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Top 10 Films of 2023 (So-Far) July 1, 2023 By: Hunter Friesen Half of 2023 has come and gone in the blink of an eye. Before I knew it, I had seen 67 new releases in six months. I can’t say that there’s been a bountiful amount of great work to bask in, but there’s always a small amount of stuff that deserves to be cherished. So, to give credit where it’s due, here’s my list of the ten best films I’ve seen in 2023 (so far). *Because some of the films I’ve seen so far were at film festivals, I will only be ranking the films that have received a general release in theaters or on streaming* 10. R.M.N. Featuring five different spoken languages (Romanian, Hungarian, German, French, and English) and characters from all different walks of life, Cristian Mungiu’s newest visual essay tells a universal story within one specific Transylvanian village. As is tradition for Mungiu, each scene is realized in unbroken takes, with the climactic town-hall meeting unfolding across 17 minutes and featuring dozens of characters. The naturalism is abruptly broken by the ambiguous final shot, leaving you with a disquieting outlook on this specific village, as well as the entire world. 9. Tori and Lokita The newest film from the Belgian brotherly duo of Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne finds them once again examining the miscarriages of social justice within their native country. Their handheld long takes and lack of score capture the harsh reality of society. There’s also a propulsive energy to the film, with the semi-criminal elements keeping the 85-minute feature (a staple length for the brothers) moving at a brisk pace. 8. Air Air is the cinematic equivalent of the final moments of an NBA game. Not every play goes as perfectly as it was drawn up, and there are a lot of mistakes that could have been ironed out in practice. But the sheer athleticism of the players/actors is something to marvel at. And when they take their shots, they make them count. Because both they and we know that when the ball goes through the hoop, and those feelings of victory come striding to the surface, everything that came before that ceases to matter. Full Review 7. BlackBerry Time has not been an ally for the BlackBerry phone, but I believe it will be for this movie. While the other movies in this growing subgenre built themselves largely around the iconography of the brand, Johnson always has his sights set on the people behind the machine, which is what makes this specific story that much more compelling and rewatchable. Full Review 6. Cairo Conspiracy Corruption runs rampant in the holiest of places within Cairo Conspiracy , as faith is used to broker further advances of power. Writer/director Tarik Saleh tells an overlapping story of politics and religion, molding his message within the old-fashioned espionage thriller genre to fantastic results. It’s both entertaining and enlightening, leaving you with something to ponder long after the credits roll. 5. John Wick: Chapter 4 Although I said the character of John Wick has drastically changed over time, the John Wick series has maintained that underdog energy since its initial entry, even though the budgets have increased nearly sixfold. Each sequel tries its hardest to outdo the previous one, offering an improvement on what’s already been done and creating something entirely new. I know it will be done, but I don't know how they’re going to top this in John Wick: Chapter 5 . Full Review 4. Enys Men Mark Jenkin’s Enys Men is the kind of film you stumble upon late at night as a kid where you have no idea what you’re watching and if it was any good, but you couldn’t help but be endlessly transfixed by it. Just as Ari Aster and Robert Eggers have amassed cult followings for their new-wave style of horror, Jenkin deserves the same for his now-signature trips down the psychological rabbit hole. The beckoning of Hollywood doesn’t seem to be having much effect on him, promising more distinctly singular work from this up-and-coming artist. Full Review 3. Chevalier Stuffy, overly serious, slow, and pretentious are all words most often used to describe period pieces. And yet, none of those words can be applied to Stephen Williams' Chevalier , which would have been one of the best movies of 2022 had Searchlight chosen to release it within the bloodbath that is Oscar season. Thankfully, they're smarter than me and waited until 2023, where it now sits firmly on this list among the greats. Full Review 2. Past Lives Perspective and perception are the keys to writer/director Celine Song’s screenplay, which uses a vast amount of space and time to tell an epically intimate story. Nora (Greta Lee) explains in-yun to Arthur (John Magaro) midway through the film. It’s the Korean concept of fate, suggesting that people are destined to meet if their past lives overlapped. Nora shrugs off the idea by saying it’s just “something Korean people say to seduce someone.” While Nora may not take that concept to heart, Song’s use of it within her film had me seduced in the moment, and will likely have me for the rest of time. Full Review 1. Asteroid City At this point in his filmography, you’ve probably made up your mind about Wes Anderson. I’m somewhat of an apologist, with those instantly recognizable production qualities and whimsical tones being music to my ears (and eyes). Asteroid City is another healthy dose of what I’m come to love, with the bonus of seeing an auteur continue to find new ways to channel what they do best. Full Review 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

