The Contractor

By: Andrew Wing

The Contractor is a 2022 American action thriller film directed by Tarik Saleh (also directed an episode of the HBO series Westworld) in his English-language film debut. The film stars Chris Pine (Star Trek reboot film series, Wonder Woman), Ben Foster (Lone Survivor, Leave No Trace), Gillian Jacobs (Community, Love), Eddie Marsan (Sherlock Holmes, The World’s End), J. D. Pardo (Mayans M.C., F9), Florian Munteanu (Creed 2, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings), and Kiefer Sutherland (The Lost Boys, 24).

The film follows James Harper (Pine), who after being involuntarily discharged from the Marines joins a paramilitary organization with his friend Mike (Foster) that is run by fellow veteran Rusty Jennings (Sutherland) in order to support his family in the only way he knows how.

Filming began in Europe including Fort Bragg in October 2019 and wrapped up by the end of 2019. The Contractor was released in theaters and on-demand in the United States on April 1, 2022, by Paramount Pictures and STXfilms. The film has so far grossed $1.3 million worldwide.

THE GOOD

I won’t keep you guessing, there was one reason I just knew I had to see this one once I saw the trailer for it, and that one reason was the fact that Chris Pine and Ben Foster were going to be in it together. If you haven’t been living under a rock for the past decade, then you’d know that the two of them co-starred in hands down one of the best films of the 21st century, Hell or High Water. The neo-Western crime film directed by David Mackenzie and written by Taylor Sheridan was so good that it earned a Best Picture nomination, and more importantly, it earned a spot on my all-time favorite films. But seriously though, those two’s chemistry in that film was unbelievable, so I just had to check this new one out to see if they could catch lightning in a bottle for a second time. So without wasting any more time, let’s find out if they did!

Well, you guessed it, they did! I will get into some of the film’s flaws later in the review, but Pine and Foster’s performances will not be included. First with Pine as he was the star of the show, he was awesome as always. I loved him in this as he played the ex-Marine who will do whatever it takes to provide for his family. Pine just thrives in the action thriller genre. I’ll never get tired of him beating the s**t out of somebody or firing some automatic rifles, and I’ll be able to get more of him doing that soon most likely in the upcoming Amazon Prime original film All the Old Knives (see our full preview here) that Ted or I will be reviewing! As for Ben Foster, he just rocked in this. I have never seen him give a bad performance and I honestly don’t know if he is capable of doing so after watching this. I won’t lie, I would’ve liked more screen time from him as we got in Hell or High Water, but this was Pine’s show at the end of the day. Nonetheless, he played this role perfectly as he is always capable of being both extremely funny with his snarky comments and also very dramatic when the going gets tough. I can’t wait to watch him in The Survivor coming to HBO Max later this month and I strongly believe he will win an Oscar in the next five years!

Yes, the performances were the best part of the film, but there were other things about The Contractor that were very good. One of those things was the English-language film debut by director Tarik Saleh. This was the first I have seen from Saleh and he did not disappoint. Sure, it could have been better in spots but his decisions for the most part were solid. From how long he would hold the camera on the character’s face in the more dramatic scenes to how he orchestrated the combat scenes, I am just looking forward to what he does next. I also want to give some credit to J.P. Davis for writing the screenplay here even though I will touch on some things I didn’t agree with. At the end of the day, the script was full of good dialogue and I could tell that Davis had a ton of knowledge on the subject matter as he pushed an important message throughout the film that needs to be dealt with when it comes to veterans returning home from service.

Some other things I liked about The Contractor that are worth mentioning include both some of the supporting performances and the action sequences. First with the supporting performances. I mean I have to start with Kiefer Sutherland. The man is a pretty big deal in the business and I have always been a big fan of his and he did not disappoint here. Now I still can’t fathom why I like him so much since he is responsible for so many nightmares in my youth due to watching The Lost Boys at way too young of an age, but he is just so easy to like on the big screen. I also really liked seeing Razor Fist himself (Florian Munteanu) from Shang-Chi (see our full review here) in this even though it was a very small role. The dude is just a beast, and he played a big part in why I loved the action sequences so much here. There is nothing worse than watching a movie that's got these characters that are ex-Marines but they don’t even look like they have touched a weapon before, and thankfully that wasn’t the case here. I don’t know who the credit belongs to for that, but I was very pleased with what we got for the final product.

THE BAD

While there definitely was more good than bad when it comes to The Contractor, the film still had a couple of big flaws. I said I would touch on J.P. Davis’s screenplay again, and here it is. For the first half of the film, I felt like the movie’s central theme was focused on exposing the real problem that these veterans face when they come back home after serving whether it is being discharged for the smallest thing that leaves them left with none of the necessities you need to survive in today’s economy or just dealing with the horrors that come with PTSD. But following the first third of the film, it totally disregards everything it was going for and just turns into a standard-issue action thriller film. I don’t know, maybe it isn’t fully Davis’s fault and maybe some of the blame belongs to the director because well, he is the director, but I just wish they picked a lane and stayed in it rather than swerving back and forth between both because it hurt the film as a whole.

Also, I am not going to lie, but the film is kind of a bore at times. And with a film like this that is only 103 minutes long and an action thriller, that is not a good thing. Don’t get me wrong, the beginning is good and the action sequences are great, but the time in between those parts dragged quite a bit. And lastly, the very end of the film was not what I was expecting at all. I don’t want to spoil anything, but I wouldn’t have minded an extra five minutes or so because I think it would have given us a better ending than the one we got.

THE VERDICT

Even though the film gets stuck between either being a message movie or a full-on action thriller, The Contractor makes the most of its talented cast. Chris Pine and Ben Foster reunite in their first feature film since the critically acclaimed Hell or High Water, and it does not disappoint. I was also impressed by the English-language film debut from director Tarik Saleh and if you got some free time, you should go check it out in theaters or on-demand.

TED TAKES RATING - 6.3/10

The Contractor is now playing in select theaters and is also available to buy or rent on demand. Check out the latest trailer below.

The Lost City

The Lost City is a 2022 action comedy film directed by Aaron and Adam Nee, who co-wrote the screenplay with Oren Uziel and Dana Fox, from a story by Seth Gordon. The premise of the film is very similar to the 1984 Robert Zemeckis film Romancing the Stone, and even includes a few clever odes to the classic.

A reclusive romance novelist on a book tour with her cover model gets swept up in a kidnapping attempt that lands them both in a cutthroat jungle adventure.

The film stars Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum in the lead roles, with Daniel Radcliffe, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, Brad Pitt, Oscar Nuñez, and Patti Harrison, in supporting roles.

The Lost City made its debut in theaters on March 25th, courtesy of Paramount Pictures. Watch the official trailer below.

THE GOOD

My wife is pretty much obsessed with the 2009 film The Proposal, which is admittedly one of the ultimate classics of the rom com (romantic comedy) genre. I mean, you get Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds, with a bit of the legendary Betty White thrown in for good measure (RIP). It is just a fantastic all around movie. Though I have yet to verify this information, the rumor is they actually tried to get Reynolds to star alongside Bullock as a bit of a reunion, but after a deal couldn’t be reached they went with Channing Tatum. They didn’t exactly settle that’s for sure, because my guy Channing Tatum is an absolute stud. So once we saw the trailer for The Lost City and felt the nostalgia of The Proposal oozing out of it, we knew we had to see this movie immediately. Plus, considering my wife and I had yet to see a movie together in over two years thanks to the fact that we have two kids now, it was time to finally get her back on the saddle and this was the movie to do it! So, was it worth all of the excitement? Keep reading to find out!

First things first, we were visiting family in Texas when the movie released so naturally we made plans to see it while we were there. We had this great kid free “day date” planned out that included a showing at the AMC theater in Katy, Texas. We sat down in our fancy powered recliners with our overpriced Reese’s Pieces and warm buttered popcorn, only for the movie to play for 15 minutes and have the sound cut out completely. Theater staff assured us for the next 35-40 minutes that the movie would be restarted, before finally telling us sorry this showing would not happen and we can happily wait in line for a refund. Nice job AMC, I hope this mishap impacted your stock price significantly. So anyway, once we returned home we made sure to right this wrong and went to one of our local, and reliable, movie theaters to finally watch The Lost City, with sound and all! Wow are we spoiled, take that AMC! I am happy to say that it was well worth the wait as my wife and I had a blast with this movie and laughed nearly the entire time. Whether it was Channing Tatum looking like Clay Matthews with his flowing blonde hair, or Sandra Bullock getting carried around zip tied to a chair because there simply wasn’t enough time to free her, this movie is full of top-tier humor. From the cast, to the writing, the the overall tone and feel of the film, The Lost City has a little something for everyone.

I really just can’t say enough good things about this movie, it is just so much fun. I mean just look at Channing Tatum in his neck pillow and sleep mask, the image in itself just cracks me up. More than anything else, The Lost City never takes itself too seriously. The storyline is entertaining and immersive, the cast seems to be genuinely enjoying themselves, and everything just comes together in such a way that you will be smiling from start to finish. I wanted to see what happened next, but I was also completely content just hanging out with the characters as hilarity ensued. We’ve had our fair share of treasure hunt style action adventure comedies with Disney’s blockbuster Jungle Cruise (our full review here) starring Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt, or the recently released video game adaptation Uncharted (our full review here) starring Tom Holland and Mark Wahlberg. But I will say without a doubt that The Lost City is more than deserving of it’s place in a crowded genre, and will surely warrant several repeat viewings for the sheer enjoyment of it.

As far as the acting is concerned, I would use just one word, and that is superb. Now the cool thing about an action comedy like The Lost City is you don’t have any misconceptions about Oscar nominations or anything like that, it’s just not that kind of movie. And that is more than okay. The dynamic duo headlining the film is of course the gorgeous 57-year-old Sandra Bullock, who somehow hasn’t aged in the past 20 years. I mean seriously, whatever she is doing is working. I pray to look half as good as her when I am her age. Plus, she previously dated Troy Aikman, Matthew McConaughey, and Ryan Gosling, all man crushes of mine in no particular order of course. Okay fine, Gosling jumps the line. But not The Notebook Gosling, Crazy Stupid Love meets The Place Beyond the Pines Gosling. I’ll move on before it gets weird. Bullock has been a fixture in the world of cinema for as long as I can remember, and she is still doing things at a very high level. Her character in The Lost City is vintage Sandra Bullock, feeling like a mix of her characters in Miss Congeniality (2000), and The Proposal. I just loved her in this movie, and more than anything else I genuinely cannot see anyone playing the role as well as she did.

