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Ranking the Films of Michael Haneke March 23, 2024 By: Hunter Friesen In contemporary cinema, few directors wield the same level of unyielding intellect and unapologetic exploration of the human condition as Michael Haneke. With a career spanning over four decades, Haneke has carved out a niche for himself as a master of discomfort, challenging audiences to confront the unsettling truths that lurk beneath the surface of seemingly ordinary lives. His stories are parables; critiquing topics such as violence, sex, authority, guilt, and death. Since making his debut in 1989, the Austrian filmmaker has become one of the most decorated filmmakers in modern cinema. He’s premiered nearly all his feature films at the Cannes Film Festival; raking in two Palme d’Ors, the Grand Prix, and the award for Best Director. His penultimate film, Amour , went on to win the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Feature, with Haneke himself being nominated for his direction and screenplay. While this is a ranking of his filmography, it would be dishonest to consider it a review of his “worst to best” films, as he has no bad films (well, except for one). For transparency, I have not seen his Glaciation trilogy consisting of The Seventh Continent (1989), Benny's Video (1992), and 71 Fragments of a Chronology of Chance (1994). Once I see those, then his filmography will be completed. But let’s not focus on what’s absent, instead let’s dive into this ranking of cinema’s most enigmatic auteur. 8. Time of the Wolf (2003) I can't believe someone this talented wrote and directed this piece of trash. Despite being near the height of his powers, Haneke veered his sights on the lowest hanging fruit there is for a lesson on human cruelty: the apocalypse. In all of his other films, Haneke spins his message into an intricate web that obscures truth, leaving the viewer to look at themselves to fill in the rest. Here, he angrily draws the picture for you while repeatedly shouting "Do you get it now!?" 7. Happy End (2017) Happy End is an amalgamation of Haneke's classic tropes: unrelenting bleakness, slow-paced long takes, unresolved narratives, and, of course, suicide. But the one usually dependable ingredient Haneke forgot to add was a reason why we should take an interest in these people. Apart from Jean-Louis Trintignant's character, every personal narrative fails to rise above the surface. They're all (partially) connected, but need help to play off each other well, and by themselves. 6. The Piano Teacher (2001) While many may argue that its material is purely for shock value, Haneke lets his sadism tell a compelling of desire and repression. Complicated characters such as these, both wonderfully played by Isabelle Huppert and Benoît Magimel, don’t have to be fully explained. Haneke refuses to sensationalize anything, challenging viewers to confront their notions of intimacy and power dynamics. 5. Amour (2012) As a great companion piece to The Father , Haneke’s second Palme d’Or-winning film is poignant in its exploration of love at the end of life’s road. Autonomy and dignity are stripped away from Anne as her body deteriorates, with the only role her husband able to play is a witness. But even if the ending isn’t pretty, Haneke and the actors perpetually allude to a life worth living with the person you love. 4. Caché (2005) A pleasant (or should I say unpleasant because this movie is - as always with Haneke - very depressing) rebound for Haneke following the abomination that is Time of the Wolf , Caché (Hidden) is a thriller stripped of the usual cinematic tricks. It becomes the ultimate "What would you do?" scenario. Would you go down the rabbit hole, or leave it alone and hope nothing else happens? Haneke assures us that no choice will leave us with a happy ending. 3. The White Ribbon (2009) Leave it to Haneke to create a mystery film that gives absolutely no answers to any of your burning questions. It's deeply troubling to only be on the reactionary side of events, without explaining why any of this is happening. He observes the simple roots of authoritarianism, which eventually led to the rise of the Nazi party. As people's sense of safety begins to crumble, so does their guard against tyranny. Opportunities are seized by those in power, and we are worse off because of it. And in a cruelly hilarious way, it's probably his most uplifting message to date. 2. Funny Games (1997) “Anyone who leaves the cinema doesn't need the film, and anybody who stays does." To give a movie a glowing rating would indicate that I really liked it. In the case of Funny Games , the opposite is true. I hated this movie. I hated every interaction. I hated every character. I hated every line of dialogue. I hated every little thing that happened. And in all that hatred, I surrendered myself to Haneke's sadistic lesson. He's the anti-Quentin Tarantino, delivering violence in the most unsatisfying and grisly way possible. It's unbearable to watch as Haneke twists the knife even more with his cinematic tricks. 1. Code Unknown (2000) An interconnected mystery film that offers no answers (are you sensing a pattern?), Code Unknown frustratingly fits into Michael Haneke's twisted filmography. Told in a series of vignettes that both are and aren't connected (but all of which are told in unbroken long takes), Haneke presents a puzzle with only half the pieces available. While the chronology is tossed off without remorse, Haneke's contempt for humanity is pinpointed. Racism, domestic abuse, and abandonment are touched on through third parties, with Haneke casting doubt upon his bystanders. More Reviews 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple January 13, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen The Rip January 16, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Dead Man's Wire January 14, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen The Chronology of Water January 9, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Hunter Friesen

Ballerina June 4, 2025 By: Button Hunter Friesen A franchise needs to reach a healthy stage of maturity before it can begin to produce spinoffs from the main feed. It took Star Wars seven episodes before it sidestepped with Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and Solo: A Star Wars Story . It took until the ninth installment of the Fast & Furious series to get the buddy adventures of Dwayne Johnson's Luke Hobbs and Jason Statham's Deckard Shaw in Hobbs & Shaw . Besting both behemoth franchises is the John Wick series, which has produced its first spin-off (we're not going to count the short-lived Peacock series, The Continental ), Ballerina , after only four mainline entries. Franchise creator Derek Kolstad, director Chad Stahelski, and star Keanu Reeves are nowhere to be found here except during the end credits as part of the long list of producers. It's a testament to the world they've created that their physical absence doesn't fully knock over this tower of cards. It is perpetually teetering, as the trio has set such a high bar over the past decade that no newcomer could and should be expected to flawlessly meet or exceed it. Director Len Wiseman, finally given permission to grace the silver screen after a decade-long banishment to low-tier television after the calamity that was 2012's Total Recall reboot, does just that, giving us more of the same through slightly inferior methods. The production qualities are all still top-tier, with the sets and atmosphere beckoning us to dig deeper into its history and importance. But while we, the audience, see it all as decorative eye candy, the characters experience it as just lipstick on a pig being sent to the slaughterhouse. Violent actions breed violent consequences, which is what John Wick has had to reckon with since those goons decided to kill his puppy back in the first film. Eve Macarro (Ana de Armas) had that choice forced upon her at a young age when her father was murdered by The Chancellor (Gabriel Byrne) right in front of her. The Ruska Roma organization took her in and gave her the skills to transform from a victim to a victor. Vengeance lingered in her mind for all those years, acting as the fuel for her rageful fire. Through the inanimate nature of a bullet and the two sides of a coin, the analogy of choice is presented to Eve while she's working through her origin story. Revenge won't bring her father back, and will very likely lead her down a darker path of self-destruction. Returning from the previous two John Wick