Inside Out 2 June 16, 2024 By: Button Tyler Banark Pixar’s newfound knack for unnecessary sequels rears its head once again with Inside Out 2 . When the inevitable news broke that a sequel to the 2015 hit was going into production, many people (including myself) hesitated to view things positively and pondered the need for its existence. On top of that, Pixar was currently on a losing streak in terms of critical and audience reactions, with the likes of Lightyear and Elemental coming and going without much fanfare. And even with those worrisome trailers, all those negative thoughts left my head once I sat down to watch the final product, which could (and hopefully will) be the start of the studio returning to form. Despite all the pageantry by Pixar to be returning to this property, some of the original key players in the cast and crew are missing. For the cast, only Amy Poehler, Phyllis Smith, and Lewis Black returned to voice Joy, Sadness, and Anger, respectively. Tony Hale and Liza Lapira took over for Bill Hader and Mindy Kaling as Fear and Disgust, an unfortunate downgrade as the replacements don’t rise to the occasion. But on a more positive note, Poehler once again knocks it out of the park as Joy, and she’s joined by a bevy of new emotions in Embarrassed, Ennui, Envy, and Anxiety. Ayo Edebiri and Maya Hawke stand out as Envy and Anxiety, respectively, with the latter giving the best voiceover performance of the year thus far, capturing the frenetic chaos and capitalizing on the inner struggle one can have when dealing with it. At the same time, Edebiri brings her bombastic charms to her adorable character. Regarding the crew, the most prominent absentees are previous co-writer/director (and overall Pixar legend) Pete Docter and composer Michael Giacchino. Although Docter is still attached to the project as an executive producer and his role as Chief Creative Officer at the studio, his absence is felt in the driver’s seat as veteran studio writer Kelsey Mann takes over. That isn’t to say Mann does a lousy job, there’s just that extra bit of creativity missing to make this all feel truly special. After Anxiety boots the original emotions from headquarters, they come across more concepts that operate the human mind, many of them not seen in the first movie. Riley’s secret vault, brainstorms, Sense of Self, and a sar-chasm are just as generously illustrated as the ones presented in the predecessor. The use of Riley’s beliefs as cords stringing from a pond underneath headquarters to a flower inside of it is terrific. The designs of the new emotions felt fitting given their natures - Embarrassment being big and Envy being small - each conveying how those feelings take over once expressed. There’s also a moment where Anxiety creates a tornado when she starts to take over, an apt metaphor that’s as fun to watch as it is relatable. In a more stunning turn of events, the film takes a stab at different animation styles in several scenes. When the original emotions are locked away in Riley’s secret vault, they meet Bloofy, a character from Riley’s favorite children’s show, and Lance Slashblade, a video game character that Riley once had a crush on. Bloofy and Lance are animated differently, with the former (along with his fanny pack sidekick Pouchy) being traditionally 2-D animated and the latter having the design of a late 2000s video game graphic. Although it’s not something I would have expected Pixar to do, it’s a pleasant surprise from their traditional formula. There may be some slight missteps in this sequel, but Inside Out 2 is still a delightful return to the world of emotions, bringing back the spark that we once consistently expected from Pixar. The kids will have fun watching it for its humor, while the grown-ups will find the concepts to be intriguing. How long will it take before Pixar is officially back? Who knows, but there’s no need for longtime fans and moviegoers to get anxious over 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

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 May 4, 2023 By: Button Hunter Friesen Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is a James Gunn film through and through, which is what automatically makes it the best MCU film since Avengers: Endgame (I know that’s an overused statement, but it’s completely true in this case, even if the bar has been continually lowered since 2019). With this supposed swan song, Gunn joins the “illustrious” ranks of Jon Watts ( Spider-Man ) and Peyton Reed (Ant-Man ) as the only directors to see their respective trilogies to till the end (the Russo brothers are also unofficial members for their continuation of the Captain America storyline into the latter Avengers movies). Gunn sits above those mentioned simply because he also solely fulfills the role of writer, allowing a sense of a distinct personality into these over-wielding blockbusters. The Guardians have settled on Knowhere after the events of Endgame , with Peter Quill / Star-Lord still being heartbroken over his breakup with Gamora after she was resurrected after being killed by Thanos (there are a lot more details, but we don’t have enough margin space for all that). Continuing their streak of the worst luck in the universe, the peaceful times are immediately interrupted by Adam Warlock, a shinier version of Superman with the mind of a child. But his brawn overpowers his mental deficiency, as he mortally injures Rocket. The raccoon’s altered anatomy prevents him from being operated on, forcing the Guardians to track down his creator, the all-powerful High Evolutionary. Because Gunn has spent the two initial entries in this trilogy building a sense of camaraderie and a deep emotional connection within this makeshift family, he’s partly excused from the sin of having this movie essentially a series of fetch quests. We go to a place to grab a thing, only for that plan to fail, meaning we have to go to another place for another thing. But unlike the other MCU movies, the stakes here