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Reviews
Immaculate (2024)
Sweeney Delivers
Horror films that deal with religion hold a special place in my heart and this film worked. Sydney Sweeney is a star and shines in this role as a nun entering an old world convent only to realize everything is not as holy as it seems on the surface. The films makes great use of religious iconography and depictions of saintly portraits, symbols and piety. The secrecy shrouded deep in the convent feels like a constant background to Sydney's optimism, hope, faith and belief. At moments there's the insinuation that this is all a fever dream but the mix of reality and the inner working s of the characters mind meld into what is a horrifying experience.
Infinity Pool (2023)
Weird and Engaging
This was a Lynch film in a former life or at least a thought in Lynch's mind at some point. It has all the hallmarks of a disturbed world that exists just outside the bounds of acceptable norms. The deep sense of unease sneaks up slow and steady in the beautiful backdrop of a what looks like a high end European Coastal resort. The string alone feels prime for such a weird tale. It's like that line from Apocalypse Now "Don't leave the boat". In this case "Don't leave the resort" as with most resort vacation spots, the surrounding areas just outside the resort are not as welcoming. Add in a completely odd Mia Goth and you have yourself one hell of a film.
Stopmotion (2023)
Motionless
This one had me scratching my head. I couldn't figure out what it was trying to be from the get go. It felt like a twilight zone episode and probably could have been cut down into a thriller thirty minute episode, lean and mean. The problem starts with the pacing and the overlong attention to space and time in shots that didn't really mean anything other then trying to establish some type of style I guess or trying to be different for the sake of being different and odd. There's a story here, it's just really hard to access and moves so slowly that it's never really attainable in a way that it's experienced. The effects were solid and the lead actress was solid but it never really worked.
Bloodline Killer (2024)
Axe Man
Indie horror with an old school style that pulls from other more prominent films in the genre. What gives this film it's center is Shawnee Smith in the role of Moira Cole, she does her best with dialogue that can a bit messy as is the script but prevails to deliver a believable Matriarch riddled by the past and ready to face what evil is yet to come. Tyrese Gibson is the other half of this mission in the role of Detective Cyphers and does grounded work with what he is given and at his best when he shares the screen with Shawnee. I really needed more of the slasher and more often but went along with the paranoid and growing threat Moira was sensing.
Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard (2021)
Keep the Hits Coming
I'm a fan of the franchise and this did not disappoint. Ryan Reynolds opposite Samuel L. Jackson is pure gold on screen with the addition of Selma Hayek turns that gold into platinum. There are so many good things going on this film between the action and the rapid fire comedy and set ups that you'll be glued to the screen. Ryan Reynolds delivers his self guarded hitman trying to piece his self confidence back together all the while trying to save, rescue or maybe fend off Samuel L. Jackson from self destruction. The spitfire Selma Hayek brings comic timing and delivery that makes for a perfect action comedy.
The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent (2022)
Cage at his Best
When you hope a Cage film will live up to its expectations and it does, well, that's this film. Feels like Nicolas Cage has been reinventing his brand in the last couple of films he's chosen such as Pig, Mandy and Dream Scenario. It's always a thrill to see Cage in his element and the good thing is Unbearable delivers a lot of it to the point of Cage parodying Cage or the persona of Cage ala Being John Malkovich or something in that vein. The real chemistry begins and ends with Pedro Pascal who is the other pillar that makes this work so well. It's an unlikely union that pays off in laughs and heart.
Spaceman (2024)
Major Tom to Ground Control
Everything about this film feels like a sci fi dream of isolation and space exploration without all the laser beams and exploding asteroids and aliens and all the other things you might expect to see in a space station extravaganza. There's an inner dialogue that Jakob (Adam Sandler) has going on as he journeys through space at his space station that works through his mind the form of VO as he takes on his daily work and functioning. The setting feels claustrophobic even though we're in the wide expanse of space, it feels like the capsule Jakob occupies is a drop in the vast galactic ocean that surrounds him. The nothingness is what makes this work as we get deeper into Jakob's mind and there is no one better to pull this off then Adam Sandler who has demonstrated the ability and versatility to take on roles with some real depth and magnitude.
Ricky Stanicky (2024)
John Cena puts the C in Comedy
A very unexpected comedy that delivers. At first I looked at the cast list and thought, how is this a comedy but was pleasantly surprised when I started watching. The big take away is the revelation of John Cena as bonafide comic talent and overall talent. Yes he's great in the Peacemaker series, Suicide Squad and the Blockers where his comedic ability is allowed to shine. Going as far back as his smaller role in Trainwreck there was always the hint at his brand of funny. This film captures a whole different set of tools and ability that I think he has mastered and knows what now works. Working against some serious comedic talent like Andrew Santino, Willian H. Macy and Zac Efron (no stranger to comedies like Neighbors, Dirty Grandpa), Cena rises to the occasion and is the hero of this film.
Argylle (2024)
Big Budget Spiral
Feels like this film wanted to be an addition to the Kingsman franchise. There are a lot of similarities in look and style and humor and overall themes. Where it dropped off was in not knowing what it wanted to be and the attempt at being too many things other than a spy thriller, comedy maybe. There was a lot of possibility but most segments felt flat not because they didn't try but because maybe they were trying too hard to imitate what other films already did. A good example of recent films in this genre that did it well are Spy with Melissa McCarthy or The Spy Who Dumped Me with Kate McKinnon and Mila Kunis. I felt like there was a better version of this film and it wanted to break out of the version they delivered.
Monkey Man (2024)
A Fist Full of Revenge
There's a storm brewing in the lead role of Kid played with pure cool and brooding intensity by Dev Patel. The ring becomes a metaphor for his life and the outlet for his rage which transforms and consumes the character. The lush visual look of the film helps bring the intensity of the fight scenes to life in a real way, bringing you into the action to the point where you can almost feel the punches and hits just as much as Kid. There's a great story told here between all the fighting and action that kept me engaged and waiting for what would come next. Overall an intense thrill ride with a grounded story that is compelling and engaging through the lead of Kid.
Abigail (2024)
Bloody Ballet
Really great watch and the blood is everywhere, feels like a good amount of the budget was spent on blood which is a good thing. It started a bit too slow but caught up quickly once the action picked up. The effects were really well done, down to the teeth which I thought looked really viscous. The star of the show is Alisha Weir in the title role of Abigail. She transforms into the personification of evil over the course of the film and the mastery of her performance with her ballet skills and ability to play innocent and baddie is next level. The ensemble cast brought it and were fun to watch, Melissa Barrera, Dan Stevens, Kathryn Newton, Kevin Durand, Angus Cloud and Giancarlo Esposito. When things start to go bad they go bad quickly and it's a race to the end with solid twists along the way. I've been converted, I now appreciate ballet or at least this is what ballet should be.