Now on to my guy Channing Tatum, who I swear is a brother from another mother. I will try to avoid talking to much about yet another man crush of mine (I realize I have many), but if you are so inclined to go down that rabbit hole you can check out my recent review for Tatum’s drama film Dog, that released a few months ago (full review here). Bottom line, Channing Tatum has got it. He has the charisma, the talent, and of course the chiseled jawline. Tatum has proven he can play a hardened hero just as easily as he can play more of a good-looking dummy, which is where his character of Alan/Dash finds himself, at least in the beginning anyway. Tatum is able to effortlessly toe the line of real-life and fantasy, which is a massive selling point of the films premise and a big reason of why it works so well. He struggles to separate real-life and the fictional character that has made him a polarizing celebrity, and he will have you laughing your butt off. Bottom line, the Bullock and Tatum duo is a home run, and I hope to see them together again. Who knows, perhaps a sequel?

Daniel Radcliffe is fantastic as per usual as he takes a rare stab at playing the villain role. His undeniable charisma is on display as he balances his role as a wealthy known public figure turned cutthroat criminal who will stop at nothing to get what he wants. I also really enjoyed the role played by Da'Vine Joy Randolph, and felt like she made herself right at home amongst some of Hollywood’s greatest talents. The young Philadelphia native is still working towards making a name for herself, having played roles in This Is Us, Office Christmas Party (2016), Kajillionaire (2020), and the new Prime Video series Only Murders in the Building. Randolph has a powerful on-screen presence in The Lost City, and I genuinely enjoyed her character. She could have easily felt over-the-top or corny, but I felt like she managed to even things out in such a way that she was one of the many bright spots of the film. I loved the decision to bring on Oscar Nuñez, who famously played the only male stripper in town in The Proposal. Most know him as Oscar from The Office, but either way the guy is hilarious without even trying. He has a small role in the film but still manages to play what felt like a key role.

“Why are you so handsome? My dad was a weather man”

I promise the above quote is not a spoiler because it is in the trailer, but I felt like I had to add it in to the review mainly because it has been on repeat in my head for a few months now. Brad Pitt is hands down one of the greatest working actors of my generation. I mean the guy is as versatile as they come, and with 84 acting credits to date according to IMDb, what hasn’t he been in?! As far as his versatility is concerned, I go back to films like Se7en (1995), Fight Club (1999), Burn After Reading (2008), which is a super underrated film for him if you ask me, Killing Them Softly (2012), and one of my more recent favorites of his, Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time… In Hollywood. Bottom line, Brad Pitt IS that dude. Now granted his role in The Lost City is without a doubt a smaller supporting role, but that doesn’t even matter because he will surely leave an impression with you like he did with me. Long live Jack Trainer!! You’ll get it once you see the movie.

Okay, so as far as the technical elements of the film are concerned, the soundtrack is huge. So much of the movie relies on the music and they made sure that it all lines up perfectly, with several impactful slow-mo scenes with a catchy tune playing in the background, like Pat Benatar’s 1982 classic “Shadow’s of the Night”. Filmed in the Dominican Republic, the film offers ample eye candy as far as scenery is concerned and was beautiful throughout, and will make you want to take a vacation. Ideally something with less insanity of course. I also loved the tank/jeep Daniel Radcliffe’s character decides to use on his jungle adventure. At one point he points out that it was his dream to have a tank that also had a mini bar, and he made that dream a reality. Those of you who are fans of Jeep’s and off-roading adventures will be drooling over this thing. The Lost City is naturally packed to the brim with great action sequences as well, with each one successfully adding a little extra to the overall fun-factor of the film.

Brothers Aaron and Adam Nee, who direct the film, really brought their A-Game here. Adam even worked overtime as he made a cameo early on in the film. It is nearly unheard of for an unknown director to helm a project with such star power, let alone two unknown directors who happen to be brothers, but they made the most of their opportunity. I felt like the camera work was fantastic as it took full advantage of the action and the beautiful setting, and felt creative and always immersive. I just can’t say enough great things about these guys and what they accomplished behind the camera in The Lost City. Sometimes referred to as the Nee brothers when they collaborate, Aaron and Adam have proven they have the talent and we will surely see more of them in the near future. They also directed the 2015 crime drama Band of Brothers which you can watch now on Prime Video. The film, which has received mostly positive critical acclaim, is a spin-off of Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer characters.

THE BAD

I’ve been sitting here pondering what I didn’t like about The Lost City, and to be honest I got nothing. It was never boring, the writing and the acting kept me engaged throughout, and the film as a whole managed to include more substance than I expected. This is simply one of those movies meant to entertain, while still adding enough layers to avoid feeling cheesy. If you can honestly criticize this movie, you either have a personal vendetta against the cast, or have some serious personal issues to work out. Perhaps both.

THE VERDICT

An action comedy that always plays to it’s strengths while never taking itself too seriously, The Lost City is a hilarious and always enjoyable adventure featuring some of the best acting talent working today in Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum, with a bit of Brad Pitt as the icing on the cake. My expectations were admittedly high, and to say they were met would be an understatement. The Lost City is simply one of those movies that reminds you exactly why you love movies so much in the first place. An experience like this just makes it easy, like seriously if they can keep churning out stuff like this go ahead and take my money. Plus, the film is paced extremely well considering it nearly reached the often dreaded 2-hour mark. I touched on the issue we had at the AMC theater earlier in the review, but I wanted to point out that even though we watched without sound for a solid 15 minutes, people were still laughing. It was the craziest thing. Bottom line, please go ahead and support a bright light in the film industry and see The Lost City in theaters, you won’t regret it.

TED TAKES RATING - 8.5/10

The Lost City is now playing only in theaters. Check out the latest trailer below.

Red Rocket

By: Andrew Wing

Red Rocket is a 2021 American comedy-drama film directed by Sean Baker from a screenplay co-written with Chris Bergoch (co-wrote with Baker on his two previous films Tangerine and The Florida Project). It stars Simon Rex (Scary Movie franchise), Bree Elrod, and Suzanna Son.

The plot follows an ex-porn star Mikey Saber (Rex) who after finding himself down and out in Los Angeles, returns to his hometown of Texas City, Texas, and begins a relationship with a young woman named Strawberry (Son) who works the cash register at a local doughnut shop.

The film premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in competition for the Palme d’Or (where it lost to Titane - see my full review here) on July 14, 2021. It was released in limited theaters on December 10, 2021, by A24. It received a variety of awards and nominations, most notably coming from the National Board of Review which listed it among the top ten films of the year. Rex also won Best Actor awards from the Los Angeles Film Critics Association and the Independent Spirit Awards.

THE GOOD

Red Rocket was hands down one of my most anticipated films of 2021. The main reason is that it was directed by Sean Baker. For those of you who are unfamiliar with Baker, he broke onto the scene back in 2015 with his low-budget independent film Tangerine which received widespread acclaim, and then he really made waves in 2017 with the A24 coming-of-age drama The Florida Project, which was easily one of the best films of the past decade behind a phenomenal Oscar-nominated supporting performance from Willem Dafoe. With this though, he was back with A24 again, this time with a bonkers story revolving around an ex-porn star played by Simon Rex, the last actor on the planet you would expect to star in an awards contender type of film given that he is most known for starring in the horrendous Scary Movie franchise. The film came out in December only in limited theaters so I wasn’t able to see it until it came on demand, but it finally did and I didn’t hesitate to check it out. So let’s dive into this review and find out if Sean Baker has done it again. Keep reading to find out!

I briefly mentioned a little bit about Sean Baker as a director, but that didn’t do him justice. He was already one of the best directors in Hollywood after The Florida Project, but after this, I think he has cemented himself as one of the hottest names in the industry right now and I would have him in the top five to be completely honest. Even if he isn’t top five, he is still at least one of the most interesting filmmakers working. His direction here was amazing. From the camera placements to the free-flowing narrative structure, Baker crushed it. All of Sean Baker’s movies have their own style and they often are focused on the backdrop of where these main characters are living, which are usually in impoverished cities with characters in poor situations, and that was the case for Red Rocket. I don’t know what more to say, I loved Baker’s direction and I cannot wait to see what he does next!

Not only did Baker direct, but he also wrote the original screenplay for the film alongside frequent collaborator Chris Bergoch. I loved the script. The movie is the absolute definition of a comedy-drama. The movie is generally pretty funny and some might see it as more of a comedy given how funny Simon Rex is with his performance, especially at the beginning. However, the dramatic writing is arguably more impressive. With all the dramatic scenes in this, we get constant nerve-wracking scenes. They were so intense and you don’t get a second to breathe from start to finish in this movie and that’s a testament to Baker and Bergoch’s screenplay, which I would’ve loved to see get nominated for Best Original Screenplay.

Let’s not waste any more time though, it is time to address the best part of this movie, and that is Simon Rex. I guess I shouldn’t have been too surprised with Simon Rex being in the lead role with Baker being known for his unconventional casting choices, but I wasn’t expecting to say after watching that Rex might have given the best performance of the year. I mean he was that good. Rex is also a former porn star himself, so you can say it’s a sort of autobiographical performance if you want to call it that, and his performance was the center of this movie. He is excellent in the lead role and his character actually starts out charming, witty, and funny and he was difficult to take your eyes off. As the film goes on though, he becomes increasingly unlikeable and some of those initial traits that I found charming changed and showed that this guy is really strange, and you begin to see that he’s ultimately being a salesman to get what he wants.

The movie is mostly a character study of this unique protagonist and it becomes this haunting portrait of the state of our country. To finish up before I begin to over-analyze, there were certain scenes Rex gave that totally blew me away. There is one scene in the first third of the film where he gives this absurd monologue while just wearing a towel and he rambles utter nonsense for almost three to four minutes long. Another scene comes after he and his friend are responsible for a twenty-plus car pileup, and his acting in the scene had me on the edge of my seat holding my breath because I felt all of the feelings he was feeling at that moment. In conclusion, it’s absolutely insane that he didn’t get nominated for Best Actor, but this definitely isn’t the role the Academy would ever go for, and that is unfortunate.

