Captain Marvel March 14, 2019 By: Button Hunter Friesen Marking the twenty-first chapter in the ever-expanding Marvel Cinematic Universe, Captain Marvel has finally bowed out in theatres after a mountain of hype had built up for close to a year. Much like Black Panther was the first MCU film to feature a predominantly black cast, Captain Marvel is the first film to feature a female as the lead character. But unlike the huge critical success and cultural movement that the former was, Captain Marvel disappoints on both levels of filmmaking and fan service. What should be an enjoyable and inspirational tale ends up being a tepid blockbuster that sorely lacks in the areas that have made the Marvel brand so entertainingly great. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z1BCujX3pw8 Captain Marvel is directed by partners Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, who have previously worked on smaller indie films, most notably Half Nelson . Now with a budget of $152 million, the lack of experience that the pair have with tentpole films glaringly shows. Many of the action scenes are by the numbers as they devolve into a series of quick camera cuts and choppy editing. Not helping the action is the computer and the practical effects. Apart from the de-aging of Samuel L. Jackson, which looks incredible, the visuals look a bit outdated, almost like the film was made ten years ago. To recreate the feel of the 1990s setting, Boden and Fleck rely heavily on nostalgic product placements and callbacks. Blockbuster Video, internet cafes, pagers, and an endless line of fashionable toys are paraded throughout the film to try to get a response from the audience. It reminded me of the same shallow technique that was used to death in Ready Player One, where inessential references are repeatedly made instead of constructive jokes. Probably the biggest problem with Captain Marvel is the incoherent and bland story that offers the audience little to care about. Right away, the film introduces the conflict between the Kree and the Skrull, two factions who have been at war for eternity. Basic facts are given, such as a roster of important characters, but other relevant information, such as the war’s importance and purpose, is left out. Even as the conflict gradually becomes the main part of the narrative, these necessary explanations are never touched on. This lack of information strips the film of any real stakes within the MCU. Not that low stakes is an outright bad thing. Ant-Man has next to no overall effect on the other films within the universe. But the franchise still works anyway, as it makes you care about its great characters. That central quality is also missing from Captain Marvel , which is surprising considering both Boden and Fleck have built their careers on their prowess for layered human drama. Despite being her origin story, the character of Captain Marvel turns out to be the least interesting person in the film. Her storyline is quite straightforward and consists of a lot of on-the-nose messaging that feels shoehorned in. Tonally, this film falls in line with the rest of the MCU. Comedy is mixed in with drama, but not as seamlessly as you would expect. Many of the jokes don’t land or feel too forced into awkward positions. A disappointing feeling repeatedly panged me every time a pivotal scene was undercut by a joke that really didn’t work. Brie Larson does a thoroughly average job as the titular hero. Her performance contains scant amounts of energy, which can partly be blamed on the lackluster script she had to work with. Fortunately, Larson does show a ton of confidence and a knack for comedic timing in her limited number of quality scenes Samuel L. Jackson is great as Nick Fury, who at the moment is only an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. He brings his usual boisterous flair to the role and is able to make up for the downbeat energy exuded by the rest of the cast. Jude Law, Ben Mendelsohn, and Annette Bening fill out the rest of the supporting cast. Each one of them does a fine job, but these roles are hardly anything compared to the other work they have done. Is Captain Marvel a good movie? No. Is it a bad movie? Also no. This is an average film that comes and goes while doing everything you expect and nothing more. In the grand scheme of things, this film is just a quick jolt of superhero energy to keep audiences satisfied until Avengers: Endgame. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures will release Captain Marvel in theaters nationwide on March 08th. More Reviews Primetime September 22, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Unabomber September 24, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Look Back September 16, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Elsinore September 14, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Hunter Friesen

Good Fortune October 12, 2025 By: Button Hunter Friesen Ariana Grande sang that, “Whoever said money can't solve your problems must not have had enough money to solve 'em.” The world is increasingly becoming a place of the haves and have-nots. The rich keep getting richer, and the poor keep getting poorer. No amount of rolled-up sleeves and picking yourself up by the bootstraps can solve that inequity. That is, unless an angel comes down from heaven and allows you to switch lives with a rich person. Then you’d be able to leave behind the hustle and grind of your old, painful life and live out your days as someone who can literally do whatever they want and never ponder how much it costs. This is the central concept of Good Fortune , comedian/actor Aziz Ansari’s feature debut as both screenwriter and director. It will literally take an act of divine intervention to get his character, Arj, off the metaphorical hamster wheel that he’s been on ever since he joined the gig economy. He drives up and down Los Angeles, delivering food through the Foodster app, dealing with equally frustrated restaurant staff and ungrateful customers who never leave a tip. His car is also his home, and the local gym locker room is his bathroom. