Brooklyn drag queens put their personal conflicts aside as they battle zombies craving brains.
Queens Of The Dead is directed by Tina Romero which is her directorial debut.
The only thing I really knew about this one going in is that it was directed by George A. Romero’s daughter, Tina Romero goes for a parody approach which works just enough to make for a decently fun film for the zombie genre even if it’s lacking in some areas.
The cast is strong throughout the film, while the script is not anything to write home about due to the cast’s talent they are able to make it work. Katy O’Brian, Jaquel Spivey, Nina Flowers, Margaret Cho and Dominique Jackson are all solid here. As a whole they work together nicely and make for some fun interactions and jokes that are chuckle worthy.
The film is fun on a technical level, the music is a lot of fun and captures the atmosphere the film is going for. I never thought I would see a film use Kesha’s song “Blow” but here it is and it’s done pretty well. The fast paced editing is sharp and electrifying and the cinematography from Shannon Madden has some fun personality going on here.
What’s mainly holding back Queens Of The Dead from being great is mainly the writing and genre cliches. While there are some decent jokes here, as the movie goes on especially during the later half there starts to be a lot more jokes missing than landing. The zombie horror element leaves a lot more to be desired, while it’s not done in a bad way. It’s not done in a very exciting way either, it very much feels like it’s just sort of there.
With that being said Queens Of The Dead still manages to be decently fun, I think Tina Romero has potential as a director this one just needed a stronger script to really make it standout.
Queens Of The Dead is available on all VOD platforms.
Two decades after an identity crisis, Anna’s blended family faces new challenges. Tess and Anna discover their past may be repeating with the next generation.
Freakier Friday is directed by Nisha Ganatra director of Chutney Popcorn (1999), Fast Food High (2003), Cake (2005), Late Night (2019) and The High Note (2020). The film serves as a sequel to Freaky Friday (2003).
A Freaky Friday (2003) sequel was bound to happen at some point, it’s a film that is quite beloved and has gained a bigger and bigger following over the years. Freakier Friday might not be as great as its predecessor but it still manages to capture a lot of the excitement and spirit of what made the first film so great.
Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan are both excellent here and just ooze with personality. Everything that made their performances so memorable from the first film is present here, adding into the mix we have Julia Butters and Sophia Hammons who while are not as great as Curtis or Lohan they still do a pretty solid job. Especially considering this time around it’s a double body swap which can be incredibly tricky, there are times where some of the actors seem to lose track of who they are playing. However those moments are very far and few in between which ultimately does not hurt any of the performances.
Freakier Friday does not really have anything new going on narratively, it has the same message as the first film and the double body swap ends up being the main difference. With that being said it’s still a lot of fun, the humor is genuinely solid and the nostalgia callbacks are actually integrated very well into the story. The last 15 minutes displays the more emotional moments of the film and wraps the story up very nicely, stronger character moments could have absolutely given more strength as Ganatra does focus on a lot of comedy antics that do not land incredibly well.
But from what we are given, there is just enough here for the viewer to latch on to and enjoy both the comedic and emotional moments. Ultimately Freakier Friday is harmless, as I said before narratively it’s not much different and when you really get down to it there is just not a whole lot to say here. But there is no denying that this is an entertaining one.
Freakier Friday is available on all VOD platforms.
When his wife asks for a divorce, a man runs to his friends for support, only to learn that the secret to their happiness is an open marriage.
Splitsville is directed by Michael Angelo Covino director of The Climb (2019).
Splitsville is a decent little comedy that has just enough meat on its bones to make it to the finish line, the performances, humor and the exploration of its themes such as the struggle for honesty openness within marriages and this whole honesty vs deception angle is able to make the film more interesting.
The performances are all quite great here, Dakota Johnson, Adria Arjona, Kyle Marvin and Michael Angelo Covino all turn in very solid performances and work well together. The discussions the characters have are both decently funny and have this layer meaning that brings the film’s themes such as exploring open marriage front and center. It gives these characters personality especially when you combine the witty banter.
Dakota Johnson brings the necessary depth to Julie as a character, Adria Arjona gives a memorable performance due to one particular scene, plus she’s just fantastic here and works incredibly well with the rest of the cast. Michael Angelo Covino and Kyle Marvin both have strong chemistry, their real life friendship translates well here and at times it feels like we are given some personal moments, which can be felt due to both Covino and Marvin being the writers. It’s especially felt when we get scenes of both Carey (played by Marvin) and Paul (played Covino).
