Category: Film Review

J.K. Simmons has played evil characters before, but he finds a particular mean streak to explore in “You Can’t Run Forever.” The production is a family affair of sorts, with Simmons’s wife, Michelle Schumacher, co-scripting (with Carolyn Carpenter) and directing the endeavor; their daughter, Olivia, claims a supporting role; and son Joe is the composer for the project. It’s Simmons all around here, and the gang conjures a survival thriller of sorts, with the actor portraying a seemingly average man experiencing a psychotic break, electing to pursue a young girl through the woods, feeling alive as he sets out to murder innocent people. The role plays to Simmons’s strengths as an intense performer, and the writing cooks up some nasty business for him to work with. As an overall study of suspense, “You Can’t Run Forever” starts to fall apart at the midway point, when it becomes clear Schumacher isn’t interested in making a tightly edited nightmare, allowing the feature to go limp. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

The experience of motherhood and friendship is examined in “Babes.” It’s not a serious study of the complexity of such a relationship, but mostly a goofy comedy co-scripted and co-starring Ilana Glazer, who works very hard (with collaborator Josh Rabinowitz) to keep the material at arm’s length from a more sincere take on the journey of pregnancy. Actress Pamela Adlon (perhaps best known as the voice of Bobby on “King of the Hill”) makes her feature-length directorial debut with the endeavor, and while she gives the movie a little jazzy pixie dust during its opening act, she soon submits to the tired approach of modern comedies, filling the effort with lengthy improvisational duels and lame ideas for silliness. “Babes” eventually succumbs to formula, and while the picture begins with some mischief and insight into the fogged mind of post-partum frustrations, it ultimately becomes a weak Judd Apatow-style viewing experience. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“I Saw the T.V. Glow” offers viewers a trip into the unknown. Writer/director Jane Schoenbrun goes the surreal route with the feature, asking the audience to ride along with a story that holds very little dramatic potency, as the production is largely supported by its visuals, which burn across time, swim through madness, and visit the ways of television programming found in the 1990s. Schoenbrun aims to baffle with the endeavor, trusting in the lure of dreamlike imagery and nightmare visitations as she details the journey of a young man who exists in a state of fear, finding a connection to someone also dealing with the weight of the world. They locate an outlet in fantasy entertainment, while Schoenbrun escalates the film’s mysteriousness along the way, reaching a potential point of divisiveness where ticket-buyers are either going to feast on the interpretive elements of the picture, or politely reject the helmer’s attempt to become the new David Lynch. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Chris Pine has been hammering out an acting career for the last two decades, but he takes on more creative power with “Poolman,” credited as the writer and director, as well as claiming leading man duties. Perhaps it classifies as a vanity project, with Pine making himself the center of attention in this Southern California detective story, portraying a man who lives in his own world suddenly facing the corruption and violence of the real world. It could be promising as a psychological study of a shut-in lightly fried by his Los Angeles experience, but Pine wants to make a comedy, merging noir and silliness for this mild mystery. Unfortunately, while the creator has tremendous enthusiasm for the material (co-written by Ian Gotler), such brightness of spirit can’t lift a mostly comatose endeavor. “Poolman” just isn’t the good time Pine wants it to be, though support from seasoned actors do help the cause. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Madea made her cinematic debut in 2005’s “Diary of a Mad Black Woman.” It was the beginning of something for creator Tyler Perry, who has spent the last 19 years building a media empire on the back of his most popular creation. It’s amazing that there hasn’t been many Madea parodies in circulation, but perhaps broad comedy can’t match Perry’s cartoon character. Writer/co-director Johnny Mack takes a shot at the king with “Not Another Church Movie,” which attempts to give the “Airplane!” treatment to Perry’s oeuvre, going wild and wacky with all the elements of storytelling the filmmaker has been abusing for most of his career. “Not Another Church Movie” is extremely late to the party, and it’s quite the amateurish production, with Mack determined to generate a no-budget pantsing of material that’s already self-aware. And yet, while Mack’s picture is downright horrible at times, it’s still funnier than most of Perry’s offerings. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“Mother of the Bride” is written by Robin Bernheim Burger, a longtime industry player who’s worked on many television and movie projects, recently scripting “The Princess Switch,” “The Princess Switch: Switched Again,” and “The Princess Switch 3.” Bernheim Burger remains in her churn-em-out comfort zone with her latest endeavor, which explores a destination wedding filled with all sorts of unresolved feelings and slapstick antics, laboring to summon a sitcom-like atmosphere for the film, which has no interest in stimulating its audience. “Mother of the Bride” is meant to be comfy sweater cinema for streaming audiences, and this generic quality isn’t challenged by director Mark Waters (“He’s All That,” “Bad Santa 2”), who delivers a highly routine study of misunderstandings and communication problems while the production enjoys paradise. I’m sure the cast and crew of the picture had a ball making the feature, but sitting through it is surprisingly difficult at times. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

