The Menu

The Menu is a 2022 dark comedy directed by Mark Mylod, from a screenplay by Seth Reiss and Will Tracy. Mylod is best known for his directorial work in television, having worked behind the camera on hit shows like Game of Thrones, Shameless, and Succession.

A couple (Anya Taylor-Joy and Nicholas Hoult) travel to a coastal island to eat at an exclusive restaurant where the chef (Ralph Fiennes) has prepared a lavish menu, with some shocking surprises.

The cast includes Anya Taylor-Joy, Nicholas Hoult, Ralph Fiennes, John Leguizamo, Judith Light, Hong Chau, Janet McTeer, Paul Adelstein, Rob Yang, Mark St. Cyr, Arturo Castro, and Peter Grosz.

The Menu made its debut in theaters on November 18th, courtesy of Searchlight Pictures.

THE GOOD

When the first trailer for The Menu dropped I was floored, simple as that. I mean first and foremost, the cast was just insane. Ralph Fiennes, Anya Taylor-Joy, and Nicholas Hoult, I mean that is a recipe for success. Plus a supporting cast full of familiar faces just to round things out. Add in the ridiculous production value and a seemingly creative premise, and it was clear this was destined to be something special. I was beyond excited and I knew that nothing was stopping me from seeing The Menu on opening night. So, did it live up to my expectations? Keep reading to find out!

I knew I was going to love this movie, but somehow it was even better than I could have anticipated. I’m not even sure how to explain it, but as strange as it is to say The Menu just hit home for me in some way. Maybe it is the fact that I have worked in several restaurants in my life so I could relate to it, or more specifically that I have worked in a Five Star restaurant where the Chef was as mysterious as he was intimidating. High-end restaurants are no joke, and as insane as this movie is at times, so much of it is rooted in the reality of that world. The mystique that is created around this unique dining experience the characters in the film embark on is equally fascinating and exhilarating, and had me on the edge of my seat from the start. The cast was amazing, and The Menu is one of those rare films that sort of gives you bits and pieces of perspective from all of the characters, allowing the film to feel a bit more well-rounded compared to the traditional leads with a supporting cast. Everyone in the film matters to the story and how things play out, and let me just say the tension that builds always feels like it could boil over at any moment.

I touched on the quality of the cast briefly but I have to dig a bit deeper. First, Ralph Fiennes is undoubtedly the star of the show. Even though he has a ridiculous filmography dating back to the iconic 1993 drama Schindler’s List, I feel like as an actor he is still somehow underrated. He is easily one of the most versatile actors working today, but he seems to really shine when he plays serious characters with a certain amount of mystery surrounding them. I don’t know if The Menu will get the awards recognition it deserves, but Fiennes should absolutely be in the conversation for best actor in my opinion. He becomes his character, and is the primary reason why this film works so well. Outside of Fiennes the primary cast consists of Anya Taylor-Joy and Nicholas Hoult. Taylor-Joy and Hoult are amazing in this movie, and part of the intrigue is the questions surrounding their relationship. Viewers are given breadcrumbs as the film progresses, but the chemistry between the two talented actors helps to get viewers invested in the story. I’m a big fan of both actors, and I would have to say that I was equally impressed by their performances here.

Now I mentioned how the supporting cast plays a pivotal role in the story, and we are treated to a great mix of talented actors and actresses in these roles. I won’t be able to talk about each individually because we would be here all day, but the core of the supporting cast that impressed me the most was my guy John Leguizamo whos character I really enjoyed, Hong Chau who was terrifyingly good in her role, along with Janet McTeer and Paul Adelstein. Rounding out the terrific supporting cast is Rob Yang, Mark St. Cyr, Arturo Castro, and Peter Grosz, just to name drop a few more. Just trust me when I say each and every person who played a role in this film, no matter how small, deserves a round of applause.

Who is director Mark Mylod you ask? I was asking the same question. Interestingly enough, Mylod is best known for his work in television, directing several episodes for hit shows like Game of Thrones, Shameless, and Succession. Now needless to say those three titles alone are enough to make for quite a resume, but the last film he directed was the 2005 dark comedy The Big White, which starred the late Robin Williams, along with Gioavanni Ribisi and Holly Hunter. A unique and quirky film that is actually better than critics will lead you to believe, it gives you an idea of the psyche of Mylod and the fact that he seems to gravitate towards the dark comedy genre. If you are curious, The Big White is currently streaming on Peacock.

As far as his work on The Menu, he was so damn good. His camera work matched the intimate feel of the film perfectly, and it was clear that he was in the zone. It honestly felt like a film that was helmed by a big name director, so good on him. I have to talk about the screenplay which was as delicious as a juicy and perfectly marinated piece of prime rib. A collaboration between Emmy-winning writer Will Tracy and Emmy-nominated writer Seth Reiss, the creativity and relevance to the draining, emotionally and physically, and often thankless service industry is spot on. I didn’t quite expect the story to have such tremendous depth, but it really makes you think and even touches on class and social hierarchy. Plus as dark as it can be at times, The Menu had me laughing out loud more times than I could count.

THE BAD

The Menu is amazing, simple as that. As far as the films identity and what it set out to accomplish, I personally believe it is damn near perfect. With that being said it is a dark comedy and requires viewers to fully invest themselves in the overall tone of the film. Perhaps I enjoyed it even more because of my experience in the restaurant industry, but I am hard pressed to think anyone could criticize what was accomplished here.

THE VERDICT

A thought provoking and immersive dark comedy with a heavy dose of satire brought to life by a superbly talented cast, The Menu is an absolute delicacy of a film and easily one of my favorite movies of the year. I am honestly still in shock, and I can’t remember the last time an hour and 45 minutes flew by so fast. When the screen went black I actually had to look at my phone to confirm that it was in fact over. From the opening scene to the final act, The Menu is never boring and makes for an experience you won’t soon forget. I was also pleasantly surprised by how funny the film was. I actually learned a lot believe it or not and found myself wanting to up the ante as far as my own culinary skills, but I won’t be boarding any boats destined for a once-in-a-lifetime dining experience anytime soon. Bottom line this movie is so damn good, and just bonkers in all the best ways. I cannot wait to see it again.

As Ralph Fiennes says several times throughout the film, it’s all part of The Menu. So on that note, get out to the theater as soon as possible because you do not want to miss this.

TED TAKES RATING - 9.3/10

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

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is a 2022 superhero action film directed by Ryan Coogler, who co-wrote the film with Joe Robert Cole. Based on the Marvel Comics character Black Panther, it is produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. It is the sequel to Black Panther (2018), which Coogler also directed in his Marvel debut, and is intended to be the 30th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).

Queen Ramonda, Shuri, M'Baku, Okoye and the Dora Milaje fight to protect their nation from intervening world powers in the wake of King T'Challa's death. As the Wakandans strive to embrace their next chapter, the heroes must band together with Nakia and Everett Ross to forge a new path for their beloved kingdom.

The cast includes Letitia Wright, Lupita Nyong'o, Danai Gurira, Winston Duke, Florence Kasumba, Dominique Thorne, Michaela Coel, Tenoch Huerta, Martin Freeman, and Angela Bassett.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is set to debut only in theaters on November 11th, courtesy of Marvel Studios.

THE GOOD

Hard to believe we have reached the point where we have a Black Panther movie without Black Panther himself, the late and great Chadwick Boseman. As most of you know by now, the talented actor fought a battle with cancer behind closed doors and left behind a legacy. Gone much too soon, but surely never to be forgotten. Black Panther blew fans away back in 2018, and to say we all latched on to Boseman in this role would be an understatement. When I was blindsided by the news of his death in the summer of 2020, I was devastated. As a movie guy through and through, Boseman was set to be one of the greats. It was undeniable. But I thought surely we couldn’t have another Black Panther movie without him, right? Like most Marvel fans, I was admittedly apprehensive about a Black Panther movie without my guy in the lead role. It just didn’t feel right. So, were my concerns justified or did they find a way to honor Boseman while creating an experience fans could be proud of? Keep reading to find out!

Well, this movie was absolutely amazing. From the opening Marvel title sequence that we all know and love that this time around featured only Chadwick Boseman as Black Panther and complete silence, I knew we were in for a special treat. You could literally hear a pin drop in the theater during what felt like a moment of silence, just amazing. I honestly don’t know where to start, but I have to first touch on the fact that I couldn’t have imagined a film that did a better job of honoring the memory of Boseman. I mean, not only is this already one of my favorite Marvel films which is certainly saying a lot, it just felt like so much more. In some ways I compare it to what the Fast and the Furious franchise did for the late Paul Walker, who was also a pivotal part of their success. More than anything, what Coogler was able to do here felt genuine and real, it felt like it was about Boseman first, and the franchise second, if you can believe that. How they managed to do that while also crafting a film that was an absolute joy to experience is beyond me, but they did it and that is all that matters.

As a fan my concerns were aplenty, like how do you make a Black Panther movie without Black Panther, and more than that if you do decide to try and replace him, how can you possibly do that while still satisfying a fanbase with sky-high expectations? Well first as you know we don’t spoil things here, but I will say that the story was better than I could have hoped. The villain was just perfect and added that much needed element to the film to make sure it packed the punch it needed. Plus, we are treated to a much better overall story than I initially anticipated complete with a few new characters. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is everything a sequel should be and then some, as it picks up where the original film left off while also taking things to another level. I mean seriously, I saw the movie last night and I am still smiling. I went to sleep just trying to relive what I had just experienced, and I cannot wait to see it again. And again, and again. I wish I was kidding, but I did see Black Panther in theaters four times, but this was also before having kids when free time was still a thing. Dare I say I liked Black Panther: Wakanda Forever better?! I honestly feel a bit dirty even saying that, but considering all of the unknowns and having to live up to the original, I am forced to consider the possibility. I will let you know where I land after a few more viewings.

I know we talk about how Marvel changed the game by bringing on Chris Evans or Robert Downey Jr. to join the MCU, but as crazy as it sounds handing the reigns for Black Panther over to director Ryan Coogler fresh off his success from Fruitvale Station and Creed, may have been their best decision to date. This dude is incredibly talented, and his dedication to the Black Panther franchise has been nothing short of amazing. His films are packed with emotion and just a unique blend of cinematic elements that have become his trademark. When you see one of his movies in theaters, you will be changed in some form or fashion because of his ability to create art. If you haven’t seen Fruitvale Station or the first Creed movie, get on that as soon as possible because you will undoubtedly notice a certain style that translates so perfectly to the on-screen experience. Coogler just gets it, and when he decides to hang it up, I dare to say he will leave filmmaking as one of the absolute greats. I just hope that time is many, many years down the road.

As far as the acting is concerned, it was all great of course because the cast is just stacked with talent. Letitia Wright essentially takes the reigns in the lead role and I thought she was amazing. To say that she is an actress making the most of her opportunities would be a drastic understatement. I love my guy Winston Duke, and I couldn’t be happier for him and the fact that his character M’Baku has become such a big part of the success of the Black Panther franchise. He is easily one of my favorite characters in the film. Angela Bassett is amazing as she always is. Martin Freeman continues to be a great addition to the MCU in a fairly unique role bridging the gap between Wakanda and the U.S.. Lupita Nyong’o is fantastic yet again, as well as Danai Gurira, Florence Kasumba, and Michaela Coel. Bottom line, the entire supporting cast was awesome.

I have to bring up the performance from Mexican actor Tenoch Huerta, because if you want to talk about a guy bursting onto the scene and hitting a grand slam in the bottom of the 9th to win game 7 of the World Series, well that is basically what happened here. Huerta plays Namor, otherwise known as the Fish Man, and the films primary antagonist or villain. I don’t read comics, but after doing a little bit of research I am now realizing just how big of a deal his character really is. Known as the Sub-Mariner, he is one of the oldest and most popular characters in Marvel history after his comic debut in 1939, and to say he is a badass would be an understatement. Fans of the comics are in for a real treat, you can thank me later. All I know is Huerta was amazing in this role, and as much as I love me some Jason Mamoa, Namor is exactly what I always hoped Aquaman would become. So if the Amber Heard drama wasn’t enough of a blow to the Aquaman films, a better version of that character is sure to leave quite a dent. Plus we are treated with an unexpected appearance by a certain character from the first film, but I won’t give it away.

On the technical side of things, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever blew me away. Simple as that. The CGI and special effects were incredible and worth every penny, the cinematography was absolutely beautiful, and the soundtrack just hit so damn hard as expected. I really enjoyed all of the edge-of-your seat fight sequences we were treated to throughout the film. Also the scale was just massive from start to finish. Coogler has such an innate ability to immerse viewers and take full advantage of the technical elements of a film as they blend seamlessly with his intimate style of camera work.

One thing that superhero movies need are those exciting moments where you can just feel that something big is about to happen, and I honestly lost count in terms of how many times I had that feeling with Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. I feel like a great deal of credit is owed to the films primary antagonists lead by Tenoch Huerta as Namor and how they were used, mainly because you needed something that rivaled just how big and powerful the country of Wakanda is. The film just feels gritty, fun, and intense but also funny when it needed to be, and the technical elements all come together to make for one very satisfying experience.

THE BAD

I’m genuinely struggling to think of any criticisms for the film. I suppose you could say the 2 hour and 45 minute runtime is a problem, but most people prefer that with a massive movie like this, plus the pacing is fantastic and it never feels boring. The underwater CGI felt a little strange at times but I think that may have been by design. I guess if you don’t like over-the-top superhero movies you may have a problem with it, but aside from that I got nothing.

THE VERDICT

A wildly immersive and visually stunning cinematic experience with a phenomenal soundtrack, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is not only an exceptional film and a jaw-dropping sequel, it is a genuine and heartfelt tribute to the late Chadwick Boseman. To be honest I’m still trying to wrap my brain around just how impressed I was by this movie. Everything about it just felt right, and not once did I start to question any decision that was made by Coogler or the rest of the writing team. I just sat back and watched a sequence of events unfold culminating in one of the most invigorating theater experiences I have had in quite some time. I loved the scale and how immersive it was, and at this point I’m just trying to figure out when I can see it again. Also, even though at times it felt like Black Panther meets the new Avatar, I surely wasn’t complaining.

Bottom line, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever feels bigger than a movie, and we owe it to not only ourselves to see it in theaters, we owe it to the memory of Chadwick Boseman that will live on through the pure joy of cinema. Plus as I said, even if none of that matters to you, this movie is just that good. Be sure to stick around for the post-credits scene as well. I’ll leave you with two words that will surely be ringing in your ears as you leave the theater… Wakanda Forever!!

TED TAKES RATING - 9.6/10

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is now playing only in theaters. Check out the latest trailer below.

Causeway

Causeway is a 2022 psychological drama directed by Lila Neugebauer, from a screenplay by Elizabeth Sanders, Luke Goebel, and Ottessa Moshfegh. The film had its world premiere at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival on September 10, 2022.

Lynsey, a U.S. soldier, experiences a traumatic brain injury during her tour in Afghanistan which forces her to return home. She struggles to return to her daily life with her mother as she waits for her eventual redeployment.

The cast includes Jennifer Lawrence, Brian Tyree Henry, Linda Emond, Stephen McKinley Henderson, and Jayne Houdyshell.

Causeway made its debut in select theaters and on Apple TV+ November 4th.

THE GOOD

By the time the trailer released, Causeway was buzzing thanks to involvement of A24, as well as the cast which includes Jennifer Lawrence and Brian Tyree Henry in the lead roles. All I needed to hear was A24 and I was invested, so Lawrence and Henry were just icing on he cake for me. I knew the film would have more of a indie feel, and the trailer did not disappoint. I did however show my wife the trailer in the hopes that she may want to watch it with me, but after she watched it she promptly said I have no idea what this movie is even about. Now she wasn’t wrong as the trailer is very mysterious and sort of ominous, but that plays in to the overall impact of the film which I will touch on. So needless to say I ended up giving this a solo watch, keep reading to find out if my excitement matched the final product.

