Sonic the Hedgehog 2

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is a 2022 adventure comedy film based on the video game franchise Sonic the Hedgehog, published by Sega. It is the sequel to 2020’s Sonic the Hedgehog (our full review here). The film is directed by Jeff Fowler, and written by Pat Casey, Josh Miller, and John Whittington.

After settling in Green Hills, Sonic is eager to prove he has what it takes to be a true hero. His test comes when Dr. Robotnik returns, this time with a new partner, Knuckles, in search of an emerald that has the power to destroy civilizations. Sonic teams up with his own sidekick, Tails, and together they embark on a globe-trotting journey to find the emerald before it falls into the wrong hands.

The cast includes James Marsden, Ben Schwartz, Tika Sumpter, Natasha Rothwell, Adam Pally, Shemar Moore, Colleen O'Shaughnessey, Idris Elba, Jim Carrey, and Lee Majdoub. 

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 made its debut in theaters on April 8th, courtesy of Paramount Pictures.

THE GOOD

The first Sonic the Hedgehog was a blast, and legit put me into a time machine and transported me to my childhood. And the good times, none of the traumatic moments that shaped who I am today. In all seriousness, they did things right with the original film and satisfied hardcore fans as well as those just looking for a really good time. After seeing the first film and the subsequent success it had, a sequel was a foregone conclusion. We knew the core of the main cast would be back for another fun romp for the ages, but would it be able to live up to the success of the original film or fall victim to the inevitable downfalls of a sequel? Plus, as a videogame adaptation, the odds are already stacked against Sonic the Hedgehog 2. Did it make this fan proud? Keep reading to find out!

Bottom line, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is without a doubt a worthy sequel. It keeps the nostalgia of the original film intact while bringing in even more nostalgia by introducing a few new characters that were huge in the video games. The film opens where the original left off, with Dr. Robotnik still stuck in “mushroom land” and doing whatever he possibly can to get out of there. We are even treated to a bit of a shout-out to Tom Hanks and his buddy Wilson, the famous soccer ball from the 2000 film Cast Away. I won’t sit here and spoil things, but Robotnik is relentless as ever and will stop at nothing to have his revenge on that pesky Sonic, and lands himself a bit of a lottery ticket with the assistance of a powerful being also on trail of the blue hedgehog. Enter Knuckles, a worthy nemesis not to be taken lightly. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 already has the stage set by the original film, meaning we can jump right into the action, and right into the action is exactly where we go.

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 brings the heat from start to finish. In true sequel fashion, the action starts quickly and never really stops until the end credits. The film has a few fun interwoven storylines for the sake of entertainment, and it all seems to work at least from where I was sitting. We get a bit more storyline with James Marsden and Tika Sumpter’s characters and their relationship with her sister, played by Natasha Rockwell who was also in the original film, and her husband to be played by Shemar Moore. I enjoyed that added layer of the storyline, but the action and the heart of the film still rested with Sonic and his always exciting new lifestyle. Whether we are watching a snowboarding chase down a giant snowy mountain or the destruction of an entire town thanks to a giant robot, the action sequences are aplenty and sure to keep viewers on the edge of their seats. I personally tried to get my three-year-old hooked on the original film, but because of the fact that it includes quite a few slower story-building moments, he lost interest fast. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 turns up the volume for the majority of the film, ensuring that any little ones in attendance have very little opportunity to be bored.

Similar to the first film, the acting is without a doubt a huge positive for Sonic the Hedgehog 2. I love me some James Marsden, and he is great here yet again. I mean, if we can just call a spade a spade, Marsden is a damn good-looking man that packs a ton of charisma making for a heck of an on-screen presence. He was a big reason why I loved the first film so much, and he continues to bring the heat with the sequel. Ben Schwartz is great yet again as Sonic, reinforcing why he was chosen for the role in the first place. Jim Carrey is stellar as the infamous Dr. Robotnik, the relentless thorn in Sonic’s side. I just love how this character feels so much like a return to the old-school roles for Jim Carrey, an opportunity for him to flex his muscles as a true showman. Casting him in this franchise was a huge win.

I also really like Carrey’s dedicated follower Agent Stone, played by Lee Majdoub. He helps contribute to a great comedic element of the original film and keeps that fire burning for Sonic the Hedgehog 2. Colleen O'Shaughnessey, who somehow has 238 acting credits according to her IMDb filmography, is a great addition as the voice of Tails. Adam Pally, who has the definition of a supporting role between the original film and the sequel, is still fantastic in my mind. His genuine and innocent stupidity is just so good, and I’m glad they made sure to keep him around for Sonic the Hedgehog 2. Well deserved. My favorite part of the film as far as the acting or the voice cast is concerned is without a doubt the great Idris Elba as Knuckles. Now whether he is tearing up the old west in The Harder They Fall (see Andrew’s full review here), or portraying a very powerful and hell-bent on revenge animated cartoon character, Elba is always all business. I enjoyed the trajectory of the character within the backstory of the film, and Elba just helped to ensure he was a focal point throughout.

The technical elements of Sonic the Hedgehog 2 are obviously straight fire. From the incredible visuals to the score and soundtrack, everything is in tip-top shape and performing as you would expect. It still blows my mind to think about the trailer reveal for the first film and how bad Sonic looked, didn’t take long for them to fix that potential disaster and come back with the Sonic we all know and love. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 brings him back and delivers up Knuckles and Tails, two characters fans of the videogames will be very familiar with. I was personally very pleased with Knuckles first and foremost and loved how powerful and iconic he came across. It was obvious from the start this dude meant business. The CGI and special effects are glorious as far as live-action films go, and the soundtrack helps to drive the intensity of the film.

THE BAD

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 was a great sequel that I can’t sit here and pick apart. Is it perfect? No. What stands out most for me is the fact that in my personal opinion, the original film is just better. Big surprise right? But hear me out, it’s not necessarily a knock on this film as much as it is a credit given to the overall feel of the original. The first film absolutely sold me on the emotional element of Sonic’s character and the fact that he was made to be an outcast by default. The film tugged on my heartstrings and also served up an important message for kids when they decide to pick on someone just because they are different. All Sonic wanted was to fit in and be a part of a family or even just a community, and that message in my mind helped to build the overall effectiveness of the original which was just lacking a bit in the sequel. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 instead continues with the action and the excitement which is commonplace for a sequel, making for a movie that is fun from start to finish and I don’t think anyone will try and dispute that.

THE VERDICT

An effective and genuinely fun sequel that receives a significant boost thanks to the dynamic debut of Idris Elba as Knuckles, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is yet another action-packed adventure for the charismatic blue hedgehog sure to satisfy the entire family. I really enjoyed this movie, and I felt like they did a great job picking right up where the original left off. I would argue that the original is better in the sense that the overall story hits harder and has a bit more emotional weight to it, but the shifted focus on more action will surely help to reign in the little humans who will likely be in tow. And if this is just a movie outing for the adults, that is more than okay as well of course. Oh and be sure to stick around for the post-credit scene.

TED TAKES RATING - 7.4/10

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is now playing only in theaters. Check out the latest trailer below.

Morbius

Morbius is a 2022 superhero film directed by Daniel Espinosa, and written by Matt Sazama and Burk Sharpless. It is based on the Marvel Comics character Morbius, the living vampire. It is produced by Colombia Pictures in association with Marvel, and is intended to be the third film in Sony's Spider-Man Universe. After announcing plans for a new shared universe of films inspired by Spider-Man characters beginning with Venom (2018), Sony began developing a film based on Morbius.

