Bob Marley: One Love February 13, 2024 By: Button Hunter Friesen So formulaic that it might as well be taught in math class, Bob Marley: One Love is just another entry in a long line of music biopics that merely exist to pump up the brand image of its icon. It’s what the haters of Maestro thought they were watching, all of them unable to perceive the amount of soul poured into that story by an artist working at the height of his powers. One Love takes away the brush and replaces it with the creaky gears of a machine whose only purpose is to deliver the most palatable retelling possible, as if coloring outside the lines would combust the film stock it was printed on. The conventional postscript text isn’t enough from a screenplay credited to four writers (Terence Winter, Frank E. Flower, Zach Baylin, and director Reinaldo Marcus Green), as a copious amount of prescript set the stage for the political landscape of 1970s Jamaica. The Caribbean island nation is in a state of turmoil, with the threat of violence forcing everyone to look over their shoulder. Bob Marley (Kingsley Ben-Adir) positions himself at the center of this conflict by staging a peace concert. Before he can sing a note, an assassination attempt results in him and his wife Rita (Lashana Lynch) being hit by a bullet. Despite his carefree attitude and unwillingness to accept defeat, Marley realizes this stroke of death is a sign that cannot be ignored. He jets off to England to record his next album, “Exodus,” which will become one of the most successful ever. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajw425Kuvtw Green has a “look but don't touch” attitude towards the events of this three-year framework. Almost everything of note is visited but never explored in an interesting way. No amount of ambiguity or complexity is created, with Marley being an almost mystical Christ-like figure floating through a world of pain. He says that “you can’t separate the message from the music,” but his message never seems to be more than just a simple blanket statement for peace. Characters only speak in plotlines, all of them entirely forgettable save for the two leads. In a commendable move, almost all of the dialogue is delivered through authentic Jamaican accents. It may put more strain on the viewer to grasp each word, but it lends the extra ounces of credibility this product sorely needed. Ben-Adir and Lynch disappear into their roles, extending their acting chops beyond just simple mimicry. Their performances are hints of why Paramount was allegedly planning for an awards-qualifying release before punting into the doldrums of February. But those performances are all for naught once the music starts going. The concert scenes are obviously lip-synced, each one more rigid than the last. Cinematographer Robert Elswit struggles to create the illusion of thousands of screaming fans, nor do he and Green capture the uniqueness of reggae. A few flashbacks are splashed throughout to help explain Marley’s fascination with the music and Rastafarianism, but they end up being cheap crutches that only elongate the “feels one hour longer than it is” 104-minute runtime. You need to ask yourself two questions after you’ve watched a biopic. Could I have gotten the same information just by reading the Wikipedia page? A “no” is the ideal answer, but a “yes” isn’t cause for automatic failure. If this is just a Wikipedia entry, was the presentation of the information at least entertaining? One Love is a capital Y-E-S and N-O to those questions, respectively, which begs the question of what was the point of any of this. Millions of dollars and years of work amounted to less than what I could get for free in just a couple of minutes. Paramount Pictures will release Bob Marley: One Love in theaters nationwide on February 14th. More Reviews Tony August 18, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Buddy August 25, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Colony August 26, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Teen Sex & Death at Camp Miasma August 12, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Hunter Friesen

How to Make a Killing February 18, 2026 By: Button Hunter Friesen What would you do to reclaim something that was stolen from you? Most of us would probably be embarrassed to answer what we’d do for a Klondike bar, let alone the $28 billion fortune that Becket Redfellow (Glen Powell) has been owed since birth. Except that “right” is mostly a technicality, and not something he should realistically expect to obtain. By name, he is a member of the Redfellow family, a fabulously wealthy, generational-spanning empire rivaling names like Biltmore, Rockefeller, and Kennedy. They live above the rest of America in their Long Island estate named Huntington, which originally served as the title for this film. Becket’s mother was the daughter of Whitelaw Redfellow (Ed Harris), the lion who sits atop the family rock. “Was” is a word used both literally and figuratively. Her illegitimate pregnancy from a lowly band member had her ostracized; the years of struggling as a single mother at the poverty line culminated in her death from illness. Before she left, she taught Becket everything she knew about being rich, such as shooting a bow, ordering the right wine with a meal, and dressing for every occasion. Those things didn’t do much for Becket in the present as he lived on the outskirts of New Jersey. But it would pay off one day, with her final words of wisdom being that he should live the life he deserves. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BxBof_p3_es Interestingly, she didn’t mention anything about the money. But it was kind of the elephant in that sad hospital room, something so tantalizing that it could be used to rationalize using extreme measures to achieve her final mortal wish. It’s also not hard to feel a little entitled to the money when the actual possessors haven’t done anything else to earn it. Why should they get all the fun, while Becket gets none of it? What if Becket were to cut the line by pruning a few branches from the family tree? And like cigarettes or Oreos, once you’ve had one, there’s no way to stop. For both Becket and writer/director John Patton Ford, this whole thing comes a little too easily. The seven family members standing in the way of the fortune are all vapid assholes, the kind of self-aggrandizing sort that we’ve been inundated with over the past few years in this wave of “eat the rich” cinema. Youngest Taylor (Raff Law) is a fratboy partier; Noah (Zach Woods) is a pretentious visual artist who calls himself “White Basquiat”; and Steven (Topher Grace) is a scam-artist pastor. There’s supposed to be a challenge/conflict inflicted upon the audience at the sight of people being murdered simply on the assumption that Becket is more worthy of the fortune. Does it make us bad if we’re enjoying the carnage? That would be a question to wrestle with had the material supposed more of a bite. As it currently stands, it’s too shiny, sleek, and willing to please rather than provoke. It’s an adaptation of the 1949 Ealing Studios dark comedy Kind