Category: Film Review

Lexi Alexander hasn’t made a movie in quite some time, and when she did, the director created highly divisive pictures that went directly to cult appreciation (including “Green Street Hooligans” and 2008’s “Punisher: War Zone”). She returns to feature-length filmmaking in “Absolute Dominion,” restoring her button-pushing ways with a tale about a post-apocalyptic fight tournament meant to establish the one true religion to reign supreme over Earth. It’s a Big Idea crammed into low-budget moviemaking, but the tale remains provocative, following the brawn of atheism as it collides with spirituality, or perhaps complete madness. “Absolute Dominion” bites off more than it can chew when it comes to visuals and ideas, but there’s an interesting journey to enlightenment at the core of the endeavor, and its ambition, while faulty, is something to see. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

In 2021, cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was killed on the set of “Rust,” shot with a loaded weapon in a horrible accident that sent shockwaves throughout the film industry. There’s been headline news, lawsuits, and even a crude documentary released just month (“Last Take”), and now, surprisingly, there’s an actual feature. Cast and crew set out to complete the movie years after Hutchins’s death, a production push eerily reminiscent of 1994’s “The Crow,” which also carried on after a tragic loss. Now a completed picture, “Rust” arrives in theaters, hoping to offer cinematic artistry and a thought-provoking story, as writer/director Joel Souza endeavors to realize his vision for a decidedly “Unforgiven”-esque tale of violence and the corrosive effects of such living on those who choose darkness. There are obvious challenges when watching the effort, especially getting past its real-world horror, but Souza also doesn’t make a very compelling offering, taking an exceptionally long time (140 minutes) to stew in mental illness, which doesn’t hold much dramatic power. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

2018’s “A Simple Favor” was an adaptation of a Darcey Bell novel. The literary thriller was handed over to screenwriter Jessica Sharzer and director Paul Feig, who elected to turn the material into camp, getting comedic and broad with a study of suspicion and murder. The picture found an audience, becoming a minor hit during its theatrical release, and now seven years later, there’s “Another Simple Favor,” with Feig and Sharzer (joined by Laeta Kalogridis) returning to get even wilder with Bell’s original creation. They’ve prepared a second helping of problems for the main character and her addiction to true crime situations, cranking up the cartoon-iness of it all with an overstuffed sequel that’s aimed strictly at those who thought the original feature wasn’t silly enough. “Another Simple Favor” craves wild twists and turns in a luxurious Italian setting, and perhaps that’s enough to entertain. However, the endeavor doesn’t contain suspense, and wit isn’t Feig’s thing, making for another uneasy sit with overprocessed writing and obnoxious characters. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Phase Five of the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been rocky for the comic book corporation. Fans haven’t necessarily loved the releases in this cycle, and the last picture, “Captain America: Brave New World,” struggled for editorial consistency and heroic urgency as the storyline follows an Avenger-less world that still needs saving. “Thunderbolts” is the final release of Phase Five, and it attempts to set things in a more superhero-y direction, going the “Suicide Squad” route as a team of misfits tentatively come together to take on evil. The formula is there, as is a curious choice for a director, putting indie helmer Jake Schreier (“Paper Towns,” “Robot & Frank”) in charge of a major endeavor with an enormous amount of tonal shifts from screenwriters Eric Pearson and Joanna Calo. “Thunderbolts” is intermittently exciting, and some casting here really works, but it remains an uneven film that takes broad swings of silliness and sadness, which often disrupts the flow of the offering. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Cinematic puzzles. Disorientation. Madness. For director Lorcan Finnegan, time playing with the mushiness of the mind is time well spent, previously delving into the bewildering nightmare realms of “Vivarium” and “Nocebo.” He’s a visual filmmaker, embracing the elasticity of reality in his endeavors, and he’s not about to give up on his obsession, as his latest, “The Surfer,” is similar in confusion and claustrophobia as his last two features, only now he has the mighty thespian power of Nicolas Cage on his side. Portraying a character enduring a prolonged break from reality, Cage commits to the part of a shattered man, easily becoming the most interesting thing in the picture. Screenwriter Thomas Martin has a vision for an emotional breakdown, and Finnegan provides a distinct visual approach to the effort, which is most definitely reserved for more adventurous moviegoers. “The Surfer” is weird and wily, and while it doesn’t always connect, it maintains a strange presence that’s intriguing. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“Salvable” is the feature-length directorial debut for Johnny Marchetta and Bjorn Franklin (who also scripts), who come from the world of music videos. Instead of staying with slick visuals, the duo head in the opposite direction, creating a gritty drama about an aging boxer attempting to maintain some glimmer of hope as all the mistakes in his life threaten to destroy his spirit. It’s not a stunningly original concept for a picture, but Marchetta and Franklin treat the central crisis with care, generating a tough drama offering deep emotional wounds to explore. They also provide star Tony Kebbell with perhaps the best role of his career, pulling the normally hammy actor back down to Earth, portraying a man gradually recognizing his situation in life. “Salvable” isn’t a “Rocky” clone, sustaining a welcome gloom as it deals with difficult feelings, creating a periodically powerful sense of despair as the writing inspects the mysteries of hope. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“Off the Record” is a generic name for a movie, and the offering certainly feels like a Hallmark Channel endeavor at times, examining an unexpected romance between a struggling singer/songwriter and the rock star who falls in love with her. After a few introductory scenes that remain fluffy with a meet cute and new relationship tingles, the screenplay, by Kirsten Foe (who also makes her directorial debut with the effort), takes unexpectedly dark turns, helping to spice up a seemingly bland viewing experience. Landing somewhere between camp and crazy, “Off the Record” isn’t a consistently volatile film, but it has its moments, especially when it examines troubling behavior in relationships and the music business. Foe never bores with the picture, landing a few potent moments of oddity as it pursues a great point about the predatory ways of males. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

