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The Phoenician Scheme May 28, 2025 By: Button Hunter Friesen For his review of the 2005 Steven Spielberg film, Munich , film critic for The New York Times , A.O. Scott, began with the title: “An Action Film About the Need to Talk.” It’s a succinct way to describe the main theme of Spielberg’s underseen docudrama masterpiece that recounts Israeli operatives hunting down the people responsible for the Black September capture and massacre of their athletes at the 1972 Olympics. Were the retaliation measures justifiable, or were they just blind vengeance? And even if they could be justified, wouldn’t the cycle of violence just be perpetuated by the other side until they each go blind? Although it substitutes slapstick and levity for the blood and bullets of Spielberg’s film, Wes Anderson’s newest work, The Phoenician Scheme , goes about those ideas in a pretty identical manner. And although the lack of dialogue between the warring factions was part of the problem in Munich , too much talking on the part of this film’s main character, Zsa-zsa Korda (Benicio Del Toro), sets everything in motion here. Middle school history students would describe him as a “robber baron” or a “tycoon” on account of his shrewd business practices. Famines? He’s started them. Slavery? He’s indulged in it. Hand grenades? He has enough lying around that he offers them to all guests like cookies. Fiddling with deals and going back on his word is largely why he’s amassed his fortune, and probably why so many attempts have been made on his life. That’s exactly where we meet Korda in this story: surviving his sixth recorded airplane crash. At some point, the house is going to win, which is why he’s made the precautionary move to have his estranged novitiate daughter, Liesl (Mia Threapleton), returned home so that she can assume possession of his estate should the unthinkable happen. But before he can defy his enemies by retiring, he must tighten the final screws on a massive infrastructure project in the fictional Middle Eastern territory of Phoenicia that will bring him and several future generations enough passive income to stay atop the throne. On this journey, we stop to meet each of the members who comprise this wall-to-wall A-list cast. Many of them have previously featured in Anderson’s films, such as Tom Hanks and Bryan Cranston returning from their live-action debut in Asteroid City to play American train tycoon brothers who prefer to settle disputes over a game of H-O-R-S-E. I will jump the gun here and say that the scene where they challenge Zsa-zsa and the prince of Phoenicia (Riz Ahmed) to said game might be the funniest moment Anderson has ever created. There are also multi-film veterans like Mathieu Amalric (coincidentally, also in Munich) , Jeffrey Wright, Scarlett Johansson, Bill Murray, Willem Dafoe, and Rupert Friend. “The story of a family and a family business” is the plot summary provided. It’s apt, as a full explanation of all the machinations that go on here would require many more paragraphs. I was never quite sure who everyone was, why they were important, and what needed to happen between them for the conflict to be resolved. But I also don’t think Anderson wants us to pay that much attention to the nitty gritty details. I suppose you could if you really wanted to, as there’s plenty of information doled out through the trademarked sumptuous production. What’s really important here is not the 5 Ws, but the 1 H. Spurred on by a combination of Liesl’s objections to his malpractices and the gradual melting of his cold, Grinch-like heart, Zsa-zsa begins to see the error of his ways. “Let’s communicate,” is a punchline he says in each encounter, all caused by everyone’s instinctual failure to bring their best intentions to the table. In a time when the terms “trade war” and “tariffs” have become shorthand for an outdated and backward way of conducting business, here’s a story that preaches the value of being simultaneously kind and successful. Del Toro is quite excellent, making Zsa-zsa a thornily interesting character. There are a lot of laughs to be had from his line deliveries, and his command of the scenery Anderson places him in. Except for cinematographer Robert D. Yeoman, who’s been discreetly replaced by the equally fantastic Bruno Delbonnel, all the usual craftspeople align the credits. Anderson continues to prove that he has total dominion over a world that only he can create and perfect. So many have tried and failed to replicate, but there can only be one. Anderson is a lot like the Marvel Cinematic Universe. At this point, you’re either in or you’re out. I’m so deep in the bag that it might as well be the one from Mary Poppins . I’ve seen a lot of films, and the majority of them all follow the same pattern. Anderson’s films certainly aren’t an exception, but there is always something magical about their sameness. And like Nicole Kidman always says: We come to this place [the cinema] for magic . More Reviews Wicked: For Good November 19, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Rental Family September 7, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Jay Kelly November 20, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Train Dreams November 21, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Hunter Friesen

No Time to Die October 11, 2021 By: Button Hunter Friesen Since his first cinematic appearance in 1962, James Bond has done a lot of things. He’s been reincarnated five times, traveled around the globe (including space), and saved the world more times than it deserves. But the one thing that James Bond has never done is venture inward. For one of the first times in the franchise, the emotional beats are what pump the blood within the film’s heart. The theme of finality rings loudly, as No Time to Die marks the twenty-fifth entry in the long-running series, as well as the fifth and final part of the Daniel Craig era. In a move that has become routine by now, Bond has left active service. This time it wasn’t because of being presumed dead (even though that is true here), but because of his love of Madeleine Swann, a daughter of SPECTRE. Their attempt at a normal life goes about as expected, with bad guys ruining their Italian honeymoon. This, along with a deadly theft of a weaponized virus in the heart of London, brings James back into the fold for one last mission. Not one for nostalgia, MI6 moved on from Bond and promoted a new 007 named Nomi, who embodies the new school of espionage. Along with M, Q, Moneypenny, and Tanner, it’s time once again for the forces of good to vanquish evil. The Craig era marked the MCU-ification (a term that shouldn’t be taken as derogatory) of the Bond franchise, as it turned against the standalone nature of the previous entries and started to treat subsequent films as true sequels. The events of Casino Royale fed directly into Quantum of Solace . And when that movie failed, Skyfall acted as a