While there is no debate that Rex was the best, all the supporting performances were incredible. All of their performances were so exasperated and the one who did that better than anyone else was Bree Elrod. Elrod played Mikey Saber’s wife Lexi, and she was outstanding. Like most of Baker’s cast members in his films, this was the first I had seen of Elrod and something tells me after this, it won’t be the last. The next performance that must be mentioned is Suzanna Son for her performance as Strawberry. Strawberry is the 17-year-old girl that Mikey becomes infatuated with, and Son just crushed every aspect of this role. She was beautiful and she has this one scene where she is singing, and it makes me think that not only does she have a bright future in the film industry, but also in the music industry if she wants to.

Aside from the direction and the performances, Red Rocket also had really strong music and cinematography. It’s weird to say that its music was good when it only used one single song, but it was used perfectly, and that song was “Bye Bye Bye” from the legendary band NSYNC. They begin the film with it and use it throughout the film and it was amazing. I haven’t been able to get the song out of my head yet and I won’t anytime in the foreseeable future. Next, the cinematography from Drew Daniels was incredible and he does a really great job here. It was shot in 16mm and Sean Baker has a unique eye when it comes to cinematography. Just like his films themselves have their own style, they all have their own visual style too, and like with The Florida Project, the cinematography isn’t always showing off but it always has this effect on you as you’re watching it. It looks vibrant which is impressive considering its setting and there are so many shots of the backdrops that were able to capture the poverty of this city, which added another layer to the film.

THE BAD

I really enjoyed the movie, but I could definitely see a lot of people not liking it. The main reason is that the protagonist if I can even use that word, is a piece of shit, to tell the truth. The character is basically a scumbag and I ultimately thought we would get this character arc, but without spoiling the end, he doesn’t get redeemed at the end and just has no redeemable qualities. He doesn’t grow from beginning to end, he remains a crappy person. It didn’t bother me a ton because I was enthralled with Rex’s performance of the character, but I think it will be too big of a pill to swallow for most audiences.

Another problem with this movie is that it runs way too long. It has a runtime of 128 minutes and that is like 30 minutes longer than it should’ve been if you ask me. There were some things that happened for no reason. For example, there was this one storyline that was briefly discussed but it never came to fruition so things like that didn’t need to be included if they weren't going to be explained. I know some people will say this is art so not everything needs to have a reason behind it and things can just not have an explanation. However, when it comes to movies, they do need to be explained in my opinion. Also, I knew where it was going and I was kind of waiting for it to get to certain places and with a character like this, it got exhausting at times. To end my ranting, I think if it condensed itself a little bit, it might have been a stronger film.

In conclusion, there is one more thing I need to address. And that is the fact that this movie is pretty graphic. I mean you shouldn’t be shocked because Red Rocket’s premise revolves around a retired porn star, and it isn’t like rated X graphic or anything, but there are some pretty dirty scenes so be prepared. It also just leaves you kind of uncomfortable and feeling gross when you realize it is about a relationship involving a 17-year-old girl and a middle-aged man.

THE VERDICT

Despite some of the film’s flaws, Sean Baker has again crafted something really unique and fascinating with Red Rocket. Simon Rex gave what I think just might’ve been the best lead performance of 2021, and Baker continues to affirm that he is one of those writer-directors you should be looking out for. The film hasn’t left my mind since I watched it, and a lot of that is thanks to the incredible use of NSYNC’s “Bye Bye Bye” that I cannot stop singing.

TED TAKES RATING - 8.2/10

Red Rocket is now available to buy or rent on demand. Check out the latest trailer below.

In the Earth

By: Andrew Wing

In the Earth (stylized as IN THE EⱯRTH) is a 2021 horror film written and directed by Ben Wheatley (also directed Free Fire and the 2020 adaptation of Rebecca). A British-American co-production, the film stars Joel Fry (Paddington 2, Cruella), Reece Shearsmith (Spaced, The World’s End), Hayley Squires (I, Daniel Blake, In Fabric), Ellora Torchia, John Hollingworth and Mark Monero (EastEnders).

The film takes place as a deadly virus ravages the world and follows Dr. Martin Lowery (Fry) as he embarks on a mission to reach test site ATU327A, a research hub deep in the Arboreal Forest. This arduous journey, which is guided by park scout Alma (Torchia), is set back by a nighttime attack that leaves the two bruised and shoeless. But when they run into Zach (Shearsmith), a man living off the grid, they gratefully accept his help. However, Zach’s intentions aren’t exactly what they seem, and a path out of the forest and into safety quickly fades as the line between myth and science blurs.

In the Earth had its world premiere at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival on January 29, 2021, and was released in the United States on April 16, 2021, by Neon.

THE GOOD

In the Earth has been on my watchlist for far too long. I watched all ten of the Best Picture nominees and got those reviews out of the way, so I finally was able to check out this movie that I’ve heard tons of good things about since premiering at last year’s Sundance Film Festival. Aside from all the mostly positive reviews, I knew I needed to check this out because it was distributed by Neon, an American independent film production and distribution company. I absolutely love Neon and all their films, and they are almost reaching that A24 level status with their films. I mean just last year they came out with Pig (see my full review here), Titane (see my full review here), Spencer (see my full review here), and Flee (see my full review here) just to name a few. So without wasting any more time, let’s see if In the Earth is a worthy entry into Neon’s stacked catalog. Keep reading to find out!

The film is directed by Ben Wheatley and this is only the second film of his that I’ve seen. A lot of critics have said this is a return to form for him so I, unfortunately, can’t really say too much about that, but I will say I was impressed with what we got here. His direction was great as he made sure to convey how unique of a filmmaker he is with his decisions, but the story we got with his original screenplay is pretty awesome. The story feels oddly similar to our real lives the past two years with COVID-19 as a deadly virus ravages the world and a doctor is sent on a mission to reach a test site. It starts out as this pretty basic mission, but it becomes something much stranger. I don’t want to reveal too much about the plot because it’ll definitely be better for you not to know a lot going into it. I will say though to just be prepared for the movie to take you to some weird places because it is a truly wild journey you embark on.

The acting in horror films can be all over the place sometimes, but there are some solid performances in In the Earth. I like Joel Fry a lot in the lead role here, and it was cool to see him in a more dramatic role after only seeing him in a comedic role in Disney’s Cruella (see Ted’s full review here) where he and Paul Walter Hauser had great comedic chemistry. His character definitely gets physically destroyed in the film and I didn’t think for a second that what was going on was over the top or not believable, and that’s a testament to Fry. Hayley Squires and Ellora Torchia were good as well, but the standout for me was Reece Shearsmith, as he plays the psychopathic villain Zach in the movie. The guy is just meant to play these kinds of characters and I was shocked at how great he was. I hope this doesn’t spoil too much but there is one scene involving amputation and it will just have you clenching your fists and grinding your teeth with how nerve-wracking the moment is thanks in large part to Shearsmith’s intensity he brought to the scene. I honestly just can’t wait to see what he does next.

The directing, writing and acting are all good, but I think this movie’s strength is its technical elements. First, it is extremely well-edited, and it flew by for me. Continuing with the technical elements here, the cinematography is done by Nick Gillespie and it was top-notch. There are some pretty trippy sequences too with the lights and I thought they were super well shot by him. Also, the sound design for this film was fantastic. It is super cool and it blends with Clint Mansell’s score really well. Maybe it is just me, but I think it is so nice when a film merges the sound design into the actual score because it gives it another layer. All in all, on the tech side of things, In the Earth checks every box.

THE BAD

I liked this film overall and it is interesting once it gets going, but I will say In the Earth is pretty slow to start. I don’t know why they went that route with a film like this because the film itself is just this absolute WTF movie. There are some very weird things that happen and I guess the biggest thing that’s bothering me with this film is that I guess I just missed the point of what this film was trying to do. Maybe that’s because they were going for more of a surface experience with some cool underlying elements that make it unique, but it definitely came across more like a thriller to me rather than a horror. Don’t get me wrong, as a thriller it’s good, but as the horror film it tried to be, I’m not over the moon on really that much about it.

Next, and I can’t take full credit for this thought, but I have seen people saying this is a ripoff of Annihilation, the 2018 sci-fi psychological horror film written and directed by Alex Garland, and I won’t lie, it is pretty similar. I just got a lot of Annihilation vibes with this mainly because it takes place in the forest and deals with the brutality of nature. But at the end of the day, I don’t think it’s a rip-off as it definitely goes further and further down the wormhole of weirdness but that is truthfully why I didn’t like this movie nearly as much as I did Annihilation. I don’t know, In the Earth was trying to go for this message for how we deal with nature and everything, but it just didn’t land strongly with that from my eyes.

Lastly, and this is more of a warning rather than a critique, not only should you be prepared for the weirdness, but also be prepared for some gore. I already mentioned an amputation scene so you catch my drift, but aside from that, there is not much scary about this one at all. Also, be warned, the film contains intense sequences that may trigger those susceptible to photosensitive epilepsy.

THE VERDICT

While I see it more as a thriller than the horror movie it tried to be, In the Earth is still a solid film with a fascinating concept from director Ben Wheatley. It’s a very good-looking, well-done movie with above-average performances from the main cast, and it’s worth checking out if you are in the mood for a horror-ish movie with some unnerving moments.

Maybe it was the weirdness of the film, but I just don’t know if it really drilled down into anything that gets my blood going like some of the better A24 horror films of the past couple of years. It also took a little while to get going and it might be a little too similar to Annihilation for my liking.

TED TAKES RATING - 6.6/10

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

Passing

By: Andrew Wing

Passing is a 2021 black-and-white drama film written, produced, and directed by Rebecca Hall (starred in The Prestige and The Town) in her feature directorial debut. The film is based on the 1929 novel of the same name by Nella Larsen, and its title refers to African-Americans who had skin color light enough to be perceived as white, referred to as “passing”. The film stars Tessa Thompson (Creed, Thor: Ragnarok), Ruth Negga (Loving, Warcraft), André Holland (42, Moonlight), Bill Camp (Lincoln, 12 Years a Slave), Gbenga Akinnagbe (The Wire, The Deuce), Antoinette Crowe-Legacy, and Alexander Skarsgård (True Blood, The Legend of Tarzan).