Hearts and Coronets , the kind that Minnesota’s own Coen brothers later championed loosely and directly with Fargo and The Ladykillers . The influence of American Psycho is also quite apparent, even down to the white poster featuring Powell in a suit with slicked hair akin to Christian Bale’s Patrick Bateman. Taking on the role of a bad person is one of the biggest tests of an actor’s ability to have the audience stick with them. Leonardo DiCaprio ( The Wolf of Wall Street ), Brad Pitt ( Fight Club ), Bryan Cranston ( Breaking Bad ), and Robert De Niro ( Taxi Driver ) have it in them. I’m still not sure if Powell does on that same level. This is the other side of the coin to his charming turn in Hit Man from a few years ago. However, the disguises and charisma in Richard Linklater’s film were used to explore how much of our identity is a performance. Here, it’s mostly just for show. Good things come to those who wait, a mantra that Ford doesn’t follow enough in his sophomore feature. The framing device of Becket narrating this story from a jail cell is a momentum killer; the victims are uninspired caricatures, and the presentation is merely watchable. For all the extravagance thrown around, this whole thing feels little more than a cheap exercise in posturing. A24 will release How to Make a Killing in theaters nationwide on February 20th More Reviews Tony August 18, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Buddy August 25, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Colony August 26, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Teen Sex & Death at Camp Miasma August 12, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Hunter Friesen

A Christmas Party September 23, 2025 By: Button Tyler Banark Alex Helmer marks his feature film directorial debut with A Christmas Party , an ensemble piece that reminds us of the peaks and valleys of the titular occasion. At just twenty-three years old, Helmer already knows what kind of filmmaker he aspires to be, which is a testament to his maturity, as most directors still find their footing at such a young age. Speaking highly of his cast and crew, he’s got convictions that he’s got all the right pieces to his first puzzle. The result? A mostly spectacular effort capturing the agony and ecstasy of the most wonderful time of the year. Shot in Helmer’s hometown of Washington, D.C., A Christmas Party is not only a personal film. The D.C. backdrop adds another layer to a powder keg waiting to be lit and exploded. No matter how we feel about the holiday, one inevitable topic of conversation that’ll come up via your conservative uncle or liberal cousin is politics. While D.C. isn’t prominently featured in the film, there is a presence of a congressman arriving unannounced at the dinner and a partygoer who has just quit her job working for said congressman. After he shows up, disrupts the dinner, and storms out, chaos ensues. Helmer penned the script with longtime friend and comedian Guy Knoll, and the execution of this idiosyncrasy is daring. Amidst the partygoers, we meet many eccentric characters. In particular, there’s CJ (Joe Rashbaum), a man trying to sniff out whether his wife is cheating on him or not. While Rashbaum isn’t the leading man of the movie, he easily steals the show. Every interaction he has with another that involves him asking them if they know someone who possibly slept with his wife is genius, particularly one with Jack Wielar’s Danny, as the latter makes the clever choice to dart his eyes anywhere but directly at Rashbaum. Aside from him, another supporting highlight of the cast is Richard Sexton as Shaun, the godfather of our leading man, Adam (more on him in a bit). Sexton provides the moral compass Adam needs as he navigates his first family gathering since coming home from college. On the one hand, Shaun is written to be a character who knows how to light up a room. On the other hand, he’s a soul looking for help. Shaun is also a thespian looking to execute the perfect line in a play he’s about to be in. Every time he asks for input on how to say his one-liner, he receives various pieces of feedback. Then there’s our leading man, Adam Hartman, played by Jaxon Keller. Viewers see him navigate his way through every conversation like it’s a chore to eventually get one-on-one time with childhood friend Ally (Sarah-Grace Donelly). Keller fits right into Helmer’s style as the actor and director make a tight-knit duo. His chemistry with Donelly is wonderful, but what Helmer and Knoll do with the characters feels a bit forced and cheeky. Adam catches Ally at a bad time to profess his feelings for her as she brings home a new boyfriend from the UK, and while that love triangle finds resolution, it’s how it got there that should’ve been written better. As for Adam himself, he’s written one-dimensionally, never seeming to fulfill a true arc. This may partially be because of how ensemble-oriented A Christmas Party is. Still, even if there’s a central protagonist in a sea of characters, no viewer wants to see them be one-note. What A Christmas Party lacks the most is its script. Not only is Adam a thinly written lead, but subplots ran amok. Some become developed and resolved, while others get audiences wanting more. But the benefit of the doubt should be given to Helmer and Knoll. This is their first feature-length script together, and while their intentions as writers have the same end goal, they seem to still be working out the kinks in terms of finding which ideas to go with. On the plus side, they know exactly how to capture the in-your-face nature of holiday parties and all the cliches that could come with one. The approach feels earnest, and took a lot of effort to translate under one roof, as it not only knows what kinds of people you will find at one, but also the cultural mindsets of each character. Whether it’s having certain characters speak Czech or introducing what an American Christmas looks like for new faces at the party, Helmer and Knoll tie it all together. A Christmas Party is, through and through, a fitting holiday movie. It may not be on the same level as the greats like Elf , A Christmas Story , or National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation , but it has the heart and soul of what makes that time of the year what it is. Helmer has proven to be a man of great character, and what he has achieved here is courageous. I certainly hope he will be a name to look out for in the near future, as his next task with this movie will be distribution. I doubt anyone will be slow to grab it, but as long as it falls into the right hands, it’ll be a pleasant gift for us all. You can follow Tyler and hear more of his thoughts on Twitter , Instagram , and Letterboxd . More Reviews Tony August 18, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Buddy August 25, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Colony August 26, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Teen Sex & Death at Camp Miasma August 12, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Hunter Friesen

