28 Years Later

 

      Continuing the series that most likely influenced TV's "The Walking Dead",  this installment reunites writer Alex Garland and director Danny Boyle who were the creatives behind the original "28 Days Later".

       It may be misleading to call this a traditional horror film, as while there are horror elements, it's more of a human drama with survivors of the "Rage Virus" protecting themselves against "The Infected". Not undead zombies, the infected were once human but have now become something less with no reason and just an instinct to kill and eat the unaffected. Most of them move quickly and attack in groups.

       The opening scene is pretty horrific though, setting the stage for what is to come "28 years later". A group of survivors live on an island off the coast of Britain, accessible only at low tide. On his twelfth birthday, Spike and his father Jamie set out to the mainland for his "first kill". 

        Spike is played by Alfie Williams, and he is the heart and soul of the film. Aaron Taylor-Johnson plays his father, Jamie and Jodie Comer is Isla, his sick mother. The plot drives Spike to take Isla to the mainland in search of a mythical doctor. Co-starring are Ralph Fiennes, Edvin Ryding, Chi Lewis -Parry, Christopher Fulford, and Jack O'Connell.

        The action scenes are very exciting and a visceral thrill but the film is also very emotional and dramatic. Mr. Garland's script holds surprises for the characters and the viewer is easily caught up in their struggle to survive. Mr. Boyle hasn't lost his touch and has lots of fun speeding up and then momentarily freezing certain scenes.

       The first of three planned films, the first sequel is expected in January of 2026. One of the executive producers of this film is Cillian Murphy, who appeared in the first film and is rumored to be part of the next installment in some capacity.

         I look forward to the next chapter and hope they can make it as good as this one.

The Life of Chuck

 

        Based on a short story by Stephen King and written and directed by Mike Flanagan, this is absolutely no horror story. Rather, it is remarkable story of an average person, beautifully told by Mr. Flanagan.

        The film is told in three acts and starts in reverse. While it may take a moment to understand what is happening and where the story is going, it does all come together in an endearing way. Telling the story in reverse makes perfect sense and once it ends, you'll be thinking about it for quite a while.

         Adult Chuck is played by Tom Hiddleston, who as it turns out is a terrific dancer.  He has a wonderful dance sequence with Annalise Basso, after he begins to move to the rhythms of a young street drummer, played by Taylor Gordon. 

          The real revelation, however, is Benjamin Pajak as the eleven year old Chuck.  He's an adorable young actor, mature beyond his years and a terrific dancer himself. Chuck is also played by Cody Flanagan as a seven year old and Jacob Tremblay plays Chuck as a seventeen year old. Mr. Tremblay has grown into a fine young actor after his breakout performance in "Room" back in 2015.The film also co-stars Chiwetel Ejiofor,  Mark Hamill, Mia Sara (great to see her on screen again), Karen Gillan,  Carl  Lumbly, and Nick Offerman as the narrator.

           An unconventional film, it will sneak up on you and you will appreciate the power of it's ultimately life affirming story.

             

The Phoenician Scheme

 

        The latest film from writer/director Wes Anderson is jammed packed with famous actors in cameo roles. This is not unusual as actors love to work with Mr. Anderson and many of them have appeared in his films before.

         Benicio del Toro stars as Anatole "Zsa-Zsa" Korda, a wealthy and ruthless businessman Who plans his biggest venture yet, the "Phoenician Scheme".  The complicated scheme is presented to his daughter Liesi, played by Mia Threapleton, as a device to also explain the scheme to the audience.  During the course of the film,  Korda and his daughter (who's about to become a nun) meet the various characters who can help carry our Korda's plans.

           The film co-stars Michael Cera and Rupert Friend and in various cameos, Riz Amed, Tom Hanks, Bryan Cranston, Mathieu Amalric, Richard Ayoade, Jeffrey Wright, Scalett Johansson, Benedict Cumberbatch, Hope Davis, Bill Murray, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Willem Dafoe, F. Murray Abraham, and Stephen Park.