Bottom line, this movie was amazing. First of all, Causeway was much different than I expected it to be, at least at first. As I touched on with the trailer not giving anything away, it was clearly by design and I feel like it was a very smart move. Viewers are essentially thrown into the fire as it relates to the extremely dire circumstances the main character Lynsey finds herself in, without the ability to prepare yourself for any of it. You are essentially dropped into the middle of the story as you patiently wait for the details of what happened before that led us here. I mean Jennifer Lawrence, who plays Lynsey, is so unbelievably incredible in this movie she absolutely needs to be in the conversation for Best Actress. A film like this hinges so strongly on the performances, and all I can say is I felt for her character from the first 5-minutes, and the emotion she conveyed through just her eyes was something to experience.

I will talk more about the cast in a bit but I have to touch on the story. The screenplay for Causeway is rooted in dire circumstances and raw emotion. It is about our innate ability as human beings to dig deep for that strength we never knew we had, or our obsession with distractions and hiding from our reality when life gets unbearable. Life is hard, and in Causeway the main character is dealt one bad hand after another to the point where she is willing to put her life on the line once again if it means dulling the pain, or just hiding from the life she tried to forget. I do feel like in order to truly relate to Lynsey, or co-star Brian Tyree Henry who plays her newfound and equally devastated friend James, you need to have experienced loss on some level. Also, what I found really unique was the fact that both characters have a very different yet equally traumatic story to tell, and somehow they found each other in their ultimate time of need.

Causeway is a slow moving film that somehow never feels boring or labored in terms of the story and the pacing, and that is a testament to the performances. I know I keep bringing up the cast but I just can’t help myself. I already talked about the incredible performance from Jennifer Lawrence, and I briefly touched on the performance given by her co-star Brian Tyree Henry, but it needs more talking about. Star of the hit series Atlanta who has seen his career take off in the last few years, Henry delivers what I felt was easily his best performance to date. He plays a man who is clearly well-intentioned with a big heart, but he has some demons that he is grappling with from his past. As we have all been told, grieving is a process, but what you may not know is it is quite common to abandon that process altogether choosing to instead bury the pain because it is just too much. Henry delivers a powerful performance and honestly had me on the edge of my seat, all while feeling so much sympathy for him and what he had gone through. I mean, Lawrence and Henry deserve standing ovations for their performances, simple as that.

As far as the rest of the cast, you won’t find a weak link. I have to talk about Jayne Houdyshell who plays the nurse that cares for Lynsey in the beginning. I just loved how genuine she was, and by the end of it I just wanted to give her a hug. I just loved her character so much. Veteran actor Stephen McKinley Henderson plays a smaller supporting role as Dr. Lucas, the man Lynsey is required to see before she gets her clean bill of health. I really liked his character and felt that he was able to display genuine concern for a patient who he knew was struggling significantly. The last interaction between the two during the films final act was powerful. I also really liked Linda Emond who played Lynsey’s estranged mother Gloria. Also I have to shout out to director Lila Neugebauer for a job well done, as well as composer Alex Somers for delivering a score packed so full of raw emotion it was practically bursting at the seams. Cinematographer Diego García was amazing as well, doing such a fantastic job immersive viewers in the true feel of Louisiana.

THE BAD

I personally have no issues with the film, but it is worth pointing out that it is not for everyone. For example as I touched on a bit already, Causeway is a very slow-burn style film and for that reason it requires a deep investment in the characters, primarily the lead played by Lawrence. Plus, it deals with an extremely difficult and very real subject matter in loss, drug addiction, and PTSD. The main characters often feel alone and hopeless, and you have to be prepared to share these same feelings during their complicated journey.

THE VERDICT

Anchored by profoundly captivating and often gut-wrenching performances from Jennifer Lawrence and Brian Tyree Henry, Causeway is admittedly a difficult watch due to the subject matter but absolutely rewards viewers willing to give it a chance. Lawrence and Henry became their characters, which is quite an achievement considering how many roles they have both had at this point. This is an amazing film, and is quite simply one of those movies that is more of an experience than anything else as I was absolutely enthralled from start to finish. Every single second of this movie felt like it mattered, and although the ending may feel unresolved, I felt like I got the conclusion I needed as I stared at a blank screen waiting for the films credits. You have done it once again A24, kudos to you. It seems crazy to me that this was filmed way back in the summer of 2019, but it was well worth the wait. If you’re willing to give Causeway a chance, it will leave its mark on you that I guarantee.

TED TAKES RATING - 9.2/10

Causeway is now streaming on Apple TV+. Check out the latest trailer below.

The Estate

The Estate is a 2022 comedy written and directed by Dean Craig (Death at a Funeral), and is produced by Marc Goldberg, Sarah Gabriel, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Alison Benson.

Two sisters try to win over their terminally ill, difficult-to-please aunt in hopes of becoming the beneficiaries of her wealthy estate, only to find the rest of their greedy family has the same idea.

The talented cast includes Toni Collette, Anna Faris, David Duchovny, Rosemarie DeWitt, Ron Livingston, Keyla Monterroso Mejia, Kathleen Turner, Patricia French, and Danny Vinson.

The Estate made its debut in theaters on November 4th.

THE GOOD

Somehow this movie literally appeared out of thin air considering I hadn’t even heard of it until it popped up on the release calendar at my local theater. Once I saw this stacked cast it baffled me that it could have flown under-the-radar for me like it did, but here we are. I watched the trailer for The Estate and was immediately intrigued by the potential for this R-rated comedy which seem to be fairly rare these days. So, needless to say I made my way to the theater on opening day to see The Estate so that you would know whether or not it is worth the price of admission. Keep reading to find out!

Alright so just like the movie itself, I am going to keep this short and sweet. I’m not going to sit here and sing the praises for The Estate from the rooftops or anything, but I enjoyed this movie for what it was and thought writer-director Dean Craig serves up some quality entertainment. I went in with realistic expectations, and for me it delivered. The premise was very simple allowing viewers the opportunity to shut their brains off and focus on the great cast, and I really enjoyed the characters. The dynamic between Toni Collette and Anna Faris in the lead roles worked well, and I also liked the rivalry between their characters and their seemingly uppity cousin played by Rosemarie DeWitt. Plus, I love me some Ron Livingston who plays a fish-out-of-water character as DeWitt’s husband, and the only non-family member who quickly realizes he needs to get the heck out of dodge.

The ageless and legendary Kathleen Turner was amazing as expected, but my favorite character was undoubtedly perverted cousin Richard from Florida, played by David Duchovny. Each time his character with the spray tan and ridiculous mustache was on-screen, I had a smile on my face. He had some great off the cuff one-liners that had me cracking up. I often felt like he was afforded the opportunity to adlib which was a great decision by the writing team in my opinion. Speaking of, I would love to see the outtakes for this movie. If you can keep a straight face looking at this guy in his fancy tracksuit sipping bourbon from a gold rimmed glass, you are stronger than I am.

I was also pleasantly surprised by actress Keyla Monterroso Mejia, who played the oddball Dungeons and Dragons loving half-sister of Collette and Faris. I also have to give a shout out to Danny Linson, Patricia French, and Gichi Gamba for their effective supporting roles. Linson in particular was great. Like I said the story itself was simple yet effective, and I thought the film thrived with the awkward character interactions that often caught the unsuspecting “normal” characters by surprise.

THE BAD

As with most comedies, the majority of the funny parts were shown in the trailer which always annoys me. I mean sure, I still laughed at the majority of them because they were still funny, but I wasn’t surprised by nearly as many not shown in the trailer scenes as I was hoping for. I also felt like to an extent they squandered such a talented cast in terms of the films ceiling, but part of me feels like that was by design. Anna Faris sort of channeled her character in the Mom sitcom, and Tony Collette Rosemarie Dewitt were really good as usual, just not great. Plus it is definitely dry humor which may not do it for some viewers.

The acting in general just felt sort of average with nobody really trying too hard to separate themselves from the pack. The story was definitely predictable, but again not a deal breaker. If I’m being honest, I would have preferred the film to center on Duchovny and his character, but that is probably more so because I like that brand of humor. So yeah, I could go on and on if I wanted to try and pick this movie apart, but The Estate has a clear identity from the start which made it easy for me to sit back and appreciate it for what it was. Also if you have an issue with profanity, you better sit this one out because the swear jar is basically a Powerball ticket by the end.

THE VERDICT

A run-of-the-mill raunchy comedy that often feels like a feature-length sitcom, The Estate won’t win over audiences expecting more but offers plenty of laughs for those willing to accept a well deserved hour and a half escape with some ridiculous characters. As I mentioned in the review I do feel like they could have accomplished more with such a talented cast at their disposal, but I also understand the fact that they weren’t going for substance. I had fun with the characters and I was satisfied with the story as a whole, and I did like the ending. Plus, I would come back for more of Duchovny and now I feel like I need to go re-watch his hilarious comedy series Californication. This is a project that the cast clearly enjoyed working on, and for my money The Estate serves its purpose and is a nice reminder that raunchy comedies do still deserve the theater treatment, at least in my opinion anyway.

TED TAKES RATING - 6.3/10

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

Till

Till is a 2022 biographical drama film directed by Chinonye Chukwu (director of Clemency) and written by Michael Reilly, Keith Beauchamp, and Chukwu. It stars Danielle Deadwyler (The Harder They Fall, Station Eleven), Jalyn Hall, Frankie Faison (The Wire), Haley Bennett (Cyrano), and Whoopi Goldberg (Sister Act).

The true story of Mamie Till-Mobley's relentless pursuit of justice for her 14-year-old son, Emmett Till, who was brutally lynched in 1955 while visiting his cousins in Mississippi.

Till made its limited theatrical release on October 14th before a wide release on October 28th, by United Artists Releasing.

THE GOOD

Alright so as soon as the first trailer for this movie dropped, I was beyond excited to see it. The trailer itself was amazing, and it just had the instant feel of a movie that would be raking in the awards. I did some light research on the story Till was based on, and I was beyond ready for the October 28th release date. Unfortunately due to the fact that the film was a limited release from United Artists Releasing, I had to wait about a week longer than I had planned to see it. Don’t worry though, my excitement did not waiver and as soon as one of my local theaters made it available, I was in the car and on my way. So, was it worth the wait and was it the sure-fire contender I knew it would be come awards season? Keep reading to find out!

This movie was amazing. I went into the theater with sky high expectations for obvious reasons, and I was still blown away. Till was nothing short of incredible, and just one of those theater experiences that feels like much more than a movie. From the story, to the acting, to the phenomenal score and soundtrack, this movie simply has it all. There wasn’t a dry eye in the theater, and it wasn’t just because I saw it with a bunch of older ladies.

As a grown man who watches football religiously who could live on red meat and beer, I had tears streaming down my face at an alarming rate. I haven’t had water works like that since the dramatic and heartbreaking end to the Patriots historic undefeated 2007 season. But in all seriousness, as heartbreaking as this movie is, this story is told in such a genuine and effective way that all viewers can appreciate what these people went through. One thing is for sure, you will leave the theater with a special place in your heart for the memory of 14-year-old Emmett Till, that I can guarantee.

Till is an absolute clinic in terms of the acting. Danielle Deadwyler takes on the lead role as Mamie Till-Mobley, and it is honestly hard to put her performance into words. To say that she paid honest and genuine tribute to this story with her performance would be an understatement. This was by no means an easy role to take on, and I could feel the pain she was feeling as well as the transformations her character made from devastated and defeated mother, to strong-willed civil rights activist hellbent on getting justice for her son. Till-Mobley dedicated her life to ensuring that her sons death was not in vein, and Deadwyler exuded her strength and perseverance. Come awards season if she isn’t at least nominated for Best Actress, it will be nothing short of a travesty. She deserves all of the praise for a performance that should open quite a few doors for her as an actress.

Starring alongside Deadwlyer as her son Emmett Till is Jalyn Hall. A relatively new actor who is slowly carving out a place for himself in Hollywood, Hall was simply fantastic. In order for this story to work you needed to buy in to his chemistry with Deadwyler and you needed to genuinely care about his character, and he hits it out of the park on both accounts. From his sweet smile to his care-free attitude and genuine appreciation for the simple joys in life, Hall allowed audiences the opportunity to understand Emmett Till and just how tragic and senseless his death was. I’m looking forward to seeing what Hall does next.

Deadwyler and Hall play the primary roles in the film, but the supporting cast is amazing as well. Now although he played a fairly limited role in terms of screen time, I really loved John Douglas Thompson as Moses Wright, otherwise known as Preacher. Thompson recently took on the role of Chief Carter in the hit HBO series Mare of Easttown. Wright is Till’s great Uncle, and his character is burdened with the full weight of Emmett’s death and the circumstances surrounding it. I felt so incredibly bad for him, and the fact that he was helpless to stop his nephew from being taken, and more than that he was forced to choose his family over the only child of his beloved niece. He was put in a position that no human being should ever be put in. But as far as Thompson as an actor, he brought his character to life in such a way that blew me away. Actress Keisha Tillis plays Elizabeth Wright, the strong-willed wife of Moses Wright, who is a mother as well. One scene in particular involving Tillis and Deadwyler had me in full on tears, and I honestly cannot remember the last time a scene dropped me to my knees in such a way. I could spend an hour talking about how flawless the entire cast, was but I will let you experience it for yourself.

The technical elements were extremely impressive and a big reason why everything worked so well. Till is an intense film in so many ways, but the way that it effortlessly shifted from care-free to intense was a huge reason why it worked so well. During some of the more emotional scenes, good luck not reaching for a tissue because the odds are stacked against you. I felt like the score was about as integral a part to the film as it could be, and it was just one more reason why I loved this movie so much. It was almost as if composer Abel Korzeniowski’s score flowed seamlessly with the powerful emotions of the story. A versatile talent who has dabbled in a variety of genres, Korzeniowski clearly understands the importance of feel and the difference between manipulating audiences and providing an opportunity to experience real feelings.

THE BAD

If you’ve been reading this review, you likely guessed this section will be fairly empty. I guess if you have a sensitivity to the subject matter or have a hard time dealing with raw and real emotion, this movie may not be for you. Otherwise, you’d be hard pressed to criticize Till in any form or fashion. So yeah, that’s about it for this section.

THE VERDICT

A powerful and tragic true story told with the utmost care and brought to life by a transformative and career-defining performance from actress Danielle Deadwyler, Till is the sheer definition of a must-see movie and an experience you won’t soon forget. This movie hit hard for me, and even though I knew what was going to happen, I was not prepared in the least. It’s one thing to try and tell a story that meant so much to the history of our country while also honoring the memory of a young man who lost his life in such a senseless way, but I honestly don’t know how they could have done a better job. Till is one of those movies that will have you sitting in your seat 5-minutes after the end credits, and for good reason.

I simply can’t get this movie out of my head. I mean, this happened in 1955, just think about that for a second. The last time I had an experience even remotely similar was when I saw Ryan Coogler’s Fruitvale Station (2013), and I had to wait a few minutes just to gather myself before exiting the theater. Do yourself a favor and see Till in theaters as soon as possible, because you will be hearing a lot about this movie come award season.

TED TAKES RATING - 9.7/10

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

Prey for the Devil

Prey for the Devil is a 2022 supernatural horror film directed by Daniel Stamm (The Last Exorcism, 13 Sins) and written by Robert Zappia (Halloween H20), based on a story by Todd R. Jones and Earl Richey Jones. It is the final film to feature actor Ben Cross before his death in 2020, and is dedicated to his memory.

In response to a global rise in demonic possessions, the Catholic Church reopens exorcism schools to train priests in the Rite of Exorcism. On this spiritual battlefield, an unlikely warrior rises: a young nun, Sister Ann. Although nuns are forbidden to perform exorcisms, a professor recognizes Sister Ann’s gifts and agrees to train her. Thrust onto the spiritual frontline with fellow student Father Dante, Sister Ann finds herself in a battle for the soul of a young girl, who Sister Ann believes is possessed by the same demon that tormented her own mother years ago, and soon realizes the Devil has her right where he wants her… and it wants in.

The film stars Jacqueline Byers, Colin Salmon, Christian Navarro, Lisa Palfrey, Nicholas Ralph, Virginia Madsen, and Ben Cross.

Prey for the Devil made its debut in theaters on October 28th, courtesy of Lionsgate.

