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TIFF25: Tyler's Time at the Festival September 20, 2025 By: Tyler Banark The most wonderful time of the year has come and gone with the 50th edition of the Toronto International Film Festival. What TIFF and the city of Toronto never fail to do is be welcoming. It’s the time of year when the city comes to life, welcoming film lovers like myself from around the world to see some of the biggest upcoming releases. I’ve always found it wonderful that TIFF offers a variety of movies, both good and bad. Regardless, the various trips to the theatres of King Street provided for some memorable adventures. Without further ado, here’s a look back at what I saw at TIFF50! Richard Linklater’s Blue Moon opened the first day, with Ethan Hawke delivering one of the year’s standout performances as lyricist Lorenz Hart navigating his fractured partnership with Richard Rodgers. Hawke’s flamboyant yet restrained turn anchors this brisk, 100-minute chamber piece, with Linklater keeping the pacing tight enough to avoid the lulls typical in similar films. The rest of the day was devoted to Cannes catch-ups: Sirāt , The Secret Agent , and Palme d’Or winner It Was Just an Accident . Sirāt emerged as the best foreign entry of the festival, cleverly twisting the road-trip formula with a shocking second half. It Was Just an Accident is impressively portrayed as a dark comedy with an unexpected bite. The weakest of the trio, The Secret Agent , still offered value by showcasing Wagner Moura’s growing stature as one of Latin America’s most compelling rising talents. Day two featured Oliver Assayas’ The Wizard of the Kremlin , a political thriller that traces Vladimir Putin’s 15-year rise through the eyes of an associate, played by Paul Dano. Despite its ambition, the film lacks the intrigue of stronger political dramas, and the unconvincing Russian accents from Dano and Jude Law don’t help. Park Chan-Wook followed with No Other Choice , a biting satire about an unemployed man plotting revenge on his job rivals. Dark, shocking, and hilarious, it sparked endless debate and was a strong contender (and eventual winner) for the inaugural TIFF International People’s Choice Award. Closing the day was Paul Greengrass’ The Lost Bus , starring Matthew McConaughey and America Ferrera. Based on the 2018 Paradise wildfires, it delivered an emotional, crowd-pleasing finale that earned thunderous applause. While weakened by clunky dialogue and uneven writing, its powerful climax and heartfelt performances kept it engaging. The weekend brought a mix of highs and lows at the festival. David Mackenzie’s Fuze , Mark Jenkin’s Rose of Nevada , and Romain Gavras’ Sacrifice ranked among the weakest. Fuze squandered a strong premise and cast on thin writing and a pointless ending. Rose of Nevada , a sluggish drama with a failed mystery thread, disappointed despite George MacKay’s billing—he didn’t even appear at my screening, though Callum Turner and Jenkin did. Sacrifice strained to be a biting satire but only came off as a hollow imitation of 2022’s The Menu . In the middle sat David Michôd’s Christy , buoyed solely by Sydney Sweeney’s committed turn. Gus Van Sant’s Dead Man’s Wire fared better, a gripping crime thriller powered by Bill Skarsgård’s continued momentum and Dacre Montgomery’s sharp presence. Fortunately, the festival’s best stood out among these: Maude Apatow’s assured directorial debut in the comedy Poetic License , and David Freyne’s fantastical romantic dramedy Eternity . Chloé Zhao’s Hamnet proved a gut-punch of a drama. For most of its runtime, it’s a meditative, steady work, but the final 15 minutes, paired with Max Richter’s haunting “On the Nature of Daylight,” elevate it into something unforgettable. Rarely have I heard so many sniffles at a 9 a.m. screening—it’s an experience I’ll carry into my next watch of it. Next came Peter Ho-Sun Chan’s She Has No Name . Like last year’s Harbin , I sought it out for its intriguing synopsis, but it ultimately left little impression despite its potential. I closed the day with Dwayne Johnson, first at his In Conversation With… panel, then with the North American premiere of The Smashing Machine . The film marks a bold pivot for Johnson, an attempt to move beyond his The Rock persona. While his performance shows promise, the script’s uneven writing keeps it from fully landing. My final day at TIFF was a Netflix marathon with Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery , Frankenstein , and Ballad of a Small Player . Rian Johnson’s third Benoit Blanc outing remains enjoyable, though it lacks the sharpness of Knives Out and Glass Onion . Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein stood out as a faithful, fascinating retelling of Mary Shelley’s novel. Oscar Isaac brings gravitas as the scientist, but Jacob Elordi steals the film with one of the year’s finest performances as the creature. While Del Toro’s artistry is undeniable, his films remain hit-or-miss for me personally. Unfortunately, the festival ended on a sour note with Edward Berger’s Ballad of a Small Player . Despite Colin Farrell and Tilda Swinton being attached, the film’s bombastic style and grating score made it feel like a chaotic blend of Uncut Gems and Casino —a frustrating finale to an otherwise memorable TIFF. At the end of the day, it won’t matter how I ended things because TIFF always makes for a wonderful time, regardless of the quality of certain movies. This year was a buffet as the 20 movies I saw in six days ranged from everything and came from everywhere. The people of TIFF know how to cater to everyone, although I wish I had found a Midnight Madness screening to attend, as those are usually a highlight. That being said, happy 50 years to Cameron Bailey and company! Here’s to 50 more!! FULL RANKING 1. Eternity (4.5/5) 2. Poetic License (4.5/5) 3. Hamnet (4.5/5) 4. Sirāt (4/5) 5. Blue Moon (4/5) 6. Frankenstein (4/5) 7. No Other Choice (4/5) 8. Dead Man's Wire (3.5/5) 9. The Smashing Machine (3.5/5) 10. It Was Just an Accident (3.5/5) 11. Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery (3.5/5) 12. The Lost Bus (3.5/5) 13. Christy (3/5) 14. The Wizard of the Kremlin (2.5/5) 15. The Secret Agent (2.5/5) 16. Fuze (2/5) 17. She Has No Name (2/5) 18. Sacrifice (2/5) 19. Rose of Nevada (1.5/5) 20. Ballad of a Small Player (1/5) More Reviews Wicked: For Good November 19, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Rental Family September 7, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Jay Kelly November 20, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Train Dreams November 21, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Hunter Friesen