The film follows the unexpected high school reunion of two high school friends, Clare Kendry-Bellew (Negga) and Irene Redfield (Thompson), which ignites a mutual obsession that threatens both of their carefully constructed realities.

The film had its world premiere at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival on January 30, 2021, and began a limited theatrical release on October 27, 2021, prior to streaming on Netflix on November 10. The film was named one of the top ten films of 2021 by the African American Film Critics Association. For her performance, Negga was nominated for the Golden Globe Award, BAFTA, and Screen Actors Guild Award in the category of Best Supporting Actress.

THE GOOD

So I actually watched Passing a couple of months ago when it first came out on Netflix, and I have kind of been surprised with how little attention it has been getting from the big awards shows outside of Ruth Negga collecting a couple of nominations for Best Supporting Actress, so I figured I could give it some love by writing a review on it. Just to take you back though, I knew I would be checking this out as soon as I saw the trailer as I am an absolute sucker for some black-and-white cinematography. But more than that, it was Rebecca Hall’s directorial debut and it is always exciting to watch an actor’s first run at being behind the camera rather than in front of it. Also, it’s got Tessa Thompson and Ruth Negga, two young up-and-coming actresses leading the way so I was floored to check this out. So without further ado, let’s see if Passing was deserving of some more awards season love or if it just got what it deserved. Keep reading to find out!

I won’t waste any time, this was a really impressive directorial debut from Rebecca Hall. It’s obvious already that she is a genuinely talented director. I say that because you can get a lot out of this particular film if you really pay attention. It’s very subtle but there is a lot that’s communicated in small ways without ever being overbearing, and that is directing talent right there if you ask me. Not only did Hall direct, but she also wrote the screenplay for the film that was adapted from the 1929 novel of the same name. That itself was impressive because when you’re taking from literature you often have to be clever with how you express things. That is the case because literature is so internal, and you could tell by watching the film that this is definitely based on a novel because the character is stewing with several kinds of emotions but it’s hard to tell from the surface what those might be and that is a credit to Hall’s writing.

The film as a whole was just super interesting given its premise. This is such a hard story too and Hall approached it with such care and charisma. I mean it follows Tessa Thompson’s character who encounters an old friend played by Ruth Negga who is African-American but looks white enough to “pass” and live the life of a white woman by pretending to be white. The best thing about it though is that the story only gets better throughout as you see that the two characters become envious of each other’s lifestyles. That’s tough, and I would bet that a lot of directors wouldn’t have chosen this material for their first film, yet Hall did and she killed it. I wouldn’t have expected to see Rebecca Hall get nominated for Best Director, but I did think that a nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay would’ve been more than fair. At the end of the day, I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a film tackle colorism as upfront the way this film does and I do feel like I got a lot out of it. It’s a thought-provoking slow film to discuss and dissect a little bit that’s for sure and I will probably watch this again to see what else I can take away from it.

All the performances we got here were very good, but Ruth Negga really stood out to me and I can see why she has been getting the most accolades after this film. I still need to see Loving, the film she got a Best Actress nomination for back in 2016, but her performance here was excellent. I would’ve loved to see her get a Best Supporting Actress nomination because her character is one that is both super confident but still wishes to be something else, and she conveyed a wide range of emotions from start to finish and I just loved her performance. Just to touch on some other performances, first with Tessa Thompson. I think Thompson is an amazing actress and I thought she nailed this role as the more introverted one of the two friends. Her performance was unshowy for sure, but it was still a beautifully internalized performance. Lastly, I really enjoyed André Holland’s small supporting performance in this. I have yet to see him give a bad performance, and I sense an Oscar in his near future if given the right role.

In conclusion, the technical elements of Passing were ridiculously good. The cinematography from Eduard Grau was freaking amazing and was completely shot in black and white, and was just so well done. Also, the 4:3 aspect ratio was so perfect, and all of the framing choices felt super purposeful. The production design too was incredible as the film takes place in the 1920s and I really felt like I was taken back to that time period thanks to the sets we got here. And lastly, the music provided to us by Dev Hynes was worthy of applause.

THE BAD

There’s no denying that this is a good film, but I’d be lying if I didn’t say that I felt a little conflicted with this one. It’s a very contained film and it can feel really slow and boring at times as the movie isn’t always focused on the most interesting part of the story. At times, I think it gets a little too caught up in just jealousy for jealousy’s sake at some point with the characters. I thought this hurt the film because there were so many different topics that this film was juggling and I think it touched too lightly on a lot of them. Passing is short too with a runtime of just over 90 minutes, so I don’t see why they couldn’t have touched on more of those topics more in-depth.

Also, and I’m not trying to take anything away from Hall’s directorial debut because I mean it when I say she killed it, but I would’ve liked her to have taken a few more liberties with the screenplay to try and make it more cinematic. I mean it’s tough with the film being adapted from a short novel, but I think that lack of cinematic moments held the film back at the end of the day. On the same token, because of it being based on a novel, there were these certain subtexts throughout the film that were hard to pick up on, but hey, I will let you know if I pick up on them in my rewatch.

And lastly, I was not a fan of the ending whatsoever. I might even go as far as to say I hated it. It was just such an abrupt way to wrap up the story without giving it the powerful conclusion it deserved. The ending just left a bad taste in my mouth and had me feeling super underwhelmed.

THE VERDICT

Despite the abrupt ending that left me feeling underwhelmed, Passing is quite a promising directorial debut from Rebecca Hall. Her direction and adapted screenplay were exquisite and she makes the most of a talented cast led by Tessa Thompson and Ruth Negga who were both terrific. Not only is it well-acted, but it’s also extremely well shot as it uses its black and white cinematography to convey its thought-provoking black and white themes.

Aside from the ending that I disliked, there was just something missing here that left me conflicted. I think they might have bit off a little more than they could chew as the majority of the film wasn’t necessarily focused on the most interesting part of its story.

TED TAKES RATING - 7.4/10

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

The Hand of God

By: Andrew Wing

The Hand of God (Italian: È stata la mano di Dio, i.e. It was the hand of God) is a 2021 Italian drama film written, directed, and produced by Paolo Sorrrentino (best known for his 2013 film The Great Beauty (La Grande Bellezza) that won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film). It stars Filippo Scotti, Toni Servillo, Teresa Saponangelo, Marlon Joubert, Luisa Ranieri, Renato Carpentieri, Massimiliano Gallo, Betti Pedrazzi, Biagio Manna, and Ciro Capano.

The film takes place in 1980s Naples, Italy, and follows an awkward Italian teen (Scotti) struggling to find his place as he experiences heartbreak and liberation after he’s inadvertently saved from a freak accident by football legend Diego Maradona. The film refers autobiographically to Sorrentino’s youth in Naples.

It competed for the Golden Lion at the 78th Venice International Film Festival where it won the Grand Jury Prize and where Filippo Scotti received the Marcello Mastroianni Award. It was released in a limited release on November 24, 2021, followed by streaming on Netflix on December 15, 2021. It was nominated for the Best International Feature Film at the 94th Academy Awards, where it lost to Drive My Car (see my full review here).

THE GOOD

For those that have read any of my past reviews, you know that I have a love and a deep appreciation for foreign films. It all started with Parasite back in 2019 and now I try and check out all of the best foreign films of every year, and it just so happens that The Hand of God was one of them after receiving a nomination for Best International Feature Film. Another big reason why I wanted to check this out aside from the nomination was the fact that I had never seen a film directed by Paolo Sorrentino before. Sorrentino is a pretty big name in the film industry thanks in large part to his 2013 Oscar-winning film The Great Beauty, which I will be checking out very soon. But now that you have some context, let’s find out if this movie was really one of the top foreign films of 2021, so keep reading to find out!

It’s only fitting that I start this review by praising the man that was the main reason I pressed play in the first place, and that would be director Paolo Sorrentino. Not only did he direct this, but he also wrote and produced it as well, and it didn’t take long for me to see why he is so respected in the business. His story is inspired by real-life events and Sorrentino just bares his heart and soul into this film. The fact that it was a personal story helped the film overall for sure because it was highly specific in its character details and every inch of this film was so expertly crafted. I will touch more on his production side of things later in the review, but as for his screenplay here, it was truly beautiful. There were parts that had you bursting with laughter, while there were parts that had you very close to tears. All in all, it was an extremely impressive picture from Sorrentino and it made me want to see more of his past work.

Next, I would like to shout out the entire cast for The Hand of God. All of the acting was incredible and there wasn’t a weak link. There are two supporting performances that were really strong and they came from Luisa Ranieri as the beautiful yet damaged character Patrizia and also Teresa Saponangelo as the main character’s mother. Their screen time was limited, but they shined in all of their scenes regardless. Despite that, the fact remains that the standout here was the star of the show, Filippo Scotti. I was blown away by his performance as Fabietto Schisa, which as I mentioned is just a fictionalized 16-year-old version of director Sorrentino, in the film, and I was even more blown away to find out that he is only 22 and this was his feature film acting. I don’t want to give too much away, but I will just say the character absolutely gets put through the wringer here with some terrible events that take place. Not only that, but he is also growing up and is facing all the pressures from his family about school, girls, and also what he wants to do for the rest of his life, and Scotti somehow was able to convey all of these emotions on screen flawlessly. I know he received the Marcello Mastroianni Award (award recognizes an emerging actor or actress) at the 78th Venice International Film Festival, but I really hope that wasn’t all he won. This man should have won numerous awards for either breakout star or even lead actor dare I say because he was just that good.

If all of my readers know how much I love foreign films, well then they should also know how much I value cinematography when it comes to film, and The Hand of God gets an A+ for that category. I mean the film takes place and was shot in the lovely city of Naples, Italy, so that helps make it look so good, but cinematographer Daria D’Antonio killed it. Some of the shots were just breathtaking and the use of the color blue throughout the film is prevalent and I was vibing with it. Now I said I would touch on Sorrentino’s production side of things in this and that time is now. The production design in this film was awesome. From the buildings to the actual rooms, it teleports you back to the 1980s and that feeling is also aided by the costume design (even though they aren’t costumes) we got here. Oh, and one more thing, the music that was done by Lele Marchitelli was super. The film’s score is about as beautiful as the film itself and it did numbers for the more dramatic and heartwarming scenes we got.