THE GOOD

I will skip the spiel about how I am a horror movie fanatic and live for the genre etc etc because if you have read any of my reviews, you have likely heard the same story a few times already. I will say that I live for this time of year, especially when we are treated to a few quality horror movies in theaters, and this year has been pretty good. When the Prey for the Devil trailer made its debut I was extremely intrigued, it just looked really good. From the production value to just how well made the trailer was in general, I knew this was going to be the Halloween movie I needed to see in theaters as soon as it released. So, did the trend solid horror movies continue or was this a dud? Keep reading to find out!

Alright so bottom line, I really enjoyed this movie. Prey for the Devil is as advertised and brings to the table tremendous production value, well above average acting, a top-notch score, and just an overall horror package that feels well-rounded and balanced. I wasn’t sure exactly what to expect as far as the cast in general, but that was a massive bright spot for me along with what I felt like was a great story with lots of depth especially considering the short hour and a half runtime. One of the things Prey for the Devil does best is it appeals to a broad range of audiences, offering something for the jump scare crowd and also appeals to my preference which is more of tense and chilling moments that give you chills. Bottom line, it all works and equates to a movie perfect for the Halloween season.

I thought the screenplay was a big reason why Prey for the Devil really stuck with me. I expected a quality story to go along with the great production value, but what I got was much more depth than I originally anticipated. This film has a clear identity, and for that reason it goes well beyond your standard run-of-the-mill exorcism style film. The story revolves around an earlier trauma involving the main character, and for that reason you are constantly wondering how much her personal story has impacted the events she finds herself involved in. Any horror thrill with a twist that catches audiences by surprise has an opportunity to do big things, and I think that is more often than not the case here.

I touched on it briefly but the cast definitely overachieved here. Lead Jaqueline Byers, who by all accounts is a fairly unknown actress but did play a supporting role in the 2018 crime thriller Bad Samaritan, is fantastic. In many ways she reminded me of former Game of Thrones star Emilia Clarke, and believe me when I saw that is a compliment. Not only is Byers very attractive even though she is not a natural blonde (I know, spoiler alert), she can act. Her character has a great deal of depth and is the most important part of the overall story, and she handled everything like a veteran actress. I personally thing Byers has a talented future ahead of her, and how good she looks in that nun uniform certainly doesn’t hurt.

Another actor who I really liked that also played a pivotal role is 13 Reasons Why star Christian Navarro. Navarro plays another character that is very important to the story, and he has great on-screen chemistry with Byers. I feel like Navarro also impressed as an actor trying to make a name for himself, and I think he has a bright future. Veteran actor Colin Salmon, who has been in literally everything since his career began in the early 90’s, plays an important supporting role. Salmon has a powerful on-screen presence so he tends to do well in horror movies. I personally take him very seriously no matter what role he plays and I loved the decision to bring him in for this movie.

Any great horror film needs a powerful and effective score, and Prey for the Devil has that and then some. The film is decked out with intense sequences, and audiences are treated to music that absolutely compliments exactly what is unfolding on-screen. For me the sound just got me that much more immersed in the film, and instead of having visual queues in terms of when I should be prepared for something crazy to happen, the great music and sound added another unique and impactful element. The story and the acting was a big positive for me, but the score was right up there in terms of why Prey for the Devil worked so well.

THE BAD

Prey for the Devil isn’t perfect, and some of the issues are admittedly personal preference. First and foremost, I just wish it was scarier. Plain and simple. Now that isn’t necessarily a knock on the film in terms of the overall effectiveness, I just needed a little more emphasis on certain elements. I definitely got chills more than a few times during the film and even jumped a few times which is rare for me, but if they had built more on the elements of the film that really got me I do think it would have been even scarier. I also felt like the final act could have been finessed a bit more even though I really liked the overall twist to then story and the fact that everything came full circle.

THE VERDICT

A well-crafted and chilling supernatural horror thriller from The Last Exorcism director Daniel Stamm, Prey for the Devil takes full advantage of its strengths serving as a very solid genre entry. I was genuinely impressed with the screenplay and the performances in particular, but more than anything else the fact that the final product was able to match the excitement generated by what I considered to be a couple damn good trailers. This is a quality experience for horror fans any way you look at it, and proves that this genre can thrive with with a lesser known cast as long as the other elements of the film come together. Prey for the Devil impressed me, and if you give it a chance I believe it will impress you too.

TED TAKES RATING - 7.8/10

Prey for the Devil is now playing only in theaters. Check out the latest trailer below.

Halloween Ends

Halloween Ends is a 2022 horror slasher film directed by David Gordon Green and written by Green, Danny McBride, Paul Brad Logan, and Chris Bernier, the creative team between the 2018 franchise re-launch. The film is based on characters created by John Carpenter and Debra Hill. It is a sequel to 2021's Halloween Kills and the thirteenth installment of the Halloween film franchise. The film is produced by Jason Blum through his Blumhouse Productions banner, alongside Rough House Productions, Miramax and Trancas International Pictures.

Four years after the events of last year’s Halloween Kills, Laurie is living with her granddaughter Allyson and is finishing writing her memoir. Michael Myers hasn’t been seen since. Laurie, after allowing the specter of Michael to determine and drive her reality for decades, has decided to liberate herself from fear and rage and embrace life. But when a young man, Corey Cunningham, is accused of killing a boy he was babysitting, it ignites a cascade of violence and terror that will force Laurie to finally confront the evil she can’t control, once and for all.

This is Laurie Strode’s last stand. After 45 years, the most acclaimed, revered horror franchise in film history reaches its epic, terrifying conclusion as Laurie Strode faces off for the last time against the embodiment of evil, Michael Myers, in a final confrontation unlike any captured on-screen before. Only one of them will survive.

Starring Jamie Lee Curtis, James Jude Courtney, Andi Matichak, Rohan Campbell, Will Patton, Kyle Richards, and Omar Dorsey.

Halloween Ends made its debut in theaters and on Peacock October 14th, courtesy of Universal Pictures.

THE GOOD

I’m a slasher guy through and through, and while the Friday the 13th franchise is my all-time favorite, Halloween has always been high up there for me as an iconic franchise. Both franchises were born many moons ago with Friday the 13th making its debut in 1980, and the original John Carpenter Halloween arriving back in 1978. These movies serve a purpose, and that purpose is to provide lots of satisfying kills, while highlighting the main attraction which in this genre is usually the killer. With the Halloween franchise in comparison to my beloved Friday the 13th, the formula is slightly different as you have the iconic survivor in Laurie Strode played by the great Jamie Lee Curtis. This leads us to the latest entry in the Halloween franchise as Laurie takes her final stand against the masked epitome of evil Michael Meyers. So, who survives the final bloodbath and are fans treated to the great finale they deserve?! Keep reading to find out!

Alright so this movie is very much a mixed bag, and I am going to do my best to try and break it down without spoiling anything as per usual. Although my expectations weren’t high necessarily, I was underwhelmed by the final product. I will talk more about what I didn’t like about the movie later in the review, but first I will touch on the bright spots. First, Halloween Kills starts off with a very intense opening sequence that honestly caught me by surprise and that had me on the edge of my seat early. I was also impressed right away by the acting and the overall feel of the film as it just felt like more than just a run-of-the mill slasher. the score and soundtrack also made its presence known right away, seemingly going for that hopeless and detached feel we got from the horror classic The Lost Boys (1987), which I can certainly appreciate.

The story is surely the centerpiece of the film as Halloween Ends is set to be the finale for this new trilogy, so how they decided to end things is sure to garner hate or admiration from fans of the franchise. The writing team had a decision to make in terms of how they would close things out, whether they would pick up where they left off with the last movie, or try and take things in a new direction. I personally would have preferred the latter as a fan of the franchise, but I guess the creative juices were flowing. Although they did some great things and added some intrigue with a few new wrinkles to the story, they definitely took a left when we expected them to take a right. Dare to be different right? I’ll talk more about the story later in the review.

I was genuinely impressed with he quality of the acting in this movie, which to be honest surprised me. Last year’s Halloween Kills was packed with corny acting, but it was expected. This movie throws a wrench into the usual formula offering up solid performances from the primary cast. Jamie Lee Curtis was much better here than she was in the previous movie, and I thought Andi Matichak really showed up. Matichak jumped off the screen more for me in this movie, and I thought she played a much more developed character. My biggest surprise in Halloween Ends is easily actor Rohan Campbell who plays Corey Cunningham, a new and pivotal character to the story. Cunningham, who is best known for the series The Hardy Boys and the Netflix series Virgin River, delivers a very commendable performance. I thought he was tasked with a fairly difficult role requiring a decent amount of depth, and from where I was sitting he delivered.

THE BAD

Let me just preface this section by saying I don’t find any joy in picking apart one of my favorite genres, but when the formula and recipe for success is fairly obvious yet still ignored for the most part, my hands are tied. On the forefront of my issues with his movie, Halloween Ends made the questionable decision to make Michael Myers a co-star in his own movie. This decision baffled me for many reasons, and I won’t go into detail because as usual we don’t spoil movies here, but fans hoping for the epic sendoff Myers deserves will likely be disappointed. I mean sure, we went into this expecting a UFC fight between a couple 70-year-olds, one of which is a psycho killer, and the other is part stay-at-home mom and part Sarah Connor. Sadly, Dana White is a no show and for that reason we are left wanting more, much more.

Myers, once a feared pillar of the community you could say, is relegated to obscurity since the last movie. I mean his reign of terror did last 50+ years, so I suppose that is something. But seriously, the writing team makes the decision keep Myers in the shadows for the majority of the movie, and considering the way the last movie ended, it felt uneven to me. As a fan of the franchise and slashers in general, I can’t help but think they should have just concluded this reboot with Halloween Kills, because for me that is how you send Michael Myers out. Staring out his sisters window after basically murdering the entire town in a no-holds barred street fight.

I touched on it already briefly but the primarily complaints with this movie are the story, which is no real surprise considering it is meant to be a culmination of a franchise that kicked off in 1978. I mean sure, nobody actually believes this will be the last Halloween movie ever made, but we are supposed to leave this movie feeling like that is actually a possibility. Aside from the fact that Myers is now in his 70’s and isn’t exactly prioritizing his health, the beating heart of the franchise has been the fact that his menacing presence is unstoppable. If you take that out of the equation, what do you have? Here is a good analogy, if you want to call yourself the best heavyweight boxer of all-time you would want to knock out Mike Tyson in his prime, not old and out of shape Mike Tyson. I mean sure you beat the man, but as a shell of himself how satisfying is it? I want to see Michael Myers in all of his butcher knife wielding glory get taken down as he fights until the very end, but I guess that is just me.

I’ve heard complaints about the ending which is interesting to me considering that part of the movie actually fits better within the franchise in terms of how they seemingly wanted to close things out. I will say it still felt a bit half-assed and a bit forced and out of left-field, but I think they got their message across. This movie needed to have some level of closure in order to stay true to its name, and I do believe they accomplished that. Now whether you like how they decided to conclude the legend of Michael Myers, well that is another story entirely.

THE VERDICT

Although it still has redeemable qualities and makes for an entertaining movie experience in its own right, Halloween Ends strays from a tried-and-true formula that helped build an iconic franchise dividing audiences in the process. You have to commend the writing team for taking a chance here and I wish I could say it worked out in the end (pun intended), but unfortunately we are left with what feels like a jumbled mess and an overall unfinished product. I personally think they bit off more than they could chew, and easily needed an additional 30-minutes to try and flesh out this new backstory they aimed to create. Now I’m not saying it would have made this a great movie because you are still making Meyers more or less a background character, but at least you would fill some of the holes in the story and make things feel a bit more cohesive.

As I mentioned earlier in the review, I was impressed with the acting and still enjoyed the movie for the most part, but to say it is a worthy sendoff for such an iconic franchise would be like saying the earth is flat. Just because some people believe it, doesn’t make it true. The reality is we will see more of Michael Meyers in the future with the next franchise reboot, and I will be watching.

TED TAKES RATING - 5.9/10

Halloween Ends is now playing in theaters and streaming on Peacock. Check out the latest trailer below.

Black Adam

Black Adam is a 2022 superhero film based on the DC Comics character of the same name, directed by Jaume Collet-Serra from a screenplay by Adam Sztykiel, Rory Haines, and Sohrab Noshirvani. Collet-Serra, who had his directorial debut back in 2005 with the horror thriller The House of Wax, recently directed the hit Disney action adventure film Jungle Cruise, also starring Dwayne Johnson. Black Adam is intended to be a spin-off of Shazam! (2019), and the eleventh film in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU). The Black Adam character was first introduced in the comics as a one-off villain way back in 1945, but for the last 15 years or so Johnson has made it his mission to breathe new life into this controversial antihero.

Nearly 5,000 years after he was bestowed with the almighty powers of the Egyptian gods -- and imprisoned just as quickly -- Black Adam is freed from his earthly tomb, ready to unleash his unique form of justice on the modern world.

The cast includes Dwayne Johnson as Teth-Adam / Black Adam alongside Noah Centineo, Aldis Hodge, Sarah Shahi, Quintessa Swindell, Pierce Brosnan, and Mohammed Amer.

Black Adam made its debut in theaters on October 21st, courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures.

THE GOOD

I will be the first to admit that I have had tempered expectations when it was officially announced that Black Adam was finally happening. Dwayne Johnson, who I am a huge fan of, has been marketing the crap out of this movie for what feels like two years at this point. When the first trailer dropped I remained skeptical mainly because it had the feel of yet another mish mash DC movie that veered into the world of over-the-top corny more often than it should. But, after that 2nd trailer, I was like okay, we might have something here. It had that gritty feel I was looking for, which caused me to change course a bit, becoming hopeful for what was set to debut at the end of October. So, was I right to be concerned initially or was the 2nd trailer an indication that DC finally got it right? Keep reading to find out!

I’m very pleased to admit, I was genuinely impressed with Black Adam. I went in with my fair share of reservations as I mentioned, but I left the theater satisfied and excited for what is surely to come next. Superhero films are a dime a dozen these days, but one constant has been that DC is best known for duds, and Marvel on the other side of the aisle packs theaters. But little brother DC is clearly sick of being pushed around, and a behemoth of a man with a shiny smooth bald head is here to change the narrative. The origin story for Black Adam often has a 300 feel to it which I loved, and the characters were just fantastic. One of the primary reasons why big-budget Marvel films continue to succeed is their ability to entertain while giving viewers several characters to root for, not just the headliner. My eyes were glued to the screen for the entire movie thanks to impressive pacing and an engaging story. Black Adam is a big-budget blockbuster that feels like a big-budget blockbuster, if that makes any sense at all. Bottom line, my criticisms were few and far between with this movie, and that is a big win in my book.

I was intrigued by the origin story of Black Adam and felt like it had more depth than you would usually expect from a superhero film. It also has a ton of great one-liners, and bunch of perfectly funny interactions between characters that feel very authentic. One of my big issues with DC films is they often come across as either trying so hard to be gritty that they miss the mark altogether, or they want so badly to be funny that it feels forced and comes across as corny. That couldn’t be further from the case here, and I think the writing and the chemistry between the cast was a big reason why it all worked so well. I keep picturing certain scenes that had me laughing out loud in the theater, and they are still putting a goofy smile on my face. I honestly can’t wait to see Black Adam again.

Okay now it’s time to talk about the cast, and I personally thought it was fantastic from top to bottom. If they asked for my feedback, this is the cast I would have envisioned for this movie. Dwayne Johnson has been fighting for this project to come to fruition for a decade and a half, and you won’t question his commitment to this role even for a second. Johnson is locked in, and even though he is a larger-than-life personality and a fixture in our lives these days, I was still able to see him as Black Adam which to me was an incredible accomplishment in itself. He crushed this role, simple as that. Although Johnson is most certainly the main attraction, the rest of the cast is pivotal to the success of the movie as a whole.

I have to start with actress Sarah Shahi, a former model who’s birth name is Aahoo Jahansouzshahi. I’m guessing its obvious why she decided to go with a different name professionally. I’m not gonna lie, I was infatuated with her character from the outset because not only was she absolutely gorgeous, she was a badass. She plays Adrianna Tomaz, a tough-as-nails mom hell bent on making life better for her people who are currently oppressed. She was simply amazing in this role, and I couldn’t imagine anyone playing it better.