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKWndx83RwQ Arj enters into a It’s a Wonderful Life kind of deal with the angel Gabriel (Keanu Reeves) when he realizes that he has nothing left to live for. Gabriel is the guardian angel for texting and driving, offering people that sixth sense to alert them when they’re swerving out of their lane or a pedestrian is about to cross in front of them. It’s not showy work, especially when the other angels brag about all the adventures they’ve been on, inspiring mortals to see the error of their ways and cherish life. Seeing Arj as an opportunity to better both of their situations, Gabriel decides to teach him a lesson by showing him that money doesn’t buy happiness. So he switches Arj’s life with that of Jeff’s (Seth Rogen), a private equity tech billionaire who got his “humble” beginnings from a multi-million dollar investment by his parents. Contrary to George Bailey, Arj sees absolutely no downside to his new life. He never wants to go back, which is kind of a problem since he has to consent to that for this experiment to end. And who could blame him? Ansari gets a lot of laughs out of exposing the fallacy of the long-held beliefs that the poor only have themselves to blame and that it's selfish to think materialistically. Jeff was rich because he was born into it, and, despite all his bragging, there’s nothing he can do to rise back up to that level. The central trio all display their comedic chops, with Ansari really leaning on the Reeves’ memeified energy at every turn. His happy-go-lucky demeanor is the highest it's ever been, and his delivery has never been this stilted, something that the later John Wick movies embraced for all its campy glory. He discovers hamburgers and chicken nuggets for the first time, eventually working down to cigarettes and marijuana. For all its humor, none of this rings as insightful. Every talking point has been exhausted, and every experience has been felt. There’s a divide between this film strictly being a goofy comedy and a moralistic lesson on appreciating what you have. Everything resolves itself almost offensively too easily, not reflecting the trickiness of the situation it sets up. Keke Palmer plays Elena, who's trying to organize a union at the big-box hardware store she works at. Her role is to deliver speeches to Arj about seeing the silver lining to the struggle, as that’s what gives people their identity. But if I had to choose between my comedy not having a substantive narrative or not being funny, I’d definitely choose the former. I’d like not to have to choose, but such is the situation with Good Fortune . It’s ninety-eight minutes long, has plenty of jokes, and displays enough confidence from Ansari as a writer/director that I’m eagerly anticipating what he does next. For that, I’ll say a quick prayer of thanks. Lionsgate will release Good Fortune in theaters nationwide on October 17th. More Reviews Primetime September 22, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Unabomber September 24, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Look Back September 16, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Elsinore September 14, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Hunter Friesen

April April 25, 2025 By: Button Hunter Friesen April opens in a black void. A faceless and mangled woman wanders around in knee-high water for a few minutes in a removed static shot. What exactly we're looking at and what she's doing is a complete mystery. It then cuts to the ground level of a rainstorm for another few minutes, the droplets and whistling wind emulating what we've come to expect from those white noise machines. But then, suddenly, we're watching a live birth take place from God's vantage point. This wasn't purely staged for the movie; this is the beginning of life in all of its agony and ecstasy. The film was written and directed by Dea Kulumbegashvili, a Georgian (the country, not the deep-fried American state) filmmaker whose masterful debut film Beginning was unfairly kept in the shadows simply because of the fact that it was released in 2020. The film was placed in the First Features category as part of that year's Cannes Film Festival Official Selection, and gained a huge fan in Luca Guadagnino, who headed the jury at the San Sebastián International Film Festival and bestowed the film with a record number of prizes, taking home Best Film, Best Director, Best Screenplay, and Best Actress. Guadagnino serves as a producer for April , which looks and feels like a natural leveling up of Kulumbegashvili's instincts as an artist. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VoDP_xZ4ftk Presiding over that opening birth is Nina (Ia Sukhitashvili, reuniting with Kulumbegashvili), an OB-GYN who must put together the messes she inherits despite the limited resources allowed to her in the village. It turns out the pregnancy was never registered, which means neither Nina nor any of her colleagues were given the chance to find out that the lungs of the fetus were underdeveloped. The father makes accusations of malpractice against Nina, the prying eyes threatening to uncover the abortions she secretly performs in the village for girls who need them. From a legal standpoint, abortion is allowed in Georgia up to twelve weeks into the pregnancy. However, the ultra-conservative Orthodox Christian views shared by the large majority of the country's population make that right all but naught. Clinics can (and almost always do) refuse to operate because of their beliefs, and any connection a person may have to it is enough to have them ostracized from the already confined communities. Viewers of Vera Drake back in 2004 may have been able to assuage themselves that the harrowing events took place in the 1950s before The 1967 Act made abortion legally protected in the United Kingdom. No such relief comes from within April, with the hostility towards women being felt in every frame. Each of those frames is expertly crafted by Kulumbegashvili and cinematographer Arseni Khachaturan. They are unbroken and still, lasting for several minutes and often blocking someone or something out of the frame. When Nina performs an abortion in the village for a teenage girl, we watch her from the girl's knees down as she writhes on the kitchen table from the pain. The boxed-in and closed-off nature of all these proceedings keeps both Nina and us isolated as to what is fully happening in this part of the world. Between the unsettling abstract visuals at the beginning of the film and the brutal real-life truths about bodily autonomy, this is one of the most bone-chilling films of the year. Sukhitashvili is an actress tailor-made to appear in films by Béla Tarr and Michael Haneke, her control of bleak stillness being unparalleled. Whether the camera is far away or a few inches from her face, Kulumbegashvili trusts her at every turn. Nina's past is kept in the dark; the few breadcrumbs we get here and there hint at romantic and professional trauma. Even as she tries to do the right thing, society makes her feel as if she's making things worse. Nowadays, almost every movie that brags that it needs to be seen in theaters is filled with extravagant visual effects and booming sound effects. The beauty of the cinema is not just in the sheer size of the speakers and screen, but the opportunity it gives us to break away from our world and be transported to a different one. This is the kind of movie where one of the top Letterboxd reviews states, "I fell asleep, and when I woke up it was still the same shot." Absolute patience and concentration are a prerequisite, with any glances at your phone or minor distractions at home stripping away the spellbinding effect Kulumbegashvili has crafted. Metrograph Pictures will release April in select theaters on April 25th. More Reviews Primetime September 22, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Unabomber September 24, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Look Back September 16, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Elsinore September 14, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Hunter Friesen

