Lazy Susan

Movie Name: Lazy Susan
Year of Release: 2020
Director: Nick Peet
Starring: Sean Hayes, Margo Martindale, Carrie Aizley, Allison Janney, Jim Rash, Danny Johnson, Kiel Kennedy, Darlene Hunt, Madison Paige Ochoa, Matthew Broderick
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 4
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Synopsis and Review

"Lazy Susan" is director Nick Peet's feature directorial debut following a few short features. The film co-written by Sean Hayes, Darlene Hunt, and Carrie Aizley, follows the story of Susan, a woman in her 40s, who has been let go of her job, and who pays her bills by latching on to her very generous mother. Susan sleeps late, and is very content in selfishly looking out for herself, doing collages, and engaging on music rehearsals with her best friend Corrin. She's horrified to find out that her brother and his family are planning to take their mother to Niagara Falls to celebrate her birthday, but no one is paying for her ticket (in other words, if she wants to go, she has to pay for her own way). In the meantime, she starts a relationship with a man by the name of Phil, whom she casually meets at the gym, and who rear-ends her at a stop sign. Susan thinks the relationship is soaring, but suddenly realizes he's married, and has a new baby on the way. She also gets evicted, as she has consistently failed to pay the full rent. She comes to terms with the fact that she needs to sharply change her attitude and life.

The immensely talented Sean Hayes, whose company also produces this feature, is at the center of this film, portraying Susan as a woman who has steadily refused to grow up. Susan lives in a special bubble she created for herself, where everyone is a featured player in supporting her dreams and desires. Her family can't stand her selfishness anymore, and the only support she has is her friend Corrin, whom she eventually also disappoints. This tale of someone who is this hapless and has this lack of self-awareness could have been some seriously potent material in the hands of John Waters or even Todd Solondz, sadly Nick Peet's point of view is a rather generic one, that fizzles out all the insane episodes Susan goes through, even if Sean Hayes is all invested in bringing that character to life, no matter what the situation may be. Most of the problems with this film, aside from its low budget, come from this unwillingness from the director to crank up the volume a bit more, and truly bringing to life the situations Susan finds herself in. The supporting characters even in their limited scope and screen time are actually quite suggestive, including Allison Janney's Velvet, Matthew Broderick's Doug, and Danny Johnson's Leon. The cast is solid, including the funny and always underrated Jim Rash, while the production team is a bit uninspired. It's an interesting film, one with a great cast, that simply needed a stronger directorial point of view to make it more memorable. 

The Frighteners

Movie Name: The Frighteners
Year of Release: 1996
Director: Peter Jackson
Starring: Michael J. Fox, Trini Alvarado, Peter Dobson, John Astin, Jeffrey Combs, Dee Wallace Stone, Chi McBride, Jake Busey, Jim Fyfe, Troy Evans, Julianna McCarthy, R. Lee Ermey, Elizabeth Hawthorne, Angela Bloomfield, John Sumner
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 5
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Synopsis and Review

Before he embarked on the adaptations of J. R. Tolkien's books which made him a millionaire and a household name, Peter Jackson was a writer/director primarily well known for his fantastical films "Bad Taste", "Meet the Feebles", and "Dead Alive". He took a detour from the horror and supernatural genre with the well received "Heavenly Creatures", but went back to his previous genres with "The Frighteners". The film follows the story of Frank Bannister, a former successful architect, who suffered a traumatic past accident which resulted in the death of his wife, and who now makes a living as an exorcist of sorts. In reality he works with ghosts who stage the hauntings in the houses of unsuspecting people, so that he can come in, perform the exorcism, and reap the rewards. One of his clients turns out to be Dr. Lucy Lynskey and her husband Ray. While exorcising their home Frank notices the number 37 glowing on Ray's forehead. Ray passes away a few days later, and while helping Lucy communicate with her late husband, Frank notices another individual has the number 38 marked on his head. He's terrified to witness this Grim Reaper like entity killing the man who had the 38 mark, upon which he decides the entity. That supernatural angel of death keeps killing people, and Frank realizes that the murders that are taking place are implicating him. He decides to turn himself him, just as an unstable FBI agent joints the investigation, believing that he is indeed the killer of all these people, including his late wife. 

"The Frighteners" is one of those films of the 1990s that feels a bit orphaned, much like Kathryn Bigelow's "Strange Days" and Alex Proyas' "Dark City". All films from interesting directors, who at the time of their release struggled to find an audience, even if the films themselves had fairly good reviews, and solid casts. Of the three of those mentioned before, "The Frighteners" is possibly the most muted of all, and also the one that has aged a bit more poorly, primarily due to the quality of the visual effects themselves. Peter Jackson who later had a chance to develop his storytelling scope and techniques with "The Lord of the Rings" series, devised this original plot with his wife and co-writer Fran Walsh. Some of his habitual topics surface on this tale, namely the central figure who is apparently a normal individual, but who is haunted by a traumatic past, and also someone who has something unusual about himself, which renders him just a bit off kilter, resulting in that central figure being deemed eccentric or quasi an outcast. Frank Bannister embodies these traits, and he is a good host for all the events that occur throughout the narrative. He's a bit of charlatan with a heart of gold, someone who is a bit lost, but who means no harm to anyone. The film however has some tonal issues, which start with Peter Jackson revealing the ghosts too early in the story. They're introduced abruptly and in a manner that is a bit jarring, particularly because they come across as a loonier version of Dr. Emmett Brown from Robert Zemeckis' "Back to the Future" (Mr. Zemeckis was originally going to direct this film and stayed on as a producer). Peter Jackson doesn't build much of a context or environment for all these characters, before introducing this supernatural motif, that becomes an omni-present element for the remainder of the feature. The main characters take a back seat for all the supernatural noise that is happening, something that also takes away from the impact that those characters were building. There was a tone similar to David Lynch's "Twin Peaks" in some of the early scenes, with the police officers, but that is quickly pushed aside to pursue the supernatural conspiracy taking place. The tonal shifts, the over abundant (and borderline in poor taste) visual effects, and some of the acting (particularly the overacting from Jeffrey Combs), tilt the film in a rather mediocre direction. However the film does feature the always reliable Michael J. Fox, Trini Alvarado, Troy Evans, and John Astin doing solid work, even if the always lovely Dee Wallace Stone and Jake Busey are also, and much like Jeffrey Combs, overacting just a bit much. The score from Danny Elfman is a highlight, even if the rest of the production team is not. It's a watchable film, but one that needed a bit more restraint.