THE BAD

With most of the foreign films I review, I usually have very little to say in the bad section with them mostly being these heavily critically acclaimed films, and while The Hand of God has far more good than bad, it still has one gaping flaw. And that flaw is the film’s pacing. Now some people might think I’m crazy because I just reviewed Drive My Car, a Japanese film that was 179 minutes long, and while this film was only 130 minutes long, it somehow felt longer to me. The big reason for that I think was just that the film takes so long to get going. I mean almost nothing of importance happens in the entire first half of the film aside from meeting the characters and getting to know a little bit about them. Now the film does get going in the second half as it really starts to pick up steam at the halfway point, but that definitely took some points off.

Also, this isn’t truly a critique of the film, but there are some scenes here that will surely make you uncomfortable. With it being a personal story, I have to appreciate that Sorrentino was brutally honest in his portrayal of his youth, but some of this stuff was just odd, to say the least. From his deep fascination with his attractive aunt to his first sexual encounter, all I will say is just be prepared for anything. Lastly, and it goes without saying, this is an Italian film so the whole film is Italian and will require subtitles unless, of course, you are fluent in Italian.

THE VERDICT

While it takes quite a while to get going, The Hand of God is a deeply moving film as director Paolo Sorrentino pours his heart and soul into this story that is inspired by his own real-life events. The whole film is beautiful to look at with stunning cinematography and newcomer Filippo Scotti gives a phenomenal breakout performance.

TED TAKES RATING - 7.9/10

The Hand of God is now available to watch on Netflix. Check out the latest trailer below.

Windfall

By: Andrew Wing

Windfall is a 2022 American thriller film directed by Charlie McDowell (most known for his 2014 film The One I Love) from a screenplay by Andrew Kevin Walker (known for having written the 1995 classic Se7en) and Justin Lader. It stars Jason Segel (How I Met Your Mother, Forgetting Sarah Marshall), Lily Collins (Rules Don’t Apply, Emily in Paris), and Jesse Plemons (Breaking Bad, Fargo).

The film follows a man (Segel) who breaks into a tech billionaire’s empty vacation home, and just when he has completed his robbery, things suddenly go sideways when the arrogant mogul (Plemons) and his wife (Collins) arrive for a last-minute getaway.

It was released on March 18, 2022, by Netflix.

THE GOOD

Windfall definitely snuck up on me. I actually hadn’t even watched the entire trailer until just before starting the movie. But I did hear about it and saw that it was hitting Netflix, but what really made me want to watch this film was the fact that my main man, Jesse Plemons, was going to be in it. I’ve expressed my fandom for him in some of my other reviews such as Antlers (see my full review here) and The Power of the Dog (see my full review here), but with every role of his he continues to move higher up on favorite actors poll. And now that I’ve given you some context as to why I checked this movie out, let’s get into what I liked about it.

No surprise given what I just said, but Plemons was the standout performer in my opinion. He plays a character that is this arrogant rich tech billionaire and he absolutely crushed it. It was crazy to me how well he played the role because, despite his numerous roles as a “bad guy” like in Breaking Bad, I often associate him with playing these quiet and gentle characters that are often nice. But as he seems to do in all of his films as of late, he put his acting chops on full display in this. He was funny at times, but he was also crazy and intimidating at times and he honestly made the film for me. Plemon’s next project as of right now is set to be legendary director Martin Scorsese’s next film, Killers of the Flower Moon, and to say I am hyped for that would be a massive understatement.

Yes, Plemons was the best of the bunch in this on my end, but Lily Collins and Jason Segel were also phenomenal. I have never watched an episode of How I Met Your Mother, the show that Segel is primarily known for, but I have seen Forgetting Sarah Marshall and I Love You, Man so I know how funny he is. Segel really showed not only me but the world that he can also give great dramatic performances after the 2019 biographical drama film, Our Friend. His performance in Windfall just strengthens his case even more that he now needs to be taken seriously as a dramatic actor. He plays the robber in this film and he really really impressed me here. He was able to be scary and terrifying at times but was also able to make you sympathize with him and understand why he is doing what he is doing. As for Lily Collins, she also impressed me here. She is definitely the actor that I have seen the least out of this crop, but I know 2020 was a big year for her after starring in the Netflix series Emily in Paris for which she earned a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress in a Television Series. She was really good here as she played a character that experienced a ton of different emotions from start to finish and she conveyed them all perfectly. I’ll just say she definitely gained another fan out of me after watching her performance in this.

This movie had some great things going for it, but as you have already come to tell, the best thing was the acting. I absolutely loved the fact that this movie was the three of them just talking, so hats off to director Charlie McDowell for that. It was a fantastic opportunity for them to showcase their acting prowess and they did not let us down. However, I would like to mention some of the other things that I liked about Windfall, the first being the film’s score. The score was super haunting and I was just so into it right from the jump because literally from the opening credits, you feel the score right in your bones. It got me so excited and it had me locked in as it truly felt like a 1960s Hitchcock thriller but with color. Also, I thought the film looked pretty nice. I loved the location the film was shot in and the cinematography as a whole, and it goes without saying that the vacation home the film takes place in is incredible.

THE BAD

There is no denying that this movie is a good one, but I won’t lie, I felt it could’ve been great. And the reason I feel that way is mainly because it just fell flat for me. The first half of this movie was very intriguing as we got to know more about the characters and what is going on exactly and I was truly into what was taking place on the screen. But the film just falls flat in the second half due to what I think was a poor script and screenplay. It is shocking to say that because one of the writers for Windfall is Andrew Kevin Walker, the man responsible for writing David Fincher’s 1995 classic neo-noir psychological thriller Seven. The movie itself just lacked suspense and a clear destination and I just think they didn’t know what they wanted this to be.

I don’t know, watching this movie I just felt like it was working towards something amazing that was going to blow my mind. There were little bits of dialogue here and there they continuously kept hinting at something that was about to come to fruition. But what did end up happening, without giving it away, was something you got in the first twenty minutes of the film. It was frustrating because it felt as though the script was being written as the movie was being shot, and at one point they just ended it, and that’s why in my opinion, we get no clear ending.

THE VERDICT

Despite it falling flat in the second half, Windfall is still a respectable Hitchcockian-type thriller from Charlie McDowell that most will enjoy. The film’s score is absolutely haunting and it also features three great performances from Lily Collins, Jason Segel, and Jesse Plemons. This movie had a ton of potential with its amazing first act, and I think it could’ve been great, but unfortunately, it wasn’t. It just felt like this movie was building to something that never happened and that was a hard pill to swallow for me.

TED TAKES RATING - 6.8/10

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

Belfast

By: Andrew Wing

Belfast is a 2021 Northern Irish coming-of-age drama film written and directed by Kenneth Branagh (directed Thor, and also recently Death on the Nile - see Ted’s full review). The film stars Caitríona Balfe (Outlander, Ford v Ferrari), Judi Dench (Shakespeare in Love, Philomena), Jamie Dornan (Fifty Shades franchise, Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar), Ciarán Hinds (There Will Be Blood, First Man), Colin Morgan (Merlin, The Huntsman: Winter’s War), and newcomer Jude Hill. The film, which Branagh has described as his “most personal film”, follows a young boy’s childhood in Belfast, Northern Ireland at the beginning of The Troubles in 1969.

Belfast had its world premiere at the 48th Telluride Film Festival on September 2, 2021; shortly thereafter, it won the People’s Choice Award at the 2021 Toronto International Film Festival. The film was released in the United States on November 12, 2021, by Focus Features, and in the United Kingdom and Ireland on January 21, 2022, by Universal Pictures. It has grossed over $40 million worldwide.

The film received seven nominations at the 94th Academy Awards, including Best Picture, and was named one of the best films of 2021 by the National Board of Review. It tied with The Power of the Dog (see my full review here) for a leading seven nominations at the 79th Golden Globe Awards, including Best Motion Picture - Drama, and won for Best Screenplay. It also tied with West Side Story (see my full review here) for a leading eleven nominations at the 27th Critics’ Choice Awards, including Best Picture, and also received six nominations at the 75th British Academy Film Awards, winning Outstanding British Film.

THE GOOD

Did someone say about damn time? Yes, that’s right, Belfast has been at the very top of my list for almost four months. I don’t know why it has taken me so long, but I never got around to seeing it in theaters and I had to wait what felt like forever until it was made available to rent on demand. However, I finally checked it out and now I can officially say that I have seen all ten 2021 films that got nominated for Best Picture, and it’s fitting that I did it this week with the 94th Academy Awards ceremony scheduled for this coming Sunday. But really, ever since it premiered at the 48th Telluride Film Festival in September, it has been one of the most talked-about films when it comes to awards contenders, but the real question is, how did I think it sized up against the rest of the pack? Keep reading to find out!

It is only right that I start with the man in charge here, and that would be director Kenneth Branagh. Branagh’s history as a director is pretty up and down. I mean the film he did before this was Artemis Fowl and a lot of people had that as one of the worst movies of 2020. But needless to say, this was much better than that. In this, we get his personal story which is said to be autobiographical. It follows his time growing up in Belfast during a period where conflict would break out in the streets between Christians and Protestants, and Branagh’s direction here is incredible. There is no denying that he was more than deserving of a Best Director nomination. He put this together perfectly and it was checking every box. There were so many good directing choices here, from the compositions of the scenes to some scenes where Branagh decided to hold it a little longer. He made sure when a character had a moment to shine, you saw all of it up close and I loved that. Also, I was really gripped by the first five-minute sequence of the film, and you knew what you were in for. It was just so incredibly well-made and well-crafted, and I will get into more of the technical elements of the film later, but I’d say Branagh should be pretty proud with his final product.

Not only did Branagh direct, but he also wrote the screenplay for the film, and let me just say, his original screenplay is amazing. Anytime you get a screenplay like this that is autobiographical and tackles a critical time in one’s country that not many people know about, it will surely be Oscar bait. But more than that, the screenplay was made even better with its nonstop charm and a lovely sense of humor. I don’t know how he did it, but Branagh was able with his screenplay to tie in the intimate family life with broader social unrest, and that is what the Oscars are going to eat up. All in all, this screenplay is a beautiful tribute to this family and this community of people, and that’s why I would probably have it as the favorite for Best Original Screenplay. Sorry, Paul Thomas Anderson (see my full review for Licorice Pizza here). It also features a main character that has a love for cinema, so come on, it’s just too easy for the Academy to pick this.

