In 2017, the New York Times published an article about comedian Louis C.K. and the stories concerning his history of exposure and sexual activity with women working with or for him. The writing went through years of rumors and accusations, highlighting Louie’s disregard for others and his predatory behavior, growing comfortable with abuses in power. For those in the world of stand-up comedy, the revelations were no revelations at all, as Louie’s behavior was often whispered about. As a documentary, “Sorry/Not Sorry” (which is an extension of the original article) isn’t interested in relitigating the allegations, partially because Louie previously admitted his guilt. What directors Cara Mones and Caroline Suh are mostly concerned with are the women involved in the mess, giving them a chance to share their perspectives and intimate tales, reclaiming the reality of what went down between them and a popular comedian who retained little regard for personal or professional boundaries in the pursuit of sexual satisfaction. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Producers want musician and band bio-pics, as there’s money to the be made from devoted fans and, for some of these releases, a sweet hit of nostalgia also drives ticket sales. “Girl You Know It’s True” doesn’t exactly check any of those boxes, exploring the saga of Milli Vanilli, tracking the rise and fall of performers Rob Pilatus and Fab Morvan. In 1989, the men managed to become one of the hottest acts in the music business, turning into a global sensation with their distinctive style and succession of hit singles. These were songs they didn’t actually sing, becoming the face for producer Frank Farian and his team of session musicians, carrying a lie that burned them in many ways. Writer/director Simon Verhoeven (“Friend Request”) looks to return to the heat of the moment with “Girl You Know It’s True,” which is extremely sympathetic to Pilatus and Morvan, depicting them as excitable guys caught up in the temptations of fame. The reality of this adventure is up for debate, but Verhoeven’s feature plays the complex situation much too simplistically. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

The world of “Despicable Me” is big business for Illumination, putting the animation studio in play as a major contender in the global box office race. However, it’s been some time since Gru and his expanding family was in motion, with the last chapter, “Despicable Me 3,” released in 2017. There was a prequel of sorts in 2022’s “Minions: The Rise of Gru,” but “Despicable Me 4” looks to put the series back into drive, giving Gru more mouths to feed, enemies to battle, and students to teach. And, of course, the Minions are right behind him. Directors Chris Renaud and Patrick Delage have an opportunity with the third sequel to keep developing the world of Gru and his family responsibilities, but “Despicable Me 4” pulls everything apart. It goes the individual adventure route with all the characters, which doesn’t offer inspired comedy, and villainy is lacking in the feature, as too much is competing for screen time. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

30 years is a long time to wait for a “Beverly Hills Cop” sequel, but perhaps the insane success of “Top Gun: Maverick” is to thank for the resurrection of Axel Foley. Audiences seem to be in the mood for the return of screen heroes from the 1980s, and “Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F” is more than happy to remind viewers of the charms found in the first three chapters of this series. Nostalgia drives much of the new sequel, with director Mark Molloy (making his debut after years making commercials) in charge of making sure the action is intense and the comedy stays mostly alert. It’s not an entirely fresh offering of Foley-led mischief, but “Axel F” delivers a satisfying return for the character and his crime-busting, quip-launching ways. Murphy is awake and the supporting cast helps the cause, giving the movie some snap as it tries to balance the needs of a modern actioner with the hits of nostalgia the public loves these days. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Family frustrations and parental disappointment fuel the antagonisms of “Mother, Couch.” It’s an adaptation of a Jerker Virdborg novel, with writer/director Niclas Larsson tasked with creating a pressure cooker experience for the picture, which explores tensions among family members as a crisis breaks out at a furniture store. The material deals with dysfunction and estrangement, often in a bizarre manner, but there are certain truths about sibling relationships that help to ground the movie in some form of authenticity. The story ultimately walks away from reality, but when Larsson focuses on a buzzing negative energy, “Mother, Couch” holds attention, generating a level of nervousness that’s supported by strong editing and performances. There’s plenty of itchiness to the feature, but for those willing to stick with the oddity and intensity of the journey, moments of clarity manage to emerge. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

It’s become clear that Hollywood doesn’t exactly know what to do with Emma Roberts. She’s had some success on television, participating in the “American Horror Story” series, but her film work hasn’t connected, trying her luck with romantic comedies (“Maybe I Do”), horror (“Abandoned”), and superhero cinema (“Madame Web”). Roberts goes for a very specific vibe in her latest endeavor, “Space Cadet,” with writer/director Liz W. Garcia (“The Lifeguard”) trying to make a Goldie Hawn comedy with the actress, who’s tasked with playing a character born with a fuzzy personality that often obscures her fierce intelligence, forced into a challenging situation of self-esteem. Roberts does well in the part, offering cheery broadness in “Space Cadet,” which is an entertaining, but not remarkable feature that’s light on laughs, but has a certain charm when viewed with lowered expectations. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“Boneyard” is “inspired by true events,” which is Hollywood code for “only a fraction of this story is rooted in reality.” The case in question is the West Mesa Murders, where, in 2009, an investigation commenced after the discovery of 11 dead women buried near Albuquerque, New Mexico. Screenwriters Hank Byrd, Vincent E. McDaniel, Koji Steven Sakai, and Asif Akbar (who also directs) attempt to turn real-world misery into a serial killer story of sorts, creating multiple law enforcement and mentally ill perspectives as they invent the details of all the deaths. Perhaps “Boneyard” was created with the utmost respect in mind for the victims (the picture is dedicated to them), but Akbar is also tasked with generating B-movie exploitation with the film, making sure to keep the viewing experience grubby, which diminishes any noble intent. The feature seems rather clueless when it comes to good taste and performances, leaving viewers with a limp whodunit. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