Mayhem

Movie Name: Mayhem
Year of Release: 2017
Director: Joe Lynch
Starring: Steven Yeun, Samara Weaving, Steven Brand, Caroline Chikezie, Kerry Fox, Dallas Roberts, Mark Frost, Claire Dellamar, André Eriksen, Nikola Kent, Lucy Chappell
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 6
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Synopsis and Review

"Mayhem" is Joe Lynch's follow up to "Everly", a "Colombiana" style film which featured Salma Hayek as the lead actress. The film focuses on the story of Derek Cho, a young man who has been diligently working at a massive consulting firm. He comes across a client by the name of Melanie Cross, who is desperately trying to retain ownership of her home, and Derek explains her options and how she can do so. When the tension escalates he asks security to escort her out. He realizes that a mess of a legal case has been pinned on him by his boss, Kara Powell, someone he considerably dislikes. The tension also escalates there and they decide to take the situation to the next level, the CEO of the company, John Towers. Derek is targeted as the fall guy for that messy situation, and is fired by Human Resources chief, Lester McGill. As he is about to be escorted out from the building, the building itself is placed under quarantine, as the virus ID-7 (a red eye virus which makes people fall prey to their darker instincts, including murder) has been detected inside. While a neutralizing agent has ben released in the building, it will take approximately eight hours for the virus to be decimated. Stuck inside the building, Derek decides to protest and get his job back, however he is taken to the basement to be beaten up by Towers' security team. Derek gets beaten, his friend Derek gets killed, and he eventually finds himself locked up with Melanie, who didn't make out of the building before the quarantine procedures. They eventually decide to work together, and start solving both their problems and eliminate anything that stands in their way, starting with Kara Powell. 

This film feels oddly prescient of the times we're currently living. At a time when most organizations are reaping more financial rewards at the cost of laying off more and more people, the events this film illustrates seem ironically relevant. The director smartly positions this film as a B-movie vehicle, though at times one can't help but think what someone like David Cronenberg could have done with this material in the 1980s. What this means is that we get barely defined characters, but these archetypes, including Derek's fall guy who is in reality a hard worker who had to climb the ladder with perseverance and talent, Melanie the client who is facing eviction, the villainous managerial staff, all of them are so finely embodied by these actors, one can't help but appreciate the over the top events that are taking place. The film is pretty straightforward on its premise, and very low on pretension: hard worker gets blamed and fired, client is desperate and is pushed aside, management is unscrupulous and greedy, and a rage catalyst virus is spread across the building. Those ingredients start a series of non stop action tableaus that are bloody, and at times, even quite funny. The director and his creative team get their point across quite well, namely that the greed DNA isn't easily extinguishable, but that ultimately everyone gets their comeuppance. The cast is uniformly solid, with Steven Yeun, Samara Weaving, Dallas Roberts, and the unexpected (for this film) Kerry Fox, giving credible and ferocious performances. The production team is solid, with the highlight going to Mina Buric's production design, building the corporate offices into something believable and relatable, and also Steve Moore's score. It may not be for everyone, but it's an entertaining film nonetheless. 

Blue Steel

Movie Name: Blue Steel
Year of Release: 1990
Director: Kathryn Bigelow
Starring: Jamie Lee Curtis, Ron Silver, Clancy Brown, Louise Fletcher, Philip Bosco, Elizabeth Peña, Kevin Dunn, Richard Jenkins, Markus Flanagan, Mike Hodge, Mike Starr, Tom Sizemore, Matt Craven
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 5
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Synopsis and Review

"Blue Steel" was Kathryn Bigelow's third feature since her debut with "The Loveless" in 1981. It was also another collaboration of her with screenwriter and director Eric Red, who made a name for himself in the 1980s with Robert Harmon's "The Hitcher", his own "Cohen and Tate", and his previous collaboration with Kathryn Bigelow, the vampire film "Near Dark". The film focuses its narrative on a fresh out of school police officer by the name of Megan Turner. In one of her first assignments she's forced to shoot a robber, who is holding up a neighborhood supermarket, and is threatening to kill people. When she shoots him, his gun falls to the ground, and one of the people in the supermarket, commodities trader Eugene Hunt, takes the gun and eventually slips away. Even with the eyewitnesses, but because the gun could not be retrieved, Megan is suspended from the job (and treated very harshly in the process). Eugene in the meantime starts killing random people with the gun all the while having paranoid delusions. Megan is trying to clear her name, but also starts dating Eugene, who has become obsessed with her. He admits to her he took the gun from the supermarket, and has been killing people since then. Megan arrests him, but Eugene is freed since his lawyer claims lack of evidence. Megan manages to partner with Detective Nick Mann, and they both seek out the evidence needed to arrest Eugene, but the following events just keep harming Megan's credibility further and further.

Kathryn Bigelow has a rare talent of making her stories and her characters both vivid and authentic. Even when the narrative is a futuristic one such as "Strange Days" or more of a trip back in time such as "The Weight of Water", every story fills inhabited by credible characters and situations. "Blue Steel" is one of her films where the plausibility of what's taking place is stretched beyond reasonable. While the obsessive relationship that is captured between Eugene and Megan has some possible ties with reality, everything else that is occurring around it, is stretched to a limit that undermines the narrative that is being told. There are sub-plots in the film that aim to bring some additional dimension to Megan as a character, and they do have enough dramatic ethos to do so (namely the relationship between her parents), however that is not extended to any of the other characters, including Eugene, who is illustrated as a sudden serial killer who is able to hold a very visible job during the day (he's the original "American Psycho" apparently). What eventually starts happening as the film progresses, and the incredulity of the situations mount, the ability to capture the audience's attention and investment lessens. The disconnect between where the narrative started and where it eventually leads is enormous, which in itself is not problematic, but that journey for the characters themselves feels less organic and more like a science-fiction narrative (which I don't think is the purpose). Jonathan Demme in his brilliant take on Thomas Harris' "The Silence of the Lambs" also took us on a journey, but one where even with the horrific tale being presented on screen, there was a consistency to it that made it engaging to go on the journey with Clarice Starling from beginning to end. This film lacks a supple journey, Megan's events feel unstructured, and Eugene's ability to circumvent every single challenge, particularly for someone who has no idea of what he is doing, feel unreal. The cast tries their best with the material they have, particularly Jamie Lee Curtis who gives it her all, with Clancy Brown, Louise Fletcher and Philip Bosco providing good support. The production team is impeccable, including Brad Fiedel's score and Amir Mokri's cinematography. It's a lessen feature in Kathryn Bigelow's body of work.