Dangerously ill with a rare blood disorder and determined to save others from the same fate, biochemist Dr. Morbius attempts a desperate gamble. While at first it seems to be a radical success, a darkness inside of him is soon unleashed.

The cast includes Jared Leto as Michael Morbius, alongside Matt Smith, Adria Arjona, Jared Harris, Al Madrigal, and Tyrese Gibson.

Morbius made its debut in theaters on April 1st, courtesy of Sony Pictures and Marvel.

THE GOOD

First things first, this movie is not nearly as bad as most critics would lead you to believe. I mean, currently sitting at a 16% on Rotten Tomatoes and a 35% on Metacritic, you’d think it would be more or less unwatchable. I guess if you want to compare it to Spider Man: No Way Home or The Batman, an argument could be made. But that is just silly in my mind. This is an origin story more or less from scratch, and more than anything else it is very unique in several ways. Morbius is a blood-sucking vampire, which hardly qualifies him as a superhero in any sense of the word. Super human, sure, but not a superhero. Okay so before I go down that rabbit hole, let’s get into what I thought of Morbius after going to see the movie with admittedly fairly low expectations.

Did I hate this movie? No, I did not. For my money Morbius is an entertaining sci-fi action film that includes a talented cast, and an overall backstory with decent depth as a character I was not familar with is introduced. The overall impact of the story falls a bit flat in my opinion, but I will touch on that a bit later in the review. Although I did enjoy the tug-of-war going on throughout the film related to the moral dilemma the characters faced. The acting is solid as expected from the main cast with a star like Jared Leto leading the way. The overall “world” created within the film feels authentic, and the Matrix style CGI and special effects made for some satisfying action sequences. The first real action scene where we are introduced to the “new and improved” Dr. Michael Morbius, I thought the slow-mo effects were pretty cool. Let’s just say some guys we care nothing about meet their demise rather quickly. The intriguing element of Morbius is the fact that even though he is a genius in the medical field, he suffers from a degenerative blood disease he has been trying to cure his entire life and is in very poor physical health because of it. Growing up as an outcast because he was not like the other kids, it is satisfying to see him finally match his mental acuity with his physical strength. I mean sure, he had to become a vampire who survives on blood to get there, but we all have to make compromises in life. Bottom line, people won’t be picking on this guy anytime soon.

The star of the show is of course Jared Leto who is an A-list actor in terms of his overall talent. The guy has played some pretty ridiculous roles, going all the way back to his transformative performance in the 2013 drama Dallas Buyers Club, and I very much enjoyed him in the recent drama based on true events, House of Gucci (our full review here). Although his version of DC’s Joker didn’t quite make the impression he was hoping for, I will give pretty much anything he is in a chance. Leto shows off his acting chops as expected, and shines during the Dr. Michael Morbius scenes, where his talents were most needed. The beautiful Adria Arjona lit up the screen during each and every scene she was in, and her chemistry with Leto felt genuine throughout the film which was important for the story. Matt Smith was solid as the films typical good guy turned bad antagonist, Milo, and I enjoyed his relationship with Leto’s character and the overall trajectory. Veteran actor Jared Harris is fantastic as per usual, taking on the role of father figure/mentor Dr. Emil Nicholas.

Before I make you think otherwise, I really like Tyrese Gibson as an actor. I enjoy his role in the Fast & Furious films, and I thought he was fantastic in Four Brothers. Baby Boy hasn’t quite stood the test of time, but all things considered he makes the most of the roles he is given. With that being said, I had a bit of a hard time buying into him as the hardened detective hot on the trail of Morbius. Maybe I am just always waiting for that trademark humor of his to make an appearance, but for me he didn’t quite fill that gritty role they seemed to be going for here. His acting in itself was fine, his character was just meh in my opinion and had little to know backstory at all.

The technical elements of the film are a bit of a mixed bag, and I will get more into that later. But for the sake of the “good” section of the review, I mostly enjoyed the CGI and special effects in the film. They felt very similar to what you would see in The Matrix, as far as the reliance on slow-motion technology, and what I can only refer to as a bit of a blurring/shadowing effect that is used when Morbius is moving quickly. That element of the special effects reminded me of a videogame, but I wouldn’t consider that to be a knock on the movie. Even though this is technically a superhero film, it without a doubt embraces the whole vampire thing as the special effects are a big part of the movie. I was fine with seeing something a little different and I felt like Morbius gives us that. I also enjoyed the soundtrack/score much more than I thought I would.

THE BAD

Morbius is not without it’s fair share of issues, big surprise right? As an origin story it does feel a little slow during the majority of the film as the writing was a bit dull and fairly linear for my taste. Plus the writing is outlandish in so many ways, often feeling like you are watching an episode of the Power Rangers as they take out bad guys. I love the Power Rangers for the record, and I am still waiting for a sequel to the 2017 film. One of my biggest issues with the screenplay is it never had that action sequence or finale that felt like a big exciting payoff. It just sort of resolved things to an extent and ended leaving viewers wanting more, assuming you enjoyed the movie in the first place of course. The majority of the film feels a bit isolated from the rest of the world, never quite feeling like Morbius is destined to extend his reach beyond the events taking place in the film. I also feel like the reluctance to take the leap and make this film R-rated was very limiting in terms of the overall feel they seemed to be going for. There is a fine line between intense and corny with a film like this, and unfortunately the PG-13 rating did far more harm than good in that sense. You can go down the lost of successful vampire films, and I promise you the majority that experienced the most success had an R-rating.

I touched on what I liked about the CGI and special effects above, but there was plenty that just didn’t fit. In general, the style of this film is not for everyone, it feels very much like a videogame in terms of how they decided to showcase the action. But that part of it I liked. What didn’t quite hit home with me was the CGI of the faces which just looked way too corny more often than not. I mean I get that they are supposed to be transforming into vampires, but it just looked silly and nowhere near what we have come to expect from a film with Marvel attached to it. I don’t know what they could have done differently, but maybe this is also why vampires belong in the horror genre. Just a thought. Also, getting back to why critics have been ripping this movie to shreds, they aren’t wrong. I mean from a “quality filmmaking” perspective, Morbius is riddled with holes. It doesn’t really do anything extremely well, and leaves plenty to be desired in most areas of the film. Most of the biggest Marvel films fall outside of awards consideration for reasons we understand, but this movie feels less like it belongs in the superhero genre while also not carving out a niche like 2019’s Joker.

THE VERDICT

Far from the gritty new addition to the MCU we were all hoping for but still better than most critics would lead you to believe, Morbius offers up some quality entertainment value while committing to more of a vampire movie or a video game adaptation feel thanks to the unique CGI and special effects. I personally enjoyed this movie all things considered, and felt like the Matrix-esque special effects were fun, and I do believe this could still become a solid franchise. I do however agree that an R-rated approach would have opened more doors for the films potential considering the subject matter. Origin stories can be tough in terms of setting the stage while still remaining action-packed, but thanks to a post-credit scene sure to excite fans of all things Spider-Man, Morbius is still worth a watch if you keep your expectations in check.