The story of Caesar and his critical position in the arc of a revolution was completed in 2017’s “War for the Planet of the Apes.” It was a fitting conclusion to a new trilogy of tremendous visual achievements and gripping storytelling, smartly reworking the concept of “Planet of the Apes” for a fresh generation of moviegoers. However, true closure has been an illusion, with Disney looking to keep a good thing going, reviving the series with “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes,” which is a continuation of the Caesar saga set “many generations” after the character’s exit. The feature is perhaps unnecessary, but it certainly isn’t a quickie, offering outstanding visual effects and mo-cap performance work to bring the animal characters to life. The cinematic appeal of “Kingdom” is plentiful, but director Wes Ball struggles with the tempo and gravity of the film, which has its moments of power, but clearly battles with pacing issues as the longest chapter of the entire “Planet of the Apes” franchise. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

With “The Last Stop in Yuma County,” writer/director/editor Francis Galluppi presents a slow-burn story of crime and conversation in the blazing heat of Arizona. It’s the feature-length helming debut for Galluppi and it’s quite the tale of suspense in a single location. The screenplay provides a varied cast of characters stuck in a hostage situation, using the inherent tension of the showdown to create numerous opportunities for confrontations and peril. While it has some overt Quentin Tarantino-esque touches, the endeavor has a terrific sense of escalation and a bit of a mean streak, with Galluppi not afraid to get a little ugly with the nasty business of violence and untested criminals. “The Last Stop in Yuma County” is sharp and straightforward, with Galluppi trimming most of the fat to deliver surges of screen tension and flavorful performances in this excellent picture. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

There’s been plenty of doom and gloom in cinema these days, and “Lazareth” is no different. Writer/director Alec Tibaldi creates a post-virus world that’s similar to the one we exist in today, using that reality to inspire a look at the extremes of parental protection when facing the newly empowered dangers of others. It’s a story of isolation and curiosity, with Tibaldi adding elements of home invasion cinema to amplify a fairly interesting take on a coming-of-age tale set during an alarming time of disease and predatory behavior. “Lazareth” isn’t a true nail-biter as it moves over to physical threats, locating more provocative dramatics in the natural ways of inquisitiveness and the power of the unknown. It creates uneasy moods as the characters confront certain cruel realities and learn to appreciate the protection of fantasy. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