The humor for the most part works very well, there’s this nice balance of exploration in the film’s themes and the humor itself. While not every single joke lands, there is just the right amount to get some laughs from the viewer, the sharp direction from Covino really puts in the work here as well. The intimate moments help bring the characters closer to the viewer combined with the film’s cinematography from cinematographer Adam Newport-Berra.
While Splitsville does suffer being from a bit too long and has some pacing issues. It’s a nice balance entertainment and meaning that gives the film more to stand on.
In modern Transylvania, vampire hunts and labor strikes mix with sci-fi, romance, and AI tales. Multiple storylines blend folklore, horror and contemporary elements for a fresh take on Dracula’s legend.
Dracula is directed by Radu Jude director of Do Not Expect Too Much from the End of the World (2023), Sacred Hearts (2016), Everybody in Our Family (2012) and many others.
To say that Radu Jude’s Dracula is a very odd film would be the understatement of the year, the very first moments of the film is a bunch of AI-generated renditions of Dracula saying a variation of “suck my dick” the film is a take on how AI is sucking the life out of filmmaking and even how people think. It’s an excellent satire that although a bit too long is still incredibly effective.
The performances are all quite fascinating, each of the cast goes all out with what the script requires and are not afraid to add their own flavor into the mix. They also capture the satirical atmosphere well and bring the viewer into the film quickly due to just how bizarre they act. There are some genuinely meaningful moments during the film’s final moments which lead to some of the best acting of the film.
The main part of what makes Dracula successful is the themes and how they are executed, as mentioned before there’s the theme of AI and how it’s ruining filmmaking. This is not a case where the movie just ends up saying “AI bad” the film points out how ridiculous AI is in this humorous way, people’s line of thinking is lost since they do not have that special connection of filmmaking especially when relying on ChatGPT and OpenAI.
This is made clear with the character simply known as “The Director” (played by Adonis Tanta) who talks to the camera about using generative AI which creates a bunch of subplots that are nonsensical, the director is used as a vehicle for Radu Jude to explore the themes of technology and society, such as how modern society or AI is bloodsucking and taking away from human connection and filmmaking. Adonis Tanta does such a fantastic job with his performance as the director, he’s unhinged and completely matches the film’s overall atmosphere.
Then there’s the film’s final moments which says that the nature of being human is starting to feel less human each day, which is an incredibly scary thought to think about and explore. But it’s done in this way that is truly meaningful and while it can feel like a whiplash after you have sat through the majority of the film’s bizarre nature, you still feel impacted and it’s a genuinely clever place to end on.
Do not go in expecting a faithful adaption to Bram Stoker’s material, you are just not going to get that here. However if you are looking for something completely different this is definitely the film for you!
Lorenz Hart struggles with alcoholism and mental health issues. He attempts to maintain his composure during the premiere of “Oklahoma!”.
Blue Moon is directed by Richard Linklater director of Dazed And Confused (1993), The Before Trilogy (1995-2013), Boyhood (2014), Hit Man (2023) and many others.
Blue Moon is yet another fantastic film from director Richard Linklater, I really do appreciate how with each of his films he gives the viewer a much different experience. This film is an example of Linklater at his most humorous combined with some genuinely strong filmmaking that’s able to keep this beautiful balance to the end.
The performances are all fantastic here, even when certain members of the cast are not asked to do all that much they still land some quite memorable and often hilarious performances. Ethan Hawke plays Lorenz Hart and to cut to the chase, he gives one of the best performances of the year and quite honestly one of the best of his career. Everything that needed to be captured with his performance was and it’s absolutely glorious to watch unfold. Hawke captures the perfect amount of humor and drama needed to really make this all work, he plays off member of the cast masterfully. One moment in particular with Margaret Qualley towards the end of the film is one of the film’s very best moments and is a perfect example of why Hawke’s performance is so great. It’s a comedic yet focused performance that brings some of the best elements of a dramatic performance, this is one of those performances where the actor completely disappears into the role and just keeps getting better and better with every second. Ethan Hawke captures this comedic yet tragic portrayal of Lorenz Hart and absolutely nails it.
Andrew Scott who plays Richard Rogers has plenty of great scenes with Ethan Hawke, the conversations between the two are investing and have this nice balance of seriousness and humor. Bobby Canavale is a scene stealer with his brilliant and glove fitting like comedic timing that is bound to make the viewer laugh. Finally there’s Margaret Qualley who may not get the most screen time, but she still ends up giving such a beautiful and strong performance. She captures the film’s atmosphere with confidence and the previously mentioned scene between her and Ethan Hawke highlights the amount of fun and strength she brings to the film.
