Breathe (2024) Film Review

Maya and her young daughter, Zora, are forced to live underground when Earth is left uninhabitable due to a lack of oxygen. When a mysterious couple arrive and claim to know the fate of Maya’s husband, she tentatively agrees to let them into the bunker. However, mother and daughter soon find themselves in a fight for survival when the truth about the strangers comes to light.

Breathe is directed by Stefon Bristol director of See You Yesterday (2019).

My only question after watching Breathe is how in god’s name were they able to get this much talent in this movie? Jennifer Hudson? Common? Quvenzhané Wallis? What exactly is going on here? The script reads like someone had no brainstorming going on and just decided to write it without any sort of outlining or any plan at all.

Milla Jovovich and Sam Worthington are also here which doesn’t help the movie all that much, the characters in general are just horribly written with very little personality outside of cliche character traits. The acting is abysmal, it’s very baffling to see some of these very talented people give performances that could be strongly considered as some of the worst performances so far this year. Jennifer Hudson is given so little to work with from the script despite being the lead, in fact that can be said for everyone involved. The script is so predictable, so terribly written and a huge waste that none of the people involved can pull off a somewhat decent performance.

The movie also spends a pretty decent amount of time with simply trying to open a door, it might have been one thing if the dialogue was at least interesting or there was some sort of mind game going on or maybe an investing back and forth. But unfortunately that’s not what you get here, instead you get some incredibly bad dialogue that makes you want to turn this movie off.

What else can I really say? Breathe is one of the worst movies so far this year, it fails on every single level. How they got so many recognizable names to sign on to this movie is going to remain life’s biggest questions.

Breathe is available on all VOD Platforms.

Disgrace To Cinema F

Asphalt City (2024) Film Review

A young paramedic gets a crash course in lifesaving techniques while working with a grizzled New York City veteran.

Asphalt City is directed by Jean-Stéphane Sauvaire who previously directed Johnny Mad Dog (2008), Heat Wave (2011), Welcome to New York (2014), Bizarre (2015) and A Prayer Before Dawn (2017).

Asphalt City is one of those situations where I absolutely see what was trying to be said and what it was trying to do the movie itself just didn’t come together all that well.

Despite that however there are some positives, Tyler Sheridan gives a solid performance especially during the third act where he really goes all out on his acting ability. The cinematography is pretty sharp and has this grounded feel to it that really strikes the viewer early on, especially when the movie does end up getting gross. The main idea here is showing paramedics doing their job on a chaotic night, which is a premise that sounds interesting on paper and there are indeed some quite investing moments.

But unfortunately the writing and its characters are really what hold this movie back, the characters have no real development it goes for a more experimental approach but forgets to make what is actually happening investing. There’s a handful of scenes here that really should have had a much stronger impact but unfortunately due to how limited the writing is and how blandly written the characters are you don’t get that full impact.

At the very least I can say Asphalt City is well made, well acted and there was definitely some level of attempt to try and make it work.

Asphalt City is available on all VOD platforms.

5/10 C

Quick Film Review: Sleeping Dogs (2024)

Suffering from memory loss, a former homicide detective tries to solve a brutal murder that he can’t recall. As he pieces together evidence from a decade-old investigation, he soon uncovers a sinister web of buried secrets tied to his forgotten past.

Sleeping Dogs is directed by Adam Cooper which is his directorial debut.

It really seems like Russell Crowe has reached the point in his career similar to how Liam Neeson has. Where they will just accept any given role that’s offered to them and a majority of the time they are usually better than the actual material itself. With Russell Crowe that’s absolutely the case here with Sleeping Dogs.

Sleeping Dogs is interesting for about 15-20 minutes before it throws every cliche at the wall to see what sticks, the mystery of the movie is constantly watered down as it goes on leaving very little for the viewer to sink their teeth into.

Russell Crowe gives a solid performance, Karen Gillan although not given a lot to work with does the best she can and the movie itself is competently made.

Yeah sorry I don’t have a lot to comment on here

Sleeping Dogs is available on all VOD platforms.

3/10 D-

Dogman (2024) Film Review

As a child, Douglas was abused by a violent father who then threw him to the dogs. Instead of attacking him, the dogs protected him. Traumatised and leading a life on the margins of society with his dogs, Douglas descends into a murderous madness.