soft reboot, later filtering into Spectre . No Time to Die pulls double duties by playing as a direct sequel to Spectre , but also the final bow on the whole modern Bond era. Despite the interconnectedness, long-time writers Neil Purvis and Robert Wade don’t want to be restricted by franchise ties. There has never been a need to see a previous movie to comprehend the next one, with only tried and true franchise elements such as Ernst Stavro Blofeld and SPECTRE providing an integral throughline. The duo always seems to be stuck in the past with their scripts, mining the same bits, such as shaken not stirred martinis, Aston Martin cars, and megalomaniac villains hellbent on world domination. The blame for the forgettable plot – borderline incoherent at times – should rest on their shoulders. Lacking the personal connection of Christoph Walz’s Blofeld and Javier Bardem’s Raoul Silva, Rami Malek’s Lyutsifer Safin is a second-rate Bond villain. The casting choice itself is a no-brainer, as Malek has a heavy natural supply of VE (Villain Energy). Safin seems to be a character lifted from a Shakespearean play, as he often poetically monologues into the middle-distance. There’s unintentional ironic humor to Safin’s plan of decimating the world’s population through a virus, as it requires much more effort than what COVID-19 has been able to do. It’s co-writer/director Cary Joji Fukunaga (first American Bond director) and Fleabag scribe Phoebe Waller-Bridge that want to take the franchise in a newer direction. There’s an element of fun introduced that has been missing from the Craig films. Doing well to supply that is Ana de Armas, who does too well with too little screen time in a Knives Out reunion. There’s also the pairing of Bond with Nomi, played terrifically by Lashana Lynch, and who is much more than the alleged SJW-takeover that some want you to believe. With their record-breaking budgets, the Bond films have always had nice toys to play with. They just needed the right person to harness their potential. Fukunaga breaks the stoic shackles set by Skyfall and Spectre director Sam Mendes, returning Craig back to the kinetic destruction wonderfully employed in Casino Royale . There’s a particular long-take stairwell scene, similar to the one Fukunaga used in True Detective , that perfectly illustrates Bond’s otherworldly combat skills. And there’s the shoutout in Cuba, which plays more like a dance as Bond and Nomi attempt to retrieve a precious item. It’s a testament to Craig that he’s been able to keep up with the physical requirements of the role, especially with the battle scars he’s accumulated over the years. But he also reaches new heights emotionally, with his Bond being the most vulnerable, both literally and metaphorically. He shares more than an animalistic sexual relationship with his Bond girls. There’s something palpable under the surface, keeping you invested beyond just the setpieces. With a lot of time (163 minutes in fact) to end, No Time to Die says goodbye to the actor who ushered in a new era for James Bond. Thankfully, it does it with a sly wink and a nod to what could be in store for this long-weathered franchise. More Reviews Wicked: For Good November 19, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Rental Family September 7, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Jay Kelly November 20, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Train Dreams November 21, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Hunter Friesen

TIFF23 Dispatch - Part 3 September 18, 2023 By: Button Hunter Friesen All of the films were screened at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). Click here for additional full reviews and dispatches. Select films below will receive separate full-length reviews at a later date, most likely in connection to their public releases. North Star Maybe not every actor should be allowed to make their directorial debut. Kristen Scott Thomas' first foray behind the camera (while still being in front in a supporting role) is littered with choppy editing, poor pacing, and a scattershot script that has way too much on its plate. Emily Beecham is the only shining star (pun intended) in a cast that includes Scarlett Johansson fumbling a British accent and Sienna Miller being fine, I guess. This is surely bound for VOD/streaming way down the line. (2/5) His Three Daughters Azazel Jacobs’ follow up to French Exit (remember that during the pandemic?) starts incredibly rough as our three lead characters act as if they’re aliens who are trying to replicate drought emotions. This bug may be a feature to some, but it ends up feeling like a grating mashup of Yorgos Lanthimos and Wes Anderson. Things do settle down later, allowing for the actresses to flourish. Natashya Lyonne stands out as the slacker of the three sisters, and yet she seems to have the firmest grasp on the mysteries of life. (2.5/5) Seven Veils It wouldn’t be a normal TIFF if it didn’t feature the newest film by hometown hero Atom Egoyan. Amanda Seyfried plunges headfirst into her role as the new director of a revival of Salome at the Canadian Opera Company, a production Egoyan himself helmed while making this film. There’s a lot of big swings, with more than half of them not connecting. But the ones that do connect are really special, such as the audacious staging of the material. The bar may be low, but this is Egoyan's best work in decades. (3/5) Woman of the Hour Anna Kendrick dominated the actor-turned-director battle at this year’s TIFF, with her film, Woman of the Hour , being quite the impressive statement on her skills behind the camera. Now all she needs to do is find a good script, because the one here doesn’t give her enough to work with. While well staged, much of the “action” of the film by the serial killer feels like filler, and the main ideas are spelled out as if they're competing at a spelling bee. Netflix opened the market with an $11 acquisition, giving this true crime film the perfect home. (3/5) Knox Goes Away Between the other hitman focused movies at the fall festivals and how much it seriously fumbles the great concept of a hitman battling rapidly developing dementia, Michael Keaton’s sophomore directorial outing fails to be anything more than a depressing shrug. Luckily for the actor/director, he’s slightly exonerated from blame as Gregory Poirier’s CSI-level script is what sinks this ship. Al Pacino gives his most comfortable performance sitting in some luxurious recliners, and Marcia gay Harden does Keaton a favor by showing up for one half-decent scene. (2.5/5) More Reviews Wicked: For Good November 19, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Rental Family September 7, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Jay Kelly November 20, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Train Dreams November 21, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Hunter Friesen