center around just one person we dearly care about, which grossly trounces a universe filled with nobodies. Hell, I would gladly let Arishem from Eternals consume the Earth (with me included) if it meant Rocket would immediately recover from his wounds. That deep affection for Rocket also fuels the horror and sadness of his backstory, which includes cruel experimentation upon hapless animals (Gunn cheats a bit by giving these furry creatures the wettest and cutest eyes he possibly could). The unsettling imagery heavily leans upon Gunn’s horror roots, a refreshing sight in this clean-cut universe. Another nice sight is proper visual effects and production values. There’s a night and day difference between this and Quantumania , with Rocket rivaling the work of the recent Planet of the Apes trilogy in terms of giving expressiveness to a fully visual character. While he’s never once been on-screen in person, Bradley Cooper has been the MVP of this group thanks to his impressive voice work. Gunn made the right choice focusing a substantial portion of the story on Rocket. Still, there’s a bit too much restraint in allowing this story to go further down the route it seems to want to explore. Whether it be because of super-producer Kevin Feige’s demands or Gunn’s inability to push himself, the swings are never followed through, resulting in a respectable double instead of a home run. It also doesn’t help that the High Evolutionary is a highly watered-down version of Kang, complete with Shakespearean soliloquies about death and a generic purpose for his villainy. He’ll likely place near the lower end of the middle in all future MCU villain rankings. With Gunn now off to run DC Studios (maybe he’ll be the first person to make a good Superman movie?) and Marvel shifting focus to their newer/younger characters, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is a welcome and proper sendoff for the cast and crew of this successful franchise. It’s a distillation of what the MCU aims to deliver: heart, humor, and an all-around entertaining time. 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

Reptile September 9, 2023 By: Button Hunter Friesen Reptile had its World Premiere at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival. Netflix will release it in theaters on September 29, followed by its streaming premiere on October 06. Is a red herring a red herring if you know it’s a red herring? That tongue twister of a sentence rattled throughout my head throughout most of the bloated 134-minute runtime of Reptile . In this police procedural, there are several suspects and clues, most of them presented so obviously to be of fake importance that you know immediately that you don’t need to expend the mental energy to keep track of them all. Even with these self-inflicted wounds writer/director Grant Singer, making his feature debut, can still mount an entertaining movie that is far stranger (mostly in a good way) the more you look under the hood. The body of Summer Elswick has been found in the home of her partner Will Grady (Justin Timberlake). She was stabbed 33⅓ times, with the final strike being so powerful that it got the knife stuck in her pelvis. She has a shady ex-husband by the name of Sam Gifford (Karl Glusman) and an even shadier enemy in commerce in Eli Phillips (Michael Pitt). And then there’s still Will and his obsessive mother (Frances Fisher). There are probably other people who could have done this too, but Detective Tom Nichols (Benicio Del Toro) is already starting to get lost in the mud of motives and opportunities. For all its talk of murder and treachery, what stands out the most about Reptile is the enlarged funny bone it has. There are little jabs here and there, most of them meant to raise your eyebrow as they create a hard break from the grisliness. Tom has a fascination with Will’s touchless sink faucet, even going so far as to take a picture of it during the recreation of the moment Will found Summer’s body. I can’t say it always works, but it does make for some interesting moments that make the film more watchable, especially considering the conventionalism of the events. Most of the story follows Tom and his partner (Ato Essandoh) going through the motions of finding evidence and investigating suspects. The answers are the ones you expect, with the same going for the twists. Singer and editor Kevin Hickman create some good moments of tension through their cross-cutting, overlapping the simultaneous actions of a handful of characters. It’s a disorienting technique that works to place you in the mind of Tom, who’s still dealing with his shady past that forced him to move to New England with his wife (Alicia Silverstone, unfortunately not given enough to do). But Singer can’t help himself with the disorientation as he repetitiously punctuates many of his scene transitions with loud crashes, which gets about as annoying as you’d expect. Del Toro is giving it his all in a role he co-wrote with Singer and Benjamin Brewer. He’s a man who seems to have lost a little bit of his touch, never really knowing if he’s on the right trail or can trust anybody. It’s a slight shame that the material isn’t able to match his effort on screen. Timberlake has always been an uncomfortable actor, especially in dramas as you can clearly see the effort he’s putting in to pull it off, as opposed to the nonchalant professionalism of Del Toro and Silverstone. Thankfully, that twitchy uneasiness is part of his character. The rest of the characters are real characters , mostly on account of their actors committing too much to the part. Reptile will likely fall into the pantheon of semi-forgettable Netflix originals. I can’t say that’s a shame because the movie doesn’t do a lot to make a case for its existence in my memory outside of a few questionable choices. But when compared to the other forgotten content, it’s a cut above. 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

