Anatomy of a Fall May 26, 2023 By: Button Hunter Friesen An 11-year-old boy named Daniel (Milo Machado Graner) decides to take his dog Snoop for a walk while his parents’ 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 of 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 points to all three options being a possibility. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FUXawkH-ONM “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 a 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, whose 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 languages. 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. This review was originally published from the world premiere at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival. Neon will release Anatomy of a Fall in select theaters on October 13th. 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

Michael April 21, 2026 By: Button Hunter Friesen To make a movie about Michael Jackson is to make a movie about the second coming of Jesus Christ. Not since the son of God has a man been so beloved throughout the world, his fans endlessly devoted and transcended by his presence. His talent was proclaimed to be God-given, as there was no scientific explanation for how a mortal could possess such skill and grace. And like the messiah, he was taken away from us too quickly, his message still thriving long after his physical body. If that all sounds a little too preachy, then you probably won’t vibe with the new biopic on the King of Pop. Michael makes that messianic connection with its full chest, combining blockbuster entertainment with those highlight reel documentaries that constantly loop in the lobbies at a famous person’s museum. Jesus healed the blind; Michael donated millions to children’s hospitals. Jesus fed thousands with only five loaves of bread and two fish; Michael started the Heal the World Foundation. Jesus resurrected the dead; Michael ended gang warfare through the power of music. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQtI0u1Vx2w Granted, that list of Michael’s kind gestures is true. But even Jesus had his flawed elements, and Tom Hanks’ version of Fred Rogers in A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood subtly investigated the beauty of imperfection. Here, Michael Jackson is the most perfect person ever to exist, with his only potential flaw being his over dedication to his family, specifically his domineering father, Joseph. Colman Domingo’s performance invites you to debate the pitfalls and merits of his browbeating. It’s clear that Michael was born with his talent, but would he and his brothers have ever gotten out of Gary, Indiana, if not for their father’s relentless pressure? A more interesting movie would have better grappled with that question. As written by John Logan (screenwriter for the Howard Hughes biopic, The Aviator ) and paid for by the estate of Michael Jackson, this film would rather take the easy way out at every turn. Genius is nearly impossible to explain, which is why young Michael merely speaks and behaves in plot points. He reads Peter Pan to himself while on tour with the Jackson 5, wishing that he could someday rebuild Neverland. He constantly talks about his love for animals, how they’re family, not pets. The irony only gets thicker as Michael grows up. His boundless creativity and exuberance are stymied by those who want to control him, with his fear of confrontation weaponized against him. Bohemian Rhapsody producer Graham King and director Antoine Fuqua exert a similar amount of control over Michael’s story, keeping things flying at a breakneck pace within the 127-minute runtime. Every song is conveniently used to cue a montage, the years flying by as “Billie Jean,” “Beat it,” “Don’t Stop ’til You Get Enough” boom over the loudspeakers. Except that it takes nearly eighty minutes to get to “Thriller,” which confirmed my suspicion that this biopic was going to need another canvas. King and Fuqua have just as much of a fear of confrontation as Michael, opting to placate audiences at every turn with showstopping numbers and by-the-numbers plotting. With four credited editors, including Bohemian Rhapsody Oscar-winner John Ottman, each set piece is cut with frenticism and flash. While shooting “Thriller,” Michael talks about the importance of wide shots to highlight the dance moves, citing Fred Astaire as an influence. It never seemed like Fuqua was interested in replicating that, leaving Jaafar Jackson’s considerable physical talents to feel limited. The musician’s nephew nails the physical aspects of the role, singing and dancing with an uncanny resemblance. Like all biopics, the recreation aspects are never the most important part, especially when you can easily look up the source material. What’s important is finding the emotional truth, the feelings that can’t be transferred through the written or spoken word. Michael doesn’t have that level of ambition, which, to its credit, could be reserved for the next chapter. But based on the strategy implemented here, I expect another serving of just desserts. Lionsgate will release Michael in theaters nationwide on April 24th. 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

Cannes 2023 Predictions - Part 2: Hollywood Makes a Splash Overseas April 5, 2023 By: Hunter Friesen As one of the most prestigious film festivals in the world, the Cannes Film Festival always attracts the attention of cinephiles and industry professionals alike. Each year, the festival presents a diverse lineup of films that represent the best of international cinema, including both established and emerging filmmakers. With the 76th edition of the festival set to take place in May, film enthusiasts around the world are eagerly anticipating the announcement of the official selection on April 13th. While the festival organizers keep their cards close to their chest, there are already some strong players emerging as likely contenders for the coveted Cannes spotlights. In this four-part series, I’ll take a closer look at some of the films that are generating buzz and predict which ones are likely to make it to the Croisette this year. Each part will represent a category of films, which are: The Festival Masters Hollywood Makes a Splash The Festival