The Upside January 31, 2019 By: Button Hunter Friesen In the film industry, January is usually the month when big studios dump films that they have lost confidence in. A large majority of these films come and go without anyone noticing they even exist. One of the biggest films of this January is The Upside , which tells the unlikely true story of a wealthy quadriplegic hiring an ex-con to be his caregiver. Starring Bryan Cranston and Kevin Hart, this film isn’t as bad as its release date would suggest, but it also isn’t anything special enough to justify your attention or hard-earned money. Directed by Hollywood workman Neil Burger, The Upside is both structured and shot in the typical fashion that one would come to expect from studio comedies. Everything feels like it was assembled from a template and has been done dozens of times before by more competent directors. Burger middlingly works with the more emotional aspects of the film as any moment of dramatic tension can be seen coming from miles away and follows the usual cues of the genre. Even the tonal shifts become quite predictable and create an endless cycle of half-hearted storytelling. While it may have been unintentional, the one thing that Burger does well at is letting the actors do what they do best. Hart and Cranston take over every scene they appear together in and use their chemistry to distract from many of the film’s faults. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWw7rCHcduQ Being as this is a remake of the 2011 French film The Intouchables , the story very much follows closely with the source material. The biggest thing that the script lacks compared to the original is a sense of emotional weight between the main characters. This problem mainly stems from a thin plot with lofty intentions that only offers tepid results. The writers try to tackle the racial and economic divide between the main characters, but end up putting in so little effort that it feels disjointed and a waste of time. Insightful commentary is tossed aside for one-liners and sly remarks that end up feeling overly safe and tedious. Despite being over two hours long, the film continually runs into the problem of having too little to work with, especially from the two weak subplots: one being Hart trying to reconnect with his son, and the other with Cranston battling his limitations to find love. Both the side stories felt quite empty and gave each actor little to work with. This resulted in a muddied overall narrative that fought and tore itself down rather than building to something meaningful. Probably the biggest saving grace for the film (and the only reason anyone would watch it) is the performances of the two leading actors. Kevin Hart does what he does best as Dell and shows that he is still a master of comedy, whether it be physical or through his fast-paced banter. Even though the script is mostly to blame, Hart does struggle with the dramatic parts that require him to slow down and break away from his usual tricks. Acting as the dry humor to Hart’s energy is Bryan Cranston as the extremely wealthy and depressed quadriplegic, Phillip. While he does serve up some funny remarks from time to time, Cranston more or less just goes through the motions and knows that he is above a project of this quality. Lastly, Nicole Kidman intermittently shows up as Phillip’s executive assistant, Yvonne. Kidman really feels out of place as her skills go unused on a character whose only purpose is to be a disapproving foil to Hart’s shenanigans. Except for Kevin Hart or Bryan Cranston, there really isn’t much in this film to make things interesting. Some comedic elements incite some chuckles, but more often than not, a feeling of emptiness will lie dormant in your head. Best described as a filler movie to waste some time, The Upside is something you’ll watch and most likely forget about twenty-four hours later. STXfilms will release The Upside in theaters nationwide on January 11th. More Reviews Tony August 18, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Buddy August 25, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Colony August 26, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Teen Sex & Death at Camp Miasma August 12, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Hunter Friesen

Bad Times at the El Royale October 25, 2018 By: Button Hunter Friesen A priest, a singer, a vacuum salesman, and a drifter walk into a hotel. They all have a story and need a room for a specific reason, but only one of them is telling the truth. Each one is untrusting of the other and plans out how to survive the night as a severe storm moves in. Then enters a crazy cult leader who wants to exact revenge on the one who wronged him. With five seedy characters and a suspicious bellhop, a one-night stay at the El Royale may come with a fatal price. Bad Times is directed by Drew Goddard, who previously directed and wrote the comedy/horror The Cabin in the Woods and wrote the screenplay for The Martian. Goddard does well at directing this film. He does make some mistakes from time to time, but they aren’t too severe. The first of his mistakes comes from the pacing and overall length of the film. The 141-minute runtime is weird, as the film felt like it could easily have been cut to two hours or justifiably stretched to three hours. This is due to some areas of the story being dragged on more than needed to be, and some areas not getting as much attention. The first act of the film slowly builds up each separate character with their backstory and motives. Then the second wizzes by, and the third needlessly slows everything back down again. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7wzBVARwaU Goddard does do good work with the camera as he gives the film a dark washed overtone to match the 60s era feel. He also uses a wide array of camera techniques to tell the layered story. Some scenes are played out multiple times from different angles to convey each character's viewpoint. There is also a hefty amount of symbolism and thematic imagery within each frame that pushes the narrative along without the use of words. One scene that really stands out is a seven-minute tracking shot where the camera follows one character as they go room by room and spy on the others. It’s a suspenseful sequence that gives a good amount of insight into each character in a short span of time. Along with directing, Goddard also serves as the sole writer for the original story. He divides the film into chapters based on the room a certain character is staying in. The technique works well to distribute time to develop each character. Not everyone gets equal time, but everyone gets enough to make them important to the overall narrative. The intersection of many different characters’ stories leads to the script being filled with lots of fun twists and surprises that continually come out of nowhere. Some of them are predictable once revealed, but many aren’t and keep you on the edge of your seat. There are some plot holes and untidy loose ends that are quite obvious near the end. However, they really don't harm the quality of the story and are more of an afterthought. Bad Times boasts a sizeable and star-studded cast. Most