The Conjuring: Last Rites

Movie Name: The Conjuring: Last Rites
Year of Release: 2025
Director: Michael Chaves
Starring: Patrick Wilson, Vera Farmiga, Mia Tomlinson, Ben Hardy, Steve Coulter, Rebecca Calder, Elliot Cowan, Beau Gadsdon, Kila Lord Cassidy, John Brotherton, Shannon Kook, Paula Lindblom, Madison Lawler, Orion Smith, Peter Wight, Kate Fahy
Genre: Supernatural, Horror
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 4
Watch it on HBO Max

Synopsis and Review

Director Michael Chaves is back, with another film set in "The Conjuring" universe, following his recent "The Nun II", which was also a solid commercial hit. This new chapter of "The Conjuring" is supposedly the last one featuring Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga as Ed and Elaine Warren, though considering this has been the most successful film of the series thus far, other sequels are likely to be shaping up. The narrative takes place in 1986, at a time when Ed and Lorraine don't take cases anymore, and spend most of their time doing lectures, and planning to write a book about their experiences with the supernatural. Their daughter, Judy, is dating a young man by the name of Tony, who used to be a cop and wants to marry her. Judy is haunted by the same abilities that her mom has, however Lorraine instructed her since she was a child to disregard it, to push it aside, in the hopes Judy is able to lead a normal life. However Judy's interactions with the supernatural are becoming more frequent and traumatic. Things change for all of them, when Father Gordon, one of their closest friends dies in a most dramatic way. He had gone to Philadelphia to check on a family whose house was haunted, and as he blessed the abode, an entity pursued him and caused his death. Judy feels something is wrong during the funeral, and is drawn to that family's house in Philadelphia as well. Ed, Lorraine, and Tony all go to the house to find her, only to realize how much trouble that family is, and an artifact from their past is there once again, forcing them to combat something they had long left behind. 

The best film in "The Conjuring" series is still the first authored by James Wan. The original film had an ability to pay an homage to the horror films of the 1970s, while also bringing it to the modern times, with better production values, and makeup effects. Michael Chaves has a strong stylistic approach to his films, all of them always look impeccably shot, edited, and the production values truly shine. However when it comes to bringing characters to life, or in this case, to create an environment of unease, the approach is never a very subtle one. One of the best things this film, or any of the films in this series has going for it, is the relationship between Ed and Lorraine, perfectly embodied by Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga (they can easily be the William Powell and Myrna Loy of our days). These fantastic actors have great complicity and rapport between the both of them, and they successfully make their relationship and their characters as lived in and authentic as possible. They make their lives, their challenges, and their fears, as palpable and watchable as the best aspect these films have to offer. Michael Chaves and the writing team however, when tackling the remaining characters, they're poorly established, and are in fact clichés without much motivation, aside from either becoming a victim for some entity, or a backdrop character that soon is eclipsed. The film oscillates between the easiness of the two leads, and the wooden backdrop of the supporting characters and situations. There isn't much detail on what the entities are or what their goal is, something that got lost since the original "The Conjuring". As the budgets for these films have increased, coincidentally the storytelling has gotten weaker and weaker. What is left is indeed the fine two leads who are always excellent, who have good support from Ben Hardy and Steve Coulter. The production team is also impeccable, including Eli Born's cinematography, Benjamin Wallfisch's score, John Frankish's production design, and Graham Churchyard's costumes. It's watchable but also forgettable.

King Kong

Movie Name: King Kong
Year of Release: 2005
Director: Peter Jackson
Starring: Naomi Watts, Jack Black, Adrien Brody, Jamie Bell, Thomas Kretschmann, Colin Hanks, Andy Serkis, Evan Parke, Lobo Chan, John Sumner, Craig Hall, Kyle Chandler, Mark Hadlow, David Pittu, Geraldine Brophy
Genre: Action, Drama
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 7
Watch it on Amazon

Synopsis and Review

After the resounding critical and commercial success of "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King", writer/producer/director Peter Jackson decided to keep his creative team intact, and swiftly tackle a dream project of his, remaking Merian C. Cooper's 1933 classic, "King Kong". The narrative focuses on the story of Ann Darrow, a vaudeville actress who runs into hard times following the crash of Wall Street in the late 1920s and most of the 1930s. Unable to find any work, she's nearly at her wits end when she encounters film director and producer Carl Denham. Carl's latest film was met with derision by the producers who are hot on his tail. He also has a map for a remote island, which he believes is the ideal setting for his next picture, something that will be an enormous hit and settle all his issues. While initially reluctant to embark on the journey with a complete stranger, Ann agrees to play the part once she discovers that the film is written by Jack Driscoll, her favorite playwright. Carl manages to rent the SS Venture, a small cargo ship that belongs to Captain Englehorn, under the guise of the movie studio bankrolling the film endeavor. During the trip Ann and Jack become smitten with each other, whereas Captain Englehorn receives a radio message letting him know that Carl's venture isn't under the approval of the studio, and that there's a warrant for his arrest as a result of that. Just as they're about to turn around and come back to NY, they reach Skull Island. Carl and his film crew manage to convince the Captain to allow them to do some shooting in the island, only for things to quickly take a turn, as Ann is kidnapped and offered as a sacrifice for a creature named Kong. Just as the crew is about to attempt to save Ann, Kong shows up and takes her into the jungle. They decide to form a small rescue team to go into the jungle and get her back, not knowing what lies ahead. 

Unlike many remakes that are crafted with the sole intent of capitalizing on well known characters and situations, Peter Jackson's take on "King Kong" is driven by a deep love and respect for the original classic from director Merian C. Cooper, which featured the iconic performance from Fay Wray (who died in 2004, at the time this film was being shot). Peter Jackson is able to quickly establish the situation/context in which all the lead characters find themselves in, an impasse of sorts for all of them, which eventually leads them all to consider this adventure as the best venue for them to go with as their lives are all in a problematic limbo. The characters are briefly established, but are given enough dimension as to understand what is motivating them to go on an uncertain adventure. As the film progresses, and their relationships are more finely attuned, some with more romance, others with more humor, this small group of characters become an ode to the adventure films of the 1930s (the screwball comedy and adventure genres). The film does take a few different turns, namely when the narrative reaches the island, and again when the setting comes back to New York, but they're all unified by these unique players, in particular by the central performance of Naomi Watts as Ann Darrow, one of her finest performances, where she gets to practice physical humor, some zany comedy, and ultimately reveal her true self, as she reveals the bond she shares with the creature who longs for her and holds a special place in her heart. While the section of the film in Skull Island is far longer than it needs to be, it has a "Raiders of the Lost Ark" vibe to it which makes it all the more exciting. But as I mentioned previously, the heart of this film is indeed the relationship between Kong and Ann, which is wonderfully captured. The last chapter of the narrative, while its saddest, also has some of the most beautiful moments that the film has to offer. The cast is perfect in its roles, with Jack Black, Adrien Brody, Jamie Bell, Colin Hanks, and Andy Serkis, all providing solid support to Naomi Watts. The production team is impeccable, particularly Andrew Lesnie's cinematography, James Newton Howard's score, Terry Ryan's costumes, Grant Major's production design, and the entire visual effects teams. It may not be as iconic as the original film of the 1930s, but this is a beautifully rendered homage to that film that stands on its own. 

