Category: Film Review

In 2012, there were dueling movies about the world of “Snow White.” Both “Mirror Mirror” and “Snow White and the Huntsman” attempted to do something different with the source material, getting away from the Disneyfied take usual associated with the brand. Now the Mouse House tries their luck bringing the tale to modern audiences, turning “Snow White” into a live-action adaptation of the 1937 Walt Disney production that basically created the business of feature-length animated entertainment. Director Marc Webb (“(500) Days of Summer,” “The Amazing Spider-Man” and its sequel) is put in charge of the reworking, which takes the fairy tale atmosphere of the original offering and turns it into a “Frozen”-style musical, merging the ways of storybook fantasy with Broadway-like song and dance numbers. “Snow White” has its highlights, and remains an entertaining picture, led in part by Rachel Zegler’s impressively sincere performance as the eponymous character, which gives a sometimes slack offering real heart, backed by a powerful voice. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“Locked” is a remake of a 2019 Spanish film, “4×4,” with screenwriter Michael Arlen Ross (“Turistas,” “The Throwaways”) attempting to bring a little North American energy to the thriller. It’s a story of imprisonment, as a young criminal unable to pull himself out of trouble elects to steal an unattended SUV, only to face a vehicle owner completely focused on making the intruder suffer for his crime. It’s close-quarters panic handed to director David Yarovesky, who previously attempted to explore the darker side of a superhero origin story in 2019’s “Brightburn.” The helmer has better luck for this round of torment, as “Locked” manages to remain tense and a little ugly for its first two acts, exploring the central fight for survival as it becomes a battle of perspectives. The conclusion doesn’t entirely work, but suspense is there for the most part, putting viewers in the middle of a bad situation that delivers a few cinematic chills. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“The Assessment” is a film about the future. As with most pictures looking to the world of tomorrow, things aren’t great, and screenwriters Dave Thomas, Nell Garfath-Cox, and John Donnelly maintain a dystopian view with the material, which returns viewers to a ruined Earth filled with weary, detached citizens. The difference here is a question of continuation, as the tale examines the arduous process of becoming a parent when fertility is no longer an option. “The Assessment” spends most of its run time as a psychological test, and director Fleur Fortune (a music video veteran) does a capable job generating intense points of pressure on the characters as they push to realize a dream. What this hope actually is makes up the real mystery of “The Assessment,” which contains a strange power for the most part, getting into the struggles of responsibility and the nerve pinch of doubt, delivering a mostly successful behavioral puzzle. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Writer/director Elijah Bynum follows up his little-seen 2017 picture, “Hot Summer Nights” (starring a semi-unknown Timothee Chalamet), with “Magazine Dreams,” which is bound to achieve a lot of attention for the filmmaker, one way or another. It’s certainly a more accomplished feature, as the helmer deeply inhales “Taxi Driver” fumes to inspire this understanding of obsession and mental illness. It’s a rough journey for the main character, following an aspiring bodybuilder as he gradually detaches from reality while pursuing a vision of fame and respect, maintaining a tenuous grasp on self-control. It’s a heavy viewing experience that’s not for everyone, but those more interested in intense psychological studies are sure to embrace the slow ride to explosion presented here. It’s also hard to deny the unique presence of star Jonathan Majors, who hits a few frightening beats of intimidation in his fully committed performance. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Flying Lotus is a musician adding the world of filmmaking to his artistic interests. He previously directed the little-seen “Kuso,” collaborated with the late, great David Lynch on a music video, and added a segment for 2022’s “V/H/S/99.” Following his genre interests, Lotus goes full-on horror in “Ash,” which takes inspiration from 1979’s “Alien,” examining the disaster of a space exploration team trying to understand life and dangers on an unknown planet. Screenwriter Jonni Remmler provides a map of confusion to follow, keeping things somewhat mysterious and incredibly violent at times. However, “Ash” isn’t driven by plot, which struggles with formula, instead finding life through its visual presentation. Lotus serves up a satisfactory nightmare with the endeavor, and it intermittently scores through heavy atmosphere and vicious encounters. