The Aviator

Movie Name: The Aviator
Year of Release: 2004
Director: Martin Scorsese
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Cate Blanchett, Kate Beckinsale, John C. Reilly, Adam Baldwin, Alan Alda, Ian Holm, Danny Huston, Gwen Stefani, Jude Law, Adam Scott, Matt Ross, Kelli Garner, Frances Conroy, Brent Spinner, Edward Herrmann, Willem Dafoe, Kenneth Welsh, Josie Maran, J.C. MacKenzie
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 7
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Synopsis and Review

The story of Howard Hughes is a magnet for storytellers and actors wanting to showcase their ability to play larger than life characters, particularly ones that marry glamour with obsessive compulsive and self destructive behaviors. Howard Hughes is well known for his role in the world of aviation, but also in the movie industry, since he was a film producer and director, responsible for the launch of certain movie star careers, namely Jane Russell. The film's narrative focuses on the life of Howard Hughes around the time of the release of "The Jazz Singer" (which became known for being the first "talkie"), when Hughes was in his early 20s. He decides to direct his film "Hell's Angels" with more realism, increasing the level of danger of the production. At the same time he delegates the operational aspect of his business empire to Noah Dietrich, one of his trustworthy team members. Already displaying some concerning behaviors regarding his OCD, Hughes starts a romantic entanglement with the charismatic Katherine Hepburn, herself a well known star in Hollywood. In parallel with his focus in the entertainment industry, Howard continues to be very involved in the aeronautics world, particularly with his desire to break speed (and world) records, which he eventually does by flying around the world in 4 days. His involvement in the airline TWA creates a seething rivalry with the chairman of Pan Am. While his workaholism eventually alienates Katherine Hepburn, who moves on to another relationship, his affection for her never dissipates, even if he has flings with other women, including Ava Gardner. His involvement with aviation increases in the 1940s, when he gets contracts with the Army Air Forces. While doing a test flight, he suffers a serious crash, from which he eventually recovers, but subsequently heightens his OCD which progressively leads to his isolation. Old rivalries resurface which forces him to present himself for Senate hearings.

"The Aviator" was originally a project to be directed by Michael Mann, who in the meantime went on to direct "Collateral" which also premiered in 2004. Martin Scorsese was coming off from his first collaboration with Leonardo DiCaprio in "Gangs of New York", which was a long shoot, and had its fair share of issues during the post-production and release due to the involvement of producer Harvey Weinstein. "The Aviator" is in a way a glossy love letter from Martin Scorsese to classic Hollywood and the movie making industry, something he has always loved, even if the industry itself is a backdrop for a tale of a character who is lost to his own demons, fears, and ultimately insecurities. The film has an interesting duality of reconciling the more outwardly and larger than life aspects of Howard Hughes' life (his directorial endeavors, his record breaking feats in aviation), with his more intimate aspects, which includes his approach to personal/romantic relationships, and also how his mental acumen, his OCD, eventually took over his life, preventing him from being able to fully function in life. Because it's a period piece, and one that takes place in Hollywood, it may seem that the glossiness topples the character study which is what the core of this film is all about. The ghosts, the fears pursuing Howard Hughes are probably not given as much prominence as they should, but Martin Scorsese is able to demonstrate how at the time these issues isolated someone who was always fearless, driven, and charismatic. The film could have benefited of giving some of the supporting characters a bit more dimension, as they risk being empty puppets mimicking previously existing individuals, including Errol Flynn, Katherine Hepburn, and Ava Gardner, though thanks to the talented cast they never fall into being a collection of tics and recognizable catchphrases. The cast of the film is impeccable, starting with Leonardo DiCaprio who creates one of his most indelible performances here, channeling his intensity to a character that is simultaneously ebullient, but also self-imploding, with great support from Cate Blanchett, Kate Beckinsale, Alan Alda, Alec Baldwin, Jude Law, Adam Scott, John C. Reilly, and Matt Ross. The production team is peerless, including the score from Howard Shore, cinematography from Robert Richardson, costumes from Sandy Powell, and production design from Dante Ferretti. A solid and entertaining film from a wonderful storyteller. 

Marty Supreme

Movie Name: Marty Supreme
Year of Release: 2025
Director: Josh Safdie
Starring: Timothee Chalamet , Gwyneth Paltrow, Odessa A'zion, Kevin O'Leary, Abel Ferrara, Fran Drescher, Emory Cohen, Sandra Bernhard, Tyler the Creator, Larry 'Ratso' Sloman, Dennis Creaghan, Luke Manley, Fred Hechinger, Penn Jillette, Isaac Mizrahi, Koto Kawaguchi, Isaac Simon
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 7
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Synopsis and Review

Following the trifecta of films he directed with his brother Benny, "Heaven Knows What", "Good Time", and "Uncut Gems", writer/producer/director Josh Safdie has ventured out on his own, collaborating with writer Ronald Bronstein and actor/producer Timothee Chalamet to bring to life the character of Marty Mauser, loosely inspired on the life of Marty Reisman, a Tennis Table player who wrote a book about his craft in the 1970s. The narrative places us in New York in 1952. Marty Mauser is working as a shoe salesman at his uncle's shop, is involved with Rachel Mizler, his married neighbor whom he has known for a long time, but his master plan is to go to the British Open for Table Tennis. He has been doing the sales job in the hopes his uncle pays him $700 for the plane and hotel fare. His mom and his uncle find this focus on table tennis something with no future, and as a last resort Marty takes money from his uncle's vault, as he's taken off without paying him. While in London Marty becomes aware of Kay Stone, an actress currently married to Milton Rockwell, a very wealth businessman (his fortune stems from selling pens). Marty manages to get to the finals but is defeated by the Japanese player, Koto Endo. On top of it his self entitled behavior irritates the organizers of the event. While initially disagreeing with doing Table Tennis has an activity/hobby showcase, he agrees to tour the world showcasing how fun the sport/activity is. Upon returning to the US, he is hit with a variety of issues all at the same time: his uncle is intent on arresting him due to the vault situation, Rachel as it turns out is pregnant, she states the baby is his, and her husband has been violent towards her, and he is also forewarned that he cannot participate in the upcoming World Championship of Table Tennis due to charging extra expenses during his stay in London. As the events keep piling on, Marty's desperation to get the money to go to Tokyo for the Championship drive him to riskier situations.