2025 Golden Globes Awards Predictions January 4, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen The new Golden Globes are back! Last year’s rebranded show may have been a trainwreck, but the actual winners and nominees were incredibly accurate to the overall awards race. It essentially shut down all the doubters of the Globes’ influence. Because of this reform, we really only have one year’s worth of data to use as precedent for this year’s predictions. In preparation for the show this Sunday, I'm predicting the winners in each category. Each of the nominees is ranked in terms of their likelihood to come out on top. Some of the categories have a significant divide between the top and runner-up spots and some categories are neck-and-neck. No matter how the results shake out, we should all be in for an exciting night that kicks off the next phase of the awards season. Best Motion Picture - Drama The Brutalist Conclave A Complete Unknown Dune: Part Two Nickel Boys September 5 This category gets whittled down pretty quickly once you consider that this is the only category representing Nickel Boys and September 5 , and Dune: Part Two is also only to be found in Best Original Score. A Complete Unknown is a medium contender at best, which leaves Conclave and The Brutalist to duke it out. I’m going with The Brutalist for its higher critics' scores and grandiosity. But this decision will be swimming through my head every minute until that envelope is opened. Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy Emilia Pérez Anora Wicked The Substance A Real Pain Challengers You don’t rack up ten total nominations (the most ever for a film in this category) and not be the favorite to win the ultimate prize. Emilia Pérez also hasn’t stumbled once throughout the entire season, making it nearly impossible to bet against it. However, the same can pretty much be said for Anora , so the door is still slightly open for an upset. Best Director Brady Corbet (The Brutalist) Jacques Audiard (Emilia Pérez) Edward Berger (Conclave) Coralie Fargeat (The Substance) Sean Baker (Anora) Payal Kapadia (All We Imagine as Light) With seemingly every other category being a toss-up, it’s to see to have one that feels like a virtual lock. You can’t talk about The Brutalist without heralding the work of Brady Corbet, a sentiment that’s worked in the past few years for people like Jane Campion ( The Power of the Dog ) and Christopher Nolan ( Oppenheimer ). I’d be incredibly shocked if anyone other than him ascended the stage. Best Screenplay Conclave (Peter Straughn) Anora (Sean Baker) A Real Pain (Jesse Eisenberg) The Brutalist (Brady Corbet & Mona Fastvold) The Substance (Coralie Fargeat) Emilia Pérez (Jacques Audiard) This category is already the hardest to predict the nominees for as you can only fit six out of the 12-15 that are vying for the two categories at the Oscars. Now it’s even tougher as only one can win. The momentum seems to be with Conclave at this point in the season, although Anora would probably be the betting favorite. Best Lead Actor - Drama Timothée Chalamet (A Complete Unknown) Adrien Brody (The Brutalist) Ralph Fiennes (Conclave) Colman Domingo (Sing Sing) Daniel Craig (Queer) Sebastian Stan (The Apprentice) Is this the moment Timothée Chalamet is finally anointed as the star of the next generation? I think so. The buzz for his performance and public persona for A Complete Unknown has been nothing short of electric during the voting window, and he’s earned enough respect within the industry over the years. Adrien Brody could just as easily get the win, so it’s still a very close race. Best Lead Actress - Drama Angelina Jolie (Maria) Fernanda Torrest (I'm Still Here) Nicole Kidman (Babygirl) Kate Winslet (Lee) Tilda Swinton (The Room Next Door) Pamela Anderson (The Last Showgirl) With most of the Oscar contenders over in Musical or Comedy, this category feels a little light on surefire bets. I’ve been inching closer to picking Fernanda Torres as an upset, but I just can’t quite pull the trigger over Angelina Jolie. I’ll probably look back on that decision and wonder why I was so blind. There’s also the possibility of 20-time nominee Nicole Kidman or 14-time nominee Kate Winslet getting the win. Best Lead Actor - Musical or Comedy Jesse Eisenberg (A Real Pain) Glen Powell (Hit Man) Hugh Grant (Heretic) Sebastian Stan (A Different Man) Jesse Plemons (Kinds of Kindness) Gabriel LaBelle (Saturday Night) It’s a relatively crowded and Oscar-less field compared to previous years. The nominee with the most overall support is Jesse Eisenberg. But then Hugh Grant is the most likely Oscar nominee of this bunch, and Glen Powell is the kind of breakout star that this group loves to reward. I’ll stick with the acclaim that Eisenberg has been getting, and treat this award as a summation for all the work he did on A Real Pain . Best Lead Actress - Musical or Comedy Karla Sofía Gascón (Emilia Pérez) Mikey Madison (Anora) Cynthia Erivo (Wicked) Demi Moore (The Substance) Zendaya (Challengers) Amy Adams (Nightbitch) The law of these Musical or Comedy acting categories is to always bet on the actor/actress with the best chance of being Oscar-nominated, as there’s usually only 1-2 here. That logic kind of breaks this year as we have four women with a realistic chance of being Oscar-nominated, so take your pick and understand that you’re more likely to be wrong than right. I’m going with Gascón based on her win at the European Film Awards and her ability to make history in this category. Best Supporting Actor Kieran Culkin (A Real Pain) Guy Pearce (The Brutalist) Edward Norton (A Complete Unknown) Denzel Washington (Gladiator