One year ago, Angel Studios released “Sound of Freedom.” The story of a man working to bust a child sex-trafficking ring became an enormous hit, beyond any and all expectations for the feature, riding waves of free publicity and a “pay it forward” ticket scheme to box office gold. It attracted a sizable and vocal audience, and one that wasn’t afraid to brand yours truly as a possible pedophile for writing a negative review of the absurdly crude film. For 2024, after a year of releasing movies that didn’t match the monetary returns of “Sound of Freedom” (including “Sight,” “The Shift,” and “Cabrini”), Angel Studios hopes to reignite a phenomenon with “Sound of Hope: The Story of Possum Trot,” which isn’t a sequel, but selects a similar title as the 2023 release, also dealing with a tale that focuses on the miseries facing children. However, while far from perfect, “Sound of Hope” is competently assembled and offers some sense of humanity, with enthusiastic performances often carrying this overview of family, faith, and profound pain. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

As a screenwriter, Richard LaGravenese has made his mark with impressive work on features such as “The Fisher King,” “The Ref,” and “A Little Princess.” As a director, LaGravenese isn’t quite as accomplished, delivering deflated pictures like “Beautiful Creatures,” “Freedom Writers,” and “The Last Five Years.” He hasn’t guided a production in a decade, but such professional distance doesn’t strengthen his helming instincts, finding his latest, “A Family Affair,” suffering from the same tonal and behavioral issues as his previous endeavors. LaGravenese is trying to replicate the Nancy Myers experience with the movie, putting easily overwhelmed characters in the middle of absolute luxury, asking viewers to care about shallow creations and their solvable problems. “A Family Affair” isn’t madcap enough to be a comedy, and there’s little heart to sell it as a drama. It remains in a zombified state with strange choices for conflict, limiting its entertainment value. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

2021’s “A Quiet Place Part II” certainly ended with a path forward for the new franchise, inspiring additional chapters involving one family’s fight against a dangerous alien invasion. However, before the end of the story is reached, the beginning is introduced, with the series heading back in time for a prequel in “A Quiet Place: Day One.” There’s an all-new cast and a large scope of terror to explore in the movie, which brings indie director Michael Sarnoski to the studio filmmaking big leagues after making an impressive helming debut with 2021’s “Pig.” Attention to human details remains with Sarnoski (who also scripts), who doesn’t go full-scale creature feature with “Day One,” following the lead of the other two installments, trying to balance the needs of characterization with the fright factor of the alien menace. He mostly scores with the endeavor, which retains most of the intensity of the brand name while gently opening the scope of the premise. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Kevin Costner hasn’t directed a movie in 21 years, dating back to the release of “Open Range.” He’s incredibly capable when telling western tales, understanding the traditions of the genre and its slow-burn, epic moves while exploring the cowboy way. Also the driving force behind 1990’s “Dances with Wolves,” Costner has proven his skill with such storytelling. He’s been there and done that, which makes the mediocrity of “Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1” all the more frustrating to watch. Joined by co-writer Jon Baird, Costner embarks on a mission to explore the ways of mid-1800s America, with all types of families and attitudes set loose in the open world, trying to focus on the lust for control that inspires violence and revenge. “Chapter 1” is the first half of the story (“Chapter 2” is due out in August), but instead of kickstarting a stimulating overview of survival and antagonism, the feature just lays on the screen, mostly lacking dramatic inspiration and concise writing. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

2023 was a good year for director Yorgos Lanthimos. With “Poor Things,” the helmer was handed his largest budget to date, and found himself with the biggest success of his career, reaching new box office heights and achieving awards season glory. Instead of building on such momentum, Lanthimos returns to his low-budget roots with “Kinds of Kindness,” which doesn’t have much in the way of money to spend, but there’s plenty of weirdness contained in the feature to fill a few movies. Press materials list the endeavor as a “triptych fable,” offering three tales of mental and physical breakdowns, with panic, in many forms, driving the viewing experience. Lanthimos isn’t trying something new with the project, delivering his customary oddness and extremity with the effort. It’s a black comedy that’s surprisingly low on laughs, but the production does have the commitment of the cast, who do their best to bring Lanthimos’s peculiarities and fetishes to life. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com