Sundance 2023 Preview January 19, 2023 By: Hunter Friesen After months of Oscar movies from leading auteurs, the Sundance Film Festival offers a nice break to discover some of the brightest talent of the future. The festival has also been one of the most accessible since the start of the pandemic, with the entire 2021 and 2022 lineups being available online throughout the world. Unfortunately, that amount of openness is being slightly pulled back for the 2023 edition, with some of the "bigger" films being in-person only. No matter, there are still plenty of exciting films that I plan to catch as part of the online platform from January 24-29. You can read about each one below, and pay attention to this site for reviews and other coverage. *Descriptions and images for all films supplied by the Sundance Film Festival program* Bad Behaviour Lucy (Jennifer Connelly) seeks enlightenment. The former child actress makes a pilgrimage to join her guru, Elon Bello (Ben Whishaw), for a silent retreat at a beautiful mountain resort with a Tesla-crammed parking lot. Before she shuts off her phone to the world, Lucy reaches out to her daughter, Dylan — a stunt person training for a dangerous fight scene — to interrupt her concentration and announce that she will be unavailable and out of range, and that she is very worried about her, and that she might extend her stay. It is codependent, bad behavior. When a young model/DJ/influencer at the retreat is paired up with Lucy to do a mother/daughter role-playing exercise, hellfire stokes Lucy’s bad behavior to an astonishing low. Run Rabbit Run Fertility doctor Sarah begins her beloved daughter Mia’s seventh birthday expecting nothing amiss. But as an ominous wind swirls in, Sarah’s carefully controlled world begins to alter. Mia begins behaving oddly and a rabbit appears outside their front door — a mysterious birthday gift that delights Mia but seems to deeply disconcert Sarah. As days pass, Mia becomes increasingly not herself, demanding to see Sarah’s long-estranged, hospitalized mother (the grandmother she’s never met before) and fraying Sarah’s nerves as the child’s bizarre tantrums begin to point her toward Sarah’s own dark history. As a ghost from her past re-enters Sarah’s life, she struggles to cling to her distant young daughter. Magazine Dreams Killian Maddox (Jonathan majors) lives with his ailing veteran grandfather, obsessively working out between court-mandated therapy appointments and part-time shifts at a grocery store where he harbors a crush on a friendly cashier. Though Killian’s struggles to read social cues and maintain control of his volatile temper amplify his sense of disconnection amid a hostile world, nothing deters him from his fiercely protected dream of bodybuilding superstardom, not even the doctors who warn that he’s causing permanent damage to his body with his quest. The Starling Girl Seventeen-year-old Jem Starling (Eliza Scanlen) struggles to define her place within her fundamentalist Christian community in rural Kentucky. Even her greatest joy — the church dance group — is tempered by worry that her love of dance is actually sinful, and she’s caught between a burgeoning awareness of her own sexuality and an instinctive resistance to her mom’s insistence that the time has come to begin courting. She finds respite from her confusion in the encouragement of her youth pastor Owen, who is likewise drawn to the blossoming Jem’s attention. Theater Camp As summer rolls around again, kids are gathering from all over to attend AdirondACTS, a scrappy theater camp in upstate New York that’s a haven for budding performers. After its indomitable founder Joan (Amy Sedaris) falls into a coma, her clueless “crypto-bro” son Troy (Jimmy Tatro) is tasked with keeping the thespian paradise running. With financial ruin looming, Troy must join forces with Amos (Ben Platt), Rebecca-Diane (Molly Gordon), and their band of eccentric teachers to come up with a solution before the curtain rises on opening night. Fair Play Hot off the heels of their new engagement, thriving New York couple Emily (Phoebe Dynevor) and Luke (Alden Ehrenreich) can’t get enough of each other. When a coveted promotion at a cutthroat financial firm arises, supportive exchanges between the lovers begin to sour into something more sinister. As the power dynamics irrevocably shift in their relationship, Luke and Emily must face the true price of success and the unnerving limits of ambition. Sometimes I Think About Dying Lost on the dreary Oregon coast, Fran (Daisy Ridley) wastes her daylight hours in the solitude of a cubicle, listening to the constant hum of officemates, occasionally daydreaming to pass the time. She is ghosting through life unable to pop her bubble of isolation. And then Robert starts up at the company. He is new to town and the dynamics of the office. He is a naturally friendly person who keeps trying to chat with Fran. Though it goes against every fiber of her being, she may have to give this guy a chance. Cat Person Margot (Emilia Jones), a college student working concessions at an art house theater, meets frequent filmgoer — and rather older local — Robert (Nicholas Braun), on the job. Flirtation across the counter evolves into continuous texting. As the two inch toward romance, shifts between them, awkward moments, red flags, and discomforts pile up. Margot feels both attached and reticent, as her gnawing hesitations blossom into vivid daydreams where Robert realizes his most threatening potential. As her distrust and uncertainty mount, an evening, their relationship, and possibly their lives unravel. More Reviews Primetime September 22, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Unabomber September 24, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Look Back September 16, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Elsinore September 14, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Hunter Friesen