entries, writer Shay Hatten tries to use this conflict to instill tension over where Eve will fall on the spectrum of good & evil. The nuance becomes almost entirely lost when an abducted child becomes involved, and Eve must protect her from The Chancellor. No studio would allow their tentpole blockbuster to contain a scene of the hero being apathetic toward the mistreatment of a kid, so we know Eve will do the right thing and keep her safe. I’m not a sadistic freak, but just once I’d like a film to fully subvert this tiring trope. Apart from that stumble, the other concepts relating to the action are decent. Eve is physically weaker than her opponents, which means she has to be more resourceful when it comes to establishing an advantage. The combination of hand grenades thrown like snowballs and a military-grade flamethrower makes for some exciting set pieces. There's also the usual hand-to-hand and gun play, which de Armas handles well. Her acting may not be up to par, a common problem for any actor who tries to tackle the stilted dialogue they're given in this franchise. But she has the raw physicality and star presence to carry the lengthy fight sequences. Going back on what I said earlier, Reeves does appear as Wick in a cameo that likely acts as a teaser for a team-up movie down the line. I wouldn’t mind seeing de Armas and Reeves work together again in this series, as long as Stahelski is back at the helm. Each of the successive entries in the John Wick series has successfully improved upon the previous one, both in terms of scope and scale. Ballerina is the first to take a step back, a minor one nonetheless. But there are still certain aspects that are promising, so I’ll treat this like one of the lesser entries in the MCU that are meant to be connective tissue for the large-scale Avengers films. More Reviews 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple January 13, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen The Rip January 16, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Dead Man's Wire January 14, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen The Chronology of Water January 9, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Hunter Friesen

The Most Successful Directors at Cannes June 29, 2023 By: Hunter Friesen The Cannes Film Festival is renowned for its exclusivity to only the best filmmakers in the world. Every director’s dream is to climb the signature red carpet stairs and have their film compete for the Palme d’Or. Several have done it over the years, but only so many have been able to stick with it for so long. In this list, I’ll highlight the most successful directors in the festival’s history. In other words, these figures are the best of the best… of the best. Many of the aspects that come to mind when we think of the festival are relatively new, so almost everyone mentioned here is either still making films or recently retired. The criteria for placement on this list are as follows: The prominence of the director and their films. Do they grab headlines, or do they just kind of come and go? The number of films they've screened within the Official Competition. Films in the sidebars will be excluded. The number of awards they’ve won (Palme d’Or, Jury Prize, Best Director…) The consistency of their output. Do they have many duds within their resume, or are they steady as she goes? Honorable Mentions David Cronenberg Hou Hsiao-Hsien Sofia Coppola Paolo Sorrentino Mike Leigh 10. Quentin Tarantino Films in the Official Competition (4): Pulp Fiction (1994, Palme d’Or), Death Proof (2007), Inglourious Basterds (2009), Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019) Cannes is a Mecca for international cinema and the purity of filmmaking, but it’s also a business that needs to grab headlines with glitzy premieres filled with stars. Tarantino is the perfect marriage of art and commerce, supplying the festival with artistically unique movies filled with Hollywood A-listers. Every one of his movies is the talk of the town, even if they haven’t been the most well-received ( Pulp Fiction got a few boos after winning the Palme d’Or, and Inglourious Basterds received decidedly mixed reviews). With his final film soon to enter production, we can already predict what will be the hottest ticket for Cannes 2025. 9. Nanni Moretti Films in the Official Competition (9): Ecce Bombo (1978), Dear Diary (1994, Best Director), Aprile (1998), The Son’s Room (2001, Palme d’Or), The Caiman (2006), We Have a Pope (2011), My Mother (2015), Three Floors (2021), The Sun of the Future (2023) The director is always the star of the show at Cannes (they are awarded the Palme d’Or instead of the producer), and Italian auteur Nanni Moretti is one of the biggest on account of him writing, directing, and starring in nearly all his films. He’s been referred to as the Italian Woody Allen, with his quirky satires taking aim at Italian society and politics. He’s been a mainstay of the competition for almost thirty years, with 2001’s The Son’s Room winning the top prize. 8. Hirokazu Kore-eda Films in the Official Competition (8): Distance (2001), Nobody Knows (2004), Like Father, Like Son (2013, Jury Prize), Our Little Sister (2015), Shoplifters (2018, Palme d’Or), Broker (2022), Monster (2023) Described as a modern-day Yasujirō Ozu by Roger Ebert, Kore-eda has always been adept at delivering social realism with gentle tenderness. But that loving affection doesn’t come across as overly sentimental, with hints of melancholy aiding the authenticity. His films have often focused on the construction of a family, whether by blood or special bonds. All of his films have been warmly received, with 2018’s Palme d’Or winning Shoplifters being considered his magnum opus. 7. Nuri Bilge Ceylan Films in the Official Competition (7): Distant (2003, Grand Prize of the Jury), Climates (2006), Three Monkeys (2008, Best Director), Once Upon a Time in Anatolia (2011, Grand Prize of the Jury), Winter Sleep (2014, Palme d’Or), The Wild Pear Tree (2018), About Dry Grasses (2023) While his long (usually running over three hours), slow, and morally complicated films may not grab the headlines of his contemporaries, Turkish director Ceylan stands above almost all thanks to his impressive trophy case. He finished in the runner-up position twice (2003’s Distant and 2011’s Once Upon a Time in Anatolia ) before claiming his Palme d’Or in 2014 for Winter Sleep . He’ll be competing again this year with the equally long About Dry Grasses . 6. Lars von Trier Films in the Official Competition (9): The Element of Crime (1984), Europa (1991, Jury Prize), Breaking the Waves (1996, Grand Prize of the Jury), The Idiots (1998), Dancer in the Dark (2000, Palme d’Or), Dogville (2003), Manderlay (2005), Antichrist (2009), Melancholia (2011) Every major festival needs a provocateur to grab the headlines. While Michael Haneke and David Cronenberg may push people’s buttons, Danish bad boy Lars von Trier always takes it to another level, which was illustrated by him being excommunicated and labeled “persona non grata” by the festival after his Nazi comments at the press conference for 2011’s Melancholia . That banishment put a strain on the relationship between the festival and one of its star pupils, who had picked up a second-place prize ( Breaking the Waves ) and Palme d’Or ( Dancer in the Dark ) since he was admitted to the competition in the mid-’80s. Von Trier would return years later for The House That Jack Built , which appropriately caused one of the biggest walkouts in festival history 5. Pedro Almodóvar Films in the Official Competition (6): All About My Mother (1999, Best Director), Volver (2006, Best Screenplay), Broken Embraces (2009), The Skin I Live In (2011), Julieta (2016), Pain and Glory (2019) A relatively late bloomer to the festival, Almodóvar didn’t make his way into the competition until 1999’s All About My Mother . But he made his first shot count, winning the Best Director prize. He’s usually brought global stars like Penélope Cruz and Antonio Banderas along with him for his twisty stories filled with bright colors. Even with all his success on the Croisette, Almodóvar isn’t a hardcore festival loyalist, opting to sometimes debut his films at other festivals, such as Talk to Her at Telluride and Parallel Mothers at Venice. 