The Last Thing He Wanted February 27, 2020 By: Button Hunter Friesen Netflix has been on a roll these past few years. While changing the idea of how television can be consumed, the streaming giant has also financed dozens of films from revered auteurs and budding talent. This level of investment has paid dividends with films such as The Irishman and Roma . But like all portfolios, there are some stinkers such as Bright and The Ridiculous 6 that blemish the hits. Joining the latter pile of garbage is the newest film to be dumped unceremoniously on Netflix: The Last Thing He Wanted . A journalist for The Atlantic Post , Elena McMahon made her mark with hard-hitting investigative pieces detailing the revolutions in 1980s Central America. One day, her secretive father attempts to reconnect with her after years apart. It’s revealed he’s rekindling their relationship because he has fallen victim to Alzheimer’s. With his final days winding down, he confesses that he is a gun smuggler for the Nicaraguan Contras and asks her to complete his final deal. To fulfill her father’s dying wish, Elena must go back to the place where everything began for her. Only this time she’s on the opposite side of the law than before. Reteaming with Netflix after the critical success of Mudbound , director Dee Rees makes some of the most shocking failures a respected filmmaker could make. Her command of the material is nonexistent as the plot and characters move along without any rhyme or reason. For a two-hour movie (that feels twice as long), Rees offers little in terms of suspense and subtlety. The choppy editing lacks any cohesiveness between its revolving door of throwaway characters and locations. Even when Rees is supplied with quality supplemental material, such as the score by Tamar-kali, she cues it at the most obvious times, turning it against her intentions. She does throw in a nice camera movement every once in a while, but it’s painfully obvious that it’s only being done to try and cover up the catastrophe that is being filmed. An example is the laughably bad final shot that looks ripped straight from a parody movie. Adapted by Rees and Marco Villalobos from the book of the same name, The Last Thing He Wanted is one of the most incomprehensible movies ever made. I would feel safe betting someone a billion dollars to watch this movie and then properly explain what they had just seen. The dialogue is both cliched and flowery as it makes even the smallest detail hard to comprehend. Characters speak English in a way so cryptic that it seems they aren’t even speaking English at all. No amount of rewinding or looking through a dictionary could help me understand what exactly someone was saying. Fortunately, the poor sound mixing makes half of the dialogue muddled, saving me from further anguish. Also part of the problem is the script’s overabundance of half-baked storylines and details. I would say that almost every one of these plots and subplots is filled with holes, but I’m not sure of what the plot was, to begin with. Characters and locations come and go, barely leaving a mark on the overall narrative. That is, until the end when Rees wraps a dozen different things up in the final three minutes, ending the film in a pile of disjointed pieces that produces more questions than answers. I know it’s a tired trope to say that a movie should have been a mini-series... but this seriously should have been a mini-series. Anne Hathaway is mediocre as our supposedly tough main character. Hathaway tries her best, but she is woefully miscast and can’t muster a sliver of enough fortitude to convince us of her believability. Ben Affleck plays a CIA agent hot on Elena’s trail. Affleck seems to have been on set for less than a week and has as much energy as someone who just woke up from a nap after downing a bottle of NyQuil. Factoring in his minuscule screen time, it’s safe to say that the main reason he was cast was to put his name on the poster. Playing the ailing father is Willem Dafoe, who has recently been on a career resurgence. Disappointingly, Dafoe falls into the type of hammy overacting that plagued the middle third of his career. The Last Thing He Wanted is a glaring misfire on the careers of the usually dependable cast and crew. It will surely land on many worst-of-the-year lists and may even take the top spot on a few. Thinking about this awful movie is the last thing I ever want to do. More Reviews Wicked: For Good November 19, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Rental Family September 7, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Jay Kelly November 20, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Train Dreams November 21, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Hunter Friesen

The Iron Claw December 18, 2023 By: Button Hunter Friesen One of the most surprising things about The Iron Claw is how unbelievable this true story feels. Six brothers were born from Fritz and Doris Von Erich: Jack Jr., Kevin, David, Kerry, Mike, and Chris. Five of them would die before their 35th birthday, with Kevin being the only surviving member of that generation. Each of them was relentlessly driven to dominate the wrestling scene in the 1980s, and almost all of them did. They were a force to be reckoned with, just as fortunate in the ring as they were unfortunate outside of it. All of this starts with Fritz (real name Jack Barton Adkisson Sr.) as he’s greeted by his wife and two young sons outside the wrestling arena he just performed at. He tells his kids that nothing will ever stop them if they are fully dedicated to their craft, and tells his wife that winning the world championship will solve everything for them. It’s immediately clear that this will never be the case; as winning the belt won’t quench his undeniable thirst for more, and never getting it will send him into a downward spiral of self-destruction. But everyone believes what he says, especially Kevin (Zac Efron), who sees himself as the family’s best opportunity to rise to the top of wrestling history. But while Fritz is all pent-up rage and overt masculinity, Kevin and his brothers are more open and caring thanks to their ability to lean on each other. Efron, Jeremy Allen White (Kerry), Harris Dickinson (David), and Stanley Simons (Mike) produce one of the best ensembles of the year. Even though their dad openly admits which sons are his favorite and always expects them to compete for his favor, the brothers are always there to lend a hand and play off each other. Efron is a golden god, an almost dead ringer for Alexander the Great as he struts around the ring with his perfectly bronzed muscles and bleach-blonde hair. Dickinson is the more outgoing brother, the one who serves as the mouthpiece during the more theatrical moments of the bouts. White is probably the most athletically gifted of the group, while Simons’ brother is the least qualified and interested for the ring. Writer/director Sean Durkin finds both the light and (incredible) darkness in this tale of an American dynasty. Any