            There are many funny sequences and very witty dialog, which you would come to expect from Mr. Anderson. What is also true of a Wes Anderson film is the wonderful art direction and this film is no exception. The film and it's set pieces are literal works of art. It is a beautiful film to watch, even if you're having trouble following the plot.

           While not the best film in the Anderson canon, fans will absolutely enjoy themselves.

         

Ballerina

 

        Set in the John Wick universe, this action thriller takes place around the same time as "John Wick: Chapter Three" and revolves around another assassin trained by the Ruska Roma. The "Ballerina" of the titles is Eve Macarro played by Ana de Armas.

         As a little girl, Eve watches as her father is killed by another set of assassins, led by "The Chancellor", played by Gabriel Bryne. Orphaned, Winston Scott (Ian McShane), brings her to the Ruska Roma where she is trained by "the Director", (Angelica Huston) both as a dancer and assassin. As the years pass, Eve is now an adult and seeking revenge against "The chancellor" for the death of her father.

         The action is fast and furious, once the film kicks into high gear. The fight sequences are at times, very inventive and always amazing. Ms. de Armas is up for the challenge, using whatever she can for a weapon and fighting with above par martial arts.

         The film also ca-stars Norman Reedus, Catalina Sandino Moreno, Sharon Duncan-Brewster, and in his last role before his untimely death, a cameo by Lance Reddick as Charon. Fans of John Wick will be certainly pleased (and this comes as no surprise) that Keanu Reeves does make a more than just a cameo as John Wick himself.

          This is an exciting film with a violent and high body count. It lacks the gravitas that Mr. Reeves brings to his own "Wick" films but the fans of this franchise will still have a good time.

Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning

 

     The eighth and final chapter (but you never know) in the Mission Impossible franchise. This is part two to the previous film, "Dead Reckoning". No need to rewatch that film to enjoy this one as there are countless flashbacks (including scenes from all seven previous films) and endless exposition of the film's plot.

       Of course Tom Cruise is back as Ethan Hunt (a part he has played now for thirty years). Co-starring are Hayley Atwell, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Esai Morales, Pom Klementieff, Henry Czerny, Angela Bassett, Holt McCallany, Janet McTeer, Nick Offerman, Hannah Waddingham, Tramell Tillman, Greg Tarzan Davis, and Shea Whigham.

       The film is an exciting two hour action adventure wrapped in a bloated, repetitive additional forty nine minutes. There is also a lack of humor as the film takes it's plot very seriously filled with pretension. Over and over again, we hear how only Ethan Hunt can save the world and how much we must trust him. By this time, Ethan Hunt has risen to God-like stature, even dying and being reborn.

       Despite all this, the action sequences are spectacular, especially seen in an IMAX theater. Credit Mr. Cruise, who likes to do his own stunts and Christopher McQuarrie, the director and co-writer (along with Erik Jendresen) for giving the franchise a sentimental and a crowd pleasing sendoff.

Final Destination: Bloodlines

 

       Whether we admit it or not, we all have a certain fascination with death.  For that reason, this has been a highly successful franchise leading into this, it's sixth film.

        After a spectacular opening sequence, we are introduced to Stephani Reyes played by Kaitlyn Santa Juana, a young woman who has seemingly inherited her grandmother's ability to see premonitions of death. The entire cast is predominately unknown actors and just about all of them are just fodder to die in ingenious, original and ghastly ways. In his last film, horror film star, Tony Todd has a welcome cameo.

        Audiences don't flock to this franchise to see stars or even expect coherent storytelling. They come for the grisly set pieces that make even everyday items deadly. The family subplot does add some depth to the story, but the clever and twisted ways death claims victims are what will appeal to fans and they will not be disappointed.

  

The Shrouds

 

   Never one to disappoint, writer/director David Cronenberg returns with a new twisted drama, apparently to help him grieve over the death of his own wife, who died in 2017.