Mainstays The Irregulars and Up-and-Comers This second part encompasses the biggest fish in the pond, which are the Hollywood blockbusters from the major studios. Cannes may be a Mecca for international cinema, but that doesn’t mean they exclude the big boys. The festival thrives on star power, and nothing rolls out the red carpet more than a blockbuster with lots of names attached to it. Both Top Gun: Maverick and Elvis started their journeys on the Croisette, as well as Mad Max: Fury Road and The Da Vinci Code in the years prior. Let’s take a look at which big tent poles might debut in the Palais. Which of these films are you most interested in? I'll be keeping you all posted on my adventures and sharing my thoughts on the films that I see. Stay tuned for more updates! Asteroid City With Asteroid City a certainty to debut on the French Riviera, Cannes now replaces Berlin as the film festival to debut the most Anderson films. Moonrise Kingdom opened the festival in 2012, and The French Dispatch sat on a shelf throughout the pandemic to ensure it debuted at the 2021 edition. Cannes thrives on star power to fill its historic red carpet, and Anderson’s films have plenty to spare. His newest cast will feature no less than Tom Hanks, Scarlett Johansson, Margot Robbie, Bryan Cranston, Steve Carell, Adrien Brody, Tilda Swinton, and Jeffrey Wright. May December A rumor has been slowly spreading over the past few years that Todd Haynes’ Carol was a near lock to win the Palme d’Or in 2015, but was snubbed at the last minute by jury member Xavier Dolan. The film had to settle for a joint Best Actress prize for Rooney Mara. His newest film finished production in November, reuniting him with Julianne Moore, and bringing Natalie Portman back into the fold. Poor Things Coming off the blazing Oscar success of The Favourite , all eyes are on what Yorgos Lanthimos will do next. He’s keeping his partnership with leading lady Emma Stone and screenwriter Tony McNamara for Poor Things , which will be set in Victorian England and about a mad scientist who brings a woman back to life. Willem Dafoe, Mark Ruffalo, and Margaret Qualley mix into the supporting cast. Lanthimos’ unique arthouse sensibilities have matched well with Cannes in the past, with Dogtooth, The Lobster , and The Killing of a Sacred Deer , all winning various prizes. Now that Oscar buzz follows Lanthimos wherever he goes, Searchlight Pictures will have to make a decision of sending the film to a festival with an already established fandom for Lanthimos or wait and debut it in the fall with the rest of the Oscar bunch. Killers of the Flower Moon With extensive reshoots and release date delays, Martin Scorsese’s epic western has become one of his longest projects to get to audiences. Rumors started to swirl late last year that the film was eyeing a premiere on the Riviera, followed by a fall festival tour. With CODA becoming the first streaming film to win Best Picture, Apple will do everything in its power to repeat that success. The Little Mermaid The timing lines up perfectly for Disney to use the festival as a launching pad for the international release of their newest live-action remake. The film packs plenty of buzzy names such as Javier Bardem and Melissa McCarthy and an acclaimed director in Rob Marshall. Hitman While we’ll have to wait almost another two decades for Richard Linklater’s ambitious adaptation of Merrily We Roll Along , the famed Texan filmmaker has something up his sleeve to tide us over. Top Gun: Maverick star Glen Powell, a frequent collaborator of Linklater’s, co-wrote the screenplay with him for this story of a hitman who turns the tables on those who hire him. It’s been twenty years since Linklater last competed on the Croisette (2005’s Fast Food Nation ), so it might be time for him to be brought back into the fold. Oppenheimer Very few filmmakers carry as much name value as Christopher Nolan, who will be potentially delivering a more stripped-down story about the trials and tribulations of the titular father of the atomic bomb. Nolan has never shown one of his films at Cannes, but he did introduce his 70mm restoration of 2001: A Space Odyssey before it was pushed into theaters. If Nolan does decide to bring his material this time, then a glitzy out-of-competition premiere would be the most likely route taken. The Bikeriders Austin Butler, Tom Hardy, Michael Shannon, Jodie Comer, Norman Reedus, and Boyd Holbrook star as members of a Midwestern motorcycle club in writer/director Jeff Nichols’ return to feature filmmaking after a brief hiatus. Nichols served on the jury last year and brought both Mud and Loving to the Croisette. Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny Cannes thrives on a small batch of Hollywood blockbusters looking to make a splashy international premiere, as evidenced by Top Gun: Maverick and Elvis grabbing headlines last year. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull debuted at the festival back in 2008, so there is precedent for the famed archaeologist to stop by. 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

MSPIFF 2025 Preview April 1, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Now in its forty-fourth year (which ranks it among some of the oldest in North America), the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Film Festival once again features a lineup featuring over 200 films from around the world. Abbredivated as MSPIFF and pronounced "EM-spiff," the festival will host the majority of its screenings at its home base of The Main Cinema, along with a smattering of events across the Capri Theater, Landmark Center, and Edina Mann Theatre. Many of the marquee titles making their Minnesota premieres have already traveled the world as part of the other festival lineups. The Opening Night Presentation will be the documentary Free Leonard Peltier , which recently premiered at Sundance. Director Jesse Short Bull and Producer Jhane Meyers will be in attendance for the screening. Another Sundance title that will be making an appearance is The Wedding Banquet , a queer remake of the 1993 Ang Lee film. Fire Island director Andrew Ahn directed and co-wrote the feature, which boasts a cast of Bowen Yang, Lily Gladstone, Kelly Marie Tran, Han Gi-Chan, Joan Chen, and