No Exit

By: Andrew Wing

No Exit is a 2022 American thriller film directed by Damien Power from a screenplay by Andrew Barrer and Gabriel Ferrari, based on the 2017 novel of the same name by Taylor Adams. It stars Havana Rose Liu as a recovering drug addict who discovers a kidnapping in progress while stranded at a rest stop during a blizzard. Danny Ramirez (On My Block, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier), David Rysdahl, Dale Dickey (Winter’s Bone, Breaking Bad), and Dennis Haysbert (best known for being the deeply-voiced spokesperson for Allstate insurance, but also starred in Major League, Heat, and Jarhead) co-star as the four suspects while Mila Harris plays the kidnapping victim.

No Exit was released on February 25, 2022, on Hulu by 20th Century Studios.

THE GOOD

No Exit definitely snuck up on me. I had been catching glimpses of its commercials on cable, and it wasn’t until I actually put my phone down and watched the commercial that I realized it looked like a cool film that I might want to check out. It's somewhat of a horror/thriller whodunit tale, and while my relationship with horror is a rocky one just because of how oversaturated the genre has become the past couple of years, I am always down for a thrilling whodunit mystery tale. Add in the fact that it was from 20th Century Studios and was going straight to Hulu, and I was sold! But was its interesting premise enough to make it a solid film that is worth watching? Keep reading to find out!

There is no denying that the main selling point here for me at least was the film’s premise. It follows a recovering addict college student who discovers a kidnapped child hidden in a car. It’s much more than that though as this all takes place while she is stranded at an isolated highway rest stop in the mountains during the blizzard with four other strangers, and it just so happens that the car with the girl inside belongs to one of the people inside the building. Maybe I am missing some prior films of the past that were similar, but I would go out on a limb and say this story felt wholly original and that is quite the accomplishment when you are getting into the thriller/horror genre. And all that is a testament to the writers Andrew Barrer and Gabriel Ferrari. It was not a flawless screenplay, and I will touch more on that later in the review, but it allowed us to know just the right amount of all the major players involved that made us think that they were the ones responsible, and I found that sort of guessing game to be the best part of the film if I am being completely honest.

Now the film’s premise and screenplay were good but arguably better than that were a couple of the performances we got in No Exit, particularly the lead performance from Havana Rose Liu and the supporting performance from Dennis Haysbert. First with the star of the show, Havana Rose Liu. I thought she was really good in this, and if I am not mistaken, this was her feature film debut which made her performance all the more impressive. She plays the role of a recovering addict with perfection which shows she is capable of more dramatic roles in her future, but don’t get me wrong, she was also a badass in this at times as she is constantly facing different terrifying obstacles. From taking punches to using hand tools as weapons, to even removing nails from her (hopefully not too big of a spoiler), she really does it all and I cannot wait to see what she does next. As for the Allstate man himself with the deepest voice on the face of the earth, Dennis Haysbert, I really liked him in this. You know what, maybe it is just that deep voice that I heard growing up every time I watched TV, but I would rather believe that he is just a talented actor because well, he is. He plays a former Marine and his physical appearance doesn’t make you question that for a second, but he also shows that one can be both a stand-up guy yet also be super intimidating, and I was just a fan of his in No Exit as he brought a lot to the table.

In conclusion, I just wanted to touch on the overall look of the film which I really enjoyed. First with the cinematography that was done by Simon Raby. It is one thing to shoot a feature film, but it is another thing entirely to shoot a film in a blizzard, and I thought he did a fantastic job. There aren’t any shots that will make your jaw drop, but it was just so well done from beginning to end and I appreciated that. The production design was also pretty good. I loved the look of the rest stop and just that sense of realism you get from believing this is where something like this would take place (fingers crossed it doesn’t), and that was a nice touch to the viewing experience as a whole in my eyes.

THE BAD

While I still would say that this is a film worth watching, it definitely isn’t a film I will ever rewatch. Simply put, No Exit is a popcorn movie, and while I’m not saying that’s a bad thing, there just isn’t much else to take away from it. It serves its purpose, it’s an easy watch, but it is certainly not a groundbreaking new entry into the genre despite its unique premise and it is also a little slow which hurts when the film is only 95 minutes long.

I think there were two big things that held this film back from being not just decent, but actually good. And the first is the fact that some of its “big” twists aren’t so big as you can see them from a mile away. I know I just spent the first half of this review praising the screenplay and I should because it’s unique and I’ll give credit when credit is due because one of the big twists did in fact get me. But the first big twist that’s meant to really get the ball rolling on the thriller part of the film just missed for me. I won’t say what it is obviously, but if you are locked in and paying attention at the beginning of the film, you, like me, will see it coming.

As for the second thing this film was missing, and that would be just some average to above-average performances from the rest of the cast. I highlighted two of them already, but it is not like they were awards-worthy, but the rest of the cast just fell flat. I think a big thing with movies like this is that you need to have performances that are somewhat believable. Whether it’s screaming in the face of certain death or whether it’s being truly frightening as the “bad guy”, you need the audience to believe you no matter how far-fetched what’s happening is, and I couldn’t. It was surprising too because Dale Dickey was incredible in Winter’s Bone and Danny Ramirez was awesome in Falcon and the Winter Soldier, but I just wasn’t buying what they were selling here. It also had what I would call a pretty underwhelming kid performance from Mila Harris and that was unfortunate.

THE VERDICT

Damien Power’s No Exit is what it is, and that is a bloody intense thriller that serves its purpose as a popcorn movie. The impressive screenplay is full of suspense with its high stakes, and it also features quite a captivating lead performance from Havana Rose Liu that is hopefully the first of many.

I would recommend it to anyone who is looking for a good time with a scary movie, but I struggled to find any rewatchable elements with this film due to some uninspiring performances and some other questionable decisions from those in charge.

TED TAKES RATING - 6.1/10

No Exit is now available to watch on Hulu. Check out the latest trailer below.

The Adam Project

The Adam Project is a 2022 science fiction thriller film directed by Shawn Levy, and written by Jonathan Tropper, T.S. Nowlin, Jennifer Flackett, and Mark Levin. Levy is a very talented and accomplished director, known for Date Night, The Internship, This Is Where I Leave You, and the latest action comedy Free Guy (our full review here) also starring Ryan Reynolds. Levy is set to direct Deadpool 3 as well.

A time-traveling pilot teams up with his younger self and his late father to come to terms with his past while saving the future.

The cast includes Ryan Reynolds, Mark Ruffalo, Jennifer Garner, Walker Scobell, Catherine Keener, and Zoe Saldana.

The Adam Project made its debut on Netflix March 11th.

THE GOOD

Similar to many direct-to-streaming films that seem to come out of nowhere when they are announced, The Adam Project snuck up on me. After watching the first trailer I was sold, and all it really took if I’m being honest was Ryan Reynolds. At this point and time I will watch anything he is in. The rest of the cast and Shawn Levy’s involvement was just the icing on the cake. So of course I made sure to check it out as soon as it dropped on Netflix, so is it worth your time? Keep reading to find out!

The Adam Project is a very enjoyable movie with a little bit of everything to satisfy the majority of viewers, whether you are looking for comedy, action, a sci-fi element, or just a really good overall story. We have all seen more films or shows that deal with time travel than we can count, but luckily the screenplay still feels fresh and creative. I loved the overarching coming-of-age feel of the film as I am a sucker for that genre, and I was impressed with how emotional it was. I felt like the pacing was great as it never feels long even though it is just shy of the 2-hour mark. The film has a ton of substance all things considered, and also offers up an ending that I felt was more than satisfying, even if a little bittersweet.

The star-studded cast is surely one of the biggest draws for people in terms of what will have them taking the time out to watch The Adam Project. Ryan Reynolds, who is quite simply a national treasure, is fantastic as expected. His comedic delivery and on-screen presence shines throughout, and he is a big reason why this film works so well. What surprised me most about The Adam Project as far as acting is concerned is young Walker Scobell, who plays the younger version of Reynolds’ character. In his acting debut, Scobell has great on screen chemistry with Reynolds, and more than anything else he feels like a natural. He took full advantage of his screen-time, and we will surely be seeing more of him in the future.

Jennifer Garner plays the mom, and I really enjoyed her character. It never feels like she is mailing it in, and it was obvious from the start that she made sure to have a genuine connection with Scobell’s character which was a big part of why the story worked so well. Mark Ruffalo, who was next level amazing in the HBO drama series I Know This Much Is True (full review here) plays a pivotal supporting role in the film. He plays the father, and the genius mind behind how time travel came to be. Ruffalo was great as expected and I have nothing bad to say about his performance. Zoe Saldana, who always reminds me of Avatar, is fantastic in her role as the primary love interest. Somehow she always feels right at home with sci-fi action films. Catherine Keener, who in my opinion is best known for her role in the comedy classic The 40-Year-Old Virgin, is great as the films antagonist. Keener more than holds her own alongside this talented cast.

On the technical side of things, The Adam Project does everything pretty well overall. The action sequences are fun and exciting, the CGI is effective and never takes away from the overall feel, and the soundtrack brings with it lots of energy. The cinematography while not a focal point, still offers up plenty for viewers to appreciate showing off some of the beautiful sights Vancouver has to offer. And even though the sci-fi part of the film is prevalent throughout, it never feels overly corny which was a big thing for me.

THE BAD

The Adam Project is not perfect. At the end of the day, it is a direct-to-streaming film that may skimp on budget and take the occasional shortcut. The CGI is good but not great, the acting isn’t perfect or Oscar worthy (in air quotes, of course), and the production feels fairly limited when it’s all said and done. But with all of that considered, this is still a very enjoyable movie that still does pretty much everything right. Bottom line, I can’t sit here and criticize a film that feels so unapologetically true to itself, so I won’t. Feel free to make your own judgments, but odds are you will enjoy The Adam Project just as much as I did.

THE VERDICT

A fun and infectious sci-fi action comedy rooted in the chemistry between the great Ryan Reynolds and young Walker Scobell in his debut role, The Adam Project will satisfy genre fans while offering a genuinely heartfelt story. More than anything else I enjoyed this movie and felt like it was a great use of my time, and at the end of the day, what more can you ask for? It was clear and obvious from the start that this incredibly talented cast enjoyed making this movie, and I personally welcome any experience that feels so authentic and well-intentioned. Plus, the more time director Shawn Levy and Ryan Reynolds spend together, the better Deadpool 3 will be. Can’t wait!

TED TAKES RATING - 7.3/10

The Adam Project is now streaming on Netflix. Check out the latest trailer below.

Drive My Car

By: Andrew Wing

Drive My Car (Japanese: ドライブ・マイ・カー, Hepburn: Doraibu mai kā) is a 2021 Japanese drama film co-written and directed by Ryusuke Hamaguchi. It is primarily based on Haruki Murakami’s short story of the same name from his 2014 collection Men Without Women while taking inspiration from other stories in it. The film follows Yūsuke Kafuku (played by Hidetoshi Nishijima) as he directs a multilingual production of Uncle Vanya in Hiroshima and grapples with the death of his wife, Oto.

Drive My Car had its world premiere at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival, where it competed for the Palme d’Or (lost to Titane - see full review) and won three awards, including Best Screenplay. The film received widespread critical acclaim, with many declaring it one of the best films of 2021. It earned four nominations at the 94th Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Director, Best International Feature Film, and Best Adapted Screenplay. It is the first Japanese film nominated for Best Picture. Also, at the 79th Golden Globe Awards, the film won Best Foreign Language Film.

THE GOOD

I know I have brought it up in some of my past reviews, but I think Bong Joon-ho’s 2019 film Parasite is one of the best movies ever made. It is one of my all-time favorites and I truly think it’s a perfect film. In 2020, Parasite won Best Picture at the 92nd Academy Awards, becoming the first non-English language film to win the award. Parasite was the first foreign film I ever watched, and it really sparked my interest in film, but also a deeper appreciation for foreign films. With all that said, it’s only fitting that I review Drive My Car, a film that has been surging the past few months that’s also trying to become the second non-English language film to win the Best Picture after getting nominated in the category back on February 8, 2022. I literally started jumping up and down when I saw that it was coming to HBO Max in March, and I wasted no time in checking it out. So without further ado, let’s dive into this review and find out if one of 2021’s most critically acclaimed and talked about films is actually worth all the hype it’s been getting!

First things first, I honestly loved everything about this movie! It’s a slow burn type of movie that is this sort of epic mysterious drama with a ton of layers to unpack. It is a whopping three hours long, and although the three hours is a pretty substantial investment of time to give to a film, I felt like the attention given to it paid off greatly in the end. It certainly felt like a three-hour-long movie with it being a slow-burning drama, but I never felt like it was dragging at any moment as it kept finding new conflicts to explore and new characters to dive into. It never felt stagnant, as it was just always developing, and it never stopped evolving from start to finish.

So as I said in the introduction, the film got nominated for four Academy Awards, with one being Best Adapted Screenplay. I also mentioned in the intro my love for foreign films, and one of the best ones from the past five years is hands down the 2018 South Korean film Burning. I only bring this up because it turns out that Drive My Car is adapted from a short story from the writer of the short story that Burning was adapted off of, so I thought that was a cool tidbit of information. Anyways though, this screenplay is masterful. To put the plot vaguely so I don’t spoil anything, the film is about a stage actor and director who is putting together a play, but at the same time, he is grappling with the relationship he has with his wife. In my opinion, the strongest element of this movie is without a doubt the writing and watching this honestly felt like reading a good novel that you didn’t want to put down with how dense the film is. I’d be surprised to see it win the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay because of the other stronger contenders, but I sure am glad it received a nomination because it was more than deserving!

Another award the film got nominated for was Best Director for Ryusuke Hamaguchi. It was so evident from the very beginning that Hamaguchi as a director wasn’t worried about having a shorter runtime, but rather truly serving the script. It’s obviously a very dialogue heavy film, and while some might not say that that requires a lot of “direction” so to speak, I would disagree. I would because with this movie ultimately being about the way people communicate and perform, I think Hamaguchi was brilliant by having the film be a medium to showcase that. Aside from that though, there were other things I loved about his direction. One being how he chose to hold on certain shots where characters are delivering monologues. I appreciated it because it allowed what was happening to kind of burn in our brains as we watched. Also, the slow-burn atmosphere the movie develops as it continues works really well for it because it is an extremely thoughtful movie that demands that we think about it. The pacing too allows us to never feel lost in it as we constantly get that little bit of space we need to try and digest and think about what’s happening.

All the characters in Drive My Car are mysterious human beings that communicate intimate things about themselves in indirect ways. The film recognizes human beings as having trouble communicating directly with each other, and all of this was made possible and put on the forefront thanks to the performances we got. The main performance that is worthy of praise is Hidetoshi Nishijima as he plays the main character, Yūsuke Kafuku. He was simply incredible in this film, and it was one of my favorite performances of the year for sure. The range of emotions he puts on display throughout the film is fascinating and it all culminates at the very end of the film when he shows how broken his character is deep down. He also does this thing while riding in his car where he recites his own lines for his play from an audiotape, and it went to show how bought into his character he was. All in all, I loved him and it was a gut-wrenching performance that I will never forget.

In conclusion, Drive My Car is a profound and beautiful movie, but it is also an extremely thought-provoking film, and there was a lot that I took away from it. It is ultimately a drama about art and grief that will resonate with you for a long time as it shows us that if we want to better understand people, all we have to do is really try to listen. Hamaguchi shows us as viewers that somebody being there to listen to someone has an incredible power that we often forget. The film was certainly a moving one and I cannot wait to tune into the Oscars on Sunday, March 27th, and watch it do well at the awards as it will most definitely be winning the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.

THE BAD

If you can’t tell yet, I loved Drive My Car and have it easily as one of the best films of 2021. However, this movie definitely is not for everybody. It is one of those movies where the most that somebody will get out of it will come from analyzing it and picking it apart and then attempting to figure out what it’s trying to say underneath the surface. So with that said, if you’re someone who doesn’t really find yourself enjoying that analysis part of a movie, you are not going to be into this at all. 

Also, as I mentioned earlier, this film is basically three hours long, coming in at a runtime of 179 minutes. That is a lot. The movie surely registers a little bit more like a text with all the dialogue and the written word more than it does as this cinematic experience you’d get from a film like The Batman (see Ted’s full review here). I’m not saying that Drive My Car isn’t a cinematic experience because it certainly was for me, but it’s just very reliant on one aspect of that as opposed to many. And lastly, it is a foreign film spoken entirely in Japanese, so if you don’t rock with subtitles then you are going to have to pass on this one, unfortunately.

THE VERDICT

Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s Drive My Car is an epic slow-burning drama that is one of the best films 2021 has to offer. The season’s most unlikely Oscar smash that has just about already locked up the Best Foreign Language Film award is the very definition of thought-provoking cinema, as it offers so many insightful ideas about human psychology. Also loved the lead performance by Hidetoshi Nishijima and the screenplay is a masterpiece.

Its 3-hour runtime is no joke and it is definitely a movie for critics rather than most general audiences, but nevertheless, it is a movie very ripe for repeat viewings so I can try and get a better grasp on it and hopefully take more away from it.

TED TAKES RATING - 9.8/10

Drive My Car is now available to watch on HBO Max. Check out the latest trailer below.