Rosaline

Movie Name: Rosaline
Year of Release: 2022
Director: Karen Maine
Starring: Kaitlyn Dever, Isabela Merced, Minnie Driver, Christopher McDonald, Sean Teale, Kyle Allen, Spencer Stevenson, Bradley Whitford, Nico Hiraga, Alistair Toovey, Alhaji Fofana, Mercedes Colon, Nicholas Rowe
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 4
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Synopsis and Review

Karen Maine's feature directorial debut, "Yes, God, Yes", made a considerable splash upon its release, and "Rosaline" is in fact her sophomore feature. The film is an adaptation of the book from Rebecca Serle, which is in turn inspired by the events of William Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet". The film focuses its attention on Rosaline, whom we discover is a strong willed and opinionated young woman from the House Capulet. She's been secretly dating Romeo, a member from the House Montague, the rival house to hers. She misses a ball where she was meant to have a rendez-vous with him, since her father has been trying to find her a suitable husband. Romeo in the interim, meets Rosaline's cousin, Juliet, and becomes smitten by her. Rosaline soon discovers he is persistently going after Juliet. Rosaline attempts to court Romeo back, by spreading some rumors to her cousin about his philandering, while also introducing her to other potential available suitors. Juliet eventually discovers what Rosaline has been doing, becomes enraged, and distrustful of all her actions. Rosaline discovers a letter from Romeo to Juliet asking her to elope with him. She tries to thwart these plans with Dario, the young man her father tried to set her up with. While they both fail, things escalate from then on, when Romeo and Juliet's marriage is uncovered by their respective families.

The attempts to modernize or capitalize on the works of William Shakespeare are almost as frequent as the adaptations of his works themselves. However for every successful take, such as Baz Luhrmann's "William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet", there's those slightly less accomplished ones such as Michael Almereyda's "Hamlet", to name but two examples. "Rosaline" doesn't fall on either one of those sides, but rather a bit in between: it's not terribly memorable, but thankfully it's not purely terrible either. The film's saving grace is in reality the always fantastic Kaitlyn Dever, a performer who manages to move seamlessly between drama and comedy, with a perfect timing across all the parts she decides to tackle (and she's a terrific singer as well). The modernization of the Shakespearean lore in this film almost works, even if at times the film does feel a bit like the cast of "Booksmart" is attempting to do a rendering of one of the plays of the bard. There's a bit of a disconnect that permeates throughout the film: Rosaline is the one who functions as the main bridge of modernity from the audience towards the classicism of the words and actions that are taking place, which means that whenever she's not on screen the film retreats to something that lacks spark, and frankly, talent to hold our attention. What we're left with is a slight and occasionally funny film, mostly brought to life by Kaitlyn Dever. The creative team tries to make the feature into a feminist statement, particularly in the last chapter, however it feels bland, lacking impact, and ultimately failing in bringing more life into these characters and situations. The supporting cast features good performances from the always underrated Minnie Driver, Bradley Whitford, and Christopher McDonald. The production team is competent, with the biggest highlight going for the costumes from Mitchell Travers. This is watchable for Kaitlyn Dever's talent alone, but she deserves better vehicles than these. 

Revenge

Movie Name: Revenge
Year of Release: 2017
Director: Coralie Fargeat
Starring: Matilda Lutz, Kevin Janssens, Vincent Colombe, Guillaume Bouchede, Jean-Louis Tribes
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 8
Watch it on Tubi

Synopsis and Review

For those of us who were surprised by "The Substance", "Revenge" is the feature directorial debut from Coralie Fargeat. The film follows the story of Jen, a young woman whom we first encounter arriving at a luxury residence alongside her partner, a man by the name of Richard. We soon realize that he's married, and even though Jen doesn't know him that well, she believes he can help her with her dreams of moving to LA. After their first night in the house, two of Richard's friends arrive, Stan and Dimitri, so the three of them can go on a hunting trip in the desert. Richard is forced to introduce Jen, though he expected her to be gone by then, since his friends know his wife. That night they all party, and the following morning Richard is away. Stan tries to flirt with Jen, but she dismisses him. The situation continues to escalate, until he rapes her, while Dimitri just goes to another room dismissing what is happening. Upon Richard's arrival, he understands what has happened, and tries to salvage the situation, by telling Jen she can move to Canada at his expense. The exchange gets heated, and Jen runs off into the desert, with the three men on her chase. Richard pushes Jen off the cliff and she is impaled by a tree branch. While Stan is shocked, they all decide they have to get rid of the body. However Jen regains consciousness, and by the time the men return to check on her, they can't locate her anymore. Jen wanting to survive the ordeal, slowly but surely turns the tables on them.

It would be easy to dismiss "Revenge" as just another violent film in a genre that seems to have died down in the 1980s (the staple still being of course Abel Ferrara's "Ms. 45"). However what is so fresh and unique about this film, is the approach that Coralie Fargeat gives to these characters, their motivations, and how they all have an arc from the beginning all the way through the last moments. Jen, the lead character, who could at first glance be dismissed as the "beautiful woman without much depth", goes through a radical transformation and metamorphosis, eventually becoming not simply an avenging angel, but a resourceful and capable woman, ready to defend herself with everything she has at her means. The conspirators, who initially are portrayed as loving, clownish, and even clueless, demonstrate their darker side, and how viciously dismissive they can be. The situation and what it evolves into, forces them to confront their own fears, even if they don't question their line of reasoning and what they're attempting to do for one second. It's a film that Coralie Fargeat stages with an incredible precision, not only with a stylistic point of view, but also giving the characters just enough space that allows them to become more than simple cardboard illustrations of what a monstrous individual can be (though Dimitri sadly gets the less screen time which would allow us to understand a bit more of who he is). The cast is solid, with highlights going to Matilda Lutz, who goes through a radical transformation, with great support from Vincent Colombe, who while playing a truly morally bankrupt character, tries to demonstrate that while weak and spineless, he's not totally without sense of what he's doing. The production team is equally solid, in particular Robrecht Heyvaert's cinematography, Robin Coudert's score, and the makeup team of Pierre Emmanuel Kass, Ghislaine Nejjar, and Laetitia Quillery. A visceral yet indelible film worth watching. 

Until Dawn

Movie Name: Until Dawn
Year of Release: 2025
Director: David F. Sandberg
Starring: Ella Rubin, Michael Cimino, Odessa A'zion, Ji-young Yoo, Belmont Cameli, Maia Mitchell, Peter Stormare, Lotta Losten, Tibor Szauervein, Willem van der Vegt
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 4
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Synopsis and Review

After the fizzle of "Shazam! Fury of the Gods", and some of the noise surrounding David F. Sandberg's reaction to the reviews (he didn't take the less than stellar reviews well), the director has returned to the genre who made him originally a household name (or at least well known). "Until Dawn" is derived from a video game with the same name and its script is authored by the talented Gary Dauberman (who adapted and directed the recent "Salem's Lot", but also authored the "Annabelle" films and the first chapter of "The Nun" series) and Blair Butler (she wrote "The Invitation"). The narrative focuses on a group of friends who are trying to find out what happened to the sister of one of them who disappeared on her way to New York. The group is comprised of Clover, her ex-boyfriend Max, Megan, and the couple, Nina and Abe. The missing girl's name is Melanie and she is Clover's sister. The group stops at a gas station where Melanie sent a message to Clover, and she asks the attendant by the name of Hill, if he remembers her at all. He lets her know that people disappear in the area of Glore Valley, a mining town. The group continues on and they're hammered with heavy rains. They decide to take shelter at a visitor center, which oddly enough has no rain around it. As they look around the whole area is empty, but Abe eventually finds a wall with posters of missing persons, one of which is Melanie. As they continue to investigate the space, they discover another house underneath it. Things take a dark turn when a masked psycho kills Abe, and then proceeds to kill everyone else in the group. They all re-awake at the same place, with memories of being killed, only this time around, their photos are also on the missing persons panel that Abe checked before. They realize the night is repeating, something that an hourglass in the main room is clocking. They once again suffer gruesome deaths, and eventually realize they have to work together since these are going to continue repeating themselves, until they become trapped in that reality.