Frankenstein

Movie Name: Frankenstein
Year of Release: 2025
Director: Guillermo Del Toro
Starring: Jacob Elordi, Oscar Isaac, Mia Goth, Christoph Waltz, Felix Kammerer, Charles Dance, David Bradley, Lars Mikkelsen, Christian Convery, Ralph Ineson, Lauren Collins, Kyle Gatehouse
Genre: Fantasy, Horror
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 4
Watch it on Netflix

Synopsis and Review

Following his take on Carlo Collodi's "Pinocchio", which resulted in a beautiful stop motion film, writer/producer/director Guillermo Del Toro is back, tackling the adaptation of Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein", a literature classic that has been adapted to the screen over 400 times (according to google at least). The film's narrative begins in the North Pole, where a Danish expedition is stuck, since their boat is frozen in the ice. They come across someone who is barely alive, a man who introduces himself as Victor Frankenstein. He has a creature pursuing him, someone with enormous strength who plows through the Danish sailors. They manage to escape the creature, and bring Frankenstein aboard to help him recover. There he starts recounting his tale to the captain of the ship. He mentions how his childhood was challenging, with a father who was cold and didn't care for him, and a mother who was precisely the opposite, but who passed away giving birth to his brother. Frankenstein vowed to be a better medical practitioner than his father was, and to prevent deaths like the one his mother suffered, and be an accomplished scientist. A few years later, already grown, Frankenstein meets his benefactor, a man by the name of Harlander, who witnesses one of his speaking engagements, and who is coincidentally the uncle of Elizabeth who is his brother's bride to be. Harlander agrees to finance Frankenstein's explorations on reanimation, without ever clearly stating what he wants in return. Victor is successful in bringing life to a body he builds himself, but upon doing so he treats the creature with cruelty, thinking the creature is incapable of rational thought. Elizabeth and his brother visit him to witness the results of his research. Elizabeth discovers the creature and feels empathy and fondness for him, and is revolted at how Victor has been treating him. Things take a darker turn, and Victor decides to burn all the research, the creature, every trace of his work to the ground. However the creature manages to escape. At this time, the creature invades the ship and begins to tell the ship's captain his side of the story and how he came to be who he is. 

At this point adapting books like "Frankenstein", "Dracula", "Peter Pan", "Pinocchio", anything by Charles Dickens, Jane Austen, or William Shakespeare feels like a "Groundhog Day" type of scenario: same story, same characters, same outcomes, only with slightly different clothes. For someone as talented and with a unique point of view such as Guillermo Del Toro, this film in particular feels like a lesson on what self indulgence is all about. Is there something so unique to tell about this story that James Whale or any of the other 400 adaptations have not yet told? After watching this film I'd volunteer there isn't. This is quite possibly the worst film that Mr. Del Toro has delivered of all the ones I've seen in all his body of work. Truth be told, there's a level of artistry and competence to everything he does, which means that even at its worst, this film is still watchable and has many aspects to commend. However this film feels rushed, artificially rendered (and not just the wolves and rats, but more on that later), and with a lack of taste that is truly perplexing for someone like Mr. Del Toro. There's quite a few problems with tone occurring in this film, oscillating between bombastic and over the top, which seems to be the only note that Oscar Isaac's performance is able to reach (this is the worst performance I've ever seen this actor deliver), and the attempts from the director to create something more poetic with the Creature, and even whenever Elizabeth comes into a frame. The narrative itself is fairly close to the adaptations of James Whale and even Kenneth Branagh's (not to mention the one by Mel Brooks of course), but it lacks sincerity, poetry, and above all, the ability to simply tell a story of a Creature that is misunderstood, and that actually reveals how monstrous humans actually are. The taste level goes downhill as the Creature recounts his story, with questionable details which include digital rats becoming his friends (a la Disney), and the gore surfacing when digital wolves show up (poorly rendered) and slaughter sheep and his blind benefactor. Most of the positive aspects of this film lie with Jacob Elordi's performance, one that is quiet, somber, but also filled with longing, and thunderous energy. Mia Goth also saves herself with a solid performance, even if her role is underwritten. The production team is also a bit all over the place: Dan Laustsen's cinematography is washed out, whereas the high points end up being Alexandre Desplat's score, and Kate Hawley's costume design. It's an unnecessary adaptation, and a mediocre one at that. 

V for Vendetta

Movie Name: V for Vendetta
Year of Release: 2005
Director: James McTeigue
Starring: Natalie Portman, Hugo Weaving, Stephen Rea, Rupert Graves, Stephen Fry, Tim Pigott-Smith, John Hurt, Roger Allam, Ben Miles, Sinead Cusack, Natasha Wightman, John Standing, Eddie Marsan, Guy Henry, Alister Mazzotti, Mark Phoenix
Genre: Action, Thriller
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 7
Watch it on Amazon

Synopsis and Review

Following the uneven critical and commercial reception of "The Matrix Reloaded" and "The Matrix Revolutions", both of which came out in 2003, the Wachowskis decided to tackle a different intellectual property as their next feature film adaptation and landed on Alan Moore and David Lloyd's graphic novel, "V for Vendetta", originally published in the early 1980s. The film takes place in a near future where Britain is under the far-right, ultranationalist Norsefire political party, one that silences all opposition, a fascist regime where police brutality, political murders, torture of dissidents, exclusion and imprisonment of minorities of color and sexual preference, has become a standard. Massive propaganda has also become a staple of this government, which is ruled with an iron fist by High Chancellor Adam Sutler. In this world two central characters cross paths, one of them by the name of Evey Hammond, a young woman whose parents were targeted by the regime, and killed as a result (they were activists). She now works at the television Network BTN which is run by the state. The other central character is a masked vigilante who goes by V, wears a Guy Fawkes mask, and has himself a dark past marked by torture, medical experimentations, and trauma. They initially cross paths when V saves Evey from an assault situation perpetrated by "The Fingermen", who are about to rape her. V blows up the Old Bailey to awake the people of Britain and its rulers, the former ones from apathy, the latter ones from their comfortable place of absolute power. Furthermore V and Evey cross paths once again when he takes over BTN, taking credit for the bombing, and forewarning everyone that a year from that date everyone should join him in a special event that he's orchestrating. Evey helps V in his escape from the TV studio, and he in return takes her with him when the police knocks her unconscious. V continues to kill key figures in the Norsefire regime, uncovering a trail of corruption, violence, and methodical self-profiteering from many of the key members of the party. While Evey seeks to escape from the plans V has set in motion, she does realize that the totalitarian regime and what they've imparted on people, including her own existence, are too much of a heavy burden to merely be brushed aside.