A Minecraft Movie April 2, 2025 By: Button Hunter Friesen ! Widget Didn’t Load Check your internet and refresh this page. If that doesn’t work, contact us. More Reviews Wicked: For Good November 19, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Rental Family September 7, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Jay Kelly November 20, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Train Dreams November 21, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Hunter Friesen

Sentimental Value November 7, 2025 By: Button Hunter Friesen You will not find a more emotionally intelligent film this year than Sentimental Value . Writer/director Jocahim Trier's follow-up to his decade-defining film The Worst Person in the World produces each tear, gasp, and laugh at exactly the right moment. Yet, it's never manipulative, always proudly wearing its heart on its sleeve. By the time the credits start rolling, you’ll have been on a journey with not just these characters, but also with yourself. That's a lot of praise right off the bat, so let's back up to the very beginning. An unseen narrator, voiced by Bente Børsum, welcomes us to a house in Oslo. Both the walls and the family inside are fracturing, with two sisters caught in the middle of their parents' rapidly impending divorce. The oldest, Nora, wonders if the house feels happiness as children run through the halls, and pain as doors are slammed and objects are broken. Those squeaks and creaks become powerfully identifiable, becoming long-term storage for memories created within these confines. Decades pass, and the matriarch of the family has died. This leaves the house to an adult Nora (Renate Reinsve) and her younger sister Agnes (Inga Ibsdotter Lilleas). Neither of them wants to live there, so they must reconcile with letting go of a piece of their past. Their estranged father Gustav (Stellan Skarsgård) reappears in their lives, looking to make amends. His version of an olive branch is to offer Nora, now a successful actress on the stage, the lead role in the new film he will direct. She doesn't contemplate saying yes, flatly refusing to enter into a situation where he has power over her. So the part is handed to an American star named Rachel Kemp (Elle Fanning), who makes a strong impression on Gustav after praising his early films at a career retrospective. Trier and co-writer Eskil Vogt's script does an excellent job at examining the past, present, and future dynamics of this quartet. Gustav's film is very much based on his upbringing with his mother in that same house during World War II. She eventually committed suicide, something that Gustav has never been able to explain. Some of those feelings have been passed along to Nora, who constantly flips out before each performance and emotionally shuts down in her apartment. And when Rachel cuts and dyes her hair to look exactly like Nora, it's clear that Gustav sees those similarities as well. Comparisons to Ingmar Bergman's long-held fascination with identity are fully warranted. Even with all these serious themes, this is not a dour film. It's actually quite funny, with plenty of jabs at these characters and the industries they have planted themselves in. Gustav hasn't made anything of worth in almost twenty years, which is why, despite his fervent attitude of still being a serious auteur, he must beg Netflix to finance the film. He buys his eight-year-old grandson DVDs of Irreversible and The Piano Teacher for his birthday, telling him that those two films will teach him all that he needs to know about women. Trier maintains this balance with the help of editor Olivier Bugge Coutté, flawlessly buoying between the light and the dark. Each of the four actors is an absolute delight to watch, with Oscar nominations surely deserved. Returning as Trier's lead after The Worst Person in the World , Reinsve continues her rise to becoming the best actress working today, combining tactility and grace with unparalleled ease. Skarsgård always keeps his prickly son-of-a-bitch character on the right side of our feelings, slowly revealing the pain behind his attitude. Fanning's role could have easily been a caricature, a selfish American looking to use this family's pain for her own professional gain. But that's far from the truth, as she also has feelings of regret and personal expectations that she wants to live up to. I'm saving the best for last, which is Lilleas as the daughter/sister who is caught in the middle of all of this, and who must reconcile her present motherhood with her family's history. Without making a single direct piece of commentary, Sentimental Value may be the best case study on why AI can't be the driving force of a film. Despite all of her good intentions and training, Rachel isn't the right person for the part in Gustav's film because she hasn't experienced the emotions that the role entails. The same logic applies to Trier and his film, as something this rich could only be created by someone who has experienced the agony and ecstasy of life. More Reviews Wicked: For Good November 19, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Rental Family September 7, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Jay Kelly November 20, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Train Dreams November 21, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Hunter Friesen