Fresh

Fresh is a 2022 horror comedy film directed by Mimi Cave, in her directorial debut, from a screenplay by Lauryn Kahn. Adam McKay produced the film alongside Kevin J. Messick and Maeve Cullinane. Fresh premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on January 20th, 2022, where it was acquired by Searchlight Pictures. Searchlight Pictures, originally Fox Searchlight, was acquired by Disney back in 2019 and eventually dropped the “Fox” from the name altogether. Due to so much uncertainty brought on by the seemingly never-ending pandemic, Searchlight Pictures has opted to release the majority of its 2022 slate direct-to-streaming, deciding to take that route with Fresh having it debut on the Disney owned streaming service, Hulu.

The horrors of modern dating seen through one young woman's defiant battle to survive her new boyfriend's unusual appetites.

The cast includes Daisy Edgar-Jones, Sebastian Stan, Jojo T. Gibbs, Dayo Okeniyi, Charlotte Le Bon, and Andrea Bang.

Fresh premiered on Hulu March 4th, courtesy of Hulu and Searchlight Pictures.

THE GOOD

Fresh landed on my radar only a few months ago, just one of those films that sort of caught me by surprise once the trailer released, but the fact that Sebastian Stan was in a lead role had me sold right away. Plus, the film made quite an impression at the Sundance Film Festival where it was acquired by Hulu, and that is always a good sign if you ask me. But with it being a directorial debut film that went straight to streaming, I planned to keep my expectations in check just in case. So, is Fresh worth a few hours of your time? Keep reading to find out!

Long story short, this movie was fantastic and an all-around pleasant surprise. After first watching the trailer and reading up on the premise I was expecting something more along the lines of Julia Ducournau’s indie horror thriller Raw (preview and trailer here), which is now streaming on Netflix, in terms of the overall shock factor and general subject matter. I would’ve kept watching even if it was more in that ballpark, but Fresh caught me completely off guard as it was entirely different movie compared to what I was expecting. And I mean that in the best way possible. The film has such an organic feel to it from the start, diving right into the real horrors of the modern world which is of course, dating. Now for anyone who has been down the rabbit hole of dating apps where you swipe right or left until your head hurts, its brutal.

The lead character Noa, played by Daisy Edgar-Jones, feels stuck as in her mind she needs to escape the single life but ends up going on dates that serve as little more than a good story. Like the very granola guy who lets her know in advance that the restaurant they are meeting at for the first time is cash only. Brutal, but trust me when I say these things happen. I had a girl once tell me that the guy she went for a date with told her mid-dinner that his account was overdrawn and he would need her to pay the bill, needless to say that made me feel so much better about myself back in my earlier days. To her surprise, she somehow organically meets someone in the grocery store, the charming and charismatic Steve, played by Sebastian Stan. I won’t give anything away in terms of why I was caught so off guard by the direction the film would take as I think that is part of what makes it so good, but let me just say that by the time these two met I was invested to the point of no return, and could not wait to see what happened next.

I touched on it a bit already, but the driving force for Fresh is without a doubt the collaboration between director Mimi Cave and the screenplay from Laura Kahn, coupled with the performances which I will touch on a bit later in the review. Cave, a Los Angeles native, is primarily known for her work on music videos and short films, but she hits the ground running with her feature-film debut. Kahn, who got her start behind the scenes on a few Adam McKay films including Step Brothers and The Other Guys, previously saw her debut feature-film script come to fruition in 2018 with the Netflix comedy drama, Ibiza. Her vision was apparent from the start, and even with a runtime of just under 2-hours, Fresh never once felt boring. The subject matter may be tough to swallow for most viewers, pun intended, but the delivery is so smooth and authentic that the film is extremely watchable all things considered and even has replay value. It felt like cautionary tale meets character study, and I can guarantee you that the film will stick with you long after you finish it.

I was not expecting powerhouse performances from a direct-to-streaming film, but boy was I wrong. The acting in Fresh is nothing short of exceptional, and I won’t be able to get Sebastian Stan’s character out of my head for weeks. I’m not surprised in the slightest that Hulu snatched this up at Sundance, and I personally feel like Stan’s character deserves some awards consideration. Unfortunately for Stan, Fresh did not receive the required limited release in theaters. His character has an infectious personality that masks the darkness in such a way that he will be toying with your emotions during the majority of the film. I knew something felt eerily familiar about his character, and once I read that in preparation for the film Stan Stan worked with a famous Ted Bundy expert, it all made sense. Somehow Stan portrays the best Ted Bundy, without actually playing Bundy at all. Go figure. I don’t want to give anything away, but he is one of the most genuinely friendly and energetic sociopaths I have ever seen in film. Stan sort of combines Ted Bundy and Christian Bale’s Trevor Reznik character from The Machinist. Talk about quite the combo, just hope you never cross paths with this guy in the produce section of your local grocery store.

Next I have to talk about the performance from Daisy Edgar-Jones, who takes on the other lead role and is actually the primary character in the film. First and foremost, her chemistry with Stan is just perfection. Even as their relationship develops like a roller-coaster ride, the chemistry always feels genuine helping viewers get the most out of the story. Edgar-Jones reminds me of a cross between Dakota Johnson and another actress I can literally picture but for some reason I can’t recall the name of or what she has been in and it is driving me insane. But yeah, ignoring whether or not I am slowly losing my mind, the 23-year-old actress who grew up in London is very talented and has an extremely bright career ahead of her. Her ability to display a number of complex emotions and match the acting abilities of a veteran like Stan impressed me a ton, and I could see right away why she was offered this role. I was genuinely surprised to learn that Fresh is only her second film appearance, working primarily in television up until 2018. Mark my words, we will see more from her sooner than later. The supporting cast consisting primarily of Jojo T. Gibbs, Dayo Okeniyi, and Charlotte Le Bon, were all great as well.

Similar to the acting, the technical elements of the film defy what you’d expect from a streaming film. The attention to detail and just how intentional each shot feels just makes for an experience that feels far-reaching, yet somehow grounded in reality. Director Mimi Cave flexes an eye for detail as well as what seems to be a very deliberate and signature style which I am excited to see more of. Cinematography is an element of filmmaking that is often underappreciated this day and age if you ask me, but lucky for me Fresh does a fantastic job of reminding us exactly why it matters. We are treated to some great exterior shots making sure that each environment has that lived-in feel which I thought was important, but what stood out most to be was how immersive the film felt once we landed in what would be the films primary location. I wasn’t sure why the cinematography felt so familiar to me until I realized it was the work of cinematographer Pawel Pogorzelski, the talented mind behind Hereditary (full review here), Midsommar (full review here), and Nobody (full review here). Pogorzelski’s ability to blend genre’s in a way that only he is capable of was a big reason why Fresh hits so many highs, and so few lows.

THE BAD

I have very little to say about this film as far as negatives. First of all it exceeded my expectations, but it also wasn’t nearly as cringeworthy or reliant on the shock factor as I expected it to be. But with that being said, the subject matter will likely be too much for some viewers which could make Fresh one that you should skip, but that’s entirely up to you. I can’t really think of a film I would compare it to, but because it never really goes down the “I need to cover my eyes” rabbit hole, everyone should at least give it a try otherwise you’ll be missing out. Think cannibalism, but the upper-class black tie version if that makes any sense at all.

THE VERDICT

A shockingly effective genre-defining horror comedy brought to life by exceptional performances from Sebastian Stan and Daisy Edgar-Jones, Fresh is one of the more impressive directorial debuts in recent memory and a great reason to keep an eye on Mimi Cave. I really enjoyed this film, from the story to the performances, right down to what I felt was a very satisfying ending. More than anything else, Fresh felt like nothing I have seen in quite some time, and that in itself is quite a rarity. If you are looking for what is conceivably a rare blend of horror and comedy with a dash of mystery at its core, and much more immersive than you could ever begin to imagine, this without a doubt checks all of the boxes and is something I have no issue recommending.

Bottom line, Fresh takes the horrors of dating to another level entirely, and will likely leave viewers that are currently single swearing off relationships altogether. I mean seriously, if I was single and went on a date after watching this movie, I’d lock myself in my bedroom and order takeout for the foreseeable future. Be sure to give this a watch sooner than later and keep an eye out for what’s to come next from Mimi Cave.

TED TAKES RATING - 8.7/10

Fresh is now streaming on Hulu. Check out the latest trailer below.

The Eyes of Tammy Faye

By: Andrew Wing

The Eyes of Tammy Faye is a 2021 American biographical drama film directed by Michael Showalter (he directed the critically acclaimed The Big Sick), based on the 2000 documentary of the same name by Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato of World of Wonder. 

The film tells the story of Tammy Faye Bakker, who is played by Jessica Chastain (The Help, Zero Dark Thirty, Molly’s Game), from her humble beginnings growing up in International Falls, Minnesota through the rise and fall of her televangelism career and marriage to Jim Bakker, who is played by Andrew Garfield (Hacksaw Ridge, Silence, Tick, Tick… Boom!). Cherry Jones (The Village, Succession) and Vincent D’Onofrio (Full Metal Jacket, Daredevil) also star. The screenplay is written by Abe Sylvia, while Chastain is also one of the film’s producers.

The Eyes of Tammy Faye had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2021 and was released on September 17, 2021, by Searchlight Pictures. The film became a box office bomb, grossing $2.7 million after its initial release in theatres. Regardless of that, for her role in the film, Chastain won a SAG Award and received nominations for the Golden Globe Award and Critics Choice Award. The film received two Academy Award nominations, for Best Makeup and Hairstyling and Best Actress.

THE GOOD

Wow, the time has finally come. Despite only being a month or two, it feels like The Eyes of Tammy Faye has been on my list forever ever since I saw that it was streaming on HBO Max. Being a big fan of the Oscars and other notable award shows I knew that I had to check this film out and review it for one reason, and one reason only, and that was the performance of Jessica Chastain. She has been getting nominated for almost every acting award one can get nominated for her performance in this, and with how crazy the Best Actress category has been, she has as good a chance as any to take the cake at the Academy Awards later this month. With all that said, was Chastain’s performance alone enough to make this an overall good film? Keep reading to find out!

Both of the lead performances we get here from Jessica Chastain and Andrew Garfield are absolutely what I would call going-for-it. Director Michael Showalter just let them have the floor to themselves for two hours and it did not disappoint. They were both so committed to these weird characters, but it’s only right that we start with the star of the show, Jessica Chastain. She is simply the main reason to see this movie and maybe even the main reason it even got any Oscar nominations. Chastain is absolutely extraordinary in this, and it might be her best performance ever which says a lot. It might feel like it’s over-the-top, but I was just eating it up and I didn’t think for a second that it was too much. Her portrayal here was perfect as she shows how extroverted and effusive Tammy Faye was. I also loved how Chastain pays tribute to Tammy rather than make fun of her. She did such a good job that she somehow makes us like a character that I felt conflicted with at times, but that’s ultimately the actor’s job, to make us sympathize with any character, and Chastain aced it. Her performance alone moved me to tears at a couple of different parts of the film as she was incredibly powerful at times. She just played her character with so much empathy and compassion, and not a single note of it ever felt disingenuous.

Continuing with Chastain, this is definitely what you would call a transformative performance. She fully-humanized Tammy Faye Bakker as she dived so deeply into her as a character by always giving so much energy and soaking everything up. Now let’s get into the fun part, her Oscar chances. This movie and her performance in it is top-tier Oscar bait as the entire movie felt like an Oscar clip for her. Part of me really wants Kristen Stewart to win for her role in Spencer (see my full review here), but I have no problem with Chastain winning. She deserves it because her performance is honestly the most acting I’ve ever seen. She cries, has both a funny and weird laugh, has a funny voice, sings pretty damn good, and she wears pounds on top of pounds of makeup. She just does everything in this performance that you need to do to win an Oscar and I think she will. I mean I just don’t know how she doesn’t win for this, and she also has all the momentum after winning the SAG. It really is such a close race though, and it’s very fun and exciting, and I can’t wait to see who wins the Oscar come March 27th.

Next up when it comes to performances is the man who had himself one hell of a year in 2021, and that is Andrew Garfield. He had this obviously, he had Tick, Tick… Boom! (see my full review here) for which he got nominated for Best Actor, and he also put the red spandex back on again in Spider-Man: No Way Home (see our full review here). Wow. But back to The Eyes of Tammy Faye, Garfield was freaking excellent in this. I had no idea how much I was going to like his character in this just with him being listed as a supporting performance, but he is basically a secondary lead in this and I loved it. He is downright hilarious in this film and he goes so far with his performance. I completely bought him as he played Jim Bakker, and I bought it about as much as I bought Chastain and that says a ton. His character Jim Bakker is the one who really gets put on the hot seat here, more than Tammy Faye, and he puts his wide range of emotions on full display. I really think this is one of Garfield’s best performances also, and I have a hard time swallowing the fact that he didn’t get nominated for Best Supporting Actor. WTF!

Since we are talking about Oscar nominations, we might as well discuss the film’s second category it got nominated for aside from Best Actress, and that would be for Best Makeup and Hairstyling. I mean I knew from the second I saw this trailer that it was a lock to get nominated, but after seeing it, I think it could win. The cheeks on both lead characters were prevalent, but they were just absolutely wild on Chastain. They were sticking far out and it was very very well done. More than the cheeks though, they also did an incredible job at aging from the graying of the hair to just the wrinkles in their skin. It all looked super real, so overall the makeup was really effective.

Other things I liked in The Eyes of Tammy Faye include the production design, the supporting performances from both Cherry Jones and Vincent D’Onofrio, and also the inclusion and modern spin on all of the old archival footage. In conclusion, this movie was just a good time. It was an easy movie to enjoy and digest, thanks in large part due to the funny and extremely weird tone it had. All of the accents were crazy, and it was honestly cool too because we don’t get characters like this in film often because they are inherently unlikable to most audiences, but if this film tells us one thing, it is that these characters were quite likable.

THE BAD

As enjoyable as this film was, there was one problem that held it back, and that would be the screenplay. The biggest problem with the screenplay was that it kind of lets the character of Tammy Faye off the hook too easily considering all the terrible things she and her husband did back then while they were televangelists. More than that though, I just think this film could have gone further into some bigger issues at play during all of this such as the sort of Christian Capitalism and also how all of this intertwined into politics. I just would have liked to see these issues more on center stage. This isn’t to say that this film is never critical of her because they are, but the film is ultimately a portrayal of her personality rather than her misdeeds, and it dares to celebrate the qualities of Tammy Faye.

Another critique here is that it definitely falls into some of the trappings and tropes of biopics. It had this more funny and campy tone to it. It was also overlong as it dragged at times, and it just felt for the last thirty minutes of the film like it needed to wrap up faster than it did. And I say all that despite its really good ending. Other than that, I thought the direction here was pretty standard as the story didn’t go that deep as I have already discussed, but I had a good time with this overall, and that’s what matters most.

THE VERDICT

Thanks to a potentially Oscar-winning, deeply committed lead performance from Jessica Chastain that takes the film to another level, The Eyes of Tammy Faye is a really enjoyable and occasionally moving biopic on the rise and fall of televangelist Tammy Faye Bakker and her husband Jim. The makeup and hairstyling here are second to none, and Andrew Garfield’s performance as Jim Bakker only adds to the entertaining and engaging feel of the film that made it endlessly watchable.

My only quip with the film is that it was maybe a little too innocent when it came to how it portrayed the broader problems at play here such as Christian televangelism among other issues. The movie just leaves you more interested in the character rather than the terrible economic practices that actually happened during this time period, and while that isn’t necessarily a bad thing, it definitely took some points off on my end.

TED TAKES RATING - 7.6/10

The Eyes of Tammy Faye is now available to watch on HBO Max. Check out the latest trailer below.

The Batman

The Batman is a 2022 superhero film based on the iconic DC Comics character Batman. Produced by DC Films, 6th & Idaho, and Dylan Clark Productions, and set for distribution by Warner Bros. Pictures, it is a reboot of the Batman film franchise. The film is directed by Matt Reeves, who wrote the screenplay with Peter Craig based on the characters from Bob Kane. Reeves, the man who brought us Cloverfield (2008), Let Me In (2010), Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014), and War for the Planet of the Apes (2017), has been quoted as saying this will be the scariest Batman film yet, and that it could even be considered a horror movie in many ways.

When the Riddler, a sadistic serial killer, begins murdering key political figures in Gotham, Batman is forced to investigate the city's hidden corruption and question his family's involvement.

The cast includes Robert Pattinson as Bruce Wayne / Batman, alongside Zoë Kravitz, Paul Dano, Jeffrey Wright, John Turturro, Peter Sarsgaard, Andy Serkis, and Colin Farrell.

Ben Affleck, who portrayed Batman in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU), was set to direct, produce, co-write, and star in The Batman in 2014, but in 2017 he chose not to write or direct due to his dissatisfaction with the script. Reeves was hired to take over and reworked Affleck's story to focus on a younger Batman. He sought to emphasize the detective side of the character to a greater extent than previous Batman films and was inspired by the comic books "Year One" (1987), The Long Halloween (1996–1997), and "Ego" (2000). The story is said to be a gritty detective story, described in many ways as a crime thriller with a dark overtone. Two sequels are planned, and two spin-off television series are also in development for HBO Max.

The Batman is set to make its official debut in theaters on March 4th, courtesy of DC Comics and Warner Bros. Pictures.

THE GOOD

I consider myself to be a huge fan of most superhero content, movies and shows included. I’m not a comic book guy so I guess you could say I’m not hardcore in that sense. So for that reason, you won’t catch me criticizing a storyline in one of these superhero films or shows just because they stray from the original stories. As we all know, Marvel has been sticking it to DC Comics as of late, in large part thanks to the Avengers films, as well as the stand-alone Spider-Man movies since Tom Holland started wearing red spandex. But, as far as DC is concerned, Batman is another story altogether. Speaking of DC content, I’m also currently obsessed with the James Gunn HBO Max series Peacemaker starring John Cena, but that is a story for another day.

