Scary Movie 2

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

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

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

Scary Movie

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

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

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

Jagged Edge

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

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

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

Rough Night

Movie Name: Rough Night
Year of Release: 2017
Director: Lucia Aniello
Starring: Scarlett Johansson, Kate McKinnon, Zoe Kravitz, Jillian Bell, Ilana Glazer, Paul W. Downs, Ryan Cooper, Ty Burrell, Demi Moore, Enrique Murciano, Dean Winters, Colton Haynes, Eric Andre, Bo Burnham, Hasan Minhaj, Karan Soni, Laura Grey, Patrick Carlyle
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 3
Watch it on Tubi

Synopsis and Review

The creative team behind the well reviewed show "Hacks" created this feature before that show started. The narrative focuses on a group of college friends, all of whom went their separate ways upon completion of their degree and who have tried to stay in touch ever since with various degrees of success. Jess who is running for office, decides to get married to her longtime love Peter, and the group of friends, headed by Alice, decide to have a bachelorette party in Miami, Florida. The group is soon also joined by Jess' friend from Australia, Pippa. They go to a club in Miami, where they peer pressure each other to do drugs, and Frankie decides to hire a male stripper to entertain Jess. An attractive man shows up at the vacation house, and they assume he's the stripper. He plays along, getting Alice all fired up. She jumps on him, he slips, hits his head on the fireplace and dies instantly. They're all in a state of shock, not knowing what to do, but they eventually decide to get rid of the body. All their attempts fail. In the meantime, Jess had called Peter, but the call dropped, leading Peter to mistakenly perceive Jess' attitude as wanting to cancel the wedding. His friends pump him up to drive all the way to Florida to win Jess back.

When conceiving "Rough Night" I imagine if Paul W. Downs (who plays Peter) and his creative partner Lucia Aniello, pitched the concept as a hybrid of "The Hangover" and "Bridesmaids". If that is indeed the case, the addition of the concept of those two films into "Rough Night" doesn't necessarily come across as a sound strategy and particularly, a great execution. Unlike "Bridesmaids", this group of women who are supposed to be close friends, even if time has distanced themselves from each other, don't seem to have much in common, or for that matter, much desire to spend time together. While Kristen Wiig and Maya Rudolph genuinely felt like long time friends, in this case, this group seems like a random assortment of people jammed together, pretending to have chemistry or to even care for each other. There simply isn't much of a sense of connection, and some of the performers of the group even seem to be on very different films. Another big issue with the film lies with the overall tone: it oscillates between a quasi depraved and mean spirited scenario (a bunch of women killing a stranger and wanting to get rid of the body), but on the other, it wants to be a romantic comedy where everyone is just quirky, and the happy ending is just around the corner (featuring pratfalls, driving a packed smart cart, engaging in a threesome with an older couple). Ultimately it feels more like a film where story items were selected from a list, in the hopes of making a coherent storyline, more so than an actual narrative with characters who have to face some tough decisions. The cast is all over the place, with Scarlett Johansson clearly miscast, with the only one salvaging the situation being Kate McKinnon who is clearly savoring the role of a chilled Australian. Ty Burrell and Demi Moore (please get them together for another film soon), are cast as an horny version of The Ropers, and they steal every scene in which they show up, but sadly they have very little screen time. The production team is solid but by no means remarkable. This is a film that feels more like a calculated endeavor, sadly it just never gels and ultimately feels like a waste of talent and time for everyone involved. Avoid.