There's plenty to be said about this great portrait of a character who is so focused on his life goals, but who is also rather unscrupulous about doing what he needs to do in order to achieve his goals. In a lot of ways this film has some similarities with Martin Scorsese's "The Wolf of Wall Street", in the sense that the lead character is very narrowly focused, and eventually starts destroying everything and everyone who comes into his orbit, including family, friends, and loved ones. However whereas Martin Scorsese was able to illustrate an entire ecosystem (the financial world), populating it with an over the top central character, while still giving room for supporting ones to exist, all of this wrapped in a satire, "Marty Supreme" opts instead for a rather darker view of the central character's obsession, peppering the narrative with situations just keep getting more and more convoluted (at times almost borderline unreal, but with the director refraining the situations from going into a surreal scenario at the right moment). The film excels at creating and illustrating Marty's unrelenting life, one where the vision he has set for himself, for his role in Table Tennis, and where that will eventually lead him, has a momentum that is magnetic. However, and part of the problem for this film, is that this momentum becomes monotonous after a while: while Marty's drive is illustrate as all encompassing, the film only illustrates this side of him, this eternal quest for validation, for visibility, never allowing him to be anything else beyond this character who will stop at nothing to achieve his goals. This ends up being the aspect of the film that feels more repetitive, though every chapter is vividly and authentically brought to life, thanks to an incredible strong cast, led by Timothee Chalamet who is fantastic, with strong support from Gwyneth Paltrow, Kevin O'Leary, Emory Cohen (who is another chameleon), Abel Ferrara, and Fran Drescher. The production team is impeccable, including the fantastic score from Daniel Lopatin, the cinematography from Darius Khondji, production design from Jack Fisk, and costume design from Miyako Bellizzi. A solid film worth watching.  

Pecker

Movie Name: Pecker
Year of Release: 1998
Director: John Waters
Starring: Edward Furlong, Christina Ricci, Mary Kay Place, Lili Taylor, Martha Plimpton, Brendan Sexton III, Mark Joy, Jean Schertler, Lauren Hulsey, Mink Stole, Patricia Hearst, Donald Neal, Tim Caggiano, Scott Morgan
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 7
Watch it on Amazon

Synopsis and Review

The last film directed by John Waters, as of 2025, has been 2004's "A Dirty Shame". And while a recent project was announced, he sadly has been met with difficulties in financing, which illustrates the state of the industry: denying one of its most original voices, the ability to continue a directorial career that sadly hasn't been as prolific as it should have been. "Pecker" came out in 1998, following "Serial Mom", who has gone on to become a cult film, one that is frequently quoted in pop culture jargon. "Pecker" takes place in Baltimore and follows the life of a young man by the name of Pecker, who loves photographing his loved ones, and what he considers interesting about his life and everyone's life in his city. Pecker loves to capture beauty in the unexpected, be it his girlfriend Shelley who owns and runs a laundromat, or his best friend Matt who is a compulsive shoplifter, or the gay club where his oldest sister works. His camera is like a diary, an extension of how he sees the world, even if his photos are at times out of focus or have unexpected angles. Pecker has a mini showing for his photos in the Deli where he works, and catches the attention of Rorey, an art dealer from New York. Pecker's work and his unpretentious demeanor delight Rorey who decides to do a showcase of him in an art gallery in New York. His work is received extremely well, and he suddenly finds himself as the pin-up of the art world, giving him some financial rewards, but taking away some of his anonymity, and making his process for taking photos that much harder. It also puts a strain on his family's life, not to mention his girlfriend's and best friend's. 

While "Pecker" may not be as corrosively funny as "Serial Mom" turned out to be, it's nonetheless an interesting and ironic view at how the art world has a way of being both incestuous and also superficial, constantly tooting the horn for the meaning of art, for the next big artist, all the while failing to truly view the artists and their point of view for what it is. John Waters perfectly captures how the art world creates these hype-cycles around someone whom they don't really know, but that becomes a trend, simply because they can and the timing is right. The film illustrates this dichotomy quite well in how it portrays the more realistic perspective of how Pecker lives in Baltimore, and the contrasting reality of the art world of New York, who considers Pecker and his subjects much like curiosities to be studied (and while the fantastic Cindy Sherman does have a cameo, John Waters doesn't make Pecker's photos to be like Nan Goldin's for instance). What the film ultimately illustrates is how trends and hype are indeed fleeting, but that the unique point of view of an artist, in this case Pecker and his camera, stay with him, even after the focus of attention goes in a different direction. What makes this film successful, much like all of John Waters' features, even if with different levels of success, lies on the universe he illustrates and brings to life, always filled with colorful characters, where everything has a slight different tonality to it. Yes, there are influences from classic Hollywood, including Douglas Sirk, but it's all blended through his lens, one that mixes his sarcasm, irony, politics, sex, and nixes the concepts of gender and labels. "Pecker" features great performances from the always reliable and underrated Mary Kay Place, Christina Ricci, Martha Plimpton, Lili Taylor, and while Edward Furlong may not have been the best choice for the central part, he still makes the character a lovable kid who just wants to keep doing what he loves. The production team is solid including Stewart Copeland's score, Robert M. Stevens' cinematography, and Vincent Peranio's production design (who perfectly captures the art gallery vibe of the late 1990s). It's an entertaining feature, one that is a comforting visit to a universe from an artist who isn't as prolific as he should be. 