TIFF24 Preview September 1, 2024 By: Hunter Friesen Between the pandemic, dual SAG-WGA strikes, and a downturn in the sponsorship market, the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) has had its fair share of problems over the years. Even with these obstacles, the festival has continued to make every edition of its star-studded festival a memorable one, always brimming with headliners and under-the-radar gems. Still, there has been an unspoken agreement amongst festival goers that TIFF hasn’t been able to replicate its peak form that occurred between 2014 and 2019. That nagging feeling has seemingly subsided with the finalization of this year’s lineup, which, on paper, might be the best one ever assembled by CEO Cameron Bailey and his programming team. Considering that all three take place within the same relative time frame, the competition between the Venice International Film Festival, Telluride Film Festival, and TIFF has always been strong. With Venice beginning in late August, Telluride over Labor Day weekend, and TIFF the week after, the Canadian festival has always been at a disadvantage in obtaining world premieres. The festival tried to leverage its enormous Oscar influence to sway some Venice and Telluride-bound projects over to TIFF, but that tended to backfire and keep projects out of the lineup. In several interviews, Bailey has stated that the programming team has loosened their restrictions on premiere statuses over the years, saying that, although a North American/International/Canadian premiere wasn’t as juicy, it was better than holding firm on world premieres and missing out on stuff altogether. This year’s lineup vividly illustrates that mindset, with almost every glitzy premiere at Venice and Telluride making their way over to TIFF immediately afterward, a welcome strategy shift for someone like me. Why spend thousands of dollars to fly to Italy or the Colorado mountains to get just an appetizer for the fall festival assortment when you can have the whole buffet in Toronto a few days later? Venice titles that will be making their North American premieres at TIFF include Pedro Almodóvar’s English-language debut, The Room Next Door , Luca Guadagnino’s Queer , Brady Corbet’s The Brutalist , Justin Kurzel’s The Order , Walter Salles’ I’m Still Here , and Halina Reijn’s Babygirl . Each of these films has a firm place on my schedule, especially The Brutalist , which I had little faith that TIFF would include considering its 215-minute runtime and dour subject matter. Thankfully, I won’t be seeing either of the Opening Night premieres ( Nutcrackers and The Cut ), so I can go to bed early and be energized for that 9:00 am press screening. Immediately after that screening, I’ll be hitting a trio of world premieres within the famed Visa Screening Toom at the Princess of Wales Theatre. First up will be Gia Coppola’s The Last Showgirl , starring Pamela Anderson. Then there will be a double bill consisting of Mike Flanagan’s starry The Life of Chuck and John Crowley’s We Live in Time from A24, featuring Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh as star-crossed lovers. The next morning will feature two of the biggest titans of world cinema over the last few decades: Pedro Almodóvar and Mike Leigh ( Hard Truths ). Ron Howard’s Eden , the film with the starriest cast of the festival, will premiere that evening in Roy Thomson Hall, followed by Marielle Heller’s gonzo Nightbitch . It’ll be a double Ralph Fiennes day on Sunday as I catch Conclave and The Return . The former is the highly anticipated follow-up from director Edward Berger after the wild success of All Quiet on the Western Front , and the latter is an adaptation of the myth of Odysseus that marks the reunification of Fiennes and his The English Patient co-star Juliette Binoche. Sandwiched between those screenings is The Order , a film I’ve had my eye on for quite some time as Justin Kurzel has produced some of my favorite films of the past decades ( Macbeth , Nitram ). The next few days follow that same cadence, with the remainder of the Venice and Telluride holdovers making their northern premieres. While everyone else will be experiencing the madness of Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis in Roy Thomson Hall on Monday night, I’ll be across the street seeing Queer . Then, the next night, I’ll see The Piano Lesson and Babygirl , with Wednesday’s headliners being Saturday Night and The End . Also on Wednesday are two under-the-radar Venice titles that I’m extremely intrigued by: Harvest and April . From there, my schedule will become more fluid throughout. There’ll still be plenty of screening opportunities for stuff like The Fire Inside , Unstoppable , Without Blood , The Shadow Strays , and The Friend , as well as other titles not on my watchlist that receive great buzz. Woman of the Hour was one of those films last year, as I didn’t secure a ticket for it until after many of my friends raved about it. All in all, I plan to see around 30-35 films throughout the ten-day festival, with a few of them likely to become some of my favorites of the year. There’s nothing like indulging in so much good cinema in such a short amount of time, all while mingling with friends and colleagues from around the world. I’ll be publishing full reviews for select titles, with others being condensed into dispatches and my post-festival recap. You can take a look at the full slate of festival titles on the TIFF website . More Reviews Wicked: For Good November 19, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Rental Family September 7, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Jay Kelly November 20, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Train Dreams November 21, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Hunter Friesen