TED TAKES RATING - 6.1/10

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

The Harder They Fall

By: Andrew Wing

The Harder They Fall is a 2021 American Western film directed by Jeymes Samuel in his feature film directorial debut, who co-wrote the screenplay with Boaz Yakin (directed Remember the Titans and Safe). The film stars Jonathan Majors (The Last Black Man in San Francisco, Lovecraft Country), Idris Elba (The Wire, Beasts of No Nation), Zazie Beetz (Atlanta, Deadpool 2), Regina King (Ray, If Beale Street Could Talk), Delroy Lindo (Malcolm X, Da 5 Bloods), Lakeith Stanfield (Get Out, Atlanta), RJ Cyler (Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, I’m Dying Up Here), Danielle Deadwyler (Paradise Lost, Station Eleven), Edi Gathegi (Twilight film series, The Blacklist), and Deon Cole (Black-ish, Barbershop).

It is one of few Westerns whose principal cast members are all Black. Its characters are loosely based on real cowboys, lawmen, and outlaws of the 19th-century American West. The plot itself follows Nat Love (Majors), a man gunning for revenge who saddles up with his gang to take down his enemy Rufus Buck (Elba), a ruthless crime boss who just got sprung from prison.

The Harder They Fall had its world premiere at the BFI London Film Festival on October 6, 2021. It received a limited release on October 22, 2021, prior to streaming on Netflix on November 3.

THE GOOD

You’re really going to have to start referring to me as the respect police, because like I did with two movies I recently reviewed, Passing (see my full review here) and Together Together (see my full review here), I watched them months before writing the actual review. The reason was because of how shocked I was at the lack of respect and notoriety these films got, and The Harder They Fall might have been the most shocking. To take you back in time, I knew the second I saw the trailer for this that it was going to be a must-watch. I mean it’s a modern take on the Western genre with its all-black cast, and the cast itself was maybe the most powerhouse cast of the year. From Idris Elba, Regina King, to two of the biggest young actors in the industry right now in Jonathan Majors and Lakeith Stanfield, I was not going to miss this one once it came to Netflix. But enough of the jibber-jabber, let’s get into my review and find out why this film was deserving of more praise than what it got!

I mean it’s only right that I start out with “The Good” section by addressing this powerhouse cast, right? Well good, because that’s what I’m going to do. The characters in this film are all based on real people that were living in the west at the time, and as much as I loved some of the other stuff in the film, the cast was hands down the most fun part of this movie. I don’t know how he did it in his feature film debut, but Jeymes Samuel somehow assembled an absolute all-star cast. Everybody was great as they nicely divided up the screen time so all of the big names got their own sort of moment and their time to shine. It was so hard to pick a favorite from the film, but I’d say that mine would have to be Jonathan Majors. Majors played his role so damn good as he portrayed this charming yet extremely violent cowboy who is seeking revenge for his father. I just think he was the number one standout for sure and it helps too that he was the main character so we got the most out of him. He was great throughout but he really shined at the end of the film when the movie shows you a different side of that character towards the end in a way I didn’t see coming.

Yes, I picked Jonathan Majors as the best of the bunch, but all the supporting performances were awesome. First with Idris Elba. Elba was amazing as he played the villain in the film, Rufus Buck, and he was as intimidating as he’s ever been in his acting career. There were others too that shined at the very end like Regina King who was quietly fierce the entire movie, and I really think that’s the best word I could use to describe her as an actress, “fierce”. I just reviewed Nine Days (see my full review here), a movie that featured a great Zazie Beetz performance and now I’m reviewing this, another movie that features you guessed it, another great performance from her as she was really good. Oh, and she sings in this too, and she crushed it. There were so many more performances too that were great like Lakieth Stanfield as the terrifying gunslinger Cherokee Bill, RJ Cyler as the uber-confident Jim Beckwourth, Delroy Lindo as the old-timer U.S. Marshal Bass Reeves, and last but not least, Danielle Deadwyler as Cuffee, a character who is inspired by Cathay Williams (google search that name if you want to learn about her amazing story). This was the first thing I’ve seen from Deadwyler, but I feel it won’t be the last as she is set to star as Mamie Till-Mobley in her next film titled Till, which is set to come out in 2022.

While the performances from the cast were arguably the best part of the film, the direction from Jeymes Samuel in his feature directorial debut was by far the most impressive. This movie was a freaking blast. I have always loved the Western genre and with this movie’s new and modern take on the genre, it was so fun. And all the credit for that belongs to Jeymes Samuel. There have been a lot of good directorial debuts from 2021, but Samuel belongs near the top of that list. He clearly has a love for the Western genre too as this movie was composed of some amazing gunslinging scenes, ridiculously intense standoffs, and so many more quips of the genre. He just had fun with it in all the ways you’d expect, but he really puts his own spin on it with the production design, costumes, and the music, all of which are things that I will touch more on later in the review. He just gives a different flavor to the Hollywood depiction of the west and it was so cool because it's a fact that there were black cowboys back in the day. It’s just we have never seen a film centered around them and I’m so glad this is one of the first films to do so!

His direction was phenomenal, but the writing he did alongside Boaz Yakin in this was just as good. There was so much awesome dialogue and the film also contained some twists and reveals at the end that I definitely didn’t see coming, and that’s always a testament to the writing. Overall, I just found myself completely invested in this story and I appreciated every decision they made with the script. I’ll just hit on the same point again, but it was really so nice to see the western genre revamped like this and the way they wrote this film made that the case. I just hope after getting this story that we get more films like this where the Western genre is one that everybody can relate to, because well, why shouldn’t that be the case?

There was so much more I loved about the film, and the technical elements here were responsible for that as they were all superb. First, this film was very well shot thanks to cinematographer Mihai Mălaimare Jr., who is most known for shooting PTA’s The Master, and I think every shot in this film looks pretty gorgeous. The cinematography throughout was super dynamic too and the one scene that shows that the most is the train scene. It also was beautiful thanks to the lighting and colors in every scene, and I loved how this version of the west was very vibrant rather than that dusty look we usually get. As for the production design and the costume design, they took an opportunity to reinvent the west and everything was just so well put together. But before I finish up, I need to bring up undoubtedly the best element of all the technical elements, and that would be the film’s soundtrack and score which was also done by the multitalented Jeymes Samuel. The film blends the soundtrack and score so much, but no matter what I call it, it was so much fun and it added a ton to the movie. Lastly, it’s an absolute shame that the film’s main song which was done by Jay-Z and Kid Cudi, “Guns Go Bang”, that played over the opening credits sequence didn’t get nominated at the Oscars because it was easily one of the best original songs of 2021.

THE BAD

There is definitely no denying that this film was one of the more enjoyable films of 2021. I don’t have a lot of negative things to say about it, but I will say that sometimes it felt like they were maybe over-focused on style rather than substance and story. Samuel definitely executed his vision as I already said, but it just felt that the story sort of came second and followed after the vision. I know I just said I loved the story, and I did, but I definitely wanted to know more about a lot of the characters. But that’s the tough thing when you have an all-star cast like this, it’s impossible for you to get all you want out of them, but I certainly think there’s some potential for a sequel or even a prequel spinoff series type of deal where we can come to know more about some of the main players in this film and how they came to be.

Aside from that, I loved this film so much. I really don’t know why it didn’t get much love from the big awards bodies. Maybe they dismissed it as this Netflix movie that was just a “fun western”, but this film was super unique and there were plenty of places it could’ve and should’ve gotten some awards consideration.

THE VERDICT

Fueled by an energetic soundtrack, The Harder They Fall is a grand slam directorial debut from Jeymes Samuel that is just dripping in style. Samuel perfectly executed his vision as he created a film that absolutely revamps the Western genre we’ve known for decades. It’s helped out significantly by the all-star cast that included Jonathan Majors, Idris Elba, Regina King, and Lakeith Stanfield just to name a few.