of the actors fare well, with some doing better than others. Jeff Bridges does pretty well as the elderly priest looking for a little vacation. Bridges is able to make his character believably evil as well as have a sympathetic heart. It’s not his best work, but nowhere near his worst. Cynthia Erivo is the best out of the cast as she plays the singer making her way to a gig in Reno. She provides her own voice to the role and confidently takes charge of each scene. Dakota Johnson and Jon Hamm kind of just skate through and don’t provide any real defining moments. They’re not bad, but it feels like anyone could have filled the roles. Lastly, Chris Hemsworth does good work as the Jesus-like cult leader who likes to preach with his shirt open. Hemsworth brings both his comedic and dramatic skills together and creates an uneasy character that keeps the suspense high throughout. Bad Times at the El Royale is a fun thriller that tells a complex story enjoyably. It doesn’t always work perfectly, but minor mistakes aren’t enough to ruin the overall product. In a fall season full of heavy films trying to send a message, it feels good to have a film that only wants its audience to sit down and have a good time. 20th Century Fox will release Bad Times at the El Royale in theaters nationwide on October 12th. More Reviews Tony August 18, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Buddy August 25, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Colony August 26, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Teen Sex & Death at Camp Miasma August 12, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Hunter Friesen

Dune October 25, 2021 By: Button Hunter Friesen Like humanity’s search for the missing link or the cure for cancer, movie studios have unsuccessfully tried and failed to adapt Frank Herbert’s daunting 1965 science fiction novel, which laid the framework for several subsequent entries in the genre, such as Star Wars and Blade Runner . Cult film director Alejandro Jodorowsky tried in the early 1970s, but financial troubles stopped him from getting past pre-production, a story which has now become immortalized in the critically acclaimed 2013 documentary Jodorowsky’s Dune . Over a decade later, David Lynch, armed with the mega millions of super-producer Dino De Laurentis, was utterly crushed by the weight of the material, which was forcibly squeezed into a two-hour runtime. Years went on as names such as Ridley Scott and Peter Berg were attached to the project, but nothing ever came to fruition. Now in 2021, it’s time for Denis Villeneuve – director of Sicario, Arrival, and Blade Runner 2049 – to attempt what has been thought to be impossible. To prevent the mistake of Lynch’s adaptation, the 412-page novel has been split into two parts. Despite not bearing that moniker in the official title, the phrase “part one” does flash underneath the main title in the opening sequence. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8g18jFHCLXk This comes as a warning to those expecting a complete narrative. Like Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 and The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 , Dune is here to establish the major events that will come in the sequel, which has yet to be officially confirmed. But rather than falling like those two examples, Dune falls more in line with The Divergent Series: Allegiant , which shuddered the series before the conclusion could be filmed. Now, that’s not to say that Dune shares all the same qualities as that cinematic failure. Villeneuve is one of the most financially efficient directors working today, as he gets maximum value out of every dollar within his budget. With $165 million at his disposal, Villeneuve has crafted a universe of mythological proportions. From desert landscapes crawling with sandworms to interstellar cruisers, the scale that Villeneuve and cinematographer Greig Fraser work with is something to behold. Seeing this in IMAX brings a reward worth far more than the ticket price. But for all its grandiosity on a technical level, what’s at the heart and soul of Dune is shockingly small. Taking place in the year 10191, the story centers on Paul Atreides, the prince of the great house who rules over Caladan. Soon, the family is ordered by the unseen Emperor to govern Arrakis, which overflows with the precious mineral known as “spice.” The natives of the planet, called the Fremen, resent their colonial oppressors, a feeling that Paul slowly begins to understand. After the imperial betrayal, Paul’s loyalty and place within the universe begin to be tested as he is led down an unfamiliar path. That plot description may be admittedly light, but a proper one would require much more precious margin space. Villeneuve (his first writing credit since coming to Hollywood), along with veteran Eric Roth and Jon Spaihts, seems to have punted all the interesting material for the latter edition. What’s left is a shallow plot with dangling thoughts on colonialism, the chosen one, and religious allegories. Ironically, the groundbreaking material within the novel has been mined so many times by other properties that this film adaptation feels like a carbon copy of others. That feeling of emptiness stretches into the cast as well, despite it being filled with a roster of immense international talent. Boiling down to being described as space Jesus, the character of Paul Atreides is one of awkwardness and enlightenment. Timothée Chalamet is fitting in the role, working his gawky frame and soft voice past the limitations of the script. Through no fault of their own, the rest of the cast aren’t able to shine as much as they should, with interesting actors such as Oscar Isaac, Stellan Skargård, Jason Momoa, and Charlotte Rampling being brushed aside for umpteen amounts of landscape shots. At some point, those beautiful vistas begin to feel empty, as the human element has been restricted to a minimum. Dune is an odd case of style over substance, in that the substance is there but was intentionally left out for another time. It’s a gamble that may pay off once Part 2 is released, but until then, it leaves this first part as a desert-sized disappointment. Warner Bros. Pictures will release Dune in theaters nationwide and on HBO Max on October 22nd. More Reviews Tony August 18, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Buddy August 25, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Colony August 26, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Teen Sex & Death at Camp Miasma August 12, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Hunter Friesen