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Filmmaking ambition is a hard thing to find these days. Storytelling formula usually wins out in the end, and viewers tend to respond to such familiarity, as it provides comfort and, hopefully, a good time at the theater. Writer/director Geremy Jasper attempt to mount a major musical event in “O’Dessa,” which is his follow-up to the 2017 hit (and box office bomb), “Patti Cakes.” The helmer remains in a musical mood with his latest effort, detailing a ruinous future world of digital distraction facing the might of a young woman and her uniquely powerful voice. The film is a fantasy, and while Jasper doesn’t have access to a significant budget to realize his setting, he does have a strange imagination for the endeavor. It’s not entirely successful as a drama, but “O’Dessa” contains some wild world-building and Tomorrowland touches, joined by an excellent soundtrack, which turns this deeply flawed offering into “The Apple” for Generation Z. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“High Ground” is the seventh picture directed by James Bamford to be released since 2024. He’s a quantity over quality type of filmmaker, tearing through B-movie productions, with his last endeavor, the dreadful “Jade,” briefly in theaters just one month ago. He’s not a helmer too concerned with creativity and surprise, and he issues another wheezy actioner in “High Ground,” which is actually more of a family tale than anything offering suspense. Screenwriter John Thaddeus creates the simplest of stories to follow, slapping on as much formula as possible to help the material cross the finish line, leaving behind some potential for craziness to occur in this examination of a small town crisis. Bamford’s here to supply stunt work, which isn’t inspired in the feature. In fact, “High Ground” doesn’t even visit violence until well past its midway point, leaving excitement behind to deal with uninteresting characters and their half-realized emotional issues. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Maria Schneider was an actress for nearly three decades (she passed away in 2011), playing a number of different roles in productions of various quality. However, she’s best known for her part in 1972’s “Last Tango in Paris,” an erotic drama that attracted a lot of attention when it was initially released and, amazingly, still does to this day. “Being Maria” isn’t a bio-pic, but an attempt to understand the subject during a few tumultuous stretches in her life, as co-writer/director Jessica Palud endeavors to illuminate violations of trust and mounting frustrations that added turns to Schneider’s life, and not always in the right direction. There’s only a surface appreciation of familial and professional challenges in “Being Maria,” but Palud finds ways to connect the dots of disappointment, making for a decent examination of struggle as Schneider battles to maintain reputation and emotional stability. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Eleven months ago, “Cash Out” was released. Did you see it? Have you even heard of it? Well, now there’s “High Rollers,” which is a sequel to the 2024 release, and one promised at the end of the original feature. Instead of being titled “Cash Out 2,” the production has elected to remove all identification that the new release is actually a direct continuation, and I feel bad for those lured into a rental thinking they’re about to watch a James Bond knockoff starring John Travolta. Instead, they’re offered junk, directed by “Ives” (allegedly a pseudonym for noted shlockmeister Randall Emmett), who delivers another low-budget caper featuring most of the same underwhelming cast and an unexotic location. It’s not an improvement, and it requires knowledge of “Cash Out” to make sense, and even that’s not guaranteed. It’s a dim take on “Ocean’s Eleven,” made by a production team looking to slap together movies as fast as possible. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Just two months ago, director Steven Soderbergh was in theaters for a hot second with “Presence.” It was the famously idiosyncratic filmmaker’s version of a ghost story, and an effective one, with enough atmosphere to pass. He’s right back in play with “Black Bag,” trying a spy game on for size, and one scripted by David Koepp, with the pair also collaborating on “Presence.” The team returns to the chilliness of relationships in the feature, which is no “Mission: Impossible” clone, but closer to a “My Dinner with Andre” riff that’s occasionally interrupted by urgent elements of surveillance and scheming. And it clicks nicely, but certainly not forcefully, as Koepp goes more for dialogue than danger, and Soderbergh doesn’t vary his low-fi style, keeping things nice and dry. “Black Bag” doesn’t boil over, but it retains a good simmer, pulling viewers into suspicion through a few decent hooks, and the cast can’t be beat, as they all seem to enjoy a chance to play with battling personalities instead of weapons. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Before he achieved a bit of industry notice with his screenplay for 2023’s “Cocaine Bear,” writer Jimmy Warden was already busy exploring more craziness in the world of stalkers and their objects of desire. Shot in 2022, “Borderline” aims to have some darkly comedic fun with severe mental health issues, pitting a pop star and her battle with a most determined, and insane, fan, who’s attempting to stage a wedding to his beloved without consent. Warden (making his directorial debut) gets semi-wacky with the endeavor, and he’s very tuned into style and soundtrack, treating the picture like a music video at times. “Borderline” has the makings for something surprising and enjoyably grim, but the helmer pulls most of his punches in the offering, and his sense of humor and casting leaves much to be desired. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Joe and Anthony Russo have struggled to land a hit picture since their box-office-busting work on 2018’s “Avengers: Infinity War” and 2019’s “Avengers: Endgame.” The siblings have elected to go big with follow-up projects, including 2022’s insufferable “The Gray Man” and 2021’s “Cherry,” with the latter stretching for event movie status involving an indie film story of addiction. Instead of rethinking their creative approach of the last five years, the Russos double down on excess for “The Electric State,” which is an adaptation of a graphic novel by author Simon Stalenhag. Screenwriters Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely (who wrote the “Avengers” features, also “The Gray Man”) don’t put much of an effort into the endeavor, sticking with blockbuster formula as they develop a tale of robots and humans fighting for freedom on an alternate reality Earth. The helmers throw a monster-budgeted party with “The Electric State,” but visuals alone can’t carry the viewing experience, unable to distract from a lack of conflict and meaningful drama that keeps the offering instantly forgettable. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Writer/director Shal Ngo made an impression with his 2023 film, “The Park.” The picture was far from perfect, but it showed promise, giving Ngo a chance to improve on his moviemaking abilities. He returns with “Control Freak,” which goes from the expanse of an open world setting used in “The Park” to the tight confines of a screaming mind, exploring the savagery of insanity as one woman is confronted by the mysteries of her past and the unrelenting itchiness of her present. The feature is undeniably slow burn, never in any hurry to pursue frightening highlights, but Ngo delivers a reasonably engrossing study of trauma and guilt in the offering. And he provides star Kelly Marie Tran with a killer leading role, allowing the actress to get a little wild as she handles a part that keeps her in a sustained state of agitation. “Control Freak” really gets to weird places through Tran’s commanding performance. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Just over a decade ago, co-writer/director Craig Johnson delivered “The Skeleton Twins.” He achieved a delightful balance of heart and humor with the picture, creating something a bit off-beat but still very human, ending up with one of the best features of the year. Johnson hasn’t been able to match such a creative triumph, struggling with subpar character studies (including 2017’s “Wilson”) and television work, but he steps up once again to challenge tonal balance in “The Parenting.” While a play on demon possession movies, the offering fully intends to be hilarious before it tries to become horrifying, putting Johnson in a difficult position of handling atmosphere for an endeavor that’s looking to be a little mischievous along the way. “The Parenting” (which was shot three years ago) definitely has laughs, mostly thanks to casting, and the helmer manages to execute some genre elements with care. It’s a bit uneven overall, but Johnson stays mostly alert with the effort, hoping to hit viewers in unexpected ways. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Directors Dan Berk and Robert Olsen like the dark stuff. They’ve explored human misery and troubled relationships in features such as “Villains,” “Body,” and “Significant Other.” They graduate to a more visceral level of body horror in “Novocaine,” as screenwriter Lars Jacobson (“Day of the Dead: Bloodline”) cooks up a special recipe of pain that’s sold as something of a romance with bits of superhero cinema as well. It’s the tale of a man who can’t feel pain faced with a seemingly impossible task of rescue, marching into danger for love, only to encounter extreme violence from those who don’t understand what keeps him upright. It’s a formula for a vicious night at the movies, and “Novocaine” gets most of the way there, thanks to a charming lead performance from Jack Quaid. Berk and Olsen launch the picture with enthusiasm and surprises, and while they can’t keep up this momentum, it’s enough to secure an entertaining viewing experience, but not a film for the squeamish. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