So during the movie I felt like she looked familiar but I couldn’t quite put my finger on it, but after doing a bit of research I had a big “ohhh that’s who she is!” moment. She was in one of my favorite shows, the unique crime drama Person of Interest, where she plays the sexy and tough Sameen Shaw. Her character in that series is not so different from who she plays in Black Adam, reinforcing the fact that she is the right person for roles like this. The Euless, TX native has been making a name for herself, mostly in television, since her career began way back in 2000. I can’t understate how happy I am for her and the success she is having. If you want to check out Person of Interest, all 5 seasons are currently streaming on HBO Max. I highly recommend it.

Next I have to talk about another actor who I am excited to see finding so much success, and that would be my guy Mohammed Amer. The Palestinian stand-up comedian turned actor who was born in Kuwait before his family made the decision to flee to Texas during the first Gulf War way back in 1990, has seemingly come out of nowhere in the acting world. After making his acting debut in an episode of the HBO series Crashing, his big break was in the Hulu comedy drama series Ramy (preview and trailer here), where he starred as a supporting character alongside Ramy Youssef.

I watched the series which I very much enjoyed and definitely recommend, and Amer was easily one of my favorite characters. So when I found out he was getting his own series loosely based on his own life experiences as a refugee trying to make a living in Texas, I was pumped. The Netflix original series Mo (preview and trailer here), is now streaming and is absolutely worth a watch. Amer has such an incredible on-screen presence, and he is absolutely hilarious. I really enjoyed his character in Black Adam as he provided the majority of the comic relief as Karim, the brother of Shahi’s character.

The rest of the cast was great as well, mainly the core crew that made up the Justice Society from acting legend Pierce Brosnan as Dr. Fate, Aldis Hodge as Hawkman, Noah Centineo as Atom Smasher, and Quintessa Swindell as Cyclone. This group had awesome chemistry with each other, and I loved the toe to toe interactions between Hawkman and Black Adam. I wouldn’t say it was a ripoff or anything, and to be clear I know zero about the comics, but Hawkman felt very similar to Anthony Mackie’s Falcon, and I thought that Atom Smasher had a ton of similarities to Paul Rudd’s Ant-Man. I mean this as a compliment in the sense that I gravitated towards these characters, and although Atom Smasher and Cyclone play smaller roles comparably, the chemistry these two shared added some additional depth to the film. Plus, Centineo definitely added to the comic relief element.

On the technical side of things, I personally thought the CGI and special effects were great. They were over-the-top more often than not, but they hit hard and that’s exactly what I was hoping for. The action sequences were a blast to experience, and I also loved the 300 cinematic style we were treated to during the earlier parts of the film as well as the flashback scenes. Plus, the nice thing about casting Dwayne Johnson in a role like this is you don’t need any CGI up make him look like an absolute beast. The film also served up a ton of slow-mo during some of the crazier action scenes which I thought actually worked quite well all things considered, and in general I never got the corny feel from the film which was something I was initially concerned about.

The score and soundtrack are pure fire any way you look at it, and was hugely beneficial to the overall experience. Composer Lorne Balfe is one of the biggest names in the business with 167 credits according to his IMDb filmography. This guy is a machine, in 2022 alone he did Ambulance, Infinite Storm, Top Gun: Maverick, Ticket to Paradise, and now Black Adam. And next year looks massive for him yet again with The Lego Batman Movie 2, Tetris, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, and Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One. The guy is like the Dwayne Johnson of composers, always burning that midnight oil. He is definitely one of the greats. As the icing on the cake to the incredible work from Balfe, we are also treated to music from The Smashing Pumpkins, Player, The Rolling Stones, and Kanye West. Plus, I have to give a bit shoutout to director Jaume Collet-Serra because he brought his A-game for Black Adam.

THE BAD

Listen, I’m not going to talk about Black Adam like it deserves it’s rightful place in cinematic history. I mean, at the end of the day it’s a superhero movie and its not perfect, but that’s okay. The special effects and CGI sometimes feel a bit too over-the-top, but that’s really par for the course, right? I’m not going to knock the acting because as I said it was well above average. I felt like they took full advantage of the 2-hour runtime, making sure each scene had a purpose. So kudos to the editing team for that. Above all else, entertainment factor remained from start to finish and in my mind that’s really all that matters. The good far outweighs the bad, and after seeing Black Adam I have every reason to believe this could be the next franchise that gives DC that boost it so desperately needs. So yeah, I’m going to keep this section short and sweet because at the end of the day Black Adam defies expectations, and that’s the story I’m sticking to.

THE VERDICT

An action packed superhero origin story with genuinely likable characters and an engaging storyline, Black Adam is not only one of the best DC movies in recent memory, it gives big brother Marvel a run for its money. Dwayne Johnson’s 15-years in the making passion project was intense when it needed to be, but still provided the necessary balance of humor to ensure it was always fun. I loved the cast, and I am ecstatic for the opportunities a movie like this will afford actress Sarah Shahi and actor Mohammed Amer, who are very deserving of their success. I haven’t even bothered reading what these so-called critics over on Rotten Tomatoes have had to say about this movie, but who cares really. At the end of the day it’s about whether or not YOU will enjoy it, and as a fan of superheroes on the big screen who also happens to write these half-ass reviews that I hope you enjoy reading, this was a theater experience that was absolutely worth my time.

As I mentioned I’m not a comic book guy so I went in fairly blind in terms of what to expect, but after seeing this movie I’m pumped about Black Adam and his place in the DC universe. Plus, an epic mid credits scene has me excited and full of anticipation. Ignore the haters and get out to the theater ASAP to see Black Adam because it is worth your hard earned money, and then some. That’s right, you heard it here first. So, what are you waiting for?!

TED TAKES RATING - 8.3/10

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

Smile

Smile is a 2022 psychological horror film written and directed by Parker Finn in his feature film debut, based on his 2020 short film Laura Hasn't Slept, which was awarded the Jury Award for Midnight Short at the 2020 SXSW film festival. Taking a unique approach with the marketing budget, people were planted at a variety of crowded venues including several sporting events, and just sitting or standing 3+ hours with the creepiest smile you have ever seen on their faces. If you don’t believe me, Google it.

After witnessing a bizarre, traumatic incident involving a patient, Dr. Rose Cotter starts experiencing frightening occurrences that she can't explain. As an overwhelming terror begins taking over her life, Rose must confront her troubling past in order to survive and escape her horrifying new reality.

The film stars Sosie Bacon (Mare of Easttown, As We See It), Jessie T. Usher (The Boys), Kyle Gallner, Robin Weigert, Caitlin Stasey, Kal Penn, and Rob Morgan.

Smile made its debut in theaters on September 30th, courtesy of Paramount Pictures.

THE GOOD

Smile was one of the rare horror movies destined for a theatrical wide release that somehow snuck up on me. I was actually at the movie theater seeing something else and was chatting with the crew when someone mentioned the movie to me and I immediately assumed it was yet another under-the-radar horror that would get a VOD release or find its way onto Shudder. Now I’m not saying those movies don’t have the potential to be good because they absolutely do, but theaters putting their faith in horror movies these days is fairly rare. So of course I immediately started digging in to this movie and found that it was still without the first official trailer at the time, but once it dropped I was sure to have a preview posted immediately. I doubt I need to point out this obvious fact, but the trailer for Smile was legit. It felt fresh, original, and more than anything else it seemed brutal and well deserving of the R-rating, as any horror movie worth its salt should be. So needless to say I was pumped to check this out opening day. So, was it worth the excitement? Keep reading to find out!

It sure was! Smile is a damn good horror movie, and one heck of a debut for writer and director Parker Finn, allowing audiences the opportunity to experience the feature-film version of his terrifying 2020 short film on the big-screen. It was gloriously dark and brutal, the score was terrifying and oh so satisfying, the cinematography and camera work were clutch, and more than anything else the story quenched my insatiable thirst for horror. This is a fantastic example of how a horror movie is supposed to leave a lasting impression.

But, before I get ahead of myself, it wasn’t perfect and I will touch on that later in the review. For me Finn’s story blended elements of horror films like The Ring (2002), and the classic indie horror film It Follows (2014), to perfection without feeling like a blatant ripoff of either classic horror film. Its just that resounding sense of dread that creeps in and never leaves you that makes movies like Smile leave such a lasting impression. The fact that the film is based on an original story from Finn is impressive to me because it did feel like it could have been a remake of a Japanese horror similar to The Ring, which is a credit to the story. Speaking of the story, I loved it. Horror movies are supposed to leave you feeling uneasy and on the edge of your seat with your mouth wide open as the credits role, and that was surely the case with Smile. And speaking of mouth wide open, those smiles are sooooooooo damn creepy.

I thought the final act was fantastic, and in many ways reminded me of the mindfu*k of an ending that we got with The Night House, which is a great horror thriller if you haven’t seen it and is now streaming on HBO Max. Now that I think about it, Smile has quite a bit in common with that movie. Finn put together a story that is relatable in a depressing and traumatic way, very dark, and more than anything else uniquely immersive. Oh and if you are one of those people who are especially susceptible to jump scares, you better buckle up because otherwise you might end up on the floor of the theater. I keep bringing it up but the story is obviously the star of the show, and like many of the more successful horror films as of late like Ari Aster’s 2018 film Hereditary (our review here) as a great example I like to use, it felt relatable in a grounded in reality sort of way. I mean sure, the basis of the film is far-fetched as it should be, but the core of the story is rooted in unresolved trauma, and let’s be honest this is precisely why therapists make the big bucks. It does make you wonder though how many therapists choose that career path as a way to deal with their own issues.

Actress Sosie Bacon leads the way for the cast and I thought she was fantastic. If you think her last name sounds familiar you would be onto something. She is the daughter of legendary actor Kevin Bacon, who had her with actress Kyra Sedgwick. Now that is some solid acting roots right there. A spitting imagine of her dad, Bacon is most recognized for her recent role in the HBO limited series Mare of Easttown. A ton was asked of her character in Smile, and I felt like she answered the call every single time. She reminded me a bit of Rebecca Hall in The Night House, a woman brought to her knees by tragedy holding on by a thread. Bottom line, this movie does not work without her and I look forward to what she does in the future. I won’t talk too much about the supporting cast here as I have a few thoughts later in review, but my favorite supporting roles were played by Caitlin Stasey as the troubled patient that starts it all, Robin Weigart who plays Dr. Madeline Northcott, and Kyle Gallner who plays Joel, the ex boyfriend turned detective.

THE BAD

Few things grind my gears more than a movie making stupid and unnecessary missteps keeping it from being great. Now if you have been paying attention I have made it very clear that Smile is a top-tier horror movie that I genuinely enjoyed, but the reality is it could have been better. I won’t spend too much time talking about the issues I have with the movie mainly because they are relatively inconsequential in the grand scheme of things, but sometimes as a reviewer of movies you have to nitpick a bit. First, I had issues with the writing and the editing decisions that were made. At just shy of 2-hours, I feel like they could have easily cut about 15-20 minutes out of this movie. I can think of at least three scenes that served literally zero purpose that could have been scrapped. They just felt forced and if anything took away from the impact of the film.

Now I have to talk about the casting, first I love me some Kal Penn, the guy is great and will be a legend forever thanks to Harold & Kumar and those delicious little White Castle burgers. But, what is he doing in a horror movie with no comedic element whatsoever you ask? Great question. It just felt like a weird decision to have such a recognizable guy play such a small yet important role. If I’m being honest, I just kept waiting for him to crack a joke. Next in line of bad casting decisions is the role played by Jessie T. Usher. Usher plays Trevor, the fiancé of Sosie Bacon’s character, a pivotal role in terms of the overall impact of the story. But man, I did not like his character at all. It started off okay, but once we start to learn a bit more about Rose Cotter and her “demons”, it becomes pretty clear that these two couldn’t be less compatible. The trend of passive and dare I say pansy ass men in this movie felt like a weird dynamic to say the least that did more bad than good. As the film got darker and more intense, Usher’s character became more of a joke than a quality character. I thought Usher was great in The Boys, but this role was not for him.

THE VERDICT

An unsettling and immersive urban legend style horror film blending elements of The Ring and It Follows, Smile gets the hooks in you early and delivers a very satisfying final act you won’t soon forget. I thought the tone was fantastic throughout, and the film absolutely delivered on the technical side of things which can be rare for wide-release horror movies. I loved Parker Finn’s original story, and felt like as a director he prioritized the elements that mattered most ensuring he delivered a horror experience that would stand the test of time while satisfying hardcore and casual genre fans.

Unfortunately a few poor casting decisions and questionable writing at times kept the film from moving into the upper-echelon of horror, but luckily these issues were not detrimental to the final product. Smile satisfied my hunger for quality horror, and is without a doubt the movie horror fans need to be seeing on the big-screen this Halloween season. I can’t wait to see it again, and I am looking forward to keeping an eye out for what Finn does next.

TED TAKES RATING - 8.1/10

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

Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile

Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile is a 2022 live-action animated musical comedy directed by Will Speck and Josh Gordon, from a screenplay by William Davies. It is an adaptation of the children's story of the same name and its prequel The House on East 88th Street by Bernard Waber.

When the Primm family moves to New York City, their young son, Josh, struggles to adapt to his new school and friends. All of that changes when he discovers Lyle, a singing crocodile that loves baths, caviar and great music. The two become fast friends, but when evil neighbor Mr. Grumps threatens Lyle's existence, the Primms must band together to show the world that family can come from the most unexpected places.

The cast includes Shawn Mendes, Javier Bardem, Constance Wu, Winslow Fegley, Scoot McNairy, and Brett Gelman.

Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile made its debut in theaters on October 7th, courtesy of Columbia Pictures via Sony Pictures Releasing.

THE GOOD

My trip to the theater to see Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile was an overwhelmingly positive experience for several reasons. First, I was excited that I finally had another chance to take my almost 4-year-old little guy to see another movie, allowing me an opportunity for some great father son bonding time. He had been asking me when he would be able to see another movie in theaters, and needless to say I wasn’t about to bring him to see Bros (our review here) or Smile. My wife and I also had the crazy thought to try and take our almost 2-year-old, who is admittedly a mini-me, to see his first movie. Both boys watched the trailer and just kept running around the house yelling “Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile”, and I’m not gonna lie it was pretty damn cute. We even grabbed the book from the library to read to them before bed earlier in the week.

As our youngest climbed into his seat and looked at the giant bucket of delicious popcorn and the glorious illuminated screen in front of him, all he could say was “wowwwwwwwwww”. It was at that very moment that I knew I could forego the DNA test, he was definitely my kid. In all seriousness, both boys loved the movie, and our youngest sat through the entire thing and only became slightly distracted towards the end. Bottom line, Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile was a very successful trip to the theater for our little family. So, did the adults enjoy the movie? I’m glad you asked!

We did! I personally had a lot of fun with this movie, and more than anything else appreciated its ability to appeal to both kids and parents. It tells a very simple yet effective story, and also takes full advantage of the fact that it is partly a musical as well. I wouldn’t consider myself to be a musical fanatic necessarily, but I love when a movie can seamlessly blend musical elements within the story to where it doesn’t quite feel like a full-blown musical. The songwriting team from The Greatest Showman returns for Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile and you can feel their energy right away.

Having a talent like Shawn Mendes as the voice-actor for Lyle was a massive casting move, but the performances needed to jump off the screen, and in my opinion they absolutely did. I looked forward to the next time Lyle graced us with his angelic vocal chords, and that is saying a lot for someone who usually has a take it or leave it attitude when it comes to musicals. Bottom line, the performances were fun and exciting and kept my eyes glued to the screen as we were treated to a great soundtrack. Oh and little Lyle was so damn cute, I almost wanted a pet Crocodile of my own. Almost.

I was also genuinely pleased with the cast, lead by musician Shawn Mendes as Lyle and Javier Bardem. The two of them are just electric on screen. I really liked Winslow Begley who plays Josh Primm, and thought that he delivered a very solid performance. Begley was able to develop a unique bond with Lyle, and I felt like his difficult transition to a new home and a new city felt authentic and got audiences invested. Constance Wu and Scoot McNairy played Josh’s parents, and I really enjoyed both characters.

