Category: Film Review

2013’s “The Conjuring” was yet another James Wan horror movie when it was released. However, it was arguably his best horror movie, and the picture’s success was immediate and expansive, quickly inspiring the formation of “The Conjuring Universe,” which has delivered several spin-offs and a direct sequel, though 2016’s “The Conjuring 2” was a tremendous disappointment, with Wan getting lost in a bloated run time, killing suspense. For the eighth installment of “The Conjuring Universe,” Wan steps away from directorial duties, handing “The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It” to “The Curse of La Llorona” helmer Michael Chaves, who’s tasked with protecting the golden goose for another chapter of supernatural entanglements. Wan isn’t entirely missed, but Chaves has the benefit of moderately better material for “The Devil Made Me Do It,” which returns to the Ed and Lorraine Warren saga, offering a slight legal angle to the sequel’s hellraising, which brings a bit of freshness to an increasingly stale franchise. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

For almost exactly an hour, writer/director Scott Windhauser (“Dead Trigger”) finds a fresh way to deal with old genre business in “Death in Texas.” He commits to character and performance, working to get the audience invested in these damaged people and their emotional history, making clear connections between the players while gradually increasing tension that normally accompanies crime movie interests. Windhauser eventually surrenders the softer interactions, giving the feature over to genre formula, but he has something special for 60 minutes, giving “Death in Texas” a John Sayles feel as storytelling winds around multiple players and their anguished hearts, keeping things confessional before the guns and coincidences come out to offer the usual payoff for this type of violent endeavor. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Almost two decades ago, DreamWorks Animation released “Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron.” It was slightly artier fare from the “Shrek” studio, presenting family audiences with an animated adventure about a special horse that didn’t involve cartoon touches, with the production trying to offer an epic instead of a babysitter. It was an interesting picture (with an incredible score by Hans Zimmer), but it, almost predictably, didn’t find many takers at the box office, with its Disney-ish ways unable to compete in the marketplace. There was never a sequel for “Stallion of the Cimarron,” but DreamWorks didn’t let Spirit die, bringing the fiery horse back for a 2017 television series, “Spirit Riding Free,” aiming the material at younger viewers eager to devour tales of horse riding and friendship. The show was a hit, keeping Spirit alive over the course of 78 episodes, but the company isn’t ready to give up on the moneymaker, making an unusual creative choice to produce “Spirit Untamed,” which is basically a remake of the “Spirit Riding Free” origin story with a slightly bigger budget, slicker animation, and a marquee-friendly voice cast. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

There have been numerous films based on video games, but “Hero Mode” is the rare endeavor to explore the business behind the creation of video games. Screenwriter Jeff Carpenter doesn’t dig too deeply into industry ways, presenting more of an understanding of competition and labor while still making something approachable for a pre-teen audience. “Hero Mode” is old-fashioned entertainment in many ways, offering a gentle tale about self-esteem, teamwork, and relationships, mixed in with an amusing underdog tale from an adolescent perspective. The production isn’t swinging for the fences with this material, remaining mild with dramatics and emotions, but they find ways to reach viewers of all ages while still playing into current pop culture trends concerning kids and big-time gaming biz dreams. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“Flashback” is the first feature from writer/director Christopher MacBride in eight years, having last helmed the faux documentary, “The Conspiracy.” The new picture plays like an idea that’s been brewing inside the filmmaker for a long time, finally presented with a chance to realize his dream movie after years of consideration and development. These pure intentions are somewhat lost in the overall execution, as “Flashback” is a brain-bleeder, but not an especially gripping one. There are layers for the layers in this endeavor, which follows a young man’s odyssey into his own mind, which is on the verge of shutting down, looking to regain control of his past, present, and future by renewing focus on a troubled classmate. MacBride oversees style and performance, but there’s limited appeal to the story, which is always most comfortable in puzzle mode, but the solution isn’t worth the time invested. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“American Traitor: The Trial of Axis Sally” hopes to refresh viewers on a largely forgotten area of World War II, exploring certain life choices made by Mildred Gillars, an American-born resident of Germany who eventually became one of the leading voices of Nazi propaganda efforts. The screenplay by Vance Owen, Darryl Hicks, and Michael Polish (who also directs) does the expected, working to understand the ways of a hated woman who pledged her allegiance to evil, endeavoring to understand what kind of survival instinct was required during a confusing time of global crisis. “American Traitor” is about Mildred’s experiences in Berlin, but it’s also a courtroom drama, and a particularly boring one at that. Polish tries to generate some level of psychological exploration when dealing with such a controversial person, but the feature is flat-out motionless at times, forcing co-star Al Pacino to summon his hammiest thespian ways to help provide some energy to an otherwise deathly dull film. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

2018’s “A Quiet Place” was the little genre feature that could, besting all expectations to become one of the biggest hits of the year, dazzling audiences with its tight suspense sequences and hurting popcorn sales with its extensive use of silence. It turned actor John Krasinski into a major directorial force, celebrated for his inventiveness while mounting an unusual alien invasion picture. Of course there was going to be a sequel, and “A Quiet Place Part II” picks up exactly where the first movie left off, returning audiences to the war zone of the Midwest, following Evelyn and her family as they carry on without the leadership of her husband. While a little offering of backstory is presented to viewers, Krasinski isn’t straying too far from the original formula, keeping “A Quiet Place Part II” similar in style and tension, only shifting around character position for the continuation. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Dodie Smith’s 1956 children’s novel, “The Hundred and One Dalmatians,” has proven itself to be quite valuable to the Walt Disney Corporation. The company created a popular and profitable animation adaptation, 1961’s “101 Dalmatians,” and hasn’t looked back, returning to the concept, not necessarily the source material, to inspire sequels, television programs, video games, theme park meet and greets, spin-offs, and something approaching a remake with a 1996 live-action endeavor starring Glenn Close as the wicked villain, Cruella de Vil (and there was even a sequel to that). It isn’t surprising to see Disney returning to Smith’s creation once again for “Cruella,” but this isn’t a continuation of the original story. Instead, screenwriters Dana Fox and Tony McNamara are starting fresh with the feature, giving “Cruella” a “Maleficent” makeover, attempting to transform a woman who once wanted to skin puppies alive and wear their fur into a sympathetic character, asking viewers to endure a 134-minute run time as the producers attempt to position Cruella for future franchise opportunities. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“Plan B” is a strange film. It begins as a teen horndog comedy before it becomes a road trip movie, eventually transforming into a relationship drama that touches on self-esteem issues, and it concludes with a message on the importance of birth control options for teenagers. Screenwriters Joshua Levy and Prathiksha Srinivasan take the kitchen sink approach to the picture, which is primarily a comedy but gradually loses interest in securing laughs, hoping to reach audience hearts and minds with a tale of acceptance and love. The intent is pure, and “Plan B” is awfully funny at times, but it’s handled roughly by director Natalie Morales, who has trouble smoothing out tonal changes as she falls in love with the main characters, content to go wherever they lead. It’s disjointed and overlong, but the endeavor captures adolescent concerns quite accurately at times, creating its finest moments when it merges horror and heartache. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

If you had “underdog movie about the world of sport fishing” on your 2021 bingo card, you’re in luck with “Blue Miracle.” Screenwriters Chris Dowling and Julio Quintana (who also helms the picture) find a slightly different direction with the material, which is based on the true story of orphanage Casa Hogar and their participation in the 2014 Bisbee’s Black & Blue fishing tournament. The film hopes to provide a lively tale of competition and human connection, also providing messages on self-worth and the pressures of integrity, and while the feature isn’t a challenging endeavor, Quintana captures the heart of the story, offering strong performances and suspenseful fishing action to help deliver some decent family entertainment. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Writer/director Jason William Lee is concerned about the state of fame and pop culture, and he tries to work through some of his issues with “Funhouse.” It’s a horror take on the “Big Brother” television franchise, tracking the growing nightmare prepared for eight reality show celebrities who choose to compete in a locked, monitored building for an enormous cash prize. The idea of “Funhouse” isn’t a problem, with the premise creating opportunities to lampoon and lambast what passes for popularity these days. It’s the execution that’s difficult to endure, as the low-budget production struggles with casting limitations, and Lee battles the cheap look of the feature while trying to launch his stinging attacks on the perversity of modern-day notoriety. The movie isn’t an effective takedown of reality show stupidity, but Lee is certainly trying to make a difference with the endeavor. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

It’s a big year for director Zack Snyder. In March, the filmmaker brought his full version of the superhero extravaganza “Justice League” to the masses, finally receiving a chance to right a considerable wrong in the eyes of many. And now there’s “Army of the Dead,” which represents a break from costumed avengers, presenting something of a spiritual sequel to his 2004 “Dawn of the Dead” remake. The zombies are similar in ferocity and the end of the world is here, but Snyder is aiming big with the feature, delivering a heist movie with massive scale at times, and he co-scripts material that’s meant to represent the beginning of a new franchise. “Army of the Dead” has plans to be a major event, and the scope of the effort is impressive. Storytelling is another issue, with the production bending awkwardly to transform the picture into a heartfelt relationship tale, a few of them actually, and Snyder asks a lot of his audience when serving up droopy turns of plot and borderline obnoxious characters for nearly 150 minutes. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“The Dry” is the rare movie to offer two distinct mysteries to solve over the course of the run time. It’s an adaptation of a novel by Jane Harper, presenting a story about a police investigation into a suspicious murder-suicide, also examining unfinished business involving the lead character’s past, constructing two timelines that carry equal suspense. It’s also an Australian production, using the land to generate a sense of danger and denial, with director Robert Connolly creating an evocative sense of remoteness with the picture, which matches the tale’s level of suspicion perfectly. “The Dry” grabs viewers with outstanding intensity, offering a detective story that’s confident with character, not entirely focused on twists. The film really connects at times, but more so when creating motivations, not payoffs. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Toni Collette is not an actress known for her participation in feel-good cinema. While she achieved fame with her sunniness in 1994’s “Muriel’s Wedding,” Collette has generally gravitated toward complex characters filled with misery, dread, and general darkness (her most recent offerings include “Stowaway” and “I’m Thinking of Ending Things”). And she’s usually outstanding in these parts. For “Dream Horse,” Collette portrays Jan Vokes, a middle-aged woman with a desire to feel something again, turning her attention to the care of a special race horse funded by the residents of a small Welsh village. It’s not an especially fresh idea, but that’s what Collette is here for, delivering an unusual performance of emotional processing in a feature that’s looking to lift spirits during impossibly dark times. “Dream Horse” doesn’t go Disney, finding ways to do different things with formulaic material, highlighting relationships as it delivers the essentials in underdog cinema. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“Drunk Bus” claims to be some sort of true story, examining a burgeoning friendship between a cowardly overnight bus driver on a college campus and the Samoan muscle hired to protect him from the dangers of intoxicated riders and their low impulse control. It’s trying to be a comedy about the craziness of the job and the struggles of empowerment, and perhaps it doesn’t try hard enough. “Drunk Bus” remains periodically engaging with appealing performances, but it’s no farce, which screenwriter Chris Molinaro promises in the feature’s first act before slowly trading a freewheeling tone for a more serious understanding of broken people and their life choices. It’s not an especially deep motion picture, but initial liveliness and characterization is amusing, giving the film a decent launch before it ultimately loses interest in caricature. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Screenwriter Simon Barrett achieved strong reviews for his work on “You’re Next” and “The Guest,” earning a reputation of sly work that subverted genre expectations, refreshing hoary plots and dull characters. Barrett makes his feature-length directorial debut with “Séance,” which returns him to scary business, this time examining the haunted happenings at an all-female boarding school, which is experiencing a newfound surge of violence after the suspicious death of a student. Once again, Barrett returns to a well-worn premise, and expectations are in place that he could do something inventive with a semi-slasher, possibly supernatural idea. The helmer is no mood to bring his A-game to the project, overseeing a bizarrely sleepy chiller that doesn’t have much oomph as a thriller or complexity as a mystery. “Séance” just lays there for most of its run time, with Barrett trusting a creepy mood might cover the writing’s lack of adventure. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“The Woman in the Window” is a mystery adapted from a novel by A.J. Finn, who’s not all that concerned with elevating the subgenre buy reworking some of its elements to encourage greater surprises. As a movie, the material isn’t trying to wow either, with director Joe Wright (“Atonement,” “Darkest Hour”) settling in to make his own version of an Alfred Hitchcock picture, with the “Rear Window”-esque endeavor including a glimpse of the Hitchcock classic to prevent accusations of theft. Wright’s the ideal person for the job, with his previous filmmaking outings rich with cinematic detail and precise camerawork. It only makes sense that he would indulge himself here, with material that covers a haunted woman struggling to handle her reality after she witnesses a murder that may have never happened. Storytelling issues eventually arrive to diminish the viewing experience, but when Wright gets wound up, he constructs some workable suspense to support most of the feature. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Last seen a few weeks ago turning in subpar work as part of the screenwriting team on “Tom Clancy’s Without Remorse,” Taylor Sheridan claims more creative control by taking on directorial duties for “Those Who Wish Me Dead,” which is an adaptation of a 2014 book by Michael Koryta. Sheridan made a strong impression a few years back with “Wind River,” an unusual mystery thriller that featured at least one incredibly shocking scene of suspense. The same screen magic doesn’t make its way to his latest picture, which struggles to manage the novel’s story and Sheridan’s helming vision. He’s turned “Those Who Wish Me Dead” into more a western experience, which doesn’t translate to cinematic excitement, overseeing lackluster performances and feeble characterizations, saving his energy for a small selection of rural Montana survival challenges. Angelina Jolie is pushed as the star of the show, but Sheridan aims for more of a group effort here, working to keep the endeavor from transforming into the mid-1990s actioner it wants to become. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Writer/director Anders Thomas Jensen doesn’t make movies very often, but when he does he always works with actor Mads Mikkelsen. The partnership goes back just over 20 years, and was most recently on display in 2015’s “Men & Chicken,” an excellent dark comedy that offered Mikkelsen a very different part to play. Such surprises are the glue of this relationship, with the duo entering the realm of action films with “Riders of Justice,” which follows one man’s quest to achieve vengeance after his wife is murdered. It’s a steelier Mikkelsen this time around, creating a performance out of tight body language and hard stares, but Jensen isn’t creating the usual violent distraction with the project. “Riders of Justice” is filled with unexpected moments and sensational performances, and it’s the rare picture interested in the psychology of revenge, not just hard-edged acts of violence. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“Spiral” is presented as “From the Book of Saw,” which gives it a little breathing room in terms of franchise expectations. It’s the ninth installment of the horror series, which began in 2004 and became a Halloween tradition for some viewers before fatigue finally set in around 2010. The producers tried to restart the machine with 2017’s “Jigsaw,” but the picture was met with audience indifference, putting the brand name back on the shelf. Now “Saw” is back once again, this time slightly reworked as a detective story, with “Jigsaw” screenwriters Josh Stolberg and Pete Goldfinger huffing “Seven” fumes as they attempt to merge a serial killer story with traditional displays of blood and guts. “Spiral” presents itself as a fresh take on macabre premise, but it’s really just the same old “Saw,” offering a tired tale of suffering and trapping, lacking any inventiveness capable of making the viewing experience exciting again. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com