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The Wrecking Crew January 26, 2026 By: Button Hunter Friesen As I sit at my computer typing this review, it is -32° F outside. A thin pane of glass separates me from the howling arctic winds, whose whistling is their warning call should I ever be foolish enough to meet them outside. Frost dresses every surface, making the whole state feel like one big hockey rink. The brief, constant need to stay indoors crafts a rift in time, blurring the days and reminding me of the initial stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. That window of time bestowed the outdoors with the power of freedom. Now, it’s trying to kill us. All of that dramaticism is to say that I got some basic enjoyment (and jealousy) from the sights and sounds of the Hawaiian islands that serve as the backdrop for the new Prime Video action film The Wrecking Crew. The film opens over the ocean, with a helicopter-traversing camera that eventually descends onto the bustling streets of Honolulu. We follow a weathered man who continually looks over his shoulder as he walks to a mailbox within a market. He picks up the pace once he drops off the envelope, eventually crossing into an abandoned part of town. A mysterious van runs him down, and his corpse catalyzes his estranged sons to resume the hunt. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8R0xDczERo One of them is James (Dave Bautista), a native son of the island who works as a trainer for the Navy SEALS. There isn’t an aspect of his life that he doesn’t control, which is why he didn’t want anything to do with his womanizing and reckless father. One of those apples that didn’t fall far from the tree is James’ half-brother Jonny (Jason Momoa), a wildcard who fled the island as a teenager, now living as a deadbeat detective in rural Oklahoma. These opposites attract once Jonny receives the mysterious letter from their father, which contains clues to a deeper conspiracy involving political corruption and criminal rings. Similar to last year’s John Cena and Idris Elba-starring Heads of State , this is a run-of-the-mill actioner that initially pits its two stars against each other until they must come together to stop a common enemy. And without spoiling the third-act reveal, it’s constantly obvious who the secret bad guy is here. Baustista and Momoa are fine together, their similar physical and comedic sensibilities not allowing for anything new to be brought to the table. Jonathan Tropper’s script or Momoa’s improvisation seems to think that ironically using terms like “gaslighting,” “triggered,” and “boomer” are the pinnacles of comedy, which they aren’t unless you're twelve years old. That demographic will probably get the most out of this movie, downing the surprisingly Hard R vulgarity and violence just as much as Momoa chugs a Guinness, a brand that he has a commercial partnership with. Director Angel Manuel Soto, last seen helming the most forgotten DC movie of the last few years, Blue Beetle , does bring some life to the film, opting for a mixture of handheld camerawork and long takes. It brings some complementary panache to the leads, their muscles flexing more in real-time than being cut around. All of that kind of gets thrown away for the big car chase set piece on a highway, which looks horribly digitally composited. The brothers are directly responsible for many civilian deaths from automobile accidents, showing little remorse for their actions, almost as if cops can cause as much collateral damage as they want and only get a stern talking to as their punishment. That kind of pick-and-choose energy permeates throughout the film’s many attempts at representation for the island’s native citizens. The brother’s father is given a ceremonial ocean burial, and an off-the-grid commune is highlighted. But then there are also several borderline racist jokes directed at the European and Asian bad guys. I’d be a little more up in arms about the hypocrisy if the film were more than a pile of nothingness. There’s certainly bigger fish to fry in this world, and better movies to watch. Amazon MGM Studios will release The Wrecking Crew on its streaming service on January 28th. More Reviews The Super Mario Galaxy Movie March 31, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen The Drama April 1, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Project Hail Mary March 10, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice March 25, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Hunter Friesen

Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery September 10, 2022 By: Button Hunter Friesen The Last Jedi haters are rolling in their graves, as Rian Johnson has pulled off another incomprehensible feat with Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery . A sequel to 2019’s Knives Out , a great igniter to the revitalization of the whodunit genre, was always going to be a tricky obstacle to overcome. In stepped Netflix, which gave Johnson the necessary blank check to indulge in his wildest fantasies. And because of that, he has crafted a whodunnit that is grander, funnier, stranger, and perhaps better than the original. The Thrombey family has been dealt with, and a whole new cast of characters has been assembled within Glass Onion . None of these people is bound by blood. Instead, they are all old friends who go by the “Disruptors.” The leader of the group is Miles Bron (Edward Norton), whose billion-dollar fortune allows him to live on a private Greek island. Lionel (Leslie Odom Jr.) is the lead scientist at Bron’s company. There’s also Senate candidate and family woman Claire (Kathryn Hahn), airheaded fashion model Birdie (Kate Hudson), gun-toting Duke (Dave Bautista), and his much younger girlfriend Whiskey (Madelyn Cline). The black sheep of the group is Andi (Janelle Monáe), who was excommunicated after she lost a lengthy lawsuit against all of them for stealing her business idea. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gj5ibYSz8C0 Every year, the group (minus Andi) receives a puzzle box invitation for a weekend getaway on Miles’ island. This year, however, invitations have also been sent to Andi and to Mr. Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig), whose mind is turning into mush as the COVID-19 pandemic has him shut inside without a case to crack. As you expect, the fireworks begin to go off once all these characters are assembled in one location. Long-held secrets are spilled, violence is enacted, and everyone is a suspect. As is the location and budget, the mystery here is much larger than in the original film. Double crosses become triple crosses, which then become quadruple crosses. As another testament to his dominance over his genre contemporaries, Johnson’s ability to control the material as both a writer and director is unparalleled. Through slick editing and a tactical sense of pacing, he’s created another murder mystery where the placing of the puzzle pieces is just as satisfying as seeing the whole picture. Monáe takes over the Ana de Armas role from the first Knives Out . She’s Blanc’s intelligence, laying out the details of each of these theory characters, and what motives they may have to harm another. Talking specifically about how she effortlessly overcomes the challenge of her role would require going into spoilers, so you’re just going to have to take me at my word that she’s incredible. The rest of the cast doesn’t have as much pressure on their shoulders, but they still shine when they need to. Norton is his signature smarmy self, complete with a flashback scene of him donning Frank Mackey’s outfit from Magnolia (a decision I can only imagine was explicitly targeted toward me). Hudson gets many of the laugh-out-loud moments, and Hahn chews the scenery as usual. Of course, Craig leads the pack, whose enthusiasm for the role is immediately infectious. Watching an actor known for playing the most serious iteration of James Bond don a pinstripe swimsuit and spew information with a comically overdone Southern accent is such a sight to behold. Luckily, Craig’s relationship with this character is much more positive than Bond's, so the future is bright for further travels around the world. Glass Onion skillfully embraces and overcomes the usual dangers of doing the same thing as the original, just on a bigger scale. As the first of two planned sequels by Netflix, I can only imagine what Johnson is going to serve up next. This review was originally published from the world premiere at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival. Netflix will release Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery in theaters nationwide on November 23rd, followed by its streaming premiere on December 23rd. More Reviews The Super Mario Galaxy Movie March 31, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen The Drama April 1, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Project Hail Mary March 10, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice March 25, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Hunter Friesen

The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part February 11, 2019 By: Button Hunter Friesen Back in 2014, The LEGO Movie had to overcome the enormous challenge of adapting a storyless toy brand into a compelling blockbuster. Through expert use of wit and charm, the film became a rightful smash hit that could be enjoyed equally among children and adults. And, for better or worse, it introduced the world to the incredibly memorable song “Everything is Awesome.” Opening exactly where the original left off, the Duplos have attacked Bricksburg and transformed the land into an apocalyptic Mad Max -like wasteland. Despite the darkness of the situation, Emmett maintains his cheery attitude, making him an outsider amongst the tougher community members. In the midst of an attack, Lucy is captured and taken to the Sistar System. With both his home and friends taken from him, Emmett sets out to save Lucy and become the tough guy he thinks he needs to be. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvHSlHhh1gk Mike Mitchell takes over the directing chair from the original pair of Phil Lord and Christopher Miller. Mitchell doesn’t try to reinvent the wheel and very much stays in the same lane as the first film. He keeps the pace frenetic and is able to cram a large amount of story within a 106-minute runtime. This fast pace works well at keeping the jokes fresh, but it does wear the story thin near the beginning of the third act. Fortunately, the film quickly recovers and delivers a beautiful ending. Supporting the vast amount of set pieces and action sequences is some great animation that is slightly improved over the first film. Computerized effects are used in restraint in favor of more practical-looking effects. And even when used, the computer effects are creative and fit well within the story. Even though they passed on directing, Phil Lord and Christopher Miller returned as scriptwriters for this sequel. The pair proves yet again that they have a natural talent for witty dialogue that works best when it's able to parody itself. The script for this film closely resembles the first as it preaches the value of being yourself and accepting others. This retread of familiar material does strip the story of surprising moments, but the rapid-fire meta jokes about this fact make up for the conventionality. One thing this sequel does better than the original is flesh out the real-world story of the brother and sister who control what happens in the LEGO world. The addition of this element provides some touching moments that connect well with anybody who remembers having fights with their sibling over childhood toys. With both returners and newcomers, the voice cast does a great job at supplying the laughs and heart-tugging moments. Chris Pratt is exceptional as Emmett. His upbeat voice and ability to connect emotionally with the audience make him a fantastic leading character. Elizabeth Banks does a great job as Lucy, whose imprisonment forces her to look at a mirror and decide who she really is. Will Arnett is still perfect as Batman, who is still full of himself and offers hilarious material in a supporting role. Tiffany Haddish is the standout as Queen Watevra Wa’Nabi. Along with being uproariously funny, Haddish surprisingly lends her voice to some new songs, most notably “Gotham City Guys.” Five years after the original, The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part surpasses all expectations and captures lightning in a bottle again. With heart and humor to spare, this tale for all ages is yet another awesome experience that is able to take its small pieces and build something extraordinarily larger than life. Warner Bros. Pictures will release The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part in theaters nationwide on February 08th. More Reviews The Super Mario Galaxy Movie March 31, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen The Drama April 1, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Project Hail Mary March 10, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice March 25, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Hunter Friesen