One of the scenes in the film that garnered the most laughs in the theater included McNairy’s character reliving his days as a championship wrestler. Having read the book to my kids before bed several times before seeing the movie, I knew it was important to cast the right person to play the films antagonist, Mr. Grumps, and comedian-turned-actor Brett Gelman was absolutely the right choice. The veteran actor is simply hilarious in his super odd role in one of my favorite comedies The Other Guys, and even though this role isn’t quite as over-the-top, he still plays it to perfection.

THE BAD

Andrew and I sort of have an unwritten rule where we don’t shred children’s movies, unless they are deserving of course, especially when they are based on popular books. But before you start questioning our thoughts on these movies, rest assured they will still receive the rating they deserve. To be honest, Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile met and exceeded my expectations. It was fun, never boring, and didn’t reach the cheesy status that it easily could have considering well, it is based on a children’s book about a singing and dancing crocodile. I felt like the film stayed fairly grounded all things considered and told a story with substance. I will say that I had hoped it would tug on the old heart strings a but more than it did, but that is just me sort of nitpicking. Instead of dragging out the third act of the film the writers decided to focus on the root of the story, and I do feel like it was the right decision.

THE VERDICT

An energetic and heartwarming family comedy featuring some great musical performances thanks to the talented duo of Shawn Mendes and Javier Bardem, Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile serves up something for the entire family making it well worth a trip to the theater. Family movies, especially those for younger kids, seem to be few and far between the last few months so jumped at the opportunity to see this with the family and it was well worth it. As I touched on earlier in the review, I am hard pressed to pick apart or be critical of Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile for the simple fact that it did what it set out to do, and then some.

Do yourself a favor and take advantage of a seemingly rare opportunity to get the littles ones out to the theater, you won’t regret it. Also pro tip, lots of delicious popcorn always helps too.

TED TAKES RATING - 7.2/10

Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile is now playing only in theaters. Check out the latest trailer below.

Blonde

By: Andrew Wing

Blonde is a 2022 American fictionalized biographical drama film written and directed by Andrew Dominik (The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, Killing Them Softly), based on the 2000 novel of the same name by Joyce Carol Oates. The film stars Ana de Armas (Blade Runner 2049, Knives Out) as the American icon and actress Marilyn Monroe. The cast also includes Adrien Brody (The Pianist, The Darjeeling Limited), Bobby Cannavale (Spy, Ant-Man), Xavier Samuel (The Twilight Saga: Eclipse), and Julianne Nicholson (August: Osage County, Mare of Easttown).

This reimagined fictional portrait of Hollywood legend Marilyn Monroe follows her from her volatile childhood as Norma Jeane through her rise to stardom and romantic entanglements and blurs the lines of fact and fiction to explore the widening split between her public and private selves.

Along with shifting aspect ratios, most of the film is presented in black and white. Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Tracey Landon, Brad Pitt, and Scott Robertson produced the film, which, after a lengthy period of development that began in 2010, entered production in August 2019 in Los Angeles. Production wrapped in July 2021, following the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. The film also garnered controversy and notoriety for its lead casting, graphic sexual content, and status as the first NC-17-rated film to be released via a streaming service.

Blonde premiered at the 79th Venice International Film Festival on September 8, 2022, and began a limited theatrical release in the United States on September 16, 2022, before its streaming release on September 28, by Netflix.

THE GOOD

The time has finally arrived. Blonde has without a doubt been one of the most highly anticipated movies of the past couple of years, and it finally hit Netflix a little over a week ago. Why was it anticipated so highly you might ask? Well, for starters it’s a biopic, albeit fictional, on the life of American screen icon Marilyn Monroe played by one of the most talented young actresses working today in Ana de Armas. Also, it is the Australian filmmaker Andrew Dominik’s first feature film in a decade, so people were excited to see what he has spent all this time working on. Despite those good things, this film was also highly anticipated because since early press screenings it has garnered a lot of controversy due to the way it portrayed Monroe and also with the fact that it earned an NC-17 rating due to its graphic sexual content. So was the inclusion of two talents in de Armas and Dominik enough to make this a great biopic, or was this the absolute dumpster fire a lot of critics have been saying it is? Keep reading to find out!

I take no pride in saying that it was the latter. Trust me, I will touch on all of the things wrong with this movie, but with this being the good section, that will just have to wait. But for now, there is only one way to start this review and that is by praising the beautiful and incredibly talented Ana de Armas. If there’s one thing to take away from this film, it is that she is going to be a star. It is obvious from the very first scene that she absolutely devoted herself to this role and despite the fact that people want to give her a hard time because her voice didn’t perfectly match that of Monroe’s, I would definitely call this a transformative performance. I thought the voice was more than fine, and I truthfully didn’t find it as distracting as other critics. And lastly when it comes to Ana de Armas, I just applaud her for her bravery in doing some of these very hard to watch scenes that I’m sure a lot of other actresses wouldn’t have done and I wouldn’t have blamed them, but de Armas just continues to impress me with whatever she does and I can’t wait to see where her career goes from here.

Now onto the director Andrew Dominik. I unfortunately don’t have a lot of good to say about him as I thought I would going into this review, but he is still worthy of some praise. I shame myself for one not having seen his feature film Chopper, but more for not yet having seen his 2007 Western The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford. However, I have had the pleasure of watching his most recent film Killing Them Softly and one thing I took away from that was that Dominik is an incredible visual stylist and he absolutely puts that on display in Blonde. This movie is an incredible visual achievement. The black-and-white is about as impressive as it gets and Chayse Irvin’s cinematography was phenomenal.

Other than de Arma’s performance and the film’s visuals, there is nothing else I would say is great about Blonde. Despite that though, I did like all of the supporting performances we got here even though I think a lot of the side characters you could make the case were underwritten. I was specifically impressed by Bobby Cannavale who is definitely more known for his comedic roles but I think is one talented dramatic actor. I was also blown away by Julianne Nicholson who plays Monroe’s mentally unstable mother. She, like de Armas, really takes some risks with her performance and I was just left speechless a couple times at what she was able to do on screen. And lastly, me being a big music guy, I was a big fan of what Nick Cave and Warren Ellis brought to this movie in that department and I enjoyed hearing all of Marilyn Monroe’s hits at times throughout the film.

THE BAD

Before we dive too deep into the critiquing of this film, it should be known that this movie is adapted from Joyce Carol Oates 2000 novel of the same name. Dominik then adapted the screenplay, and while I respect his total commitment to whatever he was trying to achieve here, I have no fucking clue what he was going for here. Whatever it was was truly disappointing. I feel rude saying this but it also felt at times to be a little brain dead and I only say that because of how troubling the film is. From what he was trying to say about Marilyn Monroe and the life she lived, to femininity, to middle-century America, he just swung and missed here. I will say I haven’t read the novel, and I just might need to now, but there is just no debating that this movie doesn’t work and is a black mark on Dominik’s resume.

My next big problem with Blonde is the absurdly long runtime. It clocks in at a whopping 167 minutes and I’m usually one who is fine with longer movies and one who wishes some movies were longer, but that was absolutely not the case here. Once I came to terms with what this movie was, I just wanted it to end. The film is an imagining of Monroe's life and while I’m okay with a conspiracy theory here and there, this film just takes so many, and I would argue too many creative liberties with what was this woman’s life. And with that being said, the movie is pretty uncomfortable at times and the last thing I enjoy is being uncomfortable for almost three hours, so yeah, I would’ve liked this to be much shorter.

Continuing with that uncomfortable feel, it has to be said that there are A LOT of scenes in this film that I found to be unnerving, and I strongly believe that women will have a hard time watching this because well, there’s no other way to say it, this film is incredibly demeaning to females. From nudity, rape, attempted murder, attempted suicide, physical abuse, mental abuse, abortion, this film really has it all and it certainly earns its NC-17 rating. In conclusion, aside from all of the complaints I’ve made, I would argue the biggest one is that this film is just not entertaining in the slightest and I have a hard time recommending someone to check this out.

THE VERDICT

Andrew Dominik’s Blonde is a visual achievement and it also features what I found to be a pretty remarkable transformative performance from Ana de Armas as Marilyn Monroe, but that’s about all the good I have to say about it.

I truly don’t know what Dominik was trying to say or accomplish with this film, but whatever it was, it absolutely didn’t work. The way he portrayed Monroe’s life was exploitative, sexist, and dehumanizing, and more than that, the movie as a whole was just demeaning to women in general. At the end of the day, Dominik’s passion project is a failure that clocks in at a brutal runtime of 167 minutes.

TED TAKES RATING - 4.2/10

Blonde is now streaming exclusively on Netflix. Check out the latest trailer below.

Emily the Criminal

By: Andrew Wing

Emily the Criminal is a 2022 American crime drama film written and directed by John Patton Ford. It stars Aubrey Plaza (Parks and Recreation, Safety Not Guaranteed), Theo Rossi (Sons of Anarchy), Megalyn Echikunwoke (Night School), and Gina Gershon (Bound).

Emily (Plaza), who is saddled with student debt and locked out of the job market due to a minor criminal record, gets involved in a credit card scam that pulls her into the criminal underworld of Los Angeles, ultimately leading to deadly consequences.

It premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on January 24, 2022, and was released in the United States on August 12, 2022, by Vertical Entertainment and Roadside Attractions.

THE GOOD

Ever since premiering at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, Emily the Criminal has been one of my most anticipated movies to check out mainly because of the widespread positive reviews it has gotten. Another reason for my excitement was the inclusion of Aubrey Plaza, an actress I am a huge fan of. Plaza is largely known for her hilarious role in Parks and Recreation, but for the past five years I have been really impressed with some of her dramatic performances in small indie films like Ingrid Goes West and Black Bear, so I was pumped to see if she could go up another level with her performance in Emily the Criminal. So with that said, was this Plaza’s career-best performance? Keep reading to find out!

IT WAS! I mentioned some of her other performances, but I really do think this is the best. Plaza’s character is a woman who gets slowly integrated into a world of crime, specifically credit card fraud, and the way she portrayed this character’s descent into madness if you will call it that, was remarkable. It was so fun as we got to discover what this character had up her sleeve the deeper we got into the story, and it was just so fun to watch Aubrey Plaza become an absolute badass in this world of crime. She just continues to stretch her limits as an actress in these indie films, and I’m just buying all the stock in her. She carries this film with ease, she has the range to do anything, and it’s not surprising the legendary Francis Ford Coppola recently cast her to be in his highly anticipated Megalopolis, which will feature her starring alongside my favorite actor Adam Driver. 

There’s no denying that Plaza stole the show here thanks to her performance, but this is just a solid crime drama film at the end of the day. It was written and directed by John Patton Ford and I was just really impressed by what he did with his feature film debut. The movie is a thriller that starts in a really grounded place which I was a fan of. That grounded feel made the way the story unfolded surprising when things started to escalate and it was just a very good script full of well-written characters. As good as his writing was, the direction though was great. The film is very tense and anxiety-inducing and Ford just did a fantastic job of heightening the tension at all the right spots

I usually don’t dive super deep into my movie reviews, but for this one, I will. So continuing with my praise for Ford, I liked the film’s commentary on how once someone is labeled a criminal and has a criminal record, no matter how small and harmless the crime might have been, you are forever deemed a criminal by society and that makes it extremely hard to get a job and make a living. We obviously see this firsthand with Plaza’s character Emily, who believes more in being a criminal than capitalism because she’s drowning in student loans. I don’t know, I’m not saying I’m pro-being a criminal, but I just thought it gave the film another layer of depth and made the character of Emily extremely relatable despite her criminal nature.

Before I wrap up the good, there are some more things I want to give some love to when it comes to Emily the Criminal, the first being Theo Rossi. I remember Rossi from his small supporting role in Sons of Anarchy, but he just crushed it here. His character was given a lot and Rossi’s performance just made you like his character who was also a criminal and made you see him as this warm, genuine person. The editing too here from Harrison Atkins was awesome. I was locked in from the start and the 93 minutes runtime was perfect. The cinematography was solid too and being a big fan of close-ups, I loved all of the close-ups we got in this film, so shoutout to cinematographer Jeff Bierman.

THE BAD

As much as I enjoyed this movie, the reason for my score which you’ll see shortly is simply because I don’t know if I can say the movie did anything exceptionally. Don’t get me wrong, this is a solid straightforward thriller with great performances, but I just can’t put it in that upper echelon of crime drama films which there are aplenty. Also, and I say this a lot when I critique movies, but I just wanted to see them dive a bit deeper into the world they were showing to us. I just wanted to see this movie try to take things a step further and I think it not doing that is why I didn’t totally love the ending. Other than that small gripe of mine though, there’s nothing bad about this movie and I have a hard time seeing anyone not enjoy Emily the Criminal.

THE VERDICT

Behind a career-best performance from Aubrey Plaza, Emily the Criminal is a thrilling crime drama from John Patton Ford in his feature film debut. It’s not groundbreaking, but it’s rock solid and just such an easy-to-watch film that you’re going to be locked into from start to finish thanks to both its crisp editing from Harrison Atkins and its perfect runtime of 93 minutes.

TED TAKES RATING - 8/10

Emily the Criminal is now available for rent or purchase on demand. Check out the latest trailer below.

Bros

Bros is a 2022 romantic comedy film directed by Nicholas Stoller from a screenplay he co-wrote with Billy Eichner, who also stars and executive produces. Stoller and Judd Apatow are producers of the film. Stoller has quite the resume in the world of comedy, having previously directed Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008), Get Him to the Greek (2010) (which he also wrote), and Neighbors (2014). Bros had its world premiere at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival on September 9, 2022.

Bobby Lieber, an "out and proud but also scared and self-doubting" New York museum curator, is hired to write a romantic comedy about a gay couple. Along the way, he meets—and eventually falls in love with—Aaron, a "macho" lawyer.

The cast includes Billy Eichner, Luke Macfarlane, Bowen Yang, Guy Branum, Harvey Fierstein, Ts Madison, Dot-Marie Jones, Monica Raymund, Eve Lindley, Guillermo Díaz, Amanda Bearse, Miss Lawrence, Ryan Faucett, and Jim Rash.

Bros made its debut in theaters on September 30th, courtesy of Universal Pictures.

THE GOOD

Once I hear the name Judd Apatow, I am already reaching for my debit card ready to buy a ticket. The guy does not miss in my mind and is the man when it comes to comedies with substance and a real story you can get behind. Granted he is only attached to the project as a producer, but his name means something in the business. After watching the initial trailer for the movie I was genuinely excited, it just felt like an Apatow movie. And after the incredibly positive feedback from earlier screenings, I was all in. Plus, life is hard sometimes so we need to jump at the opportunity to escape for around two hours by seeing a comedy like Bros in theaters. So, does it do the Apatow name justice or fail to meet expectations? Keep reading to find out!

I had a ton of fun with this movie, and I can say without a doubt it met my expectations. Once again Judd Apatow’s name is worth its weight in gold. I laughed out loud a ton, but more than anything else I had a really good time from start to finish, and the movie absolutely flew by. I will say right out of the gate Bros will likely divide audiences which I will talk about later in the review, but I thought it was hilarious, well-intentioned, and just an enjoyable escape to Provincetown (a gay reference, obviously). I really enjoyed the characters and all of their erratic personalities and felt like the story was intriguing enough to get me invested even though it was formulaic and fairly predictable as are most romantic comedies, although I think that may have been the point. I really liked the New York setting, although it was filmed in New Jersey. I also liked the references to Hallmark movies and the Hallmark Channel in general which my wife is next-level obsessed with. Star Luke Macfarlane, a straight man in real-life, actually got his start in Hallmark movies although my wife isn’t sure if she has seen any of them. The film is packed full of great one-liners, a surprising amount of depth when it comes to navigating relationships, and the undeniable fact that men will do anything to avoid talking about anything emotional with each other, and this is regardless of sexual preference.

I thought the writing was fantastic and without a doubt the primary reason why Bros is getting so much praise from critics. Director Nicholas Stoller co-wrote the screenplay with star Billy Eichner, a very openly gay comedian and New York native who seemingly plays himself in the movie. Stoller is extremely talented when it comes to putting together a quality story for a comedy, and love him or hate him Eichner plays to his strengths here and essentially adds his own level of expertise when it comes to the subject matter of the film. Bros perfectly mocks all sexual orientations, from straight, to bisexual, to transexual, but it especially rips gay people in hilarious fashion. I know women often feel like they are getting looked at like they are nothing more than a piece of meat, but I have visited gay clubs before (long story) and I have never been more uncomfortable, so I get it. Gay people have no filter, absolutely LOVE to party and hit the club scene, and they really are hilarious more often than not.