Sirát

Movie Name: Sirát
Year of Release: 2025
Director: Oliver Laxe
Starring: Sergi Lopez, Bruno Nunez Arjona, Stefania Gadda, Joshua Liam Herderson, Richard Bellamy, Tonin Janvier, Jade Oukid, Ahmed Abbou
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 8
Watch it on Amazon

Synopsis and Review

"Sirát" premiered at the Cannes Film Festival of 2025 to great reviews and eventually won the Jury Prize of that year. The narrative follows Luis who is seeking for his daughter in the company of his young son Esteban. He is seeking for her in the desert around Morocco, specifically on this massive rave that draws people from all over. Luis shows the photo of his daughter all over, but no one has seen her. He is informed there is another rave taking place, further into the desert, and that it may possibly be her destination. The rave in Morocco is disbanded when soldiers show up and the European ravers have to be evacuated. There's an armed conflict taking place, and they want everyone to go back to their own countries. Luis decides to take Esteban and Pipa, their dog, in a minivan alongside a group of ravers who are driving across the area in two massive trucks. They try unsuccessfully to dissuade Luis from coming, claiming his car isn't ready for the journey, the same thing for him and Esteban who is but a child. As they go across Northern Africa the group grows closer, sharing food and fuel, with the ravers even helping Luis cross a river in his car. Things take a darker turn when going across a mountain, the group faces mechanical issues, which escalate to a tragic situation.

This film tracks a journey of a father looking for his daughter, but it also strangely brings to mind the world of George Miller's "Mad Max". Mr. Laxe creates a narrative and a world that is very akin to a demise of civilization, one where violence is everywhere, and the kindness and empathy of humans is the only thing left when it comes to identifying humanity itself. The ravers aren't necessarily brainless hedonists, who are pursuing a hippie like existence, as it turns out, they're individuals with dreams just like everyone else, they simply choose to live an existence that isn't conforming with what everyone might deem acceptable. Their ability to understand Luis' plight, and subsequently his grief and pain, demonstrates how humans can create a bonded community, but also how ultimately we are all a collective, who experience life events very similarly, even if how we expose our emotions can be quite unique and different. This is a film that details a journey inward for all these individuals, geographically but also emotionally, only for them to come out at the other side of this journey bruised and battered, but also with a different view on what it means to be alive. It's a film that flows seamlessly, where Mr. Laxe gives the impression that not much is happening, but that notion is quickly dispelled, not solely for the tragic third act, but also for the tapestry he slowly creates between all these individuals. There are no heroes, no villains, just individuals going their way, helping when needed, smiling, and mourning. The cast is solid, particularly the always excellent Sergi Lopez who makes Luis a kind, funny, and focused man, whose life takes a dramatic turn, and yet has to learn how to continue living. The cinematography from Mauro Herce and score from Kangding Ray are fantastic. It's a unique film worth watching and savoring. 

Parenthood

Movie Name: Parenthood
Year of Release: 1989
Director: Ron Howard
Starring: Steve Martin, Mary Steenburgen, Dianne Wiest, Jason Robards, Tom Hulce, Rick Moranis, Harley Jane Kozak, Keanu Reeves, Martha Plimpton, Dennis Dugan, Eileen Ryan, Alisan Porter, Ivyann Schwan
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 6
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Synopsis and Review

Director Ron Howard cemented his directorial career in the 1980s, with a string of big commercial hits, including "Splash", "Cocoon", "Gung Ho", "Willow", and "Parenthood". His usual collaborators, Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel (who wrote "Splash" and "Gung Ho", and who would reunite with him again on "Ed TV") are responsible for the script. The narrative focuses on the life of Gil Buckman, a hard working married man, with a large family, including his siblings Helen, Susan, and the troublesome Larry, his parents Frank and Marilyn, and an array of children. Gil is trying to be supportive to one of his kids who has learning disabilities and suddenly realizes he and his wife have another child on the way, which added to the 3 they already have, creates more money woes on their part. Gil's sister Helen, recently divorced, is trying to do her best with her children. Julie is a rebellious teenager, already dating a young man by the name of Tod, who seems adrift, while her son Garry is going through puberty, is missing his father, and eventually comes to the realization that his father has moved on with his life, has a new family, and doesn't care about him or his sister. Susan is married to Nathan, who is domineering and is creating a sterile childhood for their daughter, while also alienating her in the process. She wants another child, but Nathan disagrees, which creates a massive rift between them. Larry shows up after being astray from the family for quite some time, always involved in quick rich schemes, and suddenly reappears, once again asking for money and with a small child. Gil's parents, Frank and Marilyn, have always bailed Larry out of all situations, much to the dismay of the other siblings. As the family navigates life, more unexpected challenges keep appearing.