Most video game adaptations don't fare very well. And it's typically easy to pinpoint the issues, namely understanding who the characters are, where their motivations lie, and making them believable in whatever scenarios they find themselves in. Even the mildly successful adaptations such as Paul W. S. Anderson's "Resident Evil" series, never primed for a very developed central persona, particularly when it came to its heroine Alice, much less any of the supporting characters. "Until Dawn" has very similar issues, not to mention that it bypasses much of the context setting for whatever is indeed happening with these characters. There are of course the tropes of the horror genre, namely a group of young people seeking out someone who disappeared (there's always a group of people at the wrong place, which is the case for "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre", "The Hills Have Eyes", "Wrong Turn" series, and the list goes on), but this one takes a supernatural twist, with dashes of "Groundhog Day". Meaning, the deaths keep happening until these individuals can find out what's at the root of everything, otherwise they face being trapped in that reality forever. David F. Sandberg manages to create a very effective ominous scenario and the production design also plays a considerable part in it. However the storyline itself has some considerable gaps, something that extends to the characters themselves that are rather copycats from so many other horror films, meaning that the film fails to exhibit much originality when it comes to the horror genre. The cast tries their best with the material they have, and as usual Peter Stormare manages to be the most memorable performer of the ensemble. The production team is solid, including Maxime Alexandre's cinematography, Benjamin Wallfisch's score, Jennifer Spence's production design, and the entire prosthetics team. David F. Sandberg is a talented filmmaker and he deserves better material than this. 

The Woman in the Yard

Movie Name: The Woman in the Yard
Year of Release: 2025
Director: Jaume Collet-Serra
Starring: Danielle Deadwyler, Peyton Jackson, Estella Kahiha, Russell Hornsby, Okwui Okpokwasili
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 3
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Synopsis and Review

The prolific Spanish director Jaume Collet-Serra is back, after the huge hit he had with "Carry-On" which he directed for Netflix (and that has become one of the most watched films ever on that platform). This time he goes back to the supernatural and horror genre, where he started, namely with the remake of "House of Wax" and "Orphan". "The Woman in the Yard" follows the story of a family reeling from a devastating car accident which caused the death of the father/husband in the family. Ramona, the mother, is disabled following the car crash, and is now the sole provider for the family, which includes her two kids, teenager Taylor and the child, Annie. Ramona still dreams of all the plans she and her husband had for their life, including finishing the renovation of the farm house where they live. As they go through their regular lives one day they realize there's a woman draped in back that appears in their front yard. She claims that "Today's the day", and she then just stays there. As the woman moves closer to the house, their dog disappears. Shortly after their electric power goes out. The tension in the house also escalates, with Ramona snapping at Taylor, until she eventually decides to confront the Woman, only to realize there's more to her than it seems. 

The script for "The Woman in the Yard" was on the Black List at some point (the list for the best un-produced scripts), and while the film starts with some momentum, Jaume Collet-Serra has some challenges in bringing these characters to life, particularly illustrating what made the connection between these individuals so meaningful (particularly the relationship between Ramona and her husband). The story wants to illustrate how someone's grief and depression can manifest itself in rather sinister outputs, but this film isn't like Andrzej Zulawski's "Possession", where Isabelle Adjani's character also manifests a creature she interacts with. "The Woman in the Yard" is less visceral and less believable, since the characters are rather bland, and Ramona in particular, never feels like a fully realized person, but someone who seems rather miffed by the turn her life has taken, as opposed to someone who is coming to terms with the direction she needs to embark on. This is a film that could have been that much more sinister and darker, since a real threat to a family unit would be at the core of what was happening.  However the central relationships between these characters, particularly the one between Ramona and her husband, is illustrated by vignettes that are elliptical in their scope and ultimately rather shallow in terms of their dynamics. It's a film that has some ambition, but that eventually goes nowhere, even if it weaves a rather ambiguous ending. Neither the cast nor the production team particularly elevate what is happening here. It's a forgettable endeavor. 

Final Destination: Bloodlines

Movie Name: Final Destination: Bloodlines
Year of Release: 2025
Director: Zach Lipovsky, Adam B. Stein
Starring: Kaitlyn Santa Juana, Teo Briones, Rya Kihlstedt, Richard Harmon, Owen Patrick Joyner, Anna Lore, Alex Zahara, April Telek, Tinpo Lee, Tony Todd, Brec Bassinger, Gabrielle Rose, Max Lloyd-Jones, Brenna Llewellyn, Natasha Burnett, Jayden Oniah, Mark Brandon, Yvette Ferguson
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 6
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Synopsis and Review

Zach Lipovsky and Adam B. Stein made a name for themselves with the solid but sadly a bit sidelined "Freaks" which premiered in 2018. They have partnered on this most recent installment of the "Final Destination" franchise, with the writing team comprised of Guy Busick (who has been a writer on the most recent chapters of the "Scream" franchise, but also "Abigail" and the show "Castle Rock"), Lori Evans Taylor, and Jon Watts (who has been one of the creative forces behind the revitalizing of the most recent "Spider Man" series of films). This chapter of the franchise starts by introducing Iris Campbell and her boyfriend Paul, who in 1968 are going to the grand opening of the Sky View, a fancy high-rise restaurant tower. Iris has a premonition that all will collapse and there will be multiple fatalities. She warns people of the impending doom, and manages to save many. 57 years later Iris and Paul's maternal granddaughter, Stefani, is a college student, haunted by these recurring nightmares of the averted accident that Iris experienced. She decides to investigate more about what's happening to her, since these nightmares are also impacting her ability to stay focused in school, have good grades, and she's about ready to flunk. Upon returning home, Stefani is met with surprise from her father and brother, as she has rarely kept in touch. She decides to investigate more about Iris, asking her uncle about it, who confides in her that his mother had serious mental issues, which impacted his and his sister's upbringing (Stefani's mom who after giving birth to her and her brothers, one day decided to leave the family household and never returned). Stefani eventually discovers where Iris lives, an isolated and fortified space, and while initially Iris discourages her from coming in, she eventually agrees and tells Stefani what she thinks is happening. Iris has documented every aftermath of what has happened since the events of the Sky View, in the hopes of keeping her family safe. Stefani finds the story impossible, and Iris decides to come outside her safe space, sacrificing herself in the process, so Stefani believes what she just described. Stefani realizes that her family is all on the path for death to collect them all, and frantically goes after every one of them in the hopes of saving them.