Sure, maybe they focused more on style rather than substance, but at the end of the day, I would give this movie a very broad recommendation. If you like westerns, action, or even just fun, you need to check this one out ASAP!

TED TAKES RATING - 8.7/10

The Harder They Fall is available only on Netflix. Check out the latest trailer below.

Ambulance

Ambulance is a 2022 action thriller directed and produced by Michael Bay. Written by Chris Fedak, the film is based on the 2005 Danish film of the same name by Laurits Munch-Petersen.

Decorated veteran Will Sharp, desperate for money to cover his wife's medical bills, asks for help from the one person he knows he shouldn't--his adoptive brother Danny. A charismatic career criminal, Danny instead offers him a score: the biggest bank heist in Los Angeles history: $32 million. With his wife's survival on the line, Will can't say no. But when their getaway goes spectacularly wrong, the desperate brothers hijack an ambulance with a wounded cop clinging to life and ace EMT Cam Thompson onboard. In a high-speed pursuit that never stops, Will and Danny must evade a massive, city-wide law enforcement response, keep their hostages alive, and somehow try not to kill each other, all while executing the most insane escape L.A. has ever seen.

The cast includes Jake Gyllenhaal, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Eiza González, Devan Long, and Wale.

The project was first announced in August 2015, before undergoing several changes at director before bringing on Michael Bay. Principal photography with cinematographer Roberto De Angelis began in January 2021, in Los Angeles, and concluded that March.

Ambulance made its debut in theaters on April 8th, courtesy of Universal Pictures.

THE GOOD

First and foremost, you can trash talk me all you want but I love me some Michael Bay. People like to say “oh all Michael Bay cares about is blowing stuff up blah blah”, which is certainly a known trademark of his, but the guy knows how to craft a movie theater experience. Some directors have certain tendencies, whether it be working with specific actors, genres, or just having a unique style, but you know when you are watching one of their movies. Aptly known for the money-making Transformers franchise, Michael Bay does enjoy an explosion or two, or three. However, I can think of far worse things people could say about a director, that is all I am saying. Also, an interesting factoid if you will, as I mentioned above the film is a remake of a Danish film, making it the 3rd Danish film remake actor Jake Gyllenhaal has been a part of. The first was Brothers, the drama from 2009, and the most recent was the Netflix original crime thriller The Guilty, which Andrew reviewed back in October (check out that full review here). So, is Bay’s latest movie style over substance, or something else entirely? Keep reading to find out!

Spoiler alert, all of Michael Bay’s movies are style over substance, and Ambulance is no different. But that’s okay! As they say, if you do something really well, keep on doing it. And with Ambulance, Bay sticks to what he knows. With that being said, I really enjoyed this movie, and I had that sought-after genuinely satisfied feeling as I collected my things and made my way out of the theater. Movies like Ambulance are the reason why we go to the movie theater in the first place, as it begs to be seen on the big screen so that you can take in the plethora of goodness for your eyes and your ears. I can’t even begin to say how relieved I am this movie didn’t go the streaming route at release, and my only regret is not driving the 40-minutes to the IMAX to really capture Bay’s vision. Unless you have the sickest setup known to man at home, no chance will this movie translate the way Bay wants it to. Back to the style over substance, the film opens with a solid overall storyline that is more or less expedited so that we can get to the action sooner. Before you know it, you are knee-deep in a heist thriller, which is exactly what the doctor ordered if you ask me. Basically, once the bullets start flying, which is very early on, things get ramped up to about 100 and never really drop from there until the end credits.

Even though the writing isn’t exactly taking center stage here, there are elements that I really enjoyed more than I expected to. The film is marketed as a gritty heist thriller, but Ambulance is actually much more versatile than you’d expect and has a bit of a quirky element to it. For me, it felt more like a Guy Ritchie film in terms of how the characters would banter during scenes that you’d expect to be very serious. Several moments during the film actually made me laugh out loud, which was a cool experience and helped to break things up. Gyllenhaal’s character provides the majority of the comedic undertones as he is seemingly a sociopath, at least on some level. Ambulance has many layers in terms of the overall storyline and how things come together which I thought was really cool, and made for a great chess match between the good guys and the bad guys, with the line between good and bad often blurred.

Considering the cast we have to touch on the acting, but in typical Michael Bay fashion, it takes a back seat to the action. The biggest name attached to the film, Jake Gyllenhaal of course, shows up and shows out as usual. I enjoyed his character and felt like he was given a great deal of depth all things considered. You learn more about him and his backstory throughout the film. The story is primarily centered around Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as he struggles to fund a surgery that his wife desperately needs. I thought he was great in this, building on his success from last year’s horror-thriller Candyman (our full review here). We quickly learn that his adoptive brother, Gyllenhaal, is a potential resource for him as far as financial help, but anything with him comes with dangerous strings attached due to the illegal enterprise he owns and operates. As the film progresses the complicated relationship between the two brothers is revealed, and I really liked that element of the film. By the end I felt like we had the level of investment we needed as far as a storyline because of the performances of these two leading men, adding that much more weight to the conclusion of the film.

Ambulance includes a ton of great supporting roles from some familiar faces, and one of my favorites was Garret Dillahunt who plays Captain Monroe, the man in charge of the task force attempting to bring down this notorious crew of bank robbers. Although not a big name especially compared to Gyllenhaal, he is a fantastic actor and has a great on-screen presence about him. I really enjoyed his role and the balance he brought to the chemistry of the characters. Dillahunt is set to play a role in the upcoming drama Where the Crawdads Sing and one of his best roles in my opinion was in the FX original series Justified. I still can’t get over how badass he was in that show. The California native is a good size dude as well at over 6 feet tall and tends to play intimidating characters very effectively. Eiza González plays a pivotal role as the paramedic who gets roped into this fiasco of a situation and I thought she added a ton of value to the film. Her character was believable and helped to make sure the storyline hit as hard as it needed to. It’s funny because as a very attractive actress with dark hair and a certain look to her starring in a Michael Bay film, I couldn’t help but think of Megan Fox from the earlier Transformers movies. Maybe she will appear in more of his movies going forward. I couldn’t quite place actor Devon Chandler Long who looked familiar initially, referred to only as Mel Gibson due to the obvious Braveheart likeness, but I soon realized he plays the Viking character in the comedy series Ghosts. He is a mountain of a man and was a nice addition to the cast as he is very believable as an ex-special ops sort of guy.

I love when someone unknown in the acting world is given an opportunity to take on a supporting role in a big-budget film, and with Ambulance that guy is rapper Wale, which is pronounced “wah-lay”. Born Olubowale Victor Akintimehin, Wale is known for having his tracks included in big films like Ryan Reynolds’ action-comedy Free Guy (our full review here), or the Fast and the Furious film Hobbs & Shaw. In his first feature-film role, Wale takes on the role of Castro, the seemingly oblivious to his surroundings nice guy who works for Gyllenhaal’s character. He may not get a ton of screen-time, but he makes the most of his opportunities, and I thought he was fantastic and just hilarious each and every time he made an appearance. One specific scene that involves pink flamingos had me cracking up. His chemistry with Gyllenhaal felt genuine as well. If he is the latest actor to make a smooth transition to film similar to Kid Cudi’ after his breakout role in the A24 horror-thriller X (our full review here), I would be more than okay with that. Although I may be putting the cart before the horse a bit as he is certainly not on his level yet.