Dogman is directed by Luc Besson who has directed Lucy (2014), Léon: The Professional (1994), The Family (2013), The Fifth Element (1997), Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets (2017) and a few others.

As strange as the premise of Dogman might be it strangely almost works, unfortunately this is yet another one of Luc Besson’s misfires that doesn’t quite live up to the potential that the movie had. Caleb Landry Jones is what makes this movie at the very least stand on it’s legs, he gives a pretty twisted and intimidating performance as Doug Munrow a man who is being interrogated by a psychiatrist (played by Jojo T. Gibbs) he gives his backstory when he was a child, why he became obsessed with dogs and tells a lot more about his life such as him being a drag queen in a cabaret act.

The first act and even some of the second act are quite decent I must say, Caleb Landry Jones as I said before gives a very solid performance and the backstory of Doug is actually pretty interesting. The score is quite nice (might be my favorite thing about it outside of Jones’s performance) and the trained dogs are quite impressive as well especially combined with the shots of the dogs doing some quite impressive tricks and perfectly matching each of the movie’s scenes tone.

Unfortunately the rest of the movie takes itself way too seriously and ultimately turns into another version of The Joker (2019) and Taxi Driver (1976) the third act is very rushed and has trouble really blending it’s themes together to create something interesting. There are some decent enough kills but the group Doug ultimately goes against are completely bland and have very little character to them outside of wanting to kill Doug.

There is definitely something interesting here with Dogman and I think if the writing had more work on it this could have at the very least been a decently fun movie.

Dogman is available on all VOD Platforms.

4/10 D+

Monkey Man (2024) Film Review

An anonymous young man unleashes a campaign of vengeance against the corrupt leaders who murdered his mother and continue to systemically victimize the poor and powerless

Monkey Man is directed by Dev Patel which is his directorial debut.

Monkey Man is a film that was nearly flat out going to have it’s release cancelled by Netflix after feeling the film would be too gritty for Indian audiences and was concerned the reaction to the film’s political commentary. Luckily Jordan Peele and Universal stepped in and acquired it and we now have the film released…which is excellent because Monkey Man rules.

I already knew Dev Patel was one hell of an actor, he’s given some quite strong performances over the years. However his directing here is outstanding especially as the film goes on you really start to see a lot of Patel’s strengths as an actor be reflected in the director’s chair. Monkey Man is a revenge tale which obviously isn’t anything new, with that being said the way this film tells that tale and uses the revenge element is what makes this interesting.

Throughout the film you can feel Bobby’s (played by Dev Patel) anger it’s much more quiet in certain parts of the film but it’s always there. Even with the action scenes that get progressively more violent and gory as the film goes on you can feel the anger getting more and more heated as it goes on and the closer the film reaches Bobby’s goal. His anger at the beginning starts as grief and not really knowing where to start or even to really do, but once he figures it out and has a plan set hell breaks loose from there and it’s truly satisfying to see all of this go down especially in stylistic action scenes that truly thrilling.

The atmosphere combined with the action scenes are truly fantastic here, they really blend well with the whole revenge and anger elements I mentioned earlier. Which leaves them to be all the more satisfying to watch, I do think there are some writing issues mainly when it comes to the villains. There’s some sort of a switch of main antagonists during the film that doesn’t feel very fitting especially since this feels more of a personal revenge story of Bobby. Having that said that doesn’t stop the film in any very major ways.

The rest of the cast are quite fantastic as well, they fit the film in their own ways and help compliment the film’s world. Even if a lot of them don’t get the most character development they are at the very least important to the story. They help guide Bobby and create this building a hero type of story that’s incredibly engaging to watch. The topic of corruption and how it can get people to fall for corrupt leaders is truly fascinating, we are shown glimpses of Bobby’s past throughout the film and how he ended up where he is now. Those flashbacks do a fantastic job of really showing how much damage corruption has done and how throughout the years there’s been no change. Until it was time to create a hero to tackle corruption In any single way possible.

Monkey Man is truly a knockout directorial debut for Dev Patel, I truly hope we get to see more of his directing career because this was truly fantastic.

Monkey Man is playing in theaters

9/10 A

Knox Goes Away (2024) Film Review

Diagnosed with a rapidly evolving form of dementia, a contract killer gets the chance to redeem himself by saving the life of his estranged son.