and all semblances of happiness have been a foreign concept to Durkin throughout his first two features of Martha Marcy May Marlene and The Nest . Even a scene such as the wedding between Kevin and Pam (Lily James) is tinged with the haunting seeds of what’s to come. And once the gates open, there’s no stopping the flood waters. The guide to this story is Kevin as he often unfairly finds himself sidelined to his brother’s successes, and has to endure the unimaginable pain of seeing them go away one by one. But that isn't to say this story is solely a one-way trip of depression. There are intermittent stops to bask in the glory of this era for wrestling. Cinematographer Mátyás Erdély keeps things tight and unbroken as he and Durkin show off the physicality needed by these gladiators. It might all be for show but nothing about what is required is fake, with intermittent moments of unbearable pain and agony. Almost everyone knows that achieving your dreams isn’t just based on being the toughest, fastest, or strongest. There is such a thing as luck, or a curse in the case of the Von Erichs. Fritz was blind to that fact, which Durkin taps to uncover this tragic story of nature and nurture. At the end of the day, the Von Erich name has been etched in the history books, but not fully the way they intended. More Reviews Wicked: For Good November 19, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Rental Family September 7, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Jay Kelly November 20, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Train Dreams November 21, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Hunter Friesen

Chaos Walking March 11, 2021 By: Button Hunter Friesen Like The Hunger Games, Harry Potter , and Percy Jackson , Chaos Walking is the newest attempt to establish a lucrative franchise based on a series of popular teenage-audience books. But unlike those successful series, this Lionsgate release is more likely to fall in line with the other failures such as The Golden Compass and The Mortal Instruments . Haven’t heard of this movie? Well, I wouldn’t blame you since Lionsgate has attempted to bury this money pit in the middle of the pandemic to save themselves from further embarrassment. Filmed in 2017 and originally to be released in early 2019, the film underwent extensive (and expensive) reshoots after the first cut was deemed unwatchable. It was shelved for nearly two years until crawling its way back from the grave into newly reopened theatres. So, is this movie as terrible as its reputation precedes it? No, but that’s not to say it isn’t bad. Similar to all YA novels, Chaos Walking takes place in a dystopian space colony in 2257. This planet is like Earth, except that there is something in the atmosphere called The Noise. An introvert's worst nightmare, The Noise makes it where the thoughts of men are heard aloud, and is something our hero, orphaned Todd (Tom Holland), still has yet to control. Everything he thinks is broadcast to anyone within earshot, restricting any sense of privacy. No one knows why this is happening, and why women are not affected. The colony Todd lives in also has no women there, as he is told the Spackle - the native inhabitants of the planet - killed off. Obviously, what you’re told isn’t always what actually happened. Everything changes when a scout, Viola (Daisy Ridley), crashes on the planet. The leader of the colony decides to use her as bait to attract her command ship so he can ambush it and leave this godforsaken land. Naturally, Todd develops a crush on Viola, agreeing to help her escape to a deserted colony fitted with a communicator that she can use to warn her rescuers. If you wanted to know what Tom Holland was thinking all the time, this will be a supreme disappointment to you. The character is very bland, and so are his thoughts, which consist solely of him saying his name to calm himself down and suppressing his budding feelings for his newfound partner. Holland tries to use his Peter Parker charm to make the character at least bearable, but the script makes his efforts a waste. The word bland is the best way to describe everything about this movie. It might be a weird movie, but that doesn’t mean it’s interesting. There’s a lot of semi-world building here as we are introduced to all sorts of details about the planet and its backstory. I say semi because the movie never gives away too much information, as they want you to pay more for that in the sequels, which are never going to happen. It’s also done at a rapid pace, moving from one location to another like we’re just skimming through the pages. Adapting his book, writer Patrick Ness seems more interested in setting up sequels than establishing an interesting base. Take for instance the Spackle, who look like all-black Martians and rightfully fought back against the colonizing humans. In this movie, we see them for one three-minute action scene. After that, they disappear completely and are never mentioned again. I was told by a friend that the Spackle are reintroduced in the third book, a fact that I audibly groaned at. I want to learn about these natives now, not these boring humans! Even for a $100 million (+ reshoots) blockbuster, Chaos Walking is sparsely light on meaningful action. Director Doug Liman had the potential to mash the sci-fi and western genre into something off the beaten path, but he instead stays in the same lane as his contemporaries. Like Star Wars , the guns shoot plasma so the wounds are bloodless and any serious violence is cut away from. The one unique feature is the movie’s questionable hatred towards animals, as a horse is violently put down and a dog is drowned in the frame. I’m glad no one in the cinema could hear my thoughts while watching this movie because my head was full of a lot of questions and negative comments. By next month, Chaos Walking will feel like a distant memory, a fact that we should all rejoice in. It was nice to be back in the cinema after a long while, I just wish it wasn’t for this. More Reviews Wicked: For Good November 19, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Rental Family September 7, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Jay Kelly November 20, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Train Dreams November 21, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Hunter Friesen