    Vincent Cassel (looking very much like Mr. Cronenberg himself, sans glasses) stars as Karsh, who has created a company around his invention "GraveTech".  The company employs high tech "shrouds" that are placed around a corpse when buried so that a person can actually view the body as it decomposes in a grave. Karsh has developed this technology initially to keep himself close to his deceased wife, Becca. 

    The film co-stars Diane Kruger as Becca, her twin sister, Terry and the voice of Karsh's AI assistant, "Hunny". Ms. Kruger gives a daring and raw performance , especially as Becca. Also co-starring is Guy Pearce as Maury, a tech nerd and Karsh's brother-in-law, who helped develop the technology, and Sandrine Holt as Soo-Min Szabo, the blind wife of a CEO who wants to sponsor a "GraveTech" in Budapest.

    While not a horror film per se, there are scenes of body horror and amputation (this is a Cronenberg film, after all) and combined with multiple sex scenes and a bizarre story in general, this will not appeal to a wide audience but fans of Mr. Cronenberg will appreciate his storytelling and directing skills.

    The film is in English (despite the poster). 

 

Thunderbolts*

 

            Marvel reboots their superhero franchise by recruiting many characters from their other films and TV shows to create a new dynamic for the next phase of their superhero collective.

            It's a terrific script by Eric Pearson and Johanna Calo, based on a story by Eric Pearson. It has plenty of action and humor and grounds its characters in a cohesive story that works much better than the last few Marvel films.

            The film stars Florence Pugh as Yelena, Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes, Wyatt Russell as John Walker, Hannah John-Kamen as Ghost,  Julia louis-Dreyfus as Valentina de Fontaine, David Harbour as Alexei, and Lewis Pullman as Bob. The film also features Geraldine Viswanathan, Chris Bauer, Olga Kurylenko, and Wendell Pierce.

             The lead actors make excellent anti-heroes and a reluctant team. They have great chemistry together and appear to be really enjoying themselves. Ms. Pugh is clearly the lead with most of the attention placed on her character, Yelena. She is more than up to the task.

              Self-described characters without any true super powers (except maybe enhanced strength), they "punch and shoot" their way through the film without the need for excessive CGI. The special effects that are necessary blend seamlessly into the action. There are some serious psychological elements introduced in the film that provide background and insight but don't overwhelm the action and humor. The story successfully sets up the next phase of the Marvel universe and definitely explains the asterisk in the film's title.

               Stay for the mid-credit scene that is fun and a post credit scene that actually adds something to the story (although with a shameless plug).

The Accountant 2

 

      Capitalizing on the success of the first film, director Gavin O'Conner and writer Bill Dubuque have returned along with star Ben Affleck to double down on the comedy and action.

      Mr. Affleck returns as Christian Wolff and is joined once again by Jon Bernthal as his brother Braxton. Mr. Bernthal's role increases the chemistry between Mr. Affleck and himself. The two create more comedic moments as well as more mayhem than in the original film.

      Also returning in increased roles are Cynthia Addai-Robinson as Federal agent Marybeth Medina. and as Justine, Christian's hacker, Allison Robertson takes over the role but with the voice of the original Justine, Allison Wright. Daniella Pineda is new to the cast in a mysterious role and J.K. Simmons has a cameo reprising his role as Raymond King.

      The plot is a bit convoluted but it doesn't matter. It's just a device to enjoy watching Mr. Affleck and Mr. Bernthal save the day, which they do after many bullets fly and time out for line dancing (don't ask).

        

Sinners

 

     The latest film from writer/director Ryan Coogler is an interesting mix of genres. What starts out as a period piece drama descends midway through into a visceral horror story. This jarring switch midstream may put off some viewers and while it makes no sense, still makes for an exciting film.

     Mr. Coogler's frequent collaborator, Michael B. Jordon stars as twin brothers, nicknamed "Smoke" and "Stack". Their scenes together are flawlessly integrated. He is terrific as both characters, who come home to the Mississippi Delta in 1932,  flush with stolen cash from gangsters in Chicago, in order to open a "juke joint".