Batman first made an appearance on-screen in 1943 thanks to late actor Lewis Wilson, followed by Robert Lowery in 1949, and Adam West in 1966. After a 17-year hiatus, Michael Keaton stepped into the role as Batman from 1989 to 1992, in the capable hands of the talented director Tim Burton. Three years later in 1995, Val Kilmer took a crack at the role, with the legendary actor George Clooney throwing his hat into the ring in 1997. I realize most of this background may seem like pointless babbling, but it also may be interesting to those who want to learn more about the origin of Batman.

I graciously offer this history lesson for one reason, and one reason alone, so that I can talk about my guy Christopher Nolan. Nolan is undeniably one of the most talented directors working today, and his decision to give Christian Bale an opportunity to lead the way was just perfect. Batman Begins (2005), The Dark Knight (2008), and The Dark Knight Rises (2012) were without question the best versions of Batman, hands down. Nolan’s Batman was dark, gritty, and hard-hitting in every way. I mean, this is a character who witnessed his parents getting brutally murdered as a kid, and decides it is up to him to clean up the city of Gotham. He is a vigilante hero fueled by anger and disdain for those who prey on the weak and innocent. This brings me to the latest deep dive into Gotham City from director Matt Reeves, with actor Robert Pattinson stepping into the role as Bruce Wayne for the very first time. Needless to say, expectations couldn’t be any higher, especially after the epic trailers for the film.

With all that said, I of course had to see The Batman at the early release Fan First Premiere showing at my local IMAX theater, but was it worth the massive amount of hype?! Keep reading to find out!

You know that feeling when sky-high expectations come to fruition? It’s a great feeling, right? Yeah, well that basically sums up The Batman for me. I was beyond ready as I sat down in my powered recliner staring at that massive IMAX screen, and the next 3-hours were worth the price of admission, and then some. From the opening scene, I could tell this was going to be a different sort of Batman movie, and I mean that in the best way possible. From the camera work to the emphasis placed on the soundtrack/score, right down to the cinematography, Matt Reeves’ vision quickly took hold as Gotham city came to life. Once we were officially introduced to the imposing new and improved Batman, I was basically giddy in my seat.

As the Dark Knight made quick work of the cities hoodlums, I just wanted to clap after each brutal punch. It was nothing short of fantastic. From a badass-looking suit to an intense gaze sure to intimidate the most hardened criminals, Batman looked the part. The movie itself also has a rough around the edges feel to it, never seeming to be very bright which is fitting. Plus, people seem to forget that Batman is very much a detective with an eye for details, and this movie reminds us of that element of his character.

The story is undoubtedly a driving force for The Batman, as it should be. I talked a little bit about the cinematic history of the character earlier in the review, but the fact of the matter is he has been portrayed in a bunch of different ways. When you sit down and really think about the origin of the character of Bruce Wayne/Batman, the story itself is rooted in trauma and heartbreak. This is ultimately a kid who witnessed the senseless murder of his parents. I mean sure, the Wayne family was incredibly wealthy and his father, Thomas Wayne, was a prominent political figure, but it is still tragic. So I ask, why would we be surprised that the story would be dark and gritty? Well, we shouldn’t be because, at the end of the day, the legacy of Bruce Wayne/Batman is dark and gritty.

He didn’t join the fight against crime and corruption in the city of Gotham just to feel like he was making a difference, although that is certainly part of it. He did it as his way of giving some sense of worth to his existence, being more than just the lost soul he seems to be deep down. Matt Reeves made it clear that he wanted to add layers of depth to this character well beyond anything we have seen in the past. Every little detail matters, for example, Batman has eye black around his eyes underneath the mask to help conceal his identity, but in prior films when he removed his mask it was always gone. Reeves thought changing that would be a small thing that would make a big difference and I love little details like that. At one point during the film, and I promise this is not a spoiler, Batman removes his mask and has this eye black running down his face and I swear he reminded me of Brandon Lee in The Crow. Such a powerful image. That is just one of the many nuanced details that make The Batman so unique and really put it in a league of its own.

One specific scene at the beginning of the film hit me like a ton of bricks emotionally and had me entirely invested in this new Batman and his quest for vengeance right away. I don’t want to give anything away so I will speak vaguely, but this was such a powerful moment in the film that connects Batman to exactly why he puts on the mask in the first place. It exposes all of the pain and anger that he has built up over twenty years in a matter of 30 seconds. It was honestly surreal as I felt like this scene stood still somehow. The Nirvana song “Something In The Way” is playing during this specific scene, and this song in many ways serves as the heart of the soundtrack for The Batman. I can’t wait to see this movie again just so I can experience this moment one more time.

The Batman is very much a true character study of the iconic caped crusader. It’s a deep dive into the psychological toll the tragedy in his life has had on him. As Batman, he is confident, resourceful, and dangerous. As Bruce Wayne, he is reserved, antisocial, and honestly just sad. In many ways, he thrives as his alter ego, and is a shell of himself when he takes off the mask. It’s not like he took the time to sit down with a therapist and work through his issues, instead, he buried that pain deep down inside and took on the moniker of vengeance, which is of course fitting for many reasons.

I personally loved his character because it felt raw and real, he was never anything but himself. He refused to put on a show to please others, even if he was viewed as a freak or an outsider. After watching The Batman, I feel like I understand the character better than I ever have before, and that is really saying something. I also really liked how they took the approach of having Bruce Wayne/Batman narrate the story, which for me added another intimate layer to the film.

I keep hearing people talk about the fact that there was no way Robert Pattinson could play Batman, mostly because all people would see is his role as Edward Cullen in the popular Twilight franchise. But if you can’t separate an actor from a franchise that ended a decade ago, that sounds a little bit like a YOU problem. I mean really, Pattinson has been in a ton since that franchise concluded, most recently starring in Christopher Nolan’s Tenet, as well as the Netflix thriller The Devil All the Time, just to name a few projects.

But, a movie of his that seems to fly under the radar is the 2017 crime thriller Good Time, where Pattinson stars alongside Benny Safdie and Jennifer Jason Leigh. For me, this was the defining career moment for Pattinson, where he proved he can play that gritty and complex role that not every actor is capable of taking on. Interestingly enough, director Matt Reeves was quoted as saying that film (Good Time) was a big reason why Pattinson quickly became the frontrunner for him to get the role of Batman in his mind. He said that his character in Good Time fit the mold as far as what he was looking for, which was an actor who can play a character filled with rage and violence but is also able to display a wide range of emotions. He also felt like Pattinson had that Kurt Cobain feel to him, meaning he looked like a rockstar but beneath it all he kept to himself.

Pattinson’s Batman is everything we want the character to be; physically imposing, extremely angry, and relentless. He is bigger than everyone else, and he is stronger than everyone else. During the more intense fight scenes, the bad guys aren’t attacking one at a time, they are coming all at once with weapons and guns, but Batman holds his own. During several scenes, he makes his appearance slowly as he comes out of the shadows, starting with viewers hearing only his footsteps until he enters the frame which is some incredible foreshadowing. The film also has it raining during a number of scenes, and they take full advantage of those scenes as well by having Batman walk with such force through the pounding rain. I guarantee you that if you had any reservations about Pattinson prior to watching The Batman, you will be singing a different tune once you reach the end credits.

Zoë Kravitz is the best Selina Kyle/Catwoman to date, and that is just not up for debate. Kravitz, who is currently dating my man Channing Tatum, is an amazing actress in general, and I applaud her for her willingness to take on roles in indie films, as well as big-time blockbusters like The Batman. One of which is the just-released HBO Max original film Kimi, which Andrew actually did a review for which you can find here, and the 2014 drama thriller Good Kill, alongside Ethan Hawke. It’s crazy to think her acting career started in 2007 with the romantic comedy No Reservations, and the intense crime drama The Brave One, starring Jodie Foster.

The fact that Kravitz began her career with two films that are such opposite genres is fitting for someone who has developed into such a versatile actress. Her portrayal of Catwoman is just perfection, from the look to the way she carries herself, she added so much value to the film. I also really liked how she fit into the story, and appreciated the fact that compared to prior actresses who took on this role, she was much more even-keeled and down to earth in terms of her personality. Also, the chemistry she had with Pattinson was massive. Even though she is crucial to the story, her character arch never feels overpowering and works more in tandem with the events unfolding in the film. Reeves actually said one reason why he chose Kravitz was because she already had an established relationship with Pattinson and knew they would work well together, and to say the two shared some very intense scenes would be an understatement.

Colin Farrell is unrecognizable in his role as Oswald Cobblepot/The Penguin. Unless you went into the movie knowing it was him, there’s zero chance you’d piece it together on your own. From the “fat suit” to everything they did with his face, he looks and sounds like a different person. I read that in between scenes Reeves would have conversations with Farrell, who would stay in full character during the interactions, which didn’t surprise me at all considering Farrell’s pedigree and commitment as an actor. I just can’t say enough amazing things about his performance. It just came across so natural and easy for him. I really enjoyed his character, and one particular scene towards the end of the film was extra enjoyable (no spoilers, of course). John Turturro was also amazing in his role as Carmine Falcone, which really should surprise nobody. The man who once starred as Jesus Quintana in the cult classic The Big Lebowski, is a hell of an actor which is why he plays a very important role in The Batman. I can’t picture anyone else playing this role better, and he just plays off the other characters extremely well.

Paul Dano is next level intense in his role as The Riddler, and like Turturro, I honestly can’t think of anyone who would have played that role better. As an actor Dano is extremely underrated, but after the world sees him in this role, he will become a household name. Dano actually has quite an impressive filmography despite being just known for supporting roles. He did have a gut wrenching performance in the film Prisoners. One of his films that always stands out for me is the very unique comedy drama Swiss Army Man, where he stars alongside Daniel Radcliffe. It will likely be one of the weirdest movies you have ever seen, but it is very much worth a watch. It is available On-Demand and is streaming on Showtime. Back on track, Dano is exceptional in his role as The Riddler and he couldn’t have been more believable. The dark elements of the film start with him, and boy oh boy does he deliver. I don’t want to put my foot in my mouth or anything, but his character is the only thing that comes close to Heath Ledger’s Joker in The Dark Knight. Reeves actually said that his character was partly inspired by the infamous serial killer Zodiac.

It is crazy think that this is the first time The Riddler and the Penguin have been on-screen in a live-action capacity in quite some time, with the Riddler last appearing in Batman Forever (1995) in the form of Jim Carrey, and the Penguin last appearing in Batman Returns (1992) in the form of Danny DeVito.

I am a big fan of actor Jeffrey Wright, who was amazing in the HBO series Westworld. In The Batman he takes on the pivotal role of James Gordon, Batman’s ally and direct link to the Gotham Police Department. I felt like Wright was really good in this role and was able to effectively translate how important of a character Gordon is to the story. His chemistry with Pattinson was great, and you really felt like he was one of the only people that believed in what Batman was doing and understood him which was why he entrusted him on cases. I did read that Reeves had considered Mahershala Ali for the role of James Gordon, and although admittedly I may have preferred him just in terms of his overall abilities as an actor, Wright is still an asset to this film.

Andy Serkis was also awesome as usual. This guy is great in pretty much any role he takes on, whether it’s the Planet of the Apes films, or his incredible portrayal of Ulysses Klaue in Avengers: Age of Ultron and Black Panther. He is just a stud. In The Batman he plays Bruce Wayne/Batman’s trusted confidant Alfred Pennyworth, who has been by his side since the beginning. After the murder of his parents, Alfred stepped in as Wayne’s only remaining family, meaning he also served as a reminder of everything he lost. He has been a constant in all of the Batman films proving his value and the simple fact that you cannot have a Batman film without his character. I was pleased that they chose Serkis, who is one of the more youthful actors to play Alfred which will be helpful going forward with what should be another couple of films at least.

Director Matt Reeves is truly talented and deserves his credit for the success of The Batman. He was very clear in terms of the direction he wanted to take things from the outset, from who he wanted to cast right down the overall feel and inspiration for the film, and everything seemed to fit together seamlessly. You never once felt like he was borrowing ideas from Christopher Nolan or anyone else for that matter. His willingness to essentially start from scratch as far as how he viewed Batman was risky, to say the least and the fact that the studio gave him so much creative control speaks to their trust in him. Prior to Ben Affleck leaving the project as he was originally going to direct and star in the film, he had a script that the studio liked and Reeves himself admitted to liking it as well, comparing it to the feel of a James Bond-style of Batman film. But when it was all said and done, Reeves decided he wanted to go with more of a noir detective-driven story. He made this movie his own, and he should be damn proud of the final product.

On the technical side of things, oh man where do I start?! Seriously, they went all out with this movie. I will try and touch on each element the best I can without digging too deep into either one, but there’s lots of meat on this bone, let me just say that.

What stood out to me right from the jump was the camera work, and the in-your-face feel that you will be treated with throughout the film. During one particular sequence that in many ways sets the tone for the film, we are following James Gordon along a hallway seemingly to a crime scene as each police officer he passes looks back at us in a POV (point of view) that made the audience feel like the focal point. We soon realize that the camera is from the view of Batman who immediately draws the attention of every person he crosses paths with. During various scenes when Batman was on his motorcycle the camera was either attached to the side or attached to his helmet, giving viewers the feel of actually being on that motorcycle with him.

The cinematography was exceptional and was without a doubt a centerpiece for this film. Greig Fraser, who recently worked on Dune (check out our full review here), is a true talent. Right from the beginning I was in awe of the noir look and feel, and just the great shots of Batman and the city of Gotham. As with many other Batman films, he is constantly meeting James Gordon when he sees the bat signal in the sky, and they made great use of this aspect in the film. They meet at a spot high above the city with the camera looking over Gotham with Batman and Gordon sharing the frame, and each time I just wanted to take in the look and feel of the scene. Later in the film, we get a few similar shots with Batman and Catwoman, and they are equally as amazing. For me, The Batman is in another galaxy when it comes to cinematography compared to other Batman films, and I honestly feel like it deserves a few nominations.

I am a sucker for a good soundtrack and score, and The Batman brings down the house when it comes to that. Composer Michael Giacchino is credited with the music as he teams up with Danny Elfman, Hans Zimmer, and Lorne Balfe as composers. All three have composed for both the Batman franchise and the Mission: Impossible franchise, and all but Balfe have composed Spider-Man films as well. The action scenes and the more emotional scenes are fueled by the soundtrack and the score, and it just felt like such a crucial element of the film from start to finish. You just can’t achieve that truly gritty feel with a combination of effective soundtrack and score, and similar to the cinematography, I feel like a few nominations are in order.

THE BAD

I’ll be honest with you, this is a difficult film to criticize. Before going to see The Batman, I was back and forth on whether or not I should watch some of the previous films to get me ready. Personally, I am a huge fan of the Christopher Nolan trilogy, consisting of Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, and The Dark Knight Rises, with The Dark Knight easily being my favorite (RIP Heath Ledger aka The Joker). But I came to the conclusion that I should just hold off as it was likely that director Matt Reeves was going with something unique in more ways than one, and I was right.

Some people may criticize certain elements of the film out of preference, most notably the shift from Playboy Bruce Wayne to more of the introverted reclusive version, but for me, it fit the overall feel of the film. This is sort of a weird thing to complain about, but Batman is such a beast in his suit but when he is Bruce Wayne, he just seems a bit frail in comparison. I mean they tried their best to make him look muscular with some creative camera work, but at the end of the day, that is just not Robert Pattinson. Again a small knock on the film itself, but still worth mentioning. In conclusion, this is a new take on Batman showing a willingness to take some chances, and I applaud Matt Reeves for doing just that as he really knocked it out of the park.

THE VERDICT

A dark and gritty noir detective story that brings director Matt Reeves’ unique vision and propensity for character-driven storytelling to life, The Batman is an immersive and raw look at the caped crusader now known as vengeance, and you will never look at him the same way again. Batman has never been so vulnerable yet so dangerous, so resourceful yet so reliant on his allies and those close to him. The world that is created within The Batman feels real to the point where you can’t help but be invested in everything that happens. This movie just has it all, a great story, incredible acting, stellar cinematography, and a soundtrack and score that brings it all together. Another very important takeaway I should also mention is this does not feel like a 3-hour movie, as everything flows exactly the way it is supposed to. I honestly never thought I would say that a director not named Christopher Nolan made a superior Batman film, but that is exactly what happened.

The energy at the sold-out IMAX theater for the exclusive Fan First screening was infectious, and the entire theater clapping as soon as the screen went black was absolutely the icing on the cake. I will be seeing The Batman again in the next few days and will see it in theaters at least three times when it’s all said and done. Robert Pattinson signed on to do three movies, so fingers crossed we get our trilogy and I personally cannot wait for what’s to come next. Be sure to see The Batman for yourself as soon as possible so that you can feel as giddy as I do.

TED TAKES RATING - 9.2/10

The Batman will debut on March 4th only in theaters. Check out the latest trailer below.

Flee

By: Andrew Wing

Flee (Danis: Flugt) is a 2021 Danish animated docudrama film directed by Jonas Poher Rasmussen. It follows the story of a man named Amin Nawabi, who shares his hidden past of fleeing his country for the first time. Riz Ahmed (Venom, Sound of Metal) and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Game of Thrones, Shot Caller) serve as executive producers.

The film had its world premiere at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival on January 28, 2021. It was released in theaters in the United States on December 3, 2021, by Neon and Participant.