Shazam! April 4, 2019 By: Button Hunter Friesen I would have called you crazy if you had told me that we get both a Captain Marvel and Shazam film in the same year. But stranger things have happened, which is something we’ve had to get used to over the past couple of years. So now the year is 2019 and both of these films have premiered within the span of a month. Unfortunately, as much as I am happy to see these films get their moment to shine, the experience that I got out of both of them didn’t match well with my expectations. This superhero origin story centers around Billy Batson, a troubled kid that has committed his whole life to running away from foster homes and finding his real mom. On one fateful day, Billy is approached by an all-seeing wizard that wishes to transfer his power to him so that he may fight off the seven deadly sins that seek to destroy humanity. By speaking the wizard’s name, Billy is suddenly transformed into the unstoppable superhero Shazam that possesses the combined powers of the Greek gods. With his nearly unlimited new powers, Billy must now set out to do good in the world, while still trying to find his real home. Shazam! is directed by David F. Sandberg, who has made his name with the horror films Annabelle: Creation and Lights Out . One admirable thing that can be said of Sandberg is his intention and ability to make this film a moderately fun ride throughout as it pokes fun at itself from time to time. To my regret, that is probably the only good thing that can be said about his directing, which has a consistent pattern of him pacing so much smaller material into an already overstuffed main narrative. The biggest issue that plagues Shazam! is that it always acts like it’s different from all the other superhero films, even though it really isn’t. This problem can be glaringly seen in the egregious 132-minute runtime, which follows the generic origin path where the hero gets their powers, has some struggles along the way, and then vanquishes evil in a climatic CGI battle. The one thing that this film does differently lies within its effects, which are a lot worse when compared to the competition. Written by Henry Gayden, Shazam! tries really hard (and fails) to be the family-friendly version of Deadpool . The problem that this film repeatedly runs into stems from the fact that Deadpool ’s style works solely on the effortless charm of Ryan Reynolds and its ability to be R-rated, two things that Shazam! sorely lacks. To be fair, a few of the jokes are actually quite funny, but the majority just fall flat and feel like a pale imitation. Another problem with Shazam! is the terrible one-dimensional villain, whose name I couldn’t remember until the credits rolled by. Basically, he’s a supervillain that does bad things because that’s what a supervillain does. Clear motives for his actions or any other defining character traits are nonexistent Retouching on the point of needless subplots, the whole storyline about the missing mother is handled quite amateurishly and laughably underwhelms in its conclusion. Part of the blame can be placed on Sandberg for spending too much time on it, but most of it should go to Gayden for not cutting this tedious and unimportant plot out of an already bloated story. Maybe the finest quality that this film has lies within its lead actor, Zachary Levi, who brings a lot of energy to the titular role. He’s no Ryan Reynolds, which he tries really hard to be, but he does a good enough job to cover many of the storytelling faults. Asher Angel plays Billy and does a below-average job. His performance of Billy as an insufferably meddling kid wildly contrasts with Levi’s and makes it really hard to believe both of them are playing the same core character. The villain role of Sivana is played by Mark Strong. Just like his character, Strong’s dull performance is immediately forgotten after watching. Lastly, Djimon Hounsou underwhelmingly stars as the wizard, who can best be described as a dollar-store version of Gandalf. After seven entries, the DCEU has yet to put out one above-average film. And although Shazam! falls prey to many of the same problems that have besieged the other films in the universe, the one thing that it can hang its hat on is its ability to be quite entertaining for a portion of its runtime. Still, don’t expect to be blown away, just moderately surprised. More Reviews Wicked: For Good November 19, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Rental Family September 7, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Jay Kelly November 20, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Train Dreams November 21, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Hunter Friesen

Boy Kills World April 25, 2024 By: Button Tyler Banark Something is going on in Hollywood right now that should be discussed more, which is the rise of stuntpeople being promoted to the role of director. It’s been stunning in the John Wick films, Netflix’s Extraction series, and the films of David Leitch ( Bullet Train and the fittingly titled upcoming The Fall Guy ). There’s a gritty essence to each of these films, with action choreography that always goes above and beyond what’s been done before. While Boy Kills World director Moritz Mohr didn’t have the same upbringing as Leitch or Chad Stahelski, he lets his previous dabbling in special effects and editing allow him to pose in an adjacent camp. Having witnessed the murder of his family and stripped of his ability to talk at a young age, Boy (physically played by Bill Skarsgård, voiced by H. Jon Benjamin) is found and raised by a mysterious shaman who trains him to be a lethal killing machine. Boy only has one goal in mind: kill the powerful Van Der Koy family, who prey on the weak and are responsible for his family’s death. Once a year, the family puts on a Hunger Games-esque show called The Culling where they hunt down twelve unlucky contestants. “Graphic” would be an understated word to use to describe the nature of Boy Kills World . Mohr brings a chaotic absurdity akin to the Terrifier series, with blood and guts spraying out in a silly, sadistic manner. Call it stolen, call it made better, but there’s no denying that the action here delivers on its promise without tipping into overkill. The vicious fight choreography is a sight to behold, with its influences from the John Wick films and various forms of martial arts unlocking an arsenal for Boy to play with. Whether it’s a necklace