      The film co-stars Hailee Steinfeld (in a role she really sinks her teeth into), Jack O'Connell ( a terrific actor in a truly bizarre role), Wunmi Mosaku, Jayme Lawson, Omar Miller, a terrific Delroy Lindo and Miles Caton as Sammie, the younger cousin of the twins, who is an excellent blues singer and guitar player.

      Production design on the film is excellent and along with the period costumes and terrific original music, there is an air of perfect authenticity, at least until things go off the rails.

      There are lots of great musical styles represented in the film, highlighted by a wonderfully magical musical number during the party at the "juke joint".

       One criticism I have regards a racially motivated incident towards the very end, that while exciting, didn't ring true to me in it's execution. True to the times, I think it would have taken place differently. Aside from that, the film, while eventually gonzo, is fun and exciting.

       I would love to see a prequel with the twins in Chicago and just how they came about their stolen cash. I think that story has lots of potential. And as a final note, stay during the credits for a mid credit scene featuring a great cameo and also a quick scene at the very end.

Warfare

 

      A very different kind of war film, "Warfare" takes you into a reenactment of an actual confrontation during the Iraq War. It is about as close as you can get in a firefight without tasting the blood, sweat and smell of the ammunition..

      Written and directed by Alex Garland and former Navy Seal, Ray Mendoza, the film is scripted entirely on the memories of the men who lived through the battle of Ramadi. It is shot in real time and is about as intense as it gets in ninety five minutes. 

       The film stars D'Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai (of Hulu's Reservation Dogs) as Ray Mendoza, Cosmo Jarvis (of Hulu's Shogun) as Elliott Miller. Also starring are Will Poulter, Charles Melton, Joseph Quinn, Kit Conner, Finn Bennett, Taylor John Smith, and Michael Gandolfini. The entire cast honor the men they are portraying.

      Watching the film unfold, you experience the primal terror of the battle from the boredom before it starts until the very last shot is fired. You won't even realize you've been holding your breath the entire time.

        

The Amateur

 

            Suspend your belief and you'll enjoy this perfectly serviceable espionage/revenge thriller. It follows a standard formula but Rami Malek, who stars as Charlie Heller brings the conviction of an amateur field agent and is fun to watch as he tracks down the men responsible for killing his wife.

            The film co-stars Rachel Brosnahan, Laurence Fishburne, Holt McCallary, Caitriona Balfe,  Julianne Nicholson, Danny Sapani, Jon Bernthal, and Michael Stuhlbarg as various friends and foes.

             Since Charlie must go global to track down the killers, we are treated to a world tour of countries and cities, including England, Spain, Turkey, Romania, and France. There is also quite a bit of technobabble since Charlie is first and foremost an analyst so a good part of the film is played out on computer and video screens. There are, however, enough action sequences to satisfy the viewer.

              The door is left open for a sequel, but of course, by the end of the film, Charlie is certainly no longer an amateur.

              

Drop

 

       A modern take on a very common premise. The hero/heroine is forced to do something terrible by the villain, who is holding a loved one hostage. We've seen this story many times before but never using cell phone drops to communicate with the hero/heroine.

        Meghann Fahy is the heroine, Violet, faced with an impossible situation. She aptly proves herself leading lady material as she continues to find clever ways to stall and distract her opponent. 

         Violet is on a first date at a upscale  restaurant high above a Chicago skyscraper. Her date, Henry, is played by Brandon Sklenar (of the streamer, 1923). Most of the action plays out in the restaurant with occasional scenes of Violet's home, where her young son Toby (played by Jacob Robinson) and his sitter, Jen (played by Violett Beane) are being threatened by the main villain's accomplice. Jen is also Violet's sister adding to her anxiety over the situation.

         What makes the film fun is the villain could be anyone in the restaurant and poor Henry doesn't understand Violet's increasingly erratic behavior with each phone drop she receives.

          Both Ms. Fahy and Mr. Sklenar take everything very seriously and make a handsome couple to watch. While the dialog may be silly and contrived, the situation does continuously rachet up the tension. Alfred Hitchcock would be proud.