One of the most interesting things about this film and the material that originated it, is its timelessness, and how apt it continues to be, since it addresses questions of tyranny, corruption, unscrupulous power in modern governments, all of this wrapped in a context where people are the ones who permit for these scenarios to flourish and exist, due to a certain numbness, and exacerbated and fabricated fears. James McTeigue in his feature directorial debut, smartly mixes elements he observed from the Wachowski films (he was first assistant director for "The Matrix" series), namely in the action scenes, but is able to go beyond merely building interesting action set pieces. He and his team create an entirely believable alternate society, one where far-right ideologies are clearly exposed, from the persistent visual propaganda on the streets, to the fabricated news on the main TV channels that people are "allowed" to watch, to the fear that dominates everyone that is possibly critical of the current government. This sanitized existence is perfectly depicted, and what's ultimately at stake is equally given a tremendous amount of importance. The aspect that sadly gets the least amount of development are the characters themselves. Both Evey and V are not given much detail in their characterization, beyond what is their summarized background. And while that isn't a crippling aspect to the success of the feature, it is one of the aspects that feels a bit shallower. James McTeigue and his team however, more than bring this world to life, and make this narrative an engrossing one, something that the stupendous cast helps immensely. Natalie Portman, Hugo Weaving, Stephen Rea, Rupert Graves, Roger Allam, Stephen Fry, John Hurt, Sinead Cusack, Tim Pigott-Smith, they're all fantastic in their roles, and make this film that much more vivid to witness. The same applies to the production team, including the cinematography from the late Adrian Biddle, score from Dario Marianelli, and production design from Owen Paterson. 20 years on, it's a film that remains as entertaining as before, and one that is always worth revisiting and reflecting with. 

The Fantastic Four: First Steps

Movie Name: The Fantastic Four: First Steps
Year of Release: 2025
Director: Matt Shakman
Starring: Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Ebon Moss-Bachrachm, Joseph Quinn, Ralph Ineson, Julia Garner, Natasha Lyonne, Paul Walter Hauser, Sarah Niles, Mark Gatiss, Ada Scott
Genre: Action/Adventure, Sci-Fi
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 6
Watch it on Disney +

Synopsis and Review

"The Fantastic Four: First Steps" is Marvel Studios' third feature of 2025, and its most successful one. The director assigned to this project is Matt Shakman, who has a very lengthy career directing TV shows (including Marvel's "Wanda Vision", but a career that stretches back to Alan Ball's "Six Feet Under", a few episodes of "Game of Thrones", and "Fargo"), with this film actually being his sophomore directorial endeavor. The film focuses on the narrative of the most famous family of superheroes on Earth (or one of the existing Earths), who in 1964 are well known across the planet as their most valiant saviors. Sue/Susan Storm discovers she's pregnant, after years of trying with her husband, Reed Richards. The additional team members, including Ben Grimm and Johnny Storm are ecstatic upon hearing the news. Their moment of family bliss is interrupted when an alien creature on a surfboard crosses the Earth's atmosphere, and comes to New York City to announce that an entity by the name of Galactus has elected Earth as its next destination for annihilation. The herald quickly leaves the planet, but Reed is able to trace its energy trail, and the team goes into outer-space, with the hopes of being able to negotiate with Galactus the survival of Earth and its inhabitants. The gigantic Galactus doesn't acknowledge Humanity's plea for survival, however he does volunteer a trade in the shape of Reed and Sue's unborn child, as he confesses the baby is possessed of an enormous power, which he suspects may rival his own. Sue gives birth on the way back to Earth, and Reed has to figure out how to avoid the planet's destruction leveraging his sheer intellect. He decides to expand a teleportation technique he has developed only on a much larger scale, however the team has to find a way to lure Galactus to Earth, and place him in the right spot. While everyone on Earth is on board with his plan, not everything goes according to it.

This version of The Fantastic Four is without question, the best one thus far. Primarily because it does manage to bring to life the dynamic of the team members, giving them just enough individuality and character development as to not render them as utterly generic and forgettable. That being said, the prior iterations and adaptations of these characters were outright terrible, which makes this rendering by default a superior adaptation. The film does borderline on generic from a narrative standpoint, as very little of what makes and drives these characters is brought to life. The only main driving thread here is the Galactus menace, who is given very little in terms of dimension, motivation, or for that matter, menace (what can he do, aside from being really big according to what this film illustrates). The creative team for this film knew they had very little in terms of dramatic tension or character development, so they smartly invested on everything else, namely visuals, including production design, costumes, and visual effects. And in that regard the film is quite successful: the 1960s are impeccably reproduced, and the retro-futuristic vibe of the film is very Jetsons inspired, retaining at all times a high level of polish and elegance never once falling into kitsch or anecdotal. Unlike James Gunn's take on Superman, which brought the alien hero into modern times, depositing him right in the middle of a rather dark political and human epoch, but smartly putting those aspects in a way that is palatable and entertaining, Matt Shakman doesn't really do much with his material, aside from illustrating this very limited story and arc with the very powerful tools he has from Marvel Studios' arsenal. The cast is solid, particularly Pedro Pascal and Vanessa Kirby, who have great chemistry and bring to life that central couple and their partnership, though Julia Garner is completely wasted under that metallic sheen. The production team is impeccable, including Michael Giacchino's score, Jess Hall's cinematography, Kasra Farahani's production design, Alexandra Byrne's costume design, and all the teams that worked on the visual effects (which are superlatively good). It's a watchable and entertaining film, with style hiding a very generic point of view and a rather weak storyline. Hopefully the sequels will improve upon this. 