Tuesday June 13, 2024 By: Button Hunter Friesen Death has come in all different shapes and sizes throughout time and cultures. In Christianity, Death is one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, the Pale Horseman to be exact. In many Romantic language regions (France, Portugal, Italy), it is mostly personified as a female figure, with other areas of Europe seeing it as more Grim Reaper-like, with a skeletal frame and a scythe. And in Asia, Death takes the form of a bureaucrat, an escort between the lands of the living and dead. Considering all the different physical and temperamental interpretations of Death throughout human history, its presence as a talking macaw bird in Daina Oniunas-Pusic’s Tuesday shouldn’t come as anything out of the ordinary. Of course, that’s easier said than done, especially with Oniunas-Pusic introducing us to this celestial being as it traverses the Earth collecting the souls who are at its doorstep, many of them leaving this world in fear and confusion. No matter the form it takes, Death does come for us all, and you’ll never know when and how it’ll show its face. For the 15-year-old titular character (Lola Petticrew), Death has been stalking her for months now in the form of an unspecified terminal illness. It’s felt each time she takes a wheezing breath, and whenever her stay-at-home nurse tries to steer the conversation away from anything too morbid. But when that fateful bird actually does come for her one day, she doesn’t plead or cry. Instead, she tells it a joke and offers to bathe it, as the blackness of death has clouded its bright orange feathers. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qvqyBWCN39o Like Superman, the bird can hear everyone’s dying thoughts at all times. The piercing sound design elevates the overwhelming fear and discomfort of that situation, a never-ending stream of people revealing themselves in their final moments. On the other end of that problem is Tuesday’s mother, Zora (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), who refuses to listen to her daughter’s pleadings about their situation. To reveal anything more about the plot would diminish the experience of witnessing it first-hand. Oniunas-Pusic’s vision for her story knows no bounds, reaching further down the rabbit hole than even your wildest predictions could have covered. And even if I did tell all within this review, you still wouldn’t have all the necessary information to make a decision on whether it all works or not. The directions the film takes have to be felt to be processed; many of them likely not to fully reveal themselves until much later down the road. It’s like trying a new food. Sure, you can read all the ingredients and form an opinion in your head whether you would like it. But you can’t know for sure until you stop thinking and just put it in your mouth. The gamble is part of the process. That inability to fully comprehend everything solely through text complements the actor’s trust in Oniunas-Pusic. Petticrew and Louis-Dreyfus are tasked with extremely challenging jobs, acting opposite a CGI creation (a very convincing one) and navigating the extremely thin tonal tightrope this film often finds itself balancing on. Each of them is dealing with the five stages of grief in their own way, Petticrew being further along into acceptance, and Louis-Dreyfus stuck in denial. Special mention has to be made to Arinzé Kene for his motion capture performance and vocal work as the macaw, both of them making the bird into just as much of a character as what Andy Serkis has done with his creations over the years. Would a conventional narrative track for this story result in a more cohesive and stronger emotional pull? Perhaps. But there are still several tearjerking moments between mother and daughter, one of which takes place on a beach seemingly secluded from the rest of humanity. And fear not, all you haters of weepy terminal illness dramas, as no boy is trying to romance Tuesday in her final days, nor does Zora go through the clichéd motions of dealing with her sadness. It all comes together to make something more than the sum of its parts, which are all equally fascinating to pick apart and dissect. I’m still doing that as I type out this review, and I’m sure to continue doing it throughout the year. Death is not something that can be neatly packaged and processed, so it makes sense that a film about it would refuse to trek down the well-laid path that so many have gone down before. A24 will release Tuesday in select theaters on June 07th, followed by a nationwide expansion on June 14th. More Reviews The Super Mario Galaxy Movie March 31, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen The Drama April 1, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Project Hail Mary March 10, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice March 25, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Hunter Friesen

Asteroid City June 12, 2023 By: Button Hunter Friesen By far the strangest movie in his eclectic filmography, Asteroid City is Wes Anderson’s return to America in over a decade, having spent time in fictional Eastern Europe for The Grand Budapest Hotel , Japan for Isle of Dogs , and well… France for The French Dispatch . The fanciful writer/director takes us into the scenic deserts of the 1950s American southwest, specifically the titular sleepy tourist town that serves as the meeting point for all of the eccentric characters. The half-built town, complete with the stereotypical bar-stool diner and motel, is the destination for those attending the annual Junior Stargazer / Space Cadet convention. It’s a place where the best, brightest, and most awkward kids in America show off their new inventions, including a jetpack, raygun, and overhead projector for the moon, which, in one of many hilarious throwaway lines, is said to have huge potential in the future of interstellar advertising. Arriving in a putter under the beaming sun is Augie Steenbeck (Jason Schwartzman), a war photographer with a genius son and young triplet girls. This event is only a brief stop on his way to see his father-in-law (Tom Hanks, proving as always to be a wonderful addition to any cast), who’s the only other person that knows of Augie’s wife’s recent demise. Also in attendance is a group of other precocious children and their host of parents (Scarlett Johansson, Liev Schreiber, Steve Park, Hope Davis, etc.) Eventually, this event designed to look up at the stars comes in contact with something from there, which reshapes how our characters interact with each other and themselves. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FXCSXuGTF4 As I said in the opening sentence, this is Anderson’s weirdest movie to date, always keeping your eyebrow in a raised position. To avoid spoiling events beyond what is shown in the trailer, I’ll only mention that Anderson’s screenplay (written in conjunction with his usual partner Roman Coppola) emulates a certain Christopher Nolan movie that has to do with dreams. How else are you going to be able to fit in all the names within this all-star cast, including regular players Edward Norton, Adrien Brody, Jeffrey Wright, Willem Dafoe, and Jeff Goldblum? The term “this is the most Wes Anderson movie Wes Anderson has ever made” has been used to describe nearly every new entry in his filmography. That cycle doesn’t stop with Asteroid City , as the traits you’ve come to love (or hate) are all here: symmetrical framing, varying aspect ratios, color and black & white cinematography, and steady camera movements. Anderson’s usual designer, Adam Stockhausen, once again creates a doll-house world filled with too many sights and sounds to be absorbed in one viewing. Sure, there may now be umpteen TikTok and A.I. generated videos replicating Anderson’s distinct style, but all of them contain just the window dressing of a Wes Anderson movie, and not the emotion. Just as his box of tricks has constantly evolved, so has Anderson’s ability to find the heart in his richly defined characters. While on their methodically placed tracks, each character veers off in different directions, exploring the fear of death, finding connections in a barren land, cutting through the messiness of life, and paying homage to those kitschy B-movies you grew up watching late at night on the public access channel. At this point in his filmography, you’ve probably made up your mind about Wes Anderson. I’m somewhat of an apologist, with those instantly recognizable production qualities and whimsical tones being music to my ears (and eyes). Asteroid City is another healthy dose of what I’ve come to love, with the bonus of seeing an auteur continue to find new ways to channel what they do best. This review was originally published from the world premiere at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival. Focus Features will release Asteroid City in select theaters on June 16th, followed by a nationwide expansion on June 23rd. More Reviews The Super Mario Galaxy Movie March 31, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen The Drama April 1, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Project Hail Mary March 10, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice March 25, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Hunter Friesen

The Pale Blue Eye December 22, 2022 By: Button Hunter Friesen There's no good way to say it, so I'd better avoid dancing around the subject and just come out with it: Christian Bale has not had a good year. Between the financial and critical disaster that was Amsterdam and the so-so quality of Thor: Love and Thunder , the payoffs have not matched the effort put in. To be fair, it’s not precisely Bale’s fault that those two movies did not meet expectations, as one actor can only do so much to affect the films they appear in. But I also can’t fully absolve him, or any other cast member within Amsterdam , of choosing to work with David O. Russell, considering all that’s been revealed about him. So, in comes The Pale Blue Eye during the waning days of 2022, hoping to salvage what remains of the year through its murder mystery story. But unlike the other Netflix murder mystery of Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery , this case doesn’t contain a single smile, least of all a laugh. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddbL9jvg77w That is, unless you’re the kind of sadistic person who thinks that people being murdered and having their hearts carved out is some kind of sick joke. The commanders at the United States Military Academy certainly don’t believe it to be a laughing matter that their cadets are being picked off one by one. The country is still in its infancy at this moment in 1830, and appearances are vital to becoming a legitimate world power, so having your finest soldiers in perpetual fear of being horribly mutilated isn’t such a good scenario. Hired to solve this problem is Detective Augustus Landor (Bale), who’s been around the block more times than he can count. But the clues to this case don’t line up too well for an outsider like Landor, so he recruits a young cadet and future world-famous poet, Edgar Allan Poe (Harry Melling), to be his inside man. Writer/director Scott Cooper doesn’t waste any time plunging us into this cold and desolate environment. The opening shot of a hanged victim, with the thick fog shrouding him in mystery, is a primer for the savagery found within this time period and specific location. The sun never seems to shine during the winter months, with the only light being from the candles inside dingy taverns and cottages. The gothic exteriors of the military academy don’t present a very cozy feeling for its recruits, who are much more in line with posh gentlemen than stereotypical hardened marines. Poe seems to be the brightest of all his brothers, displaying genius-level intellect through his frequent writing and readings of poetry. Melling overindulges on the character’s eccentricities, speaking in an accent similar to Benoit Blanc’s and with such rapid pace. Landor is the John Watson to Poe’s Sherlock Holmes, only this time the power dynamic has been reversed. Bale, who might as well be reprising his character from Cooper’s Hostiles based on his appearance and demeanor, displays a weariness within his character brought by his haunted past. It is a bit of a shame that some of the other members of this all-star cast, specifically Robert Duvall and Charlotte Gainsbourg, are wasted in nothing roles. Ranging from music dramas to mob biopics to westerns, Cooper has always been a chameleon director, molding his style to whatever the story requires. While he’s never done exemplary work, he does bring adequate professionalism, with some flashes of brilliance. The Pale Blue Eye, unfortunately, doesn’t contain any out-of-this-world moments as Cooper keeps the thread that ties all the clues together close to his chest, not revealing much until the final moments. But by that point, the answers come across a bit like cheating, as everything seems to be connected because of convenience rather than reality. But even with the central mystery within The Pale Blue Eye not entirely living up to the pedigree of its cast or the quality of its gothic production qualities, there are still enough intriguing elements within this world of the macabre. Chances are you’ll be surrounded by snow and frigid temperatures when this drops on Netflix, so you might as well settle in for a slow-burn mystery because I doubt the rest of the cinematic offerings in January will be much better. Netflix will release The Pale Blue Eye in select theaters on December 23rd, followed by its streaming premiere on January 06th. More Reviews The Super Mario Galaxy Movie March 31, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen The Drama April 1, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Project Hail Mary March 10, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice March 25, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Hunter Friesen