Sisu

Movie Name: Sisu
Year of Release: 2022
Director: Jalmari Helander
Starring: Jorma Tommila, Aksel Hennie, Jack Doolan, Mimosa Willamo, Onni Tommila, Tatu Sinisalo, Wilhelm Enckell, Vincent Willestrand, Elina Saarela, Ilkka Koivula, Max Ovaska
Genre: Action
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 5
Watch it on Amazon

Synopsis and Review

"Sisu" is writer/director Jalmari Helander's third directorial endeavor, following his breakout/debut with "Rare Exports". In the interim he has directed a considerable array of shorts and ventured into directing TV shows such as "Wingman" and "Perfect Commando". "Sisu" takes place in late 1944 and focuses its narrative on a man by the name of Aatami Korpi, who lives a simple life in the company of his horse and dog. He spends his time looking for gold in the Lapland area (in Finland), until he eventually does find a considerable amount of it. He decides to travel towards Rovaniemi, but along the way encounters an SS platoon who are retreating in the direction of Norway, but destroying villages in the process (and have taken quite a few Finnish women with them along the way). While they let him pass, a second unit of soldiers discovers his gold and decides to kill and rob him. Aatami however is swifter, and kills them all and escapes. The first SS group is alerted by the gunfire and discovers what has happened, and some of the nuggets that were left behind. Bruno Helldorf who leads the SS battalion, decides to pursue Aatami in his tank. They soon discover that Aatami is much more than a simple prospector, but they also know Germany has lost the war, and that they need the gold to escape prosecution for war crimes. 

Certain aspects of this film, namely its bloodshed and graphic violence bring to mind the over the top stylings of Michael Davis' "Shoot 'Em Up", a film that came out in 2007, and has become somewhat of a blueprint for many of these post-Death Wish/Rambo B-movie stylings that have been coming out in the last few years. The skeleton of these films is still very similar to the construct of the original B-movies of the 1970s/1980s which started this trend (including the ones from the late Cannon/Yoram Globus/Menahem Golam), however they have since introduced this hyper violent set pieces which have been somewhat legitimized since Quentin Tarantino included them in his own films since the 1990s, which have been labeled homages and a stylistic point of view. "Sisu" brings to mind aspects of Chad Stahelski's "John Wick" series, in the sense that the central character is a stoic, monolithic, and apparently indestructible hero, who goes on a killing spree due to the fact that he's been wronged. While Wick is reeling from the death of his wife, Sisu lives in the aftermath of his own trauma, and the fact that Nazis want to rob him. It's a straightforward premise for a film that never stops, that goes from set piece to the next, much like a video game that takes the user through different difficulty levels. For the most part "Sisu" works quite well, since the motivation for these characters is limited, but also riveting. All these parties do want that loot, for different reasons, and while this isn't a film where we progressively learn more about who these characters are, their limitations don't prevent the film from losing its momentum. It does make the film less impactful, since there isn't much storytelling about these characters and their journey, even if it is an action film. One can always remember John McTiernan's "Die Hard" and Alan Rickman's Hans Gruber character: we never knew much about him, but knew enough to understand that he was intelligent, motivated, had a sense of humor, and was somewhat irreverent. These characters needed a bit more of that, of something that brought them further into the realm of reality, and that is where the film falters the most. The cast is uniformly solid, with highlights going to Jorma Tommila and Aksel Hennie. The production team is solid as well, particularly Otso Linnalaakso's production design and Anna Vilppunen's costumes. It's watchable, but not the most memorable action film. 

Working Girl

Movie Name: Working Girl
Year of Release: 1988
Director: Mike Nichols
Starring: Melanie Griffith, Harrison Ford, Sigourney Weaver, Joan Cusack, Alex Baldwin, Philip Bosco, Olympia Dukakis, Oliver Platt, Kevin Spacey, Nora Dunn, James Lally, Amy Aquino, Jeffrey Nordling
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 7
Watch it on Amazon

Synopsis and Review

By the time "Working Girl" premiered at the end of December of 1988, just in time for awards consideration, Mike Nichols was coming off a mild hit with "Biloxi Blues", and a big disappointment, "Heartburn", with his beloved Meryl Streep, which didn't connect with audiences. As it turns out "Working Girl" was a huge hit, sending Melanie Griffith on an upward trajectory which resulted in a series of misfires, whereas Harrison Ford and Sigourney Weaver further cemented their taste level. The film focuses on the story of Tess McGill, an assistant for two stockbrokers in a Manhattan firm, who has dreams and aspirations of being able to work with portfolios of assets as opposed to taking phone calls and doing coffee errands. Despite having a business degree earned from attending evening classes, Tess isn't taken seriously. Her bosses send her on what she thinks to be a networking opportunity only to find out that it's more of a inappropriate hook up situation. After turning the tables on them, she finds herself out of a job, and the job placement office warns her the opportunity available is actually her last (at least with them). As it turns out it's another administrative assistant role, but this time around for a woman named Katherine Parker, a beautiful, patrician, and elegant individual who is handling mergers and acquisitions. While Katherine is condescending, the women manage to establish a working relationship. Tess comes up with a business idea/angle to Katherine who reassures her she'll review it and give her feedback, so Tess can enroll in a program she wants to pursue. In the meantime Katherine goes on a break, has a skiing accident, and turns to Tess to do all chores at her house (while keeping everything afloat at work). While checking Katherine's house and attending to her instructions, Tess accidentally discovers Katherine has decided to move ahead with her business idea, claiming it as her own, without telling her these developments. Tired of being mistreated (including a philandering fiancée), Tess decides to let her ambition be her driver. 