The film was selected as the Danish entry for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film, where it received a nomination, along with nominations in the Best Documentary Feature and Best Animated Feature categories, becoming the first film to be nominated in all three major categories, simultaneously.

THE GOOD

Flee is one of those films that has been on my radar for a long time. It premiered at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival where it got great reviews, and as I say in the intro, it also had an excellent turnout at the Academy Awards. Ever since getting big into movies a couple of years ago, I’ve gained a deeper appreciation for both documentaries and animated films, and Flee is both. Aside from the incredible true story that gets hinted at in the trailer, the main selling point for Flee with me was how unique of a film it is being a documentary that uses animation. With that said, I was ecstatic when I saw it was streaming on Hulu so I immediately checked it out. But now it’s time to find out if it was as groundbreaking as people are making it out to be, so let’s get into the review!

First things first, this story is incredible. It tells the story of Amin, a refugee from Afghanistan, who eventually ended up in Denmark. It’s a harrowing, gripping, thrilling journey from beginning to end. It’s a first hand account from Amin, and we follow him from his early life to where he is now. This film will have a lasting impact on you as it has on me, and it really makes you think about how different certain countries treat refugees and how we could all handle this crisis differently. This movie just shows how these refugees ultimately want somewhere they can call a home, rather than always having that ripped away from them and constantly having to worry about where to go next to keep from being murdered in their own country. There was just so much to take away from this, and I have a hard time thinking anybody won’t come away enthralled by Amin’s journey.

The animation is unbelievable here. It is used to literally illustrate the story for you. For the most part, the animation in this is stylized in a way that really tries to hone in on the emotional experience Amin is on and the intensity of every situation. We got a little bit of archival footage of certain times and places to help paint the picture too which I thought was a nice touch. All in all though, it’s content is thematic and the animation was an incredibly effective way to tell the story, and I’m extremely glad it got nominated for Best Animated Feature Film. It likely won’t win though with Disney’s Encanto (see my full review here) being the heavy favorite, but it’s really remarkable to have a foreign documentary film even nominated for that category.

In conclusion, just a round of applause for the director Jonas Poher Rasmussen. He truly gives us a piece of art that expertly discusses it’s very prevalent subject matter. I’m very happy for him and the fact that he will forever be attached to the first film that broke barriers by collecting those three Oscar nominations simultaneously. Also, I need to honestly say thank you to Amin Nawabi (who uses an alias for protection) for having the courage to share his story. He allowed us to get a piece of him as he tells us everything through narration. Amin is very open and honest about how this experience impacted him as an individual. Flee also has great LGBT representation as Amin, a homosexual man, had to hide his identity every time he became a citizen of another place, and so he shares how he grappled with all of that in the film. Lastly, Flee made me feel incredibly grateful that I’ve never even come close to dealing with something like this. It made me fully aware and thankful of the privilege that citizenship gives us, and it took a film like this for me to fully realize that.

THE BAD

There is absolutely nothing “bad” about this film. It’s hard to critique a documentary just because of what they are, but the only critical thing I can say about this is that I wanted more time focused on a certain storyline. It carries a lot of weight early on in the film, and then you don’t hear much about it until right before the end credits roll. Also, and I’m putting this out not as a critique but rather a warning to anyone that’s going to watch this, the film is Danish, so the entire film is in subtitles. Other than that though, this was just an amazing film that I think everybody should check out.

THE VERDICT

Flee is an incredibly powerful true story of one refugee’s life that perfectly blends animation and documentary filmmaking. It’s no surprise that this is the first film to be nominated at the Academy Awards for the three major categories simultaneously: Best International Feature, Best Documentary Feature and Best Animated Feature, as it is just a groundbreaking and unforgettable feat of storytelling that had me completely blown away.

TED TAKES RATING - 9/10

Flee is now available to watch on Hulu. Check out the latest trailer below.

Texas Chainsaw Massacre

Texas Chainsaw Massacre is a 2022 horror slasher film, directed by David Blue Garcia, with a screenplay by Chris Thomas Devlin, from an original story co-written by Fede Álvarez and Rodo Sayagues. It is a sequel to The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) and the ninth installment of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre (TCM) franchise.

After nearly 50 years of hiding, Leatherface returns to terrorize a group of idealistic young friends who accidentally disrupt his carefully shielded world in a remote Texas town.

The cast includes Sarah Yarkin, Elsie Fisher, Nell Hudson, Mark Burnham, Jacob Latimore, Moe Dunford, Olwen Fouéré, Alice Krige, and Jessica Allain.

After the release of Leatherface in 2017, Lionsgate had plans for five more films in the franchise. However, the studio lost the rights due to the time it took to release it. Legendary acquired the franchise's rights, with Álvarez and Sayagues serving as producers alongside Pat Cassidy, Ian Henkel, and Kim Henkel who co-wrote the original film.

Texas Chainsaw Massacre released on Netflix February 18th.

THE GOOD

Whether it be Friday the 13th, which is my all-time favorite slasher franchise, Halloween, Nightmare on Elm Street, or Texas Chainsaw Massacre, I am what you would consider to be a slasher fanatic. I love the genre and all of it’s campy glory, and I would be lying if I didn’t say that the attractive clothing optional females helped lead me to the promise land early on in life. I have been watching slashers for as long as I can remember, and I currently have quite the collection of Blu-rays including the full Friday the 13th set, not to mention the authentic Jason mask I have in my closet. Not weird at all. I even appreciate the lesser known stuff like the Hatchet films for example, which is essentially the story of Leatherface living on the bayou. So yeah, this genre is my bread and butter so I was excited to hear that the new Texas Chainsaw Massacre was coming to Netflix. I refused to let my expectations get away from me and anxiously awaited February 18th. So, was it a waste of my time or a solid entry in a storied slasher franchise? Keep reading to find out!

Texas Chainsaw Massacre is a fun visit from the legendary Leatherface, well at least its fun for those of us watching from the safety of our couch. It’s not trying to reinvent the wheel, but instead concerns itself with massively gory kills and a killer we can root for. Plus, at just under an hour and a half, this is a very easy watch that moves along nicely once things get going.

You will watch this movie to see Leatherface do what he does best, which is murder annoying Austin, Texas bred hipsters in rapid succession. That is one of the unique things about slashers, even though the killer is very clearly the bad guy, you still root for them. Growing up watching the Friday the 13th franchise I was never scared of the movies because I looked at Jason as a badass, and in my mind if you stayed away from Camp Crystal Lake you were safe. It wasn’t his fault these idiots wouldn’t leave him to spend time with his mother’s severed head in peace. Sorry if that’s a spoiler. So yeah, you will for sure root for Leatherface throughout the film, and will even have a smile on your face during some of the more brutally violent scenes, especially a scene that takes place on a bus and involved social media and cancel culture. It might be my twisted sense of enjoyment but I was smiling ear to ear during that scene, and felt like that alone is worth the price of subscription. Streaming pun, you’re welcome.

From a technical standpoint, I was genuinely impressed with the cinematography. Early on it was very meh, but once we encounter Leatherface in all of his wearing someones face as a mask glory, things really get going. I loved the shot where we are staring at a field and suddenly he appears, and proceeds to walk through the frame as we get a great shot of the field and the sky. He is the focal point throughout the film as expected, and I just thought that they included so many powerful shots to really please fans. Plus, the look was absolutely spot on. He looked the part right from the start, and for me that was huge. The makeup and special effects team deserve a ton of credit. All of the kills were fantastic and very creative which was huge for me. Not to give anything away, but the first unlucky contestant on the Leatherface gameshow is murdered by his own fractured wrist. To be fair, he did grab his hand in a very forceful manner and we know he does not like that. But seriously, the kills were great and he puts his trademark chainsaw to good use as well. For a 70+ year old hillbilly who walks like he could die at any moment, he is pretty damn deadly.

THE BAD

Okay so where do I start, first things first, Texas Chainsaw Massacre does not live up to its billing as far as franchise expectations. Sure its a sequel and you can’t expect it to be groundbreaking, but it just misses the mark more often than it should have. The biggest and most glaring issue is the screenplay as it relates to the overall storyline and the characters. I mean, I get that they wanted to make it feel cool and hip and current blah blah, but in the process the final product was basically trash. Plus the story is full of holes and inconsistencies that hardcore fans will pick up on right away, plus the timeline is a mess. It just felt lazy and too much like the easy route to take, almost like they didn’t care about the story and instead wanted to focus on the gore, which does show up in a big way. Now all is not lost and the movie is still worth watching, but if you are expecting some sort of eye-opening experience to carry the legend of Leatherface forward, you will be very disappointed.

The acting is mediocre at best for the most part, but when you’re casting for a slasher you are less concerned with traditional acting ability. You are more concerned with how good these people are at getting brutally murdered, or how attractive they might be, ideally both of those things. Which brings me to my next point which in my mind is absolutely a knock on the film and a ridiculous misstep. Now I’m not sure how to say this without sounding like a complete douche, so I will just come right out and say it, the cast was lacking that key slasher element which is a very attractive character, male or female. I mean this is a must, even if they die right away which they often do, you still need this character to exist. The babe or hunk if you will, someone that really gets that fire burning.

Look at the most recent Friday the 13th film for example, pretty much that entire cast is straight from a GQ photo shoot. Are they great actors? Not quite, but they are good enough, and the fact that they are so easy on the eyes helps make it so viewers will overlook certain things they might not otherwise. The cast of Texas Chainsaw Massacre is a C at best when it comes to level of attractiveness, and it hurts the movie. Simple. Nell Hudson (pictured above) deserves an honorable mention, but she’s no Julianna Guill of Friday the 13th (2009) fame. Plus, I couldn’t get over how much Sarah Yarkin looks like Arrested Development and Search Party star Alia Shawkat’s stunt double. For some reason, that really annoyed me.

THE VERDICT

Although lacking in quality storytelling or characters with any substance whatsoever, Texas Chainsaw Massacre still kicks it into high gear with lots of exciting kills and unlimited gore delivering to fans the Leatherface they know and love. Much of the first half hour was a cringeworthy lesson of “woke” culture, but once bodies start to drop the slasher feel is in full force. Fans will be frustrated that Texas Chainsaw Massacre could have and should have been so much better, but I still enjoyed it and felt satisfied by the ending that is sure to bring with it a follow-up film. Plus, at less than an hour and a half, it is a quick watch by todays standards.

Bottom line, when it comes to this new Texas Chainsaw Massacre movie, the good outweighs the bad as far as entertainment value, and that’s really all you can ask for. This is just straight forward slasher fun with any semblance of story placed on the backburner, yet I plan to watch it again. Honestly, I had a hard time scoring this movie, mostly because I try to rate based on genre and the slasher genre is unique in many ways. Plus, this has me really wanting another Friday the 13th movie which I will hopefully get at some point in my lifetime. Its been 13 years already, so I won’t hold my breath.

TED TAKES RATING - 5.9/10

Texas Chainsaw Massacre is now streaming on Netflix. Check out the latest trailer below.

Home Team

By: Andrew Wing

Home Team is a 2022 American sports comedy film directed by Charles and Daniel Kinnane, written by Chris Titone and Keith Blum, and starring Kevin James (Paul Blart: Mall Cop, Grown Ups), Taylor Lautner (The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl, The Twilight Saga film series), Rob Schneider (The Animal, The Benchwarmers), Jackie Sandler (Adam Sandler’s wife who frequently stars in Happy Madison films), and Tait Blum.

The film, although a comedy, is inspired by actual events, the film tells the story of New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton who coached his 12-year-old son’s football team during his one-year suspension from the NFL due to his involvement in the Bountygate scandal.

Home Team was produced by Adam Sandler’s Happy Madison Productions and Kevin James’s Hey Eddie Productions and filmed in Edgard, Louisiana from May to June 2021. It was released on January 28, 2022, by Netflix.

THE GOOD

Where do I start? When I saw this trailer for the first time I was just left in disbelief. I love me some Kevin James, there is no debating that. He is a comedy legend having played Paul Blart, but he also showed with one of his more recent films, Becky, that he can also legitimately act as he plays a Neo-Nazi in that action thriller film. But despite my fandom, I would be lying if I said I was pumped to see him play longtime NFL head coach Sean Payton. Nevertheless, I put all those terrible reviews for this film I’ve been seeing on the back burner for an hour and a half and went ahead and pressed play, so now it’s time to see if this movie was really as bad as some are making it out to be, or if it’s actually worth the watch. Keep reading and find out!

We might as well start with the head of the snake here and address Kevin James’s performance here. Quick spoiler, but I will get to his actual portrayal of Payton in the bad section, but just to discuss James’s acting here, I don’t think it’s really that bad. I mean it’s Kevin James. The man is funny, and anybody who says he isn’t in this film is just lying to you. There were multiple times when he cracked me up with jokes and banter with all the 12-year-old kids on the football team he is coaching. Throughout the film, he also has these running gags with Rob Schneider’s character and also Adam Sandler’s nephew Jared, who plays this dumb clerk that works at the hotel where Payton is staying and those are pretty good. I don’t know if I’ll ever get tired of Kevin James and Rob Schneider going back and forth, it’s just a treat.

Now onto the other big name attached here, Taylor Lautner, who plays Troy Lambert, the head coach of the middle-school football team. Seeing Lautner in this trailer was easily the best part of it, at least for me. Being someone who grew up watching The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl literally every night before going to bed, I am just a fan of his. And I hate to admit, but I was also Team Jacob during the dark days of cinema with The Twilight Saga film series. Enough of that though, I honestly think this is the best performance of his career. Now his filmography isn’t very long and there isn’t a ton of competition when it comes to his past performances, but I was really impressed with what we got from him here. Maybe it’s the fact that he’s getting older and might only have a six-pack of abs rather than a shredded eight-pack, but it was nice to see his acting skills on display here and I hope we see more of him in the future!

Before getting to the bad, there are a couple of other things that I liked about the film worth mentioning. One, and their acting wasn’t particularly great, but I was overall pleased with the group of kids that play on the middle-school team here. They did a good job at highlighting a few of the kids and giving them backstories, and they certainly all have their own unique personalities. And second, it’s sort of becoming second nature when it comes to Sandler's Happy Madison films, but there are a couple of great cameos in Home Team that will surely put a smile on your face and give you a good laugh.

THE BAD

Alright, here we go. I think it is easy to tell if you just watch the trailer, but the biggest problem here is the fact that Kevin James doesn’t resemble Sean Payton in the slightest. Not only does James not look like Payton in the face, but the accent he tries here and the mannerisms he uses are just bad. But what is worse than all of that is the fact that those in charge of the film aren’t even trying to make it a bit, they are legitimately trying to have Kevin James portray Payton as much as possible and it just gets a big fat F from me. Now I still had a little fun with it and I laughed a decent amount, but whenever I remembered that what I was watching was based on a true story and that James was playing Payton, I just got more annoyed and it definitely took some points off.

Another thing that was frustrating here was just me trying to wrap my head around why this movie got made. Now don’t get me wrong, this is a really cool story about how Payton spent his time during his one-year suspension and I can see how it translates to the big screen, but why did it need to be a comedy? For example, I honestly think this story would’ve been better served if it took the American Underdog (see Ted’s full review here) route. Because in that, we see Kurt Warner’s amazing true story brought to life on the big screen, and I think it would’ve been cool to see how Payton spent his one-year suspension coaching a middle-school football team, but more importantly how he developed and strengthened his bond with his child during what was, I’m sure, a very stressful time in his life.

There were a couple of other things that were tough to ignore when it came to Home Team. The first is that I was not a fan of the performance we got from Tait Blum as Payton’s son, Connor. His character is given some of the more dramatic moments in the film as Connor and his father have a rocky relationship, but they just didn’t do it for me, and I was pretty disappointed in his performance. Second, and this is small, but why do Rob Schneider’s characters in films always have to be such oddballs who are incredibly weird? I am just curious. And last but most definitely least, the projectile vomiting scene in this that is shown in the trailer is just so stupid. Like that is so outdated and not funny, and I really am lost trying to find a reason why anyone involved in this thought that would be a good scene to include.

THE VERDICT

While it most definitely won’t be winning any prestigious awards, Home Team will be making some noise at the Golden Raspberry Awards, which if you are unaware, is a parody award show honoring the worst of cinematic under-achievements. There is just a lot wrong with this movie from Kevin James’s portrayal of Sean Payton, its mixed-messaging, to its god-awful projectile vomiting scene. Nevertheless, it’s still a comedy film featuring Kevin James if you are looking for a laugh, and it also features a surprisingly solid performance from Taylor Lautner in his return to film after taking a six-year hiatus.

TED TAKES RATING - 3/10

Home Team is now available to watch on Netflix. Check out the latest trailer below.

Dog

Dog is a 2022 buddy comedy drama co-directed by Channing Tatum and Reid Carolin. It is the directorial debut for Tatum and his longtime friend and collaborator Carolin. Carolin, a 6’6 Lake Forest, Illinois native, co-wrote the screenplay for Dog, and also wrote the screenplay for Magic Mike (2012), and Magic Mike XXL (2015). He is currently working on the screenplay for another Magic Mike film, with Steven Soderbergh returning as director.

Two former Army Rangers are paired against their will on the road trip of a lifetime. Army Ranger Briggs and Lulu (a Belgian Malinois dog) buckle into a 1984 Ford Bronco and race down the Pacific Coast in hopes of making it to a fellow soldier's funeral on time. Along the way, they'll drive each other completely crazy, break a small handful of laws, narrowly evade death, and learn to let down their guards in order to have a fighting chance of finding happiness.