The "Final Destination" series always abides to a consistent formula where a central character has a prediction about a fatal event, which he/she then avoids, alongside a few others who believe the prediction, only for all of them to become targets for a series of fatal accidents. This formula is on display once again with "Final Destination: Bloodlines", with a slight imaginative difference/departure. This narrative goes back in time to illustrate how Death haunts this generational enclave and how it crosses time in order to achieve its sinister intent. While the characters fail to have much dimension to them, the family dynamics are nonetheless fairly well established, in the sense that there's a certain amount of friction and tension between them all, something that this threat seems to change and eventually dissolve, nearly bringing them together, including the leading character's long lost mother. This attempt at stopping Death's sinister plan turns out to be the glue this fractured family needed to find a common ground. For all its shortcomings in terms of giving these characters something more substantial that makes them more authentic, the film moves surprisingly swiftly, and while its gory premise remains intact, the film isn't solely focused on this aspect, allowing for the narrative to feel fluid and sensical (something that the prior films at times battled with). It's a slick and polished B-movie at its best. The cast, particularly Brec Bassinger, Rya Kihlstedt, and Gabrielle Rose bring their characters to life with conviction, while the production team is solid, featuring some great production design work from Rachel O'Toole (the period elements at the beginning of the feature and the Mad Max inspired compound are inspired). It's an entertaining, even if at times gruesome, addition to the series. 

The Good House

Movie Name: The Good House
Year of Release: 2021
Director: Maya Forbes, Wallace Wolodarsky
Starring: Sigourney Weaver, Kevin Kline, Morena Baccarin, Rob Delaney, David Rasche, Rebecca Henderson, Molly Brown, Kathryn Erbe, Kelly AuCoin, Georgia Lyman, Beverly D'Angelo, Paul Guilfoyle, Jimmy LeBlanc, Holly Chou
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 7
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Synopsis and Review

"The Good House" is the first credited release of the directing duo of Maya Forbes and Wallace Wolodarsky, though individually they've directed quite a few features of their own (Forbes directed "Infinitely Polar Bear" and Wolodarsky directed "Seeing Other People", and they have also written many other features including "The Rocker" and "Monster Vs. Aliens", to name but a few).  "The Good House" is an adaptation of the novel by Ann Leary and the directors/writers collaborated with Thomas Bezucha on the script. It focuses on the life of Hildy Good, a realtor in the beautiful area of Andover, who has been struggling to catch a break. She's gone through a divorce, and her former assistant Wendy, has stolen some of her clients while she was in rehab for alcoholism (at the insistence of her daughters). Hildy has been attempting to help a local family with an autistic child sell their home, and asks local handyman Frank, whom she has always been attracted to, if he can help them with some house renovations. Hildy also navigates the social ecosystem of the town, having befriended Rebecca, a recent addition to the community who is married to a well off man, but who is having an affair with Peter, the local psychiatrist, someone Hildy has known all her life. Hildy's life gets progressively more out of control, as her drinking escalates, and as she reminisces about her own mother, and what drove her to her sad ending. 

"The Good House" is an interesting film that experiences a rather darker tonal shift midway through it, but one that remains thoroughly engaging very much due to the impeccable central performance from Sigourney Weaver. As the narrative commences, Hildy's breaking the fourth wall and addressing the audience directly, feels very much like a series of snarky and very self aware comments about her own life and those in it. These comments are incisive and funny, and give Hildy this loose and relaxed vibe that instantly make her charismatic and relatable. However as the narrative progresses, and her issues with alcohol abuse become more pronounced and her ability to lead her life seem to evaporate further and further, that joyous tone also becomes less and less visible, revealing a woman who has been avoiding addressing certain issues and problems in her life. It's a very interesting narrative progression, since initially the film has some winks and nudges to the dark humor of Sam Mendes' "American Beauty", but then it shifts into something definitely more heartfelt and even more dramatic. This journey is one worth going through with Sigourney Weaver, who hasn't had a part this dynamic in years, and she has a great partner in Kevin Kline, whom she shares great chemistry with (they made a great couple in Ivan Reitman's "Dave", and also the illicit adulterers in Ang Lee's "The Ice Storm"). Sadly the supporting characters are rather thinly characterized and developed, including Morena Baccarin's Rebecca, Rob Delaney's Peter, and Kathryn Erbe's Wendy, all characters who could have benefited from a bit more attention. The production team on the film is solid, with highlights going to Andrei Bowden Schwartz's cinematography, Theodore Shapiro's score, and Carl Sprague's production design. It's a nicely crafted film with some fantastic performances worth watching. 

Weapons

Movie Name: Weapons
Year of Release: 2025
Director: Zach Cregger
Starring: Josh Brolin, Julia Garner, Alden Ehrenreich, Amy Madigan, Cary Christopher, Benedict Wong, Austin Abrams, June Diane Raphael, Whitmer Thomas, Callie Schuttera, Toby Huss, Sara Paxton, Justin Long, Clayton Farris, Aaron Quick Nelson, Scarlett Sher
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 8
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Synopsis and Review

Following the well received "Barbarian", writer/director Zach Cregger has returned with a more ambitious, and even more effective dark and original story. The film takes place in Maybrook, a town in Pennsylvania, where as the narrator lets us know, seventeen children get up in the middle of the night, and leave their houses. They're all students of Justine Gandy, a discrete and somewhat timid teacher. The police seek their whereabouts, and nothing is uncovered, no bodies are found, nothing is traceable. The principal of the school, Marcus Miller tries to bring parents and teachers together to collectively try to deal with the situation, but the situation quickly escalates as the angry parents hold Justine responsible for what happened, without any proof or reason for doing so. The narrative then focuses on different lead characters of the narrative, starting with Justine, whom we encounter having to resort to drinking to cope with the trauma of the situation. She also hooks up with a married prior boyfriend of hers, a local police officer by the name of Paul. She tries to understand what has happened to all the children by following the only boy who didn't disappear, the quiet and shy Alex. Alex was interviewed by the Police and everyone at school and has no idea where his colleagues are. As Justine continues her investigation, she's accosted by one of the parents of the missing children, Archer Graff. As he's questioning her at a gas station, she's viciously attacked by Marcus, who is intent on killing her (out of nowhere). As the narrative focuses on different characters, including Archer, Paul, James (a local drug addict), Marcus, and Alex, we begin to realize what took place in the days leading to the disappearance of the children, and all the ties that intersect these characters' lives. 