"Working Girl" hit the mark when it premiered in 1988. It represented a different level of professional visibility in the workforce for women, and it came on the heels of Charles Shyer's "Baby Boom" which had also hinted at that reality, though that story went in a very different direction, which was not the case for Kevin Wade's script. "Working Girl" managed to place a female character at the center of the narrative, and much like Charlie Sheen's Bud Fox in Oliver Stone's "Wall Street", Tess was resourceful, intelligent, and ambitious, though unlike Sheen's character not entirely unscrupulous. Even though her actions weren't exactly the most honest ones, she was not taking ownership for anyone's intellectual capacity or ideas, nor was she leveraging any insider trading to get ahead: she just wanted to get a fair shot at being able to pitch her ideas, and be judged on those, and not on her background, or where she hailed from. While this description may come across as a recipe for a potent drama, Kevin Wade and Mike Nichols were able to create a funny observational comedy, mostly leveraging the fish out of water angle, and particularly by relying on both Sigourney Weaver and Joan Cusack to do the heavy lifting in terms of injecting humor during the narrative. Katherine Parker is the perfect satire for the boss who has gotten to where she is because of a combination of nepotism, the right connections, and her looks. She isn't necessarily obtuse, but she has no issues walking over others to self promote and get where she wants to be. She is the right amount of self involved and narcissistic to elicit comedic observations from her cocktail reception, to her ski trip, to her final confrontation with Tess and Jack. Joan Cusack on the other hand had far less screen time, but was able to perfectly capture the Staten Island persona, with the big hair and mild ambitions, who wanted to be a good friend, and just lead a quiet, suburban life. The film is indeed a testament to how society was evolving in the late 1980s, and how these characters, particularly Tess, is more than just a traditional one note central heroine. She does feel slighted, deceived, but she's willing to combat and shape her life to get where she wants to be (without losing sight of herself). The cast is uniformly excellent, with Melanie Griffith having her second best moment yet on film (her best is still Audrey/Lulu in Jonathan Demme's "Something Wild"), with solid support from Harrison Ford, and the aforementioned Sigourney Weaver who ends up stealing most scenes she's in, the same going for Joan Cusack. The production team is brilliant, including the late Michael Ballhaus' cinematography, Carly Simon's score, and Ann Roth's costumes. A classic always worth revisiting. 

Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery

Movie Name: Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery
Year of Release: 2025
Director: Rian Johnson
Starring: Daniel Craig, Josh O'Connor, Glenn Close, Josh Brolin, Mila Kunis, Jeremy Renner, Thomas Haden Church, Cailee Spaeny, Kerry Washington, Andrew Scott, Daryl McCormack, Jeffrey Wright, James Faulkner, Annie Hamilton, Bridget Everett, Noah Segan, Cecilia Blair, 
Genre: Thriller, Drama, Crime
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 9
Watch it on Netflix

Synopsis and Review

2025 marks the 20th anniversary of Rian Johnson's feature directorial debut, "Brick", which launched him into a stellar career. His latest installment for the "Knives Out" series, may well be the best one yet. The narrative positions the young priest by the name of Jud at the center of the events. He's sent to a parish in upstate New York, following a physical altercation with one of the deacons. His passion for what he does renders him the protection of Bishop Langstrom. He gets sent to the Our Lady of Perpetual Fortitude parish, one that is led by the forceful and iron willed Monsignor Jefferson Wicks. Wicks has a long standing history with the parish, as his grandfather was also a Reverend there. Jefferson's mother, dubbed a "loose woman", had him out of wedlock, and his grandfather forced her to stay in town with the promise of getting his considerable inheritance. Upon his passing, there was nothing to collect and she destroyed the interior of the church. Jud realizes he's going to have a steep battle with Wicks, but soon realizes that the Monsignor alienates most of the parishioners, except for a group of people who come in every week and seem to hang on his every word. As Jud tries to show everyone another side of faith and of the church, he's met with derision, particularly from Martha, who runs the entire church affairs and has known Wicks all her life. Things take a dark turn when Wicks dies in a storage closet near the pulpit, he is in fact murdered there. All eyes land on Jud even though there's no proof of his wrongdoing. Police chief Geraldine Scott asks Benoit Blanc to investigate what is apparent a perfect murder.

One of the most interesting traits of Rian Johnson's accomplished career as a writer and director (and producer) has been how he intelligently peppers his view of the current world, the political, economical, social challenges we all face in a daily manner into his work. That once again appears in this chapter of the "Knives Out" series, a more somber chapter than the previous ones for sure, but also quite possibly the most potent one of the three thus far. Topics like religion, radicalization of populism, lack of principles and ethics, misogyny, amongst many others, are illustrated in this film in a way that is neither preach-full nor self-important. The writer/director is able to embed points of reflection on what is happening in society these days in this format of a quasi Agatha Christie inspired and highly entertaining whodunit. Another remarkable aspect of this film is in fact its pacing: the film flows almost effortlessly between the set pieces, like a perfectly timed clockwork, allowing for all the events to take place without lulls, peppering the narrative with just enough dark humor to keep everything in perspective. The fine cast of this feature also makes it that much more riveting, starting with Josh O'Connor who truly embodies the central character to perfection, leading the film with charisma, energy, and conviction. He gets great support from Daniel Craig, and the wondrous Glenn Close who once again steals the film with her portrayal of a character who has seen everything and knows everything (her characterization is reminiscent of the Férula character she portrayed in Bille August's "The House of the Spirits"). The rest of the cast is solid in their portrayals, though Josh Brolin's characterization, in particular his wig and beard are at times a bit distracting. The production team is as always impeccable, with highlights going to Nathan Johnson's score, Rick Heinrichs' production design, Jenny Eagan's costumes, though Steve Yedlin's cinematography, particularly during daylight shots, feels almost devoid of any dimension (the nighttime shots are far better). It's a superbly well crafted film from a great film maker. 

Romy and Michelle's High School Reunion

Movie Name: Romy and Michele's High School Reunion
Year of Release: 1997
Director: David Mirkin 
Starring: Lisa Kudrow, Mira Sorvino, Alan Cumming, Janeane Garofalo, Julia Campbell, Elaine Hendrix, Jacob Vargas, Camryn Manheim, Justin Theroux, Kristin Bauer, Vincent Ventresca, Mia Cottet, Neil Dickson
Genre: Comedy
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 4
Watch it on Amazon

Synopsis and Review

David Mirkin has had a lengthy association with Matt Groening's "The Simpsons", but "Romy and Michele's High School Reunion" was his feature directorial debut, following some TV work he did in the late 1980s into the 1990s, which included "Newhart" and "Get a Life". The narrative of the film is very much on target with its title: Romy and Michele are two women in their late 20s who live in LA. Romy is a receptionist in a garage while Michele is currently unemployed. Romy crosses paths with one of their high school colleagues, Heather Mooney, who is now a successful business mogul. Heather asks if she's going to the high school reunion, one that is about to take place. The two friends who weren't even aware of the event, reminisce about their days in high school, with Romy in particular being pained since she thinks the both of them were somewhat outcasts, and were never part of the cool crowd. Michele on the other hand, thinks high school was fun, since they were always together, and had a blast by themselves. Romy thinks their current lives are a bit underwhelming and decides that upon arriving at the reunion they should lie about their accomplishments since leaving high school. Michele goes along for the scenario, but midway through the drive to Tucson they realize they haven't decided what lie to spin for everyone at the reunion. They decide to make up the story that Romy invented post-its, and that Michele's uncle had a printing business to build them. This lie causes a rift between the two of them, since Michele accuses Romy of deeming her insufficiently capable of inventing post its. As they further bicker about their attractiveness, they both decide to go their separate ways upon arriving at the reunion.