The writing is both humorous and sharp, the comedic timing from everyone involved is well done and the writing has a ton of musical theater references that any fan of musical theater will adore. The references themselves are cleverly used and do not overcrowd the film, there’s plenty of other types of humor that everyone can enjoy. The film has its vulgar moments but it’s to the point where it’s endearing and charming, in almost any other circumstance these moments could come off as out of place or they just fall flat. But due to the atmosphere that Linklater goes for and the clever and witty script by writer Robert Kaplow, everything fits together like a jigsaw puzzle.
The jazzy vibe combined with the film taking place in a singular bar is another part that really gives this film its identity. It especially works since hearing Lorenz Hart’s conversations with Eddie (played by Bobby Canavale) or any of the other customers at the bar actually feels like an unhinged night out at the bar, Linklater’s direction does such a fascinating job of showcasing all of these conversations no matter how big or small. You easily get the “life of the party” sense from Lorenz Hart and that shows almost immediately. His unhealthy fascination with Elizabeth Weiland (played by Margaret Qualley) leads to some hilarious back and forths between Hart, Eddie and the rest of the customers it’s all so brilliantly put together.
Overall Blue Moon is one of my favorite films of the year, it’s an absolute joy to watch and is backed by incredibly strong performances especially from Ethan Hawke.
Lieutenant Frank Drebin Jr becomes a police officer like his legendary father and must save the police department from shutting down by solving a case.
The Naked Gun is directed by Akiva Schaffer director of Hot Rod (2007), The Watch (2012), Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping (2016) and Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers (2022). This film serves as a legacy sequel to Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult (1994) and is the fourth film of the Naked Gun franchise.
One of the hardest genres to tackle is the comedy genre, if your comedic timing is just a bit off that can potentially sink the whole ship. You also have to consider whether or not the material you are working with/creating is genuinely funny. A major problem with a lot of studio comedies from the last several years is a lot of them tell almost the exact same jokes, the jokes themselves aren’t very clever and the comedic timing is dreadful. A lot of studio comedies focus more on cramming in as many unfunny jokes as possible which sacrifices just about everything else that goes into making a great comedy.
This is exactly why The Naked Gun is a huge breath of fresh air, it’s a rare studio comedy that understands how to be funny, even when not every single joke lands you can still feel the writers were very passionate behind said joke. The film’s story is simple yes but the way the humor is integrated into the story is incredibly charming and ends up being such a fun and hilarious ride from beginning to end.
This film reminds you of how great Liam Neeson is at comedy, there’s also a strong argument to be made that this is one of Neeson’s best performances in years. Neeson completely makes the film, his comedic timing is clever and his interactions with the rest of the cast are filled with fun and hilarious moments that you can’t help but love. Neeson also does a brilliant job as Frank Drebin Jr. he’s not trying to be a direct copy of Frank Drebin (Leslie Nielsen’s character) he’s borrowing a few elements while also making this new character different.
Pamela Anderson is fantastic here as well, Anderson has fantastic chemistry with Liam Neeson and is genuinely hilarious in her own right, a fantastic femme fatale type of performance that captures the atmosphere the film is going for. It blends so well together with the spoof nature of the film and even feels earnest at times as well that brings you into the film’s story. Something that both Neeson and Anderson do incredibly well is they capture the silly nature of the film and their conversations only show that in such shining detail that is bound to make the viewer laugh.
The writing is quite clever, I said at the beginning that comedic timing is incredibly important and luckily that’s what this film has. The film’s main goal here is to make the viewer laugh and it does that incredibly well, there’s a wide range of jokes even if you don’t laugh at one joke you could laugh at the next one. Some of the film’s best moments is when the characters take expressions literally, it’s simple yet incredibly effective due to the direction from Akiva Schaffer being filled with personality.
The spoof movie atmosphere is also incredibly charming, it never feels cheap or lame. There’s always this sense of passion from the writers and Schaffer, something we hardly ever see in these sort of movies anymore. There characters feel incredibly fitting in the film’s world, the character writing might be straightforward but the way the film goes about developing these characters is what makes it work and quite hilarious as well. There’s a lot of attention to detail when it comes to the humor, the facial expressions of the characters and the comedic timing. It all combines together in this nice little package that never fails to make the viewer laugh.
Overall The Naked Gun is an incredibly fun film that knows its goal and accomplishes it well. The film has this warmth and playfulness that you just don’t see in a lot of studio comedies nowadays, if you haven’t seen this one I recommend giving this a go.
Iris is enjoying her first romantic getaway with Isaac, until he tells her he’s not interested in a serious relationship.
Oh, Hi is directed by Sophie Brooks director of The Boy Downstairs (2017).