If "Parenthood" appears to be a description for a TV Drama, well it eventually did become one (the TV Show lasted between 2010 and 2015). It's a film that illustrates the family dynamics of all these characters quite well, demonstrating the bonds that bring them all together, even if these characters feel at times in very different narratives. They all come across as somewhat stiff stereotypes, though some of these characters have more dimension than others. Steve Martin's Gil gets the lion share of character development, and Mr. Howard manages to give him enough of a stage for him to be both the charismatically funny entertainer, but also the parental figure who is torn between providing for his family and figuring out what his next professional step can be. The character that ends up having some actual depth, in the middle of all the noise created by this soap opera, is actually Dianne Wiest's Helen. She's having to deal with a daughter who is growing too fast, a son who is trying to figure out who he is, and an ex-husband who has no character or regard for his children. She's the one who is also the most humane, attempting to safeguard her children while also realizing that she's not hitting all the right notes. She also is plainly aware that her own personal life and feelings have been put on hold for her children. The film is watchable and plays smoothly like a Pilot for a TV Show - there's nothing particularly dark, even if Tom Hulce's character, Larry, walks closely in that direction. However this script doesn't go into unexpected territories, staying within the confines of the sanitized and acceptable family view. The cast is stacked and features solid performances from Steve Martin, Dianne Wiest, Mary Steenburgen, Jason Robards, Tom Hulce, Joaquin Phoenix, and Keanu Reeves. The production team is competent, including Randy Newman's score, Donald McAlpine's cinematography, and Todd Hallowell's production design. It's watchable and light in content as a feather, but a good opportunity to watch very talented actors working harmoniously.

Personal Shopper

Movie Name: Personal Shopper
Year of Release: 2016
Director: Olivier Assayas
Starring: Kristen Stewart, Lars Eidinger, Sigrid Bouaziz, Anders Danielsen Lie, Ty Olwin, Nora Waldstätten, Hammou Graïa, Benjamin Biolay, Audrey Bonnet, Pascal Rambert, Aurelia Petit
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 6
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Synopsis and Review

After their successful partnership with "Clouds of Sils Maria", writer/director Olivier Assayas and actress Kristen Stewart reunited once again for "Personal Shopper", which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival of 2016 to solid reviews. The film follows the story of Maureen, a 20 something woman living in Paris. She works as a personal shopper for a high profile woman, but also believes herself to be a medium. She's reeling from the recent death of her twin brother, and has stayed in Paris waiting to get a "connection" from his ghost. Her boyfriend is also working abroad, in Muscat, Oman, and invites her come visit him, so she can distance herself from all the pain that Paris sparks in her. While trying to feel or catch any signs of her lost sibling in the house he and his girlfriend shared, Maureen does come across a spirit, but that of a female, which scares her. She also starts getting text messages from an unknown sender who seems to know a lot about her. Her life is thrown into further disarray when her employer is brutally murdered, and Maureen is questioned on how she found her, and the role she played in her life. 