"Romy and Michele's High School Reunion" has become an audience favorite since its release in 1997. A somewhat campy and silly film that people love to watch even if its flaws and shortcomings are quite obvious (possibly the reasons why it has maintained its popularity). It joins other films such as "The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert", "To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything Julie Newmar", "Muriel's Wedding", "Death Becomes Her", "The Devil Wears Prada", and "Clueless", to name but a few. The film is light in terms of its narrative, but also in terms of its pretension, which is also one of its stronger suits. It's unpretentious and it clearly aims to reinforce the message of self acceptance and self content, particularly as these two women who have been friends forever, and particularly the more insecure one of them, have to grow up and figure out how to move through life by being their authentic selves, without trying to appease everyone around them. It's a film that creates its humor from the obliviousness of these characters to the cruelty of those who surround them, but also by illustrating this microcosms of pop culture and over the top fashion statements in which the central characters exist. There isn't much to this film aside from what the cast brings to it, and in this case Lisa Kudrow and Janeane Garofalo really shine through, easily creating characters that are hilarious, but also possessed of a heart (and mind). The remaining cast hits some highs, such as Alan Cumming, Julia Campbell, and Camryn Manheim, while others such as Mira Sorvino feel miscast (and always trying to catch up to their more talented counterparts). The production team is solid, including Reynaldo Villalobos cinematography, Mona May's costumes, and Steve Bartek's score. It's a film that touches upon some recurring themes, and while not the most creative or original, it has enough cleverness and talent to withstand the test of time.

A House of Dynamite

Movie Name: A House of Dynamite
Year of Release: 2025
Director: Kathryn Bigelow
Starring: Rebecca Ferguson, Idris Elba, Jared Harris, Tracy Letts, Greta Lee, Gabriel Basso, Moses Ingram, Jason Clarke, Malachi Beasley, Anthony Ramos, Willa Fitzgerald, Gbenga Akinnagbe, Brittany O'Grady, Jonah Hauer-King, Brian Tee, Kaitlyn Dever, Kyle Allen
Genre: Thriller, Drama
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 7
Watch it on Netflix

Synopsis and Review

Director Kathryn Bigelow is back, her first film in 8 years, since the lastly released "Detroit". This time around she has partnered with Netflix and writer Noah Oppenheim who also wrote Pablo Larrain's "Jackie" and the script for Wes Ball's "The Maze Runner", to bring her particular type of perspective to a very current storyline. The narrative's premise is a singular one, but the story is showcased from three different perspectives, of characters impacted by the events taking place. The first perspective is that of Captain Olivia Walker, whom we witness getting to her work at the White House, only to be confronted with a situation unlike anything she has ever witnessed before. A missile appears out of nowhere destined for the United States, and she and her team have to deploy counter-measures. Her boss is removed to a special locale, in case of detonation, and she and her team frantically try to address the looming threat, that is going to occur in a less than 30 minutes. She decides to stay at her post, and quickly informs her husband to get their young child out of harm's way and escape. The second perspective witnessing the events taking place is that of Deputy National Security Advisor Jake Bearington, who is running late to work that morning with his pregnant wife. When the situation starts unfolding, he's making his way to the White House, while discussing on the phone the mounting pressures of the scenario with everyone involved, including the Secretary of Defense, and the President himself. He is trying to bring some calmness to the situation, though the pressure is immense, and the missile will possibly destroy one of the biggest American cities (though in all truth, they don't know if their equipment has been compromised, if that missile is indeed coming). The third perspective is that of the President of the US. He has a few appointments that day, while is wife is doing a safari in Africa. When he becomes aware of the situation, he is rapidly extracted, and taken to an official transport, while he gets as much information as possible, in the hopes he can make the best informed decision following what's about to happen. Bearington has conversed with the Russian ambassador, but he ultimately has no certainty to provide. It's all about to the President to make a decision, and he has with him a Lieutenant Commander showcasing the options available as means of retaliation.

Since winning an array of accolades for "The Hurt Locker", director Kathryn Bigelow hasn't been the most prolific of film makers. She directed the sensational "Zero Dark Thirty", "Detroit", and now "A House of Dynamite". To her credit, she has never been someone who released many films, but with her talent and point of view, the audiences are definitely missing out on a tremendous talent (one of my favorite films of the 1990s was her James Cameron collaboration, "Strange Days"). "A House of Dynamite" is in many ways, a film that has a very similar tone to the one Ms. Bigelow captured in "Zero Dark Thirty". That tone is one of mounting fear and pressure, illustrating how chains of command deal with the inevitability of dramatic decisions that need to be made/taken, and finally the toll these situations have on the individuals who are experiencing these challenges (and how those decisions have massive implications in the world). "A House of Dynamite" takes a different turn from "Zero Dark Thirty", since it doesn't focus on a central character like the latter did (embodied by Jessica Chastain, in one of her finest performances to date), it chooses instead to view the situation from three different characters perspectives, though I'd volunteer to say that the script could have aimed for a slightly different choice of perspective considering all the focal points of the narrative. The film has a solid pacing, and the director is able to quickly establish the characters who are populating the narrative, however the script is very narrowly focused on this microcosms, which makes it less successful and diverse in its reach. The script starts leering towards a version of the show "24", when it needed to have segments that counter balanced each other (or where the perspectives were slightly different). It's definitely a well mounted film featuring a solid cast, particularly the always fantastic Rebecca Ferguson, Idris Elba, Jason Clarke, Tracy Letts, and Jared Harris. The production team is solid, though the cinematography from Barry Ackroyd is a bit uneven, particularly the daylight shots which are ghastly, whereas the ones in the Alaska terrain are far more subtle and elegant. The score from Volker Bertelmann is impeccable, as is Kirk Baxter's editing. It's a very well crafted film, even if it doesn't reach the heights of prior releases from this talented director.