4. Jean-Pierre & Luc Dardenne Films in the Official Competition (9): Rosetta (1999, Palme d’Or), The Son (2002), The Child (2005, Palme d’Or), Lorna’s Silence (2008, Best Screenplay), The Kid with a Bike (2011, Grand Prize of the Jury), Two Days, One Night (2014), The Unknown Girl (2016), Young Ahmed (2019, Best Director), Tori and Lokita (2022, 75 th Anniversary Prize) You only have to look at the made-up 75th-anniversary prize to know just how much the festival loves the Belgian brothers. Of course, they also have two Palme d’Ors, and awards for Best Director and Best Screenplay, sitting on their shelf to back up that claim. Self-described as one person who can do two things at once, their relatively short (running less than 90 minutes) morality tales about everyday people in Belgium have always struck a chord with whatever jury presides over them. 3. Michael Haneke Films in the Official Competition (7): Funny Games (1997), Code Unknown (2000), The Piano Teacher (2001, Grand Prize of the Jury), Caché (2005, Best Director), The White Ribbon (2009, Palme d’Or), Amour (2012, Palme d’Or), Happy End (2017) The angry Austrian has one of the best batting averages of any filmmaker at the festival, winning a substantial prize for four consecutive films, including back-to-back Palme d’Ors. As the yin to Quentin Taranitno’s yang, Haneke is usually the one to deflate the mood at the party with his no-thrills observations about violence and cruelty. But no one does it better than him, with those joyless lessons about the ugliness of humanity sticking with audiences long after the conclusion of the final reel. 2. Joel & Ethan Coen Films in the Official Competition (8): Barton Fink (1991, Best Director, Palme d’Or), The Hudsucker Proxy (1994), Fargo (1996, Best Director), O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000), The Man Who Wasn’t There (2001, Best Director), The Ladykillers (2004), No Country for Old Men (2007), Inside Llewyn Davis (2013, Grand Prize of the Jury) The Minnesota-born brothers are the reason Cannes has a rule against a film winning more than two prizes, as their festival debut, Barton Fink , earned the awards for Best Actor, Best Director, and a unanimous Palme d’Or. The festival rules didn’t stop the duo from becoming the record holders for most wins for Best Director, repeating for Fargo and The Man Who Wasn’t There (tied with David Lynch for Mulholland Drive ). Shockingly, No Country for Old Men , the film that won them the Oscar for Best Picture, Best Screenplay (Adapted), and Best Picture, was not awarded any prizes when it premiered on the French Riviera. 1. Ken Loach Films in the Official Competition (17): Looks and Smiles (1981), Hidden Agenda (1990, Jury Prize), Raining Stone (1993, Jury Prize), Land and Freedom (1995), My Name is Joe (1998), Bread and Roses (2000), Sweet Sixteen (2002), The Wind that Shakes the Barley (2006, Palme d’Or), Looking for Eric (2009), Route Irish (2010), The Angel’s Share (2012, Jury Prize), Jimmy’s Hall (2014), I, Daniel Blake (2016, Palme d’Or), Sorry We Missed You (2019), The Old Oak (2023) The only certain things in life are death and taxes… and a Ken Loach film will compete for the Palme d’Or. The famed British director has had seventeen of his films in the Official Competition, a record that he continues to expand. He’s also tied for the record of most Jury Prizes (3) and Palme d’Ors (2). His slice-of-life style has made him the director of the people, with him never being attracted by the beckonings of Hollywood. More Reviews 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple January 13, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen The Rip January 16, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Dead Man's Wire January 14, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen The Chronology of Water January 9, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Hunter Friesen

Darkest Hour January 12, 2018 By: Button Hunter Friesen Every year there is bound to be a biopic that is released in the middle of awards season. Films like The Social Network, The King’s Speech , and A Beautiful Mind have come along and won major awards telling the story of famous men. Darkest Hour perfectly fits this description and will certainly be an active member of this year's awards race. An outstanding and unrecognizable performance from Gary Oldman along with great direction from Joe Wright. While it falls into some conventional trappings, the overall quality is still good and makes for an interesting character of one of history’s greatest leaders. The setting of the film is during the month of May 1940. We witness Churchill at his most vulnerable as he has just been given a huge amount of power in a time of looming terror. He has enemies on the opposing side of the war, but also enemies within Parliament as they take problems with his leadership. A large part of the film covers Churchill's decision on how to deal with the battle of Dunkirk, which, like the title, was one of Britain's darkest hours. From here we follow Churchill along as tries to find a solution to a momentous problem that could spell disaster for England and the rest of Europe. The film can get slow and repetitive at some points since it carries a 125-minute runtime and is mainly about Churchill’s decision over Dunkirk and the Nazis. Specific arguments and facts are over-explained to the point where the film becomes somewhat predictable as to what the characters are going to say. There is a small storyline about Churchill’s objectors within Parliament, led by the ousted Neville Chamberlain, but that plot wears thin quickly and doesn’t come to a very satisfactory end. There are also some overly cinematic moments that are distractingly over the top and take away from smaller scenes that carry more weight to the story. Apart from its small problems, Darkest Hour has a very good script that gives Oldman many opportunities to shine. The dialogue between Churchill and other politicians is almost Sorkin-like in its way to move at a very quick pace but also gives you the information you need. The moments between Churchill and his wife are also touchingly done, as both find solace in each other's company in troubled times. Darkest Hour is a perfect companion piece to Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk , the other brilliant film that came out this year featuring the titular battle. While Dunkirk showcases the real fight on the beaches, Darkest Hour lets the audience witness how Britain’s leaders reacted to such a major battle. Seeing both together allows the viewer to see both a first and secondhand account of one of the biggest points of conflict in human history. With experience in period-piece films such as Atonement and Pride & Prejudice , director Joe Wright expertly knows how to stage and execute a film with lots of dialogue and grand sets. Most times we are literally following behind Churchill as the camera travels with him. We see his journey from his home, Parliament, and Buckingham Palace. It is all impressively done and superbly showcases the grandness of London in such dreary times. There is also a wonderful score from Dario Marianelli that mixes both booming and soft orchestral music. The music usually hides in the background until just the right moment to grab your attention. A highlight is at the very end of the film when Churchill makes his famous speech. Even though he is in practically every scene of the film, Gary Oldman as Winston Churchill is so good I wish there was more of him. He perfectly captures Churchill's brutish tone and attitude but also shows his softer side when he is away from the public. Oldman also plays excellently off all his supporting cast members, most notably Kristin Scott Thomas as his wife and Ben Mendelsohn as King George VI. We also get a larger supporting role from Lily James as Churchill's assistant. When we are not following Churchill we are focused on her character and the journey she went through being a witness t to one of history's most powerful figures. While Oldman takes command and gives us an inside look at Churchill, James holds her own by letting us see how others saw him on the outside. Any actor who wishes to play Churchill in the future will now have to live up to the unrealistically high bar Oldman has just raised. Awards will surely, and deservedly, go to him, but also should go to Bruno Delbonnel for his cinematography and Marianelli for his score. Not since Lincoln has a film done such an incredible job examining a historical figure and making us feel like we are right in the middle of history. More Reviews 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple January 13, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen The Rip January 16, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Dead Man's Wire January 14, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen The Chronology of Water January 9, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Hunter Friesen