The cast includes Channing Tatum, Jane Adams, Kevin Nash, Q’orianka Kilcher, Ethan Suplee, Emmy Raver-Lampman, Nicole LaLiberté, Luke Forbes, and Ronnie Gene Blevins.

Dog made its debut in theaters on February 18th, courtesy of MGM Studios

THE GOOD

When I first watched the trailer for Dog however many months back, I knew I was all in within 5 seconds. I mean, Channing Tatum and a heartwarming story about a man bonding with a war hero dog? Yeah, that is cinema gold in my book. But seriously, it's been a bit since we have seen Tatum in a leading role, but it seems like 2022 might just be his year with this movie and the upcoming action comedy The Lost City (preview and trailer here), where he stars alongside Sandra Bullock. That film is due out on March 25th, only in theaters. But just like rain is wet and snow is cold, if Tatum is in a lead role, you best pay attention. So, is this the film Channing Tatum deserves? Keep reading to find out!

Okay, spoiler alert. I loved this movie! I am a sucker for an experience that makes me feel something, and Dog is definitely a very emotional film. But don’t expect full on tears on the level of A Dog’s Purpose, or something along those lines. The reason being this is a great balance between comedy and drama, and in many ways it is a coming-of-age story, for a man, and for this incredible dog. With that being said, it does delve into some very difficult themes, including veteran suicide which is a significant problem in this country, which is just such a heartbreaking issue that needs to be talked about. Sorry to get all real with you guys, but I promise I will talk more about the cinematic experience that is more than worth the price of admission.

Dog tells a story that matters and needs to be seen, but above all else it never fails to be entertaining. Thanks to Channing Tatum and his ability to win over viewers no matter what the circumstance, and a dog you can’t help but root for, you will be reassured right away that you made the right decision seeing this movie. The opening scene is Tatum serving someone in a generic version of Subway as he gets treated like just any other slacker working an entry-level job. But Tatum’s story is unique, he is an accomplished Army Ranger who has been left in the lurch after suffering a head injury. He wants nothing more than to prove that he can still be of service, and it is made clear very early on that he desperately needs financial stability. One thing is for sure, his character is driven and relentless above all else. Although at first it seems he may be out for himself, we soon learn that this man has a big heart, and he has a lot to offer. What hit me the hardest with Dog is just the hard-hitting reality that we have a broken man and a broken hero dog, thrown into the trash pile by everyone else, who find each other and become the saviors they never realized they needed.

As I said, Dog is an action comedy with the emotional element mixed in, but trust me when I say, you will be laughing your butt off. The fact that Tatum is capable of developing such genuine on-screen chemistry with a dog, should not be overlooked. I read in an interview that during the scenes where the dog wouldn’t look at Tatum, instead of immediately going for a retake, he would take the route of “oh go ahead don’t even look at me” to make things feel that much more authentic. I mean, whether it is the dog ripping a water bottle out of Tatum’s mouth or ripping apart the upholstery in his sweet 1984 Bronco. I hate to date myself, but that bad boy was manufactured the year I was born, which is one more reason why I love this movie so much. So yeah, Dog is entertaining from start to finish, and is just such a fun yet important movie.

As far as the acting is concerned, Dog is headlined by Channing Tatum, and a dog. I mean they get easily 80% of the screen time, which is not a bad thing. The bread and butter of the film is the unbreakable bond that is created between these two, but you also get some fantastic interactions along the way as the duo takes a few planned, and unplanned, detours as they head to their intended destination. One of my favorites is between Tatum and actor former wrestler Kevin Nash, who plays a character known only as Gus. Nash, a brooding 6’11 former D1 basketball star for the Tennessee volunteers, is known for his humor. His chance encounter with Tatum’s character starts off dicey to say the least, but I could watch these two hangout and chat all day long. Nash is exactly what you think of when you hear the term “Gentle Giant”. Even though he doesn’t get a ton of screentime, Ethan Suplee plays a pivotal role in the film. He is a character that is most connected to the man who is the reason this trip is happening, and he also helps to really bring home the films focus on veteran suicide awareness, and just the struggles in general our veterans deal with post-combat for a number of reasons.

Channing Tatum is simply masterful in his performance. I’m not ashamed to say I am a huge Tatum fan, I mean he is a great looking guy, incredibly fit, and I mean we have all seen Magic Mike. But what people seem to forget all too easily is he is a great actor, and has such an infectious presence on-screen. I mean, for the majority of this film it is Tatum talking to a dog, yet I was all in from start to finish. The reality is, very few actors can pull that off and win over viewers the way he does. Tatum is incredibly genuine in his love for animals, should come as no surprise as he is a dog lover himself. He actually lost a dog to cancer a few years ago, who was also named Lulu, the name of the dog in the film.

Let’s take this opportunity to talk a little bit about Channing Matthew Tatum. Born in the small Alabama town of Cullman, 50 miles north of Birmingham, he is arguably one of the most multi-talented actors working today. The 41-year old who stands at an even 6’0, was offered a full scholarship to play football in West Virginia after high school, before dropping out of college. Not only is he a physically gifted athlete, he is an incredible dancer. He was an absolute force in the 2006 film Step Up, and continued to prove his abilities in the Magic Mike franchise. Bottom line, Tatum is for real, and his resume of 65 acting credits, many of which hit films, speaks for itself. I like to think that if it is a thing to have an actor spirit animal, Channing Tatum is mine. Plus, he is currently dating the equally talented Zoë Kravitz, otherwise known as Catwoman in the upcoming surefire blockbuster, The Batman (preview and trailer here). Mark my words, this is Hollywood’s newest power couple, so move over Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively.

From a technical standpoint, Dog is a beautiful film in many ways. I really enjoyed the sights along the road trip, making you feel like you were along for the ride. The film takes full advantage of the scenery available in Santa Clarita, CA, which had me ready to plan a vacation. Dog also serves as a reminder not to visit Portland, Oregon, unless perhaps you need a nice sweater made from 100% hemp. I mean yeah I see the “Keep Portland Weird” signs, and trust me, it's going to stay weird for the foreseeable future.

THE BAD

You’ll be hard pressed to poke holes in this movie, unless perhaps you hate dogs or emotion, or perhaps both. Maybe you are anti-war? Okay, well the film examines all positions as far as that goes. But, if you are hoping for a ton of war film action sequences, that you will not get. Even though the story in itself is rooted in the effects of war, we are shown what it’s like for these veterans once they return home and are essentially written off. The majority of the film is Channing Tatum bonding with a dog, and if that doesn’t sound appealing to you, you might want to just move along. So yeah, you won’t catch me bashing this movie.

THE VERDICT

A powerful story of struggle and perseverance when the odds are stacked against you, Dog is an emotional journey that will stick with you long after you leave the theater, and is easily the most impactful role of Channing Tatum’s career and one heck of a directorial debut. You will be laughing hysterically one minute, and in tears the next. The balance of humor and real-life drama is so incredibly seamless, making it clear that the writers and directors of the film share an obvious personal connection. The more I think about this movie the more I appreciate it, and I personally cannot wait to see it again. Dog will not only appeal to all audiences, it will start a conversation of awareness as it relates to our military veterans, and for me you just can't put a price on that.

TED TAKES RATING - 8.9/10

Dog is now playing only in theaters. Check out the latest trailer below.

Uncharted

Uncharted is a 2022 action adventure film directed by Ruben Fleischer, from a screenplay by Rafe Judkins, Art Marcum, and Matt Holloway, with a story by Judkins. Fleischer is best known for 30 Minutes or Less, Gangster Squad, Venom, and Zombieland: Doubletap. 

Street-smart Nathan Drake, is recruited by seasoned treasure hunter, Victor "Sully" Sullivan, to recover a fortune amassed by Ferdinand Magellan, and lost 500 years ago by the House of Moncada.

Serving as an origin story and prequel to the Uncharted videogame franchise created by Amy Hennig, the film stars Tom Holland as Nathan Drake, and Mark Wahlberg as his mentor Victor “Sully” Sullivan, along with Sophia Taylor Ali, Tati Gabrielle, and Antonio Banderas in supporting roles.

Uncharted premiered in theaters and IMAX 3D on February 18th, courtesy of Sony Pictures Releasing.

THE GOOD

First off, I feel like I should preface this review by saying that I’m a huge fan of the Uncharted video games the film is based on. I have always felt like they in many ways bridged the gap from the Tomb Raider franchise, which I grew up playing, and had that rejuvenated Indiana Jones feel to them. They always felt similar with the style of play, and the immersive story and environments. Once it was announced that they were in talks to release a movie based on the games, I was pumped. They went back and forth with a number of actors rumored to take on the leading roles of Nathan Drake and Victor Sullivan, finally landing on Tom Holland and Mark Wahlberg, which needless to say, was more than fine by me. As you can imagine, I was going to see this movie on opening night. So, did it live up to my sky high expectations? Keep reading to find out!

Listen, don’t shoot the messenger on this one because I’m sure you have seen some of the early reactions, but Uncharted is a damn good movie. Full disclosure, I let some of the nonsense seep into my brain as well wondering if they botched yet another video game to film adaptation, but that couldn’t be further from the case here. First and foremost, Uncharted caters to the fanbase, and I’m talking shrimp cocktail and lobster rolls, not pigs in a blanket and deviled eggs. Fans of the video games will be fighting the urge to leave the theater and go fire up their Playstations, or at the very least will guarantee that's what they will be doing once they get home. Unless of course they have a movie review to write, but don’t worry I know what I will be doing later. Fans will also notice that the film draws quite a bit of inspiration from the newest Uncharted game, A Thief’s End, which according to Tom Holland is his favorite game in the series.

When you take the time out to visit the movie theater, you want an experience that will keep you engaged and entertained from beginning to end, and that is exactly what you get with Uncharted. The story and the characters are interesting and relatable, the pacing is great and it has a nice balance of action while slowing down when necessary, and it also has a very clear identity from the beginning. The origin story element sets the stage nicely and sprinkles in just enough background for the main characters to ensure everything makes sense. I also loved the back and forth banter between Holland and Wahlberg, and felt like both delivered a ton of great one-liners. Holland was pretty funny for the majority of the film, even finding ways to keep it light while having his butt kicked pretty good. Uncharted has it all in my opinion, a fantastic cast which I will talk about more later, great characters, an immersive storyline with plenty of emotion and intrigue, and enough action to keep you locked in throughout.

As I already touched on earlier in the review, one of the biggest strengths of Uncharted is its ability to stay true to the video games. I mean, we all know how hard it is to turn a video game into a movie, but to do that successfully and in such an authentic way, that’s one hell of an accomplishment if you ask me. I watched the movie with my brother who is also a huge fan of the games, and we were constantly nudging each other over the abundance of fan service found throughout the film. It was great! The fight sequences and big action scenes felt like a video game, and oftentimes even the way some of the enemies were standing felt like a video game. The Uncharted games are known for their fantastic cutscenes, and in many ways this movie felt like one long cutscene which is very much a compliment. I also really enjoyed the cinematography from Chung-hoon Chung, who recently did the horror thriller Last Night in Soho (check out our review here). He took full advantage of the magical sights thanks to filming taking place in Spain.

As promised, lets talk about the cast for a bit. I mean, even if you have zero attachment to the video games, the cast alone will surely fill the seats. Tom Holland and Mark Wahlberg in the lead roles, with Antonio Banderas as a quality bad guy with a cool accent? Yeah, you know damn well you are interested in everything about what I just said. Holland fits the Nathan Drake mold perfectly, that is evident from the start. The breakout actor has seen his career skyrocket after landing a role as Spider-Man, but he has also proven he can act outside of the Marvel Cinematic Universe with films like Cherry, or The Devil All the Time, to use just a few examples. He is an a-list actor in every sense of the term, and I couldn’t be more pleased about him taking on this role.

Now Mark Wahlberg, who is definitely one of my favorite actors, felt a bit out of place in his role as Victor Sullivan, better known as Sully. At first anyway. But as the film progressed he started to become the character, and by the end I completely agreed with the casting decision. Plus, the movie is supposed to be an origin story/prequel so it makes sense why Sully would seem on the younger side compared to the video games.

According to some light research I did, before Wahlberg was given the role, other big names such as Bryan Cranston, Jake Gyllenhaal, Chris Pratt, Chris Pine, Chris Hemsworth, Matthew McConaughey, and Woody Harrelson, were all considered. That gives you an idea of the allure surrounding this film. Antonio Banderas is fantastic as usual in his role as Santiago Moncado. I also really enjoyed Sophia Ali as Chloe Frazer, another character from the video games. She is as beautiful as she is untrustworthy. Tati Gabrielle was a badass in her role as Braddock, a real thorn in the side of Drake and Sully. I won’t give anything away, but one specific cameo in the film is simply EPIC, and the real ones will get it. That is all I am going to say about that. So yeah, just see the movie!

THE BAD

I’m not going to sit here and act like Uncharted is free of any warranted criticism, because that would be a bold faced lie, and I’m a pretty honest guy. Most of the time, anyway. But seriously, you can poke holes in several elements of the film if you look at it from an outsider's perspective, and what I mean by that is someone with no insight or appreciation of the video game franchise it is based on. Is the action extremely exaggerated and over-the-top at times? Sure it is. Are the fight sequences not quite as brutal as we might prefer, yes again. 

But, if you have been paying attention during this review, one primary contributing factor keeps coming up, and that is the fact that at the end of the day this movie is based on a video game. I mean, need I say more? And I’m not talking about a video game with a mature rating, this is in the realm of a T (Teen 13+) rating, which might explain the abundance of children chaperoned to the theater by their ever so generous and caring parents. It also avoids feeling corny, which is a difficult balance if you ask me. I just can’t sit here and drop criticism when I feel like the ultimate goal was accomplished. If you feel otherwise, feel free to let us know in the comments section.

THE VERDICT

Action-packed, hilarious, and just an absolute blast right up until the end credits, Uncharted is undoubtedly one of the best video game to film adaptations to date. By the end the chemistry between Tom Holland and Mark Wahlberg is bursting at the seams, and I personally cannot wait for the next movie which is surely inevitable. If you are a fan of the games you will love this movie without question, but you will still be more than pleased if you come in without any idea of what to expect. Do yourself a favor and check out Uncharted in theaters sooner than later, and be sure to stick around for both post-credit scenes as well.

TED TAKES RATING - 8.2/10

Uncharted is now playing only in theaters. Check out the latest trailer below.

Titane

By: Andrew Wing

Titane (French: [titan], lit. ‘Titanium’) is a 2021 body horror film written and directed by Julia Ducournau. The French-Belgian co-production stars Agathe Rousselle (French journalist, model, and also the co-founder of feminist magazine Peach) in her feature film debut as Alexia, a woman who, after being injured in a car accident as a child, has a titanium plate fitted into her head. Vincent Lindon (won Best Actor at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival for his role in the film The Measure of a Man), Garance Marillier (known for her role in Ducournau’s previous film Raw), and Laïs Salameh also star.

The film had its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival on July 13, 2021, where Ducournau became the second female director to win the Palme d’Or, the festival’s top award, as well as the first female filmmaker to win solo. It received critical acclaim and was selected as the French entry for the Best International Feature Film at the 94th Academy Awards, but did not make the shortlist. At the 47th César Awards, it was nominated for four awards, including Best Director for Ducournau and Most Promising Actress for Rousselle. At the 75th British Academy Film Awards, Ducournau received a nomination for Best Director.

THE GOOD

The movie that really made me fall in love with film was Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite. I honestly think it’s arguably the best movie ever made, but before actually watching it for the first time, I remember hearing about how well it did at the Cannes Film Festival where it won the Palme d’Or. Now as I have gotten more into the world of film, I know how big of a deal winning that award is, so when I saw that Titane won it at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival, I knew I had to check it out. Also, it had a perfect trailer in my book as it shows you a ton, but still doesn’t tell you too much about the plot, so I was amped for it. With that said, let’s dive into this review and find out if it was worthy of winning the Palme d’Or!

Trust me when I say this, remember the name Julia Ducournau. This is only the second feature film from Ducournau, her first being Raw. Raw is also a body horror film that was recently streaming on Netflix, but it was certainly a movie unlike anything I’ve ever seen before. Like with Raw, Titane is also unlike anything I’ve ever seen as we get a ton of unusual fetishes, extreme violence and a handful of moments that will make you squirm. It took me until about the opening scene for me to realize that this was definitely a step up from Raw. It really felt like Ducournau further defined what makes her one of the most unique voices in cinema right now which is all the more impressive considering this is only her second time doing this. Her direction is remarkable here as this film is so confidently executed. It is magnificently unique, daring and one of the most batshit experiences I have ever had with a film. It is one of those movies that doesn’t come around very often and I treasured that so much that I loved this movie.

Not only did Ducourneau direct, but she also wrote the original screenplay for the film. I absolutely loved the screenplay as this movie is ridiculously insane. The screenplay is amazing. As insanely violent and gnarly as it can get at times, and sometimes cynical in the first-third, the film actually has a surprising amount of heart, believe it or not. It’s even wholesome in a sense as it’s a story of these two tortured souls connecting in a strange way. There is even some dark comedy in the film that works so well in some scenes. It really tied together the movie as a whole and Ducourneau was fully aware of the right dose of comedy that was needed to make this movie feel a tad self-aware. Continuing with her excellent screenplay, the majority of the fun with this film is not knowing what to expect and all the surprises you get. I am not going to discuss the plot more in depth because I don’t want to spoil anything, but I will say the ending is a perfect ending in my book. It was exactly how this movie was supposed to end.