Youn Yuh-jung. A24 will be bringing their Sundance hit The Legend of Ochi , as well as the Tim Robinson-Paul Rudd two-hander cringe comedy, Friendship . Just in time for the announcement of this year's Cannes Film Festival is a group of films from last year's lineup. Portuguese filmmaker Miguel Gomes took home the Best Director prize for Grand Tour , a Southeast Asian adventure I moderately enjoyed. I missed Jia Zhangke's Caught by the Tides at Cannes and TIFF last year, so I'm happy to see it as part of the MSPIFF lineup. I've only seen Ash Is Purest White from Zhangke, and I've been interested in diving deeper. I'll also be checking out Misericordia , which received rapturous reviews out of the Cannes Premiere section and got a decent amount of nominations at the most recent César Awards. Other titles that interest me include When Fall is Coming by François Ozon, By the Stream by Hong Sang-soo (a festival favorite), and Who by Fire by Philippe Lesage. Speaking of Ang Lee, the famed director will be here to receive the festival's Milgrom Award. As part of his tribute, Lee will give an in-person conversation about his career, which includes accolades such as two Academy Awards for Best Direction and the DGA Lifetime Achievement Award. He'll also introduce a special screening for his film Brokeback Mountain , which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. Also screening on that day will be one of Lee's most celebrated films: Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon . I’ll be publishing full reviews for select titles, with others being condensed for my festival wrap-up article. You can take a look at the full slate of festival titles at the MSP Film Society website . 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

We Live in Time September 8, 2024 By: Button Tyler Banark Emotional cinema has become a form that isn’t discussed enough. Movies in this body, like 2014’s The Fault in Our Stars and 2016’s Manchester by the Sea , are defined by how sad their story is, and it can either make or break the movie. Audiences usually talk about how much they cried while watching a film of that scale. A movie in this subcategory often finds itself in conversations as a potential awards season contender. This subject has been the big selling point of John Crowley’s latest romantic dramedy, We Live in Time . He and the marketing team have been playing big into this being a potential Oscar contender and one helluva tear-jerker. Crowley enlists the help of Oscar nominees Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh to bring We Live in Time to life. Both can do no wrong with the material and are often cute together. In fact, the movie overall seems good on paper. After awkwardly meeting in a car accident, Tobias and Almut (Garfield and Pugh, respectively) fall in love and start a life together. Despite never being married, they share a three-year-old daughter and live a quiet life in the UK countryside. Suddenly, Almut is diagnosed with ovarian cancer, and the two learn how to live their lives to the fullest, given the circumstances. It’s a straightforward plot, but its big twist is that it’s told nonlinearly. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MH02yagHaNw There’s no harm or foul in a synopsis like this, but the movie offensively tries to play itself as a tear-jerker with humorous moments. There’s a moment when Almut and Tobias are trying to tell their daughter about Almut’s diagnosis, and a magician attempts to perform a trick for them. Almut and Tobias try to ask him to leave, but he refuses until Tobias raises his voice. While Crowley intended for moments like this to bring some lightheartedness to the movie, it felt forced. The only occasion this wasn’t the case was when Almut gave birth to their daughter, and everything unfolded, resulting in baffling hilarity. Both Garfield and Pugh can bring humor into any scene, and it works, but in the case of this movie, it feels wrong for them. They’re not responsible, however, as Nick Payne’s script and Crowley’s direction call for this, and it feels out of place. Garfield and Pugh have won audiences over in their years of being in the spotlight individually. Their chemistry was a big thing to anticipate for fans going into this movie, as their behind-the-scenes photos together looked nothing but adorable. Although it didn’t speculate on dating rumors like Glen Powell and Sydney Sweeney did for Anyone But You , it sure did get people talking. The trailer also hyped it up vastly with how enigmatic and hearty they were. The result of all this? They were simply fine together. They knew how to play off each other and bring tonal balance to whatever was happening on screen, but they weren’t anything irresistible compared to a couple like Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone. Most audiences, especially die-hard fans of the two, will go wild for them being together on screen and eat up every second of each scene. I just won’t be counted in that statistic. We Live in Time is a sour melodrama trying to pawn itself off as a dramedy. Failing to strike every chord that comes with a supposed tear-jerker film, it’s without a doubt one of the biggest letdowns of the year. To think that it came from the director who made Brooklyn , a movie that knew exactly how to balance drama and humor, shocks me that that method didn’t apply here. Call it a fall from grace or a one-hit wonder, but John Crowley couldn’t redeem himself here. Garfield and Pugh try to pick up the slack for him, and although their efforts are close to courageous, they aren’t enough to get the movie back on its feet. A misfire for A24 and everyone involved, We Live in Time will likely live to see itself as a failed Oscar bait movie whose relevance will be…let’s say, on borrowed time. This review was originally published from the world premiere at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival. A24 will release We Live in Time in select theaters on October 11th, followed by a nationwide expansion on October 18th. 