II) Yura Borisov (Anora) Jeremy Strong (The Apprentice) Culkin has been the sweeper of the season, racking up notable wins at each of the major critics’ groups (NYFCC, LAFCA, NBR). It would feel foolish to predict that train will derail now, especially with him coming into this specific show as the reigning victor of the award for Best Actor – Television Series Drama. Best Supporting Actress Zoë Saldaña (Emilia Pérez) Ariana Grande (Wicked) Isabelle Rossellini (Conclave) Margaret Qualley (The Substance) Selena Gomez (Emilia Pérez) Felicity Jones (The Brutalist) Flip a coin between Saldaña and Grande and you’d have as much confidence as I do. For the past several months I’ve been feeling very confident about Saldaña’s chances to sweep the season. But Grande’s rapid ascendancy has made that a difficult sentiment to maintain. Even if I still think Saldaña will win the Oscar when all is said and done, Grande winning the Globe would be a realistic bump in the road. Best Foreign Language Film Emilia Pérez (France) All We Imagine as Light (India) I'm Still Here (Brazil) The Seed of the Sacred Fig (Iran) The Girl with the Needle (Denmark) Vermiglio (Italy) Last year, half of the nominees also appeared in the Best Motion Picture - Drama category, making it incredibly difficult to decide which film had the most reliable competitive advantage. This year feels a lot more clear with Emilia Pérez pulling in ten total nominations (the most for a musical or comedy). But this category also loves curveballs, like in 2023 when the film with the lowest odds, Argentina, 1985 , pulled off the upset and beat RRR and All Quiet on the Western Front . Does the acting nomination for Fernanda Torres spell something for I’m Still Here ? Best Animated Feature Film The Wild Robot Flow Inside Out 2 Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl Memoir of a Snail Moana 2 Flow has been overperforming at the regional critics’ awards so far, so this is not an open-and-shut case for The Wild Robot like we originally thought a few weeks ago. I still don’t have much reason to doubt The Wild Robot , but the win relatively unexpected win for The Boy and the Heron last year does make me wonder if we’re in for a pretty big surprise. Best Original Score The Brutalist (Daniel Blumberg) Conclave (Volker Bertelmann) Emilia Pérez (Camille & Clément Ducol) Challengers (Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross) Dune: Part Two (Hans Zimmer) The Wild Robot (Kris Bowers) Volker Bertelmann may have won the Oscar for All Quiet on the Western Front a few years ago, but the Globes did not nominate him. This could be the moment they give him the overdue win for Conclave . I’m still going to stick with Daniel Blumberg’s thunderous score for The Brutalist , which has been one of the most acclaimed aspects of the film. Best Original Song El Mal (Emilia Pérez) Mi Camino (Emilia Pérez) Kiss the Sky (The Wild Robot) Beautiful That Way (The Last Showgirl) Forbidden Road (Better Man) Compress/Repress (Challengers) “El Mal” and “Mi Camino” have been joined at the hip during the nomination phase of the season, and now it’s time to see which one is actually going to win. I’m leaning towards “El Mal” since it is the standout musical sequence of the film that’s been featured in the marketing. And despite having seen the film twice, I struggle to recollect “Mi Camino.” Could something like “Kiss the Sky” or “Beautiful That Way” split the difference and pull off an upset? I wouldn’t be too surprised if that happened. Cinematic and Box Office Achievement Wicked Deadpool & Wolverine Inside Out 2 Gladiator II Beetlejuice Beetlejuice The Wild Robot Twisters Alien: Romulus We’ve only got one year’s worth of precedent for this category, although this year seems a little easier due to the lack of a true Barbenheimer phenomenon. Barbie was last year’s winner, an enormous hit both critically and culturally. Being that it’s one of these films to have a nomination in the Best Motion Picture categories, Wicked seems to fit that mold the closest this year. 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

Polite Society April 18, 2023 By: Button Hunter Friesen Polite Society screened at the 2023 Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Film Festival. Focus Features will release it in theaters on April 28. With its chapter structure and font, mariachi-infused soundtrack, and kung-fu action sequences, it’s easy to see the influence of Quentin Tarantino all over writer/director Nida Manzoor’s feature debut Polite Society , which is making its way into theaters after the world premiere at this past January’s Sundance Film Festival. Of course, Mr. QT doesn’t have a monopoly on those stylings, but there’s about as much Kill Bill here as there was in the actual Kill Bill . The Bride in this case is Ria Khan, a British-Pakistani teenager who has dreams of becoming the world’s greatest stunt woman. With her parents and everyone else expecting her to be the stereotypical middle eastern doctor, Ria’s only supporter comes in the form of her sister Lena, who’s losing ground on her dream of being an artist. It’s always been the two of them against the world, making it that much tougher when Lena becomes smitten with the pretty boy son of a family friend. But can this love actually be real? Ria doesn’t think so, as someone as intelligent and creative as Lena would never give up on their dreams for a man. But this man is also a pediatric geneticist, an Olympic-level athlete, and a world-class charmer, so it’s not that far-fetched for any woman to be interested in him. All those perfect qualities only further bolster Ria’s defiant stance, and it seems that it'll be up to her alone to stop the impending marriage. Ria’s Ocean’s Eleven- sized plan leads to many hilarious hijinks, including her breaking