Search Results

The Outrun October 4, 2024 By: Button Hunter Friesen You’re midway through your standard musician biopic. The lead singer, who was doing so well for themselves, has now been introduced to drugs. “I just need to take the edge off,” they say repeatedly, all while their friends and family plead for them to return to how they used to be. They crash out, literally and figuratively, lying in a puddle of their stench and failure. But that low valley eventually leads them to the highest mountain, with sobriety presenting an opportunity to return to their roots and refind their passion for life. Chances are that it didn’t take much mental strain for you to think of at least a half dozen films that fit that exact description. It’s not hard when the path has been trekked so often that there’s nothing left to admire about it. Now, let’s take that 15-30 minute sequence from all those movies and laboriously stretch it out to 120 minutes. By doing that, you’ve created The Outrun , an addiction drama in which I could have used a couple of drinks to help numb the boredom. Granted, there is a ceiling to how much a biography can be railed for being formulaic, as they all retell the events in a person’s life, something I have no right as an (uninformed) viewer to criticize as fact or fiction. Who am I to tell someone that their personal journey doesn't ring true, or isn’t unique enough to be worth adaptation? The novel that The Outrun bases itself on serves as a memoir for author Amy Liptrot, tracing her alcohol-fueled days in London to her rehabilitation back in her native Scotland. Liptrot, Daisy Lewis, and director Nora Fingscheidt adapt the story for the screen, crafting a nonlinear structure that leverages the grip that the past will always have on Liptrot’s stand-in, Rona (Saoirse Ronan). Weeks into her recovery period, she will face a sudden and almost unquenchable urge to drink, coupled with a flashback to the allure that alcohol had in her boozier days. Those crashes of the past and present serve as the biggest flourishes within Fingscheidt’s directorial arsenal, although the past never illuminates more than the simple fact that Rona was a volatile alcoholic who alienated her friends and family. It’s all a bit generic, from the early party days when everything was great, to the later years when she’s stumbling down the street and everyone pleads with her to get help. Ronan dives headfirst into the material in the same way as someone like Gena Rowlands, grabbing the screen with their magnetic presence and never letting go for a second. She is the pulse that keeps this heart beating, albeit quite slowly for most of the runtime. One would have hoped that a stronger story would have supported her, as her performance, however strong it is, leaves little impression when compared to her previous work and the work of her genre contemporaries. Repetitive and labored are the traits most commonly found on the road to sobriety, although the authentic notion of translating them to the screen doesn’t favor the viewer. An addiction drama will be born, people will halfheartedly care about it, the performance will gain awards attention, and the world will move on. It’s the circle of life, and we’re just living in between stages of it. More Reviews 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple January 13, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen The Rip January 16, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Dead Man's Wire January 14, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen The Chronology of Water January 9, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Hunter Friesen

Dear Evan Hansen September 23, 2021 By: Button Hunter Friesen Besides the expected superhero films, the genre that seems to be all the rage in 2021 is musicals. This year sees several different variations of the movie musical, featuring original concepts ( Annette ), musical variations of classic tales (Amazon’s Cinderella ), Broadway adaptations (Lin-Manuel Miranda’s In the Heights , and Miranda’s directorial debut Tick, Tick… Boom! ), and even remakes of Broadway adaptations (Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story ). Slotting right in with the rest of the Broadway pack is the film adaptation of the modern stage musical sensation: Dear Evan Hansen . Riddled with social anxiety, depression, and a cast on his left arm, Evan Hansen is a teenager who can never seem to fit in. He writes letters to himself for motivation, in which one haphazardly falls into the hands of the troubled Connor Murphy, who takes his own life shortly after. The Murphys believe the letter to be Connor’s suicide note, with Evan being his best friend. Rather than admit the truth that Connor was his bully, Evan goes along with this opportunity, netting him a newfound sense of popularity and affection from those that never once passed him a glance. He also becomes an unofficial member of the Murphy family, with the parents taking him under their wing and their daughter, Zoe, developing a relationship with him. But like all charades, the lie begins to spin out of control, tangling Evan and those he cares about in a web of deceit. Tasked with bringing the stage play to cinematic life is director Stephen Chbosky, who recently had success with Wonder , about a boy with facial disfigurement, and the soon-to-be cult classic/greatest movie ever according to Tumblr, The Perks of Being a Wallflower . Unlike the musicals mentioned in the beginning, Dear Evan Hansen doesn’t feature large group numbers on sweeping sets. Much of the action occurs in smaller, domestic locations, with the most exotic sets being a school gymnasium and a run-of-the-mill apple orchard. And even when a song features more than one performer, they hardly share the same location, such as “Requiem,” where the Murphys are crosscut and folded on top of each other. The film hangs its heart on the musical numbers, many of which have become anthems to a generation, especially “You Will Be Found,” which has become so iconic that it gets a special Sam Smith treatment during the credits, along with the familiar showstopping rendition that occurs at the midpoint. Schbosky shows middling prowess for the staging of these numbers, opting for the actors to sing live, filming them through extended takes and slower camera movements that accentuate the emotional pull of the material. That stillness also acts as a double-edged sword, as there is a distinct lack of energy that makes the 137-minute runtime feel a lot longer than it is. Ironically, the main problem that keeps this version of Dear Evan Hansen from being a sensation is not the cinematic qualities, but the story itself, which won Best Book of a Musical at the 2017 Tony Awards. The problem with the story is systematic, with Evan’s actions being steeped in selfishness. Screenwriter Steven Levenson tries too hard to have his cake and eat it too as he attempts to scorn Evan’s actions while also finding the silver lining with a ploying message about friendship and grief. The stage may have been able to cover this with its overpowering emotional tunes and acting, but the slowness of the film adaptation allows for that problem to fester until your sympathy for Evan has completely dried up and you just want him to