As what I would assume is a surprise to literally nobody, the technical elements of Ambulance are on point. From the insane car chases to the adrenaline-inducing shootouts, this movie packs a real punch. In some ways, you can’t help but think about the 1994 Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock action-thriller classic Speed, mainly because the majority of the film is a car chase where this ambulance simply cannot stop, but for a different reason of course. And if you are shaking your head because you have never seen this movie I speak of, get your behind over to HBO Max where it is streaming right now. Such a great movie, and currently sitting at 94% on Rotten Tomatoes for a reason. Reeves and Bullock literally look like teenagers, it is crazy!

The star of the show was without a doubt the seemingly never-ending car chase as we watched an ambulance blaze through downtown Los Angeles with sirens blaring. It was a bit surreal watching cars pull over as an emergency vehicle approached, but instead of a convoy of police vehicles, this ambulance was on the wrong end of the pursuit. During the movie, I couldn’t help but think about how much of the film’s budget went into the 30+ car crashes throughout the film. And we aren’t talking about 1995 Corolla’s, nice vehicles were getting demolished left and right for the sake of quality cinema. It seemed like a police car was getting totaled every 5-minutes, and the film included enough variety as far as vehicles to satisfy the most hardcore Fast and the Furious fan. At one point a Nissan Skyline joins the fun, I guess we know where our tax dollars are going. But in all seriousness, Bay brings to the table something for everyone as the action is aplenty from start to finish.

I could sit here and talk about the technical elements of the film all day long, but all that really matters is the value they bring to the film. At the end of the day, it is all about adding value, and every action sequence does just that. Michael Bay loves to experiment with creative camera work with his films, and with Ambulance he was extra reliant on drone cameras which I thought actually worked pretty well. The aerial shots allowed viewers the opportunity to feel the overall scale of what was happening on-screen, and for me, it made for a captivating and engrossing experience. I also really enjoyed yet another Bay staple, which is an energetic soundtrack designed to work in tandem with the action sequences. Bay teams up with composer Lorne Balfe, who with 161 credits to date according to his IMDb filmography, has to be one of the hardest working guys in Hollywood. He just did Infinite Storm, The Tomorrow War, and Black Widow, to name a few, and has several projects either in post-production or currently filming, including two more Mission Impossible movies. Bottom line, Bay is a talented guy across all genres, and he helps to keep the energy high with Ambulance.

THE BAD

Ambulance is a difficult film to critique when you stop and think about what its end goal was. But, a few elements of the film certainly could have been better. First off, the overall backstory was definitely rushed in favor of getting to the action, at least initially. This is definitely one of those Michael Bay tendencies which may bother some people, and others may be more than okay with it. For me, I was initially annoyed by how rushed it felt considering it was an over 2-hour movie, but by the end I just didn’t care as much. The plot works and is continually built on throughout the film which makes it all feel worth it. Also with such a stellar cast, I expected a bit more overall oomph from the leads, but the action was the real star at the end of the day. Again, not necessarily a negative, just worth pointing out. Plus, the film has a few pretty graphic scenes which may be difficult for those of you who have a hard time with blood and it opens with a very intense scene that surely sets the tone for the film.

THE VERDICT

A non-stop heist thriller guaranteed to keep you on the edge of your seat, Michael Bay’s Ambulance is an adrenaline shot of car chases and shootouts featuring two of Hollywood’s hottest actors in Jake Gyllenhaal and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II. In many ways blending elements of 13 Hours and Den of Thieves, this movie was a blast to experience on the big screen. I really liked how it never seemed to slow down, and always had an intriguing element of storyline blended in with all of the action. This is just a damn good movie in terms of the overall experience, and the more I think about it the more I appreciate everything Bay was able to do. I also feel like it would be even better with a second viewing. Do yourself a favor and check out Ambulance in theaters.

TED TAKES RATING - 8.3/10

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

Together Together

By: Andrew Wing

Together Together is a 2021 American comedy film written and directed by Nikole Beckwith. The film stars Ed Helms (The Office, The Hangover trilogy), Patti Harrison (Shrill, I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson), Tig Notaro (Walk of Shame, Army of the Dead), Julio Torres (Ziwe, Search Party), and Anna Konkle (Rosewood, PEN15).

The plot follows a young loner Anna (Harrison), who is hired as the surrogate for Matt (Helms), a single man in his 40s. However, it doesn’t take long before the two strangers come to realize that this unexpected relationship will quickly challenge their perceptions of connection, boundaries, and the particulars of love.

The film had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 31, 2021, and was released on April 23, 2021, by Bleecker Street.

THE GOOD

News flash, I actually watched Together Together a couple of months ago with my Mom one day when we were surfing through Hulu trying to find something to watch. Similar to a recent movie I reviewed in Passing (see my full review here), I have been shocked at the lack of attention it has gotten and just how little this film has been getting talked about, so I figured I’d write a review to try and get the word out. Why I even watched this in the first place though is an easy answer, and the answer is Ed Helms. Just like every other college student nowadays, I did binge The Office back in high school, and there is no denying that Andy Bernard was one of my favorites. I am just so in love with Helm’s comedic style and everything I have ever seen him in makes me laugh, so I wasn’t going to miss this. But was my love for Helms enough to make this an overall enjoyable movie? Keep reading to find out!

First things first, I absolutely loved the direction and screenplay from Nikole Beckwith. Her direction was so simple yet so powerful. As for the screenplay, this story is beautiful. It follows a guy in his 40s who doesn’t have a woman in his life to have a baby with, so he decides to be a single father. Surrogacy is something that’s become more popular in the past few years, so I think it’s super appropriate to have a film focused on it, and I feel like the screenplay for this was so true to what it’s like for this relationship. It was just a perfectly crafted, lighthearted comedy that subverts social norms. I also loved how she portrayed the relationship the two main characters developed, and I will touch on why very soon. All in all, the script was always funny and overwhelmingly sweet.

Going off of that relationship, it was a very nice, touching, platonic friendship and it was incredibly engaging thanks to the two excellent lead performances we got here. First, with Ed Helms, he fit right in with the character and it made perfect sense for them to cast him considering who this character was. I feel like he really nailed it and for as much as I love his more comedic roles, I would love even more if he keeps taking these more dramatic roles to showcase his talents. Next with Patti Harrison, I was definitely impressed by her performance as she was very good as well. Her character was also funny and sweet, and I see this film being a breakout role for her. I am praying that due to this she gets more roles because she was truly amazing. As for the both of them, their chemistry was undeniable and I’m shocked that neither of them got any awards love because they deserved it.

Other things I wanted to bring up when it comes to what Together Together did right, and the first is just how it challenged the notion of whether or not love can exist between two people and be platonic. It was a charming film and I was so emotionally invested in this unique story. Also, I loved the editing here as the film was perfectly paced. I also liked the film’s visual style which was also simple. The cinematography was done by Frank Barrera so props to him, and before closing, I need to give a shoutout to Alex Somers who did the music here as it did the film wonders

THE BAD

This movie was so good and it was one of my personal favorites of 2021. However, there was something that hurt this movie tremendously, and that was the ending. I won’t spoil it, but it cut to black at a moment during one of the biggest scenes of the film. It was a very loaded shot and I was full of so many emotions, and then it cut to black, and I was heartbroken. I didn’t need an extra half of an hour or anything crazy, but an extra five to ten minutes would’ve been appreciated just so I could kind of feel resolved about what was happening, but I didn’t get that. With that said, after having some time to digest it, I understand why they chose to do that, and I’m still happy with the story it told. But man oh man, I really expected to get more closure and I felt like I got robbed of some sweet moments. And because of that, I just had to take some points off.