Ballad of a Small Player

Movie Name: Ballad of a Small Player
Year of Release: 2025
Director: Edward Berger
Starring: Colin Farrell, Fala Chen, Tilda Swinton, Deanie Ip, Alex Jennings, Jason Tobin, Alan K. Chang, Anthony Chau-Sang Wong 
Genre: Drama
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 7
Watch it on Netflix

Synopsis and Review

Following the critical acclaim and multiple awards consideration (and wins) for "All Quiet on the Western Front" and "Conclave", director Edward Berger is back, this time collaborating with screenwriter Rowan Joffe (who has previously written "28 Weeks Later" and "The American"), who has adapted Lawrence Osborne's novel. The narrative focuses on Lord Doyle, an inveterate gambler who is in Macau, following a series of stints in other gambling capitals of the world. He's been on a consistent losing streak, and finds himself strapped for money, with creditors getting closer and closer. The hotel gives him a few days to settle his bills, otherwise they'll call the police. Having run through most of the casinos in Macau, one of the doormen suggests he goes to The Rainbow, as they may give him credit there. He meets Dao Ming at that casino, a credit broker, who does volunteer credit for his continued gambling. They strike an unexpected bond and friendly relationship, and Dao explains to Lord Doyle all about the Ghost Festival that is taking place in the area, including its symbolism. While Dao is very jaded about gamblers, Doyle believes he's just one winning streak away from turning life around. Lord Doyle is photographed by a woman on an elevator and he follows her to ask for that photo to be deleted. As it turns out, the woman named Cynthia Blithe is in reality an investigator who has been sent to track his location. Lord Doyle is a fake name for what turns out to be Brendan Reilly, an Irish financier, who embezzled millions from one of his clients. Doyle/Reilly manages to convince Cynthia to give him another day before exposing him and his current location. While he does try to get some money back from other people who owe him as well, he eventually finds himself in an alley without escape. He goes to a hotel and gorges himself, and just as he is about to pass out with what he thinks is a heart attack, Dao appears, and rescues him. When he reawakens, he finds himself on a floating home on Lamma Island, with Dao taking care of him. They confide in each other, and realize how similar they are. Doyle/Reilly just wants that last opportunity, and he knows that the tide will turn. When he can't locate Dao, he decides to go ahead using money she had left behind. 

While this film touches upon topics that are not new, and there's been plenty of films tackling the topic of gambling, including Karel Reisz's "The Gambler" and its remake with the same title by Rupert Wyatt, Edward Berger's take on the material is definitely something worth paying close attention to. The director expertly illustrates the glossiness of living out loud, without money woes, in one of the most polished gambling capitals of the world, a reality that co-exists with the grittiness of the life for those who do not get to partake in those limitless fund types of lives. In this ecosystem of varied financial resources, this central character, one who tries so hard to embody a life he simply has never had, and doesn't even know he can live up to, is dropped, at literally the worst moment they're experiencing in their lives. Doyle/Reilly is indeed a small fish in a very big sea, one who is about to be eaten up by the biggest creatures that swim in a sea that they know far better than he ever will. Doyle/Reilly hasn't forgotten who he is, he hasn't sold his soul yet, but gambling is a demanding and damaging partner, and he's running out of steam. Edward Berger illustrates this franticness, this quest the character goes on, particularly as he gets surrounded more and more by obligations, by his own past crimes, and by the consequences of his own life choices. Dao is a savior, an angel, one that while dramatically not very expanded upon, does provide the path to redemption that Doyle/Reilly needs. And Cynthia is the jolt to accountability and a reality that Doyle/Reilly has chosen to distance himself from. It's a fascinating film, one that covers terrain that while not new, is nonetheless so vividly captured and performed that it's impossible not to enjoy this ride. The cast is stupendous, led by the wonderful Colin Farrell who again excels in this role, with great support from the formidable Tilda Swinton, Fala Chen, and the underrated Alex Jennings. The production team is impeccable, including the stunning cinematography from James Friend, score from Volker Bertelmann, production design from Jonathan Houlding, and costume design from Lisy Christl. It's a solid film worth watching. 

Vanishing on 7th Street

Movie Name: Vanishing on 7th Street
Year of Release: 2010
Director: Brad Anderson
Starring: Hayden Christensen, Thandie Newton, John Leguizamo, Jacob Latimore, Taylor Groothuis, Jordan Trovillion
Genre: Horror, Mystery
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 6
Watch it on Amazon

Synopsis and Review

Director Brad Anderson made a name for himself in the late 90s with the Hope Davis starring independent film "Next Stop Wonderland", and since then has dabbled in independent films mixed with bigger budget ones, mixed with prestige television shows (amongst his films are "The Machinist" and "Beirut", and amongst his TV work are episodes of "Boardwalk Empire", "Fringe", and "Peacemaker"). "Vanishing on 7th Street" follows the story of a small group of characters, all in Detroit, who suddenly find themselves trapped in a situation beyond their control, and more so, one that is lethal and that wipes people out of existence without any explanation or reasoning. Paul is a projectionist who takes a break, and upon returning to the movie session he was overseeing, notices the power goes out, and when he gets out of the projection booth, there are no people in sight, just people's clothes on the floor. A security guard shows up, but he soon disappears as well, with only his clothes left behind. Rosemary, a nurse at a hospital, also notices people's disappearance, including ones that are in the operating table. She calls out for her child Manny in despair, since she fears for the worst. Luke Ryder is a TV reporter who wakes up in his apartment only to realize the power is out. He seeks out the woman he was with, but she's nowhere in sight. Upon leaving the building where he lives, he realizes all streets are empty and all caras are abandoned. There are people's clothes simply on the ground. He eventually makes it to the television station only to catch a live feed from Chicago informing people to always keep a light on themselves. A few days later as Luke is scavenging for batteries, he notices a young boy in a bar that is being powered by a portable generator. The boy, named James, states he is waiting for his mother who is at a church nearby, however Luke informs him that darkness has set in, and that no one seems to have survived. All these characters converge on the bar and Luke eventually suggests they all find a way to go to Chicago, based on the live feed he previously listened to. 

