1st Reviews

  It feels like jump scares are scarce these days and it’s because some horror films are more focused on other elements. Sometimes the anticipation isn’t built properly and the score fades into the background, but  Smile  delivered on those fronts. The script is the main issue with  Smile  as it gets repetitive and dwindles when Rose investigates this spirit’s previous victims. It drags in the middle as she slowly loses her mind and doesn’t know what her reality is anymore. Even though Bacon gives a strong performance, the script is what brings her down. Parker Finn tried to tie in Rose’s past to the spirit to create this grand finale of facing her trauma, but it didn’t make sense to incorporate it the way they did. It felt like he didn’t know how to end the film.  What Parker Finn does deliver are the scares. After watching many horror films, some can feel numb to the jump scares or anything remotely startling. So for  Smile  to anticipate the sp...

  Any romantic comedy that references  When Harry Met Sally  multiple times is a winner in my book and that is just what  Bros   feels like. It’s a mixture of gay cliches, romance, and modern-day dating. Everyone will feel seen in this movie because many characters have different life experiences. From the moment it starts Eichner puts the gay community on blast and reasonably describes how everything works for him. He defines what love means to him and how gay love has been manipulated to please heteronormative ideologies. This is a rated R inside track on what it’s like to date within the queer community and how difficult it can be. Eichner highlights the different ways to approach men and how to date them.  Bobby (Billy Eichner) and Aaron (Luke MacFarlane) are two emotionally unavailable men who have had commitment issues in the past. They’ve never been in love and they don’t want to even attempt falling for anyone. One night when they catch each other’s...

  The true crime genre is a crowded one. Between a seemingly infinite number of straight-to-streaming documentaries and countless films based on real events, it’s easy for quality content to get lost in this constantly growing category. While it isn’t exactly genre-defining, The Good Nurse is a well-crafted thriller, whose horrifying true story provides sufficient chills throughout.  Despite being a crime thriller, this movie isn’t quite as traditional as you might expect. Mysterious deaths are occurring at the hospital, and there’s a team of two detectives working the case while facing resistance. It sounds like a cookie-cutter plot, and honestly, there are moments where the story does wander into the worn-out territory. However, it’s able to break free of those cliches, because it pivots the primary focus away from the investigation, and onto the relationship between its two main characters. There are a few reasons this relationship is so compelling, but most of it comes dow...

  Friendships are always an integral part of life; sometimes, we can grow out of certain ones. In the small town of Inisherin, two lifelong friends find themselves at an impasse when one abruptly ends their relationship, with alarming consequences for both of them. People can change and want different things out of life. But the way Colm (Brendan Gleason) handles the situation with Pádraic (Colin Farrell) is a bit excessive when ending the relationship.  Writer-director Martin McDonagh breaks down Colm and Pádraic’s relationship throughout the film. They are two very different characters that seem like an unlikely pairing on Inisherin.  The Banshees of Inisherin  has Farrell at his most vulnerable and you will feel from instantly. Pádraic doesn’t understand why Colm is breaking their bond to complete a song. He can’t seem to wrap his head around the fact that he is such a distraction for Colm. McDonagh crafted one of the funniest, most heartfelt, and dark scripts of ...

Creative liberties are taken in every biopic you’ve ever watched. How they get woven into the truth, and how far a filmmaker takes them depends on what type of movie they’re looking to deliver. Blonde takes creative and artistic liberties so far that it can’t be called a biopic at all.  To be fair, this movie is based on a biographical fiction novel of the same name, so it isn’t the intention to provide a totally accurate account of Marilyn Monroe’s life. The real problem lies in the fact that with a nearly three-hour runtime, this film tells us little more than the surface-level details we already knew about her. All the big life events you know are here, surrounded by an abundance of gorgeously shot, but shallow filler.  There’s no doubt that director Andrew Dominik has an eye for creativity, and perhaps with a little restraint, his unconventional storytelling may have been an asset. He gets too caught up in creating glossy, overly-stylized sequences and imagery, resulting i...

  When we think of quintessential Steven Spielberg, we think about his early work filled with childlike wonder, heart, and playfulness behind the camera.  The Fabelmans  shows the start of Spielberg’s dream to make moving pictures. What started as a phobia while watching a train heading straight for the screen, he turned it into a true talent that has blessed the film industry for years. Instead of holding onto that fear, he took control of one aspect of his life translated into freedom of expression. Spielberg’s heart and soul are in this movie. The culmination of his work has come before this to make this one of his most personal films to date.  We meet a young man named Sammy Fabelman (Gabriel Labelle) growing up in post-World War II era Arizona. He discovers a shattering family secret and explores how the power of films can help him see the truth. Films are a version of the truth, a particular window to see different stories through multiple perspectives. Sometim...