Oh, Hi is if you took Misery (1990) and Gerald’s Game (2017) then proceeded to make them into a romantic comedy, the film takes a look at modern relationships and communication as a whole especially when it comes to intentions and needs. The film does this quite well especially when it explores our own vulnerabilities, although the film does have a weaker third act. It still manages to stick the landing quite well.
The performances here are easily the film’s best part. Molly Gordon gives this often anxious and very talkative performance that is both striking and humorous at times. She’s able to easily switch in tone with the film’s atmosphere demands it and the script she’s given helps make her character as well. Logan Lerman’s charm as an actor works effectively here he is much more quiet than Gordon but still leaves an impression on the viewer. The two’s personalities clashing is what makes the film all the more interesting, there’s some touching moments between the two as well as moments of arguments all of which strangely feel grounded. That mainly comes from just how great Gordon and Lerman are as actors and how easily the two adapt to the film’s atmosphere.
The writing is solid, there’s definitely some bumps in the road during the third act where things get a little too out there for the film’s own good. With that being said the character writing is genuinely quite great, it’s clear that Sophie Brooks and Molly Gordon (who helped develop the story) have this clear as day interest in exploring these characters. Even with the side characters, while they aren’t given the depth that Iris (played by Molly Gordon) or Isaac (played by Logan Lerman) got, Geraldine Viswanathan (who plays Max) and John Reynolds (who plays Kenny) still feel involved in the story and their performances make up for it as well.
When the film leans into the absurd and ridiculousness that’s where it’s weak point is shown, it takes what was the complexities of a romantic relationship and becomes very exaggerated as well as being a bit too hard to buy. Which is a bit unfortunate because everything else that came before the third act is incredibly solid and well written character exploration.
Despite my feelings towards the third act, I still think Oh, Hi is a solid film that is an interesting watch. There was definitely room for improvement but as it stands this is a nice, easy and fun watch.
a high school science teacher who must confront a parasitic alien invasion and his personal life, which gets complicated by a new student who may be his daughter.
Ick is directed by Joseph Khan director of Torque (2004), Detention (2011) and Bodied (2017).
Ick is sort of noteworthy due to the soundtrack consisting of several pop-punk hits you probably heard in the 2000s, Yellowcard, Creed, blink-182, Paramore, The Killers and many others have at least one of their songs appear throughout the movie and I would be lying if I said I was not feeling at least bit nostalgic.
Ick is also a throwback to some of the monster/creature horror films of the 2000s such as Slither (2006), which there are points the movie does a decent job of capturing the spirit of those movies. Even if Ick is admittedly not as good as the movies were.
The performances are decent enough here, Brandon Routh plays the leading role and he actually does a solid job here. He’s able to blend in with Joseph Khan’s messy style decently well and his interactions with the rest of the cast result in a few laughs, the rest of the cast unfortunately don’t leave a mark on the viewer. So much of it is due to cliche character types and very little development all around, while yes at the end of the day Ick is a monster movie so I wasn’t expecting any grand character writing. But lazily written characters who spout just a bunch of one liners are a huge distraction that completely takes you out of the movie.
The writing is what really holds the movie back, within the first 10-15 minutes it’s very clear that “The Ick” is supposed to be a COVID-19 allegory and it’s not subtle at all. I wouldn’t say that the allegory is done poorly here as it does result in some of the movie’s few laughs. With that being said it’s not exactly breaking any new ground either, at this point we have seen the conspiracy theorists, the Alex Jones type of characters and such get the parody treatment in a lot of different media. What Ick does here isn’t any different and if you have already seen these types of jokes before then you are not going to get anything different here.
Lastly there’s the editing which is a mess and is sort of to be expected when it comes to Joseph Khan’s films. Detention (2011) had a similar style, but at the very least it did not feel like overkill and ultimately fit the atmosphere of the movie. With Ick it very much goes into the forgettable territory and much like the rest of the movie fails to leave an impression on the viewer.
Overall Ick has a really solid soundtrack, a decent performance from Brandon Routh and a few good jokes but not much else.
Small-town private investigator Honey O’Donahue probes a series of strange deaths that are tied to a mysterious church.
Honey Don’t is directed by Ethan Coen which by himself previously directed Drive-Away Dolls (2024).
Drive-Away Dolls (2024) I quite liked, it had this fun and bizarre charm to it that made it such a wild experience to watch. Plus the performances were quite great as well, so I was pretty excited for Honey Don’t and unfortunately this one misses the mark. While Honey Don’t is not a bad movie, it is a very uneven one and falls short of greatness it just does not have the same energy or excitement that Drive-Away Dolls had.