Awards Update: Shortlists, Longlists, and Medium Odds December 18, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Welcome to an ongoing series where I cover the 2025/2026 awards season. On a regular basis, I will update my Oscar predictions, taking into account the new information that has been received since the last update. Full predictions in every category can be found on the Home and Awards page. The “sink or swim” mentality has been exemplified over these past few weeks with the onslaught of criticism and industry groups casting their influence on the Oscar race. Emotions between fandoms run high as prospects see-saw from day to day. Which snubs or surprises truly matter is always a tough question to answer, a symptom of the cramming of all these awards within such a narrow gap of time. But it is a rush like no other, and it’s all (mostly) in service of the best films of the year. Crashing down from its protracted high from last awards season is Wicked: For Good . In a stunning turn of events, the musical was unable to secure a nomination for Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy at the Golden Globes. Looking back at least fifty years (anything before then isn’t worth comparing), no musical that has been nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars has been snubbed by the Globes. It reminds me a lot of The Color Purple from a few years back. Like For Good , it had a lot of pedigree on paper, and even made a decent amount of appearances at other similarly timed precursor groups. But the reviews just weren’t up to standard, and everyone sensed that the dam was about to give. The saving grace for For Good is that since the expansion of Best Picture to a locked ten system, no film has received more than five nominations and not also gotten into Best Picture. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is the separating factor for that stat, as it received five nominations. I’m predicting an almost identical haul for For Good , so I think history will repeat itself and this sequel gets pushed out. Another blockbuster sequel that I’m kicking to the curb (at least for Best Picture) is Avatar: Fire and Ash . It’s always had the potential to suffer from “been there, done that” syndrome, especially now that the advantage of time is no longer on its side. All that could be countered if the film were good enough, which it isn’t. So, I’m making it a Visual Effects and Sound nominee, with it obviously winning the former category. After starting strong, Jay Kelly has dipped quite a bit. It couldn’t get in for Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy at the Golden Globes, nor did it make a few of the Oscar shortlists it was expected to hit. Starting peculiarly strong and maintaining that energy has been Bugonia , which I’m subbing into Best Picture for Jay Kelly . I expect Lanthimos’ film to play better at the BAFTAs. These films are interchangeable throughout the rest of the season, with PGA being the moment of sudden death. That leaves two open spots in Best Picture, which I’m currently filling with Train Dreams and The Secret Agent . It feels foolish to pick Neon to secure three films in Best Picture, having already theoretically secured a spot with It Was Just an Accident and Sentimental Value . However, The Secret Agent has had an impressive showing so far, and has much more passion behind it than many other films. Granted, its status as a critical darling gives it an advantage during this part of the season, which may not last once we start getting into the more mainstream televised awards. The path is brighter at this time, and I’d like to hop on that train before it’s too late. With the Globes and shortlists consolidating power near the top, I’m leaning on the top Best Picture contenders to nab any final slots in categories they’re not already heavyweights in. That means One Battle After Another is getting the final spot in Best Costume Design and Best Makeup & Hairstyling, and Sinners gets into Best Production Design. On Oscar nomination morning, I expect at least three to four films to walk away with double-digit nominations, with the potential for One Battle After Another to either tie or break the all-time nomination record. More Reviews Primetime September 22, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Unabomber September 24, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Look Back September 16, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Elsinore September 14, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen

Decision to Leave May 26, 2022 By: Button Hunter Friesen Phantom Thread meets Vertigo in Park Chan-wook’s deliciously twisted Decision to Leave . For many directors, that combination would come together as well as oil and water. But for the famed South Korean auteur, whose previous works of Oldboy and The Handmaiden (both awarded at Cannes, I predict this one will be as well) have exemplified his unparalleled ability to combine the traditional with the gonzo, it’s a heavenly pair that you immediately want more of. As the new hotshot detective within the Busan police force, Hae-jun (Park Hae-il) is brought in to solve a mysterious new murder case. A climber has fallen from the top of the local mountain, and a strangely coincidental set of clues hints that it may not have been an accident. The victim’s Chinese immigrant wife, Seo-rae (Tang Wei), is brought in for questioning, a move that jeopardizes everything as Hae-jun develops a sort of crush on her. Seo-rae seems to know more than she lets on, but Hae-jun’s judgment is clouded by love, putting him at odds with the mounting evidence against her and the rest of the detectives. What ensues is a dangerous game of cat and mouse where the intentions of the players are often hidden, but the danger is always present. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bmoy73lhs-s Just like every film in Chan-wook’s filmography, the direction, especially the camerawork and editing, is first-rate. It’s not uncommon for 360-degree twists, reversals, re-reversals, and smooth pans to take place in one continuous movement. One scene, in particular, is an entertainingly surreal set piece where the camera peers through the detective’s binoculars as he spies on a suspect, only for him to be transported to that location next to the person of interest. DP Kim Ji-yong (replacing regular cinematographer Chung-hoon Chung after he made the jump to Hollywood) loads each of his images with double (and sometimes triple) meanings, most notably present during a conversation scene in a stairwell. Though it always wears its film noir influences prominently on its sleeve, Decision to Leave is not merely a slave to the past. Chan-wook and frequent collaborator/co-writer Seo-kyeong Jeong inject the film with modern sensibilities. Smartphones, often the hindrance of many mystery films, are brilliantly employed. A language translating app is relied upon to bridge the gap between the two Hae-jun and Seo-rae, with subtle details sometimes being lost in translation. There are also delayed text messages and warped video/audio recordings that endlessly twist and turn the facts. You can sometimes feel lost while watching the film, as if you missed some important revelation that brings everything together. These are the moments where Chan-wook leans more on his Phantom Thread inspirations than his Hitchcockian ones. Much like Paul Thomas Anderson’s film, the characters within Decision to Leave can’t be tied down with simple explanations. Manipulation and intrigue are the names of the game, with the unspoken sexual tension tinging the edges of every scene. As the playfully dangerous duo, Hae-il and Wei are more than up to the task, with their unmatched chemistry doing wonders for the film’s emotional themes. Decision to Leave is often a paradox in itself. It’s classical, yet modern. Cold, yet sexy. Unsatisfying, yet enthralling. Luckily, it finds the near-perfect balance between all of those things, creating a wondrous genre exercise that must be seen to be wholly believed. This review was originally published from the world premiere at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival. Mubi will release Decision to Leave in select theaters on October 14th. More Reviews Primetime September 22, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Unabomber September 24, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Look Back September 16, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Elsinore September 14, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Hunter Friesen

Roofman October 6, 2025 By: Button Hunter Friesen How many McDonald's do you think you'd have to rob to afford a nice house, birthday presents for your kids, and a tidy nest egg for the future? Luckily, you don't have to answer that, because Jeffrey Manchester (Channing Tatum) already made that calculation for us. It turns out that forty-five robberies will do the trick, with the best success coming from cutting a hole through the roof. That's how he got his titular nickname and became a local celebrity during his spree from the late ‘90s and early 2000s. A prison guard once described Jeffrey as a "genius" and "complete idiot" in the same sentence. Both of those are true, with his methods and efficiency being unparalleled when it came to stealing money. But he's also a good guy, which is not an asset in this line of work. He never resorted to violence and even gave his coat to a McDonald's manager when he temporarily locked them in the freezer. He only decided to commit robberies after he was embarrassed by not being able to provide nice things for his wife and three children. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXecSGmQDEI It's that dichotomy between criminal mastermind and lovable loser that makes Manchester such an interesting character. It's just a tad disappointing that co-writer/director Derek Cianfrance - taking a major studio-sponsored detour after a string of harrowing indies like Blue Valentine and The Place Beyond the Pines - tends to commit a lot more resources to the latter. Sure, we've all been down on our luck a few times and fantasized about how robbing an unimportant place would solve a lot of problems. But we never go through with it. God forbid someone does do it, one minor robbery probably isn't enough to deem them a bad person. But forty-five robberies? At that point, I'd need a REALLY good explanation. Despite his knack for diving deep into the traumas and rationale of his characters, Cianfrance doesn't offer much of a reason for all this madness. Why was Jeffrey never able to land a steady job when he clearly has a strong set of skills and is well-liked by everyone he meets? Why didn't he stop robbing once he had enough money? These holes steadily grow into gaps the more the story progresses, with even more piled on once Jeffrey escapes from prison and hides in a Toys "R" Us for months. Yes, you read that right. For almost a year, Jeffrey hid in the backrooms of a Toys "R" Us, taking showers using the bathroom sink and subsisting on a diet of candy and baby food. It's there that he grew fond of Leigh Wainscott (Kirsten Dunst), a single mother of two teenage girls just trying to make ends meet. They strike up a relationship when he donates a bunch of toys to her church. Never mind that all those toys are stolen from the store she works at, and that Jeffrey has to lie about every personal detail under the guise that he's working for the government. Aiding Cianfrance's strategy to keep things lighter than they probably should be is Tatum’s pitch-perfect casting. He dances around the store at night, breaks a Tickle Me Elmo display when it almost gets him caught, and genuinely wants to be a positive influence on Leigh and her daughters. It's the question so many of Jeffrey's victims asked: How could such a good person be so lost? Dunst is wonderful as well, desperately turning off the rational part of her brain just so she can preserve something good that finally happened in her life. I may fault Roofman for being too much of a comedy, but I have to admit that it’s very smart about being extremely funny. Ben Mendelsohn and Uzo Aduba play a husband and wife preaching duo at the church, with them and the single women's prayer group welcoming Jeffrey into their flock with open arms. Doing all of these things at this register is not something I would have expected from Cianfrance, so it’s nice to see him stretch his wings a little. I wonder if he’d be interested in the story of William Scott Scurlock, "The Hollywood Bandit," who robbed nineteen banks in Seattle by wearing elaborate, Hollywood-quality disguises? This review was originally published from the world premiere at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival. Paramount Pictures will release Roofman in theaters nationwide on October 10th. More Reviews Primetime September 22, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Unabomber September 24, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Look Back September 16, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Elsinore September 14, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Hunter Friesen