or a cheese grater, the impromptu use of such regular everyday items as weapons in hand-to-hand combat effectively adds to the film’s overall intensity. There is a sense of having been there, done that, such as the use of the cheese grater in last year’s Evil Dead Rise . But if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Skarsgård is the centerpiece as Boy, cementing himself as an action star without uttering a single word. He does the (literal) heavy lifting, while Benjamin expresses his inner monologue in a mostly humorous fashion. We’ll have a full sample of Skarsgård’s action chops once this year’s reboot of The Crow comes out. The rest of the cast is fairly underutilized, something not wholly unexpected considering the marquee positioning of Boy as our protagonist. But much of the satisfaction in the revenge against the Van Der Koys has to come from the characters, who just don’t meet the grade. Brett Gelman is in his usual showmanship mood as the weird member of the family, Michelle Dockery’s girl boss of a sister is a knockoff of Shiv Roy, and Famke Janssen kind of phones it in as the tyrannical matriarch, Hilda. There’s also June 27 (yes, that’s the character’s actual name), played by Jessica Rothe, who acts as both the family enforcer and voice of reason. There are attempts to have her bridge the gap between Boy and the family, but the script co-written by Tyler Burton Smith and Arend Remmers (with a story credit to Mohr) can’t make the connection. The tasteless (in a good way) action set pieces are at the forefront of Boy Kills World , but that lack of a coherent substantive drive doesn’t make it the cult classic it so desperately wants to be (as evidenced by the film’s world premiere as part of the Midnight Madness section at last year’s Toronto International Film Festival). But even if this doesn’t get etched into history, there’s still a lot of fun to be had in the present with it. You can follow Tyler and hear more of his thoughts on Twitter , Instagram , and Letterboxd . More Reviews Wicked: For Good November 19, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Rental Family September 7, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Jay Kelly November 20, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Train Dreams November 21, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Hunter Friesen

The Friend March 28, 2025 By: Button Hunter Friesen I first saw The Friend as part of the Toronto International Film Festival back in September, squeezing it into my schedule on the final Saturday, making it the second-to-last film in my 37 film bonanza. I rushed over to the Scotiabank Theatre from the premiere of The Deb , scarfing down a corn dog as the festival volunteer rattled off the perfunctory introductory remarks. I then scurried out of the theater as soon as the credits began, my body and mind in go mode as I went a few blocks to catch the Midnight Madness screening of The Shadow Strays . What I just described in that four-ish hour chunk illustrates the sins of my gluttony when it comes to film festivals. In the race to see everything, many films become boxes to check off. The Friend was one of those films, largely due to the fact that it didn't grab me right away, making it easy to shrug off. But in the six months since then, it's lingered moderately well, raising my guilt as to how I originally treated it. If your best friend were to die and their will stipulated that you adopt their miniature horse, would you be able to do it? Let's also preface that question with the fact you're not a pet person, and you have a rent-controlled apartment in Manhattan that prohibits animals in the building. This is the central question posed to Iris (Naomi Watts) after her best friend Walter (Bill Murray) suddenly dies from suicide. Now, Walter didn't own a literal miniature horse in New York City. No, that would be absurd. But he did have a 185-pound Great Dane named Apollo that he adopted in a spur-of-the-moment decision while he was out on a jog. Now with Walter gone, the dog has no master and will be indefinitely impounded if Iris doesn't step up to the plate. Suddenly coming home with a horse-sized dog is not a surprising move for Walter. He's also got three ex-wives - Elaine (Carla Gugino), Tuesday (Constance Wu), and Barbara (Noma Dumezweni) - as well as numerous flings with current and former students. He's the Bill Murray type, the life of every party and a lovable headache for everyone who gets close to him, Iris included. Murray's casting is pretty spot-on compared to the description from Sigrid Nunez's novel (she also wrote What Are You Going Through , the basis for the recent Pedro Almodóvar film The Room Next Door ), and his larger-than-life presence is always felt despite his limited screentime. For as much as The Friend would seem like the typical "dog helps a depressed human land back on their feet" kind of film, the writer/director duo of David Siegel and Scott McGehee flip much of that script. Dogs may be known as man's best friend, which would also mean we're their best friend. You'd be depressed if your best friend unexpectedly committed suicide, so why wouldn't a dog? Apollo is played by the canine actor Bing, who showcases his immense skills as a thespian. Bing/Apollo doesn't have the wet eyes of your usual cinematic dogs, something that always felt like a bit of a cheat code to our hearts. His face is blank as he solemnly stares at Iris whenever she tries to command him, his sighs are heavy every time he plops down in her bed. Things still move in a pretty predictable pattern. Iris' initial frustrations eventually become opportunities for her to embrace the chaos and redefine her life. Watts is at her usual best, working with a sturdy supporting cast and a few standout cathartic scenes. Dog lovers are very much the target audience for this story, and I'm sure they're going to eat it up. But even if you're someone like me who is neither a pet person nor found myself immediately hooked by what's being sold, allow it to linger in the days and weeks that follow. Like adopting an animal, this is a long-term investment. More Reviews Wicked: For Good November 19, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Rental Family September 7, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Jay Kelly November 20, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Train Dreams November 21, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Hunter Friesen