"Weapons" is one of those rare films that manages to hold one's attention, by asking a very simple question. What if a collective traumatic event happened in a small community, and there was absolutely no way to figure out what had caused that event? The massive trauma that occurs to these families jumpstarts this narrative, that then takes us on a journey of understanding these singled out characters, but also slowly starts uncovering the nefarious and darkness reasonings that lie beneath all the events that have and are  happening. The first two thirds of the film are truly a lesson in being able to create an environment that is primarily one of anguish, and anger, and as the third chapter comes along, and all the pieces start coming together, some additional questions do appear, but the overall darkness of what is taking place becomes both more apparent and disturbing. This is indeed Zach Cregger's version of Paul Thomas Anderson's "Magnolia", in the sense we all get to understand a bit of all these lead characters and why their lives intersect, but with a sinister and supernatural take on it, which eventually dictate their outcomes. Without spoiling what takes place in the narrative, the film is finely crafted in terms of illustrating the context in which these characters exist, and giving just enough dimension to all of them which allows us to understand their plight. The writer/director also provides just enough horrific moments which jolt the film with a certain energy, never gratuitously being overly grotesque. The cast is uniformly fantastic, with Josh Brolin, Julia Garner, Alden Ehrenreich, Austin Abrams, Cary Christopher, Benedict Wong, and Amy Madigan all excelling in their compositions. The production team is equally impeccable, in particular Larkin Seiple's cinematography, Ryan & Hays Holladay (with Zach Cregger)'s score, and Tom Hammock's production design. A very good film worth watching. 

The Naked Gun

Movie Name: The Naked Gun
Year of Release: 2025
Director: Akiva Schaffer
Starring: Liam Neeson, Pamela Anderson, Paul Walter Hauser, Danny Huston, CCH Pounder, Kevin Durand, Liza Koshy, Eddie Yu, Michael Beasley, Moses Jones, Chase Steven Anderson, Cody Rhodes, Busta Rhymes
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 6
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Synopsis and Review

Writer, producer, director Akiva Schaffer, has a long career in comedy, including long writing stints with Saturday Night Live, and with the occasional foray into feature films, including the Andy Samberg vehicle "Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping". Schaffer, alongside Doug Mand, and Dan Gregor have tackled the original concept from the ZAZ creative team in revisiting "The Naked Gun", which was originally an extension of the cancelled TV Show "Police Squad", which featured the now iconic duo of Leslie Nielsen and George Kennedy (with the support of Priscilla Presley in the feature films). This new version of "The Naked Gun" follows the story of Lieutenant Frank Drebin Jr. of the LAPD Police Squad, whom we first encounter tackling an armed robbery on a bank. However, this isn't your typical robbery - in reality the robbery is a decoy for the real goal of the assault: stealing a gadget named "PLOT Device" from a safe deposit box. Drebin's intervention gets him in trouble with his boss, who reassigns him to another case, a fatal car crash whose victim was a software engineer named Simon Davenport. The deceased's sister, Beth, a crime novelist, communicates with Drebin and indicates she thinks her brother was killed. As Drebin starts investigating, the leads start pointing in the direction of the billionaire Richard Cane, who has some nefarious plans he intends to set in motion with the "PLOT Device" gadget. 

What was always a staple for the ZAZ authored feature films and their sole TV series, was their ability to mine the seriousness of different genres, particularly the police story/thriller genres, and introduce the nonsense within the parameters/tropes of that genre, asking their actors to perform all events as if though they were indeed in a dramatic situation. They applied this concept to "Airplane", but also "Top Secret" (the WWII genre), "The Naked Gun", and as they went in separate directions, they leveraged different sources to reference in their output, namely military films of the 80s for inspiration on "Hot Shots" and in the early 2000s, horror/suspense films with their take on "Scary Movie". Akiva Schaffer and his creative team do quite well with the assignment, in this modernized take on "The Naked Gun". Gone are indeed the winks to films and TV shows of the 1970s and 1980s (while Danny Huston is a wondrous actor, one can't help but miss the stupendous Ricardo Montalban or Robert Goulet as the main villains), but the film introduces funny takes and jabs on modern cultural references, including the ever present coffee drink, electric cars, and the omnipresent technology. This creative team however doesn't quite know what to do with the supporting characters, something that the original films solved a lot better, placing George Kennedy and Priscilla Presley always in the right hilarious moments (and the romantic and sex scene montages between Leslie Nielsen and Priscilla Presley in the original films were themselves ridiculous and superlatively funny). There are aspects this film could have lived without, namely the bodily functions humor, but Liam Neeson fully commits to the role, at times bringing to mind his role in Sam Raimi's "Darkman", but his seriousness in the embodiment of Drebin Jr. and his easy rapport with Pamela Anderson, all entwined with the silliness of the situations themselves, keep the laughs coming. It's a nicely crafted successor to the original films, even if it doesn't reach the tone, including the lunacy, of the original. Worth watching. 

In the Lost Lands

Movie Name: In the Lost Lands
Year of Release: 2025
Director: Paul W. S. Anderson
Starring: Milla Jovovich, Dave Bautista, Arly Jover, Amara Okereke, Fraser James, Simon Loof, Deirdre Mullins, Sebastian Stankiewicz
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 4
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Synopsis and Review

Writer, producer, director, Paul W. S. Anderson is back following his prior video game adaptation, "Monster Hunter" which premiered in 2020 during the pandemic (to anemic results, even if the film itself was actually somewhat entertaining). This time around, he and Constantin Werner are adapting a short story from George R. R. Martin. The narrative takes place on a dystopian wasteland called The Lost Lands. What is left of the civilized world is ruled by an Overlord, while policing and order is maintained by the Church. One of the targets of that church is Gray Alys a witch, whom we originally encounter being hanged by them. Leveraging her powers she manages to evade them. She is subsequently sought after by The Queen, wife of the Overlord, who wants the power of shapeshifting. Gray Alys states she can never deny someone's request/wish, and therefore she agrees to deliver the Queen's request. The Queen's long time friend, Jerais, also visits Gray Alys and also performs a request, aiming to stop the Queen's aspirations. Gray Alys knows that in order to get the powers of a shapeshifter she'll need some additional assistance, and she seeks out the help of man by the name of Boyce (who is coincidentally one of the Queen's lovers). While Boyce isn't thrilled by the prospect of going deeper into the Lost Lands, they eventually set their course, knowing they only have a few days to make it there. 

Paul W. S. Anderson is a director who has worked in genre films for so long that he has acquired a consistent following. While his output isn't as uniquely distinctive and "auteur" driven as say John Carpenter, some of his films do manage to be quite entertaining, even if the screenplays of his films always have some issues that are never fully well resolved. That seems to be the case with "In the Lost Lands", which starts really strongly, illustrating a new world in broad strokes, and placing one of the central characters in a dire situation, which she manages to escape thanks to her resourcefulness and powers. Sadly much of the information about that character, Gray Alys, or her sidekick Boyce, are largely eschewed in detriment of the mission in which they find themselves, and also of the buddying relationship emerging between them. These are some of the aspects of the film that feel a bit stunted, since both the relationship between Alys and Boyce could be more openly developed, the same going for their backstory, which feels remarkably shallow. Mr. Anderson is always quite good at staging action scenes, which is also the case on this film, but sadly this one also lacks a powerful enemy force, one that counterbalances Alys and Boyce, and ends up robbing the film from a satisfactory arc. All these aspects aside, there's quite a bit to enjoy from this film, starting with the easy chemistry between Milla Jovovich and Dave Bautista, and also the world building the director is able to illustrate. The cast is dominated by those actors, with the production team also doing a solid work of illustrating this dystopian universe, starting with Glen MacPherson's cinematography, Lukasz Trzcinski's production design, and Milena Jaroszek's costume design. It's a film with limitations, but watchable nonetheless. 