One of the most interesting aspects of "Personal Shopper" is the sentiment of initial disbelief that the writer/director creates towards what is happening in the lead character's life. The film isn't your typical ghost story, nor is it this deambulatory chronicle of a young woman's life in Paris. It marries both those aspects in a way that feels organic and eventually sensical. Yes, Maureen is a personal shopper for someone who is wealthy and lives an opulent lifestyle, but she's also someone who firmly believes her dead twin brother will communicate with her from the after life, and that her "abilities"/sensitivity, will be able to hone in when he does so. These aspects coexist in this narrative, but as the director keeps adding more events, including the anonymous text messages, the death of her employer, all of these aspects while creating a sense of dread, also murky the journey Maureen has been experiencing. What was initially an exploration of grief, and how people at times dehumanize themselves while serving others, becomes a bit more trivial when the writer/director layers them across the narrative (that didn't really need it). Maureen is a bit puzzling herself: she's very sure of herself when performing her tasks, but less assured when addressing her own path in life. And this duality makes her an interesting character, even if we never know much more about who she actually is, and what her ambitions are. This film lives from all these aspects that the audience has to build for themselves, as they witness the story unfold, and where Maureen's experiences lead her. Mr. Assayas does create a vivid universe for these characters to live in, but doesn't really know where to take them, which seems to be a perpetual issue in many of his films. Kristen Stewart does a solid job playing Maureen, and the film lies squarely on her shoulders. The production team is equally solid, particularly Yorick Le Saux's cinematography and François-Renaud Labarthe's production design. It's not an entirely successful film, but one that is enigmatic and well performed to hold one's attention. 

Kimi

Movie Name: Kimi
Year of Release: 2022
Director: Steven Soderbergh
Starring: Zoe Kravitz, Byron Bowers, Rita Wilson, Devin Ratray, Jacob Vargas, Derek DelGaudio, Sarai Koo, Jaime Camil, George Evans, Robin Givens, India de Beaufort, Charles Halford, David Wain
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 7
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Synopsis and Review

Following the well received "No Good Deed", the prolifically talented Steven Soderbergh quickly came back with another release, marking his first collaboration with screenwriter David Koepp (a long time collaborator of Steven Spielberg, for whom he wrote "Jurassic Park", "Lost World", "War of the Worlds", "Indiana Jones 4", and "Disclosure Day"). "Kimi" follows the story of Angela Childs, an agoraphobic tech worker, who has been having troubles going outside for quite some time (a result from an assault she previously experienced), an issue that got substantially worse with the advent of Covid-19. She monitors incoming data streams from the Kimi devices, built and sold by a company that is about to go through an IPO process. She's been dating a neighbor who lives in the building across from her, a lawyer by the name of Terry. Terry has been attempting to get her outside, starting with something as simple as enjoying food from a local food truck, something that is unable to tackle. While going through the daily streams she detects what appears to be a woman being subjected to a violent assault. With the help of a coworker she is able to trace the identity back to a user whose name is Samantha. She uncovers more of that user's recordings, and is horrified to realize that her additional recordings indicate she might have been murdered. She reports the issue to her company, and she's eventually told to come into the office so they can call the FBI and clarify the whole situation. However and while she's waiting, she realizes two individuals are coming to get her, upon which she decides to leave the offices and go to the local FBI offices herself.

David Koepp's scripts are at times hit or miss. His latest collaboration with Steven Soderbergh, the wonderful and criminally underrated "Black Bag" was a perfectly executed thriller, with enough sophistication and character development to warrant multiple viewings. Some of his scripts, including "Secret Window" or even "Premium Rush", which he also directed, just don't work quite as successfully. They are genre films where characters are presented as sketches, and the narrative feels rushed and underdeveloped. Some of those traits are also noticeable on "Kimi", however this film benefits from having Steven Soderbergh at the helm. Mr. Soderbergh has always been able to illustrate the central heroes of his narratives as individuals who have found a unique place for themselves in the world, even if they may come across as borderline anti-conventional (that was the case of James Spader's Graham in "sex, lies, and videotape", Jesse Bradford's Aaron Kurlander in "King of the Hill", or even Julia Roberts' Erin Brockovich, in the film with the same title). Angela may seem at first glance as a modern heroine from a Hitchcock film, or even a distant relation to Sigourney Weaver's Dr. Helen Hudson from Jon Amiel's "Copycat", but as the narrative develops, we get to learn more about what motivates her specific behavior, including her emotional barriers, her relationships with others, and even why is she so intent on reporting what she just captured. The best part of this feature is indeed the way this character comes to life as the narrative develops, even if some of her tribulations with her pursuers diminish the power of his storyline. It would have been interesting if David Koepp had written this film like an updated version of Brian De Palma's "Blow Out", but sadly this script lacks that ambition, and falls a bit too easily into the trappings of a more conventional thriller. Still, even with its script limitations, Steven Soderbergh works his magic defining the claustrophobia of Angela's apartment, as well as the fears she faces when she goes outside. The cast is solid, though it would be interesting to see what Naomi Scott or Jessica Henwick could have done with this part. The production team is solid, since as usual Steven Soderbergh also works as cinematographer, editor, with the addition of the stupendous Cliff Martinez on score (they've been regular collaborators since "sex, lies, and videotape"), and Philip Messina's production design. It's an entertaining and worth watching feature from a very talented film maker. 