into a mansion like a ninja and donning a fake mustache in the men’s locker room. It’s all infectiously fun, boosted by the overwhelming sense of sisterly affection and womanhood that Manzoor includes within her script. Things grind to a halt for a while during the middle portions as Ria endlessly yells “You have to believe me!” (how many times have we heard that one before?) to everyone that can’t understand why she isn’t happy about her sister’s marriage. The antics only get crazier as time goes on, with wirework stunts and zippy editing by Robbie Morrison propelling the chaotic nature of the situation. The action set pieces are Street Fighter meets Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon , with a sprinkling of comedic wit. Priya Kansara, who, like Mansoor, is also making her feature debut, is a triumph in the central role. She has a wide-eyed wit about her, heightening any scene no matter the requirement. Polite Society is an impressive debut from all those involved, as it’s only slightly undone by minor problems that are symptoms of its ambitions. It’s both a takedown and love letter to the works of Jane Austen, making a delectable time out of having its cake and eating it too. 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

Stars at Noon June 1, 2022 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

Novocaine March 8, 2025 By: Button Hunter Friesen Whether we like it or not (“masochist” is the word of the day), pain serves an essential purpose in our lives. Those unpleasant pangs are a survival mechanism our bodies use to keep us away from all the harmful things the world throws at us. Everyone can remember the first time they placed their hand on the stove as a kid, and those feelings ensured we never did it again. But what if pain didn’t exist? At first, we’d all jump at the chance to feel like Superman, taking all those horrible things that used to hurt us in stride. However, one only has to gaze over at David Cronenberg’s 2022 film Crimes of the Future to know that a world without pain is one without guardrails. In Cronenberg’s dystopian tale, people openly perform surgery on themselves, splice organs for art, and attempt to morph themselves into a new level of evolution. It’s nearly impossible for anyone to know when they’ve gone too far when all the warnings have been shut off. In Novocaine , Nathan Caine (Jack Quaid) has CIPA (Congenital Insensitivity to Pain with Anhidrosis) a rare genetic disorder where he is incapable of feeling pain or temperature. He lives his mild-mannered life as a bank manager with the utmost safety. Tennis balls are on every corner he could bump into, and all of his digestive needs are met through smoothies as solid foods could lead him to bite his tongue off. It’s these early moments where Lars Jacobson’s script illustrates that it has more on its mind than just the silly antics that the trailers solely focused on. Studies have shown that most people with CIPA don’t live past thirty, and their quality of life is quite poor on account of the increased anxiety that they endure. It can lead a person to become a hermit, shielding themselves from everything in an attempt to see another day. Like any twentysomething guy who spends almost all of his free time playing video games, the thing that gets him to come out of his shell is a girl. Sherry (Amber Midthunder) is one of the tellers at the bank Nathan works at, and she takes an interest in his awkward personality and odd case. But just as things are about to get serious between the pair, the bank is robbed and Sherry is taken as a hostage. Fearing that he’s going lose the one good thing that’s ever happened to him in his miserable life, Nathan becomes a vigilante, using his condition for his own benefit. From this point, all those injuries that Nathan’s spent his whole life avoiding become the punch-line to the wall-to-wall set pieces. While Cronenberg made a body horror feature, directing duo Dan Berk and Robert Olsen have made a body comedy feature. At one point during a brawl in a kitchen with one of the robbers, a gun falls into a deep fryer. Sensing that he’s got no other option, Nathan plunges his hand into the oil and grabs the gun. He later gets impaled with a crossbow bolt, which is treated more as a minor annoyance than a serious injury. These gags are all well executed, even if they become entirely repetitive the more we progress through the story. Quaid is a capable lead, recently being promoted from television and supporting roles. His comedic sense makes up for a lot of the dead weight his costars pack on, which includes punchable crooks, Jacob Batalon in his signature role as the best friend to the hero, and cops that are getting too old for this shit. This probably could have been a streaming movie, but then you’d be robbed of all the communal laughing and squirming to all the mishaps, which is worth just enough to cover the admission price. 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