The Holdovers September 12, 2023 By: Button Hunter Friesen The Holdovers had its International Premiere at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival. Focus Features will release it in theaters on October 27. Between its retro production titles, popping sound, dissolved editing, and grainy cinematography, Alexander Payne’s The Holdovers is not just a film that is set in 1970, it looks and feels like it was made during that time. The Omaha-born writer/director (only directing in this outing) returns from a six-year hiatus after the disappointing Downsizing , delivering one of his best films through a great story and equally great characters. The titular band of misfits at Barton Academy are those that have been left behind during the two-week holiday break. They’re the ones who can’t go home to their families, either because they don’t have one or they’re not welcome. The curmudgeonly history teacher Paul Hunham (Paul Giamatti) presides over them. He’s been handed this shit detail because none of the other teachers like him (the students share that sentiment), and because he’s also all alone. The worst of his troublemaking leftovers is Angus Tully (Dominic Sessa). He has a supernatural talent for getting into trouble and pushing Paul’s buttons. But he’s also a very gifted student, consistently getting the top score in class, a nearly impossible feat due to the rigors of the course and Paul’s tortuous teaching style. Also left with Paul and Angus is the school’s cook Mary. She’s decided to stay put to be with the memory of her son, as he was enrolled in the school before being drafted and killed in Vietnam a few months back. These three unlikely companions form a holiday family, going on misadventures together and learning something about each other and themselves. Nothing about writer David Hemingson’s past indicated that he would make such a bitingly funny and introspective script, let alone on the first try, at least in the realm of feature films. He’s written for a couple of television shows, none too noteworthy except for the shortlived Kitchen Confidential starring pre-fame Bradley Cooper. Paul’s insulting Latin phrases and general disregard for his students’ confidence puts up a tough exterior, one that will take a large tool and persistence to crack. Giamatti is masterful with his barbs, getting under your skin with ease as you consistently plead “Why can’t you just be nice?” Yet he’s always likable, with the later sections of the movie interestingly pulling back the layers of his past. Much of that later warmth also comes from Sessa and Randolph’s performances. Sessa delivers an astounding debut performance, overcoming many of the rookie tropes. The pain of Randolph’s character is felt in every scene, but she refuses to make it her whole personality. She’s hilarious when she checks Giamatti’s callousness, and provides the warmth Angus needs at this difficult time. I expect and fully support Oscar campaigns for each of these performers. Through his directorial choices, Payne makes The Holdovers into a Christmas classic for adults. The cinematography glows like a warm fire and the relaxed pacing allows these characters to breathe. This is a melancholic film, with Payne knowing that the holidays are not full of yuletide cheer for everyone. But there are still seasons greetings to be had, just enough to make you want to be a better person and stay close to those that matter most. What more could you ask for in times like these? More Reviews Wicked: For Good November 19, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Rental Family September 7, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Jay Kelly November 20, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Train Dreams November 21, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Hunter Friesen

Fair Play February 2, 2023 By: Button Hunter Friesen Fair Play had its World Premiere at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival. Netflix will it in theaters on September 29, followed by its streaming premiere on October 13. Netflix must have had big Promising Young Woman prospects when spending a festival-record $20 million on writer/director Chloe Domont's debut feature, Fair Play . Fennell's 2020 Oscar-winning film has laid the path for similarly biting films to gain recognition, and Domont follows close to that model with her thrilling examination of gender politics and relationships within the corporate world. But while Fair Play is quite provocative with its mixture of sex and violence, much of it comes to its detriment when the credibility of its authenticity comes into question during the third-act climax. Emily (Phoebe Dynevor) and Luke (Alden Ehrenreich) are the usual extremely-motivated Wall Street up-and-comers that you've come to expect. Along with their undying motivation for their careers, they also can't take a break from each other. Their physical passion is unmatched, evidenced by an impromptu hookup in the bathroom at Luke's brother's wedding, which Luke wildly takes as an opportunity to propose. Despite now proving their undying love for each other in private, they must keep their relationship a secret in public, as they both work for the same high-stakes hedge fund where office romance is strictly forbidden. The couple makes it work most of the time, professionally speaking to each other and only passing glances when no one is looking. But all bets are off when a senior employee is fired and his position is up for grabs. The pair must juggle their ambitions with their loyalty to each other, along with keeping their indiscretions under the rug. Domont depicts the world of high finance as a pressure cooker that melts even the