Dust Bunny

Movie Name: Dust Bunny
Year of Release: 2025
Director: Bryan Fuller 
Starring: Mads Mikkelsen, Sophie Sloan, Sigourney Weaver, David Dastmalchian, Sheila Atim, Rebecca Henderson, Line Kruse, Caspar Phillipson, Armond Willis, Rea Milla, Tibor Szauervein, Sute Zhao, Tao Jia, Hisham Omer
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 7
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Synopsis and Review

"Dust Bunny" is the feature directorial debut for celebrated writer/producer Bryan Fuller, who has created iconic tv shows in the past including "Wonderfalls", "Dead Like Me", "Pushing Daisies", and more recently "Hannibal". The film had its premiere at the Toronto Film Festival in 2025 where it was greeted with solid reviews. The narrative follows the story of Aurora, an 8 year old girl who lives with her foster parents in NY. One night she follows her neighbor from unit 5B to Chinatown, where she witnesses him killing what appears to be an immense dragon (but in reality he kills an entire gang who is hidden under the guise of a dragon dance puppet). Aurora is terrified of the place where she lives, since as she explains to her foster parents, there is an enormous monster underneath her bed (and floor). They don't believe her until one night she hears immense rubble in the place, and the following day her parents are gone and their bedroom is torn to pieces. She decides to hire her neighbor to help her get rid of the monster, and with that in mind she steals the donation tray of the nearest church. When she recounts her story and her purpose to her neighbor, he believes that her parents were mistakenly killed by people trying to kill him. He informs his handler Laverne of the matter. Laverne advises him to get rid of Aurora. That evening two assassins arrive at Aurora's apartment, and while the neighbor tackles one of them, the other mysteriously disappears.

The stylistic world of Bryan Fuller is an immensely enjoyable one. One aspect that has been very evident across all the creative endeavors he has originated, is how thoroughly detailed, and stylistically dazzling they all are. "Dust Bunny" is an interesting film that at first glance may be a marriage of Luc Besson's "The Professional/Leon", with Juan Antonio Bayona's "A Monster Calls", but it eventually goes in the direction and tone that is very much coherent with everything that Bryan Fuller has created thus far. His heroes (and anti-heroes) are always characters who inhabit fairly conventional realities, ones that can tilt to the horrifying and violent, but they always have the ability to view the world in their own special way. They're not outcasts by any means, they live just enough outside of the conventional, and they have a special ability which enables them to see beyond what is typical and commonplace. They're outsiders who can blend in, but still very much special in their own manner, characters who carve their own path no matter the situation in which they find themselves in. Such is the case with Aurora, her neighbor, and even Laverne. It's a universe that is always colorful, with characters that are at times under-developed, but never conventional nor pretentious. "Dust Bunny" which starts with a dose of surreality and as it progresses thrives on it, is a film that may seem like a child-like narrative of a young girl living with fear, but it evolves into something quite different, a narrative about thriving, making connections, and controlling her own destiny. The cast is superb, with Mads Mikkelsen, Sophie Sloan, and the always great Sigourney Weaver all creating indelible characters. The production team is equally fantastic, particularly Isabella Summers' score, Nicole Hirsch Whitaker's cinematography, Jeremy Reed's production design, and Olivier Beriot and Catherine Leterrier's costumes. It's a film that deserves to find a bigger audience, and one that reveals Bryan Fuller's solid ability to work on a bigger canvas. 