Priscilla November 2, 2023 By: Button Hunter Friesen What’s most evident about Sofia Coppola’s Priscilla is how much it is the antithesis of Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis from last year. The Australian showman’s authorized propaganda piece (I don’t mean that as derisively as it sounds, all biopics are propaganda to some degree) lit up the marquee signs at the multiplexes thanks to its bright cinematography, fast-paced editing, and roaring soundtrack. Coppola’s film will subsist within arthouses and the back of the multiplexes as she trades all that in for a somber mood, silence so deafening that a you could hear a pin drop, and a soundtrack so devoid of Elvis hits that you would think he was a one-hit wonder. Of course, as per the title, Coppola shifts away from The King and examines the woman who constantly lived in his shadow, someone who only got one scene in Luhrmann’s rendition (and looked about twice as old as she was supposed to be). Actually, scratch all that. The most evident thing about Priscilla is the star-in-the-making presence of Cailee Spaeny, a growing sentiment considering her Best Actress win at this year’s Venice Film Festival. She’d been relegated to playing the younger versions of lead characters to this point: young Lynne Cheney in Vice , the daughter of Ruth Bader Ginsburg in On the Basis of Sex , and young Eleanor Roosevelt seen only in flashbacks in The First Lady . She is technically playing the younger version of a real person here, but this time the focus is entirely on her. That expanded canvas allows her to spread her wings, showcasing an immense talent to hold your attention and convincingly play across an elongated timeline. We first meet Priscilla Beaulieu in Germany circa 1959. Her father has been stationed at the local Army base, making her the loneliest American in all of Bavaria. Just like it were a fairy tale, the sad girl gets her wish when an Army captain asks her to come along and meet Elvis Presley, who’s also been stationed abroad. He’s undeniable, a beaming example of Americana that seems to have leapt off the posters to fulfill her wildest fantasies. He’s ecstatic to bring her into his world, and she’s naively happy to go along for the ride. Quickly comes a move to Graceland, marriage, a child, and the duties of being a reliable homemaker to the most desirable man in the world. Coppola’s film is at its best in the beginning as she explores the morally questionable inception of the couple’s relationship. She was 14 and he was 24, but Elvis was always kind and courteous, and she was emotionally mature for her age. Despite their initial hesitations, her parents consented to their star-crossed union. Coppola doesn’t heavily lean to one side or the other, instead offering evidence for both camps. There are moments of both intentional and unintentional grooming on the part of Elvis, as well as Priscilla imprudently rushing in without understanding what she’s signing up for. What’s less interesting about Priscilla is what happens once the dust settles. Graceland quickly morphs from a luxurious palace into a gilded cage where Priscilla is forced to spend her most youthful days. She’s not allowed to leave the compound without supervision, and also not allowed to bring anyone in. It’s a more subdued version of Pablo Larraín’s duology (soon to be trilogy) of Jackie and Spencer as Priscilla is a prisoner in a dream, caught in a cycle that doesn’t become more impactful despite Coppola’s insistence on keeping it on loop. That lack of energy is almost a winking joke on Coppola’s part as she takes one of the most charismatic men in entertainment history and reveals him to be a scared child doing his best to masquerade as an adult. Jacob Elordi sees Elvis as someone who always wants to stay in control, but never does anything of value to maintain it. He’s lucky that his looks and sphere of influence do all the work for him. Fantasy slowly catching up to reality is often a theme of Sofia Coppola’s filmography and, along with Marie Antoinette , this is one of its most clear historical instances. It’s the more authentic version of the story Luhrmann avoided telling, although it is missing some much-needed spectacle that he could have shared. At the very least, Spaeny should join the ranks of Kirsten Dunst, Scarlett Johansson, and Elle Fanning, all of whom Coppola announced to the world through her work. 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

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”. In order 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 has the ability to both write and speak. Lionel dubs the creature the name Mr. Link, playing off of 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 venture into unexplored areas within the world and within themselves. 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 kid's 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 tended 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 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 that 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. 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

Shirley March 16, 2024 By: Button Hunter Friesen There are 435 members of The United States of Representatives. In 1968, only 11 were women, 5 were black, and none were black women. It’s a sobering fact that opens writer/director John Ridley’s biopic of Shirley Chisholm, who was the first person to break the barrier of entry for black women in Congress. The very next scene sees her standing in a sea of middle-aged white men as they’re gathered for the freshman congresspeople class photo. Except it’s glaringly obvious that the capital background is a greenscreen (a very shoddy one), and everything is overlit and washed out. And that scene gets repeated throughout the next two hours: good intentions canceled out by poor filmmaking and an overly basic approach to one of the most interesting political figures of the twentieth century. To give credit where it is due, Ridley doesn’t give us the clichéd knee-deep full breadth of Shirley’s life, instead focusing on her 1972 campaign for the presidency, the first undertaken by a black candidate as part of a major party. Throughout the eighteen months leading up to the Democratic Party primary, Shirley campaigned as part of the working class, free of the political strings and corporate greed that perpetually hamper the democratic process. Regina King is electric throughout her several campaign stops, supplying the necessary fire to convey Shirley’s trailblazing nature. She’s a person who hates the word “can’t” and never backs down from a