Pillion

Movie Name: Pillion
Year of Release: 2025
Director: Harry Lighton
Starring: Harry Melling, Alexander Skarsgard, Douglas Hodge, Lesley Sharp, Jake Shears, Mat Hill, Nick Figgis, Zoe Engerer, Jake Sharp, Jacob Carter, Anthony Welsh
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 7
Watch it on Amazon

Synopsis and Review

Harry Lighton's "Pillion" had its debut at the Cannes Film Festival of 2025, where it won the screenplay prize in the "Un Certain Regard" section of the festival. Since then it has collected a plethora of awards across a variety of film festivals, and it was nominated for three Bafta awards, including Outstanding British Film of the Year. A well deserving collection of awards for what is Harry Lighton's feature directorial debut. The narrative follows the story of Colin, a meek and shy gay man who lives with is parents in the London area. His mom is battling a terminal illness, he works a rather dead-end job, and takes some joy in singing with his dad in a barbershop quartet. During one of his performances at a local pub, he gets a note from Ray, a tall and handsome biker. The two hook up during Christmas, and while Colin eagerly wants to reconnect, Ray simply states he is not around much. They eventually reconnect, and Colin enters into a master/servant type of relationship with Ray, which includes him cooking, cleaning, shopping, and sleeping on the floor, at the foot of the bed. They have a controlled sexual relationship, which also does not include kissing, or any intimacy afterwards. Colin settles into Ray's universe and becomes familiar with his lifestyle, including the group he usually hangs out with. Colin's parents become worried about this new direction in his life, and want to know more about Ray. Ray eventually agrees to have lunch with his parents, which turns awkward very quickly, as they don't understand the dynamics of the relationship between the two men. A few weeks go by, and Colin's mother dies. The unravel he experiences following this event sends him on a path to challenge the dynamics of the relationship, which leaves Ray increasingly uncomfortable.

While the relationship dynamics this film illustrates may not be to everyone's taste, the most remarkable thing about this film is the disarming way in which Harry Lighton illustrates how these two individuals connect, and make a relationship work (without judgement). At least for a while. At the core of this film is also the realization that behind the artifice there has to be something emotionally real and tangible, which ties people together. Otherwise, it's just an empty game that soon runs out of novelty and meaning. While Colin quickly realizes this and wants to progress to something more meaningful in the relationship, Ray avoids exposing himself in any way that will present something more emotionally vulnerable and unfiltered from the rigid rules he has set up in his life. The film traces this path in the relationship between these two people, how something evolves, and how these paths force people to make decisions in which way they want to go and be. For some, it's a question of learning more about who they are, for others is about preserving an illusion of control and detachment. This film smartly asks all the right questions of what we want from a partner, even if it presents them in a master/servant environment, with sex excursions thrown in to spice things up a bit more. There are certainly aspects to these characters that could have been more expanded, but as is, they still come across quite vividly. Harry Melling and Alexander Skarsgard are fantastic, and get solid support from Douglas Hodge and the always fantastic Lesley Sharp. The production team is equally solid, including the formidable score from Oliver Coates, Nick Morris' cinematography, and Grace Snell's costume design. Move past the judgment, and enjoy this relationship tale from Harry Lighton, one that is grounded, pertinent, and asks all the right questions. Worth watching. 

Keeper

Movie Name: Keeper
Year of Release: 2025
Director: Osgood Perkins
Starring: Tatiana Maslany, Rossif Sutherland, Birkett Turton, Eden Weiss
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 5
Watch it on Amazon

Synopsis and Review

These last few years have been particularly busy and prolific for writer/producer/director Osgood Perkins. Following the breakout hit which was "Longlegs", the multi-hyphenate has subsequently released "The Monkey", which was another modest and well reviewed hit, and "Keeper" which largely flew under the radar. And he currently is in post-production for another film to be released this year. "Keeper" follows the narrative of a recent couple consisting of Liz and Malcolm, who go to a cabin in the woods during a weekend to celebrate their one-year anniversary. They're getting close to making it official. Liz is far more cosmopolitan than Malcolm, and one of her closest friends bluntly asks why is she going to a remote cabin with a man she's known for little over a year. When they get to the cabin they encounter a cake left by the caretaker on the kitchen table. They're soon interrupted by Malcolm's loud cousin Darren, who has a model girlfriend in tow, Minka. While the two men go off to briefly chat, Minka tells Liz the cake tastes awful. Even though Liz doesn't like chocolate cake, Malcolm insists she has some. She caves in, and during the night while Malcolm is sleeping, she has haunting visions. She is also drawn to the cake, which she finishes in one sitting, even though she encounters severed fingers inside. Malcolm who is a doctor is called into town due to an emergency with one of his patients. Liz stays behind and strange occurrences start happening. She encounters a ghostly presence of Minka, alongside a woman wearing a plastic bag over her head. Darren shows up again, demanding to be let it in the cabin. While reticent, Liz agrees and following a brief chat, goes and hides in the bathroom. Darren is attacked, but Liz is unaware of the situation, but asks her friend Maggie to come get her. 

"Keeper" is a smaller scale film for Osgood Perkins, particularly when compared with "Longlegs" and "The Monkey". The script written by Nick Lepard, largely takes place in the cabin and its nearby woods. Mr. Perkins is successful at quickly establishing the dynamics between the couple, and their personality traits: the cosmopolitan yet not entirely self assured Liz, and the quieter, sensible, and devoted Malcolm. He also manages to illustrate the environment quite successfully, with the cabin having a retro look to it, which also brings back to mind some horror films of the 1980s. The supernatural elements are added progressively, like preparing a concoction where the unsettling ingredient shows progressively, and not all at once. The sentiments of unease grow for Liz, who feels somewhat trapped in a strange environment, and the more she uncovers, the more unsettled she is, while Malcolm never loses his mild mannered behavior. While all the ingredients for this film are there, and the cooking is done impeccably, the problem lies with the recipe itself. When the final chapter comes along, and the revelation behind all the supernatural events occur, there isn't much substance to it: these events feel underdeveloped, which poses a higher challenge for the creature and visual effects to do the additional work for a story that is poorly put together. Mr. Perkins manages to craft a visually compelling film, with a very talented cast, particularly the always underrated Tatiana Maslany, who has great support from Rossif Sutherland, but try as they might, the narrative just doesn't sustain their talent, nor the horror factor they're trying to convey. Sadly, and unlike "The Monkey", this film also doesn't have much humor to it, which also makes it less palatable. The production team is great, with Edo Van Breemen's score, Jeremy Cox's cinematography, and Danny Vermette's production design, shining through. Mr. Perkins is a solid storyteller, but this script just didn't do his talents enough justice. Watchable, but forgettable.