Captain America: Brave New World February 12, 2025 By: Button Hunter Friesen In an age where every new property in the never-ending Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is either going to restore or destroy the franchise, Captain America: Brave New World is a semi-comforting reminder that it’s okay for a movie to be just fine and forgettable. The keyboard warriors on either side of the fence will find little ammunition here, ushering in a brief period where comic-book movies are met with a collective shrug rather than an onslaught of verbal skirmishes. This all might be faint praise for a mega studio blockbuster with a rumored budget of anywhere between $250-300 million, but the bar was never that high to begin with. It’s not like all those extra tens of millions were put to good use anyway. The cutting room floor of the editor’s suite might be worth more than several other studio blockbusters combined, the 118-minute final runtime here clearly being a patchwork of several rounds of reshoots and reedits. Luckily, the generic sets and CGI backdrops were always available, but not the high-quality VFX technicians to work their magic and make it all seem remotely believable. They're probably all busy putting in overtime on The Fantastic Four: First Steps anyway. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pHDWnXmK7Y For the one fan out there who has 2008’s The Incredible Hulk , The Falcon and the Winter Soldier , and Eternals high on their MCU rankings, Brave New World is the sequel they’ve been dreaming of. Audiences need to be well-versed in both the film and television fronts of the MCU to fully grasp what’s going on here. General Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross (previously played by the late William Hurt, now played by Harrison Ford) has become President Ross in one of “the most important elections in American history.” But unlike the outcome of our most recent real-life election, this president preaches togetherness amidst overcoming the horrors that have besieged the nation in the absence of the Avengers. His most important task is to unite the developed nations of the world in harnessing the potential of the Celestial Island, located in the Indian Ocean, after the events of Eternals . But like all political plans, they got mucked up by intrigue and people working in the shadows. Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie), the new Captain America and former Falcon, finds himself caught in the crosshairs of the conspiracy, which is headed by a returning character from The Incredible Hulk . But fret not, any of you who don’t remember the specific details of a seventeen-year-old movie whose connection to the MCU is mostly just a trivia question, director Julius Onah and his four credited co-writers make sure to spell it all out in bold letters at every turn. Much of the dialogue is spent writing and erasing the whiteboard that is the film’s plot, which includes a copious amount of convenient newsreel interjections. It all coalesces into something that feels much more tailored for Disney+ rather than the big screen. Even if the character of Sam Wilson is small potatoes when compared to what’s been going on in the entire MCU, his personal dilemmas are interesting. The appeal of the icon that is Captain America lies in the fact that he is just an ordinary person who represents the best qualities of those who resist evil. Sure, he may have been injected with a super serum, but that’s nothing when compared to Hulk, Iron Man, and villains like Thanos and Ultron. The successes of Steve Rogers against all those disadvantages create a nearly impossible barrier for Sam to overcome. The bond between him and his new sidekick, Joaquin Torres (Danny Ramirez), is endearing as they both forge a new path together in a world that they’re not quite sure wants to embrace them. That sentiment goes double for Isaiah Bradley (Carl Lumbly), the forgotten Captain America from the Korean War who was betrayed by his government. The sum of these pieces isn’t as attractive as their individual values, making this more of a filler episode, biding time until we get the next seismic shift in the MCU. Nuggets of what that will be are dropped here and there, giving us all just enough optimism to keep getting back on this ride. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures will release Captain America: Brave New World in theaters nationwide on February 14th. More Reviews The Super Mario Galaxy Movie March 31, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen The Drama April 1, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Project Hail Mary March 10, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice March 25, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Hunter Friesen

Ticket to Paradise October 19, 2022 By: Button Hunter Friesen Over the past decade, writer/director Ol Parker has crafted his own genre of “vacation cinema,” where he takes A-list stars (generally white and older) and whisks them away to exotic places that teach them about what truly matters in life. The two Best Exotic Marigold Hotel films and Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again are some recent examples of this, all of which made a killing at the pre-pandemic box office. And with nearly $70 million to its name after launching overseas this past month, before it finally reaches stateside, Ticket to Paradise looks likely to join that money-making club. The beautiful A-listers at the center of this film are George Clooney and Julia Roberts, marking their fifth collaboration together and first since 2016’s Money Monster (anyone remember that?). The stars play divorcées David and Georgia, who are unable to stand each other for more than a few minutes each time they briefly meet. Fortunately for them, those moments of contact only occur when it comes to their daughter, Lily (Kaitlyn Dever), who is just graduating from law school. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hkP4tVTdsz8 After an awkward ceremony where the two feuding parents attempt to one-up each other with their displays of affection, Lily is off to Bali for the summer with her fun-loving roommate Wren (Billie Lourd in a Booksmart reunion with Dever, although she’s given a fraction of the material). Within only a few weeks, Lily is swiftly engaged to a handsome local by the name of Gede. David and Georgia disapprove as they think she is making the same mistake they did by marrying too young. They embark on the wedding location, deciding to team up to take down their mutual enemy of young love. Of course, you already know where this story is going before you’ve even finished the trailer. In their attempts to break up their daughter’s relationship, the two lovelorn adults will rekindle that passion that brought them together all those years ago. Before those romantic sparks start to fly, much of the humor between the pair is just them bickering back and forth with bitchy one-liners, which gets quite tiring after a while. But Clooney and Roberts make it work thanks to their undeniable chemistry. They get to be full-on movie stars here, something we all needed a reminder of as Clooney continues his fledgling directorial career and Roberts pivots towards television. There’s a hilarious scene (featured in the trailer) where the older couple team up in a game of beer pong that gets them drunk enough to lead a dance-off featuring “Jump Around.” The rest of the movie may be a bit one-note and forgettable, but a moment like that is worth the price of admission. If you miss the days of movies playing bloopers during the credits, which they do here, Ticket to Paradise will be right up your wheelhouse. There’s no shortage of shoreline, sun, and stars in this romantic comedy. So, grab your mom and aunts for some escapist fun, because you know they deserve that from time to time. Universal Pictures will release Ticket to Paradise in theaters nationwide on October 21st. More Reviews The Super Mario Galaxy Movie March 31, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen The Drama April 1, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Project Hail Mary March 10, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice March 25, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Hunter Friesen

The Menu November 16, 2022 By: Button Hunter Friesen As a cinephile and critic, the occurrence of asking the question “What is going to happen next?” while watching a movie is one of the most valuable and enjoyable experiences. It’s what makes the Knives Out films so enjoyable because writer/director Rian Johnson always knows how to be one step ahead of the viewer, twisting and turning their preconceptions of what can happen in a whodunnit. On the inverse of that spectrum lies the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which I still greatly appreciate the majority of the time. But, I do have to admit that it’s getting exponentially tiring to see the same formula repeat itself 3-4 times each year. However, no movie (barring maybe Paul Thomas Anderson’s Magnolia or Glass Onion ) has made me ask the question “What is going to happen next?” more frequently and passionately than The Menu . https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_uTkUGcHv4 Colin Stetson’s Hereditary -esque score (so you know something sinister is waiting in the wings) acutely plays while Ralph Fiennes’ world-renowned Chef Julian Slowik (walking and talking with unwavering intensity like Hannibal Lecter) welcomes his elite guests to the island of Hawthorne, where they will dine like kings and queens. Unbeknownst to the patrons, they each have been assembled intentionally and catered to with the utmost precision towards a much darker grand goal. There’s a fading movie star (John Leguizamo); a snobby food critic (Janet McTeer) and her yes-man editor, a wealthy regular customer (Reed Birney) and his wife (Judith Light), and a trio of tech bros that came only so that they could brag about it. At the center of the narrative are the final guests, Tyler (Nicholas Hoult), a foodie who acts as if he’s a teenage girl about to go backstage and meet Harry Styles, and Margot (Anya Taylor-Joy), Tyler’s date for the evening, who finds all this food worshiping to be a bit much. Margot’s presence is a disturbance to Slowik, who did not account for her, as Tyler made the reservation several months ago before they were a couple (the restaurant does not allow single reservations). Trying to keep the evening going as originally planned is the steely Elsa (Hong Chau), the second-in-command, who guests while Slowik handles the food. From one course to the next, the chef answers his guests’ increasingly desperate questions through his painstakingly crafted works of art. Just like any great food movie ( Chef, Julie & Julia ), The Menu delightfully makes you crave the dishes it serves up, even if you don’t understand what half of them are. Ingredients for each are slyly displayed as they are introduced, so you can attempt to remake them if your heart desires (I suggest finishing the movie before finalizing that decision). Regular David Lynch cinematographer Peter Deming and production designer Ethan Tobman cast a luxuriously simplistic shadow over everything, akin to the work in Parasite . And similarly to Bong Joon-ho’s 2019 Best Picture winner, screenwriters Seth Reiss and Will Tracy infuse their dark thriller with social commentary about elitism, gender roles, and creators vs. critics. There’s a dark satisfaction to watching some of these characters receive their comeuppance, even if the punishment far exceeds the crime. Director Mark Mylod, returning to film after a lengthy stint at HBO with Succession and Game of Thrones , keeps the film tightly knotted, building the pressure from the moment the guests set foot on the island all the way to the end. Of the films I used for comparison, each of them is better than The Menu in their respective traits. Rian Johnson’s Knives Out characters are more fleshed out and entertaining, the social commentary and technical aspects of Parasite are better developed, and the actual Hannibal Lecter is far more sinister. But the one overarching skill that The Menu does better than all those films (yes, I’m saying Parasite isn’t the best at everything, calm down, Letterboxd) is that it holds your attention like a vice grip and keeps you frantically guessing all the way through. That alone is more than worth the price of admission, which becomes a bargain once you factor in all the other delectable aspects. Searchlight Pictures will release The Menu in theaters nationwide on November 18th. More Reviews The Super Mario Galaxy Movie March 31, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen The Drama April 1, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Project Hail Mary March 10, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice March 25, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Hunter Friesen