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 Good Liar November 21, 2019 By: Button Hunter Friesen London octogenarian Roy Courtnay (Ian McKellen) is a career con man, swindling those less fortunate enough to fall into one of his schemes. One day, as part of an online dating scam he occasionally pulls, he meets Betty McLeish (Helen Mirren), a recent widower who turns out to be worth nearly three million pounds. Roy’s plan is simple. He’ll get in close to Betty and gain her trust. Eventually, he’ll set the trap, and she’ll fall right in. He’ll take her money and disappear forever to repeat the cycle all over again with someone else. Unfortunately for him, this job isn’t as simple as he initially thought. Dark secrets start to reveal themselves, leading to a game of cat and mouse where the role of the cat and the mouse intermittently change between the pair. No longer is Roy playing for money, he’s now playing for his life. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljKzFGpPHhw Director Bill Condon weaves this thriller with confidence from beginning to end. That confidence does not make him faultless, but it does give the film an extra bit of gravitas that puts it above the usual crowd. The beginning contains a much lighter tone as it introduces our two main characters. But like all good thrillers, the niceties of the two are just a facade to deflect from the tension swelling underneath. Over time, the dark material begins to bubble to the surface, eventually bursting out in a climactic fashion. All good classic mystery films have a score that complements the director’s work. Luckily for Condon, composer Carter Burwell delivers a dignified set of strings. In the moments where Condon over- or undersells the material, Burwell’s score is right there to pick up the slack. And in those moments where Condon gets it just right, the music is also right there with him to elevate what’s on-screen. An adaptation of Nicholas Searle’s novel of the same name, the screenplay for The Good Liar by Jeffrey Hatcher can be appropriately labeled as B-level Hitchcockian. With a title like The Good Liar , you can expect a few twists and turns along the way, albeit here they are a little too overt and easy to see. But even though you know a twist is coming, the real mystery is finding out what it is. Admittedly, some of the twists are impossible to predict due to a lack of setup or are oftentimes so ludicrous that they defy any realistic expectations. Fortunately, Hatcher embraces that feeling of throwing care into the wind. He revels in the somewhat trashy storytelling and only tries to make the material more entertaining than believable. It’s not perfect, but it makes for a much more enjoyable watch once you come to terms with the outlandishness of what’s going on By far the biggest attraction for the film is its two main stars, each having a ball in their juicy roles. For an eighty-year-old, Sir Ian McKellen possesses the physicality of someone a little over half his age. His movements, especially within his face, do more to speak for his character than the dialogue. Just by watching you learn more about his character and become increasingly attracted to him. Equally as great as McKellen is Dame Helen Mirren. She’s made it a thing recently to be in more showy roles that demonstrate her skill. So far, that strategy has been a good thing because her immense talent has sold many roles that would have been wasted by lesser actresses. Here you can see the delight in Mirren’s delivery as she chews the scene. Her sparring sessions with McKellen are by far the best moments of the film. You know those novels you find in the airport that are a bit dumb and only bought for some time-wasting entertainment? Well, The Good Liar is exactly that for movies. It may be a bit preposterously muddled to pull off its ambitions and isn’t as good as some other films of the same genre, but what it does have are suspenseful thrills led by two legendary actors giving great performances. So even if this airport novel is the ultimately inferior option, it does its job just well enough to leave you satisfied. Warner Bros. Pictures will release The Good Liar in theaters nationwide on November 15th. 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

American Fiction November 1, 2023 By: Button Hunter Friesen American Fiction is this year’s Triangle of Sadness : a social satire that somewhat succeeds because it’s undeniably hilarious, and it’s practically shooting fish in a barrel. Both films also claimed ironic victory when making their world premieres at their respective festivals. Triangle of Sadness , a brutal takedown of the uber-rich, nabbed the Palme d’Or at the exclusive black-tie Cannes Film Festival, while American Fiction , an examination of the reduction of the Black experience by white people, won the People’s Choice Award at the mostly-white Toronto International Film Festival. We’s Lives in Da Ghetto is a bestselling book in the world that Thelonious “Monk” Ellison (Jeffrey Wright) inhabits. Its author, Sintara Golden (Issa Rae), was born to lawyer parents and received an Ivy League education, making her claims about the novel’s poverty-stricken protagonists being modeled after “her people” dubious at best. This is all happening while Monk can’t find anyone to publish his newest book, another in a long line of rigorously intellectual academia on Black life in America. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i0MbLCpYJPA There’s also Monk’s mother (Leslie Uggams), who’s beginning to show signs of rapidly progressive dementia. Being a literature professor at West Coast University doesn’t pay enough to cover her medical costs, and neither does having an unsold manuscript, so, in a drunken stupor, Monk decides to write the most panderingly simplistic “Black novel” that he can. Predictably, the trashy piece of work is a sensation to all the white liberal publicists. Six-digit offers come flying through the door, along with movie deals. Becoming part of the problem is now making Monk extremely wealthy. Does he continue the charade, or do his morals persuade him to pull the plug? Spike Lee’s Bamboozled would be a more literal comparison to what writer/director Cord Jefferson is aiming for in his debut feature film. There are also several connected elements between this and Charlie Day’s Fool’s Paradise from earlier this year, which aimed at Hollywood. Much of the satire there and here revolves around the protagonists doing/saying something