Black Bag

 

       This new film from director Steven Soderbergh and writer David Koepp is an ice cold, old fashioned spy vs. spy story. Relying more on a byzantine script rather than car chases, shoot outs and explosions, this smart story telling wants you to pay close attention to the machinations going on inside a British intelligence agency, where whispers of a traitor to the wrong person set the wheels in motion.

      Michael Fassbender stars as George Woodhouse, a fastidious spy who "can't stand liars". Cate Blanchett is Kathryn, his wife, and a spy at the same agency. The film co-stars Marisa Abela, Tom Burke, Naomie Harris, Rege-Jean Page and Pierce Brosnan. Mr. Fassbender is perfectly cast as George playing mind games with his fellow spies to find the traitor in the organization. 

      Mr. Soderbergh keeps a quick pace moving the story along at a crisp ninety three minutes. The sets and wardrobe are impeccable. The whole film is sleek in design. The story is a war of words, full of dry wit and some terrific one-liners, played out over an ever increasing tense week's time.

       For those that may find it confusing, the plot comes together in the third act and has a very satisfying ending. It's a smart, even sexy, throwback that fans of John le Carre or Len Deighton will appreciate.

Mickey 17

 

      Written and directed by Bong Joon Ho, this new science fiction film is also a very clever black comedy. As he did with "Parasite", Mr. Ho brings his brand of social satire to the science fiction genre he has had success with in the past.

       The film stars Robert Pattinson as Mickey Barnes, a fairly simple man who signs up for a space voyage to escape a loan shark. He becomes an "expendable" without reading the fine print and finds himself in dangerous situations that continuously kill him, only to find himself repeatedly cloned to start all over again.

        Co-starring are Steven Yuen as Timo, Mickey's friend, Naomie Ackie as Nasha, Mark Ruffalo as Kenneth Marshall ( a not so subtle Donald Trump like character), and Tomi Collette as Yifa Marshall, his wife.

         The story is a lot of fun with plenty of social commentary behind the humor. Mr. Pattinson is simply terrific in a role against type and Mr. Ruffalo almost steals the film as the buffoon leader looking to colonize a planet of bizarre creatures. 

         Based on a book by Edward Aston (Mickey 7), the film is one wildly original ride.

Last Breath

 

           This is the miraculous true story of a deep sea diver's rescue, when his lifeline snaps during a maintenance dive. The film is based on the documentary of the same name that chronicled the actual rescue. 

           200,00 cables crisscross the ocean floor These cables periodically need repair and the divers that do the work consider it to be one of the most dangerous jobs one can have. This particular story is about three divers in the North Sea, who are plunged into darkness when a topside computer glitch causes havoc with their ship's systems. While all three start out 300 feet down in a diving bell, one of them becomes separated and is quickly running out of air. The entire film is based on the rescue attempt.

           The three divers are played by Woody Harrelson, who stays in the diving bell feeding the lifelines to divers David Yuasa, played by Simu Liu and diver Chris Lemons, played by Finn Cole. It is Mr. Lemons who becomes cut off from the other two and is in the most peril.  The film also co-stars Cliff Curtis and Mark Bonnar.

           There are many very tense moments and actual footage from the documentary are cut into the film providing real context. It's a quick 90 minute film but it will probably have you holding your own breath for the last 45 minutes.. 

The Monkey

 

        If you like your horror movies with a liberal dose of absurdly sick comedy, this new horror film from writer/director Osgood Perkins, is for you. It's origin is a short story by Stephen King, which is far more serious in its tale of a cursed toy monkey. Mr. Osgood's screenplay adds quite a bit of sick humor to the story making the high body count grisly but also outrageously funny.

        The film stars Theo James as adult twin brothers Hal and Bill Shelburn. Christian Convery plays the twins as young boys. Co-starring are Tatiana Maslany as Lois Shelburn, the boy's mother. Sarah Levy as Aunt Ida, Mr. Perkins himself as Uncle Chip and Rohan Campbell as Ricky. There are also cameos from Adam Scott and Elijah Wood.