The Marvels November 8, 2023 By: Button Hunter Friesen The Marvels comes to us suffering from a clear case of the “yes… buts.” It’s a rapidly progressive disease that’s been plaguing many MCU projects now that we’ve reached the middle age of this mega-franchise. Let’s run down all the places this disease is showing. Yes, the special effects look better than the unfinished slop within Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania … but they still somehow look worse than the majority of what's come before. Yes, the central trio of Brie Larson, Teyonah Parris, and Iman Vellani share great chemistry… but much of their time is spent delivering inanely convoluted exposition about why this movie needs to exist. Yes, the fight choreography is pretty creative when the heroes fully harness their powers… but it gets pretty choppy whenever the camera isn’t in a wide shot. Yes, the main villain has a semi-compelling justification for her actions… but that reasoning happens offscreen, and her plan involves yet another skybeam. This list could fill the rest of this review… but that would be as interesting as having yet another debate over whether superhero fatigue is real or not (see what I did there?). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wS_qbDztgVY I hope you aced your Kree and Skrull history exams because you’re going to need all your knowledge to understand the machinations of what’s happening here. I'm not up to date on current events (a symptom of not caring about the television shows), so there may be some tiny gaps in this retelling. But I doubt there are many people left who could fully comprehend and connect the dots anymore. There’s been a war between the Kree and Skrull that has left both sides in ruin: The Kree’s homeworld is desolate, and the Skrull are discriminated refugees. The leader of the Kree, Dar-Benn (Zawe Ashton), has come upon a powerful bengal that gives her the strength of a god, more than enough to rally her armies and steal the natural resources of the neighboring planets. The uncovering of this Bengal has created a wormhole in time and space, entangling the powers of Carol Danvers, aka Captain Marvel (Brie Larson), Kamala Khan, aka Ms. Marvel (Iman Vellani), and Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris). This trio must overcome the learning curve and work together if they want to stop Dar-Benn and save the countless lives being affected by her reign. Talented indie director Nia DaCosta takes over from duo Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, who always seemed out of their element in a $150+ million behemoth. DaCosta fares a little better at the helm, keeping things zippy as we move from one planet to another, some of which I would have liked to spend a little more time at. She does have the benefit of a warmly welcomed shortened runtime (105 minutes) and no need to tell a boilerplate origin story for any of these characters. Even with all those “character-building” requirements out of the way, the character of Captain Marvel remains blandly two-dimensional. She has the same curse as DC’s Superman: Too powerful to feel like any villain is a threat, which forces the writers (DaCosta, Megan McDonnell, and Elissa Karasik) to create a potential universe-ending catastrophe, which has become so tiring at this point. Larson has a clear grasp on the smaller character moments, even overcoming some of the shoddy greenscreens that she’s forced to deliver them on. But her attempts at humorous quips and iconic lines feel forced, almost as if she’s still not comfortable fully embracing this persona. Someone who has welcomed her cape is Iman Vellani. She’s Peter Parker to Larson’s Tony Stark, a bright young hero who wants to do good in the world, but just doesn’t know what her place is. There are a few moments clearly inspired by her show, a necessary boost of youthful energy to lift the spirits of the more professional adults. Parris (reuniting with DaCosta after Candyman ) greatly benefits from the work she put into WandaVision , with this being a further fleshing out of her character. All that can be said about The Marvels is that it is passably fine. It’s not bad enough to be a catalyst in the downfall of the MCU, nor is it good enough to be its savior (not that one movie should bear that unfathomable struggle). It inoffensively slots in with the rest of the forgettable middle-of-the-pack entries, rarely to be talked about again. Mission accomplished, I guess? Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures will release The Marvels in theaters nationwide on November 10th. More Reviews Tony August 18, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Buddy August 25, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Colony August 26, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Teen Sex & Death at Camp Miasma August 12, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Hunter Friesen

Blitz November 1, 2024 By: Button Hunter Friesen Blitz opens with a crew of London firefighters fighting tooth and nail to put out a house fire. The heat and smoke are almost too much for any man to bear, with wooden beams and piles of brick crumbling down upon them. They eventually start to get a handle on the blaze, although there isn't much cause for celebration as they must now begin their recovery operation for those who are dead or wounded. A moment of silence bridges those tasks, interrupted by the hissing of another Nazi bomber flying overhead. More bombs rain from the sky, signaling another beginning to the cycle of death and destruction that Hitler has inflicted upon England's capital. Lasting for nearly nine months between 1940 and 1941 and known as The Blitz, it comes as no surprise that a big-screen adaptation of this iconic moment in British history has been commissioned and released during the thick of this year's Oscar race. What comes as a surprise is that the visual artist turned filmmaker Steve McQueen is responsible for telling the story, as the likes of Sam Mendes, Joe Wright, and Tom Hooper (before Cats ) would have probably topped the betting odds. Despite being a recipient of the Oscar for Best Motion Picture (the first black filmmaker to be awarded) for 12 Years a Slave , McQueen has always steered at least a few steps away from the stuffier material that follows that kind of success. Even something like his recent World War II documentary, Occupied City , defies the prestige trappings with its 240-minute runtime and ruminative nature. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZwykQK9aZo While that opening scene and a few others that follow certainly find themselves akin to many of the viscerally demanding moments littered throughout McQueen's filmography, Blitz marks his most radical departure from form to date, opting for a more classical story filled with the sights and sounds that have come to define this genre for almost a century. That's not an inherently bad thing, as no artist should feel threatened to seclude themselves in a single box. I'm also not accusing McQueen of pandering to the awards bodies. But there is a feeling that the more typical McQueen approach would have given this film the little extra provocativeness it needed to be anything more than just politely good enough. Anchoring this sprawling story is Rita (Saoirse Ronan) and her nine-year-old son George (Elliott Heffernan). With the frequency of the bombings reaching their peak and inching their way toward their street, Rita decides to send George away to the countryside, much to his reluctance. He rebels by jumping from the outward-bound train, dodging the authorities as he makes the trek back to