get caught. Fortunately, the actors aren’t too affected by the script’s problems. Reprising his famous role, Ben Platt proves once again that he was born to play Evan Hansen, despite his 27-year-old face and gangly body signaling that he should have stayed retired. Kaitlyn Dever, who broke out in 2019 with Booksmart , often steals the show as Zoe. Dever finds the right amount of vulnerability as her character deals with the death of a brother she never had much respect for. She and Platt make their relationship seem believable, despite the glaring age difference and underwritten romantic development. Misguided, but not without its merits, Dear Evan Hansen aims for the heart with pinpoint accuracy. There’s an emotional and sweet lesson buried under the creepy candy coating that is the central premise. Once that obstacle is overcome (which is a big task), then there are enough powerful songs to connect with those that sometimes feel alone. More Reviews 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple January 13, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen The Rip January 16, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Dead Man's Wire January 14, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen The Chronology of Water January 9, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Hunter Friesen

Captain America: Brave New World February 12, 2025 By: Button Hunter Friesen In an age where every new property in the neverending Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is either going to restore or destroy the franchise, Captain America: Brave New World is a semi-comforting reminder that it’s okay for a movie to be just fine and forgettable. The keyboard warriors on either side of the fence will find little ammunition here, ushering in a brief period where comic-book movies are met with a collective shrug rather than an onslaught of verbal skirmishes. This all might be faint praise for a mega studio blockbuster with a rumored budget of anywhere between $250-300 million, but the bar was never that high to begin with. It’s not like all those extra tens of millions were put to good use anyway. The cutting room floor of the editor’s suite might be worth more than several other studio blockbusters combined, the 118-minute final runtime here clearly being a patchwork of several rounds of reshoots and reedits. Luckily, the generic sets and CGI backdrops were always available, but not the high-quality VFX technicians to work their magic and make it all seem remotely believable. They're probably all busy putting in overtime on The Fantastic Four: First Steps anyway. For the one fan out there who has 2008’s The Incredible Hulk , The Falcon and the Winter Soldier , and Eternals high on their MCU rankings, Brave New World is the sequel they’ve been dreaming of. Audiences need to be well-versed in both the film and television fronts of the MCU to fully grasp what’s going on here. General Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross (previously played by the late William Hurt, now played by Harrison Ford) has become President Ross in one of “the most important elections in American history.” But unlike the outcome of our most recent real-life election, this president preaches togetherness amidst overcoming the horrors that have besieged the nation in the absence of the Avengers. His most important task is to unite the developed nations of the world in harnessing the potential of the Celestial Island, located in the Indian Ocean after the events of Eternals . But like all political plans, they got mucked up by intrigue and people working in the shadows. Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie), the new Captain America and former Falcon, finds himself caught in the crosshairs of the conspiracy, which is headed by a returning character from The Incredible Hulk . But fret not any of you who don’t remember the specific details of a seventeen-year-old movie whose connection to the MCU is mostly just a trivia question, director Julius Onah and his four credited co-writers make sure to spell it all out in bold letters at every turn. Much of the dialogue is spent writing and erasing the whiteboard that is the film’s plot, which includes a copious amount of convenient newsreel interjections. It all coalesces into something that feels much more tailored for Disney+ rather than the big screen. Even if the character of Sam Wilson is small potatoes when compared to what’s been going on in the entire MCU, his personal dilemmas are interesting. The appeal of the icon that is Captain America lies in the fact that he is just an ordinary person who represents the best qualities of those who resist evil. Sure, he may have been injected with a super serum, but that’s nothing when compared to Hulk, Iron Man, and villains like Thanos and Ultron. The successes of Steve Rogers against all those disadvantages create a nearly impossible barrier for Sam to overcome. The bond between him and his new sidekick Joaquin Torres (Danny Ramirez) is endearing as they both forge a new path together in a world that they’re not quite sure wants to embrace them. That sentiment goes double for Isaiah Bradley (Carl Lumbly), the forgotten Captain America from the Korean War who was betrayed by his government. The sum of these pieces isn’t as attractive as their individual values, making this more of a filler episode biding time until we get the next seismic shift in the MCU. Nuggets of what that will be are dropped here and there, giving us all just enough optimism to keep getting back on this ride. More Reviews 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple January 13, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen The Rip January 16, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Dead Man's Wire January 14, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen The Chronology of Water January 9, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Hunter Friesen

Ranking the Films of Christopher Nolan July 14, 2023 By: Hunter Friesen As quite possibly the most famous director working today, Christopher Nolan has repeatedly pushed the boundaries of cinema, captivating audiences with his thought-provoking themes, mind-bending concepts, and stunning visual spectacles. His filmography is a tapestry of iconic movies that have left an indelible mark on popular culture. From the mind-bending puzzles of Memento to the gripping exploration of dreams in Inception and the epic superhero saga of The Dark Knight trilogy, each film offers a unique cinematic experience. Whether you are a long-time fan or a newcomer to his works, this ranking will provide a comprehensive exploration of Nolan's filmography, celebrating his unparalleled creativity and his lasting impact on the world of cinema. 11. Following Whether you're Martin Scorsese, Damien Chazelle, Barry Jenkins, or Christopher Nolan, everyone starts their career with a small black-and-white movie they crafted with the tools available to them: sweat and determination. Like most Nolan movies, this can be overcomplicated just for the sake of it. But there are some impressive things going on, especially when you consider how Nolan was able to continue his ambitions within the studio system. 