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Fly Me to the Moon July 10, 2024 By: Button Hunter Friesen The spirit of Rob Reiner lives gloriously within Fly Me to the Moon , a winning combination of heart and humor aimed squarely at adults. Of course, Reiner is still alive and kicking out films pretty regularly, but the quality has dipped so dramatically that you’d be hard-pressed to know they even exist. I might be the only person in the world who holds the distinction of seeing LBJ and Shock and Awe in a theater, both times having the room all to myself. Director Greg Berlanti and screenwriter Rose Gilroy are here to pick up the slack, emulating the kind of energy Reiner and Aaron Sorkin produced so delightfully in The American President . The only unconvincing thing about Scarlett Johansson’s performance is her wig, which often carries the same spoofy look as Kristen Wiig’s Target Lady. But selling stuff that’s unconvincing is her job, with the first time we meet her character Kelly is at a Mad Men -esque advertising meeting where she sports a fake baby bump and correctly “guesses” (she bribed their secretaries) which cars each of the men drive. This is Johansson firmly in true movie star mode, her first time doing so away from the character of Black Widow in over a decade. It’s a lot of fun to see her be the brightest and most confident person in the room, often finishing the sentences of Cole Davis (Channing Tatum) as he races to keep up with her. Despite working for America’s preeminent government agency, Cole finds himself in the same position as any director of a nonprofit: underfunded, understaffed, and facing the pressure of the political machine. Public interest in space exploration has crashed back down to Earth after several failed attempts, the most notable being the death of three astronauts from Apollo 1. It also doesn’t help that Vietnam is still raging on and social upheaval is commanding the streets. Here to put a positive spin on everything is Kelly, which includes ad tie-ins and “punched up” biographies for all those involved. That thin line between lying and selling is what bothers Cole, who has made it his life's work to pull off the hardest task in the history of mankind with both the honor and integrity he believes America has. Things really come to a head when the government deems the Apollo 11 moon landing mission to be too big to fail, which means a contingency plan has to be put in place in the form of a fake recording. Berlanti and Gilroy have fun with the conspiracy-laden idea of the moon landing being faked, including a few jokes about Stanley Kubrick, who’s referred to as an overblown wunderkind who’s only made one good movie. Jim Rash gets more than a few moments to shine as a brash commercial director who’s more than happy to put in the powerful position of faking one of America’a finest moments. Berlanti and Gilroy don’t put too much stock into the ideological tension between Kelly and Cole. There are debates here and there about how Cole is doing this for idealism and Kelly is mucking it up by treating this like the Thanksgiving Day parade, all while those marketing dollars keep the lights on. What’s more important is the chemistry that Johansson and Tatum have at all times, which is never less than effortlessly charming. The translation into this time period might have been aided by the pair’s appearance in the Coen’s Hollywood Golden Age comedy Hail, Caesar! a few years back, although I’m pretty sure they didn’t share any substantial scenes. The horrendous poster and limited marketing would give you the impression that this is some straight-to-streaming cash grab, but real money has been spent on this production. There’s a ‘60s Jetsons sheen to everything, including a giddy Oliver Stone-inspired opening montage about America’s history with space up to this moment. The sets and costumes are light and airy, and so is Daniel Pemberton’s score. Cinematographer Darius Wolski, often seen helming Ridley Scott films, even gets to mimic the famous vacuum of space shot from First Man , only this time more comedically. Fly Me to the Moon is about people and a process, both of which serve as the main attractions. If there was a “They Don't Make 'Em Like They Used To” category at the Academy Awards, this would be a strong contender to win. Now I hope people show up so we can start making more of these again. 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

Drive-Away Dolls February 23, 2024 By: Button Hunter Friesen It may only be a sample size of one movie a piece; but between The Tragedy of Macbeth and Drive-Away Dolls , it’s becoming quite clear to see what skills and fascinations each of the Coen brothers brought to their decades’ worth of conjoined works. It wouldn’t be a far-fetched theory to envision Joel winning most of the arguments for the relatively darker No Country for Old Men and The Man Who Wasn’t There ; while Ethan held a tighter grip for Intolerable Cruelty , The Ladykillers , and Burn After Reading . This isn’t to say that one was right and the other was wrong, as almost all those movies listed are a masterclass in balancing tone and homage ( No Country for Old Men and Burn After Reading are my personal favorites). It’s more of an explanation of why the brothers have parted ways these past few years, each breaking away from the time-old shackles and experimenting with their newly unfiltered vision. However, that last part about “unfiltered” is only somewhat correct. Joel’s departure saw him saddle up with one of the most well-known dramas in the English language, with Ethan teaming up with his wife, Tricia Cooke, to co-write and co-produce a lesbian road trip comedy. The results here are a bit scatterbrained, sort of touching on a few too many Coen trademarks with only half the potency they used to have. One thing Drive-Away Dolls doesn’t lack is brevity. At a crisp 84 minutes when factoring in the credits, this crime caper moves at the same pace as the racing dogs featured near the Tallahassee-set climax. A flurry of B-movie transitions; including whip pans, spinning frames, and wipes, never allows you to lose sight of the kitschy influences. There are a few sequences, specifically some psychedelic drops and neon-infused frames, that tip the scales too much in the wrong direction, but it’s never enough to ruin the whole trip. Things start in Philadelphia on the eve of the 21st century. Jamie (Margaret Qualley) is a free spirit who finds herself broken up with by her cop girlfriend (Beanie Feldstein) after a few too many actions without thought. She and her uptight friend Marian (Geraldine Viswanathan) need a temporary change of scenery, which is the perfect excuse to earn some extra cash by performing a driveaway service to Florida. Except, this particular car contains a mysterious briefcase inside, one that holds powerful secrets that a group of bumbling goons (led by Colman Domingo) are after. A few other actors show up in bit parts/cameos. Pedro Pascal stars in the cold open and experiences the alternative use for a wine opener, Bill Camp is the droll car dealership manager, and Matt Damon plays the head honcho after the briefcase. Everyone is having fun in their roles, especially Qualley with her Texan accent and delightfully vulgar views on life. It’s their energy and charm that gets most of the material across the finish line, as the Coen/Cooke script often feels stuck in the realm of “just okay.” “Just okay” would be an accurate statement to use for the whole film, which isn’t as bad as it sounds. It’s hard to complain about something being “just okay” when it’s this zippy and kooky, even if the headliner name of Ethan Coen would make you believe you were in for something a little more special. 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

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The Ballad of Buster Scruggs December 6, 2018 By: Button Hunter Friesen Joel and Ethan Coen are two directors that can always be depended on to make a wildly original film. Their films contain an offbeat nature mixed with highbrow comedy that either ends up making a splash with audiences ( Fargo ) or landing with a thud ( The Ladykillers ). The Ballad of Buster Scruggs , the newest Netflix film by the brothers, lands somewhere in the grey area between splash and thud. Set in the Old West, the film is split up into chapters and tells six mutually exclusive stories. Ranging from wacky slapstick to grim realism, the Coens offer their own unique take on the Western genre as they experiment with a revolving door of distinct plots and characters. The Coens have always been able to grab the attention of viewers with their blend of violence and sharp storytelling. Those two attributes show up in Buster Scruggs , but not as much as they should. The first story, starring Tim Blake Nelson as the titular character, is a joyous romp that starts the film off on the right foot through its use of comedic gunplay and witty banter. Unfortunately, having such a fine chapter at the beginning sets the rest of the film up to be a disappointment in comparison. A few of the subsequent stories just kind of come and go without much fanfare. Clocking in at 130 minutes, the film can test your patience from time to time. The length of each story ranges between fifteen and forty minutes. A major problem arises from this as all the good ones end up being too short and the lackluster ones too long. This creates an unsatisfying feeling at the end of each story as they never feel just right in terms of length. One area that should be applauded is the absolutely stunning cinematography by Bruno Delbonnel. Each wide shot of the great plains is more beautiful than the last as each one is used to masterfully build a living world around the stories. Just like their directing, the writing by the Coens can best be described as a crapshoot. Filling their stories with insights concerning the ideas of existentialism and human morality, the brothers sometimes overplay their hands and start to lull the audience from boredom. The final story is the most guilty of this as five characters endlessly drone on about different philosophical topics such as the nature of God and the morality of bounty hunting. One thing that the Coens have always been great at doing is filling their films with compelling characters. The characters in this film more than live up to expectations as almost every one of them light up the screen with their eccentric personalities. However, not all characters get to shine as some of their traits wear thin quickly and by the end, they become repetitive parodies. With an A-list cast of different character actors, the quality of the acting as a whole is in line with the directing and writing. Tim Blake Nelson as the cartoony gunslinger Buster Scruggs is easily the highlight of the film. His infectious energy and fourth-wall-breaking wisecracks give levity to some of the film’s most brutal moments. James Franco and Liam Neeson appear in the second and third stories, respectively, as men trying to make a living through questionable methods. The plot of each story gives the actors little to work with and they each end up turning in average performances. Famous singer Tom Waits single-handedly stars as a prospector searching for a gold deposit in the fourth story. Waits’ grizzled demeanor along with his reactionary mutterings keep us engaged throughout and connected to the welfare of his character. Lastly, Zoe Kazan stars in the penultimate story as a woman trying to make her way to Oregon while enduring a series of tragedies. Kazan’s shy and innocent personality gives her character a good amount of emotional depth that comes close to making up for the dull plot. The Ballad of Buster Scruggs is a reminder of what the Coens do so well and what they have always struggled with. Despite their limitations, the brothers are miles ahead of many others that try and fail to match their style. If you have a Netflix account or know someone who does (which is about everyone), this film could prove to be an entertaining time and a great gateway into the filmography of two of the most influential filmmakers of the past quarter century. 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