Bottom line, all of the funniest comedians are great at making fun of themselves, which allows for infinite material as they tend to refer to their own personal experiences. This felt like an opportunity for Eichner to mock the absolutely ridiculous world of gay men, from Tinder to Grindr, and to point out why the perception of gay men is often all wrong. Also, the portrayal of what Tinder is like is pretty spot on (I had a short and fairly successful run myself), but I will say that the ladies are far less aggressive than the men. Not to say I didn’t have a scenario or two where a very aggressive female asked to include their boyfriend 5-minutes before I left to meet her, but that is ancient history. Spoiler alert, I stayed home. But seriously, Bros makes fun of literally everything. Men of all sexual orientations, lack of commitment, meathead guys and working out in general (specifically CrossFit which I thought was hilarious), and anything and everything that has to do with how uncomfortable dating can be. The bread and butter of Bros is the mocking of pretty much every stereotype you can think of, and in my mind, that is a big part of what makes it so damn funny.

I touched on it briefly but I thought the cast was great. Eichner is perfect in his role, although he is annoying at times but that is likely by design. He often mocks straight men playing gay men in movies, and I can say without a doubt that he was able to become this character because as I mentioned, it is basically him in real life. I really liked Luke Macfarlane and thought the chemistry he had with Eichner was perfect. I assume a straight man playing a gay man, alongside a gay man basically playing himself, is not easy and probably uncomfortable at times, but he was great. The relationship between the two felt genuine, which allowed the story, as predictable as it was, to hold that much more weight. I honestly enjoyed the majority of the supporting cast, especially Guy Branum as that token friend you go out to bars with, but my favorite supporting character even though he had limited screen-time was Oscar-winning actor Jim Rash. He was hilarious during the constant back-and-forth bickering as he played the “underappreciated” bisexual man, and this role was just perfect for him. I won’t go too in-depth on the supporting cast as the leads definitely steal the show, but I thought everyone did a great job. Dot-Marie Jones crushed it as the no-filter lesbian of the group, and one scene in particular towards the end of the film was just perfect. Plus, Will & Grace star Debra Messing playing herself was just glorious. And lastly, I just have to give a shout-out to director Nicholas Stoller who continues to serve up hilarious content.

THE BAD

I mean, the reality is Bros is not for everyone. If you have any sensitivity at all to sexual situations involving gay men, you better steer clear. If you are homophobic, I wouldn’t even drive by the theater while the movie is playing. Am I being a bit ridiculous? Sure, but this movie does not hold back although to be fair you get more full-frontal male nudity in Game of Thrones. The majority of what you will see is fairly classy I guess you could say, most of the “hardcore” sexual nature of the film takes place off-screen or makes viewers use their imagination. But if you are uncomfortable with half-naked men who can’t seem to keep their hands off each other, this will be a difficult watch. I don’t want to go down this rabbit hole too deep, but I find it interesting how fired up people are getting about this movie.

First, you have the homophobic demographic who had zero interest in seeing the movie from the start, then after the movie bombed at the box office opening weekend, you have comedian and star Billy Eichner basically calling out straight people on Twitter for refusing to see the movie, and more or less accusing them of being homophobic. Now listen Billy, you were great in the movie but you do essentially portray the cocky persona you have on social media (and seemingly in real life), and calling out straight people is not a good way to get butts in the seats, pun intended. People saying that seeing a romantic comedy about gay people would be weird for a straight couple are idiots because for one I tried to get my wife to see it with me (sort of glad she didn’t because she would have been drooling over Macfarlane) but she was willing to, and I know for a fact that Andrew and his girlfriend were hoping to (and likely will) see it together.

Am I more comfortable with my sexual orientation than most? Can I appreciate a movie for what it is and ignore the BS surrounding it? Honestly, at the end of the day, it really doesn’t matter. In the era of social media basically running our lives people just like to get angry about things just to add meaning to their mundane existence, and sorry to say but Billy is playing right into the hands of these idiots (and by idiots I am referring to all sexual orientations, for the record). If they can keep this guy off social media for a few weeks and people stop pissing and moaning for a change, I think Bros will end up doing just fine at the box office.

THE VERDICT

Taking every opportunity to mock all sexual orientations equally while providing a ton of laughs along the way, Bros is a very well-written romantic comedy that plays to the strengths of its leading men while offering a surprisingly relatable albeit predictable story. The more I think about this movie, the more I appreciate the writing and all of the little details. As funny as it is, the ability to hang on to a story that has genuine substance in the face of rom-com predictability is an achievement. But again, are we really that surprised considering Judd Apatow’s involvement?

Do you need to sign a waiver saying you are comfortable with your sexuality before seeing the movie? Absolutely not, but if you are narrow-minded or homophobic it will be difficult to watch (refer to the “bad” section). But listen, two older ladies who were easily in their late 60s were in the theater and they had a blast, and I don’t need to tell you how things were “back in their day”. Bombing at the box office opening weekend has been a big topic and I do believe that releasing during horror movie season and not let’s say Valentine’s Day was a weird decision, but if you can ignore the noise and appreciate this movie for what it is, Bros is absolutely worth seeing in theaters and I may even see it a second time.

TED TAKES RATING - 9.1/10

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

Don't Worry Darling

Don't Worry Darling is a 2022 psychological thriller film directed by Olivia Wilde. The screenplay was written by Katie Silberman, based on a story by Carey van Dyke, Shane Van Dyke, and Silberman. The film is produced by New Line Cinema and Vertigo Entertainment.

In the 1950s, Alice and Jack live in the idealized community of Victory, an experimental company town that houses the men who work on a top-secret project. While the husbands toil away, the wives get to enjoy the beauty, luxury and debauchery of their seemingly perfect paradise. However, when cracks in her idyllic life begin to appear, exposing flashes of something sinister lurking below the surface, Alice can't help but question exactly what she's doing in Victory.

The cast includes Florence Pugh, Harry Styles, Olivia Wilde, Gemma Chan, KiKi Layne, Nick Kroll, and Chris Pine.

Don't Worry Darling released in theaters on September 23rd, courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures.

THE GOOD

Andrew and I have both been chomping at the bit for Don’t Worry Darling to hit theaters, and unless you live under a rock you are surely familiar with the pre-release drama surrounding the film that was stirred up during the promotional press tour, and the inevitable gossip that plagues our society today. But considering the box office success for the film so far, I would say that the idea of any press is good press rings true. I won’t bore you with the details of the aforementioned drama, but I will admit that I was annoyed by it mainly because it took away from the films highly anticipated release. Nonetheless, I ignored the noise and made it a point to see Don’t Worry Darling in theaters as soon as I could, So, was it worth my time? Keep reading to find out!

Let me just say that proving the naysayers wrong felt like a breath of fresh air, and boy was it satisfying. Seriously, Don’t Worry Darling is a damn good movie, and what I would consider to be one of the more unique and original psychological thrillers in recent memory. What intrigued me about the film in the first place was the overall concept, and the fact that it was obvious something wasn’t right, but you just couldn’t quite put your finger on it. Just like the trailers, the film does a fantastic job of keeping you guessing, and it wasn’t until the very end that I was greeted with what I would consider to be the big reveal which absolutely caught me off guard.

Now I can easily compare Don’t Worry Darling to other films that fall within the sci-fi thriller genre, but that would likely give things away and as you should know, I am not one to spoil a movie for someone. Katie Silberman’s screenplay in collaboration with Carey and Shane Van Dyke’s story deserves its time in the sun, because this movie thrives on feel and that element of mystery and intrigue. I couldn’t get enough of it. I also really enjoy the 50’s era as far as the clothes and the colors, and especially the cars. I also really liked all of the subtle elements of the film, like what the heck was Pugh’s character watching all the time on the TV while she was vacuuming?! And the visions that her character experienced were just awesome, and terrifying at the same time. What a unique balance.

Aside from what I considered to be a uniquely captivating story, Don’t Worry Darling has a stellar cast and it all starts with Florence Pugh. The English actress has absolutely exploded on the scene ever since a strong year in 2019 where she starred in the horror thriller Midsommar (our review here) as well as the period drama, Little Women. She snagged a starring role as a real badass in Marvel’s Black Widow in 2021, and here she is lighting up the screen in 2022 as she delivers arguably one of the best performances of the year. No joke, Pugh is simply THAT GOOD in this movie. Each and every scene she is in is electric, and I found myself in constant awe of her performance.

Oh and did I mention how insanely sexy she is in this? Sorry if I made it weird. Pugh stars alongside pop star turned actor Harry Styles, who in my opinion delivers a solid performance. Now I have read the criticism of his acting in the film, but if anything he was at a disadvantage trying to match the absolute clinic put on by Pugh. Bottom line, Styles is making a name for himself in movies and for my money is doing a damn good job, but to try and be overly critical of his acting in Don’t Worry Darling feels like a lazy and jealous attempt to get him to focus on music. He is here to stay folks, deal with it. Oh, and get ready for his next big role in My Policeman (preview and trailer here) set for a limited theatrical release on October 21st before a streaming release on Prime Video.

Yet another unreal performance is delivered by talented actor Chris Pine, who damn near gave me chills as the films primary antagonist. The amount of mystery surrounding Pine’s character is a big driver for the films backstory, and I thought he was just fantastic in this role. The supporting cast was pretty solid all around in my opinion, but I especially enjoyed Nick Kroll playing his usual a-hole role he is so damn good at. Director Olivia Wilde also plays an important supporting role in the film, and I thought she was great as usual. I also enjoyed the role played by Timothy Simons, and felt like he made quite an impact in his limited screen-time. Gemma Chan is phenomenal as Pine’s authoritative and intense wife.

Don’t Worry Darling really shines on the technical side of things. First and foremost, composer John Powell’s score is simply epic. So much of the score helped immerse me in the excitement and intrigue of the films story, and for me this made for an exciting and rewarding experience. The film puts a premium on what I would consider to be the big three of film as far as giving viewers everything they want and need, which is music, cinematography, and quality editing. Matthew Libatique handled the cinematography duties and crushes it, and Affonso Gonçalves hits a home run on the editing side of things. One scene in particular towards the end of the film had this crazy Mad Max vibe to it, and the overall feel just made me want to stand up and clap with excitement. The final act of the film was fantastic, and much of that is attributed to the overall technical prowess. As a follow-up to her 2019 hit film Booksmart, Olivia Wilde has proven that she is a talented director and someone worth keeping an eye on.

THE BAD

Don’t Worry Darling is a very effective and extremely entertaining psychological thriller. Is it perfect? No, but in my mind the good far outweighs the bad. Some of the acting isn’t great at times, but as I touched on earlier I believe much of that is the disparity between Florence Pugh and the rest of the cast, minus Chris Pine and Gemma Chan, as far as overall acting ability. I know I said Harry Styles delivered a solid performance, which he did, but he did flutter at times but luckily it was not detrimental to the film mainly because Pugh carried the more dramatic scenes. I can’t really think of many issues with the screenplay or story as it kept me guessing and never dragged. Long story short, I was too busy enjoying Don’t Worry Darling and must have forgotten to pick it apart. As the cool kids say, ignore the haters. Plus, at the end of the day the overall impact of the film and whether or not it “works” depends on two performances, which is the tense game of tug-a-war between Florence Pugh and Chris Pine’s characters, and as a great sports analogy, they leave everything out on the field.

THE VERDICT

Anchored by a tremendous score, a captivating screenplay, and a career-defining performance from actress Florence Pugh, Don’t Worry Darling is a psychological thriller that will stick with audiences long after the credits roll. I can’t get this movie out of my head, and I am so glad I ignored the pre-release drama and the out of touch critics because this movie hit hard. I talked about how excited I was to see it earlier in the review, but I am still amazed that it was able to meet my expectations. It may not be perfect and the supporting cast sometimes struggles to match Pugh and her pure acting talent, but in no way does it take away from the overall impact of the film.

I just love when a movie is able to become an experience that you can take home with you, and that is what happened for me here. Plus, at just over 2-hours this movie flies by. Do yourself a favor by ignoring the behind-the-scenes gossip and give Don’t Worry Darling a chance in theaters, you won’t regret it.

TED TAKES RATING - 8.3/10

Don’t Worry Darling is now playing only in theaters. Check out the latest trailer below.

See How They Run

By: Andrew Wing

See How They Run is a 2022 mystery comedy directed by Tom George, written by Mark Chappell, and produced by Damian Jones and Gina Carter. The film stars Sam Rockwell (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, The Green Mile), Saoirse Ronan (Lady Bird, Little Women), Adrien Brody (The Pianist, King Kong), Ruth Wilson (Locke, Anna Karenina), Reece Shearsmith (Shaun of the Dead), Harris Dickinson (The King’s Man), and David Oyelowo (Selma, Rise of the Planet of the Apes).

In the West End of 1950s London, plans for a movie version of a smash-hit play come to an abrupt halt after a pivotal member of the crew is murdered. When world-weary Inspector Stoppard (Rockwell) and eager rookie Constable Stalker (Ronan) take on the case, the two find themselves thrown into a puzzling whodunit within the glamorously sordid theater underground, investigating the mysterious homicide at their own peril.

See How They Run was theatrically released by Searchlight Pictures in the United Kingdom on September 9, 2022, and in the United States one week later on September 16, 2022.

THE GOOD

Ever since Rian Johnson’s Knives Out hit the scene in 2019, I have been a huge fan of the whodunit genre. They are just so much fun and because of my fascination with the genre, I of course went ahead and consumed some of the classics of the genre like the legendary Sidney Lumet’s 1974 Murder on the Orient Express, Jonathan Lynn’s 1985 classic Clue, and recently Kenneth Brannagh’s Death on the Nile (see Ted’s full review here). All that said, once I saw the trailer for See How They Run, I was pumped. Not only because it was another whodunit, but also because it featured two of my favorite actors in Sam Rockwell, and arguably the best young actress right now in Saoirse Ronan. So was I right to be so excited, or was I rather let down? Keep reading to find out!

I can’t say that it matched my expectations, but it definitely did not let me down. Tom George’s feature film directorial debut was to put it simply, a good time. There was a lot I enjoyed about his direction here and I’m excited to see what he does next. I also was quite impressed with Mark Chappell’s screenplay. It is so hard to keep an audience on their toes and engaged nowadays and thanks to Chappell’s script that kept me guessing, I was locked in from start to finish and I was totally surprised by the epic conclusion this film had. I was pleased overall with what I got from them, and there were other smaller things I could touch on like the editing, production design, and music, but let’s dive into what put my butt in the seat in the first place, the cast!

It’s only right that I start with the woman who just fails to give a bad performance in anything she is in, and that is the extremely talented Saoirse Ronan. I obviously knew she had the comedic chops after watching her in Greta Gerwig’s Lady Bird back in 2017, but I was blown away by how funny she was in this. You can ask my girlfriend who I saw it with, but I was literally chuckling at every line of dialogue her character had. Her chemistry with Sam Rockwell, who actually gave a great performance that was honestly unlike anything I’ve seen from him before, was amazing and the two of them definitely carried the film in my opinion.

Despite me having that sentiment, there were a number of other performances I enjoyed here. First with Tim Key, who played Commissioner Harrold Scott. Similar to Ronan, every line of dialogue he had made me laugh, and I was just really shocked at how much I enjoyed his presence in the film given that this was the first I had seen of him. I was also a big fan of Harris Dickinson’s small supporting comedic performance in this as the one and only Richard Attenborough, and I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, but I think Harris Dickinson is a star in the making and I absolutely cannot wait to see him in Triangle of Sadness (watch the preview here) which comes out in just over a week. Oh and lastly, just like he did in The French Dispatch (see my full review here) from last year, Adrien Brody was just fantastic in his limited screen time.

THE BAD

Alright, this is difficult because there is no denying that See How They Run is a good movie. It’s a breezy watch with a unique story, but there was just something missing from me putting it in that upper echelon of the whodunit genre like the aforementioned Knives Out, which just so happens to be getting its own sequel, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (watch the preview here).