fight. From her personality, we get a glimpse of who she was as a politician and what she may have accomplished. Ridley doesn’t bother with those details, although it would have been nice to learn a little more since her presidential campaign hardly tells the whole story. Vague biopics have gotten by before, mostly because they had the personality to fill in the gaps. The recent duology of Jackie and Spencer by Pablo Larraín, I’m Not There , and The End of the Tour would fit under this category. Ridley semi-accomplished this with his 2013 Jimi Hendrix biopic Jimi: All Is by My Side , offering an under-the-hood inspection of Hendrix before his superstardom. Shirley ditches all that to be as palatable as possible, complete with politicians made so cartoonishly prejudiced that they’re lined up like bowling pins for King to knock down in an Oscar clip. Sure, Chisholm definitely faced stiff opposition from unsavory figures (a.k.a. white men), but seeing it here so sanitized takes away from the reality of the situation. King is at least surrounded by a decent supporting cast, most notably Lance Reddick in one of his final roles as Shirley's longtime advisor Mac Holder. Michael Cherrie surprises Shirley’s longtime husband Conrad. But then there’s also Terrence Howard and Lucas Hedges in wasted roles that offer them little to do. “Better get it used and cheap” is what Shirley tells Conrad when he says he needs a new camera. It’s a nice and tidy bit of writing from Ridley, yet it seems he took it to heart and used it as his mantra for the entire production. With Ridley’s Oscar-winning skills as a writer and Netflix’s deep pockets, it’s deeply disappointing that neither of them could muster up what Shirley Chisholm deserved. 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

Anatomy of a Fall May 26, 2023 By: Button Hunter Friesen Anatomy of a Fall had its World Premiere at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival. Neon will release it in theaters on October 13. An 11-year-old boy named Daniel (Milo Machado Graner) decides to take his dog Snoop for a walk while his parent’s marriage is crumbling in real-time. The family is currently living near the top of the French Alps at the insistence of the husband, far away from anything or anyone. Daniel is legally blind but is still able to get by on his acute hearing and memory. At the end of the walk Snoop bolts for something on the ground, and as the ever-loyal companion that he is, barks to signal Daniel over to investigate. As Daniel feels around he begins to process the reality that the object between his hands and the snow is the lifeless body of his father Samuel (Samuel Theis). Blood begins to stain his hands, as his father’s fatal head wound continues to gush. The cause of death is quite apparent, but how it happened is still a mystery. A suicide by jumping out the top window? An accidental death because of the loose railing on the balcony? Or did the only other person in the house, the embittered wife Sandra (Sandra Hüller), murder her husband? A pile of clues, coincidences, and conjectures point to all three options being a possibility. “I’m innocent. You know that, right?” asks Sandra to Daniel as she’s just about to go on trial. Daniel wants to believe his mother, but at this point, there’s just enough evidence to push him beyond a reasonable doubt. Writer/director Justine Triet, proving that sophomore slump can work in reverse after the so-so response to her 2019 Cannes debut Sibyl , puts us in the same boat as Daniel. The whole puzzle is never revealed, nor are the pieces the same size for each character or audience member. Sometimes pieces change because of new information, and sometimes they change because people want them to, such as the lawyer assigned against Sandra who’s goal is to twist everything she has to stay into a conviction. Triet and co-writer Arthur Harari (also her partner) pack an HBO prestige miniseries into 150 minutes. The twists and turns come without the thrills one would usually expect from the procedural genre, and they can sometimes be a bit circular and used for runtime padding, but they still pack the emotional and physical effect that they should. While not as arty as other recent French courtroom dramas like Saint Omer and The Goldman Case (featuring Harari as a lawyer), the balance here between authentic and theatrical is a breath of fresh air when compared to the by-the-numbers conventions within American film and television. Similar to Park Chan-wook’s Decision to Leave , also birthed at Cannes and featuring an investigation surrounding a woman accused of pushing her husband to her death, Anatomy of a Fall is not just a trial over murder, it’s a trial over a relationship. Between the recordings Samuel had on his laptop of their arguments and the testimony of those who knew them, Sandra and Samuel’s entire history is placed upon the public for all to scrutinize. Sandra knows her truth about their time together, but it seems no one else shares her viewpoint. Hüller is astonishing in her calmness, commanding the English, French, and German language. She’s this year’s Cate Blanchett in Tár or Kristen Stewart in Spencer , a one-woman show that hedges all its bets on its star. Along with her radically different work in Jonathan Glazer’s The Zone of Interest , expect Hüller to be the critics’ pick in this year’s Oscar race. Even for all the goods it displays, Anatomy of a Fall still doesn’t have that je ne sais quoi that makes it the top-tier great movie it should be. No matter, as those current indescribable bugs may become features to me at a later date. Just as it does to Sandra, the ultimate truth that’s always been right in front of you may not reveal itself until you’re ready to face it. 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