10. Batman Begins On paper, this is just another well-known origin story that we’ve seen before. Nolan doesn’t totally transcend that pitfall, but he skillfully elevates the comic book genre into the real world. He immerses the audience in the griminess of Gotham City, a place that can only be saved by a man willing to meet the criminals on their terms. It remains an important stepping stone that would be used to fulfill the much grander scope of its sequels. 9. Insomnia Truth and guilt come crashing together in Nolan’s first foray into studio filmmaking. While it’s the only film that he didn’t have a hand in writing (at least officially), Nolan still is able to instill psychological depth into the material through his atmospheric cinematography and heightened editing. Al Pacino applies his mid-2000s sleepiness to a role that suits it, and Robin Williams skillfully transforms into a role against type. 8. Tenet Tenet is a full-on assault of the senses that contains unparalleled moments of spectacle and ambition. It surely takes multiple rewatches to comprehend, with the lack of interesting characters and convoluted stakes making that a bit of a tall order. But if you are brave enough to take on that mission, make sure to pack some ibuprofen and prepare to have your mind twisted in ways you never thought possible. Full Review 7. Interstellar Nolan has always claimed 2001: A Space Odyssey to be his favorite movie, and 2014’s Interstellar seems to be the clearest illustration of its influence. The accuracy and scientific detail are unparalleled compared to most blockbusters, with visually stunning sequences that demand the biggest screen possible. Its ambitious narrative can be a bit of a challenge to follow, but the emotional payoff (not something Nolan is known for), makes the difficulty all the more worth it. 6. The Dark Knight Rises Each entry in Nolan’s Batman trilogy is bigger than the last, with this finale seeing The Dark Knight going out on the epic stage he deserves. Batman is at his most vulnerable here as he battles a broken body and spirit at the hands of Tom Hardy’s Bane. No sequel would have been able to match the heights of 2008’s The Dark Knight , but this one has its moments and still flies high above most of the entries within the superhero genre. 5. Memento Serving as the beginning of his trademarked enthralling bewilderment, Memento captivates with its unique narrative structure, thought-provoking themes, and exceptional performance by Guy Pearce. You piece together the past and present with Leonard, never sure what’s reality and what’s all in your head. The stripped-down scale (at least compared to other Nolan mind-benders) makes it all the more impressive and makes it easy to see why studios were falling head over heels to hire him for their blockbusters. 4. Inception Inception is Nolan’s magnum opus in terms of visual ingenuity, made clear by the film winning the Oscars for both Best Cinematography and Best Visual Effects. The seamless shifting between the dream levels creates a sense of unease and uncertainty that complements the film's psychological undertones. Hans Zimmer delivers probably his most signature score to date, with Leonardo DiCaprio in peak movie star form as our guide through this maze of the mind. 3. Dunkirk Dunkirk is an immersive, visceral experience that conveys the horrors of war without relying on excessive violence and gore (or even showing the enemy). Instead, it focuses on the psychological toll of the events, capturing the fear, desperation, and camaraderie among the soldiers as they face impossible odds. Hans Zimmer's haunting and relentless score serves as an additional character within this large ensemble, intensifying the sense of urgency and heightening the emotional impact of each ticking moment. 2. The Prestige Cinema is a form of magic by itself, and Nolan is one of its greatest magicians. The Prestige is probably his most rewatchable movie, not just because of the theatrical twists and turns, but because it's such a well-put-together production that keeps you on your toes as Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale’s obsessive war of one-upmanship progressively gets more dangerous as it goes along. 1. The Dark Knight Being able to deliver top-notch entertainment while still touching on interesting ideas is what separates the legends from the lepers during the busy summer movie season. Nolan’s masterful direction has the movie fly at a breakneck pace while still savoring all the details. No further words need to be said to honor Heath Ledger’s towering performance, with Aaron Eckhart’s portrayal of Harvey Dent being a standout second-fiddle. There’s been nothing like it since, and likely won’t for a very long time. More Reviews 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple January 13, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen The Rip January 16, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Dead Man's Wire January 14, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen The Chronology of Water January 9, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Hunter Friesen

Sing Sing April 23, 2024 By: Button Hunter Friesen Sing Sing screened at the 2024 Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Film Festival. A24 will release it in theaters on July 12. Blue streamers, a paper bird, a cardboard crown, stitched-together outfits, sheet cloth backgrounds, and a dim searchlight. These are the things that are used to turn reality into dreams within Sing Sing Correctional Facility, located just north of New York City. The actors up on that makeshift stage have been put there through Rehabilitation Through the Arts (RTA), a real-life prison program that aims to help incarcerated individuals channel their creativity in a way that helps them become better suited to their eventual life outside of the cement walls. “We are here to become human again,” is the mantra that the participants live by, with many of them having been a a part of the program for too many seasons to count. One of those veteran cast members is John 'Divine G' Whitfield, who has claimed Sing Sing as his home since he was wrongfully convicted of murders in the 1980s (the film takes place in 2005). He’s become somewhat of a minor celebrity across the prison system, with his plays and books, which he authors by clacking away on a typewriter within his tiny cell, reaching a wide audience of fellow inmates. He’s usually the brains of the operation, coming up with the ideas and scripts for the new productions, and starring in the lead roles. But while his next idea revolves around social satire, the others in the program would like to branch away from the “serious” material (their latest production was King Lear) and do something else. Somebody wants to do a Western, another wants something in Ancient Egypt, someone else wants to continue with Shakespeare, while another wants to play Freddie Krueger. Instead of choosing just one of those options, they decide to stitch them all together through time travel in their own original production. Adapting from the Esquire article “The Sing Sing Follies,” co-writer/director Greg Kwedar takes a naturalistic approach to the proceedings. After each of their performances, the actors are showered with applause from their inmate audience. They go backstage and