Lee Cronin's The Mummy

Movie Name: Lee Cronin's The Mummy
Year of Release: 2026
Director: Lee Cronin
Starring: Jack Reynor, Laia Costa, May Calamawy, Natalie Grace, Shylo Molina, Billie Roy, Veronica Falcon, Hayat Kamille, May Elghety, Emily Mitchell, Husam Chadat
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 5
Watch it on Amazon

Synopsis and Review

After establishing himself with his bloody take on the"Evil Dead" franchise, writer/director Lee Cronin is back, this time around tackling a different mythological character from another well known horror/adventure franchise, "The Mummy". The narrative follows the story of the Cannon family, comprised of father Charlie, mother Larissa, and two young kids, Katie and Sebastian. They're stationed in Egypt, as Charlie is an investigative reporter. Katie is taken by a woman known as the Magician, and while the family desperately looks for her, she is never found. The family moves back to New Mexico, and eight years go by, during which time Larissa has gives birth to another girl, though the family never loses faith of Katie being discovered. A cargo plane in Egypt in the meantime crashes, and inside its remains a sarcophagus is uncovered. When archeologists open the sarcophagus, they're horrified to find Katie, wrapped in parchment inscribed with an ancient language. Charlie and Larissa are informed of the development, and they quickly get to Egypt to retrieve her. However they're informed the person that has been uncovered, is not the same girl they once knew. She is in a catatonic state and isn't able to communicate. They bring Katie back to New Mexico, where they have the assistance of Larissa's devout catholic mother, Carmen. Charlie wants to learn more about what has happened to his daughter, as does one of the police officers who investigated the case in Egypt. Charlie eventually discovers that the inscriptions on Katie's skin and on the bandages, are about a Nasmaranian, a demon that destroys and communities. The mummification ritual and the scriptures on the skin manage to contain it. While he is uncovering all this, Katie's behavior becomes more violent, as the entity manifests itself more strongly.

Audiences expecting this film to be an expansion of the universe created by Stephen Sommers' "The Mummy", are in for a radical experience (and departure), since this film is more firmly planted in the "Evil Dead" type of genre, more so than the action/adventure stylings that brought fame to Brendan Fraser, Rachel Weisz, and John Hannah in the aforementioned series. Lee Cronin takes his time establishing the backdrop to the events that start occurring with this family, though once again, not much attention is granted to these characters, beyond the fact that they're parents and hold a job (well loosely hold a job). The traumatic disappearance of the young Katie could have been a situation that would have driven these individuals apart, but that doesn't seem to be the case. Mr. Cronin, much like he did with his version of "Evil Dead", brings the disruptor force into a confined space, with this demonic entity preying on this vulnerable family. The confinement gives the narrative a sense of dread and inescapability, with the progressive violent attacks being heightened by the gore of the situations. The extreme gore and grotesqueness of certain scenes is where the film also falls prey to some sensationalism - at times restraint, suggestion, is far more interesting than going for shock value for the audiences. The film feels unbalanced, as if the director is trying to be analytical and create a thriller about a young girl gone missing, while simultaneously dialing up the grotesque and horrifying elements. These two aspects don't necessarily co-exist very harmoniously, making in the process most of the characters rather bland and forgettable. The cast tries their best with the material they have, with Veronica Falcon and Natalie Grace coming across with the stronger performances. The production team is solid, particularly David Garbett's cinematography, Nick Bassett's production design, and the visual & makeup effects. It's an interesting take on a classical and iconic figure, one that could have benefited from a more integrated storyline. 

They Will Kill You

Movie Name: They Will Kill You
Year of Release: 2026
Director: Kirill Sokolov 
Starring: Zazie Beetz, Patricia Arquette, Paterson Joseph, Heather Graham, Tom Felton, Willie Ludik, Myha'la, David Viviers, Gabe Gabriel, James Remar, Viktoria Korotkova
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 2
Watch it on Amazon

Synopsis and Review

"They Will Kill You" is a production from the Muschietti siblings, who have been responsible for "It" and "The Flash", all under the Warner Bros. banner. The film follows the story of Asia Reaves, whom we first encounter trying to escape her abusive father with her young sister in tow. He soon catches up with them, and following a heated situation, Asia ends up in prison, and her young sister back in the claws of the abuser. 10 years go by, and Asia gets released from prison. She goes after her sister, who is now working at a place by the name of Virgil, an exclusive high-rise in NY. She introduces herself as someone else, a cleaning woman who was supposed to come for a job, and Lily Woodhouse, the manager of the building, explains a bit of the history of the building and its occupants. Everything seems fine, until during the night while Asia is asleep, she's attacked by a slew of individuals. She wards them off, and kills a few in the process, much to their surprise, who were expecting a docile and powerless woman. Lily is furious at the outcome of the situation, and warns Asia there's no escape. Asia in the meantime explains she's there for her sister, and won't leave without her. Much to Asia's surprise and shock, all her attackers come back to life: she hides in the vents of the building while she tries to figure out a strategy to get Maria and escape these killers. Ray, Lily's husband, comes to her rescue, and explains the truth behind the building, his wife, and the attackers. 

These days not many people remember the name Timur Bekmambetov, but twenty something years ago he made a splash stateside with the films "Night Watch" and "Day Watch", which were huge hits in Russia. Those films opened the doors for him to direct "Wanted" which turned out to be his biggest hit so far. He followed "Wanted" with "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter" and the remake of "Ben Hur", films that landed with poor reviews and meager audience attendance. Why am I bringing this name into this review? Kirill Sokolov also hails from Russia, and prior to this film he has tackled a few shorts and two feature films, which apparently granted him the keys to this film with a solid cast and great production values. Sadly that's where this film ends. The film has more than obvious references to Quentin Tarantino, Walter Hill, and even Michael Davis' "Shoot 'Em Up", sadly without much of the humor, or point of view these film makers have displayed in their films (well at least Mr. Tarantino and Mr. Hill). There are no characters in this film, just disposable puppets who meet their end in various situations of carnage, which in premise may seem fun, but in reality is not. And it's not funny, because this film doesn't have enough smarts to play with concepts of entitlement, economic disparity, or even racial profiling, instead using violence as a slapstick moment that grows old very quickly. Turns out, exuberant death scenes only mean anything when there's a bit of character development to illustrate why they deserve some of the fate they're (repeatedly) experiencing. What's left after all this is said and done: Zazie Beetz and Patricia Arquette are solid actresses who deserve better material, but who at least get a lion share of attention, while Tom Felton and the underused Heather Graham are just fodder for the killing grinding that occurs during the film. The production team is solid, giving the film enough of a stylized look to make it watchable. That includes Carlos Rafael Rivera's score, Isaac Bauman's cinematography, and Jeremy Reed's production design. This is a formula driven film that doesn't live up to the pretension it has or the films that is inspired by. It's a pass.