Jurassic World: Rebirth

Movie Name: Jurassic World: Rebirth
Year of Release: 2025
Director: Gareth Edwards
Starring: Scarlett Johansson, Mahershala Ali, Jonathan Bailey, Rupert Friend, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, Luna Blaise, David Iacono, Audrina Miranda, Bechir Sylvain, Philippine Velge, Ed Skrein, Adam Loxley, Niamh Finlay, Lucy Thackeray
Genre: Action, Adventure
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 4
Watch it on Amazon

Synopsis and Review

Following the little seen "The Creator", director Gareth Edwards is back, reuniting with screenwriter David Koepp, who has been one of the constant creative forces across the "Jurassic Park" series, since he originally adapted Michael Crichton's book for producer/director Steven Spielberg (in 1993). The narrative focuses on the story of Zora Bennett, a consultant/fixer/mercenary, who meets with a man by the name of Martin Krebs, who works for a a titan of a pharmaceutical company. Krebs wants to hire her and a team of her choice, alongside a paleontologist by the name of Dr. Henry Loomis, to retrieve biomaterial samples from 3 distinct Dinosaurs, all of which they believe will enable them to successfully use as a baseline to develop a treatment for cancer. They know they have to move fast since they suspect that the remaining dinosaurs are going extinct due to climate changes. Zora agrees to the mission, and recruits a team of people she has worked with in the past, including Duncan Kincaid, LeClerc, Nina, and Bobby Atwater. They all travel to Ile Saint-Hubert, and while pursuing the aquatic Mosasaurus, the process isn't as straightforward as they initially thought it would be. To make matters worse, they trace a rescue beacon nearby that turns out to be from a father, his two daughters, and the boyfriend from one of the girls, whose sailboat was overturn by that Mosasaurus. While they manage to salvage the family, and collect the first sample, additional dinosaurs are in the water, Spinosaurus, who attack the ship, forcing them to abandon the vessel. The rescued family is once again on their own, while Zora, Henry, and the surviving team hit the water. Duncan stays onboard until the ship crashes the shore of a nearby island. As it turns out, the island is a former center where dinosaur mutations were being tested and created, and has been abandoned for a while. Zora informs them that a helicopter will come by to the lab located in the island to check on them since their ship has stopped communication. That will only happen the following day, which enables them to get the additional samples they need on the island. In the meantime, the family also hits the same island, and decides to follow a line of tubes that lead all the way to the central lab, in the hopes they can leverage a radio to find someone to pick them up.

This 7th episode of this franchise, tries to go back to the original source of the series, while not bringing back any of the characters of any of the prior installments. While this film isn't as mediocre as the prior installment from Colin Trevorrow, "Jurassic World: Dominion", which was released in 2022, it doesn't necessarily move the narrative any further, and ultimately it feels like a rehash of prior films, only with different players. The biggest question one eventually has to ask while watching this film, is not so much about the motivation of these characters, or even who they are, it's more why was this film even made. The film isn't offensive or even poorly rendered, it's simply something that feels repetitive and not particularly fresh. The characters that populate this film are thinly established, but they benefit from having solid actors bringing them to life, even if they are indeed clichés without much novelty to them (the days of Alan Grant, Ellie Sattler, Ian Malcolm with their particularities and idiosyncrasies are long gone). The whole aspect of the lost family and the exploring team, also don't gel and mix very well, which may be the goal for the narrative, but it comes across as two distinct episodes that never find a way to mesh effectively (Steven Spielberg is definitely more deft at bringing an emotional depth to his portrayal of families in strained situations, more so than Gareth Edwards). There are some sections of the film that bring to mind the original "Jurassic Park" (the scenes with the T-Rex for instance), whereas others are a mishmash of digital effects that make the film less successful (particularly in the final chapter of the film). The cast is solid, particularly Scarlett Johansson, Mahershala Ali, and Rupert Friend, whereas Jonathan Bailey and Manuel Garcia-Rulfo feel a bit miscast and lost. The production team is solid, particularly John Mathieson's cinematography, Alexandre Desplat's score, and James Clyne's production design (dare I say it, quite impeccable). It's a puzzling film, mostly for its existence, not necessarily for its quality. 

Scream, Scream 2, Scream 3

Movie Name: Scream
Year of Release: 1996
Director: Wes Craven
Starring: Neve Campbell, David Arquette, Drew Barrymore, Courteney Cox, Rose McGowan, Skeet Ulrich, Jamie Kennedy, Matthew Lillard, W. Earl Brown, Liev Schreiber, Henry Winkler, Joseph Whipp, Lawrence Hecht
Genre: Horror
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 6
Watch it on Amazon

Synopsis and Review

After the disappointing "Vampire in Brooklyn", writer/producer/director Wes Craven decided to tackle what turned out to be Kevin Williamson's first produced script (and Mr. Williamson has gone on to have a very robust and varied career). The film follows the story of Sidney Prescott, a teenager in high school who sees herself at a center of a lot of noise a year after the murder of her mother, when yet another murder occurs in the area where she lives, Woodsboro (California). The most recent victim is a young woman by the name of Casey Becker, who went to school/class with Sidney. Her father is traveling for work, and Sidney is home alone. She suddenly finds herself as the victim of someone wearing a costume like a ghostface who wants to kill her. While she manages to escape the first attack, her boyfriend Billy quickly and suspiciously materializes at her home, which alerts Sdyney to the fact that he may have something to do with it. Billy is arrested by Dewey, her best friend's brother (Tatum is her best friend), but the killer tracks Sydney once more, which then gives Billy an alibi and prompts his release. The principal of the school decides to temporarily halt classes, and Tatum's boyfriend decides to throw a party to celebrate the event. During the party more attacks occur, including the death of Tatum. While at the party things get out of control, with the deadly body count increasing.