THE VERDICT

From writer-director Nikole Beckwith, Together Together is a sweet and funny film that gives audiences an honest look at surrogacy and platonic love. Yes, the ending didn’t do the film justice, but the lead performances from Ed Helms and Patti Harrison were unbelievable as they shared delightful chemistry that I was fully invested in. In conclusion, it was an incredibly enjoyable film and it’s easily one of my personal favorites from 2021.

TED TAKES RATING - 8.4/10

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

Prisoners of the Ghostland

By: Andrew Wing

Prisoners of the Ghostland is a 2021 American horror Western film directed by Sion Sono (best known for directing the 2008 film Love Exposure), from a script by Aaron Hendry and Reza Sixo Safai. It stars Nicolas Cage (Raising Arizona, Leaving Las Vegas), Sofia Boutella (Kingsman: The Secret Service, The Mummy), and Bill Moseley (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2, Firefly trilogy).

Its plot revolves around a notorious criminal, Hero (Cage), who is sent to rescue the governor’s (Moseley) adopted granddaughter (Boutella), who has disappeared into a dark region called Ghostland.

The film had its world premiere at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival on January 31, 2021. The film was released in theaters and on video on demand on September 17, 2021, by RLJE Films.

THE GOOD

If there is one thing Ted and I agree on most when it comes to the film industry, it is that Nicolas Cage is a living, breathing legend. The man has been in the business for just about forty years and throughout his illustrious career, he has done it all. He has done the comedy genre, the Oscar-bait movies, and most definitely the action genre, but for the past decade, he has become widely known for taking roles in these weird low-budget horror/thriller films. Now don’t get me wrong, I love the guy, but some of these films have been horrendous, but as of late with films like Mandy, Color Out of Space, Willy’s Wonderland, and most recently, Pig (see my full review here), a movie I think he should’ve been nominated for, he is starting to have a resurgence. With all that said, there is one movie of his that falls under that weird umbrella from the past year that I have yet to see, and that WAS Prisoners of the Ghostland. But I finally got around to watching it, so let’s just dive right into this review!

Now it wouldn’t surprise me if everybody reading this review said they had never heard of the director Sion Sono, but he is a Japanese director who has done a ton of films. However, this was his first to incorporate the English language and American actors, and I’ll be the first to say, he made the most out of it. He created this Japanese neo-Western that was also campy and fit Nicolas Cage perfectly. Sono really made this film have its own world and it was absolutely bonkers from beginning to end. And even though I didn’t agree with every decision of his, he still made something wholly original that was unlike anything we have seen before and that itself is worthy of praise.

Okay fine, I have kept you waiting long enough, so let’s talk about the main attraction, Mr. Nicolas Cage. I said the genre was a neo-Western, and that’s true, but Nicolas Cage himself serves as his own sub-genre if we are being completely honest. I will talk later in “The Bad” section about how I wanted him to have more of a presence in this film, but nonetheless, I was happy with everything I got from him and he was easily the best part of it. I didn’t think I’d say this after watching it, but he was actually really funny in this too. There were a handful of funny moments that actually made me laugh, and one was so good that I had to take a video of it and send it to Ted immediately. I won’t give too much away, and maybe this just shows how immature I am that I thought it was funny, but there’s a climactic scene where Cage just shouts “testicle” at the top of his lungs and it had me laughing hysterically. But other than me being a child, I loved his performance here, he was the only reason that I was on board with all the craziness, and I will never get tired of seeing him in films like this.

Easily the second-best thing about this film, other than Cage, were the technical elements. Technically, this film is dare I say, expertly done. The score is great. The production design is some Oscar-nomination-worthy stuff as it was all pretty nuts. The costumes were excellent, especially Cage’s character’s, and the cinematography was great thanks to the lighting throughout that featured so many different colors. All in all, this film had an excellent tone that they crafted on the technical side of things and it gave the film life.

Aside from those, the last thing I’ll bring up in this section were all the supporting performances. I mean none of them were great, but it’s just impressive to see an entire cast completely buy into such a strange concept and go all-in on their performances. For example, Bill Moseley plays the villainous governor in this, and he played his role perfectly. He was just so strange and creepy that it made his character legitimately terrifying. I also thought Sofia Boutella was pretty good in her supporting role, but similar to Cage, even though her character was the center of the plot, it still felt like she wasn’t given enough lines for a character that is so intricate to the movie. However, she made the most of everything she got, and another actress that did that was Yuzuka Nakaya as Susie. Her performance was so strange, but she played her odd character perfectly, and I absolutely loved all of her scenes.

THE BAD

This movie was enjoyable, no doubt about it, but when I look at this with a critical eye, there are a lot of problems with it. I gave props to the director for creating this world, but the world itself is just super confusing and kind of confounding. There were just so many times when I asked myself what the hell was going on. It honestly felt like it was trying to be a lot like Mad Max but those films are much simpler than this and it just didn’t get what it was going for in my opinion. I think what made it so confusing was its overwrought plot. I really think the script was what hurt this movie the most. I mean the plot contained all these backstories of how stuff happened and what needs to happen in order to get what the character is trying to get, and it was all just too much for me. But despite it giving us too much information, I was still confused at times about how things got from point A to point B, so that was frustrating.

Continuing with the writing, I honestly think it would’ve been better if the writers tried to abandon the logic when writing and not be as worried about explaining itself as it was. I just felt like they were writing this film on the fly. The movie's main focus is world-building just for the sake of it and it was so pointless. Like why? This was never going to be the next Star Wars trilogy, so why do that? It was just such a bad decision. It didn’t even pay off too because I couldn’t tell you anything specific about the world they created and it just robbed us of more Nic Cage.

I said I would talk about Cage’s limited presence in “The Bad” and here it is as that was my biggest quip with the film. As off the walls as it was, I think it could have been even even crazier if it didn’t try to take itself so seriously at times. The fact that they focused more on world-building than Cage was unfathomable. Like they literally had Nicolas Cage in this, and he was great as always, but they should’ve just let him carry the film completely and given him more crazy lines. Aside from focusing on world-building way too, they also kept showing this damn little kid to try and send the message that Cage’s character had a heart deep down and I just didn’t care about that. I want him to be fun, make jokes, and kill people in hilarious ways and that’s not what I got, and for that, I’m angry.

Another thing that brought this film down was the terrible action sequences. I mean I really hated them. It probably didn’t help that there weren’t nearly as many action sequences as I thought there would be in a film like this because they cared more about the other crap. But the main reason I watched this in the first place was just to see Nic Cage be a complete badass, and for a character that is supposed to be this notorious criminal, we didn’t even get a lot of “badassery'' from him. And when we did, it was garbage because the choreography was not good. They didn’t even make contact with people when they were fighting and the people just kind of dropped and it didn’t make any sense. I’m not kidding, Cage doesn’t really even fight anybody until almost the end of the movie. All in all, the movie set itself up so well to be that kind of movie that I wanted it to be, but it just didn’t deliver on the most basic things. Also, before finishing, to anybody who checks this out, just be prepared because this movie is so wild and one of the craziest films I’ve ever seen. The gore isn’t as bad as some other Cage films, but still, you’ve been warned.

THE VERDICT

While this movie really didn’t make any sense with how much they over-complicated things, Prisoners of the Ghostland is another film that features an unforgettable Nic Cage performance and for that reason alone, it’s worth checking out. Cage was really funny, it was visually stunning, and the other technical elements were impressive, to say the least. However, the movie spends too much time focused on world-building when it should’ve been more focused on just being a fun, bonkers movie where the main purpose is to entertain viewers.