         While there are no real scares (aside from the scary monkey itself) Mr. Perkins is quite adept at setting a creepy and unsettling  mood and maintaining it throughout the film even with the injection of his odd sense of humor. The murderous special effects are quite good as well. The basic plot is every time the monkey is wound up, it plays its drum and someone dies (in very original ways). There is no real backstory to the demon toy. It just is, so throw any logic out the window and enjoy the gory, yet humorous ride.

Captain America: Brave New World

 

      Watching the latest edition to the Marvel cannon, while not necessary, a refresher course of the 2008 "The Incredible Hulk and the TV mini-series, "The Falcon & The Winter Soldier" would both be helpful.

       Those already up to date on the Marvel universe will appreciate Anthony Mackie's version of Captain America but the script doesn't do him much favor. Taking itself very seriously as a "political thriller", there is little in the way of humor or emotion.

        Shades of "The Manchurian Candidate", mind control plays a big part in the script. The surprise villain responsible for the mind control is also responsible for releasing the Red Hulk upon the world, The highly anticipated arrival of said hulk comes fairly late in the film and while his CGI body is well done, other elements of CGI work come off shoddy and not convincing. 

         The film co-stars Harrison Ford as Thaddeus Ross (taking over from the late William Hurt), Giancarlo Esposito as villain "Sidewinder" (a more violent take on his Gus Fring character from "Breaking Bad"), Danny Ramirez as the new "Falcon", Shira Haas, miscast as Ruth Bat-Seraph, Carl Lumbly as Isaiah Bradley, Tim Blake Nelson as Samuel Sterns and two surprise cameos.

          While the film was written before the current administration in Washington, there appears to be subtle swipes taken at those now in charge. The story tries hard to be taken seriously but with so much Marvel lore to cover, the plot takes a back seat to the film acting as a bridge to the next chapter in the Marvel universe. The action scenes (despite the less than perfect CGI) are fun though.

            As with all Marvel films, there is a post credit scene that promises the return of Captain America as well as a hint of a new danger to come.

Becoming Led Zeppelin

 

           For the die hard fan, this new documentary is a must see but even the casual fan will absolutely enjoy it.

           Bernard MacMahon did the research, co-wrote the film with Allison McGourty and directed the film with the band's blessing.

           The film traces the roots of the band through new, exclusive interviews with Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, and John Paul Jones. John Bonham, who passed in 1980, is heard on previously unreleased audio interviews.

            Exploring the British music scene of the 1960's, we learn how the future bandmates started out as session musicians on various albums in various genres.  They finally get together in the summer of 1968 out of the ashes of "The Yardbirds" to become "Led Zeppelin". The film then follows the band through their growing success to become the #1 band in the world in 1970.

            The film includes full song performances, never-before-seen footage of their early U.S. and British concerts, and exclusive footage from their own archives. Formatted for IMAX cameras, with an incredible soundtrack, it has to be seen this way to fully enjoy the experience.

Companion

 

         This new, very black comedy is written and directed by Drew Hancock. If you've seen the latest trailer (avoid the trailer if you can), you may know a significant plot point already but be prepared for plenty of other surprises.

          Mr. Hancock has fashioned the most twisted love story I've seen in years. The story is fresh, very original and extremely clever. What begins as a seemingly cute girl meets boy story eventually goes completely off the rails. As a warning, expect some violent moments.

          Sophie Thatcher stars as Iris and she is absolutely terrific. Her boyfriend is played by Jack Quaid (from Prime's "The Boys" and the voice of Boimler on "Star Trek Lower Decks"). The two are lots of fun together...until they're not.

          The film co-stars Lukas Gage as Patrick, Megan Suri as Kat, Harvey Guillen as Eli, and Rupert Friend as Sergey. Marc Manchaca has a cameo as Deputy Hendrix. 

          While I saw it on an IMAX screen, it's not necessarily the kind of film that's enhanced by that format. It will be just as gonzo in regular theaters as well.