Brad Anderson's "Vanishing on 7th Street" came out in 2010 after a decade of independent films that garnered him consistent attention, even if none of those films ever became a breakout hit. "The Machinist" is well known for Christian Bale's transformative performance, while "Session 9" featured a great cast and has since become a cult horror film. One of the most successful aspects of "Vanishing on 7th Street" is the fact that it many ways it feels like an extended premise/concept from "Twilight Zone", similarly to some episodes of the show, never surrendering an explanation for what is happening, nor providing a happy ending type of scenario. The director smartly progressively discloses how this horrifying darkness is taking people away, but never volunteers an exact explanation for what it is, where its goal lies, its reasoning, and how far it has reached (there are hints, but nothing further). It makes for an unsettling scenario, one where he drops different characters, all of them confronting this new reality very differently. Luke, the reporter with a shattered personal life, is attempting to survive without tying himself to anyone, while Rosemary is haunted by guilt and fear that she failed to protect her child. Her need to help, is a path for redemption for what she thinks she has failed to do for her child. Paul is simply trying to outlive the situation, whereas the young James is fearful for his mother, and for the fact that he is alone in this new world. While these characters don't have much in terms of background, they are very similar to the characters one finds in zombie films, in the sense their motivation is of course to stay alive by avoiding this all encompassing darkness that surrounds them (in this particular case, literal darkness). This apparent straightforwardness of the script, darkness enveloping the world without explanation or reasoning, could have taken the events of the feature in many different directions (for instance, Fernando Meirelles' adaptation of Jose Saramago's "Blindness", tackled a scenario where a considerable amount of people in the world became blind, inexplicably, and how that changed relationships, dynamics, politics, etc.), however this script is modest in its ambition, and focuses on a survival point of view. And these characters want to survive more than anything, even more so than they want to understand what is happening. The film could have benefitted from a bit more character development, and also a bit more context development, but it does manage to be effective illustrating the growth of the darkness. The cast of the film is competent, the same going for the production team, particularly Uta Briesewitz's cinematography. It's a watchable and entertaining film. 

The Guest

Movie Name: The Guest
Year of Release: 2014
Director: Adam Wingard
Starring: Dan Stevens, Maika Monroe, Brendan Meyer, Sheila Kelley, Leland Orser, Lance Reddick, Joel David Moore, Ethan Embry, Brenden Roberts, Tabatha Shaun, Chase Williamson, Steve Brown, Alex Knight, Frank Bond, Mike Miller, Matthew Page
Genre: Thriller, Action
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 7
Watch it on Amazon

Synopsis and Review

Before solidifying his reputation with his monster blockbusters, "Godzilla vs. Kong" and "Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire", director Adam Wingard started to make a name for himself with "The Guest", which was met with solid reviews upon its release. The film follows the story of a man named David. He introduces himself to a family whose oldest son has died in the war in Afghanistan. He mentions to Laura Peterson, the matriarch of the family, that they were on the same battalion, and that their son Caleb had asked him to visit his family and tell them how much he loved them. Laura who is still grieving the loss of her son is clearly emotional about the whole situation, and eventually invites David to stay with the family until he finds a place of his own. David starts hearing and meshing with the family, including taking note of Spencer's challenges at work (the patriarch), and the offspring, starting with Luke's constant antagonism at the local high school, and Anna who works in a restaurant. David starts by addressing a few of the homophobic bullies from Luke's high school, whom he beats up at a local bar. He also ingratiates himself with Anna, by attending a Halloween party with her, and saving one of her friends from a violent ex-boyfriend. Anna is nonetheless suspicious of David, and decides to call the military base to ask about him. She's informed that the man by that name died a week earlier. Her call however sparks a flurry of action, namely a special unit spearheaded by Major Carver who is intent in getting to the Peterson's family home in the hopes of saving them all.

"The Guest" is an economical and polished B-movie, that is able to illustrate a tightly woven web of actions surrounding the charismatic disruptor that comes in the shape of David Collins. The film provides just enough information on the central characters in order for us the audience to be able to understand where they are when the film starts, and why they're all so willing to embrace a force of disruption such as David. He is a catalyst but also a balm, someone who comes in to provide some comfort after a devastating loss, but also someone who shakes the family from a certain apathy and victimhood in which they've been living. The tension he introduces jolts the family forward, until his own backstory comes crashing into everyone's lives, upon which they realize he's far more dangerous than just a fearless and resourceful individual. It's a well constructed narrative, one that progressively discloses who this individual is, even if not much information is ever surrendered. If anything the film lacks some more substance to its lead characters, but overall the film does deliver on its premise. The cast is solid, with the always fantastic Dan Stevens leading the group, with solid support from Maika Monroe, Sheila Kelly, Leland Orser, and the late Lance Reddick. The production team is solid, including Robby Baumgartner's cinematography and Steve Moore's score. Entertaining and worth watching.

The Wrath of Becky

Movie Name: The Wrath of Becky
Year of Release: 2019
Director: Matt Angel, Suzanne Coote
Starring: Lulu Wilson, Seann William Scott, Denise Burse, Jill Larson, Michael Sirow, Matt Angel, Aaron Dalla Villa, Courtney Gains, Alison Cimmet, Derek Gaines, Kate Siegel
Genre: Action, Thriller
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 2
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Synopsis and Review

"Becky" premiered during the pandemic and apparently got enough audience to warrant this sequel, which comes courtesy of directing team Matt Angel and Susanna Coote, who also co-write the story (Matt Angel wrote the script). The film follows the story of Becky, who is now 16 and has been in and out of foster homes since her father was killed by neo-nazis (and her mother died of cancer). She currently rents a room from a lovely lady by the name of Elena, who also allows her to keep her dog (service dog) by the name of Diego. She works in the local diner, and lives a rather calm and under the radar existence. That suffers a bit of a jolt when 3 men come into the diner and start provoking her. She spills hot coffee all over one of them, and they decide to follow her and teach her a lesson. Upon arriving at Elena's house, they beat up Diego, and they're about to do worse to Becky when Elena shows up with a shotgun. They kill Elena, and as Becky is about to retaliate, she hits the wall and passes out. When she comes back to her senses, she notices Diego is gone. She eventually uncovers where those men are stationed. They're in a nearby property owned by a man named Darryl, who is part of a terrorist organization titled "Noble Men". Becky investigates further, as she plans to take them down one by one and get Diego back.

Unlike Joe Wright's "Hanna", "The Wrath of Becky" tries to be more tongue in cheek, cartoonishly violent, positioning Becky as a terminally jaded young woman who has seen everything and suffered everything she has to suffer. And sadly, courtesy of this poorly written film, that seems to be the case. The film has issues with tone, not wanting to be overtly cartoonish, much like Michael Davis did with "Shoot 'Em Up" (it's incredible how many films are unsuccessfully trying to emulate that film's energy, even if that film wasn't that successful to begin with), but also no wanting to be very dramatic which is the tone that Joe Wright adopted in the aforementioned "Hanna", which featured a great central performance by Saoirse Ronan. "The Wrath of Becky" has little motivation for its characters, adding some contrived plot mechanics around national terrorists and assassination plots, inexistent character dimension, and by the time the action sequences come along (if they can even be called that), they're poorly choreographed, with the team resorting to gore in order to avoid boredom. It's a brief film, plagued with nonsensical developments, where most of the cast is just trying to play along. Seann William Scott manages to be the sole saving grace of the film, whereas the talented Kate Siegel has a brief cameo. Lulu Wilson who had interesting performances in "Ouija: Origin of Evil" and "Annabelle: Creation" can't do much to save the film, no matter how much she tries. The production team is underwhelming, though the makeup effects are solidly crafted. Avoid. 