congratulate each other on the great job that they’ve done. But instead of going out and celebrating, or receiving bouquets of flowers from adoring fans, they’re met with a wave of guards ready to sternly escort them back to their cells. The stark reality of this almost makes it more impressive that they persist season after season to put on a good show. None of this will advance their careers, nor will there be any sort of monetary reward at the end of this road. That non-professional aesthetic extends into the cast as well; with Kwedar only casting three professional actors in Colman Domingo as Divine G, Paul Raci as the group’s advisor, and Sean San Jose as G’s best friend. Much of the other roles are made up of former incarcerated members of the real-life troupe, which gives an unsanitized look at how the program has changed their lives. Talking at the post-screening Q&A, Kwedar mentioned the inspiration he took from One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest in terms of casting, with Domingo’s Oscar-nominated presence making him stand out similarly to Jack Nicholson. The role of Nurse Ratched is played here by The New York State Board of Parole, who constantly serve as the roadblock to Divine G’s potential release. That feeling of persevering through hopelessness is at the heart of Kwedar and Clint Bentley’s script, but it never comes across in an elevated fashion. Much of the tin-eared lines come from Clarence “Divine Eye” Maclin (playing himself excellently), who makes several speeches about the streets being his home and that you shouldn’t put faith in the system. Bryce Dessner’s somber score soothes your ears between those moments, and Pat Scola’s quietly investigative camera roams the concrete jungle. Sing Sing is an important film when it's all put together, but that doesn’t mean it’s a lecture. There’s a lot of fun to be had in the production of the play, with the sheer creativity being incredibly infectious. Don’t be surprised to constantly hear about this film throughout the rest of the year. More Reviews 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple January 13, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen The Rip January 16, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Dead Man's Wire January 14, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen The Chronology of Water January 9, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Hunter Friesen

'Bonnie & Clyde' and New Sentimentality February 1, 2023 By: Hunter Friesen Immediately upon its release, film critic Roger Ebert claimed Bonnie and Clyde to be alandmark in American cinema. The film attracted a love/hate relationship with critics, with the love side eventually winning out in the long run. Ebert was right in that Bonnie and Clyde was a milestone for American cinema, as this was one of the earliest and most successful films that embraced the idea of “counterculture." Through the use of their idea of new sentimentality, screenwriters David Newman and Robert Benton took Hollywood by storm by defying the oldways in favor of charging down a new path. The idea of “new sentimentality” laid out by Newman and Benton tried to explain the cultural and generational differences that were taking place in America during the 1960s. The ways of Old Sentimentality, which preached about the good ol' days of American patriotism and love for others, were now fading away in favor of a more tough and self-empowering way of thinking. Bonnie and Clyde illustrated this new way of thinking in multiple ways. The main factor that created controversy around Bonnie and Clyde , and for why it is apiece of new sentimentality, is the unrivaled amount of violence inflicted by and onto the characters. Obviously, with a movie about bank robbers, there has to be a few shootouts thatwould get butts in seats. Bonnie and Clyde does deliver the shootouts that one would expect and pay to see at the time, but it does it in such a way that it sucks out all the guilty joy we get out of watching it. Instead of dropping dead instantly after one shot, characters bleed and writhe around in extreme agony. The old way of gun violence was quick and didn’t allow for us to think aboutthe ramifications. This new way forces us to see the effects violence has on every day people, the physical damage it does to the person hit and the emotional damage it does to the people watching it, for which we the audience must participate. This idea somewhat borrows from the French and Italian new-wave of thinking that placed importance on telling stories that reflected our reality that is filled with real people. The violence comes to an incredible climax at the very end when our titular characters are gunned down in a hail of never-ending bullets. All you can do during the scene is sit there incomplete shock as their bodies are riddled to shreds. It’s not fun to watch or heroic in any nature. The old sentimentality had gun-toting heroes like Humphrey Bogart and John Wayne who killed quick and clean. They symbolized a time when America was in a righteous war to protect theworld from the Nazis. Bonnie and Clyde is the new idea that violence is something that lingers inthe moment and for many moments after. America was in Vietnam at the time, a war that waspropelled by American self-interest. Apart from violence, another element that must be delivered to sell a movie is sex. Like violence, sex was shown in only its tamest forms in film. Hitchcock famously had to dance around the subject in Notorious by having his characters kiss and peck at each other over time. Bonnie and Clyde engages with sex on a much more open scale. Bonnie and Clyde have sex multiple times throughout the film and even discuss it with each other. It’s a part of their relationship as opposed to being kept under the rug like before. We even get a tiny storyline about Clyde being impotent and then finally overcoming this. The idea of impotence before that time wasn’t one to be discussed as it clashed with the idea of what a real man was. John Wayne would never be impotent! The idea of new sentimentality changed what it meant to be a man, filled with imperfections and perversions. Bonnie and Clyde marked the mainstream beginning of new sentimentality within cinema. Through its unflinching approach to violence and sex, the film sparked a debate that isstill being felt today. As Ebert said, the film was made in 1965 about people in 1934, but it will always be made for us here and now. More Reviews 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple January 13, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen The Rip January 16, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Dead Man's Wire January 14, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen The Chronology of Water January 9, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Hunter Friesen