Top 10 Films of 2018 January 24, 2019 By: Hunter Friesen With political and social upheaval, natural disasters, and the overall feeling of optimism fading away, 2018 was a rocky year that really never seemed to end. Fortunately for moviegoers, the year did offer a way of escape through some great films, ranging from record-setting blockbusters to genre-defying indies. Now that the year is finally over and all the films have been released, I can finally release my list of what I thought were the ten best films of 2018. Honorable Mentions They Shall Not Grow Old The Sisters Brothers Mission: Impossible - Fallout Thoroughbreds Wildlife 10. Private Life Coming out of Sundance, this film written and directed by Tamara Jenkins illustrates the challenges a forty-something couple goes through in order to start a family. Kathryn Hahn and Paul Giamatti star as the couple as they go through treatments, adoption, and every method to have a child. The gripping performances from the leads along with Jenkin’s touching screenplay gave this film a ton of comedy and tragedy that led to one of the most emotional films of the year. 9. Vox Lux Dubbed by many as the anti- A Star Is Born , this film tracks the unsettling career of Celeste as she becomes famous through tragedy and chooses to live in that dark moment. Raffey Cassidy and Natalie Portman play Celeste as a teenager and adult, respectively. They each do an incredible job of creating a conflicted character that holds a mirror up to a society that worships celebrities. With a soundtrack by Sia, this pop tale has some great music to go along with its disturbing subject matter. 8. First Man Damien Chazelle and Ryan Gosling follow up La La Land with another equally great film. Trading in his piano for a rocket ship, Gosling stars as Neil Armstrong and gives us an accurate look into the turbulent life of one of America’s most famous figures. Chazelle's impeccable directing made for some of the most terrifying sequences of the year and allow us to bear witness to the immense danger that many brave men experienced in the name of exploring the unknown. Full Review 7. Roma Probably one of the best directors working today, Alfonso Cuarón’s Roma is his most personal and epic film to date. The sweeping story is centered around a housemaid named Cleo. Through her eyes, we watch the domestic struggle a large family must go through in 1970s Mexico City. Along with directing, writing, and editing, Cuarón also manned the camera and gave us some of the most awe-inspiring cinematography of the century. Available on Netflix, this film is the most accessible must-see of 2018. 6. First Reformed One of the most influential writers of American cinema, Paul Schrader both writes and directs this film about a tortured priest and the inner turmoil he struggles with as he examines the world we currently live in. Boasting some of the best dialogue of the year along with a career-best performance by Ethan Hawke, this dark and metaphorical film challenges its audience to see the effects humans have had on this planet and how we cope with our misdoings. 5. BlacKkKlansman Spike Lee returns to form with a true story of black cop Ron Stallworth infiltrating the KKK in 1970s Colorado Springs. Both John David Washington and Adam Driver deliver great performances, and Lee’s powerful editing near the end of this comedy/drama serves as both a history lesson and a modern commentary on how our society really hasn’t changed as much as we think it has. Full Review 4. Leave No Trace Also out of Sundance, This small film also is a quiet character study of a father and daughter that have chosen to live in the woods rather than within the confines of civilization. Sporting spectacular performances from breakout star Thomasin McKenzie and Ben Foster, the film expertly explores the idea of how we identify with home and how society reacts to the life choices we have made. 3. Avengers: Infinity War The more you think about it, Infinity War had no right to even work, let alone be great. Credit should go to directors Joe and Anthony Russo who were able to take a project that culminated eighteen films rostering twenty-five characters and make it into a high-stakes thriller that never felt overstuffed. It also delivered the MCU’s best villain and was able to leave a permanent mark on pop culture with just one snap. Hopefully, Endgame will be just as good. 2. A Star Is Born More of a 1B than a clear #2 , Bradley Cooper’s directorial debut more than lived up to its lofty expectations. The pairing of him and Lady Gaga in the lead roles was a match made in heaven as their chemistry lit up the screen both on and off the stage. With one of the best songs of the year in “Shallow”, this pitch-perfect retelling of a classic story left no dry eyes after its endearing tribute ending. Full Review 1. The Favourite My favorite film of the year (pun intended), this 18th-century piece can best be described as Barry Lyndon meets Mean Girls . The plot follows a spiteful struggle between two women, Abigail (Emma Stone) and Lady Sarah (Rachel Weisz), as they battle for the affection of the unhinged Queen Anne (Olivia Colman). Combining three excellent actresses, a whip-smart script, and the uniquely awkward style of director Yorgos Lanthimos, this dark comedy was by far the most enjoyable and unforgettable film of 2018. More Reviews Wicked: For Good November 19, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Rental Family September 7, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Jay Kelly November 20, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Train Dreams November 21, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Hunter Friesen

The Creator September 27, 2023 By: Button Hunter Friesen The Creator is the return of original science-fiction on the big screen… but only if you’ve never seen a Star Wars film, Blade Runner, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Avatar, or A.I. Artificial Intelligence . Honestly, it wouldn’t be a shocking revelation to learn that The Creator was spawned from an early draft for director Gareth Edwards’ follow-up to his Star Wars entry Rogue One . It’s a disappointing fact given the hard road Edwards has been on since that 2016 galactic actioner, but it’s also not enough to derail this epic film, which offers enough dosages of spectacle to keep it steady. “It’s not real, just programming” is a line said multiple times by Joshua (John David Washington). He’s part of the population that doesn’t see anything human inside the A.I. citizens within 2065 society. But there are others, most of them in Asia, that see these androids as the next step in evolution. Any robot that wears a hood to cover up the holes where its ears should be is indistinguishable from any meat-based lifeform. This difference in ideology reached a tipping point when a nuclear bomb was detonated in Los Angeles, an event the United States government blamed on the A.I. War soon broke out, with many of the androids fleeing to the refuge of New Asia. Joshua is part of a task force to find and terminate the A.I. leader, who has reportedly built a weapon great enough to destroy NOMAD, the American space station that fires a giant laser down on the planet (sound familiar?). But this weapon is not a thing, it’s a robot child that can control electronics with her mind. Joshua may disregard robot life, but he’s not monstrous enough to kill a child, which makes him a fugitive to his CO (Allison Janney) and the rest of the human military. If the plot summary of “grizzled man begrudgingly escorts kid who is special but