Brightburn

Movie Name: Brightburn
Year of Release: 2019
Director: David Yarovesky
Starring: Elizabeth Banks, David Denman, Jackson A. Dunn, Emmie Hunter, Matt Jones, Meredith Hagner, Jennifer Holland, Gregory Alan Williams, Annie Humphrey, Terence Rosemore, Becky Wahlstrom, Michael Rooker
Genre: Horror, Mystery
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 4
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Synopsis and Review

David Yarovesky made a name for himself directing music videos before turning his attention to feature films. "Brightburn" is his sophomore directorial effort, and is written by Brian and Mark Gunn, and produced by James Gunn (the writer/producer/director of "Guardians of the Galaxy", "Slither", "Suicide Squad", and more recently, "Superman"). The film follows the story of the Breyer family. Originally composed of Tori and Kyle, they soon are joined by a little boy that as we find out, is adopted. They raise the young boy since he's an infant, and by the time he's in junior high, he's a kind and thoughtful young man, who is also quite intelligent. However something Tori and Kyle has in their barn starts emanating vibrations and waking young Brandon. Brandon also starts changing his personality, as he also realizes there's something quite different about himself. He realizes he's super strong, invulnerable to pain, can fly, and even shoot powerful beams of light from his eyes. He keeps this from his parents, but his behavior starts becoming more menacing, firstly hurting a girl who defended him at school, followed by killing her mother. Kyle starts suspecting there's something wrong going on with Brandon, and expresses his concerns to Tori. She refuses to believe him, even as Brandon becomes violent towards Kyle. When a fatal event occurs that touches upon their family, Tori and Kyle have to confront the fact that Brandon may not be the young boy they thought he was. 

There's something quite interesting about the premise of "Brighburn": the antithesis of Superman/Clark Kent. Whereas the Joe Shuster and Jerry Siegel character is all about an alien that comes to Earth to make it a better place for all humans, the central character of "Brightburn" wants to dominate the human race, enslave them. Both Tori and Kyle (who are the counterparts of Martha and Jonathan Kent), are the nesting parents for the "cuckoo" who eventually kills them. This dark tale is an interesting one, though the script doesn't provide much nuance to the characters, their relationships, or even for the progression that turns Brandon from the thoughtful individual he was, to a psychopath that obliterates everything in sight. This aspect of the script development is what deflates the power of the film itself: there's more interest in showing the grotesqueness and monstrosity of Brandon's deranged actions, more so than trying to illustrate his transition to such a violent behavior (particularly towards his parents, who were always doting and loving). By playing loose with behaviors and aiming to get to the gratuitous violence, the film and the story loses much of its soul and impact. The cast tries their best with the characters they have, with the greatly underrated Elizabeth Banks and the always solid David Denman making a great couple (they have great chemistry and believability as a married couple), whereas Jackson A. Dunn fairs better as the kind Brandon, more so than the menacing one. The production team is solid with the visual effects being fairly rendered considering the modest budget of the film. It promised a lot more than it delivered, but it's still watchable.

Vicious

Movie Name: Vicious
Year of Release: 2025
Director: Bryan Bertino
Starring: Dakota Fanning, Kathryn Hunter, Mary McCormack, Rachel Blanchard, Devyn Nekoda, Drew Moore, Klea Scott
Genre: Horror, Mystery
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 3
Watch it on Amazon

Synopsis and Review

Bryan Bertino made a name for himself with the original "The Strangers", which started a franchise of its own, with the most recent chapters of that same franchise being directed by Renny Harlin (of "Die Hard 2", "Cutthroat Island", and "The Long Kiss Goodnight" fame). "Vicious" focuses on the story of Polly, a young woman who lives by herself in a large house. One evening she hears a knock on the door and sees a rather older and frail woman standing with a box. She invites her in. The older woman thanks her for the gesture and kindness, however soon enough she says to Polly that she's going to die that evening. She does forewarn her that the box has instructions, and if she follows them, she may avoid her demise. But essentially the woman tells her that she has to place three things inside the box: something she needs, something she hates, and something she loves. As the woman leaves, Polly is incredulous about what just took place, but odd things quickly start occurring, leading her to go on a path to play the game. Most of all Polly wants to avoid something happening to her sister and niece.

You may be tempted to think based on the description of the film that this has some nods to Richard Kelly's adaptation of Richard Matheson's "The Box", however this film goes in a very different direction than the Cameron Diaz and James Marsden's feature. "Vicious" briefly introduces us to Polly, who apparently is going through some issues, both personal and professional, something we never get much of an understanding of, which explains her rather stressed out and anxious behavior. As Kathryn Hunter's character comes into play, and drops the malevolent object, similar for instance to "The Ring"'s videotape, the film then opens the door to this supernatural aspect that is never explained nor clarified. It simply is there, with its demands, which as the film progresses, includes self-mutilation and sacrifice. Whereas some of the films featuring these types of objects always surrender some clarification on what's behind their intent, and why that character has been chosen, this one leaves all those aspects in the open, leading to question if all this is happening on Polly's tortured mind, or is it for real. Sadly the film also doesn't really operate in that ambiguity, it is very literal in its quest to illustrate the challenges the lead character has to fulfill in order not to meet her demise. It's a film that doesn't make much sense from a storytelling perspective, but that is able to conjure up a dark and menacing environment in which the lead character exists. Dakota Fanning tries her best to bring the character to life, but her performance lacks authenticity, urgency, or even fear. Kathryn Hunter is far more successful in her brief moments in the film, as is Devyn Nekoda as the following prey to the viral menace that is being spread around. The production team of the film is solid, particularly Tristan Nyby's cinematography and Jennifer Spence's production design. Sadly it's a forgettable endeavor for everyone involved. 