Zack Snyder's Justice League March 25, 2021 By: Button Hunter Friesen What was once an internet pipedream has become a reality. Zack Snyder’s Justice League is finally here in all its bombastic glory. This specific version of Justice League was never meant to happen, and neither was the 2017 theatrically released version. Snyder’s original vision was for this movie to be the third part in his DCEU series, directly following Man of Steel and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice . Snyder left the film in post-production after a devastating family tragedy. Distributor Warner Brothers - not wholly satisfied with the path Snyder was taking - brought in The Avengers director, Joss Whedon, to retool the film into a more light-hearted affair. What was released in theatres contained very little of Snyder’s material, and was widely disregarded as a disjointed and forgettable mess. The #ReleaseTheSnyderCut movement was born immediately, with hundreds of thousands of irate fans demanding that Snyder’s original version be restored. After years of campaigning, Snyder and his fans have been treated with a golden opportunity that looks to right the wrongs of the past. The general plot found within Snyder’s version is nearly identical to the one in the Whedon cut. The evil Steppenwolf, a loyal follower of Darkseid, has come to Earth to claim three mother boxes that wield unlimited power to conquer worlds. Honoring his promise after Superman’s death, Batman assembles a team of superheroes to stop Steppenwolf and unite the planet to defend itself from threats beyond the stars. Snyder adopts the Seven Samurai approach to his story as the first half takes an individual look at the members of the team. They each get backstories in varying degrees of quality, with some being more embarrassing than others. The Flash’s introduction will act as a litmus test of your acceptance of Snyder’s excessiveness. Above all else, this version of Justice League is an infinitely more cohesive and enjoyable experience compared to its predecessor. It’s also fun to ponder and discuss with others, unlike the migraines I get every time I think of the Whedon cut. The film looks and feels like a single production, and not a Frankenstein-like mashup of competing ideologies. Gone are all Whedon-directed scenes and the color saturation levels have been reset to Snyder’s usual palette. The intricacies of the story have been completely retooled, giving characters such as Cyborg and The Flash more characterization and things to do. Superman no longer has his infamous CGI baby mouth. Steppenwolf is less embarrassing as he is visually reworked and supplied with a proper backstory and motivation. Tom Holkenborg’s score and Fabian Wagner’s cinematography are also allowed to flourish on an unparalleled epic scale. Now, these improvements are not to say this a perfect movie. Stripping away the benefit of comparison, Snyder’s film carries many of the foundational problems that have plagued both of his previous DC films. The newly revised script provides the 5 Ws (and one H) for each story thread, filling in the gaping plot holes present in the Whedon cut. The problem is that a few of these storylines aren’t necessary or that interesting, to begin with. And the writing is still filled with cringe-worthy exposition with attempts at humor that don't mesh well with the self-serious tone. Snyder’s insistence on using a 4:3 aspect ratio - more commonly seen in arthouse films - seems to be a decision based more on him being seen as a bonafide auteur rather than just improving the picture quality. At 242 minutes long (yes, that’s four hours), the film requires a gigantic investment from the viewer that isn't fully warranted. Scenes are stretched to the nth degree by incessant slo-mo and a few deleted scenes that should have been left on the cutting room floor have found their way back here. The nearly thirty-minute epilogue is entirely spent on setting up sequels that are unlikely to ever be made. Its inclusion feels like an attempt by Snyder to rally his troops once again to demand the story be told his way. No matter how much it drags the story down and erases a lot of the goodwill built up to that point, Snyder’s ideas are much better than anything else being offered at the moment. Even though a much tighter and free-flowing three-hour cut could have been released, there is a complete singular vision here, one that Snyder has carried throughout his DC films. His vision may not always succeed, but it is something to be championed. With many blockbuster films leaning ultra-safe to guarantee box office returns, Snyder’s no-holds-barred style is the answer to Martin Scorsese’s comment on comic book films lacking an authorial voice. For better and for worse, a filmmaker was the driving force for a major franchise, which is more than one can say about the corporate machine attitude over at Marvel. An experience that may never be replicated again, Zack Snyder’s Justice League is a mythologically epic film that delivers more than anyone could have imagined. It may not always work, but it sure does pack the punch that fans deserve. If you have the mental and physical ability to invest four hours into this monumental project, I recommend you do so. More Reviews 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple January 13, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen The Rip January 16, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Dead Man's Wire January 14, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen The Chronology of Water January 9, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Hunter Friesen

MSPIFF 2025 Recap April 16, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen There’s nothing like a film festival to rejuvenate one’s passion for cinema, especially after the first quarter of 2025 provided a less-than-stellar sampling of theatrical releases. One of the oldest film festivals in the country, the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Film Festival (abbreviated as MSPIFF, and pronounced “EM-spiff”) was a mini oasis, providing a vast lineup that stretched across every continent. The festival opened with the documentary Free Leonard Peltier , a close-to-home story about the titular Native American activist who was wrongly imprisoned for nearly five decades. While I personally did not attend the screening, those who did relayed many positive remarks to me in the subsequent days. My experience began on the first Saturday with a triple feature starting with the A24 title The Legend of Ochi . Writer/director Isaiah Saxon opened the film with a video message stating how he made the feature for children and that their intelligence deserves more credit than they normally get. Because I had just seen the overly juvenile A Minecraft Movie the weekend prior, those words greatly resonated with me. The film itself didn’t walk the walk as much as Saxon talked the talk, but it still deserves credit for its impressive technicals and willingness to explore adult themes. It’ll be released in theaters nationwide on April 25th. Following that was co-writer/director Andrew Ahn’s remake of the 1993 Ang Lee film The Wedding Banquet . The original premise of a gay man and a straight woman going through a fake marriage out of convenience has been shifted to modern-day Seattle and expanded to include two homosexual couples. The logicality behind the necessity for a fake marriage is even weaker now than it was thirty years ago, but Ahn is always precise with the emotional stakes and moments of humorous levity. The clear MVP was Youn Yuh-jung, the recent Oscar winner for Minari who makes a strong case for deserving a second trophy. It’s out this weekend in theaters. Capping off the night was a Midnight Mayhem screening of what will quite possibly rank as the funniest film I’ll see all year: Friendship . Tim Robinson brings the same laugh-out-loud absurdity from his Netflix sketch show I Think You Should Leave to the big screen in this story of a loser suburban dad getting in way over his head when he tries to win the approval of his cool new neighbor (Paul Rudd). Several jokes were drowned out by the roaring laughter from the soldout crowd, which I recommend seeing it with when it releases in theaters on May 9th. There were not just remakes of Ang Lee films at the festival. No, the director himself was present on the first Sunday