Robocop

Movie Name: Robocop
Year of Release: 1987
Director: Paul Verhoeven
Starring: Peter Weller, Nancy Allen, Kurtwood Smith, Miguel Ferrer, Ronny Cox, Ray Wise, Robert DoQui, Felton Perry, Paul McCrane, Jesse D. Goins, Dan O'Herlihy, Del Zamora
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 7
Watch it on Amazon

Synopsis and Review

Few films have managed to become imminently associated with a particular decade, but the 1980s has quite a few of them, including Steven Spielberg's "Indiana Jones" series, Joe Dante's "Gremlins", Robert Zemeckis' "Back to the Future", Ivan Reitman's "Ghostbusters", James Cameron's "Aliens", Tim Burton's "Batman", James Ivory's Merchant Ivory adaptation "A Rom with a View", and the list goes on, but one that is unmissable from that list is Paul Verhoeven's "Robocop". Mr. Verhoeven who at the time had just directed "Flesh + Bood", sped up his career into bigger projects thanks to the success of "Robocop", which originated not quite as interesting sequels, animated shows, and the list goes on. The film follows the story of Alex Murphy, an honest police officer with a wife and a kid, living in Detroit, a city that is at the brink of social and financial collapse. The city has set up an arrangement with a private corporation, Omni Consumer Products, to control and assist the Detroit Police Department that is struggling with salaries (and retention of their police officers), and the non stop crime and violence in the city. Omni wants to add more technology to the Police Department, including a concept for a Robocop. The prototypes are not faring quite so well. Murphy and his partner Anne Lewis, are pursuing criminals, in particular Clarence Boddicker, a violent and sadistic individual who leads a gang, and they have their hands involved in everything. Murphy and Lewis manage to locate Boddicker's gang, but they're separated, and Murphy gets violently killed by the gang. Murphy's remains are assigned to the Robocop project, and he is revitalized as a human/cyborg hybrid. He is brought back to Metro West, and while everyone believes his memories of his former self have been erased, he still remains with traits of his Murphy personality, something that Anne Lewis starts noticing. Another thing everyone starts noticing, is how Robocop wastes no time, and stars battling crime with no ambiguity or fear. That is until he uncovers wrongdoing coming from Omni itself.

"Robocop" features something that has become a stalwart of Mr. Verhoeven's films, particularly the futuristic ones: he embeds his films with social-economical view points which illustrate societal unbalances, political allegories on fascism, how crime prevails across a putrid system that thrives on abusing those with few resources while those in positions of power thrive. "Robocop" which could at first glance go in the direction of a reductive comic book type of approach, meaning formulaic and revenge driven, opts instead to bring questions such as the relationship between humans and technology, ambition walking hand in hand with crime, society collapsing due to greedy corporations, all of these topics wrapped up in what is, in a lot of ways, a modernized western with a lone ranger at its core. Mr. Verhoeven manages to create an entertaining and also very palatable allegory, one that illustrates where societies can in fact go when economic power tilts the direction of government, when crime goes unchecked, particularly as it climbs the economic and political ladder, and how frail and expendable human lives can be in these types of situations. Essentially, how human lives become pawns in a game that is solely focused on money and power, and where human lives register very poorly. It's a film where the director knows he has to entertain and bring an aspect of action and excitement to what is happening, but he does so with a very well positioned critical view of society, peppering the narrative with his particular heightened taste in violence and gore, which once again illustrates just how brutal life and individuals can be. The characters could benefit from extra development, particularly Nancy Allen's Anne Lewis and Ronny Cox's Jones, but the film still manages to pack a powerful punch. The cast is uniformly great, with Peter Weller, Nancy Allen, Ronny Cox, Miguel Ferrer, Robert DoQui, Kurtwood Smith, and Dan O'Herlihy, creating strong and memorable performances. The production team is equally top notch, including Jost Vacano's cinematography, Basil Poledouris' score, and William Sandell's production design. It's a classic that hasn't lost any of its power or relevance. Worth watching.

Project Hail Mary

Movie Name: Project Hail Mary
Year of Release: 2026
Director: Phil Lord, Christopher Miller
Starring: Ryan Gosling, Sandra Huller, Lionel Boyce, Milana Vayntrub, Ken Leung, James Ortiz
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 6
Watch it on Amazon

Synopsis and Review

The directing team of Phil Lord and Christopher Miller have been very prolific with the projects they produce, but not so much with the ones they direct themselves. Prior to "Project Hail Mary", their last feature directorial endeavor was "22 Jump Street", which came out in 2014. "Project Hail Mary" is an adaptation of the book with the same title from author Andy Weir (who also wrote "The Martian"), and follows the narrative of a high school teacher by the name of Ryland Grace. We first encounter Ryland waking up from an induced coma inside a spacecraft named Hail Mary. He has no recollection of what has happened and how he's in the middle of space by himself, because the other crew members are dead. As he attempts to get his bearings around the spaceship his memory also starts to return. He remembers he's on a trip intended to reach Tau Ceti, which is 11.9 light-years from Earth. He also recalls that the reason for the trip he's on is a consequence of the discovery of a substance named Astrophage, that is eating away at the Sun's light, and that in 30 years Earth will suffer devastating consequences as a result of a global cooling effect. Ryland was recruited for an international team of scientists because of his work in astrobiology. He is able to uncover that the Astrophage is composed of unicellular organisms that absorb electromagnetic radiation from the sun and expel it for propulsion. While a team is assembled to go on the suicide mission to find a solution for the Astrophage problem, that changes when a few of them die due to an explosion during one of their preparation trials. While Ryland doesn't want to go, he's the only person with the expertise to do something substantial on the expedition, and is placed in a coma against his will. As Ryland recalls all this, he reaches a point on his journey where he encounters an alien spacecraft that eventually makes contact with him, and docks with the Hail Mary. The surviving entity and that whole species is trying to survive the Astrophage dilemma, much like the entire human race. 