36 Most Anticipated Films of 2023 December 23, 2022 By: Hunter Friesen 2022 marked another year of recovery for the film industry after the immense struggles of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021. And with a new year approaching, we should adopt a forward-thinking mindset that looks ahead to new possibilities. With its mixture of exciting new projects from both new and established talent, 2023 has the power to be even better than 2022. To get you all excited as I am, this article will detail several of my most anticipated films expected to be released sometime in the next calendar year. Films will be listed in alphabetical order, with known release dates and distribution strategies (i.e. streaming or not) provided. A Haunting in Venice (September 15) Kenneth Branagh once again dons the famous mustache of detective Hercule Poirot, who must solve a murder that involves Tina Fey, Michelle Yeoh, Jamie Dornan, and Kelly Reilly. Air Jordan Ben Affleck directs Matt Damon for the first time in this true story about how Sonny Vaccar was able to sign Michael Jordan to his Nike shoe deal. Asteroid City (June 16) Wes Anderson returns with Asteroid City , said to be set during an astronomy convention, with Tom Hanks, Scarlett Johansson, Bryan Cranston, and Jeff Goldblum being a few names within the starry cast. Barbie (July 21) Writer/director Greta Gerwig offers a presumably original story on the life of the plastic doll. Margot Robbie will play Barbie, with Ryan Gosling as Ken. Blitz (Apple TV+) Small Axe writer/director Steve McQueen shifts from Amazon to Apple for his World War II story about several Londoners during the Nazi blitzkrieg bombings. Saoirse Ronan and Stephen Graham star. Challengers (August 11) Luca Guadagnino directs Zendaya, Josh O’Connor, and Mike Faist as three tennis players who reignite old rivalries on and off the court when they compete in a world-class tournament. Chevalier (April 07) Kelvin Harrison Jr. plays Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges, the illegitimate son of an African slave and a French plantation owner, who rises to heights in French society as a composer before an ill-fated love affair. Civil War Alex Garland continues his A24 relationship after Ex Machina and Men . Kirsten Dunst stars in his original epic action movie that is set in the United States in the not-so-distant future. Creed III (March 03) Michael B. Jordan pulls double duty as director and star in the conclusion of this trilogy. Jonathan Majors plays Damian Anderson, a long-lost friend of Adonis, who now seeks revenge for the sins of the past. Disappointment Blvd. Hereditary and Midsommar writer/director Ari Aster’s “nightmare comedy” on the life of a successful entrepreneur, starring Joaquin Phoenix in the lead role. Dune: Part Two (November 03) Denis Villeneuve concludes the mythic journey of Paul Atreides as he unites with Chani and the Fremen while on a warpath of revenge against the conspirators who destroyed his family. Ferrari Adam Driver continues to play Italians after House of Gucci , this time starring as the famed Enzo Ferrari. Michael Mann ( Heat, The Insider ) writes and directs, with Penélope Cruz, Shailene Woodley, and Jack O’Connell filling out the supporting cast. Flint Strong Black Panther and Mudbound cinematographer Rachel Morrison steps into the director chair for the true story of Olympic boxer Claressa Shields. Barry Jenkins supplies the screenplay, with Ryan Destiny and Brian Tyree Henry topping the cast list. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (May 05) Writer/director James Gunn finishes his trilogy about the most lovable misfits in the galaxy. Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (June 30) Even at 80 years old, Harrison Ford continues to crank out the adventures of the titular archaeologist. Time travel is rumored to be a part of this James Mangold-directed film, with Mads Mikkelsen, Antonio Banders, and Phoebe Wall-Bridge along for the ride. John Wick: Chapter 4 (March 24) Keanu Reeves returns as the titular ass-kicker, who must continue his fight out of the violent world he finds himself in. Killers of the Flower Moon (Apple TV+) Martin Scorsese’s true-crime western surrounding the mysterious murders of the Osage tribe in the 1920s. Jesse Plemons, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Robert De Niro star. Maestro (Netflix) Bradley Cooper writes, directs, and stars in this retelling of the life of Leonard Bernstein, often considered the greatest American conductor ever. Carey Mulligan will play his wife Felicia. May/December Julianne Moore and director Todd Haynes reunite for the fourth time, bringing in Natalie Portman as an actress who arrives to do research for an upcoming role on Moore’s character’s life. Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One (July 14) Tom Cruise (supposedly) closes his Mission: Impossible series with this first in a two-part story. Rogue Nation and Fallout writer/director Christopher McQuarrie is back at the helm, promising more unbelievable stunts. Napoleon (Apple TV+) Director Ridley Scott and writer David Scarpa reunite after All the Money in the World for this personal look at the immense life of Napoleon Bonaparte. Joaquin Phoenix stars as the French emperor, with Vanessa Kirby as his empress, Josephine. Next Goal Wins (April 21) Jojo Rabbit and Thor: Ragnarok writer/director Taika Waititi tells the true story of the American Samoa soccer team, who suffered the worst loss in World Cup history, losing to Australia 31-0 in 2001. Oppenheimer (July 21) Christopher Nolan’s biopic of the father of the atomic bomb. Nolan veteran Cillian Murphy plays the titular figure. Poor Things / AND Weirdo writer/director Yorgos Lanthimos tells the story of Bella Baxter, a Victorian woman who is brought back to life by an eccentric scientist. Emma Stone stars as Ms. Baxter, with Willem Dafoe as the brilliant madman. Both Stone and Dafoe will feature in AND , a rumored anthology that will tell three separate stories; each letter representing a different tale. Priscilla Sofia Coppola responds to Ban Luhrman’s Elvis biopic with her own take on the life of Priscilla Presley. Relative newcomer Cailee Spaeny stars as the titular figure, with Euphoria star Jacob Elordi as the King of Rock and Roll. Spaceman (Netflix) Adam Sandler looks to maintain his dramatic streak by starring as the first Czech astronaut. Carey Mulligan and Paul Dano also star. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (June 02) The multiverses collide again, and Spider-Man and Gwen Stacey must come together again to stop an even bigger threat than before. The Bikeriders Austin Butler, Tom Hardy, Norman Reedus, Michael Shannon, and Jodie Comer lead writer/director Jeff Nichols’ story of a Midwestern motorcycle club. The Brutalist Vox Lux writer/director Brady Corbet recruits an all-star cast composed of Joel Edgerton, Vanessa Kirby, Marion Cotillard, Sebastian Stan, and Mark Rylance for his mysterious story of an architect immigrating to New York in 1947. The Color Purple (December 20) Fantasia Barrino takes over the role of Celie from Whoopi Goldberg in this musical adaptation of Alice Walker’s epic novel. The Holdovers Alexander Payne looks to make a comeback after the disappointment of Downsizing . He reunites with Sideways star Paul Giamatti for this small-scale story of several students and teachers who are stuck at school over the holidays. The Iron Claw Zac Efron, Harris Dickinson, and Jeremy Allen White star as the Von Erich brothers in Sean Durkin’s retelling of the family dynasty, and their impact on the world of wrestling. The Killer (Netflix) David Fincher ( The Social Network, Gone Girl ) directs Michael Fassbender as an assassin who slowly begins to lose his mind. The Way of the Wind Revered auteur Terrence Malick retells several episodes in the life of Jesus Christ. The Zone of Interest Under the Skin writer/director Jonathan Glazer returns to feature filmmaking with an adaptation of Martin Amis’ novel about a Nazi officer who becomes enamored with the wife of a concentration camp commander. Wonka (December 15) Paul King, director of the Paddington films, provides a musical origin story of the famed candy maker (Timothée Chalamet). 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

Hubie Halloween October 15, 2020 By: Button Hunter Friesen Last year, Adam Sandler said that if he didn’t win an Oscar for his role as Howard Ratner in the Safdie brother’s film Uncut Gems , he would then make the worst movie of his career on purpose. It was a bold claim to make, especially considering Sandler is the one responsible for Jack and Jill and Pixels , two movies that almost made me quit watching movies altogether. Oscar nomination morning came in January and Sandler’s name wasn’t called when they announced the Best Actor lineup. I gasped and immediately checked Sandler’s IMDb page and noticed that he had a new movie called Hubie Halloween that would premiere October 7. I knew that day would be the day of reckoning, the day Sandler would take his revenge on all of us. October 7 arrived and Hubie Halloween premiered on Netflix as promised. To my surprise, the movie was only passably bad and not the ungodly abomination we were led to believe. Hubie Halloween takes place over the spookiest month of the year in Salem, Massachusetts. Hubie Dubois (Sandler) is the town’s self-appointed Halloween safety monitor. Because of his overall demeanor and lack of style, Hubie is the most bullied person in town. But this year’s Halloween will be like no other as a mental patient has escaped from the local lockup and town residents are disappearing one-by-one throughout the night. Like all underdog stories, it’s up to Hubie to save Halloween. And as always, there’s a love interest that is way out of his league that he will attempt to win over. If you’re familiar with Sandler’s filmography, you’ll notice that the cast is stacked with the usual crowd of Sandler’s buddies and Saturday Night Live alums. Kevin James, Rob Schneider, Steve Buscemi, June Squibb, Tim Meadows, Maya Rudolph, Julie Bowen, and Shaquille O’Neal round out the supporting cast here. Trying to fit all these characters and give them their own little moments makes Hubie Halloween a tiresome experience. Even at 102 minutes (with 15 of those minutes for the credits), much of the runtime feels padded to make way for one-note gags about physical deformities and poop & pee jokes. At least there isn’t the casual racism and sexism that Sandler used to parade around in his movies. He is growing up; just really, really slowly. What hasn’t grown up is Sandler’s schtick. Like Will Ferrell and Jim Carrey, Sandler’s brand of humor doesn’t age well once you pass the age of 20. It also doesn’t help that Sandler is now 54 years old and has been playing the same character for nearly four decades. Hubie Dubois is a near replication of Sandler’s role as Bobby Boucher from 1998’s The Waterboy . Like Bobby, Hubie lives with his oblivious mother and talks with a weird mumbly accent. At least Bobby’s accent was explained as that movie took place in Louisiana. Hubie’s weird manner of speaking is never explained and exponentially grates as time goes on. It’s both commendable and sad to see Sandler play a loser for what seems like the one-millionth time. While any praise given to Hubie Halloween is minor in scale, it is worth mentioning. The moments where the movie steps away from reality and enters more surreal territory make for enjoyable bits. Hubie’s seemingly magic thermos - which acts as a vacuum, flashlight, megaphone, and grappling hook - does provide a chuckle here and there. Some of the supporting performances within Hubie Halloween do provide some slight fun. Steve Buscemi is allowed to embrace his cooky self as an elderly werewolf who has just moved next door to Hubie. June Squibb is also great as Hubie’s mother. Unawarely dressed in sexually promiscuous t-shirts, Squibb plays the usual mother role quite well. Even though her character would fail the Bechdel test in a heartbeat, Julie Bowen does some pleasant work as Hubie’s love interest. Rob Schneider and Maya Rudolph are great because they limit their dialogue to only a few lines. The more they speak, the worse the movie gets. Considering how 2020 has gone so far, Adam Sandler delivering his worst movie would have fit right in. Thankfully, the Sandman let us off easy and only gave us an inoffensively bad movie that could have been a lot worse. Maybe it was all part of his master plan to quell our expectations and have us grade this on a curve. Whatever the reason may be, I’ll count my blessings and pray that Sandler doesn’t try to deliver on his promise anytime soon. 