to give a brief masterclass. He gave great insight into his transition from Taiwan to English-language films, and why he chose to hop across several genres throughout his storied career. Later that night he introduced a twentieth-anniversary screening of what is likely referred to as his magnum opus: Brokeback Mountain . After sentencing it to years on my neverending watchlist, it was great to see the film on the big screen. Lee said that he was miserable while making the film due to the recent passing of his father and years of exhaustive work on Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Hulk , and that he doesn’t deserve much credit for the film’s success. Of course, everyone disagrees with his sentiments, with his win for Best Director at that year’s Oscars being more than deserved due to the emotional maturity he granted to the actors in his wonderful cast. Things became more sporadic from there. Tuesday featured a screening of By the Stream by the incredibly prolific South Korean writer/director Hong Sang-soo, and When Fall Is Coming from France’s François Ozon. Also from a French creative was Misericordia , an entertaining small-town murder cover-up now out in theaters. I reverted to Asia for my final day of the festival. Caught by the Tides by the famed Chinese filmmaker Jia Zhang-ke is not a film for those unfamiliar with his work, incorporating deleted scenes and alternate takes from several of his previous films to craft a loose decade-spanning narrative of a man and woman falling in and out of love. Despite my perpetual confusion from having not seen the referenced films, I was marvelously fascinated by Zhang-ke’s ability to weave it all together. The film likely has no commercial prospects in the United States, so seeing it in a semi-crowded room and discussing it afterward with other attendees illustrated the importance that festivals possess in illuminating works that would otherwise go completely unnoticed. If you’d like a more thorough analysis of the film and the work of Zhang-ke, I highly recommend heading over to Deep Focus Review by my fellow critic and friend Brian Eggert, who recently concluded his “Filmmaker in Focus” series on the director. Other festival titles that are currently or soon to be released in theaters include the canine comedy-drama The Friend starring Naomi Watts and Bill Murray, the Southeast Asian adventure romp Grand Tour (April 18th), One to One: John & Yoko (April 18th), On Swift Horses (April 25th), and the Nicolas Cage Ozpoiltation thriller The Surfer (May 2nd). The MSP Film Society will be replaying several of the highest audience-scoring films at The Main Cinema over the next few weeks. To learn more about everything to do with the festival and the year-round programming, you can visit the MSP Film Society website . More Reviews 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple January 13, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen The Rip January 16, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Dead Man's Wire January 14, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen The Chronology of Water January 9, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Hunter Friesen

Raymond & Ray September 13, 2022 By: Button Hunter Friesen Raymond & Ray had its World Premiere at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival. Apple TV+ will release it on its streaming platform on October 21. You’d have to be a real son of a bitch to give your kids the same name. Such is the case for half-brothers Raymond (Ewan McGregor) and Ray (Ethan Hawke), who have had to endure their father’s physical and emotional cruelty long after they grew up and left him to rot away in the personal hell they think he belongs in. And now that he’s finally dead, they don’t know what to feel. Should they be sad, just like any normal son would for their father? But how can they after all they’ve been through? It’s a troubling question that the pair must navigate as they venture back to their home to bury the patriarch, which leads to some revelations about the past and the impending future. Based on outward appearances, Raymond is the more responsible and well-adjusted one. He dresses appropriately and is clean-shaven, resembling someone who’s always trying to give off the impression that he’s made it. Ray, on the other hand, is more of the “go with the flow” type, always flirting around and keeping his shirts unbuttoned. He’s also rejected his jazz musician past and is a recovering addict, two things he doesn’t like to talk about. Raymond also has his personal demons, including two divorces (and a third impending one), and a rocky relationship with his son who’s off in the army. While neither of them is as bad as their forbearer, it seems the apples haven’t fallen too far from the tree. As you could imagine, these two flawed characters will often be seen having conversations about their past and how it isn’t their fault they ended up this way. It’s all very tiring and drawn-out material, something that writer/director Rodrigo García is becoming accustomed to with the equally clichéd Four Good Days just this past year (whose only claim to fame was a tiringly predictable Best Original Song nomination for Diane Warren). Not much about it rings true, with most of the story beats being visible from a mile away. And if they are mildly surprising, the dramatic blocks haven’t been built up enough to make the toppling over that exciting. That constant sense of “been there, done this” also extended towards the actors, who, try as they must, can’t find a way to make this bird sing. Ewan McGregor, reteaming with García for similar material after portraying a fatherly tortured version of Jesus Christ in 2015’s Last Days in the Desert , is the weaker of the central pair. There’s a sort of artifice to his performance, almost as if he hasn’t fully shed the chutzpah he needed to bring to the table for his recent work in Birds of Prey or in Ryan Murphy’s Halston series (which did earn him an Emmy award, so you can’t entirely blame him). Hawke, on the other hand, seems to be stuck in neutral, playing a similar archetype that he can do in his sleep at this point. Fortunately, there is the presence of Maribel Verdú and Sophie Okonedo to lighten things up and make it somewhat interesting from time to time. Each gets to share some time with one of the brothers, with Okonedo and Hawke being the better pair as they offer some introspective scenes about grief and reckoning with the past. Raymond & Ray is the type of movie that seems to evaporate from your brain the moment you step out of the theater. And while that’s a fine thing for mindless blockbusters, it’s not for movies like this that try to aim for something much weightier. And it’s doubly concerning when it wastes the talents of those involved, who easily could have been doing something more substantial. More Reviews 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple January 13, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen The Rip January 16, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Dead Man's Wire January 14, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen The Chronology of Water January 9, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Hunter Friesen

Lady Chatterley's Lover December 2, 2022 By: Button Hunter Friesen Life is coming together nicely for Connie Reid (Emma Corrin). She’s marrying the man of her dreams (or at least she thinks she is), Baronet Clifford Chatterley, who heads off to the British frontlines for the Great War the next morning. Connie awaits in London anxiously, knowing that Clifford will return home to take her to his estate of Wragby, where they will continue his family legacy. Clifford does return home, but not in one piece. He’s become paralyzed from the waist down, becoming a bit of a burden as Connie must tend to him, along with bringing the estate back to its former glory. There’s also now an absence of intimacy between the newlyweds, as Clifford’s paralysis also affects his you-know-what. The prospect of having an heir has all but vanished, sending Connie into a downward spiral of loneliness and feeling like a failure. Longing for companionship (and then some), Connie finds solace in the company of the estate’s gamekeeper, Oliver Mellors (Jack O’Connell). He seems to be the opposite of Clifford, with a rough exterior from the war, but a gentle soul underneath. Of course, things become steamy rather quickly, with the pair meeting in the woods quite often to indulge in their lusts. Before Fifty Shades of Gray