Superman

Movie Name: Superman
Year of Release: 2025
Director: James Gunn
Starring: David Corenswet, Nicholas Hoult, Rachel Brosnahan, Skyler Gisondo, Nathan Fillion, Edi Gathegi, Isabela Merced, Pruitt Taylor Vince, Sara Sampaio, Bradley Cooper, Angela Sarafyan, Alan Tudyk, Michael Ian Black, Wendell Pierce, Neva Howell, Zlatko Buric, Frank Grillo, James Hiroyuki Liao, Anthony Carrigan, Sean Gunn, Milly Alcock, John Cena
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 7
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Synopsis and Review

Following the successful wrap up of his trilogy for Marvel Studios of the "Guardians of the Galaxy" films, writer/producer/director James Gunn has turned his attention to the DC universe, and has started his creative overhaul for the properties/characters with what has turned out to be one of the best renditions of the Superman character. The narrative focuses on the adventures of Clark Kent/Superman, whom we initially witness being pummeled, and suffering a defeat at the hands of what seems to be an unstoppable villain (one named "Hammer of Boravia"). As Superman recovers in his fortress of solitude, we realize the mastermind behind his painful defeat is none other than the intense and focused Lex Luthor. Superman also finds himself in trouble after preventing a nation by the name of Boravia from invading a neighboring country by the name of Jarhanpur (he acted on his own, without consulting with any other nations). Luthor manages to infiltrate the Fortress, robbing personal items belonging to Superman, including his birth parents damaged final message, Krypto the dog, and destroying all the robots maintaining the facility. While Luthor is doing that, he has unleashed a kaiju on Metropolis, something that Superman with the help of Green Lantern, Mister Terrific, and Hawkgirl, has to tackle. As Luthor manages to manipulate public perception of Superman, eventually convincing the government that he is an alien threat, he's brought into for questioning. Luthor however captures Superman, dropping him on a parallel universe, with a super-powered being who can emulate Kryptonite. However, and as Superman looks at all the people Luthor has imprisoned, he realizes everything Lex has done has even more nefarious intents than just killing him.

One of the most amazing aspects about this film is how incredibly intelligent and relatable to our current times it actually is. It's an entertaining film that, much like the best art, is political, opinionated, while still being escapist, and impeccably well crafted. James Gunn has always been able to craft films that have a stylistic point of view, while balancing a well positioned sense of humor, while also never taking himself or the source material dramatically seriously. He understands that a film can be a fickle piece of entertainment, but he nonetheless makes a spectacle of his features, and does so by giving his characters an arc and actual complex situations to overcome. At his worst, James Gunn's films can be a bit self indulgent, which was the case of the weakest of his recent features, the second episode of "Guardians of the Galaxy". However when he manages to marry his B-movie appetites, with the larger canvas of a comic book universe, he manages to produce output as memorable as what he did with "Suicide Squad" (still one of the best recent adaptations of a comic book). With "Superman" he summarizes in the best way possible everything that has descended upon modern society, including villainous individuals who manipulate information to pursue their agendas, brutally silencing critical voices, bullying and invading other countries, viciously attacking and destroying others with no morals, no ethical considerations, literally everything we can witness just by watching every day news. And while one would be tempted to think the film is "preachy" and overtly political, Mr. Gunn smartly takes the film in directions of delight and humor, by always making us realize that Clark/Superman, is both human, but also a better version of that species, effectively saving the world from the problems it creates for itself. The film does have some character development issues, but for the most part, it successfully creates an engaging universe, and populates it with believable characters. The cast is solid, particularly David Corenswet, Nicholas Hoult, Nathan Fillion, Skyler Gisondo, Sara Sampaio, and Pruitt Taylor Vince, all of which manage to leave a solid mark and have great chemistry with each other. The production team also excels, particularly Henry Braham's cinematography, John Murphy and David Fleming's score, and Beth Mickle's production design. It's a very entertaining and well crafted film worth watching and rewatching. 

Get Away

Movie Name: Get Away
Year of Release: 2024
Director: Steffen Haars
Starring: Nick Frost, Aisling Bea, Sebastian Croft, Maisie Ayres, Ville Virtanen, Eero Milonoff, Anitta Suikkari, Jouko Ahola, Verneri Lilja, Kari Kinnari
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 5
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Synopsis and Review

"Get Away" is in reality the second collaboration of writer/actor Nick Frost and director Steffen Haars to be released in 2024 (the other one was the poorly received "Krazy House", which co-starred Alicia Silverstone). "Get Away" follows the narrative of the Smith family, who are in Sweden for a much needed vacation according to them. They have booked an Air BNB located on a small island, so they can witness a local holiday known as "Karantan" (translates to Quarantine). Prior to boarding the ferry to the island, they stop to get some food, and are quickly informed by the owner that they should avoid the island and the celebration altogether. Undeterred, the 4 continue to the island, and are greeted with a considerable degree of animosity by the locals. They're eventually saved by the host of their Air BNB, who takes them to their lodgings. The family isn't dissuaded from staying and in the days prior to the holiday/staging of the historical mark, go about enjoying the placid and serene surroundings of the island. While doing so, they're also being observed and recorded in the house they're renting. The day of the "Karantan", things start taking a dark turn, as their host decides to drug them, expecting to take the family on a different type of ride, only for the tables to quickly be turned on him and on the village itself.

"Get Away" is Nick Frost's first sole writing credit, and much like the best work he is well known for, such as Edgar Wright's trilogy of "Shaun of the Dead", "Hot Fuzz", and "The World's End", is a dark comedy, always with a wink and a nudge. The film that it immediately brings to mind in terms of a similar concept and approach is of course Ben Wheatley's "Sightseers", where an apparently affable and lovely couple who while on vacation, go on a killing spree whenever something or someone rubs them the wrong way (one could even go further back in terms of references, and include the dark comedy "Man Bites Dog" from directors Remy Belvaux, Andre Bonzel, and Benoit Poelvoorde). The most interesting aspect of "Get Away" is how Steffen Haars manages to quickly illustrate the complicity in the Smith family, and the opposing distaste that the tight Swedish community has towards them. While none of these characters have much dimension beyond that of a cartoon, the situations themselves evolve as a bit of a satire on modern traveling families who want to predate on local habits for their own entertainment, even if their presence is not welcomed or warranted. As mayhem ensues in the third arc of the film, the facade of everyone finally drops, and while the lunacy is rampant, one can't help but smile at the cartoonish violence that is taking place. The lead actors are all solid, with Nick Frost in particular fitting nicely into this patriarchal type of role he has leaning into more recently. The production team is solid, including Joris Kerbosch's cinematography and Pirjo Rossi's production design. It's watchable, even if not entirely memorable. 