The "Scream" series, which is about to celebrate 30 years since the premiere of this first film, has been lauded for the fact that it pokes fun at the concept of slasher films, and by being aware of the tropes of the genre, including its sequels. This type of meta approach to the narrative and how the characters' awareness of the slasher genre, and how it seems they are living that in real time, makes the film appear to be winking its eye at the audience, as if inviting the audience on the "see what we did here, we know what you're thinking". It then tries to subvert the genre, by introducing these unexpected villainous characters that seem to pop out of nowhere, always for some far fetched reasons. All this to say: the original formula primed for its novelty, and the unexpectedness of the narrative, which Wes Craven was able to bring to his own universe, one where he married the apparent normalcy of the American suburb, of the nuclear family, with a lethal killer who stops at nothing to destroy it (much like "A Nightmare on Elm Street"). The characters in this chapter of the franchise have just enough dimension to be more than apathetic, and overall the film moves swiftly towards it's unexpected final reveal. The cast is uniformly solid, including Neve Campbell in her first lead role, with good support from Drew Barrymore, Rose McGowan, David Arquette, Courteney Cox, Skeet Ulrich, and Matthew Lillard. The production team is also uniformly good, with highlighting going to Mark Irwin's cinematography and Marco Beltrami's score. It's an entertaining feature always worth revisiting. 

Movie Name:  Scream 2
Year of Release: 1997
Director: Wes Craven
Starring: Neve Campbell, David Arquette, Courteney Cox, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Heather Graham, Jada Pinkett Smith, Omar Epps, Jerry O'Connell, Joshua Jackson, Timothy Olyphant, Laurie Metcalf, Jamie Kennedy, Liev Schreiber, Rebecca Gayheart, Portia de Rossi, Marisol Nichols, Tori Spelling, David Warner, Lewis Arquette, Elise Neal
Genre: Horror
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 5
Watch it on Amazon

Synopsis and Review

While "Scream" was still in theaters, Dimension Films quickly decided to move forward with a sequel, a treatment of which had already been crafted by Kevin Williamson. Wes Craven returned to the director's chair, as did the surviving characters, and some of the creative team. This time around the narrative finds Sidney in college. She finds herself the target of the Ghostface killer once more, and her friend Randy mentions that according to the mechanics of film sequels, no one is safe and the stakes are far more dangerous. Sidney is far more apprehensive with the whole situation, since Cotton Weary who had been imprisoned for the killing of her mother, has been freed and doesn't seem to be very content about her. She also suspects of everyone near her, which includes her new boyfriend Derek. As Sidney tries to move on with her life, she and her roommate Hallie attend a sorority party, where Ghostface appears and kills once again. As police intervenes to prevent even more killings, they too find themselves as victims of this unstoppable Ghostface. The final confrontation takes place at the University's auditorium, where Sidney uncovers the identity of Ghostface and why the resurgence at this time.

With the mechanics/architecture of the series exposed in the first film, the second chapter of the "Scream" franchise leveraged Jamie Kennedy's movie buff character to reveal how the sequel was going to function (the characters even discuss the quality of sequels versus the original films from franchises, such as "Terminator" and "Alien"). This sequel brings forth the formula that has since been reiterated across many of the films of the franchise, with the unexpected killers and their motivations being at times flimsy and over the top. This time around the character development is also short-changed, since the lead characters are already well established, and sadly not much attention is given to the new players who are introduced in this new collegial environment where the story takes place. And this sadly also reveals some of the limitations the script has, since Kevin Williamson could have played far more with the fact that the characters are slightly older, have new surroundings, and the fear of the unexpected is also tied with the fact that these are young adults and they're suddenly having to deal with making their own decisions. Not much subtlety occurs here (then again subtlety isn't a defining characteristic of the series), and this film does lean towards a slick B-movie/slasher type that seems to work rather well, even if it is not particularly inspired. By the time the villainous characters are revealed, there's a bit of silliness involved (finding a sounding motivation can be challenging), and a bit of "Friday the 13th" influences. The cast is solid once again, with Neve Campbell, David Arquette, Courteney Cox, Liev Schreiber, and Jamie Kennedy all bringing an appropriate energy to their parts. The production team is solid, including Marco Beltrami's score, and Peter Deming's cinematography. It's a paltrier outcome when compared with the original, but still worth watching nonetheless.

Movie Name: Scream 3
Year of Release: 2000
Director: Wes Craven
Starring: Neve Campbell, David Arquette, Courteney Cox, Liev Schreiber, Parker Posey, Scott Foley, Lance Henriksen, Kelly Rutherford, Patrick Dempsey, Deon Richmond, Matt Keeslar, Jenny McCarthy, Emily Mortimer, Patrick Warburton, Heather Matarazzo, Carrie Fisher, Jamie Kennedy
Genre: Documentary
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 5
Watch it on Amazon

Synopsis and Review

The third chapter in the series appeared a few years after the first two, allowing for writer/producer/director Wes Craven to tackle a different type of project in the meantime, namely "Music of the Heart" with Meryl Streep, the same thing going for the cast and the original screenwriter Kevin Williamson, who launched a not very promising directorial career ("Teaching Mrs. Tingle" which was originally named "Killing Mrs. Tingle"), but who also created the very successful TV Show "Dawson's Creek", which ran for 5 years. This chapter of the series finds Sidney isolated from everyone. In order to avoid becoming a target for other Ghostface killers, and avoid additional killings of those near her, she has retreated into a location that is only known to Dewey. Dewey in the meantime has been working as a body guard and advisor to actress Jennifer Jolie, who as it turns out is playing a fictionalized version of Gayle Weathers in "Stab 3",  the new installment of a slasher series that has been inspired by the Woodsboro killings. Ghostface in the meantime makes another re-appearance, killing Cotton Weary, who has become a talk-show host, and his girlfriend Christine. Ghostface is looking for Sidney, and starts stalking and killing people on the set of "Stab 3", creating a sense of dread for its director Roman Bridger, and all its players. Sidney agrees to come back in order to avoid additional bloodshed, as does Gayle Weathers, who had a somewhat painful romantic fallout with Dewey. As Sidney, Dewey, Gayle, and Jennifer (who is shadowing Gayle for authenticity), go about understanding what's taking place, Sidney finally has to confront her mother's past, and how everything she thought she knew about her may not be as a idyllic as she once thought. 