The best part of Belfast though is hands down the performances. All of them to be exact. Everybody sort of got their moment to shine and each of the supporting performances was Oscar-worthy. All of them do a great job, and this movie is just too sweet so they are all extremely likable. The family was where the film shined, specifically everything we see of them as we go on this journey and also how we come to understand the child’s relationships with everyone. With all that said, this is tough, but I will start with who I thought stole the show, and that would be Caitríona Balfe. Balfe’s character is the mother and she had a couple of moments that were incredibly strong and moving. There was one in particular that pulled me very tightly into the movie and I was on the verge of tears dare I say. I was so impressed with this being the first I’ve seen of her and I was shocked to find out that she didn’t get nominated for Best Supporting Actress for her performance. But the main reason for that is because another supporting actress from the film did get nominated, and that was Judi Dench. I mean what do I even need to say, Judi Dench is an absolute legend and one of the best actresses alive today. In this, she plays the grandma and while she doesn’t get as much of an opportunity to shine like the others, she dominates every second of screen time as the sweetest and warmest character you’ve ever seen, and I can see why she got nominated.

Now onto the male supporting performances, first with Mr. Christian Grey himself, Jamie Dornan. He was another real standout in this film for me as he plays the patriarch of the family. He is very likable and funny as the rest of the cast, but the charm of his that comes through is so easy to relate to and understand. He was the protector of his family and he smashed this role. Similar to what I said about Dakota Johnson in my review for The Lost Daughter (see full review here), it is so cool now being able to truly see how talented of an actor he is. Dornan’s character’s father in the film is played by Ciarán Hinds, and I just got to say that I don’t know if Hinds has ever had a performance I haven’t been impressed by. He was superb here as the grandfather, and I loved his back-and-forth banter with his grandson around the topic of this girl the kid has a crush on. Also, he has this poignant moment in a close-up that’s super powerful that was arguably the best scene of the entire film.

Now all these supporting performances are amazing, but now let’s talk about the lead performance we got, and that came from Jude Hill. He was just a really great find, and he killed it. I thought I had seen the best child performance of the year after seeing Woody Norman in C’mon C’mon (see my full review here), but Jude Hill takes the cake. There are scenes where the camera is super close to his face and he doesn’t make a single wrong move. I was blown away, to be honest, he’s really good, he’s charming, and audiences will definitely fall in love with him. He’s also responsible for so much of what is funny in this film from his transparent facial expressions, and he was just a great vehicle for this film. Something tells me we are going to see him have one hell of an acting career.

If anyone has read my reviews for The Tragedy of Macbeth (see my full review here), then you know how much I love me some black and white cinematography, and the B&W in this is remarkable! Cinematographer Haris Zambarloukos did a phenomenal job. It’s not like the kind of B&W you got in Macbeth or even last year's Best Cinematography winning film Mank that is almost aroma-stunning, but rather it was more well thought out. It also had a ton of close-ups and I loved all of them as we got all the emotions on the actor’s faces that gave us so many rich moments. The film was just so much visually stronger than I had ever thought it was going to be, and I’m bummed it didn’t get nominated for Best Cinematography.

With me being the cinephile that I am, I just wouldn’t be able to sleep at night if I didn’t mention all the other technical elements I loved about the film. I absolutely loved the Van Morrison soundtrack we got, specifically “Down to Joy”, and continuing with sound, there was solid attention to sound in some of the more intense scenes. The use of music in this film just transformed it and made it so special. The editing also in this movie is fantastic and the movie flowed so nicely. I could definitely see it winning Best Editing if it wasn’t for the Goliath-like monster that is Dune (see my full review here) when it comes to the tech categories. As for its Best Picture chances, it seems like it is definitely in the top 3 when it comes to winning along with CODA (see my full review here), and the odds on favorite that just so happens to be my preferred choice, The Power of the Dog, but hey, anything is possible.

THE BAD

I loved this movie and if you thought I was going to trash one of the biggest awards contenders of 2021, well you were wrong. The only thing with this movie that I would critique is that the end just sort of fizzled. For the entire movie, the characters themselves deal with something very external and there isn’t a lot of personal internal conflict going on and for me, that resulted in no strong character moment or decision. It just felt like we got this sort of obvious conclusion that we were going towards the whole movie, and then it happened, and then it was over. I don’t know, maybe that’s too nit-picky but I just didn’t get that sort of WOW moment I was expecting with a movie of this caliber.

THE VERDICT

Kenneth Branagh’s Belfast is a beautiful film that serves as a sweet ode to family and community. It’s taken to the next level with several standout supporting performances from the entire cast, but also the best newcomer performance of the year from Jude Hill. It also features incredible black and white cinematography and one hell of a soundtrack from Van Morrison. Yes, it is a simple film with maybe an underwhelming ending, but it is charming and meant to put a smile on your face, and it certainly did for me.

TED TAKES RATING - 9/10

Belfast is now available to buy or rent on demand. Check out the latest trailer below.

X

X is a 2022 horror slasher thriller written, directed and edited by Ti West. West is no stranger to the horror genre, previously directing the 2009 horror The House of the Devil, as well as a segment for the 2012 horror anthology V/H/S. X premiered at the SXSW Film Festival on March 13th, with filming taking place in New Zealand.

A group of actors set out to make an adult film in rural Texas under the noses of their reclusive hosts, but when the elderly couple catches their young guests in the act, the cast finds themselves in a desperate fight for their lives.

The film stars Mia Goth, Martin Henderson, Kid Cudi, Jenna Ortega, Brittany Snow, Owen Campbell, and Stephen Ure.

X made its debut in theaters on March 18th, courtesy of A24.

THE GOOD

I’m not going to beat around the bush here, X was nothing short of incredible. This is elevated horror in its finest form. What is “elevated horror” you ask? Well, it is defined as a subgenre within horror that relies more on dramatic elements and overarching themes, as opposed to the tried and true reliance on gore or the basic elements that make up a quality slasher. Examples would be films like The Babadook, It Follows, The Witch, or even Goodnight Mommy. And don’t worry by no means does that make a movie less scary, if anything you end up thinking about the movie long after the end credits, and often in the middle of the night. Trust me on that.

From the immersive 70’s setting, fresh and innovative screenplay, the surprisingly likable characters, great acting, creepy and old-school horror feel, this movie has it all. Within the first 5-minutes the throwback horror feel from my youth was front and center, and I was like a kid on Christmas morning getting ready to open the big present. X opens to a vibe that has Toby Hooper’s 1974 The Texas Chainsaw Massacre written all over it to the point where you almost expect Leatherface to come running out swinging his chainsaw at any moment. And to be honest, if Ti West said this elderly couple was somehow within the same family tree you wouldn’t question it for a second. But with that being said, with X there is more more than meets the eye and that also goes for the films antagonists. I also got a Evil Dead vibe from the film during quite a few scenes, which spoiler alert, involve lots of blood and gore. Bottom line, the stage is set right away and if you can appreciate quality horror, this is an experience you don’t want to miss.

Okay, so let’s go ahead and talk about the basic but essential horror elements you can expect from X. Creepy and downright grotesque old people? Check. Sketchy dolls that belong in The Conjuring museum under lock and key? Check. A twisted blend of debilitating horror and fun rarely found in horror films today? Check. Lots of extremely well-crafted and tense moments that will have you wanting to yell at the screen for all the right reasons? Check. Unapologetic and extremely prevalent nudity that will have you looking around the theater to make sure you aren’t the only one completely locked in? Check, and double check. You get the idea.

The story absolutely impressed me in terms of how layered it was, and the fact that it really did drive the film as opposed to just relying on blood and gore, or even nudity for that matter. I briefly touched on the idea of elevated horror earlier in the review, and it all comes down to story and feel. Writer and director Ti West came to the table with an innovative and powerful script that felt raw and relatable, touching on the fleeting idea of youth and the inevitable fact that one day we will all be old looking at pictures of what once was. Will we all turn into sadistic psychos fueled by rage and jealousy? I sure hope not. Sorry to get all sad and depressing on you, but the films ability to tap into something so deeply rooted in our own underlying fears as it relates to life and eventual death, is a big reason why it works so well. We aren’t dealing with a scenario where people are just killing for the thrill of it, the rage you encounter in X is very specific and intentional, and that in itself is horrifying.

Let’s be honest, with a horror film that’s technically in the slasher genre especially compared to anything else from Ti West, the last thing you expect is quality acting. That’s just a fact we have grown to accept throughout the years. And it’s not even a bad thing, it’s just part of the formula and it works. But, with X, things are different. Very different. This is a horror slasher where the acting is a strength instead of a weakness you try to ignore. The entire cast is just awesome. Due to the fact that this movie was filmed during the pandemic, the cast had to fly out to New Zealand, quarantine for a few weeks where they bonded and became a tight knit group, and then went right to filming. And this was their reality until filming concluded, which makes perfect sense to me because the chemistry felt genuine and real. So, let’s talk about the cast so they can get the credit they absolutely deserve.

We can start with the actor who takes center stage from the beginning, and that would be Martin Henderson. Henderson, best known for his role on the long running drama series Grey’s Anatomy, was fantastic. I can’t really explain it but he somehow reminded me of a young Kurt Russell from back in his Overboard days. He was just so believable from his southern accent to his cowboy hat, and I really enjoyed his energetic on-screen presence. Now this might feel like a bit of a curveball, but I’m a guy that likes to give credit where credit is due, and Kid Cudi is making moves as an actor. I really enjoyed his character and felt like he embodied the 70’s feel the film was going for, and was one of the most likable characters in my opinion. I couldn’t be happier for him for what is turning out to be a very successful film career after his role in the recently released Netflix satire film, Don’t Look Up (full review here). Jenny Ortega, an up-and-coming actress who recently starred in the HBO Max film The Fallout, was great as well. She has a very intriguing innocence about her that made for a very interesting character.