TED TAKES RATING - 5.6/10

Prisoners of the Ghostland is now available on AMC+. Check out the latest trailer below.

Nine Days

By: Andrew Wing

Nine Days is a 2020 American supernatural drama film written and directed by Edson Oda. It stars Winston Duke (Black Panther, Us), Zazie Beetz (Atlanta, Deadpool 2), Benedict Wong (Marco Polo, Doctor Strange), Tony Hale (Arrested Development, Veep), Bill Skarsgård (It, It Chapter Two), David Rysdahl, and Arianna Ortiz. Spike Jonze (acclaimed director of Being John Malkovich and Her) also serves as an executive producer.

In the film, a reclusive man (Duke) conducts a series of interviews with five unborn human souls (Beetz, Hale, Skarsgård, Rysdahl, Ortiz) to determine which one can be given life on Earth.

The film had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 27, 2020, and was theatrically released by Sony Pictures Classics in the United States on July 30, 2021.

THE GOOD

There have been numerous movies that I have waited a long time to see, but I think Nine Days might take the cake. It premiered at the Sundance Film Festival over two years ago before being released in the United States last July, but it, unfortunately, didn’t hit any theaters in Maine. It actually wasn’t until last month when it came to STARZ that I was able to record it on the DVR. With that said, I got some free time last night and I finally watched it. During all that waiting though, it felt like every week I was hearing how amazing of a film it was, so let’s not waste any more time because it is officially time to find out if Nine Days was the masterpiece people have been proclaiming it to be!

I’ll get right into it, Edson Oda absolutely killed it here. His direction was ridiculous and the screenplay was phenomenally well done. First, with the direction, all his decisions were spot on. He presented this weird concept about as good as you can and he didn’t miss a beat. It was super clever, wholly original, and it had a great ending. From his decision to have the film be dimly lit almost for the entirety of it to how long he held the characters’ faces in the more dramatic moments, I was blown away by his directorial debut and I cannot wait to see what he does next. Now his direction was as good as I just made it sound, but the screenplay was on another level.

When it comes to this screenplay, I just don’t know if it gets much better than this. The film literally picks you up and drops you way outside of the perspective that you’re normally able to look at your life in, and you’re given a completely different perspective. It just makes you appreciate your life and the things that you get to do as a human being on Earth, and for that, I thank Edson Oda. Also, it always lined up with the situation that the character is put in. All of the character development was perfect and there were so many beautiful moments in the script, especially in one scene where he allows the souls to recreate their favorite memory. It was truly one of the most emotionally powerful movies I’ve seen in some time in terms of how often it got to me and that’s a tremendous testament to the writing. All in all, I am just flabbergasted at how Oda didn’t receive a Best Original Screenplay nomination back at the 93rd Academy Awards because this script is a masterpiece.

Now I don’t want to take anything away from Oda’s direction and writing, but I mean he was given the dream team with this cast. No joke, all of the performances here were arguably career-best performances for all of them, but Winston Duke was the best of the bunch. He plays the man who determines which one of the five unborn souls is granted life on Earth and surprisingly, his character has a really negative outlook on life. The film just wouldn't have been the same if his character wasn’t played perfectly but he was and his backstory carried the film. Looking back at who got nominated for Best Actor a couple of years ago, I really can’t comprehend how Duke didn’t get nominated. He literally has a scene at the end of the film that will likely stand the test of time and be regarded as a famous movie moment. I mean I don’t know if I’d say his performance was better than Anthony Hopkins’s award-winning performance in The Father, but it was a great performance that was indeed Oscar-worthy.

Nobody was better than Duke here, but boy there was a couple who came real close. First with Zazie Beetz. Speaking of winning Oscars, you can pretty much pencil it in that she will at least be nominated for one in the very near future. She is unbelievable in everything she is and it is basically impossible not to fall in love with her character in this. Next with Bill Skarsgård, who I am a massive fan of. I don’t know how or why I like him so much considering he made me unable to sleep for weeks after playing Pennywise the clown in the It movies, but it’s undeniable that he is on the come up in the industry. I loved his character here and you could say I was cheering for his character to make it to day nine thanks to how well he played them. And lastly, Winston Duke might have had the best performance, but Tony Hale certainly had the most surprising/impressive performance. He was perfectly cast as the film’s goofball, but out of nowhere, Hale showed how talented of an actor he is in undoubtedly one of the film’s most dramatic moments.

In conclusion, all of the technical elements here were flawless. The score from Antonio Pinto was amazing and after this, I just want to listen to violin concertos for days on end. The look of this film was simply marvelous. From Wyatt Garfield’s cinematography to the otherworldly production design, I was in awe at how visually beautiful this film was. I know I said I was flabbergasted at how Oda didn’t receive a Best Original Screenplay nom, but what I think was more of a snub than even that was how this film didn’t get a Best Editing nomination. It was edited by Michael Taylor and Jeff Betancourt and the way they put this film together was fascinating. The way they intertwined all of the television footage that represented humans on Earth’s point of view with the main storyline was unfathomable and I don’t know if I’ve seen a film more uniquely edited than this.

THE BAD

If you still haven’t guessed that I loved everything about this film, then you clearly haven’t read a single word I wrote. But seriously, this is a top-tier movie that I have a hard time seeing anybody dislike. However, despite how much I enjoyed it, the film is super different and I’m sure people will be confused or lost at times throughout it. The biggest thing that I can see confusing people was just the fact that the souls are people that have personalities and everything. But there’s one caveat that doesn’t make them truly human and that is that they don’t feel as deeply and as much. At the end of the day though, I liked the way they chose to represent people as souls because they captured the essence of what a person really is in my mind.

I know I mentioned earlier that I loved the ending, but another small quip with this movie is that the ending is kind of obvious. Maybe it just stuck out more that I knew what was going to happen because it’s a movie that feels long so I had more time to think, but I never felt like this movie was ahead of me. I always understood the trajectory of what was going to happen and that doesn’t take anything away from this being a great film, but maybe a less expected ending that was as good would’ve made this an even stronger film.

THE VERDICT

Thanks to one of the most knockout feature directorial debuts from Edson Oda, Nine Days is an ethereal and evocative film about the meaning of life that will give viewers an unforgettable deeply felt experience. Oda’s script is full of so many beautiful moments that will just make you appreciate life. It is taken to the upper echelon behind dynamite performances from the entire cast, but it is elevated even higher because of a phenomenal performance from Winston Duke that should’ve earned him his first Oscar nomination.

If you have the chance, go check this out. It is super universal and anybody can watch this movie and take away something pretty substantial from it.

TED TAKES RATING - 9.3/10

Nine Days is now on STARZ and is also available for purchase on-demand. Check out the latest trailer below.

7 Prisoners

By: Andrew Wing

7 Prisoners (Portuguese: 7 Prisioneiros) is a 2021 Brazilian drama film directed by Alexandre Moratto from a screenplay by Moratto and Thayná Mantesso. The film stars Christian Malheiros (known for his award-winning performance in the 2018 film Sócrates) and Rodrigo Santoro (300, Lost, Westworld).

The film follows the 18-year-old Mateus (Malheiros), who accepts a job in a junkyard in São Paolo to provide a better life for his family in the country. However, because of his new boss, Luca (Santoro), he becomes trapped in the dangerous world of human trafficking.