I am a critic who has seen a ton of movies, but I would be lying if I said I fully understood all the ideas going into this movie and I don’t even have words to describe it. Despite me not knowing everything she was going for, I still have to give props to Ducournau for pushing the envelope with the themes she went for here. The film is about brutality, sexuality, and even gender identity, and I’m sure there are even more genres at play here that I might not even know about or missed. And with the Academy Award nominations that came out last week, I was a little bit disappointed. I would’ve loved for the Academy to go outside the box and nominate her for Best Director or Best Original Screenplay because her craftsmanship here was outstanding and one for the ages. All of her sensibilities were absolutely on point from the tone, to the flow of the story, and everything was in such good hands.

Yes, Titane is gripping, entertaining, and fascinating, but what makes it what it is is the fact that this movie is just beautifully acted. So with that said, it’s about time we talk about the two lead performances because holy s**t. First with the star of the show, actress Agathe Rousselle. I was blown away at the fact that this is her feature film debut as an actress. Her performance was perfect as she plays a character that lacks humanity, and I honestly couldn’t imagine another person in this role. The number of emotions she conveys with so much silence was unfathomable as she barely even speaks in this movie. Now to her co-star, Vincent Lindon. Vincent Lindon is amazing in this. His character is so aggressive, desperate, and damaged and his chemistry with Rousselle was flawless. He even has some scenes that might make you shed a tear or two. Oh and one more thing, the man is incredibly jacked.

Lastly, I loved the look of Titane. The cinematography we got here from Ruben Impens was top tier. It was so well shot, so much so that it was very tough to look away from at times. Add in his brilliant camera work and the lighting choices, I felt like I was watching this thing wide-eyed the entire time. And I can’t forget to mention the music. Oh, the music! I loved every choice made by Jim Williams, and trust me when I say there are some songs in this killer soundtrack that’ll start making you bop your head.

THE BAD

Simply put, this movie is fu**ed up! It is extremely gruesome and violent at times and just be prepared that there is a lot to stomach here if you are going to take my suggestion and check it out. You will know in the first third of the film if you are going to be able to stomach it or not, but if you can, definitely do it because it is truly exhilarating. Also, as I say in the good section, there is no denying that I didn’t have a full grasp on this movie and everything it was going for, and you might not either. Yes, it was frustrating at times, but I honestly felt thankful to be watching a movie so challenging because it gave me a memory with how wild of a ride Titane is.

And last thing to note is that this is a French film. Therefore, the film is entirely in the French language, so if you are someone that can’t do subtitles, then this isn’t the movie for you.

THE VERDICT

Julia Ducournau’s Palme d’Or winning film Titane is a bonkers, WTF movie that I had one hell of time watching! Ducournau delivers one for the ages as she perfectly executes her multi-layered and uncompromising vision behind her purely cinematic direction and unbelievable screenplay. It also features some masterful, deeply-committed performances from both Agathe Rousselle and Vincent Lindon.

I have it coming in at #3 for my best films of 2021 behind Licorice Pizza (see my full review here) and Dune (see my full review here). I wouldn’t recommend this to everyone, but if you consider yourself a cinephile and are prepared to have your mind blown, you just have to see this one! Now streaming on Hulu!

TED TAKES RATING - 9.7/10

Titane is now available to watch on Hulu. Check out the latest trailer below.

Marry Me

By: Andrew Wing

Marry Me is a 2022 American romantic comedy-drama film directed by Kat Coiro (fourth feature film), with a screenplay by John Rogers (co-wrote The Core, Catwoman, and co-wrote the story for the film Transformers), Tami Sagher (was a staff writer on How I Met Your Mother), and Harper Dill. It’s based on the graphic novel of the same name by Bobby Crosby, it stars Jennifer Lopez (Selena, The Wedding Planner) as Kat Valdez, a pop star who decides to marry a stranger, Charlie Gilbert, who is played by Owen Wilson (Wedding Crashers, Midnight in Paris), holding a “Marry Me” sign after learning that her on-stage partner Bastian, who is played by Maluma (Columbian singer and songwriter), has been having an affair. John Bradley (Game of Thrones, Moonfall), Sarah Silverman (School of Rock, Wreck-It Ralph), and Chloe Coleman also star in supporting roles.

The film was announced in April 2019, with Lopez and Wilson set to star and Coiro joining the project as director. Universal Pictures acquired the film distribution rights in July 2019. Principal photography took place in Manhattan in October and November 2019. A soundtrack album of the same name by Lopez and Maluma was also produced. The lead single, titled “Pa’ Ti”, was released on September 24, 2020, and debuted at number nine on Billboard’s Hot Latin Songs, marking Lopez’s highest chart debut in the United States since 2017.

Marry Me premiered in Los Angeles on February 9, 2022, and was released in the United States theatrically and simultaneously available on Peacock Premium on February 11. It was delayed twice from an original February 2021 release date due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

THE GOOD

I won’t lie, when I saw this trailer for the first time, I was shaking my head. One because of its extremely silly premise. And two, because it’s yet another romantic comedy film starring Jennifer Lopez, only this time with one of my favorite actors, Owen Wilson. Yes, he is one of my favorite actors, but I didn’t love the thought of his on-screen chemistry with Lopez. I just didn’t see it working. Add in the fact that it had a February release and that it would be premiering on Peacock the same day, I set the bar very low. Well anyways, I still ended up reviewing it, so keep reading to see if Marry Me was exactly what I thought it would be, or if it was actually something completely different!

So yeah, as I just said, the only thing that got me to press play for this was the inclusion of Owen Wilson. I have just always loved him as he is somebody I grew up watching a lot of. I remember actually watching Wedding Crashers at the young age of seven and instantly saying that it was my favorite movie ever because of how funny it was. And yes, you read that right, my parents let me watch Wedding Crashers at seven, but hey, I’d like to think I turned out okay. Nonetheless, I have continued to love Owen Wilson even more after seeing all of his roles in Wes Anderson’s films, Woody Allen’s Midnight in Paris, and recently as of last year, his role in the Disney+ series Loki. But enough about his past roles, let’s talk about his performance in this. I thought he was really good, to be honest. He plays Charlie Gilbert, a divorced math teacher, and he is just so good at playing a normal, everyday kind of guy. I loved his casting as the math teacher too, mostly because it allowed for some hilarious math puns that made me laugh audibly. He was even solid in some of the more dramatic scenes towards the final third of the film. It was just another above-average performance under his belt and he made the movie for me.

Yes, Owen Wilson is great, but there is no denying this is J.Lo’s movie. It has been a couple of days since I watched this, and I really am having a hard time grading her performance. I think because I can’t tell if she is truly acting or just playing herself because watch the trailer and any joe schmo can tell you that her character in the film, Kat Valdez, is basically just Jennifer Lopez. Despite that, I think she was good overall, and it was definitely one of her better performances that I’ve seen. Definitely wasn’t as good as she was in Hustlers, a 2019 film that I really enjoyed, where she really put her acting skills on full display. But even if it wasn’t her best, it’s okay because J.Lo is certainly a singer first, and her singing in this was superb. For the rest of her acting career, she might as well play characters that sing because it’ll put people in the seats just because of how amazing her voice is.

The music as a whole in Marry Me was top-notch. This was the first I’ve heard of Maluma, the actor that plays Kat Valdez’s partner Bastian, and his voice is phenomenal. I’d be lying if I said his and J.Lo’s song “Marry Me” hasn’t been stuck in my head the past couple of days because of how catchy it is. A couple of other things I liked about Marry Me include pretty much all of the supporting performances, specifically John Bradley and Sarah Silverman. I loved Bradley as Samwell Tarly in Game of Thrones, and he definitely has a future in comedy films like this, and it was just a treat getting to watch him and Owen Wilson go back and forth sometimes. As for Silverman, I am a big fan of hers as she is always able to crack me up. Lastly, I got to give some love to director Kat Coiro and also the screenplay we got here. This film really could’ve been bad, but the people in charge clearly knew what they were doing and they produced one of the better romantic comedies of recent memory.

THE BAD

First things first, this film will not be winning any big awards come awards season, but that’s okay. At least for me, films like this with ridiculous premises tend to have a certain ceiling on them and I would argue they ultimately hit theirs. This film was made for a specific audience and I think most people will be pleased, but with this being “The Bad” section, I just need to highlight some flaws here.

First, I was not a fan of the editing in this. I know we are living in the social media age, but I was getting quite annoyed by every other scene having either an Instagram story or Snapchat story being on the screen so we can see it from whoever is filming’s perspective. Just got tired of it after a while and I don’t think it was necessary. And second, similar to me saying films like this have ceilings as to how good they can be, I also think they should have a limit on how long they can be. This clocks in at just under 2 hours with its 112-minute runtime and I would say it should be right around the 90-minute mark. It definitely dragged at some points and I was checking the time on my phone occasionally, but I was ultimately pleased with the ending so I guess I can’t critique how we got there.

THE VERDICT

Despite my low expectations and its silly premise, Marry Me is actually one of the better romantic comedies of recent memory. It’s such an easy and enjoyable watch as it is light and cheesy, but still harmless and sweet at the same time. Also, I was pleasantly surprised by Jennifer Lopez and Owen Wilson’s chemistry and charm in this as they both give good performances.

TED TAKES RATING - 7.1/10

Marry Me is now in theaters and available to watch on Peacock. Check out the latest trailer below.

Death on the Nile

Death on the Nile is a 2022 mystery thriller film directed by Kenneth Branagh from a screenplay by Michael Green, based on the 1937 novel of the same name by Agatha Christie. Produced by Branagh, Ridley Scott, Judy Hofflund and Kevin J. Walsh, the film is a follow-up to Murder on the Orient Express (2017).

Belgian sleuth Hercule Poirot's Egyptian vacation aboard a glamorous river steamer turns into a terrifying search for a murderer when a picture-perfect couple's idyllic honeymoon is tragically cut short.

The cast includes Branagh returning as Hercule Poirot, along with Tom Bateman (also returning from the first film), Annette Bening, Russell Brand, Ali Fazal, Dawn French, Gal Gadot, Armie Hammer, Rose Leslie, Emma Mackey, Sophie Okonedo, Jennifer Saunders, and Letitia Wright round out the ensemble cast. The film is the third screen adaptation of Christie's novel, following the 1978 film and an episode of the television series Agatha Christie's Poirot broadcast in 2004.

Death on the Nile released in theaters on February 11th, courtesy of 20th Century Studios.

THE GOOD

Okay so I feel like I need to start this review by admitting something that I’m not proud of, when the trailer for Death on the Nile made it’s debut, I really wasn’t all that excited. It had nothing to do with the quality of trailer itself, but instead more to do with the films predecessor, the 2017 crime drama Murder on the Orient Express. I went to see that movie in theaters with high expectations, and I was bored for the most part, even dozed off a few times. So even though several elements of Death on the Nile peaked my interest, I refused to get my hopes up. Were my concerns realized or did the magic of cinema break through?! Keep reading to find out!

Don’t worry, I won’t leave you hanging, this was a damn good movie! Death on the Nile was everything I wanted Murder on the Orient Express to be, and then some. I mean, where do I start?! The setting, the story, the cast, it all comes together in such a way that reminds us why we love the movies so much. Kenneth Branagh is a national treasure, and he really brought the larger than life persona of famed detective Hercule Poirot to life. The late Agatha Christie would be proud! Poirot and his unwavering confidence is given a dose of compassion, and the result is sheer perfection. I’m a big murder mystery fan in general, and one of my favorites as of late was the 2019 film Knives Out (full review here), which was nothing short of incredible and I can’t wait for the sequel. Death on the Nile is similar in many ways as it brings together a stellar cast capable of bringing to life this unique and intriguing story.

The story was incredible, as it pulled me in from the start and kept me guessing throughout. I never once thought I knew who the killer was, and the tension continued to build each time we got closer to figuring it out. The characters are so well-developed that anyone could be guilty. I have yet to read the book the film is based on, but from the research I have done the majority of the characters in the film are altered versions of the characters from the novel to make for a smaller overall cast of characters, and in turn a less confusing plot.

I really enjoyed the extra backstory we get on Poirot’s character that allows audiences to really relate to him beyond this persona of his. I felt like his character was a bit flat in Murder on the Orient Express, mainly because we are expected to just know who he is. As someone who does enjoy a good book, I have yet to read a single Agatha Christie novel, so my exposure to the Hercule Poirot character is limited to these films. Death on the Nile added layers to his character, and even though he is unmatched in the world of solving murders, he is still an emotionally fragile human being like the rest of us. He has suffered immense heartbreak in his life, sending him down the path of obsession when it comes to his work which is something that allows viewers the ability to see him in a different lens. The Hercule Poirot we get in Death on the Nile has guaranteed that I will be reading an Agatha Christie novel sooner than later. I will note that in my research I have learned that much of the backstory on Poirot presented in the film was created for the film specifically, and Christie did not dig much into his character’s backstory in her novels.

The cast is without a doubt a selling point for Death on the Nile. I mean, we all know that Kenneth Branagh is going to bring it as Hercule Poirot, but we are treated to many other great performances. Gal Gadot, who really needs no introduction at this point in her career, is fantastic as one of the titular characters in the film. Beautiful and immensely talented, her name alone can fill the seats these days. Gadot shares the screen with Armie Hammer, who has become quite a controversial guy as of late. Weird hobbies aside, Hammer is a great actor and once again earns his keep here. I really enjoyed Tom Bateman’s character, who is also the only character to appear in this film and Murder on the Orient Express. Russell Brand, who is best known for his comedic roles (Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Get Him to the Greek), impressed me with how much he brought to his character. I also really liked Emma Mackey’s performance, who plays a controversial and often misunderstood character. It was great to see Letitia Wright get another opportunity to showcase her acting talents. Sophie Okonedo was awesome as well, and I really liked the unique on-screen chemistry she shared with Branagh.

The costume design was nothing short of excellent, ensuring that the film felt true to the time period. The setting is mesmerizing, and cinematographer Haris Zambarloukos, who recently worked on Belfast with Kenneth Branagh, takes full advantage of the Egyptian setting. Pretty much every shot will leave you in awe, especially those that take place on the outside of the boat. I wasn’t sure what to expect as far as visuals, but I got my moneys worth and then some. It was clear that Zambarloukos wants to tell a story with each shot, and he is very successful in doing so. I felt like the setting with the pristine backdrop and what felt like a different world separating those on the shore and the rich aboard this boat, contributed as much to the overall effectiveness of the story as the script and the cast. The music was spot on as well as we are treated to yet another gem from talented composer Patrick Doyle. Just amazing.

THE BAD

I had very few issues with this film, mainly because it far exceeded my expectations. The pacing was great, never once feeling boring or like it was dragging. Each character felt like they belonged, and the ending had the payoff I was hoping for. I mean if you want to try and pick this apart be my guest, but it satisfied my thirst for quality cinema.

THE VERDICT

Packed to the brim with twists and turns, terrific acting, and an immersive feel throughout thanks to stunning cinematography, Death on the Nile is a worthy Agatha Christie adaptation and an absolute treat for fans of famed detective Hercule Poirot. Kenneth Branagh rolled up his sleeves for this one, and he deserves more than a few pats on the back. This is just quality cinema from start to finish, and has me beyond excited for the next epic Poirot adventure. Be sure to see Death on the Nile in theaters sooner than later, you will not be disappointed.

TED TAKES RATING - 8.7/10

Death on the Nile is now playing only in theaters. Check out the latest trailer below.

Kimi

By: Andrew Wing

Kimi (stylized as KIMI) is a 2022 American thriller film directed by Steven Soderbergh (Ocean’s trilogy and film franchise, Logan Lucky) and written and produced by David Koepp (also wrote Spider-Man and You Should Have Left). The film stars Zoë Kravitz (X-Men: First Class, Mad Max: Fury Road) and Rita Wilson (Sleepless in Seattle, Jingle All the Way). It was released on HBO Max on February 10, 2022.

The film follows Angela Childs (Kravitz), a tech worker with agoraphobia, who discovers recorded evidence of a violent crime, but she is met with resistance when she tries to report it. Seeking justice, she must do the thing she fears the most: she must leave her apartment.

THE GOOD

Believe it or not, Kimi is the first film to be released in 2022 that I have seen. I have been doing a lot of catching up lately on 2021 films I missed, but once I saw the trailer for this, I knew I couldn’t miss it. I mean, it features Zoë Kravitz in the lead role, and I think she is an extremely underrated actress, so I was excited to watch her put her talents on full display. She also puts on display some pretty fresh blue hair if I say so myself. Also, if there is one thing you know going into a Steven Soderbergh film nowadays, it’s that you are going to get an intriguing story that will keep you entertained at the very least, and that was just the case here.

No need to keep you waiting, this movie was well worth the watch. I really like Soderbergh, and I like even more how he just keeps pumping films out left and right. His most recent being No Sudden Move, which came out last year that I actually reviewed (see full review here). But seriously, he is just a prolific filmmaker. His films are so unique as they employ an avant-garde arthouse approach with his unconventional film formats that center on themes of shifting personal identities, vengeance, and many other things that he shows us in Kimi. His direction in this is just top-notch if you ask me, as he somehow combines classic anxiety-driven suspense through the medium that is the agoraphobic character, with relevant topics ranging from surveillance technology (similar to Amazon’s Alexa) to the COVID-19 pandemic. I was just really impressed with this film and it was another pleasant surprise from Soderbergh.