I don’t know what it was, but some of the jokes fell flat for me, and maybe that’s because this film is very British when it comes to its sense of humor, and it was also just pretty cheesy if I had to be completely honest. More than that, there were some performances I just wasn’t a fan of, especially David Oyelowo’s. Now I think Oyelowo is an amazing actor, but I just didn’t love him in this particular film and I think it’s mainly because it’s a comedy and I strongly believe that Oyelowo is better suited for dramas.

THE VERDICT

Thanks to fantastic performances from the leads Sam Rockwell and Saoirse Ronan, Tom George’s See How They Run is a good time from start to finish thanks to an engaging script full of perfectly dry British humor, making it a great addition to the whodunit genre.

Sure, it’s no Knives Out, but it’s still a breezy and bouncy watch that is well worth you making the trip to the theaters for!

TED TAKES RATING - 7.4/10

See How They Run is now playing at Smitty’s Cinema. Check out the latest trailer below.

Pearl

Pearl is a 2022 horror slasher from director Ti West, co-written by West and Mia Goth. The film is a joint-venture production of A24 and Little Lamb, and is the prequel to X (see our full review here), a film that was released earlier this year. The film is directed by Ti West, co-written by West and Mia Goth, who reprises her role as the titular character, and co-stars David Corenswet, Tandi Wright, Matthew Sutherland, and Emma Jenkins-Purro. Pearl, which had its world premiere at the 79th Venice International Film Festival on September 3rd, was secretly filmed at the same time as X, which is pretty damn cool in my opinion.

In 1918, Pearl is a young woman living with her German immigrant parents on their Texas homestead while her husband, Howard, is serving in World War I. Pearl's father is infirm and paralyzed, and her domineering mother, Ruth, insists that she help care for both him and the farm. Pearl, longing for a more exciting life, is captivated by the films she sees at the local cinema leading her on a dangerous journey as she finds herself.

If the name Ti West doesn’t ring a bell, you may not be alone. Even if you have heard of him, you might think he is fairly new to the world of movies, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. I can’t be the only person who for a hot minute thought he was new to the game when the first trailer for X made its debut, but lets be honest, if I see the A24 logo, I am immediately preordering my ticket without a second thought. Either way, I owe him an apology because as a horror fanatic, it is simply inexcusable on my part.

A horror lover at heart, West has dabbled in a bit of everything since he began his directing career back in 2001 with a few short films. In 2009, he wrote and directed the critically acclaimed horror film The House of the Devil, now streaming on Peacock and AMC+ if you are interested, as well as a segment of the 2012 anthology horror V/H/S, which is really good. West now has joined up with the crem de la crem of production companies and is making history with a fresh new throwback horror franchise.

Pearl was released in theaters on September 16th, courtesy of A24.

THE GOOD

I touched on a bit of his history, but Ti West is my guy. I feel like in many ways he is like my spirit animal as we both seemingly share a raw and passionate appreciation for throwback horror films. When I saw X in theaters, I was smiling from ear to ear the entire time. This guy just gets it, and as far as I can tell A24 is allowing him free reign as he builds this new horror franchise of his. The digital ink hadn’t even dried on my X review before I learned about the prequel, which was filmed back-to-back. Like what?! So crazy, but man was I pumped about this. Mia Goth and her dual performance was a big reason why X worked so well, and she was appropriately rewarded with a leading role in a main character’s origin story. So, after all of the buildup and anticipation, was Pearl all I hoped it would be? Keep reading to find out!

As expected, Pearl was fantastic. Right from the opening sequence, I was in awe of Ti West and his ability to give us that genuine feel of a story that takes place in the 1920s. West again goes with that technicolor style and what I would consider a dull yet vibrant color scheme throughout, which really had that throwback feel to it. The look perfectly matched the feel of the film, which was oddly upbeat when it came to Pearl and her odd and erratic behavior, while still very bleak and depressing as it relates to her feelings of being trapped in a life she desperately wants to escape. We have a pretty good idea of what to expect from Pearl as a character after watching her in X, but nothing can truly prepare you for the level of insanity she exhibits.

The film's core is a power struggle between Pearl and her overbearing mother Ruth, played by Tandi Wright. You feel for Ruth as she describes the unfairness and cruelty of what life dishes out as she is forced to care for her husband who due to an illness is now a shell of himself and confined to a wheelchair. Ruth makes it very clear that she expects Pearl to take on this massive burden as well, which leads to a very odd and often cringeworthy relationship between the troubled young lady and the man who raised her. The trajectory of Pearl’s character was simply amazing, which speaks to the writing collaboration between West and Goth. I also really liked the claustrophobic feel of the film which helped to make Pearl seem somewhat relatable, at least in the first half of the film. You will feel sympathy for Pearl early on, but trust me when I say that by the end, you will see her in an entirely new and terrifying light.

The bread and butter of the film is without a doubt the acting, and Mia Goth is simply phenomenal as Pearl. She was literally on another level and embodied the character to the point where we may never see her as anything other than the odd and psychotic woman living with her parents on this rural farm in West Texas. If you’ve been reading up on this movie at all, you surely heard about Goth’s 5-minute monologue at the conclusion of the film, and wow. Just wow. Goth, a native of Southwark, London, is incredibly talented and has a very bright future ahead of her. I touched on the performance of Tandi Wright briefly, but she was great as Pearl’s mother Ruth. The fact that she is not German in real-life blows my mind because of how convincing she was. You can feel the despair oozing from her facial expressions and mannerisms, and it is clear that she is a woman defeated yet unwilling to give up on the vows she made to her husband, while desperate to convince her daughter to share the same outlook. To say that it is a troubling family dynamic would be an understatement.

Although she played a supporting role, Emma Jenkins-Purro was crucial in her portrayal of Misty, Pearl’s sister-in-law, as she helped to reinforce the fact that something was very wrong with Pearl. I really liked David Corenswet in his role as The Projectionist and felt like his character offered a unique carefree attitude and outlook on life which just reminded Pearl of all that she was missing. He was also the person responsible for bringing out Pearl’s deepest desires leading to the character that we see in X. Matthew Sunderland was great as Pearl’s Father, especially considering that all he had at his disposal was facial expressions, and he made the most of them during the films final act.

Similar to X, Pearl shines on the technical side of things. From the unique directing style to the cinematography, right down to a fantastic score and soundtrack, everything came together nicely. I touched on it briefly but I loved the overall feel and look of the film, from something as simple as the way the cast and director credits hit the screen at the start, to the overall old-school look which just felt genuine. Eliot Rockett, who worked with West on the House of the Devil as well as X, returns as the film’s cinematographer. He took full advantage of the gorgeous New Zealand setting, and just created a very immersive experience. Composer Tyler Bates, who also worked on X, returns to share music duties with veteran Tim Williams. The score and soundtrack are pivotal for what West is trying to do and they come through yet again. I have to touch on the editing which is so damn good yet again. Ti West, who serves as director and co-writer, is also the editor for the film which makes a huge difference mainly because he has such a unique signature style. I could go on and on talking about the editing, but a specific sequence during the film’s final act was especially spectacular. The bottom line, you need to experience it for yourself. I was also impressed with the script which was a collaboration between West and Mia Goth, her first writing credit.

THE BAD

Pearl is a fantastic movie, but it is very different from X and for that reason not quite as enjoyable in comparison, although thankfully it does retain that signature style. But, let me be clear when I say that does not take away from what the film accomplished. Pearl is meant to be an origin story leading to the events that unravel in X, and it does that to perfection. The character development is mind-blowing in so many ways and speaks to a very effective screenplay. The reason why I am talking about this in the bad section is the fact that I don’t feel like Pearl is quite as enjoyable on a mainstream level.

This is very much a slow-burn character study, capped off with the amazing monologue I mentioned. Now even though X had its fair share of hard-to-watch scenes, unless you are into sex-crazed old ladies which I say to each their own, Pearl ups the ante in many ways. Although it could have been much worse. If you have an issue with the mistreatment of the elderly you may have a difficult time with this movie. The strain Pearl’s father puts on the family as he is confined to a wheelchair and unable to eat or bathe on his own is a primary driver of the story, and also very triggering in many ways as well. Even though Pearl claims to love her father, he is seen as nothing more than a major inconvenience. So I guess what I am saying is that what the film does so well is also what will likely make it a difficult watch for some people. Also, if you have an issue with subtitles they pop up throughout the film as Pearl and her mother often talk to each other in German. I’m not a fan of subtitles in general but they didn’t bother me.

THE VERDICT

A tense and well-crafted origin story showcasing a memorable performance from talented actress Mia Goth, Pearl is yet another successful collaboration between visionary director Ti West and A24. Although I didn’t like it as a whole quite as much as I did the first film, getting the much-needed backstory on this character was great. What West is doing with these movies is incredible to me, essentially building a brand new franchise in the span of 12 months. X was a real treat for horror fans, and the fact that it was just scratching the surface has me beyond excited for what is to come next.

Now even though Pearl doesn’t have a post-credit scene in the traditional sense, it does offer a sneak peek at the 3rd film in the franchise, Maxine, if you haven’t seen it already. So yeah, I am all in for what Ti West cooks up next. At this rate he may end up with more films than the Friday the 13th franchise, especially considering I have been waiting for another movie since 2009. Be sure to get out and support the glorious horror genre by seeing Pearl in theaters.

TED TAKES RATING - 8.6/10

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

Barbarian

Barbarian is a 2022 horror thriller film written and directed by Zach Cregger (starred in Date and Switch, Opening Night). It stars Georgina Campbell (Flowers, Krypton), Bill Skarsgård (It, It Chapter Two), and Justin Long (Dodgeball, Live Free or Die Hard). Arnon Milchan, Roy Lee, Raphael Margules, and J.D. Lifshitz produce.

A young woman traveling to Detroit for a job interview books a rental home. But when she arrives late at night, she discovers that the house is double booked, and a strange man is already staying there. Against her better judgment, she decides to spend the evening but soon discovers that there’s a lot more to fear than just an unexpected house guest.

Barbarian made its debut in theaters on September 9th, courtesy of 20th Century Studios.

THE GOOD

I’m a bit embarrassed to admit this, but as a horror fanatic Barbarian somehow snuck up on me. I knew it was slated to come out early September and that it had a great cast, but for some reason I sort of initially dismissed it as yet another more thriller than horror film which we seem to be getting a lot of lately. Now don’t get me wrong, Jordan Peele’s Nope (our review here) for example, which was fantastic, I wouldn’t really consider horror although it does have horror elements. It definitely lands more in that sci-fi thriller genre that borders horror which is fine, but still does not satisfy my craving for true horror. Now as September 9th fast approached early reviews began surfacing for Barbarian, and I was speechless. Without reading too much into them and just more or less looking at the general summary, it seemed this could be the true horror film I had been searching for. At this point I had the release circled on my calendar and I was antsy with anticipation. So, did Barbarian satisfy my horror craving or did the hype get the best of me? Keep reading to find out!

Barbarian filled me up like a productive trip to the Chinese food buffet, minus the stomach ache or night sweats. I’m talking 5 to 6 plates of food, and that is not even counting dessert. Seriously, this movie impressed me at every turn and always kept me guessing. From the score/soundtrack, to the acting, to the camera work, right down to the screenplay, it all came together. Going in without a real understanding of what the film would bring to the table was a genius move on my part, and boy did it pay off. I was on the edge of my seat from throughout trying to figure out who or what posed a threat to the characters, and the journey to that answer was quite an unpredictable and entertaining ride. Barbarian felt like a breath of fresh air, and it transported me back to the age of old-school horror. At times, I got 1995 B-movie horror Castle Freak vibes, and that movie literally contributed to 50+ sleepless nights during my youth. It is rare for a movie that makes it to theaters to push the envelope as far as what you would consider to be the difficult to watch content, but they did not hold back here. As a massive fan of the genre, I loved so many things about this movie.

A horror film can survive with average to below average acting, which of course is not the case here, but what it absolutely needs to have is an effective and engaging story, a tone that becomes synonymous with its identity, and a certain element of fearlessness in terms of how far to push things. Well, Barbarian has all of that, and then some. I can’t stand when a movie spoon feeds viewers assuming we can’t put the pieces of the puzzle together ourselves, but the screenplay forces and rewards you for paying attention and that was huge for me. I also have to mention what I felt was seamless and incredibly effective editing work as the film never missed a beat as this layered and fairly complex story was told.

I touched on it briefly, but the cast was a big draw for me. Obviously the biggest name that stands out is Pennywise himself, Bill Skarsgård. If he is playing a leading role in a horror film, you can pretty much bank on the fact that something extremely messed up is about to happen. But seriously, Skarsgård is awesome as usual, and definitely a big bright spot for the cast as expected. I wasn’t super familiar with English actress Georgina Campbell who takes on the lead role of Tess, but man she was fantastic. I was bought in to her character immediately, and without her ability to match the sheer acting talent of Skarsgård, Barbarian just does not work as well as it does. I really liked her character, and I thought she did a really nice job expressing a wide range of emotions during this wild ride.

The unsung hero for the film has to be my guy Justin Long, man it was great to see him in another big role. The Connecticut native has been a bit quiet as of late in terms of big movies, but he shows up here. I enjoyed his super weird character in the sitcom New Girl, but I will also picture him as Justin in Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story, or Dean in Waiting…, or even Bartelby in the comedy classic, Accepted. We can’t forget the 2001 horror cult classic Jeepers Creepers as well. Oh, and if you haven’t seen the 2012 coming-of-age comedy drama Best Man Down, it is worth checking out. Bottom line, Long usually plays a certain goofy big-hearted character which has always worked for him, but I was a huge fan of the fact that he plays a very different character in Barbarian. The supporting cast was great from top to bottom, and as far as Matthew Patrick Davis is concerned, just wow man, wow.

The technical elements of the film had me in awe from start to finish, they were just that good. The opening sequence set the tone for the rest of the film, making it very clear that score and overall feel would dominate as far as the technical side of things. The opening sequence is a dark and rainy night with the ominous score dominating the speakers, and all of a sudden the camera moves inside the car as we meet the first character in the film, and all of a sudden all we hear is what is the sound of the windshield wipers and the engine. This is a small thing of course, but it was a sign of things to come and had me smiling from ear to ear.

Aside from the A24 horror film X it’s been awhile since I have seen a horror film that placed such a premium on the finer technical elements. Plus, I absolutely loved the creative and intimate feel we get from the camera work. The way each shot transitions feels like you are right there with the characters, creating a genuine feel of unease which I thought was fantastic. So yeah, kudos to director Zach Cregger, composer Anna Drubich, cinematographer Zach Kuperstein, and editor Joe Murphy. They crushed it.

THE BAD

With a film like Barbarian that is such an original concept, its hard to criticize it for several reasons. Now the horror genre is unique on general, mainly because you either love horror, or you hate it, no real in between. I’m not talking about slashers or the typical jump scare horror films, I’m talking about the makes you feel a little dirty and sends chills up your back sort of horror. That is where Barbarian falls within the horror genre. This movie does everything extremely well, and has such a unique and complex identity that I was personally blown away by the more than meets the eye element of the film.

But, with all that being said, this is not an easy watch. I will literally watch anything no matter how messed up it is, and I was cringing during certain scenes. The film just sticks with you in such a way that if you are susceptible to nightmares after watching a horror movie, good luck because it is going to be a long night. I want so badly to be scared, and Barbarian made my skin crawl serving up an experience that I really needed. I feel like the bad section sort of got away from me, but bottom line, this is a tough watch but you will not catch me criticizing what they accomplished with this movie.

THE VERDICT

An unsettling and atmospheric throwback horror film more concerned with genuine terror than it is cheap jump scares, Barbarian is a breath of fresh air and will keep viewers uncomfortably on the edge of their seats. As I talked about in the review, I really didn’t quite know what to expect going into the theater, and there is no better feeling than the satisfaction I felt as the end credits hit the screen. The horror genre has been widely disrespected as of late, but Barbarian is a great reminder that it is still possible to deliver effective and satisfyingly original content that leaves a mark.

I want so badly to go into detail about the story and its many layers, but I refuse to spoil anything. You simply need to experience it for yourself, because this movie will stick with you. If you are a fan of quality horror films, get out there and see Barbarian in theaters sooner than later. I can’t wait to see it again.