The film premiered at the 78th Venice International Film Festival on September 6, 2021, and was released on Netflix in November 2021.

THE GOOD

The more I get into the world of film, the more I regularly keep track of films that premiere at fall festivals like 7 Prisoners did at Venice. If a movie is presented at a fall festival, odds are it is pretty good and those backing the film believe it has awards chances. And while 7 Prisoners didn’t get a nomination for Best International Feature Film at the 94th Academy Awards like it had hoped because of other good foreign films I’ve reviewed like Flee (see my full review here), The Hand of God (see my full review here), and the winner of the category, Drive My Car (see my full review here), I still wanted to check it out because it’s a free movie that is a Netflix original. So without further ado, it is time to see if 7 Prisoners was one of the best foreign films of 2021 and it didn’t get the love it deserved, or if it was rightfully excluded from being one of the five films nominated. Keep reading to find out!

I’ll start with Alexandre Moratto. I was impressed by his direction because he really lays the groundwork for the film from the opening scene. It was perfect because in only two minutes you understand this character’s relationship with their family and how much he wants to help out his mother. The screenplay follows a group of boys in Brazil who leave their families to work in the city and they soon realize they’re being exploited. With this and all of the problems that come to the surface in the film, I liked that the film doesn’t present any easy answers to these problems that ravage our world because there clearly is no easy answer. You really come to understand how someone can be absolutely trapped in a system like that and the film as a whole was really harrowing and tragic. All in all, this film shows you there are only victims in situations like this. Nonetheless, we get a gripping story from start to finish because it has that extremely real feel to it. You are glued to the screen from start to finish as you watch these characters that are determined to do something about this despite how impossible it seems, and that’s a big testament to the director and his co-writer for the screenplay.

I forgot to mention that the film is also produced by Fernando Meirelles, the man who co-produced one of the best films of the 21st century, City of God. Similar to that film, this film is also a social realist thriller that examines problems that poor people face and I loved the film’s message. This film tackles a very real issue that in a way is weird to feel thrilled about, but I think it works in the context because you’re rooting for the underdog to succeed in a world where everything is stacked against them. The movie also exposes some of the human traffickings that happens all over the world and highlights the way in which this system works and you kind of learn about that more and more the deeper you go into this movie. It was just a really well-written film because you understand what the characters are up against and I had no idea where the film was going to go and how they were going to get out of this situation. I never felt like I was a step ahead of this character because even though the film gets going very quickly, it gave me everything I needed right from the jump.

Speaking of these characters, let’s talk about some standout performances. All of the performances were very good and all the characters ultimately came from the same place of trying to claw their way up. The writers also do such a good job at showing the moral dilemma going on here between the characters, and I think that helped the performances. But anyway, I’ll just start with who I thought had the best performance and that was Rodrigo Santoro. He was the villain in the story and I honestly liked how they painted him to be despicable because he was the one more willing to take opportunities when he was presented with them. His performance was very impressive and I believed everything about his character who was this truly terrible guy who’s a monster. I also thought Christian Malheiros was superb in the lead role as Mateus. He really has a field day in this film as he shows a wide range of emotions and he took it to a whole new level.

Before finishing up, I just need to highlight some other things I liked about 7 Prisoners. One thing I liked was the editing. There was not a minute of this movie where I wasn’t just glued to the screen and that’s a credit to the film’s fantastic editing. I also loved the cinematography here. It’s nothing crazy, but it's still a very good-looking film. Some of the shots felt confined and it added to the fact that you are solely focused on one person’s journey through the system, but it also did a good job with some of the shots of the city. These shots effectively established how big of a city this is taking place in. It shows Brazil as this industrializing nation which is a very important part of the context as to why these sorts of things even happen in the first place. It happens in environments where industrialization is ever-present and you really get the sense of how this exploitation happens just from the cinematography.

THE BAD

The film is a good one overall, but I just have a couple of problems with the movie. The first problem is that some things I wanted to happen just didn’t and I think they should have. With a film like this where you don’t know what’s going to happen as you get deeper into it, it’s only natural for you as a viewer to want the characters to do something and there were a couple of times throughout where what I wanted to happen didn’t and that was a bummer. At the same time, I get why they couldn’t and didn’t do it, but I think I’m allowed to be disappointed.

Going off that, the end definitely left me feeling conflicted about how this story was resolved. It’s just with a movie like this you know you’re going to get a conflicting ending but this wasn’t conflicting really in the ways that I wanted it to be. I just didn’t like the ending, I think it was going for something thought-provoking and I’m sure others will be fine with it, but it, unfortunately, didn’t get the job done for me. Lastly, and I know I highlighted Moratto and I did deservingly so, but I did sense a lack of ambition with this one. Everything worked and it’s a Netflix film, so I shouldn’t be complaining, but I really do think this movie would have been great if it went all in, rather than just being good.

THE VERDICT

Despite an ending that I wanted more from, 7 Prisoners is a thought-provoking thrill ride that takes a deep look at exploitative labor and the problems it causes. It is an important film that should be watched, and it helps that you will be enthralled from start to finish due to gripping performances from Christian Malheiros and Rodrigo Santoro. It is an easy movie to recommend and I really don’t see anyone not liking this.

TED TAKES RATING - 8.1/10

7 Prisoners is now streaming only on Netflix. Check out the latest trailer below.

The Contractor

By: Andrew Wing

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

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

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

THE GOOD

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

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

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

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

THE BAD

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

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

THE VERDICT

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

TED TAKES RATING - 6.3/10

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

The Lost City

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

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

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

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

THE GOOD

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

THE BAD

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

THE VERDICT

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

TED TAKES RATING - 8.5/10

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

Red Rocket

By: Andrew Wing

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

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

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

THE GOOD

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

THE BAD

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

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

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

THE VERDICT

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

TED TAKES RATING - 8.2/10

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

In the Earth

By: Andrew Wing

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

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

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

THE GOOD

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

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

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

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

THE BAD

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

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

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

THE VERDICT

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

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

TED TAKES RATING - 6.6/10

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

Passing

By: Andrew Wing

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

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

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

THE GOOD

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

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

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

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

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

THE BAD

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

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

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

THE VERDICT

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

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

TED TAKES RATING - 7.4/10

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

The Hand of God

By: Andrew Wing

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

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

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

THE GOOD

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

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

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

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

THE BAD

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

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

THE VERDICT

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

TED TAKES RATING - 7.9/10

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

Windfall

By: Andrew Wing

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

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

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

THE GOOD

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

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

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

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

THE BAD

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

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

THE VERDICT

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

TED TAKES RATING - 6.8/10

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

Belfast

By: Andrew Wing

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

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

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

THE GOOD

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

THE BAD

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

THE VERDICT

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

TED TAKES RATING - 9/10

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

X

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

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

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

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

THE GOOD

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

THE BAD

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

THE VERDICT

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

TED TAKES RATING - 9.7/10

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

Turning Red

By: Andrew Wing

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

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

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

THE GOOD

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

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

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

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

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

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

THE BAD

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

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

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

THE VERDICT

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

TED TAKES RATING - 8.6/10

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

After Yang

By: Andrew Wing

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

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

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

THE GOOD

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

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

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

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

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

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

THE BAD

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

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

THE VERDICT

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

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

TED TAKES RATING - 8.8/10

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

No Exit

By: Andrew Wing

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

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

THE GOOD

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

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

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

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

THE BAD

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

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

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

THE VERDICT

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

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

TED TAKES RATING - 6.1/10

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