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice September 4, 2024 By: Button Hunter Friesen If you listen carefully, you can hear the collective sigh of relief of millions of Tim Burton and Beetlejuice fans from around the world the moment the opening credits of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice joyously commenced. Danny Elfman delivers a signature score as the camera weaves through the signature diorama of Winter River. This introduction is a microcosm of the subsequent one-hundred minutes: an unashamed retreading of everything that worked over thirty-five years ago and has become a part of popular culture lexicon ever since, done with enough respect and creative flair to be some of the most fun of the year. Ghostbusters II serves as the template for the opening sections, with a “where are they now” carousel setting the stage for how the famed characters have fared in the decades since. The once supernatural ally Lydia Deetz (Winona Ryder) now peddles the same ghostly schlock that Zach Baggins has cornered on cable television. How and why she got to this place is a mystery, as well as what her goal is to host a show that delegitimizes the supernatural. She’s got a buffoonish simp in her producer Rory (Justin Theroux), which is about the only somewhat good thing she has going for her. Her daughter Astrid (Jenna Ortega) doesn’t want anything to do with her, another instance in a long line of reminders that your childhood heroes turn out to be terrible parents. On top of that, her father was just killed in a freak shark attack, forcing the entire group, Delia included, to venture back to the signature haunted house on the top of the hill. Of course, all of this plot in the human world is just there to serve what’s going on in the underworld. The titular Mr. Juice is still heartbroken over Lydia, and now must hide from his vengeful ex-wife Delores (Monica Bellucci). The complicated and ever-shifting rules and circumstances of the afterlife bring these two stories together, with Lydia and Beetlejuice needing to rescue Astrid from being sent to the Great Beyond. Plot is not what you came to this movie for, and neither is it an important aspect in writers Alfred Gough and Miles Millar’s gameplan, which contains quite the animosity towards anything to do with PC culture. Burton also has a ball with pushing your preconceptions of what can be included in a PG-13 movie, with this one featuring an assortment of gore, cursing, and overall grossness. The effects are mostly practical, a challenge that Burton and his production team welcomed with open arms and flourished with. An animated sequence similar to The Corpse Bride and a silent horror recreation of the romantic origins between Beetlejuice and Delores’ are some of the standout moments that hit the nostalgia buttons so perfectly The cast is all having so much fun as well. Theroux and Willem Dafoe as a dead Tom Cruise-esque actor turned underworld cop who takes his job a little too seriously are the two standouts within the new additions. Their foolishness is matched only by their zeal for the zaniness surrounding them. Ryder and Keaton haven’t missed a beat in the time since, with the latter yet again being the outright champion despite having less screen time than you’d think. Bellucci is… there. She’s a symptom of the film’s disregard for plot and stakes, appearing out of nowhere and leaving without much of an afterthought. We can’t get everything we want, so it’s best to forgive those glaring gaps in depth since it created an opportunity for one of our most creative filmmakers to make something for himself and the people he cares about instead of just another executive who just wants to harness his aesthetic. We as the audience can only be as passionate about a film as the creatives behind it, with this one being so easy to love and laugh along with. More Reviews 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple January 13, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen The Rip January 16, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Dead Man's Wire January 14, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen The Chronology of Water January 9, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Hunter Friesen

2025 Golden Globes Awards Predictions January 4, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen The new Golden Globes are back! Last year’s rebranded show may have been a trainwreck, but the actual winners and nominees were incredibly accurate to the overall awards race. It essentially shut down all the doubters of the Globes’ influence. Because of this reform, we really only have one year’s worth of data to use as precedent for this year’s predictions. In preparation for the show this Sunday, I'm predicting the winners in each category. Each of the nominees is ranked in terms of their likelihood to come out on top. Some of the categories have a significant divide between the top and runner-up spots and some categories are neck-and-neck. No matter how the results shake out, we should all be in for an exciting night that kicks off the next phase of the awards season. Best Motion Picture - Drama The Brutalist Conclave A Complete Unknown Dune: Part Two Nickel Boys September 5 This category gets whittled down pretty quickly once you consider that this is the only category representing Nickel Boys and September 5 , and Dune: Part Two is also only to be found in Best Original Score. A Complete Unknown is a medium contender at best, which leaves Conclave and The Brutalist to duke it out. I’m going with The Brutalist for its higher critics' scores and grandiosity. But this decision will be swimming through my head every minute until that envelope is opened. Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy Emilia Pérez Anora Wicked The Substance A Real Pain Challengers You don’t rack up ten total nominations (the most ever for a film in this category) and not be the favorite to win the ultimate prize. Emilia Pérez also hasn’t stumbled once throughout the entire season, making it nearly impossible to bet against it. However, the same can pretty much be said for Anora , so the door is still slightly open for an upset. Best Director Brady Corbet (The Brutalist) Jacques Audiard (Emilia Pérez) Edward Berger (Conclave) Coralie Fargeat (The Substance) Sean Baker (Anora) Payal Kapadia (All We Imagine as Light) With seemingly every other category being a toss-up, it’s to see to have one that feels like a virtual lock. You can’t talk about The Brutalist without heralding the work of Brady Corbet, a sentiment that’s worked in the past few years for people like Jane Campion ( The Power of the Dog ) and Christopher Nolan ( Oppenheimer ). I’d be incredibly shocked if anyone other than him ascended the stage. Best Screenplay Conclave (Peter Straughn) Anora (Sean Baker) A Real Pain (Jesse Eisenberg) The Brutalist (Brady Corbet & Mona Fastvold) The Substance (Coralie Fargeat) Emilia Pérez (Jacques Audiard) This category is already the hardest to predict the nominees for as you can only fit six out of the 12-15 that are vying for the two categories at the Oscars. Now it’s even tougher as only one can win. The momentum seems to be with Conclave at this point in the season, although Anora would probably be the betting favorite. Best Lead Actor - Drama Timothée Chalamet (A Complete Unknown) Adrien Brody (The Brutalist) Ralph Fiennes (Conclave) Colman Domingo (Sing Sing) Daniel Craig (Queer) Sebastian Stan (The Apprentice) Is this the moment Timothée Chalamet is finally anointed as the star of the next generation? I think so. The buzz for his performance and public persona for A Complete Unknown has been nothing short of electric