TED TAKES RATING - 9.3/10

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

Me Time

Me Time is a 2022 buddy comedy film written and directed by NYC native John Hamburg, the cousin of The Bourne Identity and Edge of Tomorrow director Doug Liman. Hamburg is no stranger to comedy as he previously wrote and directed I Love You, Man (2009) and Why Him? (2016), and also wrote the screenplays for classic comedies like Meet the Parents (2000) and Zoolander (2001), to name a few.

Sonny, a stay-at-home dad, finds himself with some "me time" for the first time in years while his wife and kids are away. He reconnects with his former best friend Huck for a wild weekend that nearly upends his life.

The film stars Kevin Hart, Mark Wahlberg, Regina Hall, Che Tafari, Amentii Sledge, Andrew Santino, Luis Gerardo Méndez, Naomi Ekperigin, Michelle DeShon, Jimmy O. Yang, and Ilia Isorelýs Paulino.

Me Time released exclusively on Netflix August 26th.

THE GOOD

Somehow I was caught off guard by the lack of marketing for this movie, at least from my minimal vantage point, especially considering the star power of Kevin Hart and Mark Wahlberg. It seemingly came out of nowhere, on the heels of another Hart Netflix movie, The Man from Toronto which I recently reviewed (full review here). I planned to watch it regardless for obvious reasons, but I wouldn’t say I was necessarily excited or had it circled on my calendar. Once it released, I was floored by the overwhelmingly negative reviews. I didn’t expect a direct-to-streaming comedy to be a hit with critics, but saying it is basically unwatchable is a far cry from a fun popcorn movie with enough laughs to keep you entertained. Plus to be fair, critics hammered The Man from Toronto pretty hard as well, and I found most of their issues to be unfounded which I talk about in my aforementioned review. Nonetheless, the harsh criticism actually moved Me Time up my watch list. Were the critics actually right this time, or did they once again overstep and let their seemingly miserable lives spill over into their supposedly unbiased reviews? Keep reading to find out!

Spoiler alert, Me Time is not nearly as bad as these critics want to lead you to believe. Is it a rudimentary buddy comedy that lacks substance and relies on brainless and sometimes borderline raunchy humor and corny dad jokes? You can bet your ass it is, but that’s okay. Maybe part of it is my low expectations going in, or just my love for Mark Wahlberg and Kevin Hart, but I actually enjoyed this movie. I laughed out loud more times than I expected to, and if I’m being honest to movie kept me mostly engaged from start to finish. The jokes that would likely be considered offensive by some people had me smiling ear to ear. For me the movie thrived just with the jokes, and the back and forth banter between characters, which often felt like it was unscripted which I am sure was the case. Director John Hamburg has been around long enough to know that sometimes it is okay to rely on your actors especially when you have this level of talent at your disposal. Hamburg’s direction and a strong cast lead to what I would consider to be a very watchable and easy to enjoy comedy.

As I mentioned already, a big pull for me with this movie was the cast. I love me some Mark Wahlberg and Kevin Hart, and I thought they were great together in this. The Dynamic was solid as far as a good buddy comedy, and the chemistry they shared was well above average. They both took advantage of their opportunities. Aside from Hart and Wahlberg, I loved the addition of my guy Andrew Santino, who those of you will likely recognize from the Lil Dicky series Dave. I really enjoyed his character, and for me he provided a ton of additional comic relief. Even though he plays a supporting role, the film does not work as well as it does without his character. I had a lot of fun with the back and forth dad jokes between Santino and Hart. Regina Hall was great as expected, and had genuine chemistry with Hart’s character.

It was a bit strange seeing Luis Gerardo Méndez in the film as I have been watching him in the Peacock series The Resort, but I liked his character. His accent is great. As far as the other supporting roles, Ilia Isorelýs Paulino cracked me up as the Uber Driver who becomes part of the crew. I don’t know if it was her effective use of dry humor, or the fact that she was big enough compared to Hart to pass as his babysitter, but her character fit nicely and helped to effectively move along the story. As far as the roles generally played by the kids in films like this, I was pleasantly surprised by Che Tafari, who played Hart’s son. Instead of just being sort of a placeholder character going through the motions, he had a certain on-screen presence that I was very impressed with and could see him flourishing if given the right roles in the future. He is slowly making a name for himself after playing a role in the 2021 HBO Max original comedy 8-Bit Christmas, and I look forward to watching him in the future. I also have to give a shout out to my guy Jimmy O. Yang, who I will always view as his Silicon Valley character Jian Yang. He has been on a bit of a hot streak playing these random supporting roles with Me Time, and also Easter Sunday which I recently reviewed (full review here).

THE BAD

Listen, I could talk all day about the issues with Me Time. It is often sloppy, many of the jokes are hit or miss dependent on your sense of humor, the plot is very cookie cutter, and the emotional element of the film is basically non-existent. But, the big question is do these issues ruin the movie or make it unwatchable, and if you have been paying attention during this review you already know the answer. This is a turn your brain off buddy comedy with two actors who can basically do whatever they want at this point in their careers. The special effects were cheesy as expected, but that wasn’t a big deal to me. The chemistry between Hart and Wahlberg alone makes it worth checking out, and as I have said time and time again, if you appreciate goofy comedies you will enjoy this movie. I could see the “sensitive generation” getting a little upset over some of the jokes, but that is probably what made me enjoy the movie even more.

THE VERDICT

A buddy comedy with a star-studded cast that admittedly lacks substance and misses as many jokes as it hits, Me Time still had me laughing out loud and isn’t nearly as bad as critics want to lead you to believe. Maybe it just appeals to my likely stunted and admittedly immature sense of humor, but I had fun with this movie and would have no issue watching it again or recommending it. Plus, the jokes that are likely offensive to some people are just that much funnier to me, and I am okay with that. I actually watched it solo and kept telling my wife about some of the funnier parts, which to be fair she seemed to be half listening and rolling her eyes, but that’s nothing new. She has a hard time appreciating my well-rounded sense of humor. Me Time is yet another easy to enjoy comedy from director John Hamburg, so do yourself a favor and check it out on Netflix.

TED TAKES RATING - 5.9/10

Me Time is now streaming on Netflix. Check out the latest trailer below.

Luck

By: Andrew Wing

Luck is a 2022 computer-animated fantasy comedy film directed by Peggy Holmes (Secret of the Wings, The Pirate Fairy) and written by Kiel Murray who co-wrote the story with Jonathan Aibel and Glenn Berger (best known for writing the Kung Fu Panda movies), based on an original concept by Rebeca Carrasco, Juan De Dios, and Julián Romero. Produced by Skydance Animation, the film features the voices of Eva Noblezada (recently starred in Easter Sunday - see Ted’s full review here), Simon Pegg (Shaun of the Dead, Mission: Impossible franchise), Jane Fonda (Klute, Grace and Frankie), Whoopi Goldberg (Ghost, Sister Act), Flula Borg (Pitch Perfect 2, The Suicide Squad), Lil Rel Howery (Get Out, Free Guy), Colin O'Donoghue (Once Upon a Time, The Rite), and John Ratzenberger (voiced Hamm in the Toy Story franchise).

The film follows the unluckiest person in the world, Sam Greenfield (Noblezada), who suddenly finds herself in the never-before-seen Land of Luck. There she must unite with the magical creatures to turn her luck around.

Luck premiered in Madrid on August 2, 2022, and was released on Apple TV+ and in select theaters in the United States on August 5, 2022.

THE GOOD

The busy summer of animated movies continues! First, there was Lightyear (see our full review here), then Netflix’s The Sea Beast which I recently reviewed (see my full review here), and also Warner Bros. Pictures’ DC League of Super-Pets which Ted recently reviewed (see his full review here). That said, Luck sort of came out of nowhere. But nevertheless, after watching the trailer I was intrigued, and the fact that it was Skydance Animation’s first feature film and also was going to premiere on Apple TV+, I was excited to check it out! So was this a promising start for Skydance Animation? Keep reading to find out!

I’m going to make you wait for a little bit before I answer that question, but just to get the ball rolling on the review, I need to say that all of the voice acting here was solid. First with Eva Noblezada, the young actress who voiced the main character, Sam Greenfield. Now I mentioned Noblezada’s performance in Easter Sunday, a movie that was quite bad if you ask me. But despite that, I liked her in that and I really liked what we got from her in this. She’s a young actress who hasn’t done much, but after this performance, I think she will be getting a ton of calls and I think this won’t be her last voice acting job because she really brought that character to life for me.

Aside from her though, there were a lot of other voice performances that I thought were really good. Simon Pegg voiced the black cat, Bob, who had a brilliant Scottish accent. I might be biased because I love Pegg in everything he does. Whether he’s arguing with Tom Cruise in Mission: Impossible - Fallout or killing zombies in Shaun of the Dead, I’m 100% on board. I also enjoyed the legendary Jane Fonda’s voice performance as the female dragon who serves as CEO of the Land of Luck, Flula Borg cracked me up as he always does with his German accent, and the iconic John Ratzenberger stole the show in the end as he quite often does in animated movies as he voiced Rootie, a root monster who runs a tiki bar.

Aside from the voice acting, there really wasn’t much about Luck that I was over the moon about, unfortunately. However, I did like the animation style of the real world that we got to see a lot of in the first third of the film. The animation style of the Land of Luck was rather uninspiring to me, but I still think that Skydance Animation has the right animators in place there to give us some visually stunning films in the years to come. They just have to learn from this and they’ll be just fine.

THE BAD

Alright, now is the time for me to not be so nice. First, I just got to say that it is extremely hard to critique animated films and I really do love the majority of them, but there was just something missing with Luck. I already addressed the lackluster worldbuilding that I really think hurt the movie overall, but what was worse than that was the subpar storytelling that we got. The premise to this is super interesting, and I just think that Skydance didn’t select the right people for this one unfortunately.

Back to the worldbuilding element though, it just needed to be better. I mean look at a film like Inside Out, a film I consider to be one of the best Pixar films ever released and honestly one of the best animated movies of all time. The worldbuilding inside the main character Riley’s mind in that movie absolutely took that film to another level, and I was hoping for something similar with Luck but it just never came. It was just a tough watch because a lot of the movie just reminded me of better animated movies and the sluggish pacing of the film didn’t do itself any favors.

THE VERDICT

Despite some great voice acting from the entire cast, Luck is an uninspiring start from Skydance Animation due to a myriad of reasons, all of which just made me want to watch better animated movies.

I still have faith in Skydance Animation because they did some things right here, but next time they just need to focus less on getting huge name actors to voice their characters, and more on storytelling and worldbuilding because that is what people want out of an animated kids movie in my humble opinion.

TED TAKES RATING - 5.4/10

Luck is now streaming exclusively on Apple TV+. Check out the latest trailer below.

Beast

Beast is a 2022 survival thriller film directed by Baltasar Kormákur from a screenplay by Ryan Engle, based on a story by Jaime Primak Sullivan. Kormákur is no stranger to hard-hitting films, previously directing the survival thriller Everest (2015), as well as the action thriller 2 Guns (2013) starring Denzel Washington and Mark Wahlberg. On the writing side, Engle previously penned the screenplays for Non-Stop (2014), as well as three action thrillers in 2018, including The Commuter, Rampage, and Breaking In.

A recently widowed husband returns to South Africa, where he first met his wife, on a long-planned trip with his two young daughters to a game reserve managed by an old family friend and fellow wildlife biologist. Soon a ferocious, man-hunting lion begins attacking them and devouring anyone in its path.

The film stars Idris Elba, Sharlto Copley, Iyana Halley, Leah Sava Jeffries, and Riley Keough.

Beast made its debut in theaters on August 19th, courtesy of Universal Pictures.

THE GOOD

Beast sort of snuck up on me when the first trailer released, but anything with Idris Elba will always catch my attention. Plus I love a good survival thriller as much as the next person, maybe even a bit more. I am also a big fan of the seemingly underrated South African native Sharlto Copley, who stars alongside Elba. If you haven’t seen Copley’s mesmerizing performance in the sci-fi thriller District 9, you need to. The trailer for Beast was pretty much perfect, appealing to fans of the classic summer movie that begs to be seen in theaters. So naturally, I made my way over to the theater to see if it was in fact worth the price of admission. Now that I’ve appealed to your curiosity, keep reading to find out what I thought!

Beast is a very enjoyable, tense, and well-acted survival thriller. Now it doesn’t try to reinvent the wheel or anything which is fine of course, and I’ll talk about my issues with the film later, but I won’t be spending to much time trying to pick apart what is a fairly straight forward film. The initial allure for me was the setting, and it did not disappoint. It is absolutely beautiful. I don’t know about you, but I have always imagined how cool it would be to go on a real African safari, and Beast is as close as I have been able to get to that reality. I’d prefer to skip the survival thriller element of my safari if possible. I really liked how seamless the story felt in terms of why the characters landed in the situation they find themselves in, and I also really appreciated the emotional element of the film.

Aside from the setting, the other primary strength of the film which was yet another draw for me was the cast. Idris Elba is easily one of the best actors of our generation, even if he may not get the recognition of the Tom Cruise’s or Brad Pitt’s of the world. Elba is a very versatile actor, and tends to shine when he plays very intense and dramatic roles, which is a testament to his intimidating presence. I thought he was amazing in the Netflix original film The Harder They Fall, which Andrew reviewed a few months back (full review here). He plays a fairly complex character in Beast, having to navigate the death of his estranged wife while doing his best to raise the two daughters they share together. I thought his character had great depth, and his performance in general was top notch. Acting alongside Elba was South African native Sharlto Copley, who plays a longtime close friend to both Elba’s character and his late wife. I really enjoyed Copley’s character, and the fact that he plays such an important role in the film. Although they struggled at times, I did really like Iyana Halley and Leah Sava Jeffries as Elba’s daughters. Screenwriter Ryan Engle and Jaime Primak Sullivan are able to team up to provide an engaging and impactful story to give viewers the substance they need.

The technical elements of Beast are fantastic as expected. I have touched on the South African setting several times, but it allowed for some eye-popping cinematography compliments of a collaborative effort between Philippe Rousselot and Baltasar Breki Samper. Pulling equal weight was the soundtrack from Steven Price, helping to infuse each and every action scene with just enough adrenaline to keep audiences nervous and engaged. The film also touches on a backstory of Elba’s late wife being a great photographer, allowing the film the opportunity to tie that in to the great setting and also develop that as a story arch with her connection to her daughters.

As as as the lions themselves, man they did some cool things here. We are treated to a pretty incredible scene involving Copley’s character and a few of the real-life animal actors early on, but our attention is soon diverted to that of the films primary antagonist, a seemingly hell bent on revenge killer lion. Now at times it feels over-the-top of course, but man did they do one heck of a job with the CGI and special effects. The lion is absolutely terrifying, and never once felt cheesy as far as the special effects. They crafted a very formidable foe.

THE BAD

I really don’t have many issues with Beast because as far as survival thrillers go, mainly because I felt like in general it did what it needed to do. But, as you can probably imagine a few of the more intense action sequences feel very over the top. Now that isn’t to say they aren’t entertaining, but as badass as Idris Elba may be I doubt he is lasting very long while engaged with a lion hell bent on ripping his throat out. I thought the acting was very good overall but the supporting cast, primarily the two playing the daughters of Elba, struggled with believability during some of the more dramatic scenes. I won’t harp on that too much mainly because it wasn’t detrimental to the film, and acting alongside two greats in Elba and Sharlto Copley is no easy task.

THE VERDICT

Edge-of-your seat entertaining and beautifully shot thanks to the stunning South African setting, Beast is a well crafted survival thriller that benefits from two top-tier lead actors in Idris Elba and Sharlto Copley. The chemistry between Elba and Copley is undeniable, and their performances alone made the film worth it for me. I thought Iyana Halley and Leah Sava Jeffries did a nice job as Elba’s daughters, but as I mentioned his acting talent is difficult to match during some of the more dramatic scenes. Beast doesn’t necessarily do anything new and groundbreaking, but it still has one of the more intriguing storylines as far as survival thrillers go and does a great job getting viewers invested. Plus, at just an hour and 30 minutes, the film flies by and makes for an experience well worth revisiting. If you enjoy the genre and can appreciate great cinematography, Beast is well worth checking out in theaters,

TED TAKES RATING - 7.4/10

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