It’s difficult to tell what kind of mood screenwriter Sean Farley is going for in “Neighborhood Watch.” The story concerns two mentally ill people teaming up to follow clues leading to a potential kidnapping, facing a world that doesn’t have the time or patience to keep up with their troubled ways. There are elements of black comedy in the picture, but also a sense of solemnity as the reality of life for these men is repeatedly returned to. Director Duncan Skiles (“The Clovehitch Killer”) also maintains a weird tonality for the feature, and he elects to go slow-burn with its mysteries and discoveries. “Neighborhood Watch” isn’t a consistent viewing experience, but there’s clearly potential in the premise, giving the offering a few sequences of suspense the rest of the movie doesn’t know what to do with. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Director David F. Sandberg began his career in horror. He made his debut with 2016’s “Lights Out,” and continued his career ascent in 2017’s “Annabelle: Creation.” And then there was a move to superhero cinema, eking out a hit in 2019’s “Shazam,” only to stumble mightily with a widely ignored 2023 sequel. Sandberg returns to low-budget genre filmmaking with “Until Dawn,” which is an adaptation of a 2015 video game that was known for its unique interactivity. Such inviting gameplay is obviously missing from the big screen version, which hopes to celebrate the world of fright films without the very thing that made the release special. It’s a strange choice to transform “Until Dawn” into a movie, and the endeavor isn’t exactly out for thrills as screenwriters Blair Butler and Gary Dauberman are largely unwilling to crank up the excitement and chills for the mostly lethargic picture. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Gareth Evans hasn’t released a film since 2018’s “Apostle,” and there’s a good reason for that. The director of “The Raid” and its sequel has been busy making “Havoc,” which began production in 2021 and was only recently completed, hitting the usual roadblocks in reshoot and strike scheduling. The movie is finally finished…well, sort of. One doesn’t sit down with the endeavor to enjoy a richly scripted (Evans also collects a writing credit) study of personal and professional corruption in the big city, examining all the trouble coming for a corrupt cop who’s suddenly trapped in the middle of a major crime world mess. The offering is more interested in becoming an adrenaline shot of action cinema, transforming into Evans’s tribute to Hong Kong bloodbaths of the 1990s. Expectations for an engrossing understanding of character are not met, but the feature is certainly crazy when serving up ferocious fights and gunplay, which may be enough for some viewers. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“The Accountant” was released in 2016. The film did so-so business, failing to stir up much interest from critics and audiences. Clearly, someone, somewhere made a little money, inspiring the creation of “The Accountant 2,” which arrives in theaters a whopping nine years after the release of the first movie. Writer Bill Dubuque returns to continue the journey for lead character Christian Wolff, tasked with making him softer for the follow-up, which explores family ties and concern for children as the baddies are involved in a human trafficking ring. Director Gavin O’Connor also signs up for a continuation (he’s only made one other feature, “The Way Back,” since 2016), and while “The Accountant 2” is meant to be a big screen inspection of askew heroism and investigation, the helmer only really crafts an episode of television with the picture. With very little action and routine emotionality, a revisit to “Accountant” country doesn’t have much excitement or drama to offer. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