brightest people down into monsters. If Martin Scorsese's The Wolf of Wall Street (smartly) glorified the life of wheeling and dealing, Fair Play offers a sobering reality. A glaring Eddie Marsan sits in his corner office, ready to berate his employees at any moment. The underlings are constantly pitted against each other, with loyalty disintegrated whenever the slightest hint of upward mobility comes into play. Emily and Luke initially try their best to sidestep the rat race, with each offering the usual "may the best man win" rhetoric. But when Luke makes that statement, he means it literally, as it slowly starts to dawn on Emily that he sees a significant difference between them based on their gender. Ehrenreich brings that toxic alpha-male energy to Luke. He's someone that says all the right things to your face (usually laced with an unhealthy amount of curse words), but you know he doesn't believe any of it. This is a world where the man usually gets what he wants, and their inflated egos come crashing down when they’re "unfairly" passed over. Domont doesn’t portray Emily as a saintly female in a sea of testosterone, with Dynevor, already a Netflix star through Bridgerton , packing a hard edge in her performance. There are no heroes in this story, only those that get their hands dirty and those that get them dirtier. The carnal influence of Adrian Lyne (who marked any unceremonious return last year with Deep Water ) is apparent, with Domont blending the dower and gleeful to semi-positive results. There's a hearty (and unhealthy) amount of excitement you get out of people taking down one another, even if the reasoning behind all of it is morally corrupt. Things do come off the rails alarmingly quickly during the climax when the theatricality of the situation greatly overpowers the reality. The messaging is obvious in volume, but a bit murky in tone, leaving things not as nicely wrapped as the presentation would signal. More Reviews Wicked: For Good November 19, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Rental Family September 7, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Jay Kelly November 20, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Train Dreams November 21, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Hunter Friesen

Cannes 2023 Predictions - Part 4: The Irregulars and Up-and-Comers April 11, 2023 By: Hunter Friesen As one of the most prestigious film festivals in the world, the Cannes Film Festival always attracts the attention of cinephiles and industry professionals alike. Each year, the festival presents a diverse lineup of films that represent the best of international cinema, including both established and emerging filmmakers. With the 76th edition of the festival set to take place in May, film enthusiasts around the world are eagerly anticipating the announcement of the official selection on April 13th. While the festival organizers keep their cards close to their chest, there are already some strong players emerging as likely contenders for the coveted Cannes spotlights. In this four-part series, I’ll take a closer look at some of the films that are generating buzz and predict which ones are likely to make it to the Croisette this year. Each part will represent a category of films, which are: The Festival Masters Hollywood Makes a Splash The Festival Mainstays The Irregulars and Up-and-Comers The fourth and final part of my prediction series has us looking deeper into the fog. The directors listed are usually the most hungry and ambitious, as they are still looking to make a name for themselves at both the festival and within the world of cinema at large. Their projects may also still have a lot of questions, such as production status or release strategies. But miracles have happened and many of these deserve a coveted spot, so we’ll keep our fingers crossed. Which of these films are you most interested in? I'll be keeping you all posted on my adventures and sharing my thoughts on the films that I see. Stay tuned for more updates! The Iron Claw Indie filmmaker Sean Durkin has already impressed both domestic and international critics with his spellbinding psychological exercises. His feature debut of Martha Marcy May Marlene made the trek to the Croisette after its premiere at Sundance, and his next film (distributed by A24) seems Cannes-appropriate. Zac Efron, Harris Dickinson, and Jeremy Allen White star as the Von Erichs, a dynasty of wrestlers who made a great impact on the sport from the 1960s to the present day. Club Zero Little Joe director Jessica Hausner had her last film stalled by the COVID-19 pandemic, preventing it from being ready in time for last year’s festival. Things are looking much better this year, with Hausner ready to make her second appearance in the competition. She teamed up once again with her usual co-writer Géraldine Bajard in this story about a teacher (Mia Wasikowska) who takes a job at an elite school and forms a strong bond with five students - a relationship that eventually takes a dangerous turn. Memory Mexican filmmaker Michel Franco has split his time between Cannes and Venice when it comes to premiering his films. His last two works have made the Italian festival their home, but Fremeux may be able to tempt him to return to the Croisette due to the star wattage of Jessica Chastain and Peter Sarsgaard leading his new film. How Do You Live? With a planned July release date in his native Japan, all signs point to Hayao Miyazaki debuting his latest (and presumably) final film at Cannes. Despite several of his previous films playing at the festival, How Do You Live would mark his first film to premiere before its theatrical release. The titular book has long influenced Miyazaki, who cites it as his favorite childhood read. It’ll tell the story of a teenage boy and the interactions he has with his friends and uncle. Eureka A part of the New Argentine Cinema movement, Lisandro Alonso and his films have moved at a deliberate pace. He’s only directed six feature-length films since 2001, with nearly all of them playing at Cannes. His most recent