London. Several other side quests emerge along his way in the form of a trio of delinquent brothers, a Nigerian immigrant police officer just trying to preserve cool heads amongst the shellshocked masses, and a group of bandits led by their bipolar chief (Stephen Graham). It all feels like it's out of a Charles Dickens novel, although some of these branches certainly feel as if they were planted from entirely different films. McQueen mounts a directorial showcase with each vignette, delivering several stunning sequences set across the spectrum of carnage and beauty. Moments that capture the macroeconomic scale of London during this moment have an awe-inspiring terror to them. People bang on gated stores as explosions rattle only a few blocks down, parents in a daze on the street as they call out for their missing children. The scale and production detail are immaculate across every department, especially Adam Stockhausen’s production design and Yorick Le Saux's cinematography. Similar to his work in Greta Gerwig's 2019 adaptation of Little Women , Le Saux invites us into each frame with warm hues and gradually cools down as the sun begins to set and the sounds of engines pierce through the sky. It's when things start to get a little more microscopic that McQueen fumbles. George may be able to run away from those pursuing him, but he can't escape the fact that he's a mixed-race boy during a time of rising xenophobia and intolerance. It's alluded to through flashback that his father was forcefully removed from the country, a practice that a majority of the white Londoners seem to support. And even in a time when all of England should be gathered together against a common enemy on their front doorstep, many still view their neighbors as less than themselves. McQueen has always been a blunt filmmaker when it comes to his themes, yet he always found a way to weave them into the narrative tapestry seamlessly. Things are much more segmented this time around, with several moments overplaying their hand and grinding the action to a halt. No actress can escape the Hollywood demand that they play a doting mother, with Ronan making her debut in that role here. And similar to anyone of her high caliber who's been placed in this scenario, she rises far above what she's been provided. She's always the best in show amongst this cast, with Heffernan coming into his own the more the film progresses. Many of the performers don't have that luxury of time, leaving them in a hurried state of needing to act as much as possible. Although he manages to make a good impression, Harris Dickinson gets the brunt of that treatment, appearing so seldomly that one is forced to assume that this 120-minute film is the result of a lot of pruning. McQueen has certainly earned himself the right to an extended runtime, and this conceptually grand story liekly would have benefited from it. A good film is still a good film, although it still tastes a little bitter when you know it could have easily been better. This review was originally published from a screening at the 2024 Twin Cities Film Fest. Apple Original Films will release Blitz in select theaters on November 01st, followed by its streaming premiere on November 22nd. More Reviews Tony August 18, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Buddy August 25, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Colony August 26, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Teen Sex & Death at Camp Miasma August 12, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Hunter Friesen

The Old Man & the Gun November 1, 2018 By: Button Hunter Friesen Robert Redford has built a successful decade-spanning career as a charming actor who can play any type of character with a heart of gold. It seems fitting that in his final performance in the new film The Old Man & the Gun , Redford plays Forrest Tucker, a man who was born to rob banks. Except he’s not your typical bank robber, he’s the most polite and happy criminal around. Now at the age of seventy-four, Tucker becomes nationally famous and must continue his passion while eluding the pursuit of detective John Hunt, who becomes enraptured by the legend of one man living his dream despite the consequences it may bring. Director David Lowery isn’t a household name, but the thirty-eight-year-old has made some quality films, such as his 2017 indie hit A Ghost Story and Pete’s Dragon in 2016 (also starring Redford). Lowery goes for the sweet and simple approach when it comes to directing this film. He keeps the feel of the film feeling like a cool, light breeze and keeps the main plot centered on detail at a time. He also nails the look and feel of the film to fit the 80s setting. The film doesn’t just feel like it's set in the 80s; it's like it was made during that time period. He uses very grainy film stock to shoot the movie, giving it a very nostalgic feel. There is also an abundance of old classic songs from that era that perfectly fit the tone. The simple approach Lowery uses also has its minor drawbacks. The overall story of the film felt a little shallow and could have used more buildup and stakes in order to build suspense. There could have also been more interaction between characters in order to develop relationships, as some don’t feel as genuine as they should have. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7rlUe-Thvk Lowery also adapts the screenplay from a real-life biographical article written about Forrest Tucker in The New Yorker by David Grann. Lowery matches his writing with his approach to directing. The script is filled with tender moments that work wonders with the actors involved. The diner scenes between Redford and Sissy Spacek are the best as they simply just enjoy each other and talk about life in old age. With only a little bit of effort and some magic, the two actors and the dialogue they share are able to keep us engaged throughout. Below the surface, however, is where Lowery’s script suffers from the same problems as his directing. The overall story told feels too simple to satisfyingly fit a feature-length film. More background and supporting details could have been used to tell the story with more depth. Many important events happen with little to no explanation, which proves very distracting by the end as they cut down on the overall believability. Redford essentially plays a culmination of every part he’s previously played in his fifty-plus-year career. He works magic with his confidence and overall physical presence in each scene. It’s a testament to his skill that you never actually see the gun he uses during the robberies; his charisma and charm are the only weapons he needs. Even with all his misdoings, you end up rooting for him by the end of the film. Partnering up with Redford in a supporting role is Sissy Spacek as Jewel, a widow whom Forrest takes an interest in. Jewel finds herself romantically caught up with Tucker and just can’t seem to shake him off despite knowing what he does for a living. Spacek and Redford have excellent chemistry together and keep us thoroughly entertained in even the most mundane of scenes. Every criminal needs a cop