Speaking of things to be impressed by, now is about time to start discussing Zoë Kravitz’s performance in this. I mean it when I say I feel she is underrated. Yes, the majority of her roles so far in her career have been in supporting roles, but I have enjoyed everything I’ve seen of her, and I really think she is about to take off. It helps my case that she is playing Catwoman in Matt Reeves’ upcoming film The Batman, but I believe her performance in this will be the one we look back on years from now when is winning awards. For real though, is just *chef’s kiss* in this role. She is on screen for literally 90% of the film and she dominates every second. It was clear as day when watching that she was laser focused when giving this performance as a person with agoraphobia, because I was absolutely buying it. She had humor in some scenes, and she was solid in the dramatic scenes, but she really shines in the final third when she goes full John Wick mode. I hope that doesn’t spoil anything, but she was a badass. I obviously am looking forward to seeing her play Catwoman, but I am more excited to just see where she goes from here because she shows all of us with this performance that she’s legit.

Another thing I enjoyed about the film was just the overall look and feel of it. It was shot by Soderbergh under his alias “Peter Andrews”, and I don’t know about others, but it had a sort of Hitchcock vibe to it in my opinion. It reminded me a lot of one of all-time favorites Rear Window with the way that Kravitz’s character, because she can’t leave her apartment, is always looking out windows, going through her streams, and just doing the same thing over and over again just like James Stewart’s character does in that. I also liked Rita Wilson’s performance in this, and it was strange to see her play a “bad” character because she is always playing nice/friendly characters, usually opposite her husband Tom Hanks, in most films. Lastly, Derek DelGaudio has a small role in this as the CEO of the Amygdala Corporation, and while I’m sure most don’t know who he is, you should. He has apparently gone into acting now, but he is primarily known for being a performer and a magician, and you should do yourself a favor and go check out a film version of one of his performances, In & Of Itself, which is streaming on Hulu! You won’t regret it.

THE BAD

There is no denying that this film is an overall pretty dang good one. The only thing you could say is that the story might have been aided by a slightly longer runtime than it’s 89 minute one. I wouldn’t have minded seeing more from the bad guys in the film who are trying to keep Angela from reporting the crime, but it checks every box once you get to the end, and the end delivers marvelously. Also, there is a sort of suspension of disbelief going on in the movie with Angela’s agoraphobic character apparently being someone who can kill with no hesitation. That is really where I think a longer runtime might have helped by maybe showing us some of her character’s past/background to know more about why she is the way she is, but I had a blast with this film so I’ll just shut up now.

THE VERDICT

From the acclaimed and prolific filmmaker Steven Soderbergh comes Kimi, a housebound thriller with a 21st century spin that just offers a warm welcome to the digital age. This was just another banger from Soderbergh as he continues to reaffirm why he is one of the best in the game today. It also affirms that Zoë Kravitz is no joke as she gives an outstanding performance that I feel is the first of many for the uber talented young actress. Definitely worth the watch, so go check it out right now on HBO Max.

TED TAKES RATING - 8.6/10

Kimi is now available to watch on HBO Max. Check out the latest trailer below.

Being the Ricardos

By: Andrew Wing

Being the Ricardos is a 2021 American biographical drama film written and directed by Aaron Sorkin (Molly’s Game, The Trial of the Chicago 7), about the relationship between I Love Lucy stars Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. Nicole Kidman (Moulin Rouge!, The Hours, Big Little Lies) and Javier Bardem (No Country for Old Men, Skyfall) star as Ball and Arnaz, while J. K. Simmons (Spider-Man films, Whiplash), Nina Arianda (Goliath, Stan & Ollie), Tony Hale (Arrested Development, Veep), Alia Shawkat (Search Party), Jake Lacy (The White Lotus), and Clark Gregg (best known for playing Agent Phil Coulson in the MCU) appear in supporting roles.

The film takes place during one production week of I Love Lucy – from Monday table read through Friday audience taping – all while Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz face a series of personal and professional crises that threaten their show, their careers, and their marriage.

Being the Ricardos received a limited theatrical release by Amazon Studios in the United States on December 10, 2021, prior to streaming worldwide on Prime Video on December 21, 2021. For Kidman’s performance of Lucille Ball, she won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama. Also, Kidman, Bardem, and Simmons all received Academy Award nominations for their performances.

THE GOOD

Before getting into the review of the film, I have to come clean and say that going into this, I didn’t really know anything about the lives of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. I have obviously heard of I Love Lucy, but I have never watched an episode of the show. With that said, the main selling point here to me was Aaron Sorkin writing and directing and the fact that both Kidman and Bardem were starring in it. Add in the fact that it’s a biopic made to be an awards contender, and I was chomping at the bit. So without further ado, let’s dive into my full review on Being the Ricardos!

With any biopic that gets reviewed, you have to address the elephant in the room first. The elephant is the performances, and the lead performances we got from Nicole Kidman and Javier Bardem were equally fantastic. First with Kidman as she plays the star of stars, Lucille Ball. As I said, I am no expert about Lucille Ball and I Love Lucy, but it was extremely clear that Kidman just transformed into Ball for this film, and I found the physical resemblance to be decent if I say so myself. It was less of an impersonation like we see in other biopics, but more of a fully realized characterization. Kidman did well at expressing her humor in ways Ball did for the show that we see in the black-and-white scenes, but I thought Kidman really shined in the more dramatic parts of the film. In the parts of the film where she is dealing with both the personal and professional crises, Kidman is outstanding at reminding us there were not one, but two Lucys. Now Kidman has already won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Drama, and she has as good a shot as any to win the Academy Award for Best Actress, which would be her second. And while I’d prefer to see Kristen Stewart win for her performance she gave in Spencer (see my full review here), I wouldn’t mind seeing Kidman win as it would be very deserving.

Now onto the performance from Javier Bardem. I have brought this up in past reviews, but I think Bardem is responsible for the single greatest performance in a film ever, and that would be for his portrayal of Anton Chigurh in No Country for Old Men. That just goes to show how talented I think he is as an actor, and he put his talents on full display in this. Bardem, a native of Spain, plays Desi Arnaz who was a Cuban-American, and while Bardem might not look a lot like Arnaz, he sounded just like him. His accent was flawless to me, and it was extremely impressive. He also did a good job at conveying and capturing Arnaz’ charismatic stage presence, business acumen, and also, his deceptive ways with the ladies. Also, similar to Kidman, he shines in the more dramatic moments, especially at the very end of the film. And with yesterday’s Academy Award nomination announcements, Bardem was nominated for Best Actor and it is obvious why he was after watching him in this. I’d be shocked if he won though because of Will Smith’s performance in King Richard (see my full review here), and also Benedict Cumberbatch in The Power of the Dog (see my full review here), but anything is possible.

Continuing with more performances, not only do Kidman and Bardem shine in their lead roles, but the entire supporting cast brings something to the film. J. K. Simmons was the best of the bunch though. Similar to Bardem for No Country for Old Men, Simmons is responsible for one of the best supporting performances of all time in the 2014 film Whiplash. He is just unreal in that film and he is just one of the best when it comes to supporting roles and he strengthens his case even more in this. Simmons plays actor William Frawley, who plays the landlord Fred in I Love Lucy, and he was just awesome. His character is really funny with his constant wise comments and facial expressions, and I am very happy that he got nominated for Best Supporting Actor. Tony Hale and Nina Arianda were also great in more dramatic supporting roles, while Alia Shawkat and Jake Lacy brought numerous laughs with their neverending back-and-forth banter with one another.

This is only Aaron Sorkin’s third feature film as a director because he has definitely been a writer first throughout his career. He served as a writer for critically acclaimed films The Social Network, Moneyball, and Steve Jobs, but he is most known for creating and writing The West Wing. And if there’s one thing you know for sure with any film that Sorkin is attached to, it is that it’s going to have a great original screenplay that’s heavy on dialogue, and that is absolutely the case here for Being the Ricardos. I will just never get tired of the fast-paced dialogue and extended monologues that all take place while walking, which are referred to as “walk and talks.” Everything I just mentioned is only aided by the film’s superb editing done by Alan Baumgarten, and I just really liked how Sorkin decided to make the film take place just during one week of the show. I’m honestly shocked his original screenplay didn’t receive an Oscar nomination.

Lastly, just some other things that I enjoyed about the film that are worth mentioning. First, the production design was super cool. I am just a sucker for these films that take you back in time with their production sets, especially when they deal with movie/production studios where the show was shot. It’s production reminded me of the Coen brother’s film Hail, Caesar! that takes place in MGM studios. Second, I loved the original score from Daniel Pemberton. Maybe I’m biased because Pemberton provided the original score for one of my all-time favorites Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, but I was just vibing with the score here from start to finish. In closing, I just got to discuss the film ultimately not receiving a Best Picture nomination. Yes, I would’ve liked to see it get nominated because it is deserving, but 2021 was just jam-packed full of amazing films, so it is what it is.

THE BAD

I honestly have a hard time believing that somebody might not enjoy this film. It is a great watch boosted by some incredible performances, but there were definitely some minor flaws. First, and while it is so incredibly minor, Javier Bardem really doesn’t look a lot like Desi Arnaz. It is just a fact, and at least on my end, it looked like they tried some sort of de-aging process in some of the flashback scenes and they just distracted me more than anything. With that said, Bardem still kills his role, and I am happy he was the one to play the character despite no physical resemblance.

Also, the film has a runtime of 131 minutes and it did get slow at times for me. But it is a biopic at the end of the day, and good luck finding a biopic under 2 hours long! Lastly, the end just sort of comes out and smacks you in the face. Again, it is a dramatic biopic and it’s not their fault that Ball and Arnaz’s relationship didn’t have a happy ending, but I just would’ve liked it handled differently. Maybe in a way that would’ve had viewers leaving with smiles on their faces rather than the face I had when the credits began to roll. Despite all that though, it was still a solid film in my book.

THE VERDICT

Being the Ricardos is the third feature film from Aaron Sorkin as a writer-director, and it was just a blast from start to finish as it follows the relationship between I Love Lucy stars Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz with Sorkin’s trademark fast-paced dialogue. Nicole Kidman and Javier Bardem star as Ball and Arnaz and they both give brilliant performances that were both Oscar-nominated. Speaking of nominations, J. K. Simmons is great again in his supporting role. All in all, it was just an engagingly fun film throughout and I think it is Sorkin’s strongest directorial effort yet!

TED TAKES RATING - 8.5/10

Being the Ricardos is only available on Amazon Prime Video. Check out the latest trailer below.

Moonfall

Moonfall is a 2022 science fiction drama film co-written, directed, and co-produced by Roland Emmerich. Spenser Cohen and Harold Kloser also contributed to the script. Emmerich is a sci-fi legend of sorts, having previously directed Universal Soldier (1992), written and directed Stargate (1994), Independence Day (1996), Godzilla (1998), The Day After Tomorrow (2004), and the list goes on.

A mysterious force knocks the Moon from its orbit around Earth and sends it hurtling on a collision course with life as we know it. With mere weeks before impact and the world on the brink of annihilation, NASA executive and former astronaut Jo Fowler is convinced she has the key to saving us all – but only one astronaut from her past, Brian Harper and a conspiracy theorist K.C. Houseman believes her.

The cast includes Halle Berry, Patrick Wilson, John Bradley, Michael Peña, Charlie Plummer, Kelly Yu, and Donald Sutherland. The film was shot in Montreal with a $140 million budget, making it one of the most expensive independently-produced films of all time.

Moonfall made its debut in theaters on February 3rd, courtesy of Lionsgate.

THE GOOD

Moonfall has been shredded by critics for the most part after pre-release screenings, which to be quite honest didn’t necessarily surprise me when the first reviews came out. The trailer reeked of a B-movie box office disaster, and I couldn’t help but think that someone would be losing their their job over this mess of a movie. After a few more reviews began to come out, it started to sound more like a Roland Emmerich movie which of course added some intrigue. As I touched on above, Emmerich knows his way around a movie that is simply meant to be experienced on the big screen. So, was Moonfall the train wreck I initially anticipated it was going to be or did it send me home with a smile on my face? Keep on reading to find out!

Okay so first and foremost, I did not hate this movie. Its been awhile since I have seen a movie from Roland Emmerich, but he definitely has a signature style. He likes outlandish storylines that lead to a massive spectacle of a finale sure to have audiences on the edge of their seat, and Moonfall is no different. For the majority of the film the acting takes a back seat to the CGI and the overall technical elements of the film, but that somehow evens itself out by the end. Emmerich wants to make you think, but he also wants you to be in awe wondering just how far he is wiling to take things. Admittedly his vision requires you to look beyond several flaws, but you will be rewarded for your efforts.

If you are worried that Moonfall will force you to wait until the final 10-minutes for the action to start, you can rest assured that is not the case here. As a director Emmerich is like your toddler who insists on dumping out every single tote of toys as soon as he wakes up as if he is planning on playing with all of them. Before you know it, buildings are collapsing, everything is underwater, and every business is abandoned. This approach ensures audiences will not be bored, offering a ton of disaster movie joy to the just over 2-hour runtime. To be completely honest, I applaud Emmerich for his willingness to make movies that fit his vision, even if they may be met with a great deal of criticism from those who will pick it apart. He is surely a man who goes to the beat of his own drum.

Now I’m not trying to make excuses for Moonfall, but it faced several obstacles during production that may have shelved many movies indefinitely. The COVID-19 pandemic in particular created quite a few issues considering Emmerich began getting the ball rolling for the film in 2019, which of course was pre-pandemic. The cast was impacted as Stanley Tucci was replaced last minute by Michael Peña due to traveling restrictions keeping Tucci from reaching the production site. Filming locations were extremely limited, forcing the construction of over 130 different sets to be utilized on location in Montreal. They were also forced to expedite principal photography because of the pandemic related issues.

It is also worth pointing out that Emmerich made the push for Moonfall to be an independent film as he wanted to have the majority of creative control, heading to Cannes Film Festival for financial backers. Eventually the roughly $140 million budget consisted of contributions from Huayi Brothers, Lionsgate, and Germany. Emmerich got the idea for the film after reading the novel Who Built the Moon?, which debates the possibility that the Moon was artificially constructed. He worked on the script for four years, and apparently actual conspiracy theory exists arguing this is an actual possibility. Who knew.

Although this is a far cry from their best work, Moonfall offers up a very talented cast. I won’t go too deep into their specific performances yet but I will talk about them a bit later in the review. I’m a big fan of the great Halle Berry for obvious reasons (for some reason her role in Swordfish always comes to mind), and she was fantastic in the 2019 crime thriller John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum (full review here). I enjoyed her character in this film overall and felt like she was a solid addition to the cast.

I really like Patrick Wilson as an actor who has been investing a good majority of his time in the Conjuring franchise, most recently The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It (full review here). Wilson has good chemistry with Berry and the rest of the cast, and in my opinion he earns his spot as a leading man yet again. John Bradley, who is best known for his role as Samwell Tarly in the HBO drama series Game of Thrones, won me over by the end of the film with his character and he also provides the majority of the comic relief, getting quite a few laughs from the audience. I also enjoyed seeing Michael Peña who is an actor that always impresses me in his roles. Charlie Plummer, who was fantastic in the coming of age drama Words on Bathroom Walls (full review here), takes on a small supporting role as the son of Patrick Wilson’s character. He was a bit dull for the majority of the film but I was happy with his character by the end.

THE BAD

Bare with me, this may take a while. I went into the theater knowing what the initial criticisms were but I was more than prepared to form my own opinions. If you follow my reviews I consider myself to be unbiased and willing to appreciate a movie for what it is mean to be. Well, first and foremost, Moonfall is without a doubt riddled with issues, but that doesn’t necessarily make it a horrible movie. I will now do my best to touch on the “cons” of the movie.

Okay, so the first thing I noticed is the acting. Now we are dealing with a cast consisting of some very decent to upper echelon acting talent working today, ranging from Halle Berry, to Patrick Wilson, right on to my guy Michael Peña. Donald Sutherland is in the film as well, but he plays such a limited role I feel wrong even mentioning him. Now I will start with the headliners, Berry and Wilson. Both very solid in their craft no question about that, but in Moonfall they are both just meh. I honestly can’t put my finger on it, but the majority of their lines feel about as flat as a 2-liter of Coca-Cola left out without the cap for a few hours. They just seemed uninspired and bored.

Michael Peña felt the same once he made an appearance, which made me realize these are not isolated incidents. Even Charlie Plummer felt like he was lacking energy. After doing some research on all of the issues the film faced during production which I touched on above, I think it is fair to say that the quality of the acting took the biggest hit. If you are rushing the non-action scenes due to time restrictions, the quality will suffer. Oddly enough, I felt like Game of Thrones actor John Bradley was the most consistent of the bunch. But before I sit here and trash the acting, once the final act comes around, everyone kicks it onto another gear and reminds us of why they are some of the best Hollywood has to offer.

Another odd issue I had with Moonfall was the technical element, specifically the special effects. At one point Patrick Wilson’s character is riding his motorcycle to a speech he is late for and the green screen work is just BRUTAL. I mean, the background isn’t even anything extravagant and it seems like he is riding around in low budget Blade Runner. For some reason or another this happens often throughout the film, where it seems as though the character is in two places at once. Now I understand this is commonplace for a low-budget film, which this really isn’t, but what is most odd is the fact during the hardcore CGI scenes, things are on point for the most part. For example, when we are given a glimpse of what is essentially perceived as the “enemy”, it looks fantastic. And the other big time action sequences and in particular the final act, are a joy to experience. This is part of why it is so hard to fully criticize this film.