Rental Family September 7, 2025 By: Button Hunter Friesen From its plucky opening strings by Jónsi and Alex Somers, and twinkling cinematography, Rental Family immediately announces its intentions to burrow deep into our hearts. Co-writer/director Hikari’s film is all about relationships, specifically how we blend reality and fiction to create the other person’s perception of ourselves. It’s also about the truths and lies we tell to shield ourselves from the harsh truth. While having lived there for seven years, Phillip Vanderploeug (Brendan Fraser) is still a gaijin, or “outsider,” to Japan. His dumb luck fame as the superhero star of a silly toothpaste commercial gave him the confidence to fully commit to breaking into the Japanese acting industry. Very few chances have come his way since, with the isolation and rejection further exposing his cracks. While wide, his smile displays no happiness, and he always seems sorry to be occupying any amount of space. One of his auditions is for “sad American,” which requires him to wear a suit and tie. But instead of showing up at a talent agency, he stumbles into a funeral for someone he’s never met before. It turns out that the majority of the attendees were paid actors, a gathering large enough to make the deceased seem more impressive to his family. This rental service is run by Shinji Tada (Takehiro Hada), who offers a surrogate person to help fill a gap in someone’s life. Phillip’s first assignment as a full-time employee for Shinji is to be fake married to a lesbian woman so she can use the marriage license to move out of the country with her girlfriend. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n0pqP6ClcE8 Before you claim all of this to be far-fetched, I’d like to point out that it is a real practice in Japan. Filmmaker Werner Herzog made a documentary about the industry in 2019 titled Family Romance, LLC , centered on an actor hired to impersonate the missing father for a young girl. It’s an extreme and ethically dangerous line of work, with lying being a naturally needed skill. But some of these lies provide positive outcomes, such as Phillip being hired by the family of a lonely loser to help him regain his confidence. Plus, the pay is really good, and Phillip has a lovable foreign charm that makes people instantly trust him. Rental Family at least has the bravery to dive into the reason why such an industry exists. Mental health is stigmatized in Japan, with very few opportunities for therapy or life coaching. This is still a band-aid for a gunshot wound, but it’s probably better than nothing. Everything is transactional these days, so why can’t happiness? After those reasons, it’s best not to use the logical side of your brain anymore. Hikari leans towards the sentimental side of every decision, figuring that every problem can just be solved with a heart-to-heart conversation. Much of it is treacly, cloying at your heart at every turn. For each of the poor decisions that are made on paper, they’re excused by an apology and backed up by the universal message that humans are flawed creatures. It would be much more unbearable to constantly hear those answers if they weren’t delivered by a top-notch cast. Fraser is incapable of registering a false emotion, lending his sympathetic charm to a character that is unearthing just as much happiness for himself as he is for others. Takehiro Hira and Mari Yamamoto are his new co-workers, each of them slowly waking up to the realization that a career built on little white lies slowly permeates into their personal lives as well. A little more honesty goes a long way, both in Rental Family and reality. Those easier answers make for a comforting watch, yet not something that leaves a longer-lasting impression. Its heart is in the right place, and sometimes our hearts want what they want. This review was originally published from the world premiere at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival. Searchlight Pictures will release Rental Family in theaters nationwide on November 21st. More Reviews Primetime September 22, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Unabomber September 24, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Look Back September 16, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Elsinore September 14, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Hunter Friesen

Red One November 15, 2024 By: Button Hunter Friesen To be able to critique a film, you have to care about it. It doesn’t matter if that care comes in the form of how much you loved or hated it; it just needs to be present. But every once in a while, there comes a film that doesn’t do anything for you. A form of highway hypnosis takes over; a blank stare fixes upon your face, your posture slouches, and your sense of purpose has been fully diluted. Red One was one of those films for me, something that I should have easily foreseen. The solitary thought that broke through my catatonic state during the screening was a wish that the movie was worse, as it would at least be interesting to talk about. But it wasn’t, so the only ammunition I have to fill this valuable margin space is a list of things I didn’t care about: I didn’t care that every character’s motivation adheres to the tired “rubber-ducky school of drama.” Everyone is good or evil because of some innocuous thing in their childhood, which will certainly be explained at length. I didn’t care that the fine folks at Amazon funded a $250 million movie about the evils of consumerism. Although it’s probably not a coincidence that every act of consumer greed occurs at a mall, not online. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7l3hfD74X-4 I didn’t care that the film wanted to have its cake and eat it too when it came to the rules and logic. Every world leader is aware of the existence of Santa Claus, and he even uses military bases to land his sleigh. And yet, the rest of the world’s population still thinks he doesn’t exist. How do parents react when they buy presents for the kids and new ones appear under the chimney on Christmas morning? Are the leaders keeping Santa a secret to prop up the economy? I didn’t care that Santa’s helpers are now CGI trolls instead of elves. Milk and cookies are fine, but we’re drawing the line at elves? I didn’t care that the film used the convenient fact that the North Pole is in perpetual darkness during the winter months to cover up its laughably subpar effects. I didn’t care that none of the jokes would be worthy of appearing in the bottom rung of the MCU. Take a shot every time a character says an inherently silly line with a straight face, only for the other character to repeat that same line with an exaggerated tone. I didn’t care that