRADE: A
Sisu: Road to Revenge
Indiana Jones meets Mad Max in this thrilling but occasionally tiresome sequel to the 2022 WWII actioner, Sisu. In this film, the main character (a fantastic Jorma Tomnila) takes merciless vengeance on those responsible for the death of his family (led by an equally fantastic Stephen Lang). The action is expertly executed, the violence is appropriately brutal, and the pacing is airtight—but these attributes don’t fully prevent the film from falling victim to numbing redundancy due to its exhaustively nonstop action and pacing. Despite being a pretty badass movie overall, Sisu: Road to Revenge could have used some better timing and slower pacing in select moments to help it and its audience come up for even the slightest amount of air.
GRADE: B
The Smashing Machine
Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt give harrowing, top-notch performances as UFC fighter/struggling former addict Mark Kerr and his girlfriend, Dawn Staples. Editor/writer/co-producer/director Benny Safdie’s appropriately gritty and docu-realistic filmmaking makes the dramatic story hit hard in many of the right places, but it can’t quite hide the fact that the story and its unraveling are lacking in originality. The Smashing Machine is made with all-around high quality and a good deal of heart, but it explores predictable territory that’s already been covered in a variety of ways within a variety of other movies. The anticlimactic ending doesn’t particularly help matters, either.
GRADE: B-
Spinal Tap II: The End Continues
This sequel to the great 1984 rock mockumentary, This Is Spinal Tap, is a highly unnecessary but still entertaining effort. Sadly, it’s not the strong career endnote that its late director Rob Reiner deserves, but that’s hard to achieve considering that it’s competing against numerous downright classics. Spinal Tap II: The End Continues induces more consistent amusement than outright laughter, and that’s, thankfully, just enough to provide a suitable goodbye to the massive talent at its helm.
GRADE: B-
Summer of 69
Comic actress and writer Jillian Bell (Kinda Pregnant, Eastbound & Down) makes her feature directorial debut with this hilariously raunchy and touchingly heartfelt teenage comedy about a shy teenage girl (an endearing Sam Morelos) who hires a free-spirited stripper (a stunningly committed and edgily effervescent Chloe Fineman) to educate her about sex so she can impress the guy of her dreams (a charming Matt Cornett). The film feels like a classic ‘80s comedy that would make John Hughes proud, which is obviously intentional considering how many tips of the hat it makes towards his films. Summer of 69 isn’t exactly bursting with originality, but it’s still a highly entertaining, consistently funny, sensitively touching, and all-around lively viewing experience.
GRADE: B+
Superman
Writer/director James Gunn sacrifices his talent and singular sensibilities for a crowded, cluttered, underdeveloped, near-humorless, and hopelessly generic take on perhaps the most famous comic book character of all time. The film, though well-acted and well-made technically, thrusts us into the middle of a story without any explanation as to how it got there, and the result is jarring and unsatisfying to say the least. Krypto the Superdog is easily the best part of the movie, but he isn’t in it nearly enough to save it from severe mediocrity.
Gunn is far too special to waste his time on such a bland, messy, and visionless film. Superman doesn’t tell much of a story and instead fixates on setting up a franchise that will please no one if it stays on such a dull and uninspired course.
GRADE: C-
The Surfer
Nicolas Cage provides another one-of-a-kind and balls-out portrayal of madness as a man trying to buy back his childhood home on the beach of which reside violently bullying surfers who have claimed the territory entirely as their own. Vividly hallucinatory, violently intense, and wildly surreal, the film is flawlessly and inventively realized by Vivarium director Lorcan Finnegan and his endlessly skilled filmmaking team. The Surfer is a wild cinematic ride that is well worth taking.
GRADE: A
Thank You Very Much
This documentary about the artful and boundary-pushing comedian Andy Kaufman is a must-see for his fans. It offers a touchingly emotional depiction of the man, along with tidbits of information that were previously unknown and a good amount of footage that was previously unseen or hard to find. For those who are unfamiliar, however, it may not be inclusive or explanatory enough to be a proper introduction to the complexities of Kaufman’s private life and the genius behind his wholly unique work.
Thank You Very Much isn’t a definitive examination of Andy Kaufman, but it certainly is a revelatory companion piece to other books and films that have taken the effort to study and celebrate his inspired creativity and off-kilter sensibilities.
GRADE: B+
Thieves Highway
Aaron Eckhart stars as a small-town police officer who finds himself stranded in the country while being hunted by brutal cattle thieves. Despite a somewhat tedious and cliched first act, the film eventually and impressively finds its footing to be a taut, suspenseful, exciting, and deeply enthralling film. Thieves Highway is the kind of high-quality and thoughtful action/thriller we simply don’t see enough of today.
GRADE: A-
Thunderbolts*
This Marvel entry provides more evidence that the current MCU is getting quite tired and is running out of characters that are worthy of their own movie. We’ve seen this movie before, and we don’t need to see it again. Thunderbolts* has a few select moments that are entertaining, but it is an overall waste of time, talent, and way too much money.
GRADE: C-
The Toxic Avenger
This remake of the Troma/Lloyd Kaufman ‘80s cult classic is an entertaining but somewhat wasted effort. Peter Dinklage excels as a janitor who becomes something of a superhero after coming into contact with some powerful toxic waste. Other actors (Jacob Tremblay and Kevin Bacon, chief amongst them) effortlessly and skillfully add to the film’s deadpan-yet-playful intentions. The film’s darkly humorous tone is also consistently amusing. However, the modern VFX, clean filmmaking, and precisely digital gross-out gags make this incarnation of the story lack the low-budget character and charm of the original.
The Toxic Avenger significantly cleans up its act this time around, but in doing so, it somewhat misses the point of what made the original work as well as it does.
GRADE: C+
Weapons
Wow is about all I can say. This wonderfully unique, enthralling, and darkly humorous horror tale about a group of children from the same elementary class who go missing at the exact same time is about as good as movies can get. Great acting, inventively non-linear storytelling, flawless filmmaking, and highly effective moments of terror make it an instant and unforgettable classic. Writer/director Zach Cregger (Barbarian) further proves that he is one of the greatest masters of modern-day horror.
Weapons is a classy and graphic reminder that horror is, when in the right hands, one of cinema’s most effective and thrilling genres.
GRADE: A
Wolf Man
Trying to be both a Cronenberg-esque body horror and an emotional family drama that examines the heritage of abusive behavior, this underwhelming update on the classic Wolfman story doesn’t fully succeed at either aspiration. Lacking significant moments of terror and consistent dramatic power, the film is simply too bland to make a lasting impression. Wolf Man is functionally well-made and well-acted enough that I can’t say there’s anything glaringly wrong with it, but its final impact is so disappointingly impotent that I can’t say there’s anything particularly right about it, either.
GRADE: C
A Working Man
From co-writer/director David Ayer (End of Watch, Fury) and coproducer/co-writer Sylvester Stallone comes this Jason Statham-starring actioner about a construction worker who returns to the violence of his past in order to find a missing girl. Gritty, brutal, and ultra-stylish, the overall exciting film is executed with expertise and care. The generic plot and forgettable villains prevent it from being anything particularly outstanding, but it’s still fun to watch Statham kick some serious ass through the filter of Ayer’s noteworthy artistry.
A Working Man rises above its mediocre design by way of some truly impressive filmmaking that produces numerous and effective thrills.
GRADE: B