When Ridley Scott directed "The Martian" he managed to do something that evades most of his directorial endeavors: he was able to marry a visually compelling narrative, with one that bore just enough character development to entice the viewer to remain focused on the adventures of Matt Damon's character. Andy Weir who wrote "The Martian" and also "Project Hail Mary" places his unlikely heroes in extreme circumstances, and in doing so, finds ways to humanize them, but also reveal their ability for self preservation and to be selfless. His heroes are not martyrs, they're flawed individuals who are attempting to survive, and if possible, save others in the process as well. Both adaptations of Mr. Weir's books are from Drew Goddard, himself a filmmaker (he directed the underrated "The Cabin in the Woods" and "Bad Times at the El Royale"), though this latest adaptation veers off into quasi Disney territory in the way it portrays the alien creature for instance, which Ryland names "Rocky". The film is economical in establishing the context of what is taking place, initially placing Ryland and the viewer in the middle of an enigma - why is he in the middle of space and what is happening. As the narrative unfolds, the picture of who Ryland is becomes clearer, though the supporting characters fare a bit worse, something that had more substance and development in the book. In attempting to compress the details and personality of the book, Mr. Goddard and the film making duo, created what at times feels like a rushed endeavor, in order to get to what they think is the gist of the feature - will they or won't they make it. In the book the getting there, the journey on Earth, reveals more of who these people are, and if also clarifies how this relationship with the alien creature develops. The film introduces a questionable sense of humor, and makes certain situations into rather pedestrian ones, however it does manage to illustrate the challenges and hardship these adventurers are going through, and the bond they develop. At times it borderlines on making the feature into Wall-E meets Ryan Gosling, which isn't necessarily a good thing, but the good taste refrains them from openly going in that direction. The cast is solid, with Ryan Gosling delivering a good central performance, with the fantastic Sandra Huller being fairly underused. The production team is fantastic, including Greig Fraser's cinematography, Daniel Pemberton's score, Charles Wood's production design, and the incredible visual effects from the multiple teams involved in bringing these alien worlds and entities to life. It may not be as compelling as the book that originated it, but it's still a watchable and entertaining film. 

Shaun of the Dead

Movie Name: Shaun of the Dead
Year of Release: 2004
Director: Edgar Wright
Starring: Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Penelope Wilton, Bill Nighy, Kate Ashfield, Lucy Davis, Dylan Moran, Peter Serafinowicz, Rafe Spall, Martin Freeman, Reece Shearsmith, Tamsin Greig, Matt Lucas, Nicola Cunningham
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 8
Watch it on Amazon

Synopsis and Review

It's difficult to believe that "Shaun of the Dead" was released in 2004, and introduced the movie world to the talents of Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, and Edgar Wright. The film was the directorial sophomore endeavor for Edgar Wright who had been largely directing TV in the 1990s, while Simon Pegg had made a name for himself as the creator and lead for the show "Spaced" (which Edgar Wright directed), but had also acted in "Band of Brothers" and "24 Hour Party People". "Shaun of the Dead" follows the story of Shaun, a twenty-something year old who is a sales advisor, who shares a flat with a far more ambitious roommate, whose best friend is the equally slacker/relaxed Ed, and whose romantic relationship is fizzling. Liz, his girlfriend, has given him a few ultimatums, regarding his ambition in life, his job and life prospects, and particularly his investment and attention towards her. Shaun also doesn't get along with his stepfather Philip who also wishes he would wise up. When Shaun fails to set up a celebration for his and Liz' dating anniversary, she calls the relationship off, resulting in Shaun and Ed getting drunk at their pub of preference. Unbeknownst to them, London has been taken over by a zombie outbreak. When they wake up the next day, Shaun and Ed notice a couple of strangers in the garden. While they initially think the situation is hilarious, they soon realize these individuals are zombies and want to eat them. They realize there are zombies everywhere, and that they need to save Shaun's mother, Barbara, but also Liz. Aside from those goals, they don't really know what else to do, or where to go.

Putting a comedic spin on the zombie genre has been attempted before, but it has never quite gelled as well as what Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright managed to do with this film. The most interesting aspect of the film, aside from its comedic instances, and great chemistry between all the cast, is the fact that these characters feel believable and familiar. The creative team from this film managed to illustrate these characters with such efficiency and economy (and restraint), that one can't help but witness how all these individuals exist in this world, relate to each other, and how the "zombification" of the world is just another thing that disrupts their attempt at living a chilled existence. Mr. Wright has managed to marry his stylistic point of view, with a comedic take on this slacker with a heart of gold, making this film both riveting in parts, but always funny, as if we're peering into the "Singles" of the 2000s in London. As we get to learn more about Shaun, his friends, his relationships, we can't help but cheer him on, he's the struggler who has always been a whisper away from breaking through, and this situation awakens him to protect what matters the most to him. It's a film that is immensely funny, perfectly acted, with the right amount of emotional episodes, featuring the talented Penelope Wilton and the phenomenal Bill Nighy, all of which translates into a film that is always a delight to watch. Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Ms. Wilton, Mr. Nighy, Kate Ashfield, and all the cast, are spot on, as is the production team (featuring David M. Dunlap's cinematography and Dan Mudford & Pete Woodhead's score). Worth watching and savoring. 

Scream 7

Movie Name: Scream 7
Year of Release: 2026
Director: Kevin Williamson
Starring: Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, Isabel May, Anna Camp, Joel McHale, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Mason Gooding, Celeste O'Connor, Sam Rechner, Asa Germann, Mckenna Grace, Matthew Lillard, Kraig Dane, Ethan Embry, Mark Consuelos, Victor Turpin, Amy Louise Pemberton
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 3
Watch it on Amazon

Synopsis and Review

Writer/director Kevin Williamson had his first produced script released 30 years ago, courtesy of Wes Craven's partnership, which resulted in the release of "Scream". Since then he has had a very robust screen writing career, particularly for the small screen, and this new installment of the "Scream" franchise is in fact his sophomore directorial feature, following "Teaching Mrs. Tingle" (originally called "Killing Mrs. Tingle"). This new chapter of the "Scream franchise finds Sidney Prescott, now going by her married name of Sidney Evans, living in Pine Grove, Indiana. She is married to the chief of police, Mark Evans, runs a popular coffeehouse, and is raising her children, including her oldest teenager, Tatum (with whom she experiences some friction). She starts receiving videocalls of what appears to be Stu, one of the original killers from 30 years ago. This older "Stu" threatens to go after Tatum to get her attention. Ghostface kills Tatum's friends Hannah and Aaron, and flees as the police arrives. Ghostface strikes again, this time around at Sidney's place, who barely manages to escape with her daughter to a panic room that exists in the house. As the killer pursues them both as they flee the house, he's run over by Gale Weathers, who is in town with her assistants. Sidney recognizes the killer, since he had bought coffee at her place hours earlier. As it turns out he was a murderer who escaped a nearby mental institution. Sidney and Gale suspect there's more than one killer, which is typical with Ghostface, and Sidney agrees to an interview on live television hoping to lure "Stu", or whomever is impersonating him. As it turns out that ploy does work, as another Ghostface attempts to kill Tatum who is with her friends at a local tavern. 