to be his nemesis, and filling that role is Casey Affleck as John Hunt. Affleck provides a counterbalance to Redford’s glee as his character glumly deals with the thought of getting older in a static career. Affleck middlingly works throughout but never matches Redford’s ability to make us care about his character. The Old Man & the Gun is similar to that of a Sunday drive out into the country. It doesn’t really know where it’s going from time to time, but it doesn’t really matter because the ride itself is more enjoyable than the final destination. In his farewell performance, Redford shows us that he can win over any crowd and rides out into the sunset and leaves us with his legend and unforgettable skill as an actor. Searchlight Pictures will release The Old Man & the Gun in select theaters on September 28th, followed by a nationwide expansion on October 09th. More Reviews Tony August 18, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Buddy August 25, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Colony August 26, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Teen Sex & Death at Camp Miasma August 12, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Hunter Friesen

Missing Link April 22, 2019 By: Button Hunter Friesen Priding themselves on craftsmanship and hard work, Laika Studios has carved out a special spot in the modern animation industry. Their favoritism for stop-motion over computer effects has led to some dazzlingly authentic films such as Coraline and Kubo and the Two Strings . The studio’s newest film, Missing Link , follows in the same high-quality footsteps laid down by its predecessors. The story begins in the early nineteenth century and introduces us to Sir Lionel Frost. He’s an explorer who longs to become part of the high society of “great men”. To gain entry to the club, Lionel must prove the existence of a mythical creature: The Sasquatch He immediately treks to the U.S. and finds the creature, who surprisingly can both write and speak. Lionel dubs the creature Mr. Link, playing off the fact that he is the missing link between early and modern humanity. Link longs to be reunited with his Yeti cousins in the Himalayas, a trip Lionel agrees to partake in as long as he gets the proof he needs. Through their long and treacherous journey, the duo ventures into unexplored areas within the world and within themselves. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6jCNhebfg8 Laika Everyman and ParaNorman director Chris Butler stepped back into the chair for this film. Just like all Laika productions, the animation and set design within Missing Link are simply outstanding. The characters and the multitude of diverse sets are a marvel to look at and experience. Throughout the film, you get a genuine feeling of the unfathomable amount of hard work that each artist put in. Butler’s direction of the story is just as meritable as his handling of the animation. He treats the narrative like any other and doesn’t downplay any of it in order to cater to the younger audience. The emotions and themes are quite sophisticated and actually make you think about what you’re watching. It’s a tragic fact that only a few kids' films like this one deal with the tough subject matter, which is something I was reminded of when watching the mindless trailers that played in front of this film. One fault that can be mentioned about Butler is that his pacing is lightning-fast and tends to negate some of the more important character development that he had tirelessly worked for. Also serving as the sole writer, Butler does a decent job at telling a wholesome story with lasting themes. It becomes apparent that Butler never compromised his vision for kids, as he doesn’t try too hard for jokes. He goes for quality over quantity, as there aren’t as many funny moments as you would expect. This turns out to be a pleasant surprise and allows for the story to flow better without the need to constantly crack a joke. The main ingredient of the touching story is simplicity, which, from time to time, restricts the viewer from having a deep connection with the film. The main group of characters is decently constructed, but it just isn’t developed enough for us to get a sense of knowing them. This theme of underdevelopment is also illustrated in the rapidly paced plot that doesn’t seem to want to slow down and bask in the beauty. We’re always racing to the next destination or story element, leading to a rushed ending that doesn’t reach the emotional heights of the studio’s previous films. Laika films in the past tended to have lesser-known casts, but this time they went for a more star-studded lineup. Zach Galifianakis is excellent as Mr. Link. His soft and innocent voice perfectly embodies the character’s kind and lovable traits. Hugh Jackman is great as Lionel Frost. Jackman uses his macho voice for the initial scenes of his self-centered character, but later gets to be more gentle as his character begins to mature. Zoe Saldana does her best as Adelina, an adventurous spirit who tags along with the pair. Unfortunately, Saldana doesn’t get a lot to do other than being the stereotypical girl voice of reason between two male characters (although it is not entirely clear what gender the beast is). While centrally a kid's movie, Missing Link tells a heartfelt story that can be enjoyed by all ages. It’s not the best quality from the always dependable Laika, but it is mesmerizing to watch and will send you home with a smile and a slight sense of wonder. United Artists Releasing will release Missing Link in theaters nationwide on April 12th. More Reviews Tony August 18, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Buddy August 25, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Colony August 26, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Teen Sex & Death at Camp Miasma August 12, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Hunter Friesen

H Is for Hawk January 20, 2026 By: Button Hunter Friesen H is for Hawk. G is for grief. M is for melancholy. S is for sadness. W is for woe. D is for dejection. And, of course, C is for cookie. Based on Helen Macdonald’s best-selling memoir of the same name, H Is for Hawk runs down the alphabet of emotional turmoil, spelling out each word in capital letters. It’s one of those books whose specificity can be richly extrapolated into universality, the language of the page finding the words that we’ve all come to experience through loss. But as a film, specifically this one directed by Philippa Lowthorpe, everything seems to have been funnelled into mining the same emotional beats that we’ve come to expect. When we first meet Helen (Claire Foy), she’s enraptured by the majesty of two hawks gliding through the air. Their perfectly outstretched wings make them rise and fall against the pale blue sky, the flapping of wings being the only sound within the tranquil field. Following in her dad’s (Brendan Gleeson) footsteps, Helen's younger years saw her become a proficient falconer. A move to London for a professorship shut down that passion for a while. The urban jungle still treats her well, taking her class to the pub instead of the stodgy Cambridge lecture halls. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=73V6kQfGyt0 Helen rang her father when she saw those hawks, a quick opportunity to reminisce about how they used to travel the countryside, appreciating its natural beauty. That would be the final words she would share with him, as the next phone call she receives is from her mother telling her that her father suffered a fatal heart attack. Hawthorpe renders this reveal through intense claustrophobia, pushing the camera onto Helen’s face as she slowly hangs up the phone and falls into her own arms. She goes to dinner with her best friend, Christina (Denise Gough, a consistently pleasant presence throughout this gloomy film), the air thick with silence. The dead seem to come alive more often once they’re underground. That phone call is the only time we see Gleeson’s character alive; the rest of his scenes come from a rush of flashbacks that Helen can’t shake. He’s buoyant, refusing to retire. There’s passion in his refusal to quit, but also a sense of fear in that he doesn’t know what will happen once he stops moving. Helen ceases altogether under the grief, eventually adopting a goshawk, the most aggressive species of hawk, as a distraction. Hawks can’t perceive what they don’t see, which is how Helen deals with her emotions. Burying them deep down, she becomes a sort of wild animal to her friends and family. Foy brings determination to her role, a blank stare becoming her perpetual costume. She has an attention-grabbing presence, which becomes the film’s main asset as it can barely string together the scraps of its story. Timelines become fragmented, clichés become repetitive, and everything is drawn way past its full potential. We’ve come to diagnose Helen’s depression ninety minutes before she does, making this whole thing feel like a spinning wheel in a rut. Along with Tuesday and The Thing with Feathers , H Is for Hawk joins a recent trend of people using birds to aid them in their journey of accepting death. Unlike those initial two films, the bird featured in this one does not talk, only squaking every once in a while as it gets fed pieces of raw meat. That realism gives Foy the entire spotlight, but it also leaves her alone to carry such a blank film. Roadside Attractions will release H Is for Hawk in theaters nationwide on January 23rd. More Reviews Tony August 18, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Buddy August 25, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Colony August 26, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Teen Sex & Death at Camp Miasma August 12, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Hunter Friesen

Spirited November 17, 2022 By: Button Hunter Friesen Nothing on paper hinted that I would walk out of Spirited with a smile on my face and a spring in my step. Barring his work in the Deadpool films, I’ve been allergic to Ryan Reynolds's one-note wisecracking performances, breaking out in severe hives with last year’s Free Guy and Red Notice . Will Ferrell has been on a downward spiral, releasing nothing above passable for years (not counting voice-over work in The Lego Movie ). And the greatest claim to fame writer/director duo Sean Anders and John Morris have is the Daddy’s Home films and the unnecessary Horrible Bosses 2 . Yet, with all those warning signs and the potential for some serious damage, Spirited was able to lift my holiday spirits (pun fully intended) by being a wholly entertaining comedy musical. A reimagining of Charles Dickens's classic story, Spirited opens with the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future performing their annual haunting on a less-than-stellar person. This past year's target was a woman named Karen (one of several attempts at internet culture humor, this one being the most successful), who became a nicer person to her neighbors. Present (Ferrell) feels that the recent haunts haven’t made a big enough difference. He wants the next “perp” to be someone whose change would have a huge ripple effect across other people’s lives. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnAJntI3NNs Showing up at the perfect moment is Clint Briggs (Reynolds), founder and CEO of his own media manipulation agency. He creates what you call non-troverseys: unimportant and trivial internet wars that stir up attention for whatever side is paying him (he’s probably the one behind the black/blue & white/yellow dress debate, which saw sales of it go up nearly 400%). Unfortunately for Present, Clint has been labeled an “unredeemable,” meaning that no amount of haunting could turn him into a nice person. But Present’s Christmas optimism doesn’t allow him to quit easily, so the haunt is on in hopes of turning this self-centered jerk into a decent human being. The world doesn’t need another adaptation of A Christmas Carol (does anyone remember the 2019 miniseries or The Man Who Invented Christmas ?), a fact that Anders and Morris acknowledge through their screenplay. Instead of following the tried and true path of three ghosts fully changing a mortal soul, Spirited is more of a two-hander about how people can’t suddenly change for the better, and instead, they need to focus on incremental improvements from within. It’s a surprisingly nuanced message, one that’s hard to fully take seriously coming out of the mouths of Reynolds and Ferrell, who are still doing their usual schtick. The central pair does have great chemistry together, which is fully harnessed by choreographer Chloe Arnold, the unseen MVP of the film. Treating the dance numbers as if they were done for a stage audience, Arnold compiles huge swaths of backup dancers for big chorus numbers, with Reynolds and Ferrell front and center, tap dancing away. Ferrell solidifies his comedic music chops from Eurovision , and Reynolds aptly brings his game. There’s also the bonus of Octavia Spencer being a nice romantic foil for Ferrell. Unfortunately, the horrendous CGI backgrounds often distract from the capable work being done. The songwriting duo of Benj Pasek and Justin Paul - who’ve penned works from La La Land, Dear Evan Hansen , and The Greatest Showman - unleash a whole new album's worth of holiday tunes. There aren’t too many distinguishing features between many of the songs, but their sameness doesn’t take away from their catchiness. Spirited will probably never become a holiday classic due to its anonymous release on Apple TV+, not that it really deserves to become one anyway. But I was entertained throughout its slightly bloated two-hour runtime and thought to myself how I should be a better person. And for that, it deserves some yuletide cheer. Apple Original Films will release Spirited in select theaters on November 11th, followed by its streaming premiere on November 18th. More Reviews Tony August 18, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Buddy August 25, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Colony August 26, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Teen Sex & Death at Camp Miasma August 12, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Hunter Friesen