Much like with Drive-Away Dolls the performances are the best part of the film. Margaret Qualley as Honey O’Donahue is compelling, intelligent and has a lot of fun one liners that match the atmosphere. It’s clear that Qualley had a blast in this role and it shows through her performance, her interactions with the rest of the cast are hilarious at times and she’s able to capture the dramatic moments naturally. Aubrey Plaza works well with Margaret Qualley, while this might not be one of Plaza’s best performances it is one of her most fun. The sex scenes between the two have this comedic tone that works in the movie’s favor.
Chris Evans is also quite great here as well, he matches the atmosphere and gives a bizarre yet fun performance that really does seem like he was having the time of his life. He shows off his comedic range and is a much more offbeat turn from his other performances, his unhinged nature gives the viewer a few laughs and does a lot of the heavy lifting when it comes to the movie’s humor.
The writing is a mixed bag, while the humor is quite solid it’s the story and mystery itself that are the weakest parts of it. The mystery itself is more on the bland side of things and does not really offer much excitement as the rest of the movie does, it makes for a weird whiplash in tone where you have the comedy and characters being genuinely fun. But with the mystery not so much, it’s unfocused and does not ultimately build itself to be a satisfying mystery.
It is a shame because I do think when Honey Don’t leans into the B Movie and exploitation feel it works very well, not as grand as Drive-Away Dolls (2024) but still satisfying enough. But when it’s focused on the mystery elements it’s forgettable and misses the mark.
Overall Honey Don’t is not a bad movie, just a disappointing one coming off of Drive-Away Dolls. However I do think this one could be considered a guilty pleasure for some and that’s most certainly not a bad thing.
Two men who lost their respective twin brothers develop a growing friendship after meeting in a support group.
Twinless is directed by James Sweeney who previously directed Straight Up (2019).
Twinless was a huge surprise for me, all that I knew about this film is it got rave reactions at Sundance (I’m mad that I missed it there) and that Dylan O’Brien gave an incredible performance. I’m happy to say that I’m joining the choir on both of these, this is a dark comedy that hits a home run very early on and keeps going from there.
The performances all around are fantastic, the number one thing you are going to hear when someone talks about this film is Dylan O’Brien’s performance and that is completely justified. O’Brien gives not only one of the best performances of the year but the best performance of his career. How he’s able to balance the comedic moments with the dramatic ones is truly fascinating, his character Roman has this added character development that keeps him from the audience disliking him. We see him have this sense of confidence even when the words don’t really match said confidence. It’s a fantastic performance that shines the whole way through the film.
James Sweeney (who also wrote, directed and produced the film) as Dennis is also quite fantastic here as well. He perfectly captures someone who yearns for closeness without wanting to build a connection first, he wants it all there readily available to him as soon as he starts to talk with someone. Sweeney does a fantastic job of portraying this flawed character that the audience still has empathy for since it’s established early on both him and Roman lost their twins. It’s especially evident with Dennis we see the scenes of him yearning for a connection, it’s something we all want connection but that sort of thing takes time to build into something powerful. Sweeney does a fantastic job of showcasing how messy and sort of unhinged that rushing a connection can be.
The writing is incredibly well done, it flows very well and has this sort of electrifying energy to it that feels natural. There’s a lot of themes going on here some of which I already touched on, of course there’s the theme of losing your twin or someone in general. As I said before that’s established early on in the film and while it’s done pretty quickly it’s still very well done and explored. It’s what kickstarters Dennis’s whole yearning connection sort of deal, the sense of loneliness is also present which I’ve said before in some of my other reviews that has always fascinated me and that’s no exception here. The sense of loneliness comes from Dennis’s character you can tell through his actions of being desperate there’s this feel of loneliness following him and eating him up, it’s something that truly never goes away and only gets bigger as the film goes on.
Then there’s having empathy for messy and flawed characters which I’ve said James Sweeney does such a fantastic job of creating. He makes these characters feel incredibly real, he doesn’t make these characters cartoonishly unlikable or doesn’t make it feel forced. He does this in such a quiet yet strategically done manner that it ends up shocking the viewer at certain points.
Finally there’s the direction from James Sweeney which is beautifully done, he’s able to masterfully balance the dark comedy and the drama, mix all of the themes I just mentioned and create something unhinged yet beautiful in this strange sense. It helps that the directing is very exciting, Sweeney is quite clearly passionate about what he’s sharing to the viewer and that really shows as soon as the film begins.
Overall Twinless is one of the best films of the year that has excellent performances, clever writing and wonderful directing. James Sweeney is certainly a director to look out for, go see this one if you have the chance.
Jerome Reviews... 