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 Old Man & the Gun November 1, 2018 By: Button Hunter Friesen Robert Redford has built a successful decade-spanning career as a charming actor who can play any type of character with a heart of gold. It seems fitting that in his final performance in the new film The Old Man & the Gun , Redford plays Forrest Tucker, a man who was born to rob banks. Except he’s not your typical bank robber, he’s the most polite and happy criminal around. Now at the age of seventy-four, Tucker becomes nationally famous and must continue his passion while eluding the pursuit of detective John Hunt, who becomes enraptured by the legend of one man living his dream despite the consequences it may bring. Director David Lowery isn’t a household name, but the thirty-eight-year-old has made some quality films such as his 2017 indie hit A Ghost Story and Pete’s Dragon in 2016 (also starring Redford). Lowery goes for the sweet and simple approach when it comes to directing this film. He keeps the feel of the film feeling like a cool, light breeze and keeps the main plot centered on detail at a time. He also nails the look and feel of the film to fit the 80s setting. The film doesn’t just feel like it's set in the 80s, it's like it was made during that time period. He uses very grainy film stock to shoot the movie, giving it a very nostalgic feel. There is also an abundance of old classic songs of that era that perfectly fit the tone. The simple approach Lowery uses also has its minor drawbacks. The overall story of the film felt a little shallow and could have used more buildup and stakes in order to build suspense. There could have also been more interaction between characters in order to develop relationships as some don’t feel as genuine as they should have. Lowery also adapts the screenplay from a real-life biographical article written about Forrest Tucker in The New Yorker by David Grann. Lowery matches his writing with his approach to directing. The script is filled with tender moments that work wonders with the actors involved. The diner scenes between Redford and Sissy Spacek are the best as they simply just enjoy each other and talk about life in old age. With only a little bit of effort and some magic, the two actors and the dialogue they share are able to keep us engaged throughout. Below the surface, however, is where Lowery’s script suffers from the same problems as his directing. The overall story told feels too simple to satisfyingly fit a feature-length film. More background and supporting details could have been used to tell the story with more depth. Many important events happen with little to no explanation, which proves very distracting by the end as they cut down on the overall believability. Redford essentially plays a culmination of every part he’s previously played in his fifty-plus-year career. He works magic with his confidence and overall physical presence in each scene. It’s a testament to his skill that you never actually see the gun he uses during the robberies, rather his charisma and charm are the only weapons he needs. Even with all his misdoings, you end up rooting for him by the end of the film. Partnering up with Redford in a supporting role is Sissy Spacek as Jewel, a widow whom Forrest takes an interest in. Jewel finds herself romantically caught up with Tucker and just can’t seem to shake him off despite knowing what he does for a living. Spacek and Redford have excellent chemistry together and keep us thoroughly entertained in even the most mundane of scenes. Every criminal needs a cop to be his nemesis, and filling that role is Casey Affleck as John Hunt. Affleck provides a counterbalance to Redford’s glee as his character glumly deals with the thought of getting older in a static career. Affleck middlingly works throughout but never matches Redford’s ability to make us care about his character. The Old Man & the Gun is similar to that of a Sunday drive out into the country. It doesn’t really know where it’s going from time to time, but it doesn’t really matter because the ride itself is more enjoyable than the final destination. In his farewell performance, Redford shows us that he can win over any crowd and rides out into the sunset and leaves us with his legend and unforgettable skill as an actor. 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

Movies That Made More Money Than You Think August 7, 2023 By: Hunter Friesen In the modern world of cinema, the power of recognizable brands often sets the stage for box office success. However, now and then, something unique emerges that not only captivates audiences worldwide but also defies all expectations by amassing colossal profits beyond anyone's wildest imagination. These are the movies that made way more money than they were supposed to, shattering records and redefining the very essence of success in the film industry. One ground rule is that each selection for this list was released in 1990 or afterward. This is approximately the time the modern box office landscape was born, with multiplexes overtaking the long-standing mom & pop movie theaters. It’s also hard to compare and analyze box office performances from several decades ago, as it wasn’t uncommon for a movie to be in theaters for months on end. Both Gone with the Wind and The Sound of Music were in theaters for over four years upon their initial release, which certainly gave them an advantage towards becoming two of the highest-grossing films ever. Several metrics were also used to make these selections, such as the amount of money the movie made, how much it was expected to make based on projections and the performance of similar movies, and its overall cultural relevance (or lack thereof). From underdog productions battling against all odds to star-driven blockbusters soaring to unprecedented heights, each film on this list has a unique tale to tell. Ghost (1990) ($500 million) 1990 was the year of surprise hits. Pretty Woman, Home Alone , and Dances with Wolves all hugely outgrossed expectations. But the best of the bunch was Ghost , a bit of female counterprogramming from Paramount against the boy-friendly summer titles of Die Hard 2 and Back to the Future III . Mixing steamy romance, crime drama thrills, the supernatural, and comedy, the film was the prototypical four-quadrant release. Its PG-13 rating wasn’t too risque for conservative viewers, while still pushing the envelope enough to entice teenagers. It opened #2 at the box office in July just behind the second weekend of Die Hard 2 . It would remain in either of those top two spots for the following nine weeks and would retain the same theater count (1700) until November. It had the third-highest domestic gross ever (behind E.T. and Star Wars ) before Home Alone dethroned it that holiday season. It’s a simply astounding feat for a film that has never inspired sequels, spin-offs, or even merchandise sales (at least not yet). What Women Want (2000) ($375 million) It’s hard to envision it now, but Mel Gibson was, for a brief moment, a romantic leading heartthrob. The $34.4 million opening weekend for Nancy Meyers’ film was the highest ever in December at that time and even bested Gibson’s action-oriented films like Ransom and the Lethal Weapon franchise. An EW poll found that nearly half the audience saw the movie for Gibson, who would receive a Golden Globe nomination for Best Performance in a Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical (losing to George Clooney for O Brother, Where Art Thou? ). The film ended with $180 both domestically and internationally, claiming the fourth best worldwide cume of 2000. Meet the Fockers (2004) ($525 million) Gone are the days of star-driven studio comedies being at the top of the box office charts. Meet the Fockers earned the highest-ever Christmas Day gross at $19.5 million in 2004, even beating the previous’s year champion, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King . The character of Greg Focker was almost as lucrative as Harry Potter and Peter Parker that year, with the comedy sequel finishing its box office run with over half a billion dollars. It was Robert De Niro’s highest-grossing film for fifteen years until it was beaten by Joker in 2019. The Da Vinci Code (2006) ($760 million) While many films on this list accumulated their huge grosses due to good reviews and word of mouth, neither of those was the case for The Da Vinci Code . The film boasts a 25% on Rotten Tomatoes and was the recipient of several rounds of booing during its premiere as the opening film of that year’s Cannes Film Festival. The film was also banned in several countries such as parts of India, Egypt, and China (after it had played for a few weeks), and was boycotted by several religious groups. None of those factors stopped audiences from flocking to the film that summer. It amassed a near-record worldwide total of $224 million on its opening weekend, thanks in part to the immense popularity of the novel and the star power of Tom Hanks. Over 70% of its $750 million total gross would come from international territories, with a similar breakdown occurring for the film’s two disappointing sequels: Angels & Demons ($500 million total) and Inferno ($220 million total). 2012 (2009) ($770 million) Sure, disaster movies are pretty dependable at the box office because of their simplistic storytelling and bang-for-your-buck visuals. But does it make much sense that one of the most forgettable entries in that subgenre, Roland Emmerich’s 2012 , is also one of the most successful? 2012 was boosted by a viral marketing campaign that latched onto the urban legend of the world ending in the year 2012. Comcast even blocked out a ten-minute chunk of time on nearly every genre to show a clip of the film. Even with a less-than-ideal leading man in John Cusack, the film accumulated almost $800 million worldwide. Almost 80% of those dollars came from overseas, as the film was the first $700+ million grosser to make less than $200 million stateside. True Grit (2010) ($250 million) It only took twelve days for this Western remake to become the highest-grossing film within the Coen brothers’ filmography. The strong critical reactions and awards buzz helped the movie double its opening weekend projections, pulling in over $25 million during the holiday weekend. There was also the advantage of the Coens dialing down their eccentricities for this film, delivering a more conventional crowdpleaser that had a more long-lasting theatrical appeal. It ended up being one of the highest-grossing Westerns ever, finishing with $171 million domestically and $81 internationally. That holiday window happened to be the coronation of star Jeff Bridges, who also appeared in the chart-topping TRON: Legacy . Black Swan (2010) ($330 million) While it is nice to see Oppenheimer and Barbie sparking a renewed conversation about the merits of “original” programming at the box office, it is still a little disheartening to see that this same conversation was taking place over a decade ago thanks to Black Swan . Strong interest in Darren Aronosky’s film started from the viral marketing campaign, which didn’t commence until just a few weeks before the film’s premiere at the Venice Film Festival. The buzz out of the fall festivals matched the enthusiasm online, something relatively unheard of for an arthouse movie. Along with the strong critical remarks it received, especially for Natalie Portman’s lead performance, one of the biggest benefits of the movie was that it was somehow able to appeal to nearly every demographic. Arthouse cinephiles were excited about a new Aronofsky film, dance and theater fans got a unique reimagining of Swan Lake , and horror junkies were treated to a dark psychological tale of obsession. The film would gross over $100 million domestically, all before it even had been released internationally, with many of those dates pushed up to capitalize on the demand. In the end, it grossed $330 million worldwide on a $13 million budget, placing it as the second biggest sleeper hit of 2010. What was #1 you ask? The King's Speech (2010) ($480 million) Everything Everywhere All at Once ’s worldwide gross of $140 million puts it near the top half of Best Picture winners in the modern era. But that total doesn’t even match the domestic cume of The King’s Speech , which only accounted for a little less than a third of the film’s global take of almost $500 million. Tom Hooper’s film is the second-highest-grossing Best Picture winner of the 21st century, behind The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (which stands so far ahead with over $1 billion). Between claiming the People’s Choice Award at the Toronto International Film Festival, having the highest per-theater-average opening weekend of the year ($350,000), and receiving a yearly best of twelve Oscar nominations, success followed The King’s Speech everywhere it went. It was hailed as one of the most successful British independent films ever only after a month of release, overcoming the controversial R-rating it received. The film also made over half its money after the Oscar nominations were announced, with the compelling exploration of friendship and resilience resonating deeply with viewers. American Sniper (2014) ($550 million) If asked to guess which film conquered the North American box office in 2014 most people would defer to a franchise film such as Guardians of the Galaxy, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1 , or Captain America: The Winter Soldier . Those would all be good guesses (they each placed within the top five), but sitting on the throne was 84-year-old Clint Eastwood with American Sniper . Showing the power of appealing to middle America and controversy about its messaging, American Sniper grossed $90 million in its opening weekend, more than double what it projected to do. The A+ CinemaScore and awards attention kept it at the top of the box office for the next six weeks, where it would end with over $350 million domestically and $550 worldwide. It still stands as the highest-grossing war film ever (not accounting for inflation) and is only behind The Passion of the Christ and Deadpool as the highest-grossing R-rated film in North America. 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