slowly grows attached to them and has a change of heart” sounds familiar to you then that means you’ve watched/played any combination of Logan, The Mandalorian, The Last of Us, God of War , or The Witcher over the past few years. The Lone Wolf and Cub trope is barebones here as Joshua and Alfie (the name given to the child) don’t share a strong enough connection throughout much of their journey. Washington and newcomer Madeleine Yuna Voyles are delightful actors, but Edwards and co-writer Chris Weitz offer little comradery outside of poorly placed jokes and overly sentimental exchanges about what it means to be human. There’s also little introspection given to the subject of human vs. artificial intelligence. All the robots are noble and peaceful, and all humans are violent and selfish. The Vietnam War parallels aren’t subtle, only this time “Fortunate Son” has been replaced by “Everything In Its Right Place.” There isn’t much room for debate nor fully compelling characters when everything is binary. Edwards remains an extreme talent as a director, crafting set pieces that incite realistic terror and spectacle within extraordinary events. He’s assembled much of the Dune team including cinematographer Greig Fraser, editor Joe Walker, and composer Hans Zimmer, each of them adding gravitas to this vision of our future. The widescreen imagery is impressively grand, begging to be projected on the biggest IMAX screen possible. The fact this only cost $80 million unofficially confirms that many Hollywood tentpoles that cost three times as much are money laundering schemes. The Creator is always on the verge of being a good movie, but just can’t ever string together the consistency needed to make the leap. One thing that is certain is that we can’t afford to let Edwards slip away into hibernation again. Somewhere out there is a killer script that needs a visionary captain. And when that time comes, blockbuster filmmaking will be forever changed for the better. More Reviews Wicked: For Good November 19, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Rental Family September 7, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Jay Kelly November 20, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Train Dreams November 21, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Hunter Friesen

Awards Update: The Eye of the Hurricane November 9, 2024 By: Hunter Friesen Welcome to an ongoing series where I cover the 2024/2025 awards season. On a regular basis, I will update my Oscar predictions, taking into account the new information that has been received since the last update. Full predictions in every category can be found on the Home and Awards page. We're in the eye of the hurricane now; after the flurry of the fall and regional festivals, and before the onslaught of guild and critics awards that will commence in December. Granted, we've still got some awards buzz in the form of the Gotham Awards, and some rumors/reactions from screenings for upcoming titles. It's not much when you put it in the context of the whole season, but it's definitely part of the process that gets the snowball rolling down the hill. The Gothams are an esoteric bunch with their tiny and segregated nominating committees, and now unwritten rule that all eligible films must have some sort of independent quality to them. Can we say that Challengers is firmly an Oscar contender because the five-person nominating committee put it in the Best Feature Category (and nowhere else)? No. But we can always glean a few things from this list, such as the fact that Anora and Nickel Boys continue to be the critics' favorites that they were during their respective festival runs. Those two films, along with The Brutalist , are the ones I expect to get the most love from the top critics groups like NYFCC, LAFCA, and NSFC. Anora will be especially strong if it continues the outstanding box office run it's been on. Nickel Boys and The Brutalist don't release until December, so they'll need all the love they can get to boost their financial prospects when it comes time for the Oscars to weigh in. There were also nominations given to films like A Different Man, I Saw the TV Glow , and Good One . They'll likely repeat some level of that success at the Independent Spirit Awards and a critics group here and there, but this will likely be the end of the road for them. Moving from the little to the big fish, both Wicked and Gladiator II ("Glicked" if you're tuned into the forced marketing campaign) have been seen by a wide enough sample of people for us to make some assumptions. The reactions to Wicked have been almost all glowing, with many saying that it's much better than they expected. The combination of several craft nominations (with possible wins), good enough critic scores, a big box office haul, and fervent fan support have convinced me to slot it into my predicted Best Picture lineup. We're also in a year that's leaning very indie, especially when you compare it to the behemoths that lined the Best Picture category the past two years. I think there's a want by people and voters to get another blockbuster in along with Dune: Part Two . Gladiator II could very well be that additional big player instead of Wicked , although the reactions haven't been as enthusiastic and Ridley Scott isn't exactly an Oscar-favorite. Plenty of craft nominations will be in order, and a strong box office may let it sneak its way into the final Best Picture slot. At the moment I'm predicting that it will follow a nearly identical path to Black Panther: Wakanda Forever , another sequel that had the daunting task of following--up an unexpected Oscar juggernaut. Denzel Washington will once again be an Oscar contender, and he could win one of the televised precursor awards. One film that didn't fare so well from reactions is Steve McQueen's Blitz . I was extremely high on the film going into this season, the combination of McQueen's visceral filmmaking and the classical story being undeniably potent. I liked the film when I watched it at this year's Twin Cities Film Fest, although there's a lingering feeling that it could have been so much better. That seems to be a common opinion and is why I've considerably scaled back its prospects. I still think Apple can use its heavy hand to keep it in the race, but it'll be difficult to sustain that needed level of momentum when everyone walks away from the film with a half-hearted shrug. The BAFTAs might be the place where it gets a new lease on life or dies with a whimper. Even though I've just spent three paragraphs using reactions to influence my predictions, I won't be doing the same for Emilia Pérez . There's usually one film per year that is met with disdain amongst the social media crowd once it becomes publicly available. Maestro was that last year, and Don't Look Up two years before that. It's the Netflix special at this point, and we need to learn that the echo chamber of social media doesn't reflect the industry's opinion. The film has been successful at every festival stop it's made, and the cast has been warmly received. Don't be surprised if it ends up being our nomination leader, especially as it has the benefit of multiple original songs and a virtually guaranteed slot in Best International Feature as France's selection. A Complete Unknown and Nosferatu remain as the only contenders that have gone unseen so far. I'm still holding strong on James Mangold's Bob Dylan biopic, and less so on Robert Eggers' adaptation of the famed Gothic tale of vampirism. Things could turn out the opposite, which I would be totally supportive of as long as the quality is there. More Reviews Wicked: For Good November 19, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Rental Family September 7, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Jay Kelly November 20, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Train Dreams November 21, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen

Afire August 2, 2023 By: Button Hunter Friesen With international films receiving awards attention more than ever, American audiences are becoming increasingly aware of the auteurs of global cinema, many of which have gone unappreciated for decades. Michael Haneke, Bong Joon-ho, Paweł Pawlikowski, Thomas Vinterberg, and Ryûsuke Hamaguchi are just a few of the names that have become prevalent within the North American cinephile lexicon over the past decade. But one name that has always seemed to elude the bright lights of Western media is German filmmaker Christian Petzold. This streak of unappreciation has become part of his narrative in the United States, with The New York Times running a piece on how he “may be the best German filmmaker you’ve never heard of.” As one of the leading figures in the Berlin School movement within German independent cinema, Petzold’s films often explore themes of identity, displacement, and the impact of German national history on personal lives. He’s been a staple of his native Berlin International Film Festival, winning awards for best director in 2012 for Barbara and the FIPRESCI Prize in 2020 for Undine . His latest feature, Afire , played at the festival, winning the Silver Bear grand jury prize. While on the surface it may seem that Afire has less to do with Germany’s past compared to Petzold’s earlier works of Phoenix or Transit , it still finds a way to interweave the ramifications of National Socialism on German culture, specifically its works of literature and poetry. The story begins with Leon (Thomas Schubert) and Felix (Langston Uibel) on their way to Felix’s summer house to work on their artistic endeavors. Leon is an author who’s been published once before and is struggling to put the finishing touches on his follow-up manuscript. Felix is a photographer trying to assemble a portfolio to submit to an art school. However, the promise of solitude is interrupted by the introduction of additional parties: Nadja (Paula Beer) and Devid (Enno Trebs). It turns out Felix’s mom double-booked the house for the weekend, much to Leon’s displeasure as he endlessly lectures about the importance of his writing and process. But there’s also one other thing, which is the raging forest fires going on not too far away. The evening sky is red (hence the German title translating to “Red Sky”) and the warning signs are everywhere, yet these characters deny the danger and press on. Petzold took inspiration from Anton Chekhov for this summer story. Besides Leon and Felix, all of these people are new to each other, prompting discovery and conflict around certain behaviors and actions. But Petzold never finds something unique to say in this story, mostly due to the characters lacking enough interest to make up for their unlikeability. Leon continually bemoans about his past and present, eventually learning the predictable lesson of self-humility. Still, the performances are quite nice, especially Paula Beer, whose red dress symbolizes her radiance. She’s the sunshine that breaks through Leon’s dark clouds. It’s a slight shame that Petzold rarely lets her blossom out of that subservient role. There’s a great fire going on within the story, but nothing seems to crackle off the screen. More Reviews Wicked: For Good November 19, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Rental Family September 7, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Jay Kelly November 20, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Train Dreams November 21, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Hunter Friesen

Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 1 June 29, 2024 By: Button Hunter Friesen It’s almost impossible to judge Kevin Ccostner’s grand return to the Western genre on its own terms, as Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 1 truly lives up to the foundational groundwork its title implies. The structure and pacing of television has never been more replicated in the cinema than this, save for maybe those The Chosen specials that sneakily top the box office every few months. Storylines are picked up and put down like a kid surrounded by toys, with their only moment of intersection coming in the form of a flyer with the words “HORIZON” printed across the top, acting as a calling to move to where it beckons. With a sprawling runtime of 181 minutes and nearly 181 names within the cast, there’s both plenty of time and plot elements to keep track of. The seemingly most important one leads us off at the titular town, a makeshift place nestled right at the bend in the river in the San Pedro Valley. The settlers founded their homes atop the graves of those who had come before and been murdered by the Apache. Ignoring that warning leads to more bloodshed, which Costner films with clear-cut brutality. The threat of death looms as large as the prospect of personal freedom, with the settlers feeling akin to their ancestors on the Mayflower. Costner and co-writer Jon Baird offer some time away from the white settlers, giving a glimpse into the politics within the Apache. An eye-for-eye mentality forms, dividing each camp between those who seek carnage and those who just want to survive. The one thing that remains constant is the fact that the wagons won’t ever stop, with two settlers arriving for each one killed. Where this angle goes is still up in the air, with this chapter only featuring the initial trading of blows. But considering Martin Scorsese just delivered what could be considered the seminal modern take on this topic in Killers of the Flower Moon , it’ll be hard for Costner to reach the bar. It takes nearly an hour for Costner to show up as his character Hayes Ellison, who gets entangled with a local sex worker (Abbey Lee), the child she cares for, and a Montanan crime family hunting them down. As the only A-lister in this mammoth cast of semi-famous and unknown players, Costner’s presence makes you sit up a little straighter and lean forward. That shine from Yellowstone hasn’t worn