lit up e-readers and books clubs around the world, D.H. Lawrence’s 1928 novel, Lady Chatterley’s Lover , had been banned and caused massive public uproar for its “sexual promiscuity” and use of a certain four-letter word that begins with F and ends with K. The 1955 French film adaptation was immediately banned for “promoting adultery,” (and also because it wasn’t very good). But with the Fifty Shades trilogy grossing over $1 billion, and Netflix becoming the new home for titillating material such as the 365 Days films, it seems appropriate for this classic novel to be told with modern sensibilities. Luckily, director Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre - winner of several breakthrough awards for her debut feature, Mustang - doesn’t revel in the “smuttiness” within the sexually explicit material like the films mentioned in the preceding paragraph. There’s a true sense of character exploration, both physical and emotional, in the several sequences where the actors bare all. Benoît Delhomme’s cinematography is lush and dreamy, capturing these moments with shallow focus, exemplifying the character’s attitude toward living in the moment, not looking at the dangers that the future holds. Corrin and O'Connell are a great pair as the two free spirits in a land of stiff upper lips. It’s just a shame that the two of them are caught in material that can’t rise above conventionalism, nor has enough inertia to sustain interest across its two-hour runtime. Will the pair be caught in the act? How will Clifford react? Will they run away together to start a happier life? It’s all standard stuff, never breaking free from the Masterpiece Theater chains that have a grip on this specific British genre. Clermont-Tonnerre also butchers the film’s initially poignant cut-to-black final scene, ending this story on a mistimed note. Book club moms have a new film to swoon over in Lady Chatterley's Lover . Luckily, they can do it in the privacy of their homes on Netflix, and not out in public, where the prospect of a few gasps and quivers from the NC-17 material may cause embarrassment. People looking for more underneath the carnality might be a little disappointed, but there’s enough on the surface to keep attractions piqued. More Reviews 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple January 13, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen The Rip January 16, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Dead Man's Wire January 14, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen The Chronology of Water January 9, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Hunter Friesen

Broker May 31, 2022 By: Button Hunter Friesen Broker had its World Premiere at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival. Neon will release it in theaters on January 13. Revered Japanese auteur Hirokazu Kore-eda has been on a sort of international tour since he won the Palme d’Or for Shoplifters during the 2018 edition of the Cannes Film Festival. Before then, he’d remained tied to his native Japan beginning with his 1995 directorial debut, Maborosi . But after the golden laurels, he set his sights on making his English-language debut, The Truth , with Catherine Deneuve, Juliette Binoche, and Ethan Hawke. Also uncharacteristic was the film’s debut at the Venice International Film Festival, away from Cannes where four of his last five films premiered. While it couldn't be considered a failure, the film was seen as a lesser work from a dependable master. So, as a possible rebound tactic, Kore-eda has returned to familiar territory with Broker , debuting in competition at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. But Kore-eda hasn’t made a full return as he stops just short of Japan by setting and supplying his film with top-tier talent from South Korea. And with the help of his crew, many of which come from Parasite including lead actor Song Kang-ho, cinematographer Hong Kyung-pyo, and composer Jung Jae-il, Kore-eda has crafted a touching, if familiar, story about families forming in the most unlikely of circumstances. A baby has been left in a deposit box used by mothers who can’t, or won’t, keep their babies. Two of the employees at the facility, Sang-hyun (Song Kang-ho) and Dong-soo (Gang Dong-won), have formed a partnership to circumvent the rules of the establishment by taking the babies into their protection and selling them under the table to needy couples. The act itself isn’t just about the money, even though it does help since the going rate for a child is nearly $10,000. The pair see themselves as saviors for these kids, as selling them off gets them to a proper home much quicker than the laborious state-run system. 1 in 40 mothers that drop off their babies never return, but So-young (Lee Ji-eun) is that one. She comes back to discover that her baby has been snatched by the pair, whom she labels as simple “brokers” looking to make a few extra dollars under people’s noses. Needing to keep her quiet, and to lend some legitimacy to the sale (which So-young is still okay with), the brokers decide to cut her in on the deal. Purely based on this introductory premise, Kore-eda has laid a field filled with moral quandaries. Is it right to break the law and sell a child if it means they will potentially have a better life? Who is worse, the mother that disposes of the baby, or the people that sell the child? Who’s responsible for the child once the mother has disowned them? Kore-eda doesn’t stop there, as the plot thickens those arguments with supporting details and rationalizations from each character. So-young is revealed to have a troubled past, lending some credibility to the usual selfish act of giving up your child. Sang-hyun has had run-ins with the law, and Dong-soo grew up in a run-down orphanage where the chances of being adopted are slim to none. But even with all these character developments that should create an ethically questionable story, Kore-eda’s direction never makes you feel as if any of this is wrong or dangerous. Throughout the film, the gang is being tailed by two female police officers looking to catch them in the act. That danger of being caught never comes to the surface, with the cops being more of a humorous nuisance than a threat. Similar to his previous Cannes entry, Shoplifters , Kore-eda does make plenty of time to instill lessons on how we don’t often get to choose the family we have. A direct reference to Paul Thomas Anderson’s mosaic Magnolia , tells all how the best-laid plans never truly turn out the way we envision. Even though each character may have their agenda behind the act, their shared journey is what binds them together. Dong-soo and So-young’s symbolic journey atop a Ferris wheel, coupled with the ivory keys of Jung Jae-il, make for a tear-inducing moment. With a lighter tone and more melodrama, Broker doesn’t contain the precision of Kore-eda’s previous works. But that lightness makes for an accessible and emotionally rewarding experience. More Reviews 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple January 13, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen The Rip January 16, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Dead Man's Wire January 14, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen The Chronology of Water January 9, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Hunter Friesen