While the previous two episodes of this franchise were directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, and featured scripts from James Vanderbilt and Guy Busick (Vanderbilt is well known for having written David Fincher's "Zodiac"), this one is written by Busick and Kevin Williamson, who also directs. One of the most obvious aspects about this film is how it obviously cannibalizes its own mythology, but also as the narrative reaches its climax, how ludicrous and underwhelming that third chapter turns out to be. It literally turns out to be a film that doesn't know what to do with its characters, repeating strategies, plot lines, since the writers obviously didn't know where to take these characters, or for that matter, properly develop them. The strained relationship that exists between Sidney and her oldest daughter is never fully explained, and that character remains in perpetual "rebel mode" for the entire duration of the film. Even for a teenager that is a big grudge to carry. The director is able to establish Sidney's new existence in very quick brush strokes, but there's nothing particularly distinctive or insightful about this character and this universe she created for herself: that idyllic life seems Hallmark manufactured, and turns out to be, something the director captures without a hint of irony, something these films always managed to have or at least be self aware of their own machinations. Ultimately this is a film that is a low grade copy of some of the episodes of the series, only one that features none of the snarky edge or even intelligent references the other episodes had. The cast tries their best with the material they have, with Neve Campbell giving the film its only impact, with Courteney Cox lending good support, though even their best efforts can't make this feature memorable. The production team is rather generic. Now in its third decade of existence, the creative team behind this series should challenge itself with producing better scripts to keep it going, as opposed to moving ahead with non-sensical material that comes across as an attempt to make money. This is a missed opportunity and a mediocre feature.

Ladies First

Movie Name: Ladies First
Year of Release: 2026
Director: Thea Sharrock
Starring: Sacha Baron Cohen, Rosamund Pike, Charles Dance, Fiona Shaw, Emily Mortimer, Richard E. Grant, Kathryn Hunter, Bill Paterson, Kadiff Kirwan, Ron Cook, Maddie Rice, Jordan Metcalfe, Dani Moseley
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 3
Watch it on Netflix

Synopsis and Review

Director Thea Sharrock has consistently been working since her feature directorial debut with "Me Before You". "Ladies First" follows her previous Netflix partnership "The Beautiful Game" with the great Bill Nighy, which was met with tepid reviews. "Ladies First" whose script is co-authored by Natalie Krinsky, Cinco Paul (who has written many animated feature films, including "The Lorax" and "Despicable Me 3"), and Katie Silberman (one of the writers of "Booksmart"), focuses its narrative on high profile advertising executive Damien Sachs. He's a self centered, wealthy, and chauvinistic individual, who is very ambitious and wants to get to CEO of the agency he works for. One of his big clients disapproves of the fact that his company's executive ranks lacks diversity, particularly when it comes to women in positions of authority. Damien quickly makes up that they have a recently promoted female Creative Director. He asks his assistant to locate someone in the company that can fit that profile, and she chooses Alex Fox, a 20-year veteran of the agency, who has consistently done good work, but has always been overlooked. Alex is thrilled by the promotion, but later overhears the reason why she got the role, and decides to quit. On her way out she gives Damien a piece of her mind. He follows her out, hurling offensive justifications, until he hits a metallic pole on the street and knocks himself out. When he comes back to himself, he slowly realizes the world isn't what it used to be - the world is flipped, including society roles, where women exhibit sexist and vile behavior much like the one he used to demonstrate towards women. He realizes the people he works with all have different roles, the same going for his family. What appears to be a homeless man, eventually confesses to him what has happened, and what he needs to do to get back to his reality.

When you look at the fantastic cast this film has, one would be inclined to think this is a biting satire at swapping power dynamics in society typically dominated by men. Sadly this film comes across more like a gutless romantic comedy, that while attempting to make a point about sexism and misogyny, it really illustrates these points very superficially, with no wit, no vivacity, miles away from what George Cukor and his films with Katherine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy did far better on the same topics 80 years ago. The film doesn't really look head on at these problems, choosing instead to make Damien a benign yuppie sexist Scrooge, who gets a taste of his own medicine when he sees himself in a position of being undermined for his gender, and therefore has to learn a lesson on how to behave in order to return to his reality. It's a formula that doesn't really work, and in this particular case it is also a missed opportunity, as Damien is far more believable as a morally bankrupt individual, who still has a shred of humanity in his dealings with his family, but who then becomes a better version of himself when he realizes how unfair life can truly be. Unlike Harold Ramis' "Groundhog Day" where Phil Connors truly has to go through hell and back to realize what life is all about, Damien just has to go through a workout montage, and some seduction parlor games, and poof, he has gained perspective. Hopefully the irony isn't lost, that in film about gender power dynamics, even Alex gets very little screen time or opportunity in terms of character dimension or insight into who she is. The cast try their best with what they have, and it's a delight to see Fiona Shaw, Charles Dance, Kathryn Hunter, and Bill Paterson in delicious supporting roles. Sacha Baron Cohen and Rosamund Pike are sadly wasted. The production team is solid, including Haris Zambarloukos' cinematography and Atli Orvarsson's score. It's a tepid and forgettable endeavor. 

Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die

Movie Name: Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die
Year of Release: 2025
Director: Gore Verbinski
Starring: Sam Rockwell, Juno Temple, Haley Lu Richardson, Michael Peña, Zazie Beetz, Asim Chaudhry, Tom Taylor, Georgia Goodman, Daniel Barnett, Artie Wilkinson-Hunt, Riccardo Drayton, Dominique Maher, David Sturzaker
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 7
Watch it on Amazon

Synopsis and Review

Director Gore Verbinski is back, 10 years after his prior directorial endeavor, "A Cure for Wellness". He has partnered with writer/director Matthew Robinson, acting solely as screenwriter on this project, on what is both a humorous, but also very smart take on technology and the fear of AI. The film focuses its narrative on a man who shows up on a diner in LA claiming to have traveled from the future. The man appearing disheveled and quasi homeless, explains that in the future an artificial super-intelligence has destroyed humanity, and that the only people who can prevent that catastrophe are located in the restaurant, at that moment. He also mentions that he has attempted to thwart that AI's destructive plans 117 times before, with different combinations of the restaurant patrons, always without success. He warns everyone at the restaurant that if they don't play nice, he'll self detonate a bomb he has attached to himself. He ends up enlisting Susan, a mother whose son recently got killed in a school shooting, Mark & Janet, both teachers, reeling from odd occurrences at their school, Scott, Marie, Bob (a scout master), and eventually Ingrid, someone he has some doubts on. The police surrounds the diner, and eventually Susan indicates an escape route, though Bob sacrifices himself so they can make their escape. They all flee the diner, and the man from the future explains that they need to prevent a 9 year old boy, living nearby, from creating the monstrous AI that is responsible for the demise of humanity. They also realize that they're being pursued by two masked gunmen who are intent on killing them all. As we know more about each one of the individuals of the group, we realize that what the man from the future is saying is not as absurd as it seems to be.

Gore Verbinski who made a name for himself with the "Pirates of the Caribbean" franchise, as well as the very successful "The Ring", "Rango", and " The Weather Man", has always been a very stylish visual storyteller who is also adept at bringing colorful characters to life. Sam Rockwell's man from the future in "Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die", has traits of eccentricity reminiscent of Captain Jack Sparrow, but he also brings to mind the characters from Terry Gilliam's "Brazil", summarily meaning he is humorous, edgy, and at times, his mental sanity can be questioned. Mr. Verbinski smartly builds this feature much like an onion whose layers keep getting peeled off, until we get to the crux of the mission that jumpstarts the film, but also of what is really motivating the central character of the film. On the path to this climax, the director unveils who these characters are, what has driven them to believe the words of a possible madman, and why reality isn't exactly what people expect it to be. It's a very smart script, that marries aspects of "Brazil", "Groundhog Day", and even has nods to "The Terminator" films & mystique, courtesy of the whole aspect of AI as a mortal antagonist towards humanity. The fact that the film is able to tell a somewhat dark narrative with humor, never losing its momentum, is a testament to the talent of Mr. Verbinski, who keeps the narrative perpetually in motion, allowing for the characters to be understood, as well as illustrating how they all come together in the larger scheme of what is happening. The cast is uniformly great, led by the terrific Sam Rockwell, who has great support from Juno Temple, Haley Lu Richardson, Michael Peña, and Zazie Beetz. The production team is equally solid, including James Whitaker's cinematography, Geoff Zanelli's score, David Brisbin's production design, and the select visual effects that populate the film. It's a smartly conceived, acted, and unpretentiously put together film, from a director who is always worth paying attention to. 

Scary Movie 6

Movie Name: Scary Movie 6
Year of Release: 2026
Director: Michael Tiddes
Starring: Anna Faris, Regina Hall, Marlon Wayans, Shawn Wayans, Dave Sheridan, Lochlyn Munro, Carmen Electra, Kenan Thompson, Cheri Oteri, Olivia Rose Keegan, Cameron Scott Roberts, Savannah Lee Nassif, Sydney Park, Heidi Gardner, Damon Wayans Jr., Chris Elliott
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 2
View Trailer

Synopsis and Review

The "Scary Movie" franchise is back, and this time around with the creative hands of the Wayans siblings making all the decisions, alongside their usual collaborator, director Michael Tiddes (who also directed "A Haunted House" and "Fifty Shades of Black"). The narrative follows Cindy Campbell, who we now encounter as a recluse. Her daughters, Tuesday and Sara, become targets for Ghostface, who is on a killing spree once more. While Tuesday is hospitalized, Sara seeks out Cindy for some help, which she refuses, since she suspects the killer is trying to lure her out. Sara and her boyfriend Jack are attacked in the hospital, but escape. Doofy makes a reappearance even though he mentions he has retired. He agrees to help Sara, and they both manage to stop Ghostface when he tries to kill Tuesday once more. However Ghostface's killing spree continues, and only Cindy and Brenda can find a way to fight back and uncover the identity of the killer.

Well, this was a comeback that didn't need to happen, at least not with this creative team at the helm. What Akiva Schaffer did with his version of "The Naked Gun" in 2025, isn't repeated with this new installment of "Scary Movie", even with the best efforts of the wonderful Anna Faris and Regina Hall. As I mentioned in one of my previous reviews on chapters 1 and 2 of this series, this franchise peaked with chapter 3, courtesy of the talent of David Zucker, who infused his point of view and sense of humor from working with his brother Jerry and Jim Abrahams on classics such as "Airplane", "Top Secret", and of course, "The Naked Gun", on "Scary Movie 3" and even "Scary Movie 4". The Wayans have capitalized on nostalgia for the series they originally started, and squarely placed themselves at the center of the action for this new volume, when they have never been the reason why these films have worked. What has always been so indelible about this series, is the relationship that exists between Cindy Campbell and Brenda Meeks (the whole section at Brenda's house on "Scary Movie 3" is a hoot), and how they're seeming invulnerable to everything, and how their complicated friendship overcomes killers, death, and even Brenda's constant backstabbings towards Cindy. The writers of "Scary Movie 6" attempt to parody too many films, while also trying to tackle some political statements about the current state of society, but it all sadly feels stale, uninspired, and unfunny (and in some cases, they look like feeble repetitions of some gags that were done better in the first films of the series). The film has a series of winks at the audience, but the jokes and the spoofs never land - the film only has a pulse when Anna Faris or Regina Hall pop up, and sadly they don't show up as much as they did in the prior installments. This film should have gone to the hands of Akiva Schaffer or even David Zucker, both of whom could have led this to a far funnier destination and used the talents of two very talented actresses to the best of their abilities, and with far more screen time which is sadly not the case. As much as I love Anna Faris and Regina Hall, this film doesn't do them justice, and it's a waste of their talent. Avoid.