A modest adaptation of a Jane Harper novel, 2020’s “The Dry” managed to find an audience during pandemic times, emerging as a box office hit while restoring some faith in the acting talents of star Eric Bana. Taking on the role of Detective Aaron Falk, Bana handled the complex emotions of the character with skill, also finding his place in co-writer/director Robert Connolly’s atmospheric approach, exploring the ways of small town life, especially when stained by past mistakes. Aaron returns in “Force of Nature: The Dry 2,” once again facing potential mistakes and memories from a time long ago, with Bana offering a study of pain and restlessness, newly joined by a supporting cast of personalities all dealing with secrets and lies. “Force of Nature” is more of a mystery and a survival film, but Connolly (who also scripts) commits to finding some raw relationships and psychological wounds to examine, again following Harper’s lead as he tracks various subplots during the run time. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Writer/director Frank Berry examines the experience of asylum seekers in “Aisha,” a drama that doesn’t sugarcoat the endurance trial of the process. Instead of making a documentary about the subject, Berry looks to go dramatic, following one Nigerian woman’s journey into various living spaces around Ireland and legal entanglements involving her case, often dealing with a system that doesn’t exactly know what to do with her. There’s time for tenderness as well, though the feature isn’t interested in romance. It’s more about companionship and support during an extended waiting period, with Berry exploring all the turbulent feelings and frustration in play. “Aisha” doesn’t offer big swings of drama, electing to remain muted and real, allowing star Letitia Wright to find her way through troubling developments and cruel realities involved in the main character’s case. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“KillRoy Was Here” is an attempt from co-writer/director Kevin Smith to create his own movie maniac. In this case, he takes inspiration from a famous offering of graffiti art from World War II (identified in the effort as “the first meme”), turning a doodle into a dangerous individual, and one who has a special relationship with children, often protecting them from harm. KillRoy in history and popular culture makes sense. “KillRoy Was Here” often doesn’t. It’s an anthology feature that feels unfinished, delivering four tales of terror(?) involving various predators doing their worst in Florida, with prey looking to the fury of a monster to help right all the wrongs. Smith and co-writer Andrew McElfresh (“White Chicks”) have an idea for the creature, but they don’t have a picture to back it up, with the endeavor’s short run time (63 minutes) turning into a long slog of half-baked chapters and no-budget filmmaking. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“Prom Dates” is a teen comedy that’s like many teen comedies. Screenwriter D.J. Mausner has a to-do list of cliches to follow while creating the usual in situations of humiliation and conflict. What could be here is an effort to veer off course just a little bit, either in silliness or heart, giving viewers a taste of freshness to go with all the familiar antics. But that doesn’t happen in the film, which follows a nightmare evening of exposure as two high school seniors scramble to find prom dates at the very last minute. “Prom Dates” initially wants to be a farce, albeit a crude one, and some offerings of high-speed tomfoolery are welcome, but Mausner doesn’t color outside the lines with this one, and director Kim O. Nguyen struggles to find the right balance between silliness and sincerity, doing little to alleviate the sameness of this mediocre endeavor. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

In 2007, stand-up comic and television star Jerry Seinfeld decided to try his luck in the film business, overseeing the creation of “Bee Movie.” It was an odd offering of family entertainment, and rarely was it laugh-out-loud funny, remaining a curious creative choice. Seinfeld is back on screen with “Unfrosted,” reteaming with his “Bee Movie” writers (Spike Feresten, Barry Marder, and Andy Robin) to make a farce out of breakfast food history, screwing around with the details concerning the development of Pop-Tarts. It’s a battle of industry titans, with the material attempting to turn the war between Kellogg’s and Post into a zany affair packed with cameos and visual reminders of the 1960s. And, again, rarely is it laugh-out-loud funny. Seinfeld takes a starring role in the endeavor, also directing “Unfrosted,” giving him almost full control of the picture, which tries hard to be wacky and snappy, but the silliness of it all is mostly mild. At least until it turns borderline tasteless. Much like the toaster pastries celebrated in the feature. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Directors Spenser Cohen (co-writer of “Moonfall”) and Anna Halberg make their feature-length debut with “Tarot,” following a path of industry introduction traversed by many, going the low-budget horror route to generate a first impression. An adaptation of a 1992 YA novel (titled “Horrorscope”), the picture plays it safe to appeal to a teenage demographic, exploring the escalation of doom that arrives when a pack of college kids elect to mess around with a cursed tarot card deck. It’s slasher cinema working with a dull knife, but there are some technical achievements worth a look in the film, especially when more violent experiences arrive in the story. “Tarot” is very familiar, putting young people in peril, while supernatural forces provide Cohen and Halberg with opportunities to stage shock imagery and arrange sequences of torment. Seasoned genre vets will be well ahead of the endeavor, which is primarily meant to spook younger viewers. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