THE VERDICT

If you can ignore the more glaring issues especially early on, Moonfall brings enough Independence Day and The Day After Tomorrow action to the table to warrant a trip to the theater, while offering a satisfying final act sure to please audiences willing to give it a chance. Is this movie incredibly flawed in all of the most important categories that can make or break a movie? Absolutely. But for all of it’s downfalls which I talked about at length above, this is still an entertaining movie that is best to be seen in theaters. The negatives seem to fade into the background by the end of the movie, and for me, that is a win. With the last month or so lacking in worthwhile theater releases, it may be worth ignoring the consensus from critics and giving Moonfall a try so that you can form own opinion. Just do what I did and go in with tempered expectations.

TED TAKES RATING - 6.3/10

Moonfall is now playing only in theaters. Check out the latest trailer below.

Shiva Baby

By: Andrew Wing

Shiva Baby is a 2020 comedy film written and directed by Emma Seligman. An international co-production of the United States and Canada, the film stars Rachel Sennott (Ayo and Rachel Are Single) as Danielle, a directionless young bisexual Jewish woman who attends a shiva with her parents, Joel and Debbie, who are portrayed by Fred Melamed (A Serious Man, Hail, Caesar!) and Polly Draper (mother of young actors Nat and Alex Wolff) respectively. Other attendees include her successful ex-girlfriend Maya, who is played by Molly Gordon (Booksmart, Good Boys), and her sugar daddy Max (Danny Deferrari) with his wife Kim, played by Dianna Agron (I Am Number Four), and their screaming baby. It also features Jackie Hoffman, Deborah Offner, Rita Gardner, and Sondra James in supporting roles.

The events of the film take place almost entirely in real-time and at one location as Danielle explores her romantic and career prospects under the intense watch of her family, friends, and judgmental neighbors.

Adapted from Seligman’s own 2018 short of the same name, Shiva Baby premiered online at the 2020 South by Southwest film festival, while its first public screenings were at the 2020 Toronto International Film Festival, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was released in theaters and streaming on April 2, 2021.

THE GOOD

Talk about a film that flew under my radar. It was added to HBO Max a few months back and after doing some research and after seeing all the accolades it was receiving from film festivals and critics associations, I went ahead and added it to my list! However, as jam-packed as the last couple months of 2021 were with the awards-contender level films, I didn’t get to it until now, but boy was it worth the wait!

I really enjoyed this film! Right from the start, I was vibing with it as I instantly became a fan of the lead character, Danielle. Maybe it’s because I am around the same age as Danielle is in the film and also because I am starting to go through some of the things her character is enduring in the film. Things such as finishing up college and looking toward life after college, which is pretty stressful, to say the least. Or maybe it’s simply because of the performance we get from Rachel Sennott as Danielle. She absolutely crushed this role and I was blown away by how good she was with this being only her second feature film role. She just brought so much to her character and she made her feel so real. It’s no surprise that she is already getting attached to some bigger projects coming soon, such as an upcoming A24 slasher film titled Bodies, Bodies, Bodies that is currently filming. Let’s just say she has a very bright future ahead of her!

Obviously, Rachel Sennott was the standout in this, but the whole cast was freaking great if you ask me. Danielle’s parents were so funny as they continually made Danielle feel uncomfortable at the shiva by talking about her future and how she has all these great opportunities lined up for, and that just wouldn’t have been the case if it weren’t for the actors portraying them, Fred Melamed and Polly Draper. I was familiar with Melamed, but this was the first time I had ever seen Draper, and I loved her performance in this. Those two were just perfectly cast and they brought so much to the film. Another performance that needs to be mentioned is that of Molly Gordon who plays the ex-girlfriend. She is quickly becoming a name to keep an eye out for when it comes to supporting actresses in comedy films after both Booksmart and Good Boys (two great films), and obviously this. Her comedic delivery is so good and it seems when watching that it just comes so naturally to her. She is another one to keep an eye out for down the road!

The performances in this were fantastic, but the movie would be nothing without the direction from Emma Seligman. It is just bonkers that this is her feature directorial debut. It is even more bonkers when you realize she is only 26! She better win some awards for best first film, that’s all I’ll say. She also wrote the screenplay for the film, and I absolutely loved it! The movie is a comedy, and it definitely delivers some hilarious moments, but it also was very dramatic at times. Seligman did an excellent job at drawing up the tension at key times throughout the film, and that says a lot about the director considering the film takes place almost entirely in real-time at one location. I was just blown away by her direction for this. Period.

Lastly, I loved the film’s representation of both bisexual and Jewish people. It’s great to see the progress being made in the film industry, and hopefully, it keeps moving in the right direction so that things like this just become commonplace. Yes, it represents both of those groups I mentioned, but it is also a very accessible and easy film to watch and enjoy for people like me, who are not a member of said groups. I also can’t forget to shout out the musical score we got here from Ariel Marx. The score almost felt like something you’d get in a horror film as it effectively conveyed this sort-of anxiety-inducing claustrophobia if that makes sense.

THE BAD

I am going to have to stop referring to myself as a critic if I continue to not actually criticize the films I review, but I guess I just keep lucking out with good ones. There is nothing wrong with this film in my opinion. The only, and I mean the only thing you could say is that the film is really short with only a 78-minute runtime. But at the same time, it is most definitely a low-budget indie film and it also didn’t feel rushed at any point throughout. Every storyline wrapped up nicely in my book and I loved the ending to this!

THE VERDICT

Emma Seligman’s feature film debut Shiva Baby is just awesome. It takes place over the course of a single anxiety-filled day and it is both hilarious and extremely tense at the same time. Seligman’s screenplay is strong as it captures the behaviors of all the characters in a short runtime and also shines a light on the bisexual and Jewish communities. Also, all the performances were great, but Rachel Sennott takes the cake as she plays the lead character, Danielle.

TED TAKES RATING - 8.7/10

Shiva Baby is now available to watch on HBO Max. Check out the latest trailer below.

Pam & Tommy

Pam & Tommy is a 2022 biographical drama miniseries based on Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee and actress Pamela Anderson’s whirlwind romance that started with them marrying after only knowing each other for 96 hours in 1995. The story centers around a sex tape from the couples honeymoon that is stolen and leaked to the public.

Directed by Craig Gillespie with Robert D. Siegel serving as showrunner, the series is based on the Rolling Stone article Pam and Tommy: The Untold Story of the World’s Most Infamous Sex Tape, from L.A. based journalist Amanda Chicago Lewis, who also serves as a writer for the series.

The cast includes Lily James (Cinderella, Baby Driver) and Sebastian Stan (Captain America: The Winter Soldier, The 355) as Anderson and Lee, and also stars Nick Offerman (Parks and Rec), Seth Rogen, Taylor Schilling (Orange is the New Black), and Andrew Dice Clay.

Pam & Tommy made its streaming debut on Hulu February 3rd.

THE GOOD

So far Hulu has only released the first three episodes of the new series Pam & Tommy, but I felt inclined to binge them and report back on my thoughts. I mean, in many ways this is my childhood in a nutshell. I can’t even think about Playboy without picturing the great Pamela Anderson. Is she the source of my problematic obsession with blondes? Perhaps, just don’t tell my wife who is a brunette. Okay so what am I liking about this series so far? Keep reading to find out!

Where do I start?! Based on the Rolling Stones article I mentioned above, the screenplay for Pam & Tommy is simply superb. It sets the stage in such a way that viewers are immediately immersed in the story whether you lived it or not. The characters are introduced perfectly and all given an equal amount of depth to give the story enough weight to feel relatable, even though it takes place over 25-years ago (wow, time flies!). If you grew up in the 90’s you were obsessed with either Pamela Anderson or David Hasselhoff, or maybe even both, thanks to the immensely popular drama series, Baywatch.

I can’t get enough of the 90’s era, and just the fact that during this time most people didn’t even know what the internet was! Boy does that sound like a good time. I very vividly remember my own unhealthy obsession with American Online (AOL) during the latter years of my elementary school journey. Kids these days will never appreciate the dial up sounds that opened us up to a world of opportunity. My dad still has an AOL e-mail address, “You’ve got mail!”.

The story of Pam & Tommy is wild in every way, no question about it. During the entire three episodes I bought into every single emotion from the characters, from the despair to the elation, it all felt so real. I loved how certain shots were held a little longer or slowly panned back to carry more weight, specifically right as an episode was ending. I mean everything depicted in this series was monumental as far as how much of a significant impact it had on pop culture back in the 90’s.

As I was watching the show I couldn’t help but think how much the chance encounter of Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee literally changed the trajectory of pop culture in so many ways, especially as it relates to the porn industries foray into the World Wide Web. This story has everything you could ever want; endless sex appeal, fame and fortune, drama, crime, and endless intrigue. And as one of my former co-workers during my high school days would always say, sex sells, and boy was he right.

The performances are nothing short of exceptional. Lily James and Sebastian Stan aka The Winter Soldier are unreal in their portrayals of Anderson and Lee. Personally it didn’t take long before I forgot who they were and started to not see beyond the roles they were playing. From their facial expressions to their mannerisms, right down to the way they talked, you could tell they were 110% immersed in these characters. Can you even come close to comprehending a bigger transformation than James going from Cinderella to Pamela Anderson?!

The energy Stan brings to the off-the-rails Tommy Lee is out of this world. I bet he had to take a nap after each one of his scenes, I definitely would have. Seth Rogen takes on another pivotal role in the series as he portrays the character of Rand, a man we are all forever indebted to as he is the reason the infamous sex tape was released.

Rogen has built himself quite a career starring in some of my favorites comedies, as well as one of my all-time favorite comedy drama’s in 50/50, yet he is so good in this I can’t even see beyond his character either. Everything he does feels so authentic, and his character is very relatable as he falls victim to someone who treats him like a lesser because he has fame and fortune. But as the story goes, he gets his revenge. I also have to talk about one of my favorite actors, the underrated and honestly underappreciated Nick Offerman. I mean sure, Parks and Rec fans know him as Ron Swanson and love him for that character, but he has been in a ton of other great films, as well as the Fargo series. Few actors take hold of great dialogue quite like Mr. Offerman, and I will watch anything he is in.

The technical element of Pam & Tommy is surprisingly impressive. They could have easily gotten away with just flaunting a half naked Pam Anderson 90% of the time, or even Tommy Lee running around in his trademark thong, if you’re into that sort of thing, but they did not stop there. First and foremost, the soundtrack is pure 90’s fire. From the 69 Boyz hit Tootsie Roll, to the upbeat Steal My Sunshine from Len, the soundtrack helps to keep the energy for the film fast & furious.

From the start the soundtrack crammed me into a time machine and set the date to the mid-90’s, and I was not mad about it. I was also very pleased with the cinematography, as it blended extremely well with some creative camera work. The scene towards the end of the third episode with a straight 90’s Nick Offerman, fanny pack and all, walking through the airport like a straight boss is part of the reason why I love television and movies. So good!

THE BAD

To be honest I have very few issues with this series, mainly because they did such a great job taking me back in time while providing details that 11-year-old me overlooked thanks to, well, Pam Anderson in Playboy. Now if I had to point out a gripe that I had during the first 3-episodes, it would probably be that the timeline can be confusing at times. I mean we are given the year and all that during some of the more pivotal moments, but certain sequences seem to jump back and forth a bit too “willy nilly” if you catch my drift. A good example would be when we are shown how the relationship between Seth Rogan and Taylor Schilling’s characters developed. I actually had to rewind (nice VHS reference there) to make sure I didn’t miss anything, but maybe its just me.

THE VERDICT

Whether it is the 90’s setting or the burst of nostalgia taking me back to my advantageous journey into puberty compliments of the tantalizing Pamela Anderson, Pam & Tommy is an immersive and thoroughly entertaining series showcasing a defining moment in pop culture. Serving as another opportunity for the great Nick Offerman to put his acting talents on full display, the series is really an acting clinic for the entire main cast. You simply cannot cast a series based on true events better than this, it’s just not possible. Ten minutes into the premiere I knew I wasn’t leaving the couch until I finished all three debut episodes, and it was time very well spent. This series brings to the forefront one of the most defining moments of the 90’s, and if you don’t take the time to experience it for yourself, you’re simply doing life wrong.

TED TAKES RATING - 9.2/10

Pam & Tommy is now streaming on Hulu. Check out the latest trailer below.

Zola

By: Andrew Wing

Zola is a 2020 American black comedy crime film directed by Janicza Bravo (Gregory Go Boom, Lemon) and written by Bravo and Jeremy O. Harris (known for his plays “Daddy” and Slave Play). It is based on a viral Twitter thread from 2015 by Aziah “Zola” King and the resulting Rolling Stone article “Zola Tells All: The Real Story Behind the Greatest Stripper Saga Ever Tweeted” by David Kushner.

It stars Taylour Paige (White Boy Rick, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom) as Zola, a part-time stripper who is convinced by her new friend Stefani, who is played by Riley Keough (Magic Mike, The Devil All the Time), to travel to Tampa, Florida, in order to earn money, only to get in over her head; Colman Domingo (Fear the Walking Dead, Euphoria, If Beale Street Could Talk), Nicholas Braun (Succession), and Jason Mitchell (portrayed Eazy-E in Straight Outta Compton) also star.

The film had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 24, 2020, and was released in the United States on June 30, 2021, by A24, following a year delay due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Zola received positive reviews from critics, earning nominations in numerous awards shows including seven nods at the 37th Independent Spirit Awards, among them Best Film, Best Director and Best Screenplay.

THE GOOD

The main selling point for me when it came to this film was simply the fact that it comes from A24. Also the actors that I liked, but ask anyone who knows me and they will tell you I love everything from A24. I had absolutely no familiarity with this true story about the Twitter thread the film is based on that took place in 2015, but I guess the fact that this film is based off of a Twitter thread is pretty cool and unique. However, was the interesting true story enough to make Zola an overall good film in my opinion? Keep reading to find out!

First things first, I was very impressed with the direction we got in this from Janicza Bravo. It was clear that the director took this opportunity to create a film that is extremely stylish and modern. She did this by incorporating some internet isms, such as the constant Tweet sounds and also a black frame in the edit whenever someone took a selfie. There were just a ton of interesting stylistic choices in the movie with the editing and I thought they did a pretty good job with it. Continuing with Bravo who wrote the film with Jeremy O. Harris, I was a big fan of the screenplay. The screenplay is obviously interesting given the crazy nature of the true story, but it was surprisingly funny too. Ask Ted, I love love love black/dark comedy films and there are plenty of dry humor moments that might make you cringe and I was a fan of all of those. Those moments came thanks in large part to someone who is quickly becoming one of my favorite actors, Nicholas Braun. His comedic delivery is truly second-to-none and you’re doing yourself a disservice if you haven’t checked out Succession yet because his character Greg in that is legendary.

Onto the performances we got. First with Taylour Paige as she plays the titular character “Zola”. I thought she was good in this film as the only level-headed and calm person in their group. I will get to it later in “The Bad” section, but I wanted more from her character as ultimately there was no character arc with her. Despite that, she is definitely a name to keep an eye out for in the future. Next with Riley Keough, she just dives head first into the crazy nature of the story with her character. Her accent in this is wild and she stole the show for me. She had a role that could’ve come off as over-the-top, and maybe it was, but I felt that she was trying to be a human being at the end of the day with some of the more emotional scenes she had. Also, Colman Domingo is amazing in this. He has this double accent thing that comes out and it was easily one of the funniest things in the movie. But for real, whenever I watch Domingo in anything, I want to see more of him and I predict that he will win an Oscar in the next five years because he is just that good.

I loved the film stylistically as I said earlier, but it can’t go unsaid how great the cinematography is. It was done by Ari Wegner, who actually might win an Oscar this year for Best Cinematography because she shot The Power of the Dog (see my full review here). It has a distinct grainy film texture that I appreciated and all the shots of the pink Florida sunsets we got were pretty. It also contains a solid score from Mica Levi. The score was enticing as it had both organic sounds and also a hypnotic quality with some digital sounds. I look forward to becoming more familiar with her work after I watch two other films she scored that are on my watchlist, Under the Skin and Jackie.

THE BAD

Don’t get me wrong, the events that take place are interesting and the Twitter thread it is based on is bizarre, but it just didn’t overwhelm me as much as I thought. Going into this I thought I was going to have similar feelings when watching as I had when I watched Uncut Gems for the first time. However, I didn’t because none of the more intense scenes moved the needle for me. It kind of felt like an extraordinary story was told in an ordinary way if that makes sense. I also thought the character building was underwhelming given how great the cast was. Maybe that added to the ordinary feel I discussed, but I felt there was something missing. I thought the ending fell flat too and I just never got the big payoff I thought I was going to get with a story as crazy as this one.

Also, here is a spoiler warning: the movie is weird and unique and it carries that A24 vibe that all of their films have. It’s definitely one of the weirdest A24 films I’ve ever seen, probably since The Lighthouse, but I loved that film as it went full throttle into the craziness, where this one didn’t and I think that’s ultimately what held it back.

Lastly, given that the premise of the film is about two strippers who travel to Florida for the weekend to make some extra money, just be prepared for some nude scenes and other inappropriate scenes. Just choose wisely who you watch this around if you end up taking my suggestion to check this out.

THE VERDICT

Despite some underwhelming character building and an ending I thought fell flat, Zola is a bold, stylish, wacky true story that will surely give you some good laughs with its dry humor. I was very impressed with Janicza Bravo’s direction here and I look forward to seeing what she does next. Also, I loved the technical elements too in this and all the performances we got were awesome.

TED TAKES RATING - 7.3/10

Zola is now available to watch on Showtime. Check out the latest trailer below.