Brittany Snow, who was really the gasoline on the fire as far as the cast and I mean that in the best way possible, was just magical. Her character was a veteran in the world of perversion, and let me just say she was very believable. Her character was confident and driven, but more than anything else she wasn’t afraid to be herself, and I loved that about her. Owen Campbell, a fairly under the radar actor who starred in the 2017 indie horror thriller Super Dark Times, was great filling the role as the nerdy guy you need in every horror film. Admittedly I am underselling him a bit as he was an integral part of the cast and the progression of the story. Plus, don’t sleep on him because the kid can act. I have to talk about the films antagonists, the reclusive elderly couple who are just sooooooo damn good in this. The old man is played by Lord of the Rings star Stephen Ure, and boy is he great in this. His character is the first thing that will put a pit in the stomach of viewers as soon as he is introduced, and it is all uphill from there, or I guess downhill depending on how you look at it. I really enjoyed how uncomfortable his character made me during the entire film.

Actress Mia Goth, full name Mia Gypsy da Silva Goth, who graces the primary poster for the film, is equal parts endearing, strong-willed, and gorgeous. At first you can’t quite figure out if maybe she is the weak one of the bunch, but she quickly transforms into someone I surely wouldn’t want to mess with. Maybe it was the freckles or just the mysterious element of her character, but she was one of my favorites. Goth is the swiss army knife of the cast, and you will know what I mean once you see the movie. Also, as I mentioned she is downright beautiful which is always a plus in my book. Actor James Gaylyn may only get about five minutes of screen time as Sheriff Dentler, but trust me he still manages to make quite an impression. The entire cast is fantastic, and if you read my review for the recently released Texas Chainsaw Massacre, it was nice to have some eye candy for a change.

On the technical side of things X puts on an absolute clinic. Whether we want to focus on how effective they were with immersing viewers in the 70’s feel, the great use of camera work and focus on soundtrack and score, or my personal favorite the incredible editing style. Ti West has a certain style in mind and he made that a reality, ensuring that even though the film might borrow elements from other horror classics, it still very much forges it’s own path. During one of the more gruesome scenes, the camera will switch back and forth from the gruesome and bloody attack to the actual blood splatter on the bright headlights of a truck, for example.

We also get quite a few instances where the screen is either split between two events happening at the same time, or just jumps away from one event at an intense moment which really throws off the viewers. I won’t get too in depth on it but the editing is different from anything I have seen in quite sometime making the film feel wholly original, and that was massive for me. Ti West, who is credited as editor along with David Kashevaroff, is a really multitalented guy and that’s all I will say about that. The more I reflect on the movie, the more I appreciate everything about it. Just so many small details that fans of quality filmmaking are sure to appreciate. I’m not surprised that is the case considering A24’s involvement. Don’t try to psychoanalyze me or anything, but something about this movie just made me feel at home. 

As soon as the iconic 1976 rock Don’t Fear the Reaper from Blue Oyster Cult began pumping out of the theater speakers, I knew I was in for a special treat with this movie. This song has become a staple for horror movies for the past 40+ years, appearing in Halloween (1978), The Stand (1974), Scream (1996), and Halloween (2007), as well as a few goofier horror flicks including The Frighteners (1996), and Zombieland (2009). Bottom line, this song was basically made for horror movies. The specific scene in X that showcases this classic tune was a tone-setter for me, and boy was it a surreal mix of gruesome, fresh and original horror elements, and a make your skin crawl weirdness which is a always a treat in my book. I won’t give anything away of course, but this scene knocked over the first domino in terms of when the film really gets going.

THE BAD

I’m sure it’s obvious by now that I have very little negative to say about this movie, but I do feel like a few disclaimers are necessary. So before you pack the family into the minivan and head out for a wholesome movie night, X is a very GRAPHIC movie. Yes, I used ALL CAPS on purpose. I’m not going to sugarcoat it, this is basically soft core porn blended with a pretty brutal horror slasher. I’m not saying I wasn’t feeling it because I was (see above as a reminder), I’m just giving you a heads up just in case that’s not your thing. So yeah, if you have an aversion to nudity and/or gore, you better steer clear.

THE VERDICT

A rare well-acted and extremely graphic edge of your seat horror thriller blending elements of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Evil Dead, X is a nostalgic haymaker for genre fans and old-school horror enthusiasts showcasing one of the most original screenplays in quite some time. Bottom line, if you have the stomach for it, this is as satisfying as it is inappropriate. If writer/director Ti West wasn’t already on your radar, he should be now. This guy is the sheer definition of a triple threat. I just enjoyed so much about this movie and since I left the theater I can’t get it out of my head, it’s just that good. So yeah, trust in the holy grail that is A24 and head out to the theater to support high quality cinema so we can get more original films like X. I can’t wait to see it again. Plus, director Ti West has confirmed that a prequel film titled Pearl has been in the works for quite some time, and is now in the editing stages. We will be sure to share any updates on that as they become available.

TED TAKES RATING - 9.7/10

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

Turning Red

By: Andrew Wing

Turning Red is a 2022 American computer-animated fantasy comedy film produced by Pixar Animation Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. It was directed by Domee Shi (who has worked for Pixar, contributed to multiple films, including Inside Out, Incredibles 2, and Toy Story 4), in her feature directorial debut, and written by Shi and Julia Cho. The film stars the voices of Rosalie Chiang, Sandra Oh (Grey’s Anatomy, Killing Eve), Ava Morse, Hyein Park, Maitreyi Ramakrishnan (Never Have I Ever), Orion Lee, Wai Ching Ho (Daredevil series, Hustlers), Tristan Allerick Chen, and James Hong (Chinatown, Mulan, Kung Fu Panda).

Set in Toronto, Ontario in 2022, the film follows Meilin “Mei” Lee, a 13-year-old Chinese-Canadian student who transforms into a giant red panda when she gets into a state of strong emotion. Inspired by Shi’s experiences in Toronto, the film began development in 2018 after she pitched it to Pixar in October 2017. It is the first Pixar film solely directed by a woman and the second to feature an Asian lead character after Up (2009).

After a special screening that took place in London at Everyman Borough Yards on February 21, 2022, Turning Red had its world premiere on March 1, and was released on the Disney+ streaming service on March 11, along with simultaneous limited runs at the El Capitan Theatre and AMC Empire 25. It was also released theatrically in most countries without Disney+.

THE GOOD

In today’s age of cinema, there is nothing bigger at the moment than the superhero movies, specifically the Marvel Cinematic Universe. There is no debating that. But what I think is second would have to be the Disney Pixar films. They really are an annual social event for families with young kids, and Turning Red just so happens to be that at this very moment. It is the 25th Pixar feature film and the first since Luca (see my full review here), and while I enjoyed that, it didn’t get a ton of love from critics like we usually see when it comes to Pixar. But I strongly believe Turning Red will get a whole bunch of love from critics, and we have already seen that in the past few days as it has received widespread critical acclaim. I have been itching to see it ever since seeing the trailer midway through 2021, and I was surprised when it decided to go completely on Disney+ rather than in theaters, but with the way the world is today, I am not going to complain about saving some cash. So without further ado, let’s dive into this review and see if Turning Red is yet another classic Pixar movie!

After Domee Shi’s unbelievably beautiful short film Bao, I was ecstatic to see that she would be making her feature film directorial debut with this, and let’s not waste any time, she crushed it. The story is inspired by Shi’s personal experiences and I just loved the story here, so much so that I found it to really be the best part of the film. The story follows a 13-year-old girl who’s entering puberty and at this pivotal moment in her life, she turns into a big red panda whenever her emotions are inflamed, and this obviously causes all kinds of havoc in her life. The best part about the story though is how they portray the protagonist. I loved how they built the personality of her to be someone who is extremely excitable and I bet a lot of viewers will see a piece of their younger selves in her. I really liked how her emotions seemed to surface before she was even able to process or understand that they were there because that is so true to being a 13-year-old. Also, I loved how the film allowed us to see the character’s flaws pretty clearly, but still made a point to show us that she comes from a place of understanding. The story was fantastic, but Rosalie Chiang’s voice performance here as Meilin was so lively and it bolstered her character forward into all of our hearts. All in all, she is endearing and likable and she is a worthy member of the Pixar main characters family.

Similar to the film’s premise, watching it is kind of a roller coaster too because it’s a slightly stressful movie because you will swing through emotions the same way the character does. More in depth though, the film was certainly built around a strong central relationship with the protagonist and her mother and I loved that because you could tell it was really driven from the heart. I assume the director knew these two people very well and it’s clear that she put some of her mother and some of herself into these characters and I think that was a great decision. It was a great decision because I felt a deep understanding and empathy for them even though the decisions they made might not be ones I would’ve made at that age. 

Speaking of that mother-daughter relationship, I already touched on Chiang’s performance as the daughter, but now it’s time for the other half of that relationship. It’s so tough to judge a voice performance in an animated movie, but I loved Sandra Oh’s voice performance as Mei’s mother. I first saw Sandra Oh in Grey’s Anatomy as she played a fan favorite Christina Yang, but she killed it here. She has humor in this which is great as her character can be crazy at times as an overprotective mother, but she also allows us to see the other side of her character as this loving and caring mother that she is. And while she is, she still struggles because she just didn’t know how to go about it the right way. The film also dived into her relationship with her own mother which brought more to the film, and I thought Sandra Oh was the standout performer here. All the voice performances we got from Mei’s friends too were amazing. The relationship between her friend group was very heartfelt too and I felt connected to a lot of them. They ultimately did such a good job at conveying how important her friends were to her which is so true to 13-year-olds.

With any Disney Pixar animated movie, you surely have to address the animation style, and I loved the animation style here. I do with most Pixar films, but this film looked different from others. It had a sort of an anime style to it with the way the characters become a different emotion in just one frame. I liked that it made all the characters cartoonish and silly looking too. The film as a whole looked amazing with the colors and the lighting being beautiful, and the panda itself looked as cuddly as it was appreciated for being. I loved Pixar’s visual approach here, and I dig the fact that they are trying to have all their movies look different from each other. This film just has so many great things going on. It’s funny, and the mother-daughter relationship is responsible for so many laughs. I also loved how director Domee Shi decided to include the whole boy band storyline and how she made it so the concert was the most important step in their lives, which is again, so true to a young teenager’s life because they oftentimes love boy bands.