In 2019, writer/director Bong Joon-Ho escalated an already lauded career with the release of “Parasite.” The feature managed to break free of art-house control to become a mainstream hit, even making its way into the Awards Season gold rush, claiming several Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director. The helmer was put into a special position of permission, as Hollywood was ready to back whatever he wanted to make as his follow-up. And now there’s “Mickey 17,” which is an adaptation of a 2022 book by Edward Ashton, playing to Bong’s storytelling strengths as the material covers human and animal concerns, especially exploitation during a time of corporate control. “Mickey 17” has a lot of bold ideas and a budget to bring them to life, but in a career filled with fascinating projects, this is arguably his least effective offering, unable to find narrative clarity as the whole endeavor drags from one scene to the next. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Less than a year after the release of “Saving Bikini Bottom: The Sandy Cheeks Movie,” the SpongeBob SquarePants Universe receives another spin-off in “Plankton: The Movie.” It’s a sudden SpongeBobbing that’s a little disorienting, as someone, somewhere is determined to increase media ubiquity of the franchise and its cast of characters. “Sandy Cheeks” wasn’t entirely successful, but it remained an entertaining cartoon event, handling the presentation of a supporting player as she’s granted a starring role. “Plankton: The Movie” does away with heroism, electing to extend screen time with a villain, albeit one who never seems to have much success when disrupting daily life in Bikini Bottom. Thankfully, Plankton is an amusing irritant to follow, and while the production still maintains trouble with final acts, the offering is spirited and humorous, gifting co-writer/star Mr. Lawrence an opportunity to shine. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

There’s recently been some internet debate over the quality of movies made by director Paul W.S. Anderson. He’s a divisive figure in film fan communities, and his oeuvre isn’t exactly inspiring, and while he’s managed to create a few passably entertaining pictures (such as “Resident Evil” and “Even Horizon”), most of his work is dire, forever chasing B-movie highs with a limited vision for style, performance, and action. The last 15 years hasn’t been especially kind to Anderson, and he lands another career thud with “In the Lost Lands,” an adaptation of a 1982 George R.R. Martin short story. Anderson and screenwriter Constantin Werner set out to create a world for the endeavor, but there’s not much to explore in this ultra-processed dud, which doesn’t connect at all as a fantasy epic, and looks like a CD-ROM game from 1996. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Scripted by Ivan Diaz, Dan Scheinkman, and Meghan Brown, “F Marry Kill” is a tale about the perils of modern dating, amplified through a serial killer story. There should be some level of panic involved, and since the feature is also a comedy, perhaps a few laughs found along the way. However, the material doesn’t get anywhere with its ideas, swinging wildly from a study of female liberation to a detective story, asking viewers to care about thinly drawn characters experiencing an easily avoidable threat. Director Laura Murphy endeavors to create something madcap and perhaps a little bit scary, but she mostly crafts a terrible episode of television, aiming to go as lightweight as possible with material that carries no cinematic weight. “F Marry Kill” is a rough sit, and its leaden way with cutesiness and edginess wears on the senses long before the first act passes. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“The Rule of Jenny Pen” is an adaptation of a short story by author Owen Marshall, giving screenwriters Eli Kent and James Ashcroft (who also directs) a challenge to expand a tale that’s explored in a limited location, following a small number of characters. It’s a study of insanity in many ways, also taking on the indignity of aging, but Ashcroft is ultimately after something sinister in the material, which sinks into the muddiness of senior care nightmares. “The Rule of Jenny Pen” is a memorable offering of torment, watching the helmer work very hard to generate a visual experience with the film, exploring unreality and the confines of the central location. He’s also blessed with a tremendous cast, as stars Geoffrey Rush and John Lithgow absolutely sink their teeth into their roles, clearly embracing the wild sense of torture the material develops throughout. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com