ludicrously stupid and, to their bewilderment, being met with immense applause from the gullible idiots. The world happens around them, and they react with disdain. We’re in on the joke with them, pointing and laughing at the idiots while thinking there’s no way we’re like them. Unfortunately, like Day, Jefferson doesn’t seem to have much to say outside of the obvious as Monk digs himself deeper into a hole of lies. It’s correct in everything it’s saying, but everything it’s correct about has already been agreed upon by the audience that will watch it. It’s nearly impossible to start a conversation when almost everyone is already on the same page, and your material is too neatly packaged to confront the ideals of anyone on the other side. What’s missing is Spike Lee’s ability to provoke and make you uncomfortable, as that’s when you’re at your most critically minded. There’s also the presence of several other subplots along with the ailing mother. Monk strikes up a charming, yet frustratingly thin, romance with his mother’s neighbor, Coraline (Erika Alexander). Monk’s erratic younger brother Cliff (Sterling K. Brown), who just came out of the closet, is also in town. He isn’t much help with their mother’s medical needs, but he does know how to show Monk the error of his ways. None of these plotlines coalesce neatly, and very few of them reach a satisfying conclusion. Ironically, Jefferson launched his career as a magazine editor, a role sorely needed here. Still, Jefferson has made a very funny movie littered with many witty one-liners. And he’s given a substantial leading role to the great Jeffrey Wright, who hasn’t received top billing in nearly three decades. Just as he’s proved in the two Wes Anderson films he’s been in, Wright shows an incredible talent for wordplay and physical comedy. Brown and John Ortiz, playing Monk’s agent, often threaten to steal the show with their exuberance. American Fiction may be a victim of expectations, as winning the People’s Choice Award at TIFF certainly raised the bar. Whether that’s fair or not is a different story. All I know is that I can only write about what I felt, which was slight disappointment mixed with great optimism about what Jefferson will do next. This review was originally published from a screening at the 2023 Twin Cities Film Fest. Amazon MGM Studios will release American Fiction in select theaters on December 15th, followed by a nationwide expansion on December 22nd. 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

MSPIFF 2023 Preview April 10, 2023 By: Hunter Friesen I'm excited to announce that I'll be covering the Minneapolis St. Paul Film Festival for the first time this year! As a cinephile, I'm always on the lookout for new and exciting films. Whether it takes me around the world, or right to my own backyard, I look forward to discovering some hidden gems, meeting other film lovers, and celebrating the art of cinema. Follow me for updates on my festival experience, and let me know if you'll be there too! In this article I've previewed most of the film I'll be seeing, with a few more listed here: The Beasts, L'immensità, Somewhere In Queens, Revoir Paris, Walk Up. *All film descriptions and pictures have been supplied by the festival program* BlackBerry An irreverent look at the incredible rise and stunning fall of the world’s first smartphone. Writer/director Matt Johnson is joined on screen by Jay Baruchel ( This Is the End ) and Glenn Howerton ( It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia ) in outstanding seriocomic turns that have us rooting for the doomed misfits behind this incredible true story. Cairo Conspiracy From Tarik Saleh, the director of the award-winning The Nile Hilton Incident , comes a bold, nuanced thriller set in a complex world Westerners rarely see. It centers on a gifted student from a small village who is offered a scholarship to Cairo’s Al-Azhar University, the power epicenter of Sunni Islam. Dreamin' Wild What if a childhood dream came true–-but thirty years later? Singer Donnie Emerson’s dream of success suddenly came true as he approached 50 years old. While it brought hopes of second chances, it also brought ghosts of the past and long-buried emotions to the whole family. Flamin' Hot Flamin’ Hot is the inspiring true story of Richard Montañez, the Frito Lay janitor who channeled his Mexican American heritage and upbringing to turn the iconic Flamin’ Hot Cheetos into a snack that disrupted the food industry and became a global pop culture phenomenon. Other People's Children When dedicated high school teacher Rachel (Virginie Efira) falls in love with Ali (Roschdy Zem), it’s not long before she also falls for his 4-year-old daughter Leila. Rachel must decide whether to embrace the inherent entanglements of her current situation, including the looming presence of Ali’s ex-wife Alice (Chiara Mastroanni) or strike out again on her own. Polite Society A merry mash-up of sisterly affection, parental disappointment and bold action, Polite Society follows martial artist-in-training Ria Khan who believes she must save her older sister Lena from her impending marriage. After enlisting the help of her friends, Ria attempts to pull off the most ambitious of all wedding heists in the name of independence and sisterhood. R.M.N. From writer/director Cristian Mungiu ( 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days ), this gripping drama set in rural Transylvania looks at the ethnic conflicts, economic resentments and personal turmoil roiling a Romania still in thrall to some dangerous traditions and beliefs. The arrival of Sri Lankan migrants adds fuel to the fire. Showing Up A sculptor preparing to open a new show must balance her creative life with the daily dramas of family and friends, in Kelly Reichardt's vibrant and captivatingly funny portrait of art and craft. Tori and Lokita Eleven-year-old Tori and 16-year-old Lokita are vulnerable African migrants, trying to make their way In contemporary Belgium, but their already precarious circumstances grow more complicated when the government refuses to give Lokita residence papers. 