off, although his romance with a woman thirty years younger than him doesn’t come across as sensually as he thinks it does. There isn’t a clear best and worst storyline, with all of them falling near the middle, give or take a few notches in either direction. However, it’s not exactly a fair fight as some characters appear much more than others. Sienna Miller and Costner are given multiple pass-throughs, while Isabelle Fuhrmann and the fourth-billed Giovani Ribisi hardly have a line of dialogue. The final five minutes are reserved for a montage of what’s to come in the next chapter, which, I’ll admit, looked pretty decent. What also looks decent is J. Michael Muro’s photography. He perpetually captures the grandeur of the plains and desert rocks, creating a barren paradise where the danger is just as captivating as the reward. This is epic, old-fashioned filmmaking, the likes of which we haven’t seen before in a long time. The sense of Costner laying it all on the line permeates every moment, especially with John Debney’s sweeping score providing several enrapturing moments. The track “End of Massacre,” which featured heavily in the trailer, is one of the best of the year. Chapter 2 arrives in a little under six weeks, a blessing as I don’t think I’d be able to remember every character and plot point if I had to endure the traditional one-year wait. Although I’d probably never rewatch it just for itself, this first chapter is a serviceable beginning with just enough little nuggets here and there to sustain my interest. More Reviews Wicked: For Good November 19, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Rental Family September 7, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Jay Kelly November 20, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Train Dreams November 21, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Hunter Friesen

Nosferatu December 20, 2024 By: Button Hunter Friesen The bloody tale of Nosferatu the Vampire is almost as old as cinema itself. F.W. Murnau’s 1922 film Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror was one of the medium's first ripoffs, liberally "borrowing" elements from the story of Bram Stoker's 1897 novel Dracula . A German court ordered that all prints of the film were to be destroyed on the grounds of copyright infringement. But just as you can never kill the darkness that births such bloodthirsty creatures, you can't kill a true work of art. Count Dracula and Count Orlok have been joined at the hip in the century since, receiving film adaptations from luminaries such as Tod Browning ( Dracula , 1931), Werner Herzog ( Nosferatu the Vampyre , 1979), and Francis Ford Coppola ( Bram Stoker's Dracula , 1992). Writer/director Robert Eggers combines all of those productions into his remake/readaptation, crafting what could/should become not just the definitive text for this specific story, but for all stories within the subgenre of vampirism. A literal deal with the devil is made in the film's cold opening. Both out of fear and desire, our young heroine Ellen Hutter (Lily-Rose Depp) beckons for a spirit to come to her. The silhouette of the creature projects through the billowing curtain of her bedroom, leading her to the lawn for a violent sexual encounter. Years pass, with nary a word spoken to anyone about what she experienced that night. Every day seems to be a dream, and every night contains a violently vivid nightmare. Those episodes, as well as her curse of foresight, are labeled as "melancholy" and "woman's sickness" by the male doctors in her German town. Her fiancé Thomas (Nicholas Hoult) is blankly compassionate, yet emotionally oblivious to her situation. The character of Ellen is given more agency in Eggers' adaptation, something that Depp accepts with ease. She has the figure of a porcelain doll, perpetually in a state of cracking from the pressure that the demon exerts on her. And when she does finally break, it's into a million pieces, her body contorting, blood pouring out her eyes and mouth, and vocal inflections taking on a sinister tone. Between the likes of Demi Moore, Naomi Scott, and Cailee Spaeny, the bar for horror performances has been continually raised throughout the year. But Depp has crashed the party and surpassed all of them in a turn that should finally shut the doubters up. Until that climax, Ellen is the voice of reason in a sea of "respectable" men all ready to stick up their noses and tell her to know her place. None of them see the darkness that is swallowing them whole, that is until it's right in front of them in the grotesque form that is Bill Skarsgård's Count Orlok. This vampire doesn't seduce with his looks, his skin a sickly grey and fingers sharp as claws. His deep voice bellows throughout the auditorium, and his heavy Eastern European accent illustrates his century-spanning life. Thanks to his job as a real estate clerk requiring him to travel to Transylvania and meet the count, Thomas is the first of the men to realize what's really at stake. You can almost hear (and definitely feel) the ear-to-ear grin Eggers wore throughout the filming of these initial meeting scenes. The enthusiasm he has in recreating such iconic movie moments is infectious, the top-tier craftsmanship making sure the effort can't be simply excused as a pale imitation. Cinematographer Jarin Blashke, DP on all of Eggers' films, paints every frame in expressionistic shadows, instilling a ghoulish atmosphere that immediately communicates that no heart beats for too long in this place. The frequent lighting from a background fireplace means that much of the foreground is dimly lit, keeping the facts that would ease our fearfully wandering minds just out of reach. That level of authenticity to the production also extends to Eggers' take on this story, which is more deeply rooted in the mythology of vampirism rather than the Hollywood lore we've become accustomed to. The village buried deep in the woods below Orlok's castle regularly performs rituals and sacrifices to ward off the beast. Prof. Albin Eberhart von Franz (Willem Dafoe appearing in his third film for Eggers) is the expert on the situation back in Germany, although his methods are a bit unorthodox. Apart from those eccentricities, this is a very familiar story, with Eggers making no alterations to the story beats. One could wish that he had been a little more liberal with the details, treating them more as a jumping-off point rather than scripture. Then again, his unwavering devotion reminds us of the power that the classics still possess. How can you be mad at the chef when he makes the best possible version of a well-worn recipe? More Reviews Wicked: For Good November 19, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Rental Family September 7, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Jay Kelly November 20, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Train Dreams November 21, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Hunter Friesen