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 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

Foe October 25, 2023 By: Button Hunter Friesen Five years from now Saoirse Ronan and/or Paul Mescal will have an Oscar in their hands. When that happens we’ll look back through their careers, highlighting all the films that led them down this path. For Ronan, we’ll be starting with her groundbreaking child performances in Atonement and Hanna . Then we’ll fondly remember her navigating female adolescence with Greta Gerwig in Lady Bird and Little Women . For Mescal we’ll start on television with Normal People , and then the explosion of Aftersun and All of Us Strangers . And then for both of them, we’ll see a movie titled Foe that came out in 2023 that they starred in for writer/director Garth Davis. We’ll sit back and think long and hard because we can’t remember if we have or haven’t seen it. Eventually, the memory of seeing it (probably on Amazon Prime) will come back, followed by a sad thought about how a movie starring two of the best actors of a generation amounted to absolutely nothing. Taking a page out of Jane Campion’s (whom he directed alongside for the television series Top of the Lake ) playbook from The Power of the Dog , Davis has his native Australia stand in for the barren American Midwest. The year is 2065 and things are as predictably bleak as we expect them to be. Water and fertile land are some of the most valuable resources, making farming a near-extinct occupation. Hen (Ronan) and Junior (Mescal) still hold on to that way of life in their own way. They live in a crumbling farmhouse in the middle of nowhere, with Hen working as a waitress and Junior as a line worker at the local poultry farm. They seem content with each other, which makes the arrival of a stranger (Aaron Pierre) all the more unnerving. This stranger has a proposal: Junior has been selected (conscripted would be the better word) to be a part of a mission on a space station far above Earth. Hen wouldn’t be left alone, instead, a perfect clone would be made of Junior to take his place while he’s away. This stranger must stay with the couple for a while to gather all the information needed to make this person-to-clone transition as seamless as possible. Adapted from the novel by Iain Reid, Foe can’t decide between being a parable about relationships and A.I., or a literal story about life on a desolate Earth. It picks somewhere in the middle, dooming both sides as they each need full commitment in order to work. The introspection of clones taking the place of humans has been done better in Blade Runner and Swan Song starring Mahershala Ali. Does it really matter if a clone is just as lifelike as a human when the characters aren’t interesting? There are also so many facts about this world that leave so many open questions. Why is Junior so special for this program? What exactly is this mission? If the clone is so perfect, why can’t they just send it into space? Why do Hen and Junior only listen to music from the mid-1900s and drive a beat-up pickup truck that would barely be worth anything in 2023? Some of these questions are nitpicks, but the lack of any gravitas surrounding the thematic material makes these stand out even more. The two leads do everything they can to keep things interesting, a job they can do with ease. They run the entire emotional gamut with their performances, but none of it registers due to Davis’ detachment from the material. Each of them is forced to overact once the third-act twists come into play. Everything feels so forced by then that it’s almost comical. But it’s not a total trainwreck, so it’s just rather tediously bad. Son of Saul cinematographer Mátyás Erdély captures the landscape beautifully, showcasing the mystifying wonder that keeps people like Hen and Junior tethered to this patch of dirt. If only Davis could have done the same with his direction and script, as most of his decisions steer away from that intrigue and end up being as interesting as dirt itself. 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 Beekeeper January 10, 2024 By: Button Hunter Friesen It’s only the second week of January and 2024 already has its best bad movie of the year. The Beekeeper is a downright terrible on any “objective” scale; cheesily written, stupidly conceived, overly serious, acting so hammy it might as well be served for Christmas dinner, and a mountain of ludicrous twists and turns that leave you howling in disbelief. It’s everything I wanted and more in January, a month known for being a haven to the unwanted offspring of major studios (see Monster Trucks , Dolittle , and the already-forgotten Night Swim ). Jason Statham plays… Jason Statham (obviously). But more specifically, he plays Adam Clay, who is both a retired and current beekeeper. How does that work, you ask? Well, he’s a current beekeeper in the literal sense that he keeps bees on a farm, one owned by Eloise Parker (Phylicia Rashad). Both of them have their own little slice of heaven, a quiet life cut off from the modern world. But that heaven becomes hell once Eloise is the victim of an online scam. You know, those ones where you get an email from a Nigerian Prince who will pay you $1 million in the future if you just send him $10,000 today? Except this time the predator is not a foreign dignitary, but a bunch of “crypto bros” who’ve watched The Wolf of Wall Street too many times without getting the point. They steal everything, including the $2 million in an account Eloise manages for a children’s charity (those bastards!). This is where Adam being a retired beekeeper comes into play. A beekeeper is a sort of