"Scream 3" marked a slight snafu for the series, as it had less audience, and also the critical appreciation was more brittle than the prior chapters. Kevin Williamson at the time involved in other projects, did not return for the sequel, leaving the scripting duties to Ehren Kruger, who at the time had made a name for himself with Mark Pellington's "Arlington Road", and who would go on to write a series of very successful features, including Gore Verbinski's "The Ring", Michael Bay's "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen", and Joseph Kosinski's "Top Gun: Maverick" to name but a few. This chapter coincidentally takes the whole meta aspect of the series a step further, by placing all the characters inside a fictional film sequel, one that is inspired by the killings of the original "Scream" film (in this case named "Stab"). Much like the prior sequel, most of the new characters that are introduced, end up being very thinly described, but in this case there are layers of humor that come across, some involuntary (Courteney Cox's puzzling hairstyle), others more deliberate, namely Parker Posey's hilarious performance as Jennifer Jolie, a very eager actress dying to make her mark. The film smartly also brings to life the past surrounding Sidney's mom, and does so by contextualizing it in the mechanics of the unsavory and brutal aspects of working in tinseltown/Hollywood. These meta aspects of "Scream 3" are some of the most interesting ones of the film, as once again the whole reveal of the villainous Ghostface is rendered in a way that demonstrates a slight motivation, but that is also over the top (with a performance to match from the actor playing this character). All the actors do fairly well in this sequel, particularly Parker Posey who walks away with all of her scenes, with additional solid work performed by Lance Henriksen and Emily Mortimer. The production team once again primes for great professionals, including Marco Beltrami's score, Peter Deming's cinematography, and Bruce Alan Miller's production design. It may have its limitations, but it's worth watching. 

John Candy: I Like Me, AKA Charlie Sheen, Pee-Wee as Himself

Movie Name: John Candy: I Like Me
Year of Release: 2025
Director: Colin Hanks
Starring: John Candy, Bill Murray, Catherine O'Hara, Eugene Levy, Chris Candy, Jennifer Candy-Sullivan, Dan Aykroyd, Tom Hanks, Andrea Martin, Robin Duke, Martin Short, Dave Thomas, Conan O'Brien, Chris Columbus, Mel Brooks, Macaulay Culkin, Steve Martin
Genre: Documentary
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 6
Watch it on Amazon Prime

Synopsis and Review

Actor, producer, and director Colin Hanks' newest documentary (this is his third), focuses on the story of late comedic powerhouse, John Candy who passed away at the tender age of 43 in 1994. It's a celebration of the actor's life and memory, focusing on statements from his well known colleagues and friends from Canada (including Catherine O'Hara and Eugene Levy), his surviving family, and a variety of friends he had during his life. It's indeed an homage, one that never goes into much detail on the impact of John Candy's career, or for that matter, where his ambitions lied. There's a brief sense of anguish lying with the actor, as well as some of his own insecurities with his public persona, but it's somewhat of a slight portrait of a charismatic performer who was gone too soon. Colin Hanks doesn't really probe much, and the documentary feels almost like a celebratory reel that is played at a public event, more so than a documentary detailing who the person was. With that being said, it's worth watching for who John Candy was and his lasting legacy.

Movie Name: AKA Charlie Sheen
Year of Release: 2025
Director: Andrew Renzi
Starring: Charlie Sheen, Denise Richards, Tony Todd, Jon Cryer, Sean Penn, Ramon Estevez, Chris Tucker, Chuck Lorre, Heidi Fleiss, Brooke Mueller, Marco Abeta
Genre: Documentary
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 7
Watch it on Netflix

Synopsis and Review

Director Andrew Renzi's most recent documentary focuses its attention on actor Charlie Sheen. The actor candidly performs a retrospective on his career and life, unapologetically presenting what drove him to certain decisions and options he had in his life. It's an interesting documentary, though at times the fascination with Charlie Sheen himself makes the documentary feel almost sensationalist, emulating the narrative that the actor and the other participants are describing. However, it is a candid, even if at times mildly curated presentation of who this actor and person has been, and what a troublesome journey he has experienced in his life. It does come across as a bit of a self-promotional piece, but its candor is nonetheless arresting and the documentary is worth watching. 

Movie Name: Pee-Wee as Himself
Year of Release: 2025
Director: Matt Wolf
Starring: Paul Reubens, Gary Panter, David Arquette, Cassandra Peterson, Ann Prim, Helen Welchel, Laraine Newman, Debi Mazar, Natasha Lyonne, S. Epatha Merkerson, Laurence Fishburne, Tim Burton, Blair Berk, Judd Apatow
Genre: Documentary
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 8
Watch it on HBO Max

Synopsis and Review

Of this series of documentaries, Matt Wolf's "Pee-Wee as Himself" is the best one of the three. It's also the most heartbreaking one of the three, as the tribulations Paul Reubens went through, are seen through his own eyes, but also of the ones he interacted with closely. It's a documentary focused on a person simultaneously self-aware, but also deeply sensitive, someone who went through an array of issues that eventually did have a profound effect on who this person was, how his life evolved, including all the relationships he was able to maintain. It's also a documentary that captures the reluctance of this individual in documenting this type of self-reflection, when he himself knew he was at the end of his life. This is a documentary that sheds light on the life of an artist, including how society reacted to his individuality, how it tried to silence a distinct voice, and how this individual eventually had to find a way to continue existing, no matter what the challenges were. Of these three documentaries, it's the one that surfaces the brutality, the superficiality that comes with success (and the commodification of relationships), but also the compromises, and downfall that surrounds that success. Well worth watching.

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.