David Leitch was once a stunt professional who managed to advance in the film industry. He became a director of action movies, with some quite appealing (“Deadpool 2” and “Atomic Blonde”), while others…were not (“Hobbs & Shaw,” “Bullet Train”). However, focus on physical activity is always central to his helming pursuits, and his latest, “The Fall Guy,” doesn’t deviate from this career plan, only the idea here is to celebrate the world of stunt performers, shining the spotlight on those who take a beating to help dazzle audiences. “The Fall Guy” takes its title and some ideas from a popular Lee Majors television show from the early 1980s, but Leitch and screenwriter Drew Pearce (“Iron Man 3,” “Hobbs & Shaw”) go their own way with the rest of the endeavor, which attempts to blend romance and roughness, desperate to remain lovable while stumbling through floppy dialogue exchanges and permissive performances. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

There was a short amount of time when Hollywood was extremely interested in making movies based on novels by author John Green. 2014’s “The Fault in Our Stars” and 2015’s “Paper Towns” attempted to charm young audiences with depictions of hard love and tough feelings, and box office was booming, promising more to come. Other projects came and went, but “Turtles All the Way Down” plays like a focused attempt to reclaim momentum with Green’s audience, with screenwriters Elizabeth Berger and Isaac Aptaker working to bring the 2017 book to the screen with emphasis on teen concerns and messy psychological issues. It’s a particularly itchy story to tell, dealing with the suffocating ways of obsessive-compulsive disorder and personal loss, and there’s a lot of ground to cover in just under two hours. Director Hannah Marks (“Don’t Make Me Go”) can’t get her arms completely around the material, especially in the final act, but she crafts an engaging study of relationships and fears, giving “Turtles All the Way Down” some sense of emotional urgency along the way. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“Mars Express” is a French production from co-writer/director Jeremie Perin, who brings viewers into a future where the line between robot and human has been blurred. The feature is a low-budget endeavor with big creativity driving it, delivering a sci-fi tale of extinction with neo-noir elements, giving the detective story routine a different spin. Perin is attentive to the needs of his audience, keeping the picture active with futureworld sights and periodic blasts of action. However, there’s a human core to the film which is most impressive, as Perin and co-writer Laurent Sarfati aim to generate a deeper understanding of emotional ties with complex characters. Such attention to detail really helps “Mars Express” achieve dramatic satisfaction and land a few surprises along the way, making for a more meaningful sit, though the sleek visuals also have their tremendous appeal as well. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

There’s been some suggestion that Robinne Lee’s 2017 novel, “The Idea of You,” is actually fan fiction detailing an obsession with the boy band One Direction, with particular attention on member Harry Styles. Lee’s denied this, but the premise has a certain focus that’s suspiciously specific, telling the tale of a 40-year-old woman falling into a torrid love affair with a 24-year-old singer who’s part of a music industry machine. Screenwriters Jennifer Westfeldt and Michael Showalter (who also directs) have a chance to turn fantasy into a more inviting reality with their adaptation, but they’re tasked with pleasing literary fans who enjoy getting lost in this type of material. It’s a mix of soap opera and deep feelings that’s not always balanced well by the writing, which delivers a little heat, but also cranks up the cringe at times, disrupting intended intimacy. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

One has to wonder what the holidays are like in the Cronenberg household. Iconic director David Cronenberg has generated a family business with his offspring, as son Brandon has helmed three pictures (including 2023’s “Infinity Pool”), and now daughter Caitlin makes her feature-length directorial debut with “Humane,” building on her celebrated photography career. Keeping up with her father and brother, Caitlin offers her own slice of doom with the endeavor, which follows the events of a special family gathering during the ecological collapse of Earth, studying relationships and hostilities while facing an impossible time of decision and accusation. “Humane” is a dark comedy, a funny one at times, and Cronenberg shows skill with performances and tone, going to some rather bleak places cooked up by screenwriter Michael Sparaga. It’s a bizarre film, but one that holds attention with its sinister sense of humor and authentic sense of sibling resentment, which launches a most askew thriller. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com