The Wonder November 4, 2022 By: Button Hunter Friesen One could be forgiven for believing that they are watching the wrong film based on the first image within Sebastián Lelio’s The Wonder . “We are nothing without stories, so we invite you to believe in this one,” narrates a mysterious whispery voice as we open with a shot of a modern soundstage, a far cry from the mid-19th century Irish countryside where the film takes place. But just as you're about to reach for your remote and back out to the main menu of Netflix, the camera pans to the right, revealing Florence Pugh’s character of widowed English nurse Elizabeth Wright as she’s making her voyage on a boat. And with that simple trick, Lelio has placed us within the shoes (or more accurately, muddy boots) of his main character, as we are reminded that movies, while made through proven science and craftsmanship, are most alluring when they make us suspend our disbelief. Wright’s journey takes her to a small village in Ireland, a place where religion and science often occupy the same spaces. She’s been summoned by a committee of the town’s highest-ranking elders, including a priest and a doctor (Ciarán Hinds and Toby Jones, respectively), to investigate an unexplainable phenomenon. 11-year-old Anna O’Donnell has gone without food for the past four months, surviving purely on “manna from heaven.” The child has been labeled a miracle by the townsfolk and receives visitors and press coverage from all over the land. Of course, this prolonged fast defies the laws of human anatomy, which is why the committee has summoned Wright and a nun, so that they may watch her all day and night and determine if the child truly is a blessing from above. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=htybz7XscIY Wright fills the role of the skeptic, never once believing (there’s that word again) that Anna and her family are telling the truth. She’s experienced enough despair in her life - including losing her child and husband, and serving during the bloodiest parts of the Crimean War - to doubt the existence, let alone the goodwill, of God. She observes Anna as she goes through her daily routine, one of constant prayer and giving and receiving love within her family, waiting for someone to crack under the pressure and reveal the whole thing as a sham. But Elizabeth’s beliefs begin to waver as the days drudge on and Anna continues to thrive without food, creating a constant battle between the known and the unknown. Centering his filmography around the themes of personal identity ( Disobedience, Oscar-winning A Fantastic Woman) , Lelio has often found silence to be the best judge of character. Adapting the novel by Emma Donoghue ( Room ), many of the pivotal scenes are pushed further based on observational glances. Pugh returns (not that she was gone that long) from her movie star escapades in Black Widow and Don’t Worry Darling to deliver a shimmeringly haunting performance. She may look and dress the part of Amy March in Greta Gerwig’s Little Women , but her demeanor couldn't be any more different as she brings a steely no-nonsense energy. Matthew Herbert’s off-kilter score, with its liberal use of percussion and non-period instruments, keeps you entranced toward the mystery, even if the material itself may not always be that consistently interesting. Things pick up steam near the end when the building blocks begin to tumble, and desperate choices are made. The means to get there may not have been the most well-executed, but the outcome does provide a nice return on the initial investment. Through fine work from every facet of its production, The Wonder accomplishes what it sets out to do, telling a story I wholeheartedly believed. Much of what you take away from the film will be under the surface, possibly testing your ideals about the unexplainable within your own life. Netflix will release The Wonder in select theaters on November 02nd, followed by its streaming premiere on November 16th. More Reviews The Super Mario Galaxy Movie March 31, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen The Drama April 1, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Project Hail Mary March 10, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice March 25, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Hunter Friesen

The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes November 16, 2023 By: Button Hunter Friesen A lot of hot air has been exhumed over the past year about the exponential increase in movie runtimes. Avatar: The Way of Water (192 minutes), Babylon (189 minutes), The Batman (177 minutes), Killers of the Flower Moon (206 minutes), Oppenheimer (180 minutes), and Beau Is Afraid (179 minutes) are just a few of the martyrs that had to take a few lashes from audiences (some more than others) for testing the endurance of butts. With a title that takes just as long to say as it does to watch the movie, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is the one behemoth where I find myself siding with audiences. 157 minutes isn’t that long compared to the previous examples, but it’s too damn long here. It suffers from a much more severe case that found itself attached to Peter Jackson’s The Return of the King, where we reach the climax and expect a somewhat swift resolution, and yet the film just keeps going… and going… and going… and going. But that only becomes a problem once we reach the final act of this three-act plot, with the first two offering some of the best material this YA franchise has seen. Director Francis Lawrence is back at the helm after guiding the final three entries in the Jennifer Lawrence tetralogy. His presence maintains a sense of consistency with those earlier films. The tone is still grim, with this story being set 64 years in the past and centering on a young Coriolanus Snow (Tom Blythe) as he tries to pick up his family name immediately after the great District v Capital civil war. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDE6Uz73A7g The annual Hunger Games are still in their infancy, and the citizens’ interest in them is starting to wane. Favor is as good a currency as actual money, two things Snow is in desperate need of. He can receive favor from his superiors, Dr. Volumnia Gaul (Viola Davis) and Dean Casca Highbottom (Peter Dinklage), by providing ideas on how to improve the fledgling games. It’s an almost eerily similar situation to modern sports, with Snow being thought of as a genius when he comes up with the idea of making the contest more narrative-driven and allowing spectators to bet on the outcome (hopefully, The Capital is located in a state that allows that). Physical currency will come from being a good mentor to District 12 tribute Lucy Gray Baird (Rachel Zegler) as the winning tribute and mentor receives a substantial reward. Is money worth having if it’s been soaked in blood? Don’t forget, becoming the winning tribute most likely requires them to murder a few of their fellow competitors. Neither Lucy Gray nor Coriolanus was born a killer. Even less of a killer is Coriolanus’ classmate Sejanus Plinth (Josh Andrés Rivera), who sees the games as cruel and unusual punishment against children too young to be alive during the war. It’s an interesting bit of politics to follow these teenagers navigate a world of power-mad adults. Coriolanus and Lucy Gray have a compelling relationship, neither of them being fully ready to embrace the role of being a hero or villain (or anti-hero). They’ve been brought up to hate each other because of their class differences (describing someone as “district” is equivalent to calling them poor), except now they must work hand-in-hand to gain a competitive advantage. Of course, we do already know the outcome of this battle on account of this being a prequel, but Blythe does a great job masking that through his complex performance. It’s too bad writers Michael Lesslie and Michael Arndt constantly make his job tougher as they haphazardly flip his characterization in the third act. Their treatment of Zegler is more consistent, with both of them leaning hard into the several opportunities to unleash her immaculate singing voice. Viola Davis is clearly having the most fun, literally introducing herself while maniacally cackling and often found fondling deadly snakes. Even with its inability to promptly say goodbye and bits of desperate fan service, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is still a cut above the rest of the YA genre. It’s actually a shame that it isn’t supposed to be the start of a whole series, as there’s more than enough here to sustain an even deeper dive into this enticing world. Lionsgate will release The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes in theaters nationwide on November 17th. More Reviews The Super Mario Galaxy Movie March 31, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen The Drama April 1, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Project Hail Mary March 10, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice March 25, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Hunter Friesen

28 Years Later: The Bone Temple January 13, 2026 By: Button Hunter Friesen It’s devilishly and depressingly fitting that 2026 begins with a film set in an unstable wasteland. In those lost fields, the dead walk among the living. And yet, the living don’t seem to do much actual… living. They’re alone and afraid, with empty stomachs and hearts. At this point, everything is out to kill you, and the more pleasant opponent is the dead. Because for them, at least you know it’s strictly business, a primal instinct that the virus has made uncontrollable. For the other humans, you never know what you’re going to get. People want leadership, and in the absence of genuine leadership, they’ll listen to anyone who walks and talks the part. On this British isle, that’s Jimmy Crystal (Jack O’Connell, not doing a great job for Irish public relations between this and being the head vampire in last year’s Sinners ), the boy we briefly saw being inducted into this newfound hell through the devouring of his vicar father during the cold open of 28 Years Later . Now, as you guessed it, twenty-eight years later, he’s weaponized that trauma into a religious fervor to cleanse the land in the name of Satan. Following him are his “fingers,” wayward youth in desperate need of guidance, willing to also be called Jimmy and wear a blonde wig to fit in. There can only be seven fingers, so a person must kill their way into the club, which is what Spike (Alfie Williams) inadvertently does once he’s given the ultimatum. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EOwTdTZA8D8 The human-induced grotesqueness within this franchise is a steady concept in the recent work by screenwriter Alex Garland. Beyond the script for the previous entry in this franchise, the most pertinent work he’s done has been the one-two punch of A24 military actioners, Civil War and Warfare . While I didn’t like the former film upon its release, I’ve slowly come to appreciate the shock that it sends down our nation’s system. Unfortunately, time is becoming its own asset, no longer needing to be rewatched in order to be experienced. But I digress. Zigging instead of zagging, Garland doesn’t continue to pile on, nor does he take the easy route of making the next installment bigger than the last one. The Bone Temple slides down a register, containing all events within a few days and only a couple of hundred yards. That titular location is where the good Dr. Kelson (Ralph Fiennes) still lives. Through a shared curiosity with local alpha, Samson (Chi Lewis-Parry), he’s inching closer to a cure for the virus. Morphine seems to help vaporize the clouds over the beast’s mind. ‘90s British pop also appears to have an alluring amount of power, everyone knowing that a little Radiohead goes a long way. There is still a place for Iron Maiden’s “The Number of The Beast,” with director Nia DaCosta shifting away from the iPhone scrappiness and towards something a little more traditionally cinematic. Everything is still visually washed out, and rushing zombies have the camera pushed in front of their snarling faces. This is hardly an action film, making every stroke of violence even more punishing. Hildur Guðnadóttir’s score transplants the breathy vocalizations from her work in Hedda (also directed by DaCosta), almost as if there’s an underworld chorus. Initially, 28 Weeks Later was my favorite in the franchise, thanks to its ability to pull back the lens and take a macroeconomic look at this epidemic. Now, The Bone Temple has ascended to the top by doing the exact opposite. Garland and Danny Boyle have coyly teased a third entry in this new series, something this film supports in its conclusion. Both the creatives and the audience deserve to see this through, not becoming a memento mori of what could have been. The ball is entirely in your court, Sony. Sony Pictures Releasing will release 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple in theaters nationwide on January 16th. More Reviews The Super Mario Galaxy Movie March 31, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen The Drama April 1, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Project Hail Mary March 10, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice March 25, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Hunter Friesen