during the voting window, and he’s earned enough respect within the industry over the years. Adrien Brody could just as easily get the win, so it’s still a very close race. Best Lead Actress - Drama Angelina Jolie (Maria) Fernanda Torrest (I'm Still Here) Nicole Kidman (Babygirl) Kate Winslet (Lee) Tilda Swinton (The Room Next Door) Pamela Anderson (The Last Showgirl) With most of the Oscar contenders over in Musical or Comedy, this category feels a little light on surefire bets. I’ve been inching closer to picking Fernanda Torres as an upset, but I just can’t quite pull the trigger over Angelina Jolie. I’ll probably look back on that decision and wonder why I was so blind. There’s also the possibility of 20-time nominee Nicole Kidman or 14-time nominee Kate Winslet getting the win. Best Lead Actor - Musical or Comedy Jesse Eisenberg (A Real Pain) Glen Powell (Hit Man) Hugh Grant (Heretic) Sebastian Stan (A Different Man) Jesse Plemons (Kinds of Kindness) Gabriel LaBelle (Saturday Night) It’s a relatively crowded and Oscar-less field compared to previous years. The nominee with the most overall support is Jesse Eisenberg. But then Hugh Grant is the most likely Oscar nominee of this bunch, and Glen Powell is the kind of breakout star that this group loves to reward. I’ll stick with the acclaim that Eisenberg has been getting, and treat this award as a summation for all the work he did on A Real Pain . Best Lead Actress - Musical or Comedy Karla Sofía Gascón (Emilia Pérez) Mikey Madison (Anora) Cynthia Erivo (Wicked) Demi Moore (The Substance) Zendaya (Challengers) Amy Adams (Nightbitch) The law of these Musical or Comedy acting categories is to always bet on the actor/actress with the best chance of being Oscar-nominated, as there’s usually only 1-2 here. That logic kind of breaks this year as we have four women with a realistic chance of being Oscar-nominated, so take your pick and understand that you’re more likely to be wrong than right. I’m going with Gascón based on her win at the European Film Awards and her ability to make history in this category. Best Supporting Actor Kieran Culkin (A Real Pain) Guy Pearce (The Brutalist) Edward Norton (A Complete Unknown) Denzel Washington (Gladiator II) Yura Borisov (Anora) Jeremy Strong (The Apprentice) Culkin has been the sweeper of the season, racking up notable wins at each of the major critics’ groups (NYFCC, LAFCA, NBR). It would feel foolish to predict that train will derail now, especially with him coming into this specific show as the reigning victor of the award for Best Actor – Television Series Drama. Best Supporting Actress Zoë Saldaña (Emilia Pérez) Ariana Grande (Wicked) Isabelle Rossellini (Conclave) Margaret Qualley (The Substance) Selena Gomez (Emilia Pérez) Felicity Jones (The Brutalist) Flip a coin between Saldaña and Grande and you’d have as much confidence as I do. For the past several months I’ve been feeling very confident about Saldaña’s chances to sweep the season. But Grande’s rapid ascendancy has made that a difficult sentiment to maintain. Even if I still think Saldaña will win the Oscar when all is said and done, Grande winning the Globe would be a realistic bump in the road. Best Foreign Language Film Emilia Pérez (France) All We Imagine as Light (India) I'm Still Here (Brazil) The Seed of the Sacred Fig (Iran) The Girl with the Needle (Denmark) Vermiglio (Italy) Last year, half of the nominees also appeared in the Best Motion Picture - Drama category, making it incredibly difficult to decide which film had the most reliable competitive advantage. This year feels a lot more clear with Emilia Pérez pulling in ten total nominations (the most for a musical or comedy). But this category also loves curveballs, like in 2023 when the film with the lowest odds, Argentina, 1985 , pulled off the upset and beat RRR and All Quiet on the Western Front . Does the acting nomination for Fernanda Torres spell something for I’m Still Here ? Best Animated Feature Film The Wild Robot Flow Inside Out 2 Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl Memoir of a Snail Moana 2 Flow has been overperforming at the regional critics’ awards so far, so this is not an open-and-shut case for The Wild Robot like we originally thought a few weeks ago. I still don’t have much reason to doubt The Wild Robot , but the win relatively unexpected win for The Boy and the Heron last year does make me wonder if we’re in for a pretty big surprise. Best Original Score The Brutalist (Daniel Blumberg) Conclave (Volker Bertelmann) Emilia Pérez (Camille & Clément Ducol) Challengers (Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross) Dune: Part Two (Hans Zimmer) The Wild Robot (Kris Bowers) Volker Bertelmann may have won the Oscar for All Quiet on the Western Front a few years ago, but the Globes did not nominate him. This could be the moment they give him the overdue win for Conclave . I’m still going to stick with Daniel Blumberg’s thunderous score for The Brutalist , which has been one of the most acclaimed aspects of the film. Best Original Song El Mal (Emilia Pérez) Mi Camino (Emilia Pérez) Kiss the Sky (The Wild Robot) Beautiful That Way (The Last Showgirl) Forbidden Road (Better Man) Compress/Repress (Challengers) “El Mal” and “Mi Camino” have been joined at the hip during the nomination phase of the season, and now it’s time to see which one is actually going to win. I’m leaning towards “El Mal” since it is the standout musical sequence of the film that’s been featured in the marketing. And despite having seen the film twice, I struggle to recollect “Mi Camino.” Could something like “Kiss the Sky” or “Beautiful That Way” split the difference and pull off an upset? I wouldn’t be too surprised if that happened. Cinematic and Box Office Achievement Wicked Deadpool & Wolverine Inside Out 2 Gladiator II Beetlejuice Beetlejuice The Wild Robot Twisters Alien: Romulus We’ve only got one year’s worth of precedent for this category, although this year seems a little easier due to the lack of a true Barbenheimer phenomenon. Barbie was last year’s winner, an enormous hit both critically and culturally. Being that it’s one of these films to have a nomination in the Best Motion Picture categories, Wicked seems to fit that mold the closest this year. More Reviews 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple January 13, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen The Rip January 16, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Dead Man's Wire January 14, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen The Chronology of Water January 9, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen

The Wizard of the Kremlin September 5, 2025 By: Button Hunter Friesen The Wizard of the Kremlin had its North American Premiere at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival. It is currently seeking US distribution. Zigging and zagging between an international remake of Les Vampires in Irma Vep , the exploits of the most wanted man in the world, Carlos the Jackal, in Carlos , and a Cuban espionage ring in Wasp Network , writer/director Olivier Assayas’ fascination with the theme of globalization knows no bounds. After taking some time off from the subject during the COVID-19 pandemic to look inward with Suspended Time , Assayas has saddled himself with his biggest subject yet in The Wizard of the Kremlin , a decades-spanning look at the rise of modern Russia and Vladimir Putin. However, Putin is not the central or most important figure in this tale, which comes with a forewarning about how none of this should be misconstrued as pure fact. Our titular “hero” in this story is Vadim Baranov (Paul Dano), a soft-spoken and unassuming spin doctor who secretly held the world in his grasp. He’s now retired to his wintry chalet, giving him plenty of time to host and recount his career to an American foreign correspondent named Rowland (Jeffrey Wright). Their initial meeting is spurred by a mutual admiration for Bolshevik writer Yevgeny Zamyatin, who laid the groundwork for George Orwell’s 1984 . Baranov’s tale starts in the early 1990s when counter-culturalists ran amok, the Soviet Union was dismantled, and Moscow citizens were able to breathe a little easier. But politics and cultural movements hang by a pendulum. Time has allowed some people to look back on Stalin’s tenure through rosier glasses, a time when Russia was at the forefront of geopolitics and thought of as a superpower on par with the United States. Jude Law appears halfway through the 156-minute mini-slog as Putin, the iron fist to Dano’s reserved wit. As exciting as the revitalization of a modern empire might sound (at least to me), Assayas’ film lacks the energy required to keep this engaging and memorable. The central structure of Baranov’s monologue to Rowland lacks any sense of discovery, mostly because Rowland seems to already know all of this. They chat for a while in one room, and then walk to another place on the estate to talk some more. Dano’s narration is long and laborious, taking us through thinly defined episodes that have as much dramatic weight and insight as the chapters in a high school history textbook. The cast sometimes brings up the energy, such as Tom Sturridge as the flashy Dmitri Sidorov, who steals Baranov’s first love, Ksenia (a woefully underused Alicia Vikander), with promises of endless revelry. The weight and presence that Law instills within his portrayal of Putin is just as impressively convincing as the makeup. We may never get to see him bare-chested like the real Russian president, but he does go water skiing and prepares a delectable barbecue dinner. None of the famous faces speaks with a Russian accent, with a vague British tone being used as shorthand. Baranov is persuaded to join Putin’s rising regime when he’s told to “stop making up stories, and start inventing reality.” Assayas clearly sees a link between Putin’s rise to power and Donald Trump’s, with Baranov being his Roy Cohn. Unfortunately, The Wizard of the Kremlin doesn’t have the same level of entertainment and enlightenment as last year’s The Apprentice , leaving its credible points of comparison to land with a thud. More Reviews 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple January 13, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen The Rip January 16, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Dead Man's Wire January 14, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen The Chronology of Water January 9, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Hunter Friesen

The Substance June 3, 2024 By: Button Hunter Friesen The Substance had its World Premiere at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival. Mubi will release it in theaters on September 20. “And the Oscar for Best Sound goes to… The Substance !” In a perfect world, that’s a phrase we should be hearing in about nine months. Of course, we live in a cruel world where the most prominent placement that phrase will have is in my dreams. But I’ll keep praying, because if something as traditionally anti-Oscar and deserving as The Zone of Interest can win this award, why can’t something equally great such as this? And just like The Zone of Interest , you will not be able to get the same kind of visceral experience the movie delivers outside of the cinema. Too many bone-crunching, squirm-inducing, and ooey gooey that’ll have you regretting that buy one, get one chicken wing deal you splurged on just before sitting down to watch this. But if there’s one thing writer/director Coralie Fargeat’s sophomore feature hates more than attached limbs and unspilled blood, it’s subtlety. The obsessive and borderline inhumane treatment Hollywood (and the public at large) has towards aging actresses is material that’s been mined several times before. Fargeat understands this and the assignment in front of her. If you’re not going to be first or the most insightful, then you might as well make damn sure you’re going to the most audaciously unforgettable. This is where Demi Moore’s casting comes into play, with the metatextuality of her rise within The Brat Pack in the 80s followed by the sexually charged fall from grace in the 90s aiding the immediate characterization of Elizabeth Sparkle. Although she’s still in great shape, her age has recently forced her to host a fledgling home workout TV show that shares the same production qualities as Jane Fonda did in the 80s. Her boss Harvey (again, subtlety is for cowards), secretly wants to boot her from the show for someone younger. A coincidence at the doctor’s office a few days later has Elizabeth talking to an eerily beautiful young physician, who gives her the information for an underground procedure called The Substance. The mysterious organization running the operation doesn’t ask for anything in return, just that you respect the rules. In exchange, the drug Elizabeth injects will force her body to give birth to a much younger and anatomically perfect version of herself. This new body, named Sue (Margaret Qualley), has Elizbaeth’s brain and memories, but none of the cellulite. The one big rule is that Elizabeth must alternate between each body one week at a time, or decomposition will occur. In true Gremlins fashion, this rule is at first followed, only to be bent, and, then, fully broken. Elizabeth and Sue might be the same person on the inside, but they each have different desires and the means to acquire them. Fargeat showed a penchant for blood and guts in her 2017 debut Revenge , something that The Substance takes to whole new levels. Cannes audiences may have thought they had already grown slightly accustomed to this through Titane and Crimes of the Future , but this is a different beast altogether. The underground dwellers that worship at the altar of Frank Henenlotter and Society finally have something that represents them on the biggest stage. The high-quality production is not just reserved for the grotesque makeup and piercing sound design. The fish-eye lenses Yorgos Lanthimos used to capture his off-kilter versions of England in The Favourite and Poor Things have found a new home in Hollywood, capturing everything from the male audience’s gazing on Sue’s revealing buttocks to Harvey spewing shrimp tails out of his mouth. Neverending monochromatic hallways line the studio, creating a candy-colored maze from corporate hell. The only thing bolder than those colors is Moore and Qualley’s dual performances as Elizabeth/Sue. Moore maintains a headstrong presence even as things get increasingly deranged, fully trusting in Fargeat’s vision. Qualley