film, Jauja won the FIPRESCI Prize as part of the 2014 Un Certain Regard selection. He’ll be reteaming with Viggo Mortensen for a story about a man on the search for his daughter after she has been kidnapped. No word has been given on production status, so it remains a mystery if the film is ready. Salem Jean-Bernard Marlin made a name for himself in 2018 with his Shéhérazade , netting him the award for Best First Feature at that year’s César Awards after its premiere at Cannes Critics’ Week. His next feature will continue to be set in the ganglands of France as it centers on a former gang member who believes his daughter is the only one who can save his Marseille community from an apocalyptic curse uttered by a rival gang member in his dying breath. Anatomy of a Fall Justine Triet made her festival debut in 2019 with Sibyl , which was met with mixed reviews. Those reactions would be cause for demotion to one of the sidebars for most filmmakers, but Triet is packing a punch in her sophomore effort with Toni Erdmann star Sandra Hüller leading as a mother accused of killing her husband. Her blind son is the sole witness to the murder, putting him in a grave moral dilemma. Strangers After taking a slight detour in television, 45 Days and Lean on Pete writer/director Andrew Haigh is back to feature filmmaking, and he’s brought together an all-star UK cast to mark the occasion. Andrew Scott will lead the film as a screenwriter who has a chance encounter with his neighbor (Paul Mescal), which pulls him back into his childhood home, where his long-dead parents are mysteriously still alive (Jamie Bell and Claire Foy). Haigh has premiered films at both Venice and Berlin, so it may be time he heads to Cannes, whether it be in competition or one of the sidebars. Occupied City Documentary films may not always pack the biggest red carpet potential, but plenty of them have broken out, notably Michael Moore’s Palme d’Or winning Fahrenheit 9/11 . Steve McQueen will try to recreate that success with his retelling of the Nazi occupation of Amsterdam from 1940-1945. Carrying a blockbuster budget of $5 million, joint distributors A24 and Film4 will likely want a big splashy premiere. More Reviews Wicked: For Good November 19, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Rental Family September 7, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Jay Kelly November 20, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Train Dreams November 21, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Hunter Friesen

To Catch a Killer April 19, 2023 By: Button Hunter Friesen It’s New Year’s Eve in Baltimore, and the parties are raging late into the night. The champagne is flowing and the fireworks are blasting, both of which provide excellent cover for a sniper to exact his bloodlust. 29 bullets leave his rifle, hitting 29 targets, all seemingly chosen at random. One of the first responders is Eleanor Falco (Shailene Woodley), a low-level street cop who impresses the lead FBI Investigator (Ben Mendelsohn) with her intuition and critical thinking. This killer is not part of a terrorist cell or trying to send a message. He’s a lone wolf that “is just swatting flies” for momentary relief. Nobody knows when he’ll strike next, which frustrates politicians and the public, as the feeling of safety is quickly fleeting. Argentine writer/director/editor Damián Szifron landed on the international scene with a bang in 2014 with Wild Tales , which went on to be Oscar-nominated for Best International Feature. That satirical story opened a lot of doors for him, but he never seemed able to get through the frame. Projects came and went, including writing a script for a modern adaptation of Six Billion Dollar Man starring Mark Wahlberg. While I’m glad that project never got off the ground, it’s not like To Catch a Killer is all that original either. There are little hints that explain why an original voice like Szifron would want to tell this generic story, but none of them come to the surface in a compelling enough way. “Misanthrope” was the original title for the film, which tracks much closer to the themes within Szifron’s script, which he co-wrote with Jonathan Wakeham. The radio and television shows are filled with conspiracy theories and hot takes, spreading mass paranoia and fear-mongering. The politicians have their angle for why this killer needs to be caught, as an energy company is now having second thoughts over the safety of their proposed billion-dollar facility. The only thing that will get the job done is putting your head down and doing the dirty work, which Falco is more than willing to do. Her dark past helps her connect a little better with the killer. Woodley is capable in the role, but it never seems to be more than a lesser version of Clarice Starling from The Silence of the Lambs . The script also doesn’t do much to let you follow along with Falco’s investigation. You’re being pulled along instead of following, with a few twists and turns being unsubstantiated and pulled out of thin air. Nonetheless, Szifron instills gripping procedural energy. The camera maintains a neutral observational presence during the moments before mass carnage, almost as if it's been ripped from a surveillance feed. You know the mundanity is about to be interrupted by bloodshed, with the only left for you to do is wait. Carter Burwell’s score is as methodical as the killer himself, with the piano keys creating a haunted atmosphere. To Catch a Killer may be a good enough entry in this tried-and-true genre, but it never can reach its loftier ambitions. With this being the comeback vehicle for both Szifron and Woodley after multi-year absences, it’s a little disappointing to see that this was all they could come up with. More Reviews Wicked: For Good November 19, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Rental Family September 7, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Jay Kelly November 20, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Train Dreams November 21, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Hunter Friesen