Bring Her Back

Movie Name: Bring Her Back
Year of Release: 2025
Director: Danny Philippou, Michael Philippou
Starring: Sally Hawkins, Billy Barratt, Sora Wong, Jonah Wren Phillips, Mischa Heywood, Sally-Anne Upton, Stephen Phillips
Genre: Horror, Mystery
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 6
Watch it on Amazon

Synopsis and Review

The directing team of the brothers Philippou is back, following the critical and commercial success of their feature directorial debut, "Talk to Me". This time around the narrative focuses on the story of two siblings, Andy and Piper, whose dad unexpectedly dies. Though they're half siblings, they're very close, and Piper relies on Andy for a lot since she has a visual impairment which renders her virtually blind. Social Services places them with Laura, a temporary foster situation until Andy turns 18, a woman who used to work as a counselor in Social Services. Upon arriving at her place, Laura tells them she's also taking care of another young boy by the name of Oliver, Ollie as she usually calls him, who doesn't talk. Laura quickly warms up to Piper, while she's a bit colder towards Andy. While attending Andy and Piper's dad's funeral, she wants Andy to kiss the corpse's lips, which he doesn't. She clips a lock of hair from the corpse. That night they all decide to celebrate the memory of the departed, and Andy expresses the abuse he suffered at the hands of his father. Laura on the other hand mentions how much she misses her daughter, who drowned in the backyard pool. Andy keeps noticing strange events, and following a particularly horrifying episode with Oliver, he hallucinates an apparition of his father. Andy suffers a concussion and while recovering in the hospital, Laura starts dressing Piper in Cathy's clothes (her late daughter), and takes her to a padlocked shed where the corpse of her daughter is stored in a freezer. As it turns out, Laura is trying to bring her daughter back to life. She's placed a demon in Oliver's body, so they can eventually bring Cathy into Piper's body, something she witnessed from a ritual captured in these old videotapes. In order to do this, Laura has to get Andy out of the way, which she does with carefully orchestrated actions, which eventually leads to Andy going to Social Services and begging them to save Piper. 

The Philippou siblings have an ability to draw believable situations and characters, progressively introducing something alien and disturbing to it, typically something supernatural related. "Talk to Me" introduced a group of friends in an Australian suburb who are playing around with a hand that puts them in touch with entities, whereas now we are introduced to siblings who are suddenly faced with family displacement as their father passes away. But as the story unfolds we understand better who these characters are, what binds them together, while the introduction of Laura, her quirks and finally her intentions also become more visible. What is so smartly nuanced about this film is the fact that the creative team makes these characters well balanced, in the sense that none of them is picture perfect, nor a completely monstrous one (even the late father to Andy and Piper). Even as Laura's dark and horrific intentions become clearer, it's also demonstrable that she deeply loved her daughter. There are narrative aspects of this film that are not quite as well resolved as "Talk to Me", namely the whole possession and supernatural aspect of the feature. But as the narrative progresses and the climactic third chapter comes around, it's engrossing to witness how far the directors are willing to take the whole experience. The film really just needed a finer adjustment from a narrative standpoint, to at least have a far more pronounced emotional impact. The cast is fantastic, with highlights going to Sally Hawkins, Jonah Wren Phillips, and Billy Barratt. The production team is solid, with highlights going to Cornel Wilczek's score. Smartly crafted and worth watching, even if not as narratively consistent as Danny and Michael Philippou's debut. 

M3GAN 2.0

Movie Name: M3GAN 2.0
Year of Release: 2025
Director: Gerard Johnstone
Starring: Allison Williams, Violet McGraw, Amie Donald, Brian Jordan Alvarez, Jen Van Epps, Ivanna Sakhno, Aristotle Athari, Jemaine Clement, Timm Sharp, James Gaylyn
Genre: Sci-Fi, Thriller
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 4
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Synopsis and Review

Writer/director Gerard Johnstone is back with a sequel to his successful "M3GAN", which a few years ago became another staple for Blumhouse's ever increasing number of potential franchises. The film picks up two years after the events of the first chapter. Gemma is now an author and staunch advocate for AI regulation, and has been partnering with a cybersecurity expert by the name of Christian, in order to pursue that agenda. Her niece Cady in the meantime has taken into self defense classes and is also studying computer science. Gemma is working with Cole and Tess (her team members who also worked on M3GAN) on a robotic exoskeleton, and the demo they perform doesn't go entirely according to plan. Their work however catches the attention of billionaire (or bullionaire) Alton Appleton, who wants Gemma and the team to come work for him. At a big event sponsored by Appleton, he is attacked by a creature named AMELIA, who is in reality an android designed for infiltration and assassination missions, based on the technology and concepts used for the original M3GAN. While M3GAN still lives on trapped in a harmless Moxie robot, she finds out AMELIA has killed Alton and is planning to go through a complete AI takeover (of everything). Gemma and her team decide to create a new body for M3GAN in order to prevent AMELIA from destroying everything.

While the original "M3GAN" was a slick horror B-movie, mixing some Cronenbergian influences with some "Demon Seed" (the Dean Koontz novel and Donald Cammell's film adaptation) ones, this sequel opts to go in a slightly different direction. While the film still has some violent elements to it, it has toned down the irreverence and humor from the original film and has instead replaced it with this quasi James Bond vibe, where M3GAN now is battling her not so distant cousin, while the film is trying to teach everyone on why AI should be regulated and not feared. While AMELIA is introduced as an Atomic Blonde on steroids, only with less humor and principles, M3GAN is now a protector without the extra spice which made her both driven and psychotic in the first installment of the series. The tone shift has been considerable, with the human characters losing even more detail in this film than they did in the first one. Gemma, Cole, Tess, and Cady all remain as poorly sketched out as ever, whereas Jemaine Clement's tech bullionaire (bully and billionaire merged), while ripe for a good satire, is reduced to yet another sexual predator of sorts, one who is tackled by AMELIA learning a fatal lesson as a result. Even Christian, Gemma's partner, who flies a bit under the radar during most of the film, also amounts to very little by the end, since the creative team has placed all its attention on these AI driven characters, who are essentially Bond villains, but without the humor nor the personality (even the final chapter of the film taking place in the XENOX locale, feels like the lair of a Bond villain). It's not a terrible film by any means, but it doesn't really know what it wants to be, and takes itself a bit too seriously for what it is. Amie Donald and Ivanna Sakhno as the robotic entities are the highlight of the cast, while the production team is solid, particularly Toby Oliver's cinematography and Chris Bacon's score. The first chapter managed to be more successful and entertaining than this follow up. 