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 Fantastic Four: First Steps July 24, 2025 By: Button Hunter Friesen Simply by following an unreleased and illegal 1994 production from low-budget maestro Roger Corman, two so-so entries from the mid-2000s starring a pre-Captain America Chris Evans as Johnny Storm, and an embarrassing 2015 reboot that now mostly survives as a piece of mockery, The Fantastic Four: First Steps is… fantastic. Look, I knew I had to use that pun at least once throughout this review, so it made sense to get it out of the way. Beyond just the simple humor of the word play, it’s an apt description for this fourth official introduction to Marvel’s first family. In the thirty-seven entries of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, there hasn’t been a film that has committed more to the bit than First Steps . Even the opening IMAX and studio logos are dressed with the retrofuturist space-age design akin to The Jetsons . On this version of Earth, specifically called Earth-828 (the rest of the MCU takes place on Earth-616), live The Fantastic Four. In a quick television special montage, we get their backstories, the origin of their superpowers, and their newfound purpose as protectors. They’re Earth’s mightiest heroes, with the public adoring them for their friendly neighborhood charm and upstanding morals. It was nice to see that director Matt Shakman and screenwriters Josh Friedman, Eric Pearson, Jeff Kaplan, and Ian Springer share our sentiment about pushing past all the cursory facts that we’ve had over sixty years to study. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pAsmrKyMqaA Shakman helmed all episodes of WandaVision , everyone’s favorite pandemic comfort watch. His knack for mixing the stylistic influences of classic and modern television is mimicked here, with the art direction, costuming, and soundtrack greatly supporting the notion that this marks a new, separate entry in the MCU. The Thing casually walks around in a trench coat and fedora, with the rest of the team donning fashionable turtlenecks as their official uniform. The group’s robot butler, H.E.R.B.I.E., is an analog computer with artificial intelligence, zooming around a bit like WALL-E, making beeps and blips as comic relief. Through their mixture of brains and brawn, the Fantastic Four have been able to vanquish every threat that has come their way. That is, until the Silver Surfer (Julia Garner) arrives with a warning that this Earth has been marked for death by Galactus (Ralph Ineson), the unstoppable god-like destroyer of worlds. His introduction feels plucked straight out of the concept art, with his sheer size and superior tone reminding these heroes that they are mere mortals. Initially, First Steps makes the refreshing decision not to devolve into an endless punch fest, or a fetch quest for the MacGuffin that will stop the threat from happening. This is not an action-packed movie, as it largely relies on its characters to carry our interest. The well-cast actors accomplish this task with ease. The internet may have officially deemed Pedro Pascal as overexposed (he can currently also be found in theaters with Materialists and Eddington ), but that doesn’t mean his popularity amongst casting agents is unwarranted. His version of Reed Richards takes the blame for the group acquiring what he refers to as ‘anomalies,’ and is frightened by the fact that his status as the smartest man on the planet isn’t enough to outthink the doom that Galactus brings. There’s also the impending addition of a new member to the family in the form of a baby with wife Sue. Vanessa Kirby affectingly portrayed birth and motherhood in real-time in Pieces of a Woman , making this version merely a walk in the park. Joseph Quinn and Ebon Moss-Bachrach supply the best interpretations of Johnny Storm and The Thing, respectively. Each punches above their weight class when compared to the material handed to them, notably with the latter actor having to push through the barrier of motion capture performing. Of course, things do end with a variation on the giant sky beam, and there are just as many shoddy special effects shots as good ones. The Incredibles retains its title as the best version of this general concept. We’d have to dive into a thorny chicken-and-egg scenario to define who’s copying from whom. Still, that’s an incredibly high bar to clear, and this valiant effort is worth commending, especially with this serving as one of the final stepping stones until Avengers: Doomsday . Walt Disney Studio Motion Pictures will release The Fantastic Four: First Steps in theaters nationwide 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 Last Showgirl September 9, 2024 By: Button Tyler Banark When people look back on Pamela Anderson's legacy, what comes to mind first? The TV show Baywatch ? Her infamous marriage to Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee? What about her rise to fame through Playboy Magazine? Anderson has had the spotlight on her for decades, even if the past 15 years have kept her quiet. From being a sex symbol in the 90s to her work as an activist, she’s endured a lot of hard work. Her first major film role in years, in Gia Coppola’s The Last Showgirl, could be one. She gives a personal performance that audiences can tell comes straight from the heart, but the movie’s result is a little flat. Whether it’s Coppola’s direction or the film’s odd melancholia, The Last Showgirl is a mixed bag that’ll leave audiences, for the most part, unamused. Don’t be fooled by this movie and its intentions because it’s not just Anderson who has her heart in the right place; everyone involved has theirs, too. Anderson plays Shelley, an aged Las Vegas showgirl who has worked with the same traditional floor show for 30+ years. She may be the oldest performer in the room, but she’s a mother figure to her much younger castmates (Kiernan Shipka and Brenda Song). When stage manager Eddie (Dave Bautista) breaks the news that the show will close for good, she must face a new world without performing in one of the world’s biggest entertainment towns. In the film's opening scene and eventual climax, we see Shelley doing her first audition in years. She’s nervous, lying about her age, and claiming that she’s not used to the audition process. This could be a slight reflection of Anderson as she hasn’t been in the public cinema eye since 2008’s Superhero Movie (or 2017’s Baywatch, if you want to count that). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZDs_lLGrTU Anderson herself may have a poor track record regarding her acting outside of Baywatch . One of her most famous roles outside of C.J. Parker is the titular character in the 1996 flopped action flick Barb Wire , which earned her a Razzie, and Invisible Girl from Superhero Movie . That being said, her performance in The Last Showgirl is easily a standout. While Shelley isn’t a well-rounded character, Anderson captures her struggle to adjust to the new landscape. She’s lost, and the mentality she brings to the character is well-intentioned. There’s even a subplot present where Shelley tries to fix her relationship with her estranged daughter, Hannah, but it’s not developed enough to be relevant to the plot. Furthermore, Anderson’s physical execution of the character wasn’t strong. It may be her high-pitched voice and off-putting demeanor, but she gives a conflicting turn that’ll leave opinions right down the middle. Outside of Anderson, Gia Coppola has a nice supporting cast. Shipka and Song’s characters showcase different young generations looking up to Shelley. Shipka is the youngest and most optimistic about the future, looking to adapt to whatever’s coming her way (easy for her to say since she possesses the physical features to adapt). Meanwhile, Song poses as a somewhat seasoned vet who’s a little hardened but still caring. Jamie Lee Curtis and Dave Bautista play Shelley’s friends Annette, a former castmate, and Eddie. Both are reserved in their roles and offer little to the movie, but nothing to detract it from falling further down. Gia Coppola’s name may be enough to attract attention, being part of the famous Coppola family, but she’s not as strong a member compared to her grandfather, Francis, and aunt Sofia. The way she tackles this movie and Kate Gersten’s script is almost reminiscent of an obscure, indulgent auteurisitic filmmaker. Compared to another TIFF alum in Lila Neugebauer’s 2022 film Causeway , Coppola makes The Last Showgirl just as meditative and somber. Autumn Durald Arkapaw’s cinematography is grainy, questioning how much integrity Coppola had in her. If The Last Showgirl had looked visually stronger and not as bland, it would’ve been much stronger and left a better impression on audiences. How The Last Showgirl will pan out in the future will be a big question mark for Coppola as a filmmaker and for Anderson if she wants to make her way back into the public eye. Both ladies are looking to get something out of this movie, with the latter being the most well-intentioned. But the real challenge won’t be how it does on the festival circuit. Instead, it’ll be how it translates to general audiences and if it’ll be mentioned in awards season conversations. Time will tell what the future holds for Coppola and Anderson, but if both gain traction from The Last Showgirl , it’ll be a win for both. If Hollywood is willing to welcome Anderson back, she’ll be in for more than just one average movie where she gives a fitting role. One thing is for sure with Anderson, she’ll have a nice curtain call. This review was originally published from the world premiere at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival. Roadside Attractions will release The Last Showgirl in select theaters on December 13th, followed by a nationwide expansion on January 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

The Wrecking Crew January 26, 2026 By: Button Hunter Friesen As I sit at my computer typing this review, it is -32° F outside. A thin pane of glass separates me from the howling arctic winds, whose whistling is their warning call should I ever be foolish enough to meet them outside. Frost dresses every surface, making the whole state feel like one big hockey rink. The brief, constant need to stay indoors crafts a rift in time, blurring the days and reminding me of the initial stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. That window of time bestowed the outdoors with the power of freedom. Now, it’s trying to kill us. All of that dramaticism is to say that I got some basic enjoyment (and jealousy) from the sights and sounds of the Hawaiian islands that serve as the backdrop for the new Prime Video action film The Wrecking Crew. The film opens over the ocean, with a helicopter-traversing camera that eventually descends onto the bustling streets of Honolulu. We follow a weathered man who continually looks over his shoulder as he walks to a mailbox within a market. He picks up the pace once he drops off the envelope, eventually crossing into an abandoned part of town. A mysterious van runs him down, and his corpse catalyzes his estranged sons to resume the hunt. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8R0xDczERo One of them is James (Dave Bautista), a native son of the island who works as a trainer for the Navy SEALS. There isn’t an aspect of his life that he doesn’t control, which is why he didn’t want anything to do with his womanizing and reckless father. One of those apples that didn’t fall far from the tree is James’ half-brother Jonny (Jason Momoa), a wildcard who fled the island as a teenager, now living as a deadbeat detective in rural Oklahoma. These opposites attract once Jonny receives the mysterious letter from their father, which contains clues to a deeper conspiracy involving political corruption and criminal rings. Similar to last year’s John Cena and Idris Elba-starring Heads of State , this is a run-of-the-mill actioner that initially pits its two stars against each other until they must come together to stop a common enemy. And without spoiling the third-act reveal, it’s constantly obvious who the secret bad guy is here. Baustista and Momoa are fine together, their similar physical and comedic sensibilities not allowing for anything new to be brought to the table. Jonathan Tropper’s script or Momoa’s improvisation seems to think that ironically using terms like “gaslighting,” “triggered,” and “boomer” are the pinnacles of comedy, which they aren’t unless you're twelve years old. That demographic will probably get the most out of this movie, downing the surprisingly Hard R vulgarity and violence just as much as Momoa chugs a Guinness, a brand that he has a