Anaconda

Movie Name: Anaconda
Year of Release: 2025
Director: Tom Gormican
Starring: Paul Rudd, Jack Black, Thandiwe Newton, Steve Zahn, Daniela Melchior, Selton Mello, Ione Skye, Ice Cube, Rui Ricardo Diaz, John Billingsley, Sebastian Sero, Diego Arnary, Dan Silveira
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 3
Watch it on Amazon

Synopsis and Review

Co-writer and director Tom Gormican made a name for himself with his sophomore directorial feature, "The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent", starring perennially busy Nicolas Cage and Pedro Pascal. This take on "Anaconda" is, much like the film previously mentioned, another meta take on the film industry, and winks an eye at the whole notion of film within a film. The film follows a group of childhood friends, Doug, Griff, Kenny, and Claire, who are at a juncture in their adult lives, where they feel displeased at how those have evolved. Griff who is an actor who has never broken through, reaches out to his friends, stating that he has obtained the rights to "Anaconda" from Sony Pictures. The group decides to get a loan, travel to the Amazon rainforest to make a low-budget version of "Anaconda" with Griff and Claire starring, with Doug writing and directing. They soon secure help from local Brazilian teams, including Carlos who is a well known snake handler, and Ana, a woman who is the daughter of the boat rental operator. Things start off inauspiciously when Griff accidentally kills the pacified snake they're using in the film, leading both Griff and Carlos to go locate another one in the jungle. Carlos is attacked by another anaconda, and even though the dangers are now very real, Doug decides to keep shooting, and in the spirit of improvisation, adds Ana to the film, making her much more of a central character, creating friction with Griff in the process. Turns out Sony is also remaking Anaconda, and both teams cross paths in the Amazon, which prompts a honest conversation between the friends. As it turns out, Griff made it all up, getting the rights from Sony and all. He is vexed, and decides to leave his friends and join the actual Sony film crew. However what he encounters on that set, isn't what he thought of. 

The original "Anaconda" which came out in 1997, directed by Luis Llosa, was met with unanimous vitriol upon its release, though it had a great cast which included Jennifer Lopez, Eric Stoltz, Owen Wilson, Danny Trejo, Jonathan Hyde, and even the controversial Jon Voight. Tom Gormican uses this well established premise of "bad movies we love", to create a comical homage to that film, attempting to simultaneously create a satire that illustrates how studios these days will remake nearly anything for the sake of reducing risk when bringing new material to a difficult film and audience market. While the attempt is thoughtful and smart in principle, this film's script would have benefited from a Charlie Kaufman revision, since it quickly devolves into something that is quite similar in tone and execution to what the original "Anaconda" was all about. Trying to make this type of satire is always difficult, many of the "film within film" related cliches and jokes don't necessarily resonate with everyone, one only has to remember the tepid response "Last Action Hero" from John McTiernan had in 1993, and that one featured a script from respected scriptwriters such as Shane Black and Zak Penn. This version from "Anaconda" manages to stay afloat mostly due to the chemistry of Paul Rudd, Jack Black, and Steve Zahn (Thandiwe Newton seems very lost most of the time). It's a film that desperately wants to be unpretentious, but also smart, and funny in a meta kind of way - it tries to be many things, and sadly for the most part they don't necessarily work the best way. The cast tries to make this film into something funny and tongue in cheek, which the aforementioned trio succeed in doing, but for the most part this is a rather forgettable endeavor. The production team is unremarkable, which is also something that can be said for this film. 

Scary Movie 2

Movie Name: Scary Movie 2
Year of Release: 2001
Director: Keenen Ivory Wayans
Starring: Anna Faris, Regina Hall, Kathleen Robertson, Shawn Wayans, Marlon Wayans, Tim Curry, David Cross, Tori Spelling, Chris Elliott, Veronica Cartwright, James Woods, Natasha Lyonne, Andy Richter, Christopher Masterson, James DeBello, Richard Moll
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 2
Watch it on Amazon

Synopsis and Review

After the huge hit that was "Scary Movie", Dimension Films hurried this sequel, which came out the following year. The creative team was enhanced with the contributions of an array of new writers, and new cast members were also brought in. The spoofing this time around covered films such as "The Exorcist", "Hannibal", "The Haunting", "Charlie's Angels", "Dude Where's My Car?", and even some John Woo mimicry (the Hong Kong director who at the time was well known for recent hits such as "Face/Off" and "Mission: Impossible 2"). The narrative continues to follow the adventures of Cindy Campbell. This time around Cindy is in college, once again with Brenda by her side. They are joined by Theo and Alex, alongside some of their love interests, namely Buddy and Ray, with Shorty continuing his pot smoking excursions. They're all selected to participate in a study that their college professor is running in a haunted mansion (while the professor is interested in academia, his real motivation lies more in the carnality of his female students). The group reunites in the mansion for the weekend, hoping for an easy grade out of the whole ordeal. They meet the quirky caretaker Hanson, but as the weekend progresses and supernatural occurrences start manifesting, they realize they're trapped, and at the mercy of a very angry ghost.

If "Scary Movie" had some issues with taste level, this sequel tosses whatever remained from that fine line, and goes downhill into toilet humor (literally, the initial sequence of this film, a spoof of "The Exorcist", eventually finds James Woods in the bathroom). Most of the issues this film encounters can be directly attributed to what feels like a rushed production, but many of the debatable sketch-like humor that was already in motion for the first film, make a comeback for this one. While some sequences are humorous, namely the satire surrounding "Charlie's Angels", with Anna Faris, Regina Hall, and Kathleen Robertson replacing Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore, and Lucy Liu, with the over the top fight sequences, there's plenty others that just don't play out quite as successful (the "Stomp" sketch hasn't aged very well for instance). It's a film that feels less coherent than the previous one, where the characters have even less to say and do (Tori Spelling's character for instance), and also one where the production team feels to have had 20 dollars for set pieces, props, and costumes. It's even more of a dramatic departure when compared with "Scary Movie 3", which premiered in 2003, and actually felt like a nicely put together feature. What's left for this film, is essentially its lack of pretension, and the realization that everyone has that this film is essentially a series of questionable sketches stitched together, with the intention of making people laugh parodying very serious films. Anna Faris once again manages to hold this film together by herself, with good support from Regina Hall, Kathleen Robertson, Tim Curry, and Chris Elliott. The production team on this film is not very successful - the production design is underwhelming, the same going for the costume design and cinematography. Anna Faris and the cast highlights aside, this chapter can be skipped altogether.  