Black Phone 2

Movie Name: Black Phone 2
Year of Release: 2025
Director: Scott Derrickson 
Starring: Ethan Hawke, Mason Thames, Madeleine McGraw, Demian Bechir, Jeremy Davies, Miguel Mora, Arianna Rivas, Maev Beaty, Graham Abbey, James Ransone, Anna Lore, Simon Webster, Shepherd Munroe, Chase B. Robertson, Dexter Bolduc, Jazlyn Wong-lee, Julien Norman, Jacob Moran
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 5
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Synopsis and Review

Following the success of "Black Phone", co-writer/producer/director Scott Derrickson has returned with a sequel which further establishes the mystique of the main villain, while also clarifying some key points of the past of some of the characters (coincidentally 2025 also saw the release of his Apple produced film, "The Gorge", which featured Anya Taylor-Joy, Miles Teller, and Sigourney Weaver). The narrative takes place in 1982, four years after the events of the first film. Finney is now 17 and is in high school, still experiencing issues relating to others, but protecting those who are bullied. His sister Gwen starts having dreams where she witnesses murders that have happened in a lake camp in 1957. Gwen and Finney's mother also had similar dreams, since she too had similar abilities to Gwen. Gwen convinces Finney and Ernesto, the latter the brother of one of the boys who got killed by the Grabber, to travel to that camp to investigate further. They get stuck at the camp due to a harsh snow storm. The camp is run by Armando and his niece Mustang, alongside two employees Kenneth and Barbara. Finney receives a phone call on the camp's dead payphone from the Grabber. He is intent on seeking revenge and starts doing so by attacking Gwen in her dreams. Everyone in the camp realizes they have to find the bodies from the additional victims of the Grabber, in order for him to lose his powers over the dream world. They realize the bodies are beneath the frozen lake. Armando, Hope (Finney and Gwen's mother), and the Grabber, all knew each other at the camp when they were younger. As it turns out, Hope's death wasn't a suicide after all. Finney and Gwen decide to fight back.

The first "Black Phone" was an interesting ghost story that managed to capture the spirit of the 1970s rather colorfully, even if the characters that populated that story had very little substance. This sequel, once again succeeds in establishing the mood and recreating the time period (kudos to the production design team), but as the nods to Wes Craven's "A Nightmare on Elm Street" become more pronounced (the killer that attacks you in your dreams, that can lead to lethal consequences), the characters and what makes them more unique falls to the wayside. The film's creative team is more concerned about tone and setting a mood, more so than bringing these characters to life, beyond the bare minimum of what would be passable for them to register as individuals (they let the costumes do much of that work for them, namely with the character named Mustang). Finney spends most of the film answering supernatural calls, whereas Gwen is perpetually falling asleep and either being targeted by the Grabber or witnessing past killings perpetrated by him. The film is not without its good points: Demian Bechir's Armando brings some humanity and intensity to an underwritten role, Ethan Hawke has fun playing a different version of Freddy Kruger, and placing the action in an isolated campground brings to mind all the horror films of the early 1980s (and this is a worthy homage). The cast is solid, led by Ethan Hawke and Demian Bechir, while Mason Thames and Madeleine McGraw don't really do much with their characters. The production team is top notch, including Atticus Derrickson's score, Par M. Ekberg's cinematography, and Patti Podesta's production design. Ultimately it's a watchable film, but also one that is slight and unmemorable.