  Murder mysteries can come in many forms but the best ones feel like an intricate jigsaw puzzle that feels impossible to even assemble. What director Rian Johnson does in  Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery is diverting  the audience’s expectations at every turn. It takes a bit to become familiar with these characters but once they get to the island it all changes. The story is interesting even though it can feel overwhelming at times. There are many moving parts and each character has a compelling backstory. This ensemble works differently than its predecessor and once Johnson hits his stride in the middle, it is wildly entertaining.  We meet tech billionaire Miles Bron (Edward Norton) who invites his friends for a getaway on his private Greek island. When someone turns up dead, Detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) is put on the case. First and foremost, Daniel Craig is even funnier in this sequel and adds more to Benoit Blanc’s character. Blanc has been looking fo...

Women are on another intellectual level when they discuss anything. They tend to break down any situation, no matter how small, and weigh the endless possibilities. There can be many outcomes and they asses the repercussions of their actions. Women can see a situation unfold before it even happens because they have to always be prepared. Society has conditioned women to be prepared for anything, while men can just take flight and not take accountability for their actions. So to see a group of women in  Women Talking  making a very calculated decision regarding an abusive relationship is one of the most authentic on-screen experiences.  In 2010, the women of an isolated religious community grapple with reconciling their reality with their faith. Based on the novel by Miriam Toews. Writer-director Sarah Polley adapts the novel with such care and precision in every aspect of the filmmaking process to bring this story together. The importance of this feature is to start a con...

Viola Davis has branched off into many action films over the last few years but The Woman King marks her as a certified badass. Very few times I have left a theatre with my heart beating with such excitement to see the heroes succeed, Woman King was one of them.  The Woman King tells the story of the Agojie, an all female unit in the West African Kingdom of Dahomey in 1823. The Agojie are also the inspiration for the Dora Milaje warriors in Black Panther.  We are introduced to the world of the Agojie through the lens of Nawi (played by Thuso Mbedo) who is a new trainee in the battalion. we get to understand the lifestyle, and training methods of the Agojie as tough by their Commander Nanisca (viola Davis) and second in command, Izogie (Lashana Lynch). The Agojie undergo strict training and order in order to be in top form at all times.  John Boyega is also fantastic in the role of King Ghezo, King of Dahomey. He has an interesting character dynamic wit...

  When I heard Sam Mendes and Roger Deakins were teaming up again, my money was already in hand waiting for tickets to go on sale. The project is a love story centered around an old cinema cemented it as one of my most anticipated movies of the year. To nobody’s surprise, Empire of Light is visually stunning, however, a lack of true narrative focus makes for a disjointed experience.  Directors often tell deeply personal stories based on their own lives, and this is undoubtedly Sam Mendes’ most intimate film. In the process of making something near to his heart, he loses sight of telling an actual story. There are several beautiful moments, but there’s a missing sense of connectedness to tie any of them together. It touches on human connection, the power of cinema, racism, and mental health, but never lingers on any one subject long enough to be impactful. The result is a movie that plays out like a collection of individual experiences that Mendes wanted to share with his audie...

Weird: The Al Yankovic Story is unlike any other biopic film and one only a guy as "weird" as Al Yankovic can come up with.  What began as a short film parody back in 2010, finally became a large format film after the biopic boom of the last few years. Most biopics, as unique as they are, have a unique structure and this movie pokes fun at all of the typical cliché moments that are utilized in biopic films and it makes for an extremely funny and enjoyable time. The film never takes itself seriously as it makes fun of musicians, the music industry, and Weird Al himself.  The film tells the fictional tale of Weird Al Yankovic from childhood closet accordion player to global and platinum parody artist. His fame has no bounds and even attracts the attention of drug lord Pablo Escobar.  Daniel Radcliffe has had such a fun catalog of films since Harry Potter and Weird continues that trend. He clearly had a lot of fun filming this movie and getting into character....

  Cobra Kai is back and bigger than ever, Literally. Under the new management of Terry Silver after the events of season 4, Terry will do whatever it takes to take over the karate world by force and show everyone what Cobra Kai has to offer. This really elevates the story to uncharted territory as Terry plans his expansion and introduces us to many really cool Sensei's, specifically Sensei  Kim Da-Eun played by  Alicia Hannah-Kim's  who is just as crazy and unpredictable as Terry. Krease has always been a great character but his love for Johnny has always held him back in many ways. Terry is a much better villain and brings so much to this season and the stakes have never been higher. While Cobra Kai is planning their take over, Miagi-Do and Eagle Fang are still picking up the pieces from last season and we get a lot of great character moments and self-reflection. It is great to see a lot of interactions this season that wrap a bow on a few relationships over the las...