Nyad October 20, 2023 By: Button Hunter Friesen Nyad had its International Premiere at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival. Netflix will release it in theaters on October 20, followed by its streaming premiere on November 03. It’s not hard to see why documentary directors Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin found themselves attracted to the story of Diana Nyad. With their Oscar-winning documentary Free Solo , the duo introduced (at least to the public at large) the character of Alex Honnold. He’s reckless, charismatic, and someone polite people would call a “free spirit.” Having that much of a personality dangling on the side of a rock hundreds of feet in the air is a combination made for the cinema. It was a film you had to see on the big screen, with the stunning imagery and stakes making it a thrill ride to rival even the most high-octane blockbuster. Diana Nyad seemed to cut off the same cloth as Honnold. She came to prominence in the 1970s, setting several world swim records such as the fastest time ever in the 22-mile Gulf of Naples race and swimming the 28 miles around the island of Manhattan in just under 8 hours. She’s someone who doesn't understand the word “no,” which does make her quite the asshole to her friends and trainers as they often beg her to see the consequences of her illogical actions. For all her trophies and achievements, one thing has always alluded her: The 101-mile swim from Havana, Cuba to Key West, Florida. She wasn’t able to do it in her 20s, she’ll be damned if she can’t get it done in her 60s. It doesn’t feel like a coincidence that four-time Oscar nominee Annette Bening plays Nyad, who finally accomplished her treacherous swim after four failed attempts. There’s no denying, or shame in admitting, that this is a role tailor-made to get Bening her overdue trophy. It’s an extremely challenging role, both physically and emotionally. She’s not that nice of a person, being bossy and always pushing everyone around. But Bening never lets you outright hate her as you’re always aware that she can do something no one else can, and the only way to accomplish it is to break a few eggs. Much of the film is set in the water during Nyad’s various attempts. The problem is that swimming is a bit like running in that it’s not the most cinematically engaging sport to watch. I’m oversimplifying things quite a bit (like all movies), but there’s not much of a visual difference between Nyad’s failures and success. You see her in the water pushing herself to the extreme, yet you don’t feel it deep down like you should. Much of that has to do with the flatly competent direction by Vasarhelyi and Chin, who are making their feature narrative debut here. Outside of the somewhat jarringly stitched-together sizzle reels that feel lifted right from their documentaries, the pair never can bring this story out of the water, which is quite the shame considering the talents of Claudio Miranda (Life of Pi, Top Gun: Maverick ) were at their disposal. There’s a hollowness to the story and characters. Writer Julia Cox can’t find more within the character of Diana Nyad that Bening doesn’t do herself. It’s impressive to see Nyad make these attempts but at some point, we all ask ourselves why she’s doing it, and the answers are both unclear and unsatisfactory. Helping carry Bening’s baggage is an excellent Jodie Foster as her best friend and trainer, Bonnie. It may be because she’s always sharing scenes with a person who seems like a fish out of water, but Foster/Bonnie is the unexpected heart and soul of the film. Nyad is stuck in an awkward middle ground. It doesn’t possess enough cinematic spectacle to be a Netflix original that deserves to be seen in the theater. It also doesn’t have enough energy or interesting characters to hold people’s attention as they watch it on the couch. There will be some that get a lot out of this, but for most, me included, this feels like an untapped opportunity for almost everyone involved. More Reviews 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple January 13, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen The Rip January 16, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Dead Man's Wire January 14, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen The Chronology of Water January 9, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Hunter Friesen

Ranking the Planet of the Apes Franchise May 7, 2024 By: Tyler Banark As one of the most unsung yet successful franchises in film, the Planet of the Apes franchise, much like its subject material, has evolved. It all started as a sci-fi adventure film that took the world by storm in 1968, which inevitably led to a hit franchise in the 70s. The sequels weren’t as critically successful as the original (as you’ll see reflected in this ranking), but they still made a big enough splash to warrant four of them. Tim Burton attempted to revitalize the franchise in 2001 but failed in doing so (also reflected in the rankings). However, his flop provided a silver lining in the form of a catalyst for another reboot that changed the franchise forever. Now, the newest series is looking to continue with its fourth entry, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes . Now is the best time to look back and rank all nine films in this primal franchise once and for all. Spoiler Warning: Specific story points will be mentioned when talking about some films 9. Planet of the Apes (2001) I admire Burton for twisting the synopsis of the original to avoid being a scene-for-scene remake, but then he also fails to follow through by making overt callbacks that now feel out of place (what was up with that twist ending!?!). The combination of Wahlberg and Burton is one of the oddest pairings since De Niro and Tarantino. But while the latter worked against expectations, this one unsurprisingly struggled. There’s also Tim Roth doing way too much behind pounds of unconvincing makeup. Thankfully, this single entry can be easily forgotten. 8. Battle for the Planet of the Apes (1973) As the final part in the original series, Battle finds itself recycling several elements from the previous outings, all of which at least tried to further a theme within this universe. The story sees apes and humans living in peace, but when Cornelius learns of his past, he brings light to the mutant humans from Beneath . There’s also corrupt general Aldo leading an uprising against Caesar in hopes of planting Apes at the top of the food chain. What unfolds between these plots makes for numerous continuity errors in the franchise, specifically how this prequel ties into the 1968 original. It’s never a great sign when you’re franchise’s big send-off poses more questions than it answers. 6. Conquest of the Planet of the Apes (1972) Taking place years after the deaths of Zira and Cornelius, Conquest sees their son Milo (now named Caesar for some reason) grown up and living in a world where apes have become slaves to humans. Cats and dogs are a thing of the past, and apes have become popular pets, leading Caesar to lead an uprising (take a shot every time that word gets mentioned in this ranking) that starts the downfall of humanity. Roddy McDowall, who played Cornelius in Escape and the first movie, plays Caesar and gives a noteworthy monologue to end the movie. But the run-of-the-mill plot and lazy casting choices make this into a rote entry. At least Rise was able to improve upon the basic premise decades later. 6. Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1970) Sure, the idea of talking apes is inherently weird, but Beneath is just plain absurd. Although it continues to build and expand upon the ape world, there are some serious “jump the shark” moments such as mutant humans worshipping an atomic bomb. On the other hand, the technical aspects were improved by the bigger budget, with the makeup design still being impressive. Charlton Heston’s screentime was drastically reduced, with new addition James Franciscus taking over the main human role. Was it all worth the effort? Perhaps, even if what it's showcasing raises an eyebrow amongst its viewers. 5. Escape from the Planet of the Apes (1971) Without a doubt the best of the original sequels, Escape took the franchise in a vastly different direction. It sees Zira and Cornelius getting out of Ape City and traveling back to 1973 when the humans ran the world. Through seeing the world differently, Zira and Cornelius get a slight taste of their own medicine as the humans look down on them. The only difference is that other humans are more welcoming to them than the Apes treated Taylor, Nova, and the other humans. Escape also takes the approach of being more character-driven, as we see Zira and Cornelius undergo development, as well as their side of the fallout seen in Beneath and navigating an Earth run by humans. The only fluke was the extended runtime and lack of action, although that ended up being the least of the franchises’s problems the longer it went on in this era. 4. Planet of the Apes (1968) The one that started it all, 1968's Planet of the Apes is a feat of grand filmmaking. Giving the tone and stakes of a blockbuster (before the term was ever coined), director Franklin J. Schaffner crafts a sci-fi adventure of epic proportions. The Oscar-winning makeup design is impeccable, even if it later becomes dated as the franchise turned to sleek CGI in the 21st Century. Charlton Heston leads the cast as Taylor, an astronaut who's lightyears from home and gets caught in an alien world where humans are feral to apes. Michael Wilson and Rod Serling's script remains timeless as it discusses themes of social class that can also be interpreted as metaphors for a political conversation. The same goes for the iconic plot twist, which left much to explore in the years to come. 3. War for the Planet of the Apes (2017) The conclusion to Caesar’s story, War for the Planet of the Apes is a heartfelt sendoff to one of the most impressive character arcs in recent memory. Andy Serkis gives it his all in his final outing as Caesar who, at this point, is fed up with humans. The war that started at the end of Dawn is now in full swing, which reaches a pivotal moment when Caesar’s wife and eldest son are killed in a raid. Woody Harrelson makes for a great antagonist, and Steve Zahn is a nice addition as the comedic Bad Ape, although a lot of the humor around the character can be repetitive. That feeling of spinning wheels also extends to the plot as much more time was spent at the Colonel’s base than was needed, preventing the fulfillment of the title. Still, it was more than a fitting ending to the reboot trilogy. 2. Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011) The movie that changed it all for the better, Rise of the Planet of the Apes reignited a fire that wasn’t seen in the franchise since the 1968 original. Only this time, Rise provides a much stronger origin to how the apes got their intelligence. Andy Serkis may have been working in this industry for years up until this point, but it was Rise that cemented himself as a movie star. He captures Caesar perfectly and, thanks to his production company The Imaginarium, presents special effects that had never been seen beforehand. Serkis isn’t alone in front of the camera as he’s joined by a great ensemble consisting of John Lithgow, Freida Pinto, Brian Cox, Tom Felton, David Oyelowo, and James Franco. Contrary to almost every other entry in the overall franchise, Rise could have benefited from a longer runtime. 1. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014) As the top dog (or ape) of the entire franchise, Dawn not only ups the ante from Rise , but also makes for one of the best modern sequels. It tells a compelling story that sheds light on both sides of the apes vs. humans conflict, with director Matt Reeves making quite the statement for himself. Everyone is at the top of their game, including Serkis, Jason Clarke, Toby Kebbell as the villainous Koba, and Michael Giacchino sneakily turning in one of his best scores. Rise may have kicked off the excitement for the new series, but Dawn was the one that made it something truly special. You can follow Tyler and hear more of his thoughts on Twitter , Instagram , and Letterboxd . More Reviews 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple January 13, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen The Rip January 16, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Dead Man's Wire January 14, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen The Chronology of Water January 9, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Hunter Friesen

Thunderbolts* April 30, 2025 By: Button Hunter Friesen At this point in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, I often ask why I even bother. Why put up with the casting announcements, release date changes, rumors, and debates? Why sit through the endless credits for a small tease of what’s to come next, which, at this point, will likely be less than what it advertised? Why drift over to Disney+ to watch the required supplemental material? That’s a task I quickly gave up on after WandaVision vastly overstayed its welcome. I’ll tell you why. Because, like every Minnesota sports fan who's lived through countless seasons of agony and deep soul searching, there comes a time when the clouds lift and you feel as if you’ve been placed upon the highest mountain. The release of Thunderbolts* (no, that asterisk is not a typo) marks that time for the MCU. Of course, as any Minnesotan will tell you, the vast majority of those peaks still came just short of a championship. Thunderbolts* is also not a championship-worthy film for the MCU, more akin to the new era of the Minnesota Timberwolves after the doldrums of the early 2010s (I’m writing this analogy while doped up on the adrenaline of a 3-1 opening playoff series lead over the evil empire that is the Los Angeles Lakers). It’s also a movie that made me wish I was less forgiving of Captain America: Brave New World just a few months ago. I wrote that that movie was “a semi-comforting reminder that it’s okay for a movie to be just fine and forgettable.” Now I’d recalculate that allocation much more in the latter’s camp than the former. After some gloomy studio logos, everyone’s favorite raised-from-the-womb assassin, Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), speaks that “there’s something wrong with me… an emptiness… a void.” She’s going through the motions, completing missions and erasing targets with nothing more than a blank stare. Thankfully, director Jake Schreier doesn’t share her sentiments when it comes to manning this $200 million behemoth. The helmer of the Netflix series Beef gives the opening proceedings a more flavorful edge, opting for a much-marketed practical skyscraper jump and longer-take in-camera fight choreography. In Yelena’s world, there is no such thing as loyalty, so a chance encounter between her, John Walker (Wyatt Russell), Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen), and Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko) in the belly of a secret underground bunker housing the secrets of CIA director Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) is definitely not a pleasant coincidence. Everyone’s supposed to kill each other, leaving no more loose ends for the impeachment trial that’s digging up all of their involvement in Valentina’s off-the-book endeavors. Since they all realize that they have a common enemy, the loners decide to team up to increase their chance of survival, which, in this case, just means that they’d like to prolong the inevitable delay until their fate catches up with them. But unlike the Avengers and the Guardians of the Galaxy, this ragtag group does not consist of heroes looking to strengthen their commitment to protecting humanity or lovable misfits who just needed a chance to do good. These are all bad people, leaving miles of bodies in their wake. They’re also characters that don’t immediately scream that they’re all that interesting. Walker and Valenita are from The Falcon and the Winter Soldier , a show I never watched. Ghost and Taskmaster respectively appeared as the antagonists in Ant-Man and the Wasp and Black Widow , two films I’ve completely memory-holed. Yelena did make an impression in Black Widow and her successive appearances in the MCU, much of that coming from Pugh’s innate charm and pathos. Much credit goes to the performers, as well as co-writers Eric Pearson and Joanna Calo, for making these less-than-desirable characters into compelling people. The quips have been dialed back, and the ones that do stick around land at a much more consistent rate. David Harbour’s Red Guardian does throw off that balance on a few too many occasions, with the character’s lovability being sabotaged by an overwhelming eagerness. There’s also the presence of Bob (Lewis Pullman), a Valentina-sponsored human experiment who has the power to make those that he touches relive their worst nightmares. With the aid of the A24 veteran duo of cinematographer Andrew Droz Palermo and production designer Grace Yun, there’s a more natural balance to the emotional depth of these characters. That “Absolute Cinema” trailer touting the indie credentials of all the talent involved may have reeked of cinemaphile desperation, but the final product illustrates that the marketers weren’t lying about the goods they’ve assembled here. The theme of the film is recovering from driftlessness through finding a purpose alongside friends and family. For as much as a gun or a fist can accomplish, some nice words and a hug can do a lot more. To be talking about ideas and themes instead of easter eggs and cameos is a breath of fresh air for the MCU, one that I dubiously hope that they’ll maintain as they wade into the titans that are this summer’s Fantastic Four: First Steps and next year’s Avengers: Doomsday . More Reviews 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple January 13, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen The Rip January 16, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Dead Man's Wire January 14, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen The Chronology of Water January 9, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Hunter Friesen