super assassin given carte blanche by the US government to carry out whatever acts they determine are necessary to “maintain the hive.” Things were always professional with Adam, but now they’ve made it personal. And when a beekeeper has their sights set on you, it’s near-certain the only way to escape is through a body bag. Having a James Bond/John Wick super-spy called a “beekeeper” is only the tip of the iceberg in the mountain of lunacy that is Kurt Wimmer’s script. I’d challenge you to take a shot every time Statham drops the word “the hive” or says “I’m just a beekeeper,” but that would make me liable for an alcohol-related death. To be honest, cutting a shot down to just a sip would still be dangerous. Wimmer must also be a card-carrying member of AARP as the movie stops dead in its tracks for Statham to speechify about how scamming the elderly is worse than robbing children, as kids have their parents to look after them. There’s even a one-liner about estate planning before a bad guy gets flung to his death. Wimmer and director David Ayer (yes, the director of Suicide Squad , which this movie proudly advertises as a badge of honor) try to craft a message around Adam being a Robin Hood figure who is fighting for the little guys. Though the concept of a relentless killing machine chopping his way through a bunch of preppy douchebags for “the people” is so hilariously undercooked and poorly thought out that it nears parody. A second-act twist about the real occupation of a supporting character does muddy the morality and almost makes Wimmer and Ayer’s stance feel a little dangerous, but the threat of a Joker -esque situation that rallies the incels is nonexistent on account of the shark-jumping that immediately proceeds it. There’s no need to comment on Statham’s performance, as you get exactly what you expected (and likely came for). Jeremy Irons is too old for this shit and having fun with that fact, lighting up every scene he shares with Josh Hutcherson playing the most punchable little shit to hit the screen in quite some time. Even Minnie Driver shows up for ninety seconds to widen her eyes and act terrified once she learns that a beekeeper is on the loose. The Beekeeper is what mindless action movies should strive for, although I’m not sure Wimmer and Ayer would be able to share how they’ve crafted a movie that is both self-aware and totally oblivious to being so bad it’s good. Hey, even a blind squirrel can find a nut every once in 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

The Fabelmans September 10, 2022 By: Button Hunter Friesen The Fabelmans had its World Premiere at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival. Universal Pictures will release it in theaters on November 11. From the opening scene of his most personal film yet (that’s quite the statement), Steven Spielberg lays all his cards on the table. Done in a single take, we find the young Spielberg stand-in (named Sammy Fabelman) scared to see his first movie: Cecil B. DeMille’s The Greatest Show on Earth . His father pulls him aside and attempts to explain the entire machination process of how films are projected onto the screen. This tactic doesn’t go over well, so Sammy’s mother takes him to the other side, and simply explains that “movies are dreams that you never forget.” In the end, the mother wins out, with Sammy’s reaction to the film being a combination of unexplainable terror and wonder. Through this scene, we get a thesis statement on Spielberg’s approach to filmmaking. He’s a born storyteller, pouring his mother’s heart into every frame. And he’s also a master craftsman, leaning on his father’s engineering mindset to construct fantastic sequences that defy belief. The more The Fabelmans tell its story, the more that thesis becomes clearer. We learn how one man could be attracted to making movies about a killer shark, a world-traveling archeologist, friendly and unfriendly aliens, the Holocaust, American presidents, World War II, and even modern-day dinosaurs. Seeing The Greatest Show on Earth , specifically the train crash scene spurs, something in Sammy. He feels compelled to recreate the memory with his own camera and train set, which he does to his mother’s amazement. A passion is quickly born, one that often gets caught in the crossfire of the distraughtness of the Fabelman family over the subsequent years. Just as he’s done with every genre (except for Westerns, which he claims to be interested in doing for his next project), Spielberg conquers the recent trend of directors making their autobiography about how they fell in love with cinema. You can feel the pure joy Spielberg has in recreating his early 8mm films. Janusz Kaminski’s exquisite Capra-esque lighting and Michael Kahn’s (who's been with Spielberg since Close Encounters of the Third Kind ) editing provide that extra needed touch to every moment. And John Williams’ uncharacteristically sneaky score always finds its way into your heart. Of course, being a Steven Spielberg film means that The Fabelmans contains an overabundance of emotion. But fret not all of you that are allergic to the Spielbergian touch, because here it’s used to tell a much more layered story. With the help of his Munich and Lincoln screenwriter Tony Kushner, Spielberg also shines a retrospective light on his parent’s marriage, something he never understood as a child. Michelle Williams and Paul Dano both do wonderful work as Mitzi and Burt, respectively. It’s easy to see how these opposites attracted to each other, and how that opposition eventually won out in the form of divorce. Newcomer Gabriel LaBelle plays the part of Sammy for the large majority of the film. Hopefully, his great performance here will be the first of many to come. Two other performances of note are Seth Rogen as the unofficial Uncle Benny and Judd Hirsch as Sammy’s maternal great-uncle. Both urge Sammy to continue his moviemaking passion in their own way, with Hirsch stealing the show in the two scenes he has. The Fabelmans is a collection of Spielberg's greatest hits, all delivered to their greatest effect. There’s laughter, tears, and wonder in this story that is much more than the sum of its parts. If Spielberg climbs the Dolby Theatre steps to collect his third Best Director Oscar, then it will be one of the few long overdue wins that came at the right time for the right project. 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