balances her physical schoolgirl perfectionism with her demented inner self as Elizabeth tries to maintain control of the situation. And then there’s also Dennis Quaid as Harvey, delivering a gonzo performance that very well could be his best in decades. It makes you yearn to see him tackle more roles like this, while also fully acknowledging that his personal statements (recently saying that he would vote for Trump again on Piers Morgan Uncensored ) have limited his prospects. Based on the relatively weird vibe of this year’s Cannes Film Festival, it seems only fitting for Fargeat to out Cronenberg David Cronenberg himself only a day before he premiered his new film The Shrouds (the less said about that, the better). With Julia Ducournau and Fargeat rising through the ranks of international cinema, the no-holds-barred corner that they occupy is looking like a mighty fine place to camp out for a while. More Reviews 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple January 13, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen The Rip January 16, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Dead Man's Wire January 14, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen The Chronology of Water January 9, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Hunter Friesen

Nightbitch September 8, 2024 By: Button Hunter Friesen Nightbitch had its World Premiere at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival. Searchlight Pictures will release it in theaters on December 06. “Motherhood is a bitch” reads the tagline for Nightbitch , the feature film adaptation of author Rachel Yoder’s much-raved 2021 novel. It comes as a warning to us all, but not in the form the overzealous marketing (including an incredibly divisive trailer ) would have led us to believe. Motherhood can be a trapdoor for some people, with the promises of the beauty of fertility and providing for others being switched out for restless nights, little appreciation, and the slipping sense that you are your own person. It turns women into a primordial version of themselves, a state where self-preservation triumphs over self-actualization. And in the case of Nightbitch (both the novel and the film), motherhood being a bitch is also a warning that there may be a slight chance you start turning into a dog after having children. Only slight! It first starts with patches of fur and a heightened sense of smell for our unnamed Mother (Amy Adams). Her newborn boy is now a two-year-old, and those very long two years have worn her down. When she sees a friend in the supermarket, they ask her if she loves being a mother. In one of several instances of writer/director Marielle Heller’s comically-intuned editing, Mother goes into a long tirade about its pitfalls akin to America Ferrera’s speech in Barbie . But once she’s gotten that off her chest, we cut back to reality and at the start of the initial question, only for Mother to answer with a simple “I love it!” This exchange represents the heart that Heller is digging for in the next 90-ish minutes. There is so much about motherhood that cannot be discovered until it is experienced, with society not allowing women to talk about what they have to go through every day. Or, if someone does lend an ear, it’s usually in the form of her husband (Scoot McNairy), who, while always having a loving interest, never gives the full attention and consideration required. Both of them just float through their existence, one shouting into the void and the other turning the other way. Once the breaking point is reached for Mother, that’s when her animal instincts come out. In a page out of the Animorphs book series, Mother transforms into a red husky at night, running with a pack of dogs doing all sorts of canine things. She comes back to the human world covered in leaves and smelling of blood, and also with a sense of freedom that could only be achieved by fully cutting loose. Is this transformation literal, or just a metaphorical representation of postpartum depression and body changes? The clues lead to it being literal, but Heller never dives enough into the deep end for it to be conclusive. There are more than a few moments of kookiness (the ones promised in the trailer) where this movie could distance itself from the many other stories about womanhood and maternity, but there’s a refusal from Heller to really through us for a loop. Her intentions and emotions are authentic, something that shouldn’t be a surprise considering her filmography which includes Can You Ever Forgive Me? and A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood . Someone who does cut loose is Adams, devouring the meat of this performance with gusto. Her character fears becoming invisible, but it’s impossible not to see what Adams is bringing to the table, which ranges from soulfully teary monologues to devouring rabbits on the front lawn. Backing her up is an enigmatic performance from Jessica Harper as the local librarian and a trio of neighborly moms (Zoe Chao, Mary Holland, and Archana Ryan) that provide some excellent moments of comic relief. They often say less is more, but in the case of Nightbitch , more would have been more. A little more zaniness here and a little more directness there would have lifted this well-meaning story out of the crowded category labeled “just fine.” A woman turning into a dog isn’t exactly doing just fine, and neither should a film with such promise as this. More Reviews 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple January 13, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen The Rip January 16, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Dead Man's Wire January 14, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen The Chronology of Water January 9, 2026 By: Hunter Friesen Hunter Friesen

Created by Hunter Friesen, The Cinema Dispatch is your one-stop-shop for all reviews, lists, awards updates, and essays relating to the world of cinema. About The Cinema Dispatch is founded, owned, and operated by Hunter Friesen. While attaining a Master’s Degree in Accounting and Finance at the University of Northern Iowa, Hunter was also a student of cinema. He was president of the Film Appreciation Club for three years, programming weekly screenings that aimed to entertain and educate the student body. He also served as the film critic for The Northern Iowan newspaper and co-hosted a biweekly campus radio show called Your World with Nick & Hunter on 94.5 KULT-FM. While the perpetually cold weather of Minnesota usually forced him to hunker down and enjoy so many great movies, Hunter has also used his passion for cinema to travel the world. He covers several international film festivals, including the Cannes Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival, and Sundance Film Festival. He also covers the local Twin Cities Film Fest and the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Film Festival. Hunter currently serves as the president of the Minnesota Film Critics Association and is an active member of the International Film Society Critics , Online Film & Television Association , Independent Film Critics of America , and The Critics Circle . Hunter publishes a weekly film review column at the Eden Prairie Local News and Woodbury News Net .