The Amateur

Movie Name: The Amateur
Year of Release: 2025
Director: James Hawes
Starring: Rami Malek, Laurence Fishburne, Caitriona Balfe, Holt McCallany, Rachel Brosnahan, Julianne Nicholson, Danny Sapani, Jon Bernthal, Tiffany Gray, Adrian Martinez, Michael Stuhlbarg, Marthe Keller
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 3
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Synopsis and Review

James Hawes has a long directorial career, one shaped mostly by TV shows and TV movies, with "The Amateur" being his feature sophomore directorial effort, following his debut with the well received "One Life" with Anthony Hopkins and Helena Bonham Carter. "The Amateur" follows the narrative of Charlie Heller, a CIA cryptographer, who is married to Sarah and leads a rather serene existence. Sarah goes to London on a work trip and while there is shot and killed during a terrorist attack. Charlie is devastated and has a difficult time overcoming the situation, and presses his bosses to do something about it. He decides to do his own investigation of what happened, and courtesy of his technological abilities, he is able to uncover the originators of the attack. He shares this information with leadership who still do nothing to bring those parties to justice. Charlie eventually uncovers that there's been some off the cuff activities being commandeered by his boss, and he leverages that knowledge, blackmailing them into letting him go into the field and seek revenge on what happened to his wife. He goes through a brief training period with Hendo, who explains to Charlie his considerable limitations in being a field agent, but that doesn't deter him in the least. He manages to evade everyone and goes off to Europe where he stars pursuing the terrorists involved in the incident, with his boss, and the new CIA lead also looking into what is happening.

"The Amateur" is in a lot of ways the polar opposite of Robert Ludlum and what Paul Greengrass created with "The Bourne Identity" film series (and the character Jason Bourne for that matter). One would be tempted to think with that angle that "The Amateur" would be a more grounded character driven, almost similar to John Le Carré, type of film. Sadly it isn't, and it's ultimately a film that has a rather banal tone to it, taking giant leaps of believability (which one can tolerate), and where characters pop in and out without much relevance or context. Charlie and Sarah never get much background on who they are, we get some Hallmark vignettes of what their relationship was like. The only character we get a sense of color and dimension to is Caitriona Balfe's Inquiline, who provides a brief but relevant explanation of who she is, why she does what she does, and her reasonings for eventually helping Charlie. It's a film where the director does try to emulate the aesthetic of Paul Greengrass' "Bourne" films, but it lacks the conviction, sense of urgency or danger, and ultimately fails in conveying what is really at risk (also it's difficult to understand how long are these events going for, is it days/weeks/months?). Also, and just peppering the ridiculousness of the third arc of the film, the rather Shakespearean exchange between Rami Malek's Charlie and Michael Stuhlbarg's Horst, just keeps on going, and is completely nonsensical. The cast is a bit all over the place, with Caitriona Balfe, Laurence Fishburne, Holt McCallany, Julianne Nicholson, and Danny Sapani getting off this experience with their reputations unscathed, however Rami Malek (who won a series of awards a few years back lip-syncing to Freddie Mercury), demonstrates just how limited his range is, while it's puzzling as to why Rachel Brosnahan took such a thankless part on this film. The production team is solid, particularly Martin Ruhe's cinematography. It's a mediocre endeavor and a film everyone will quickly forget. 

Drop

Movie Name: Drop
Year of Release: 2025
Director: Christopher Landon
Starring: Meghann Fahy, Brandon Sklenar, Violett Beane, Reed Diamond, Gabrielle Ryan, Sarah McCormack, Jeffery Self, Ed Weeks, Travis Nelson, Ben Pelletier
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 4
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Synopsis and Review

Writer/director Christopher Landon who has had a significant career in the thriller/paranormal genre is back, this time around directing a feature he did not write (his career took off after his participation in the "Paranormal Activity" franchise). The narrative focuses on the story of Violet, a single mom, who after a traumatic experience with her ex-spouse, now lives very comfortably in the Chicago area, working as a therapist specialized in abuse situations. She decides to go on a date with a man she's been interacting with from the dating apps, and asks her sister to babysit her young son Toby. She arrives at the restaurant a bit early, and her date is also running a bit behind, so she decides to wait by the bar. There she meets another man who mistakenly believes her to be his blind date. They part after a few niceties, and her actual date arrives soon after. While at the table she acknowledges some drop messages that have been coming to her phone, and the tone of those messages escalates, when she realizes the person has cloned her phone, and knows everything she's doing in the restaurant. The person on the phone demands she kills her date (by poisoning him), otherwise there's someone on standby by her home to kill her child and sister. Checking on the security camera, Violet realizes that is indeed the case. As she navigates the interactions with her very patient and kind date, Violet questions herself, if she's willing to do so, and how she can successfully get out of that predicament.

"Drop" interestingly reminded me of Anatole Litvak's "Sorry, Wrong Number", with the late, great Barbara Stanwyck, whose character was bedridden and heard of a murder plot over the phone and spends the film trying to thwart it. "Drop" isn't nearly as interesting, nor nearly as compelling as that film, but it tries to be economical in its narrative strategy, placing an abused and traumatized victim as the target of some nefarious people trying to do more wrongful things. And while the nugget of the storyline is indeed interesting and compelling, there's a whole credibility to the situation that takes implausibility to a whole different level. For starters, and that's enough to kill the entire premise of this film, there isn't a single male individual, of whatever sexual orientation he may be, who would tolerate even a third of the actions and behaviors Violet throws at him. A widower who spends all her time on the phone, checking messages from her son (or so she says), goes off to the bathroom and other places for considerable amounts of time, all of this while her date sits placidly waiting. As much as Mr. Landon illustrates the lethal aspect of the messages that are coming, the overall claustrophobic environment of not knowing where to turn and what to do, never truly comes across very explicitly. And Violet, while trying to stay cool and fresh so her date doesn't suspect anything, never seems truly frazzled or disconcerted by what is happening. It's a threadbare plot that doesn't really give much dimension to these characters, nor to the situation in which it drops them into. It lacks believability in what it sets out to illustrate, and that it's ultimately why it's not a very successful endeavor. The cast tries their best with the material they have, and while Meghann Fahy doesn't do much with her character (fairly generic), at least her interactions with Brandon Sklenar don't feel entirely rigid. The production is solid, with highlights going to Marc Spicer's cinematography, Susie Cullen's production design, and Bear McCreary's score. It's another miss for Blumhouse studios.