Underworld: Evolution

Movie Name: Underworld: Evolution
Year of Release: 2006
Director: Len Wiseman
Starring: Kate Beckinsale, Scott Speedman, Derek Jacobi, Tony Curran, Bill Nighy, Steven Mackintosh, Shane Brolly, Sophia Myles, John Mann, Scott McElroy, Michael Sheen, Richard Cetrone, Brian Steele
Genre: Action, Fantasy
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 5
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Synopsis and Review

Following the unexpected success of "Underworld", the creative team behind that film united efforts to create this more ambitious sequel. The film picks up after the events of the first chapter. Selene and Michael (the vampire/werewolf hybrid), are lovers on the run, both from the vampire clans and also from the lycans. Unbeknownst to them, their actions have brought to life one of the first known vampires, the dangerous and ruthless Marcus. He kills the deceitful Kraven, but before doing so consumes his past actions and the events that have led to Selene and Michael's escape. Marcus is intent on freeing his brother William, one of the original lycans who has been imprisoned for centuries. Unlike modern lycans, who can revert back to human form, the ones descendant from his brother can never do so, and are ferocious, killing everything in sight. Marcus wants to take hold of Selene, since she holds the secret for his brother's location. Selene and Michael in the meantime realize some of Michael's bodily limitations, and are tracked by Marcus, who nearly takes them. They seek out information from Tanis, on why Marcus is so intent on getting information from Selene. Their sleuthing takes them all the way to the original vampire, Corvinus, the father of Marcus and William, who warns them that they're no match for Marcus' powers. As Marcus eventually catches up with them, wreaking havoc in the process, Selene also suffers changes that enable her to battle Marcus on a very different level.

"Underworld: Evolution" was the first sequel to a series that has continued to be a successful one for Sony Pictures (and specifically Screen Gems, their label that specializes in this genre of films). This film had double the budget of the first one, which allowed for the team to expand their scope in terms of visual effects, makeup, production design, production aspects in general. The film also had the original writers back, which allowed them to continue to focus on the relationship between Selene and Michael, while probing deeper in the origins of vampires and lycans. Sadly that's one of the aspects where the film falters most, the script. Very little background is provided for Selene or Michael, with Selene in this episode getting some of the lion share of exposition, but even that is very limited in scope, information, or how the character eventually became what she is. There's quite a bit of missed opportunities here when it comes to bringing these characters to life, mostly because the script is more focused on pitting Selene and Michael against a powerful elder, aiming for the action set pieces, disregarding character development in the process. The film is rendered like a slick and polished B-movie, which in certain aspects it manages to succeed, particularly when it comes to the creative work supervised by Patrick Tatopoulos, responsible for the Production Design, but also for the Makeup effects. All this work is a substantial departure from the prior installment, but once again is more style and not so much substance. However the action set pieces are fairly well staged, and the film mostly capitalizes on that. The cast has far more talent than what the material is giving them, starting with the underrated Kate Beckinsale, who has an enormously talented trifecta of support: Derek Jacobi, Bill Nighy, Tony Curran. All these talented performers manage to keep the events of the film always compelling. The production team is also solid, including Marco Beltrami's score, Simon Duggan's cinematography, Wendy Partridge's costumes, and the aforementioned Patrick Tatopoulos. It's a film with quite a few limitations, but its lack of pretension, married with the talent of everyone involved, elevates it to something watchable and even entertaining in certain parts. 

Batman Begins

Movie Name: Batman Begins
Year of Release: 2005
Director: Christopher Nolan
Starring: Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Liam Neeson, Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman, Cillian Murphy, Katie Holmes, Tom Wilkinson, Ken Watanabe, Linus Roache, Rutger Hauer, Mark Boone Junior, Gerard Murphy, Richard Brake
Genre: Action/Adventure
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 7
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Synopsis and Review

When Warner Brothers assigned "Batman Begins" to Christopher Nolan, the writer/producer/director was still a rather neophyte navigating big budget films. He had created a name for himself with "Following", "Memento" (his big calling card at the time), and the remake of "Insomnia", which featured Al Pacino and Robin Williams. Working with David S. Goyer, who at the time was mostly well known for the scripts of "Blade" and "Dark City" (from director Alex Proyas), Christopher Nolan had the arduous task of recapturing the public's attention following the previous and disastrous Joel Schumacher Batman entries ("Batman Forever" and the rotten "Batman and Robin"). The film focuses on the narrative of Bruce Wayne, whom we once again encounter in Gotham City, who is infested with crime. His parents get brutally murdered in front of him as a child, and the young boy gets sent to a private school while a trust is set in order to manage all the interests of his family, across all the businesses they own. Bruce returns as a young man, once the murderer of his parents is up for parole. He has bitterness towards the whole ordeal, which he shares with his loyal caregiver, Alfred. The criminal is killed by one of Carmine Falcone's hired killers, and when attempting to get his revenge, Bruce is humiliated and tossed aside by Falcone. Attempting to better understand the underworld, Bruce ditches his identity and goes to Asia, where he eventually ends in prison, but also captures the attention of a man by the name of Ducard, who is working for a sinister group led by Ra's Al Ghul. While Bruce is trained in that group's ways, he's horrified by their approach to punishment, urban order, and revenge. He violently distances himself from them, and returns to Gotham, where he and Alfred start a plan to clean up the crime infection destroying the city, and they both decide to use a masked alter ego to protect themselves, which they name Batman.

Ironically of the Batman trilogy Christopher Nolan tackled, this first film is the one that is closest to the comic book aesthetic from where Batman originates. The co-writer/director is successful in creating a Gotham City that is divided by social-economic imbalances, where crime is indeed rampant, but one where the wealthy, also get to enjoy their beautiful art-deco buildings and social events. Into this world that seems ready to crack, he drops Batman, a catalyst of change, one that aims to restore more balance (or even peace) to the urban war taking place, but who finds himself battling more than he expected. The film manages to successfully illustrate Batman's first steps, his inexperience, and also his fears on what he's attempting to do (with a considerable amount of self doubt). Mr. Nolan is able to map out an intricate and diverse array of characters, some with more dimension than others, but all of them with a clear motivation expressed throughout their actions. The film is economical in their description, but robust in the manner it sets the different pieces together with all these characters. It's not Batman seen through the eyes of someone like Tim Burton, who was interested in the whole concept of outsider/freak of nature aspect the character had. Christopher Nolan goes more in the direction of a sleuthing/detective story, something he pushed even further with the following features, and that Matt Reeves also explored on his take with this character (a la "French Connection" but distilled into comic books). The cast is solid, particularly Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, and Morgan Freeman, though Liam Neeson could have benefited from a slightly better written part, the same going for Katie Holmes (who has little to do). The production team is impeccable, with highlights going for Wally Pfister's cinematography, James Newton Howard and Hans Zimmer's score, Nathan Crowley's production design, and Lindy Hemming's costume design. It's an entertaining film and interpretation of this iconic character.