the fourth-billed J.K. Simmons does absolutely nothing for 80% of the movie. What do you mean he got totally jacked for the role and then proceeded to sit in a snow globe jail cell for 100 consecutive minutes? I didn’t care that Nick Kroll, Mary Elizabeth Ellis, and Bonnie Hunt were totally wasted in nothing roles. I didn’t care that enough holiday-related mythological creatures were sprinkled throughout to tease the establishment of a cinematic universe. After reading that list (and checking it twice), you’re probably thinking to yourself, “For a movie you didn’t care about, you certainly had a lot to say about it.” My answer is simple: I don’t care, and neither should you. Checkmate. Amazon MGM Studios will release Red One in theaters nationwide on November 15th, followed by its streaming premiere on December 12th. More Reviews Primetime September 22, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Unabomber September 24, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Look Back September 16, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Elsinore September 14, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Hunter Friesen

Cyrano February 24, 2022 By: Button Hunter Friesen The Great Musical War of 2021 has come to an end With the late-breaking Cyrano being the last extension of this trend The famed wordsmith's tale of forbidden love Has been told so many times before that it is as worn as an old glove Between José Ferrer, Gérard Depardieu, and Kevin Kline on the stage and the screen Many have given performances of the character that are oh so fine Now it is time for Peter Dinklage of Game of Thrones fame to take on the role And give it all, with both heart and soul You may wonder why I am speaking in rhyme To that, I say it is to keep my mind as sharp as a dime Because after writing over seventy reviews for films, both small and big My brain has become brittle and could snap like a twig But I also speak in rhyme as a way to honor good Cyrano Who can mold words to his liking as a baker does with dough So this is a fair warning to all readers who oppose rhymes As you will want to lock me up for my crimes Now with that out of the way, let's get on with the review For a film that has assembled quite the cast and crew https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5e8apSFDXsQ Our story begins in the time of old When men were told to be soldiers and bold Cyrano is a man full of charm and wits Whose only downfall is that he stands as tall as a man when he sits His lack of stature is what keeps him away from his love, Roxanne Whose skin and voice are as soft as a dove Much to Cyrano’s dismay, Roxanne loves another His name is Christian, Cyrano’s new army brother Christian loves Roxanne as well, but hasn’t got a tongue As the words he speaks have the same effect as potent dung So Cyrano comes up with a plan so that he will act as Christian’s voice Writing letters to Roxanne, making her rejoice, even if it isn’t by choice However, this love triangle gets complicated as time goes on As the snooty Count de Guiche forces Roxanne’s hand in marriage as part of a con Christian and Cyrano must tell Roxanne the truth of their ruse Or her forced marriage to the Count will forever give her the blues Directing this film adaptation of Cyrano is Joe Wright Whose past works of Pride & Prejudice and Atonement are an absolute delight Lately, he’s been in a bit of a rough patch As Pan and The Woman in the Window failed to hatch No matter, here is where Wright once again flexes his skill With imagery captured with the camera, with such thrill Scenes play out in extended takes lasting minutes at a time Allowing for the sets, costumes, and music to be sublime “Someone to Say” is my favorite tune of the soundtrack to exist As it now has a permanent spot in my Spotify playlist The technicals and craftsmanship are so wonderful And so is the cast, made up of actors quite colorful Dinklage’s charm brings a certain panache And he should have dived into the Oscar race with a splash His height may limit his character on the screen But it’s never stopped him personally from chewing the scene And while Haley Bennett as Roxanne may not be up to his level Their chemistry often makes scenes quite the revel Kelvin Harrison Jr. as Christian brings might As he aptly plays the knight who cannot write But surprisingly, it is good Ben Mendelsohn who steals the show With his face caked in posh makeup, white as snow Of the musicals that came out this past year Cyrano places third in the upper-tier What films are ahead of it that you request? It’s West Side Story and Annette, of course, whose set pieces are the best But even in third place, Cyrano is a treat So go out, buy a ticket, and save your seat I’ll be on my way now, making haste to my next story When it comes to picking my next film, I can choose any category And if you thought this poem came to no amount My only defense is to say that it is why I studied the art of the account United Artists Releasing will release Cyrano in theaters nationwide on February 25th. More Reviews Primetime September 22, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Unabomber September 24, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Look Back September 16, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Elsinore September 14, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Hunter Friesen

Sorry, Baby July 25, 2025 By: Button Hunter Friesen We’re just over halfway through the year, and Sorry, Baby has planted its lead flag in the race for the award for “best movie to be ruined by sound bleed in the multiplex.” It’s a prize that distributor A24 has been dominating over the past few years, with last year’s winner being Janet Planet and the year before that being All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt . It’s the price one has to pay to experience a bit of counterprogramming during the height of summer blockbuster season, a reminder that the quantity of noise and flashing lights has little correlation to the overall cinematic experience. Sorry, Baby opens gently with Lia Ooyang Rusli’s piano over cinematographer Mia Cioffi Henry’s soft image of light snow flurries against a rural New England house. Never mind that the roar of a dinosaur in Jurassic World: Rebirth and the thundering of Superman encroached on the walls of the small auditorium that housed this film; I was immediately locked into the world that writer/director/star Eva Victor was creating. The confidence of that frame continued throughout the rest of the runtime, with the fact that this is Victor’s debut making the whole feat even more astonishing. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rc0jgWoZo9w It’s a bit of a paradox in itself. It’s funny, yet not a comedy. It’s dramatic, yet not a drama. It’s unique, yet tells a painfully standard story. By that logic, I guess you could describe it as a semi-relatable dramedy. But that doesn’t feel correct either, with Victor striking a near-perfect balance between all those poles. I laughed, cried, and did a little bit of everything else. The story is simply described as “Something bad happened to Agnes.” That bad thing is the focal point for the structure, with everything happening either before or after. Agnes was a promising grad student who was about to receive high marks for her thesis. That burgeoning cycle of evolution during the period before has been replaced by mere survival in the period after. Agnes is stuck in her place, which is where the second sentence in the description comes into play: “But life goes on - for everyone around her, at least.” Sorry, Baby is least concerned in the pivotal bad moment, and more interested in how everything changes, both in foreseeable and unforeseeable ways. Authorities say, “We are also women,” as if that blanket statement solves everything. Agnes has been psychologically changed, with no escape from the multitude of mundane ways that the memory of said bad thing can reintroduce itself at any moment. Victor assembles a great cast, with themselves nailing the offbeat humor and deftly emotional moments. Lucas Hedges continues to be one of the smartest young actors working today, trusting directors like Victor in supporting roles rather than seeking the spotlight. He plays Agnes’ neighbor Gavin, a little aloof but completely charming in his own way. Naomi Ackie is great as Agnes’ best friend, Lydie. She has moved on from college and wants Agnes to do the same. This is a movie also about the power of friendship, how it lifts us out of the bad times and makes us into the best version of ourselves. A24 will release Sorry, Baby in select theaters on June 27th, followed by a nationwide expansion on July 25th. More Reviews Primetime September 22, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Unabomber September 24, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Look Back September 16, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Elsinore September 14, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Hunter Friesen

The Samurai and the Prisoner August 5, 2026 By: Button Hunter Friesen A war epic, intriguing drama, and murder mystery all wrapped in one, writer/director Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s The Samurai and the Prisoner is the kind of film that honors the long legacy of samurai films from Japan, most notably from esteemed filmmakers like Akira Kurosawa ( Throne of Blood , Seven Samurai , Kagemusha, Ran ) and Masaki Kobayashi ( Harakiri , The Samurai Rebellion ). At 147 minutes, it is lengthy, commanded by Kurosawa with a clear eye for the material and his audience, who have been treated here with a deviation from his usual J-horror fare. The year is 1578, and Japan is at war. Murashige Araki (Masahiro Motoki) resides as the lord of his castle, with walls on all sides that are said to be impenetrable. Just like Agamemnon at Troy, Lord Oda puts that notion to the test, encircling the castle with his vast army. Araki was once one of Oda’s top generals, but has abandoned his cause after years of ceaseless bloodshed that has permanently soaked the land. By staying locked up in his castle, Araki is protected from further warfare, left to be the gentler ruler he once aspired to be. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dY5kXykdbLo And yet, death still finds a way into Araki’s domain, seemingly through inexplicable means. The young son of a rival general who is being held ceremonially hostage is killed by an impossible arrow shot. Despite all his rational thinking and clue gathering, the answer eludes Araki. This spreads fear among the advisors and guards, most of whom believe these events are divine punishment for Araki's breaking of the code of honor. With enemies on the outside and schemers on the inside, Araki has no choice but to ask for help from the titular prisoner in his dungeon. His name is Kanbei Kuroda (Musaki Suda), a messenger for Oda who came to Araki to warn him of his foolish betrayal and surrender before an inevitable defeat. Instead of doing the honorable thing of returning Kuroda to his master, Araki decides to lock him up, a sentence worse than death, as the implication that he defected will bring violent consequences to his family. The dungeon proves to be the only safe place for Araki, and Kuroda agrees to aid in his search for the true killer, mostly to belittle Araki's weakness as a leader. Impeccably crafted with the aid of cinematographer Yasuyuki Sasaki and composer Yoshihiro Hanno, Kurosawa creates an atmosphere of mounting paranoia rather than relentless action. Sasaki's measured compositions emphasize the emotional distance between characters, while Hanno's understated brass score quietly reinforces the unease without overwhelming the drama. It is a film that understands tension doesn't always come from drawn swords, but from uncertainty and mistrust within closed corridors. The film is equally compelling in its exploration of honor and leadership. Araki and Kuroda are positioned as ideological opposites, yet Kurosawa avoids painting either man as entirely right or wrong. Araki has grown weary of bloodshed and hopes peace can be preserved behind his fortress walls, while Kuroda remains devoted to the samurai code and the obligations it demands. As they investigate the impossible murder together, their debates become just as engaging as the mystery itself, revealing two men whose convictions are continually challenged by the circumstances around them. Although the mystery provides the narrative's momentum, the real intrigue comes from watching loyalties unravel under the pressure of fear. The Samurai and the Prisoner occasionally lingers longer than necessary, but Kurosawa's assured direction and the strength of the central performances keep the film engrossing. More than a traditional samurai epic, it is a thoughtful meditation on justice, loyalty, and the scars left by war. Janus Films will release The Samurai and the Prisoner in select theaters on July 31st, followed by a nationwide expansion on August 07th. More Reviews Primetime September 22, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Unabomber September 24, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Look Back September 16, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Elsinore September 14, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Hunter Friesen