I’m not sure it’s commonly known that the grand 1994 actioner “Speed” is actually something of a remake, taking its concept and sense of urgency from 1975’s “The Bullet Train,” which first presented the idea of a bomb threat on a moving vehicle that can’t slow down. And now there’s “Bullet Train Explosion,” another reworking of “The Bullet Train,” reviving the central crisis while also striving to be a sequel to the original offering. Director Shinji Higuchi moves from giant threats in “Shin Godzilla” and “Shin Ultraman” to a speedier level of danger, overseeing the disaster movie elements of “Bullet Train Explosion,” which endeavors to become an epic study of survival and shame. It’s a long journey (137 minutes), and the picture doesn’t earn that run time, but Higuchi has some clarity when it comes to near-misses and assorted beats of suspense. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Puppetry appears the be a lost artform when it comes to film productions these days, but writer/director Isaiah Saxton is looking to reclaim a little magic in “The Legend of Ochi,” which features the work of puppeteers striving to bring a collection of creatures to life. It’s Jim Henson-esque in execution, but the picture isn’t anywhere close to the tone of such classics as “Labyrinth” and “The Dark Crystal.” Saxton’s endeavor mostly resembles a Wes Anderson-directed remake of “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial,” remaining insanely artful but distant with the creature feature. “The Legend of Ochi” is eye candy, with a delightful appreciation of fantasy and adventure, but the helmer’s restraint when it comes to emotional content isn’t always welcome, as a tale of family ties and connection tries to break out, only to be shut down by Saxton’s insistence on remaining at arm’s length from anything potentially heartwarming. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“On Swift Horses” is an adaptation of a 2019 novel by author Shannon Pufahl, and it doesn’t seem like an easy book to bring to the big screen. There’s a tangle of characters to follow, with most in possession of dual lives, aching to achieve a bit of clarity in impossibly clouded living situations. There’s addiction and danger, along with plenty of forbidden attraction, putting screenwriter Bryce Kass to work managing a lot of complicated feelings and detours. Director Daniel Minahan (a television vet) attempts to make some cinematic poetry out of the tale, and while the feature is carefully crafted, it’s not particularly gripping, even with so much going on. “On Swift Horses” slowly goes about its business, picking up on feelings and desires, but it also remains frustratingly flat, as the helmer can’t tap into passions that drive these personalities, forgoing intensity to make something contemplative, but there’s just not all that much to consider. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“The Alto Knights” was released just last month, and attempted to offer viewers immersion into mob life. Instead of precise writing, rich characters, and fine performances, the feature provided a mess of events and dialogue exchanges, almost reaching a point of parody. And now here’s “Mob Cops,” which makes a similar attempt to generate a world of tough guys and their problems, once again throwing everything at the audience without any care for dramatic connection and scene tension. Screenwriter Kosta Kondilopoulos traces over the “Goodfellas” template for the picture, which follows the lives of crooked cops, good cops, and the mafia goons they interact with. There’s nothing in “Mob Cops” that hasn’t been done in other, better movies, and director/star Danny A. Abeckaser doesn’t offer any sense of style or much clarity to the cluster of names and faces presented here, which makes for a miserable viewing experience. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