In conclusion, the film’s use of culture is awesome, and its message is wonderful and there’s a lot to take away from it. The movie is ultimately about all these things that young people are meant to feel ashamed about (taste in music, liking boys, body changes, emotional changes, etc.), but the film’s message is that maybe we should be in tune with the changes our bodies and minds go through and that felt very true to the teenage experience because we become a new person every single year. All in all, I would definitively say Shi’s vision was realized and although it wasn’t this “meaning of life” Pixar movie that get tons of awards like Soul or Inside Out did, it’s still a smaller-scale poppy and bubbly story that I would bank on getting a Best Animated Feature nomination at next year’s Academy Awards.

THE BAD

If you thought in this review that I was going to blast a Disney Pixar animated film, well you were wrong. I have nothing bad to say about this. I will say though that I unfortunately could see some people being annoyed with this movie, and maybe even the main character at times. The things that happen are over the top and exaggerated but it makes a lot of sense for this story. People also might be annoyed with the mom because her relationship could be seen as borderline abusive at times, but again, the film just exaggerates and I didn’t find anything wrong with that because it serves the story.

Also, there are two things I have seen from other reviews for this movie that have really annoyed me that I want to address. The first being how the movie discusses puberty and menstruation despite being labeled a kids movie. My response to that is with a movie titled “Turning Red” that deals with a girl entering puberty, you would immediately think of it being a metaphor for getting a period, so you should be prepared because they do actually talk about periods a little bit. I honestly thought it was smart to touch on that rather than just leaving it at the level of allegory. It was smart, and I think it did the film wonders because nowadays, a lot of kid films are scared to go there. At the end of the day, the movie is trying to be open about reality which is a good step to take in my eyes. Like why not prepare people for the reality of what’s going to happen so they can comfortably transition into this stage of their life. All of this was good to me, but at the same time it isn’t so explicit about it. For example, if your kid doesn’t know what a period is, they still won’t after seeing this if that makes sense which makes all the criticism all the more annoying. All in all, if you’re uncomfortable watching this movie with your kids, that is completely a “you” problem, and not something Pixar needs to cater to.

And the second thing I have seen that bugs me is that people are calling this a ripoff animated version of the 2017 classic coming-of-age drama film from Greta Gerwig, Lady Bird, that was one of the best films of the past decade. To that I say shut up. Like all coming-of-age stories have their similarities, and this film takes place during the main character’s young teenage years, whereas Lady Bird takes place right before they are about to leave for college. I honestly don’t understand that criticism, and it shouldn’t keep you from checking this out, because it really is an original story that is so charming.

THE VERDICT

From Domee Shi in her feature directorial debut, Turning Red is another classic for the storied animation house, Pixar. The film perfectly captures the emotional roller coaster that comes with being a young teen. It’s a personal story that explores a mother-daughter relationship in a pretty honest way. It’s frequently hilarious, it has a really great message, and it was just a lot of fun and I was surprised by how much I liked this movie.

TED TAKES RATING - 8.6/10

Turning Red is now available to watch on Disney+. Check out the latest trailer below.

After Yang

By: Andrew Wing

After Yang is a 2021 American science fiction drama film written, directed, and edited by Kogonada. It stars Colin Farrell (In Bruges, The Lobster), Jodie Turner-Smith (Queen & Slim, Without Remorse), Justin H. Min (The Umbrella Academy), Malea Emma Tjandrawidjaja, and Haley Lu Richardson (The Edge of Seventeen, Five Feet Apart).

The plot follows Jake (Farrell), a man searching for a way to repair his young daughter’s beloved companion – an android named Yang (Min) – who begins to malfunction, therefore becoming an unresponsive robot. In the process, Jake discovers the life that has been passing in front of him, and he reconnects with his wife (Turner-Smith) and daughter (Tjandrawidjaja) across a distance he didn’t know was there.

The film had its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival on July 8, 2021, and was released on March 4, 2022, by A24 and Showtime.

THE GOOD

Hands down, After Yang was definitely one of my most anticipated films of 2021. I really get excited about all the films that premiere at the legendary Cannes Film Festival, but once I saw that this film was both science fiction and was being distributed by A24, my already high expectations went even higher. I mean when I hear sci-fi and A24, my brain immediately goes to Ex Machina, a 2014 film that I view as one of the best films of the 2010s that really started A24 and helped make it into the film industry giant it is today. Enough of that though, once I heard that Colin Farrell, one of my favorite actors right now, was starring, let’s just say my excitement level was at an all-time high! So now that you’ve gotten some context into how much I was looking forward to checking this out, you must be asking yourself if it lived up to my expectations. Keep reading to find out!

First things first, this film is an astounding one that was masterfully crafted by Kogonada. Kogonada not only was the director of this film, but he also wrote and edited it, and he was superb in all three phases. Notice how I didn’t even bring up Kogonada when providing context for this film. The reason is that I only checked out his feature film debut Columbus from 2017 just the day before watching his second film, the film I am currently reviewing. I really liked Columbus and everything Kogonada did with it, so that was yet another cherry on top for me when it came to my hype for After Yang. But really though, after watching both films it is evident that Kogonada is a brilliant filmmaker whose craftsmanship is unlike anything I have ever seen. He fits the A24 vibe to an absolute tee, and I don’t know if I have ever had more respect for a single director after only seeing two films of theirs.

I think the best part of After Yang is honestly the screenplay written by Kogonada that is based on the story “Saying Goodbye to Yang”, which was written by Alexander Weinstein. From the outset, it is a uniquely cool and fresh take on what the future holds for us when it comes to androids possibly sharing homes with humans, but it’s much more than that. At its core, I found After Yang to be an existential meditation on grief that’s still a heartfelt triumph of modern science fiction storytelling. There were too many moments to keep count of the emotional back-and-forth dialogue we got from beginning to end, but they all were equally amazing and they will surely bring you to the edge of tears time and time again. However, for as emotional as this film got at times, Kogonada still keeps you with a smile on your face with some pretty funny moments that were unexpected, yet very valuable I thought. I won’t spoil it, but one of these moments comes early during the opening credits and you won’t want to miss it!

Next up when it comes to what I liked about this film is Kogonada’s direction and just every aspect of how this film was put together. Kogonada’s direction is all over this film. The way he edited certain scenes was just perfect, like a specific scene at the end of the film that he lets go a little longer so we can really take everything from it and soak it all in. Continuing with his editing, I thought the film was so well-paced and it was such a smooth watch. More than that though, and I know it is not all him, but the look of this film is breathtaking. The production design was flawless in my opinion, and the futuristic look of the houses and the cars was sick. As for the cinematography which looks extremely similar to his first film Columbus, I was shocked when I came to find out that the cinematographers were different, with this film being shot by Benjamin Loeb. Every shot was so calculated and I loved how they took advantage of beautiful mother nature. All of these things I’ve mentioned above just get taken to the next level behind the film’s beautiful score that we get from Aska Matsumiya and Ryuichi Sakamoto. I wish I could find another word to describe the music in After Yang, but beautiful best describes. Also worth mentioning, Sakamoto is responsible for the music in The Revenant, the movie that gave legendary actor Leonardo DiCaprio his first Best Actor Oscar win.

While I don’t think any of the performances in this will collect Oscar wins, that doesn’t take anything away from how amazing they all were. But none shined brighter than the man who had himself one hell of a March 4th this year, and that would be Colin Farrell. I say that because this film came out on that date, but also did The Batman (see Ted’s full review here), the superhero film that features an unrecognizable Farrell playing the iconic Oswald Cobblepot/The Penguin. Back to this though, Farrell gives a truly magnificent performance here. It’s so hard to say what his career-best performance is because he is so versatile as an actor and he’s had so many memorable performances, but I will say this is one of them. His performance here is simple as he is just playing a father trying to do something that will in return make his daughter happy, but under the surface, we see throughout the movie and through his performance that he was the one who needs to find happiness as his whole life has been passing him by right before his eyes. I don’t know what the rest of 2022 has in store when it comes to the best performances from actors that will be deemed Oscar-worthy, but with how early we are in the year, I’m going to go ahead and put Farrell at the top of my list because the man deserves it.

Farrell’s performance definitely stole the show, but all the performances here are worth noting. Justin H. Min was outstanding as Yang, and it was strange how strongly he was able to play an android. I was so disappointed in myself that I didn’t recognize Min as Ben from The Umbrella Academy until doing some research, but he was just so so good. Also, all three of Jodie Turner-Smith, Haley Lu Richardson, and Clifton Collins Jr. were remarkable in their smaller yet vital roles. And lastly, I was just blown away by the kid performance we got from Malea Emma Tjandrawidjaja. She was unbelievable and I promise this won’t be the last we see from her.

THE BAD

Yeah, if you haven’t been able to tell yet, I was a huge fan of After Yang and I don’t see anybody not liking this. However, as all A24 movies do, this film carries that unspeakable A24 vibe with it that most general audiences might define as weird or strange. It’s just the way all their movies are, and while I love them, they might not be your cup of tea and that’s fine.

Also, there were two small things that were going on in this movie that I guess I just didn’t understand. One was smaller, and that was the constant repetition of certain lines. I know it was only happening when Farrell’s character Jake would access Yang’s memories, and I guess it was to show the audience the two different points of view, but I didn’t love it to be quite honest and I don’t think it added a whole lot to the film as a whole. Second, and I found this issue to be a bit bigger than the last, there is a certain subplot that gets a lot of attention in the second third of the film that literally goes nowhere. Again, and I don’t want to harp on it too much because I loved Kogonada’s screenplay, but I just didn’t think it was needed.

THE VERDICT

Behind the masterful craftsmanship of Kogonada, After Yang is a heartfelt triumph of modern science fiction storytelling. Every inch of this film is breathtaking from the production design, cinematography, to its score. It also features some great acting across the board, but Colin Farrell takes the cake as he gives a magnificent performance that I found to be one of the best of his illustrious career.

Yes, it carries that famous A24 vibe and there is a subplot that goes nowhere, but it is a beautiful film that is now available to watch on Showtime, so I’d suggest checking it out!

TED TAKES RATING - 8.8/10

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

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.