Scary Movie

Movie Name: Scary Movie
Year of Release: 2000
Director: Keenen Ivory Wayans
Starring: Anna Faris, Regina Hall, Shannon Elizabeth, Lochlyn Munro, Marlon Wayans, Shawn Wayans, Jon Abrahams, Carmen Electra, Dave Sheridan, Rick Ducommun, Cheri Oteri, Kelly Coffield, Kurt Fuller
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 4
Watch it on Amazon

Synopsis and Review

By the time "Scary Movie" premiered, the spoof genre was quite dormant. What David Zucker, Jim Abrahams, and Jerry Zucker originally did with "Airplane", "Top Secret", and "The Naked Gun" went beyond the typical spoofing of the films that inspired them, they deconstructed the original and put it through their lens that brought out the humor and ridiculousness of the tropes that propelled the original. "Scary Movie" goes in a slightly different direction, inspired by the ZAP troupe, but also Mel Brooks' own spoofs. The film follows the story of high school senior Cindy Campbell. She and her best friends, Brenda and Buffy, alongside their respective boyfriends, Bobby, Ray, and Greg, jointly participated in a cover up of a man they accidentally killed just a year earlier. They all start receiving messages from someone who knows what they did and is menacing them. This unknown individual starts a killing spree of the group of friends, starting with Buffy, followed by Greg, all the while venturing closer and closer to Cindy. Cindy who recently went through a traumatic event in her life, the killing of her mother, suspects someone close to her may actually be the killer. And the hints all point in Bobby's direction who keeps denying any wrong doing. As the killings continue, the more desperate Cindy becomes.

The most obvious target of "Scary Movie" is of course Wes Craven's "Scream" film(s), which is used as the baseline for the core narrative, with many other films layering alongside this one for the spoofing. "I Know What You Did Last Summer", "The Blair Witch Project", "The Sixth Sense", "The Matrix", all get similar treatment, with varying degrees of success. While the premise of "I Know What You Did Last Summer" is an easy target to parody, the same going for "The Blair Witch Project", M. Night Shyamalan's film is not so easy to replicate (though "Signs" does becomes an easy target on "Scary Movie 3"). The level of success of the spoofing becomes more effective as the silliness of the tropes of the original film are on display. The biggest issue with this film, it's not its lack of polish, something that the ZAZ team always primed upon, but its actual intelligence and humor level. Now some may argue one doesn't see a spoof film for its sophistication, but I will disagree with that statement: "Airplane", while not a spoof film per se, was able to intelligently mock the clichés that it observed from all the disaster film series of the 1970s, and did it all with a wink and with a consistent tone that was (and still is) capable to cater to different types of humor. "Scary Movie" does have its good moments, most of them involving Anna Faris or Regina Hall, but other than that it devolves into this quasi-amateurish college level of humor that eventually lowers its success (which is far more visible in "Scary Movie 2"). The cast is game for the nonsense that is happening, but the highlight is Anna Faris, then barely starting her career, who goes along for the ride and reveals a fantastic comic timing in every single frame (she is possibly one of the most underrated and most talented comic performers working these days), with great support from the versatile Regina Hall, who was then also relatively fresh in her career, and has since then become a powerhouse. The production team is competent. With a new sequel about to come out in 2026, it's interesting to witness the high points of this franchise, namely David Zucker's "Scary Movie 3", and its lowest, namely Malcom D. Lee's "Scary Movie 5". This one, that started it all, is worth watching, if anything for Anna Faris and Regina Hall, two wonderful performers commencing their careers. 

Jagged Edge

Movie Name: Jagged Edge
Year of Release: 1985
Director: Richard Marquand
Starring: Glenn Close, Jeff Bridges, Peter Coyote, Robert Loggia, Lance Henriksen, Al Ruscio, Leigh Taylor-Young, Karen Austin, Sanford Jensen, Brandon Call, Christina Hutter
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 6
Watch it on Tubi

Synopsis and Review

These days Richard Marquand is mostly well known as the director of "Star Wars: Episode VI - The Return of the Jedi", but before that he had a long career in TV and tackling documentaries. He sadly also died a few years after the release of "Jagged Edge". The film also marks one of the first produced Joe Eszterhas scripts, who of course became well known for writing "Flashdance", "Basic Instinct", and the infamous "Showgirls".  The film follows the story of Teddy Barnes, a former prosecutor who is now a high-profile lawyer, recently divorced, with two young children. She becomes entangled in a high profile case when she decides to accept the case of Jack Forrester, who is being accused of murdering his wife and their maid. Teddy is facing her former boss, Thomas Krasny, with whom she has unfinished business regarding a case they faced just a few years earlier. Teddy reaches out to Sam Ransom, a private investigator and one of her closest friends, to dig up everything he can about Forrester. Teddy and Jack grow closer, and eventually start a romantic relationship, something Sam warns her against. At the same time she starts receiving anonymous letters with information relevant for the case, all of them leading to the innocence of Forrester. As the trial starts and as witnesses are summoned, Teddy can't help but recognize some of the MO Jack applied on some of the witnesses, is very similar to how their own relationship has evolved. 

Upon watching "Jagged Edge" one can't help but realize how similar the premise of this narrative is with what Joe Ezsterhas wrote for "Basic Instinct". The film in itself can be considered an homage to classic noir films from Hollywood, where a murder trial is taking place, and the identity of the killer is never quite certain, with the suspect at times fitting the profile, while situations that are uncovered suggest otherwise. It's very much a film that falls in place with polished thrillers from that time frame, which included the films "Suspect" from Peter Yates, and even "The Morning After" from Sidney Lumet. Films that featured a strong central female character, who is confronted with ambiguous situations, and eventually get involved with men whose character they can't necessarily vouch for. These films did give women an opportunity to push their narratives beyond the typical damsel in distress, or playing second fiddle for the typical male cop/detective/action hero, which seemed to dominate the screens in the 1980s/1990s (though Sally Field, Meryl Streep, Jodie Foster, Glenn Close, Cher, Sigourney Weaver, Jane Fonda, Kathleen Turner, and a few other great talents did find a way to be a part of more diverse stories). "Jagged Edge" doesn't necessarily have much surprise to it - most of its holding power stems from its cast which is indeed stellar featuring the always remarkable Glenn Close, Jeff Bridges, Peter Coyote, and Robert Loggia all bringing to life these characters with enough charisma and charm to continuously make them believable and genuine. The production team is also top notch, featuring John Barry's score, Matthew F. Leonetti's cinematography, and Ann Roth's costumes. It's a smaller film in the filmography of some of these acting titans, but it's one that is watchable and enjoyable.