A summer camp setting and horror. It’s a combination that’s created a lot of memorable genre entertainment over the last 45 years, inspiring filmmakers to keep returning to the blend of innocence and aggression to support their low-budget endeavors. Co-writers/co-directors Finn Wolfhard and Billy Bryk try their luck with slasher cinema in “Hell of a Summer,” bringing a new generation into the woods for a survival challenge, only this round is a bit more comedic than I’m sure many viewers will expect. In fact, cheekiness tends to dominate the offering, as Wolfhard and Bryk maintain a weird distance from frights in their scary movie, which is loosely scripted, not terribly interested in being anything more than a mild goof. “Hell of a Summer” (shot three years ago) has the ingredients for at least a passable slaughterama, but there’s no dominating nightmare to follow in the picture, which is inspired by serious horror features. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Writer/director Emilie Blichfeldt makes her feature-length filmmaking debut with “The Ugly Stepsister,” and she proves to be a formidable talent. It’s one thing to utilize the tale of “Cinderella” to inspire a new take on a very old story, but Blichfeldt delivers an original vision for the effort, going the body horror route during this examination of mental illness and fairy tale fixation. The picture is incredibly graphic, but also beguiling as the helmer pieces together the beauty of moviemaking while inspecting a slow unraveling of the eponymous character. “The Ugly Stepsister” is an exceptional presentation of disturbing behavior, and it does something wild with the known tale of romantic rescue, offering exhilarating darkness and prime behavioral displays. It’s extremity done superbly by the production, playing with magic and horror as it endeavors to take “Cinderella” in many surprising directions. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

After making his directorial debut with the low-budget drama “Fruitvale Station,” Ryan Coogler went into franchise mode, taking on the Hollywood machine. He refreshed the relevancy of the “Rocky” franchise in 2015’s “Creed,” and brought deep cultural textures to the Marvel Cinematic Universe in 2018’s “Black Panther” and its 2022 sequel, “Wakanda Forever.” Coogler isn’t ready to give his big budgets up, but he keeps away from comic books and sequels in “Sinners,” also claiming a screenplay credit on a highly unusual genre picture that’s almost uninterested in delivering the trashy goods this kind of entertainment is known for. It’s a riff on “From Dusk Till Dawn,” but sold through the helmer’s attention to musical and character detail, saving vampire action for short moments in the endeavor’s final act. “Sinners” remains assured work, emerging with a vision and a rhythm that’s thrilling at times, while the cast is sensational for the most part, creating layered people coming to the realization they’re involved in a monstrous nightmare. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

In 2022, writer/director David Cronenberg returned from a lengthy professional break with “Crimes of the Future.” The feature played to his strengths as a creepy, crawling study of bodily mysteries and intense psychological issues. It wasn’t a rousing sit, but it did the trick, putting Cronenberg back on display with another original vision. The helmer quickly rebounds with “The Shrouds,” remaining true to his cinematic fixations with a picture that’s about obsession, this time examining the reverberations of death and the quest of some to hold on to people and ideas for as long as possible, potentially to a point of madness. Cronenberg delivers something familiar for his fans, and there are a lot of intriguing ideas in the material, which oversees the complexity of relationships for a character receiving a clearer view of his own world. “The Shrouds” doesn’t win with pace, as the offering could use a sharper edit, but the strangeness of the material is mostly inviting, embarking on a bizarre mystery that keeps up with Cronenberg-ian moods. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“The Wedding Banquet” was originally a film from 1993. While the picture was a minor art-house hit, it’s mostly known today as a breakout release for director Ang Lee, who used such success to help build an unusual and occasionally successful helming career. A remake arrives from co-writer/director Andrew Ahn, who achieved some notice for 2022’s streaming comedy, “Fire Island,” and continues his interest in comedic situations and deeply personal feelings. Ahn teams up with original co-writer James Schamus for the reworking, aiming for a more updating take on challenges to life and love. However, heart remains a top priority for the production, and while touches of melodrama aren’t entirely avoided, Ahn handles character concerns with grace, and he’s overseeing an excellent cast who skillfully work with the material’s blend of bigness and intimacy. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com