The Bad Guys

The Bad Guys; Amusing sight gags from the animators tickle the funny bone, while the premise, pacing and plot are less amusing. However, give me this exact same cast in a live action remake and it’d make a great film. Would rather see them all, than only hear them. Funny cast; C+

Us

Us; More straight up horror from Peele, with some clever undertones of social commentary that layer the gore with deeper meaning. Like Romero’s Zombies, there’s a lot to unpack and what doesn’t connect is at least thoroughly entertaining to watch. Creepy on many levels; A-

The Gray Man

The Gray Man; Solid spy thriller that Russos have shown a special talent for. Refreshing to have action sans superheroes. Gosling and de Armas are fantastic, both at the action and the humour. Franchise ready from the outset due to excellent execution from all involved; A-

Nope

Nope; Creepily crafted horror with nods to cinematic greats, a Jaws for the current generation. Finely cast and cleverly paced, peeling back layers towards a thrilling climax, with plenty of allegory to dissect afterwards. What you’d expect, while offering plenty of surprises; A-

Zombies 3

Zombies 3; Overstaying its welcome, having lost its charm derived from its fine, young stars, this franchise has gone past camp, beyond ridiculous and can’t even offer up a song or dance number to save it from itself. Abysmal end (hopefully) to what was once silly, sweet fun; D

Thor: Love and Thunder

Thor: Love and Thunder; Tries to tonally tie together parental grief, a rom com, Norse mythology & deity exploration into a MCU film, w/about as much success as one can expect. Cast is fully on board for fun, while Bale gives a master class in acting, in an entirely other film; B

Trois Fois Rien

Three Times Nothing; Starts off as a cringy comedy seemingly disparaging homeless people by making buffoons of them, then slowly morphs into a family drama attempting to tug deeper at our emotions, w/mixed success. You may care for the makeshift family or be even more put off; B-

Kimi

Kimi; Another of Soderbergh’s economical thrillers, focused on the present in its storytelling, not bothering w/deeper background or investigation of the themes that are presented. Entertaining in the moment but ultimately unfulfilling from the questions it leaves unanswered; B-

Midsommar

Midsommar; Exquisitely crafted and shot for maximum effect, both beautiful & haunting. A slow burn that will stay with you long after the final frame. Long run time isn’t felt at all, as the film ratchets up the tension, foreboding and stakes. Pugh is captivating. Stellar; A
 

Day for Night

Day for Night; Before DVD extras made the mystery of filmmaking commonplace, this film flies through production while the fly on the wall viewer marvels at the machinations and shenanigans of a movie set. Clever, quick, funny and winking, a masterful take on the film industry; A

Sing 2

Sing 2; Another fully stuffed animated explosion of symphonic colour that somehow manages to offer many characters their own tidy storylines. Movie works best operating in music video style montages and pantomime. New voices are welcome alongside the returning stars. Very fun; A-

The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent

The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent; Meta narrative suits Nic Cage well, as his self-aware performance is game for layers of action, family & self-reflection propelling this film. At times hilarious, at others quite touching, it’s all the greatness of Cage one expects; B+

Crush

Crush; Sweet leads Cravalho & Blanchard play out a teen rom com that’s more reflective of the times by being true to the emotions and dialogue of young love. Witty, quick and stylistic, the film won’t surprise as much as it will entertain with its cast, art and soundtrack; A-
 

Reminescence

Reminiscence; Great looking cast on great looking sets solving a noir like mystery elevates this film above its clumsy execution of its interesting premise. Ideas are intriguing yet written so ploddingly that it disservices itself. A film w/promise that can’t quite deliver; B-