commercial partnership with. Director Angel Manuel Soto, last seen helming the most forgotten DC movie of the last few years, Blue Beetle , does bring some life to the film, opting for a mixture of handheld camerawork and long takes. It brings some complementary panache to the leads, their muscles flexing more in real-time than being cut around. All of that kind of gets thrown away for the big car chase set piece on a highway, which looks horribly digitally composited. The brothers are directly responsible for many civilian deaths from automobile accidents, showing little remorse for their actions, almost as if cops can cause as much collateral damage as they want and only get a stern talking to as their punishment. That kind of pick-and-choose energy permeates throughout the film’s many attempts at representation for the island’s native citizens. The brother’s father is given a ceremonial ocean burial, and an off-the-grid commune is highlighted. But then there are also several borderline racist jokes directed at the European and Asian bad guys. I’d be a little more up in arms about the hypocrisy if the film were more than a pile of nothingness. There’s certainly bigger fish to fry in this world, and better movies to watch. Amazon MGM Studios will release The Wrecking Crew on its streaming service on January 28th. 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

Babylon December 16, 2022 By: Button Hunter Friesen With dashes of Singin’ in the Rain, Boogie Nights, The Wolf of Wall Street, Uncut Gems , and Mulholland Drive , Damien Chazelle’s Babylon is a true auteurist epic in every sense of the word. It’s a 188-minute deconstruction of Old Hollywood mythology, complete with cocaine, fast cars, projectile vomit, glitzy actors, underground sex dungeons, and buckets of style. There isn’t anything like it this year, or any year for that matter. Things kick off with a bang in 1926 at a house party in Bel-Air. Inside is a who’s who of Hollywood royalty and up-and-comers. Busting down the door and attracting all the eyes is Jack Conrad (Brad Pitt), a Jack Nicholson-esque star who only seems to exude charm. Literally crashing through the gate is Nellie LaRoy (Margot Robbie), barely clothed and ready to get people’s attention. “You don’t become a star, you either are one or you aren’t, and I am,” she says as she struts to the dance floor where dozens of naked men and women perform acts of debauchery on par with Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom . Returning from his elephant (yes, the one you would find in the jungle or the zoo), delivery is Manny Torres (Diego Calva), a dreamer wanting to be part of something bigger, something that lasts. Providing the musical entertainment for the evening is Sidney Palmer (Jovan Adepo) on the trumpet and Lady Fay Zhu (Li Jun Li) with her sexually charged ballads. From this night on, these five characters will have their stories cross paths on several occasions. They’ll be featured in some of the biggest moments of the Silent Era, and also find themselves hurtling during its downfall. The rise of talkies will bring about a new style of filmmaking, one that’ll benefit some and destroy others. But through it all, they’ll find a way to create a legacy that lives beyond their mortal lives. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5muQK7CuFtY This house party, with all its moral depravity and excessiveness, is only the tip of the iceberg of the messed-up stuff Chazelle has jam-packed within his rapid-fire screenplay. After the goodness of La La Land and the conventionalism of First Man (and I mean both of those in the best way possible), this film feels as if Chazelle has reached the teenage portion of his career, where curse words and sexual promiscuity flow as if he’s just discovered fire. Thankfully, Chazelle shows no signs of immaturity as a director. As a way to remind all of us why he became the youngest person to be awarded the Best Director Oscar, he adopts a wildly infectious form of controlled chaos, with simultaneous scenes crashing into each other to the beat of Justin Hurwitz’s blaring jazz score. It’s incredibly showy work, but something that perfectly fits within the unhinged glory often found in this period. The train does come off the rails from time to time, particularly in the closing five minutes, where Chazelle’s thesis statement becomes a bit too heavy-handed. And some characters get lost in the shuffle for extended periods, begging the question of whether some material was left on the cutting room floor. But I love messy films that aren’t afraid to swing for grand slams when there’s only one out, rather than go for the practical approach of a sacrifice fly ball. Chazelle has more than earned himself this exercise in self-indulgence and outrageousness, and we’re all better for witnessing it. And it also doesn’t hurt to have career-best performances from Pitt and Robbie, starring in their third movie together and finally being allowed to share scenes. Calva doesn’t get blinded by the star power around him as he acts as our guide through this deranged world. He eventually carves a spot for himself, influencing film history on a more profound level than he could ever imagine. Also along for the ride are supporting/cameo performances by Jean Smart, Olivia Wilde, Katherine Waterston, Max Minghella, Spike Jonze, and Tobey Maguire as a weasel-like sociopath. My biggest fear is that Chazelle may have inadvertently made his generation’s Heaven’s Gate : An overly ambitious auteur epic that proves to be too much for audiences and critics, leading to a decline in filmmaker power within the Hollywood studio system. Of course, I don’t believe this film will lead to something that dramatic, but I also can’t imagine casual moviegoers John and Jane Doe coming out of this film with their heads still on straight, nor Paramount recouping the $100+ million they've spent. So, if my worst fears become a reality, I only have one thing to say. To paraphrase Danny Boyle’s Steve Jobs : If Babylon causes the downfall of auteurs in Hollywood, it will have been well worth it for those who watched the movie (and survived). Paramount Pictures will release Babylon in theaters nationwide on December 23rd. 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