Knox Goes Away is directed by Michael Keaton who previously directed The Merry Gentlemen (2008).

Don’t have a whole lot to comment on here, what drew me in was Keaton being in the director’s chair and while I completely get what he was trying to go for. I don’t think it came together all that well.

Michael Keaton gives a decent performance here, it’s nowhere near one of his best. But it’s decently effective and matches the story being told, Al Pacino is unfortunately phoning it in for a paycheck. The rest of the performances are fine enough but ultimately don’t lead into anything memorable.

The main problem with the movie is it leaves a lot more to be desired, there’s a very interesting story about a man who is diagnosed with dementia and we the viewers sort of get to see inside his mind. The problem is the movie doesn’t do much with the characters, they are very blandly written which in turn fails to make the viewer feel anything towards them.

There are some decent moments which it’s mostly due to Keaton’s acting that really makes these moments special, there’s some genuinely interesting dialogue towards the end that leads to something interesting but ultimately fails to do anything with it.

If the film focused far more on the characters and less about the very generic investigation that goes on during the movie, I think there would have been absolutely something here.

Knox Goes Away is available on all VOD platforms.

5/10 C

Love Lies Bleeding (2024) Film Review

Lou is a reclusive gym manager who falls hard for Jackie, an ambitious bodybuilder who’s heading to Las Vegas to pursue her dream. Their love soon leads to violence as they get pulled deep into the web of Lou’s criminal family.

Love Lies Bleeding is directed by Rose Glass who previously directed Saint Maud (2021)

After being incredibly impressed with Rose Glass’s previously film Saint Maud I was very excited to see what she had in store next….and wow she did not disappoint. She uses some of the same techniques she used in Saint Maud but ends up implementing them in drastically different ways, much like Saint Maud the film’s world here is small yet incredibly mysterious which only fits the Neo-noir style Glass is going for.

What especially helps is the characters of the film as well as the performances. Kristen Stewart plays Lou who Rose Glass clearly wants the viewer to really invest in to the point where we the viewer start to feel what Lou feels. Part of this is because of how well acted Kristen Stewart is here, she gives yet another fantastic performance that she is easily able to compliment the film’s tone. Her performance as Lou is truly some of her best work and really captures why she’s one of the most exciting actresses working today. Stewart just interacting with the rest of the cast and even the small talk moments are truly felt which gives her performance that much more power.

Katy O’Brian much like Kristen Stewart is truly brilliant here, a lot of what I just said about Stewart can be applied to O’Brian. Katy O’Brian plays Jackie a character who is incredibly easy to get invested in, lovable and is an incredibly fun character. Rose Glass also wants the viewer to get invested in Jackie much like Lou, the two really help build this film’s incredibly strange world. O’Brian and Stewart are absolutely incredible on screen together, the chemistry feels very natural and especially when the two first meet. It’s a very natural start to a bond that we see build throughout the film, granted we don’t see every single moment but we see quite enough to really get the full picture.

Ed Harris, Anna Baryshnikov, Jena Malone and Dave Franco are all quite great here, they all bring something different to the film especially Ed Harris who is downright intimidating and really fits the film’s Neo-noir type of style. The score is absolutely phenomenal Clint Marshall once again hits it out of the park. It heavily reminds me of the score he did for Requiem For A Dream (2001) which completely fits here, its electrifying, fast paced and suspenseful as well especially when you get to some of the film’s more action moments.

All of this combines into one beautifully haunting picture that Rose Glass very carefully creates, the ending might be a bit outlandish for some but I do think putting in such out there ending with everything else coming before it more grounded makes the film standout that much more, there is definitely a blend of horror here as well such as some slight body horror that really makes me want to see Rose Glass tackle a full on body horror film.

I won’t say too much else here since I do believe that this is a film that you have to go in knowing as little as possible. I highly recommend checking this one out if you haven’t already!

Love Lies Bleeding is available in theaters.

10/10 A+

You’ll Never Find Me (2024) Film Review

On a stormy night, Patrick, a seemingly troubled man, is visited by a mysterious woman, asking for shelter at his mobile home. As the night unfolds, their anxiety and mutual mistrust grow, causing fear and paranoia to engulf the small RV.

You’ll Never Find Me is directed by Indianna Bell and Josiah Allen which is their directorial debut the film is also written by Indianna Bell.

You’ll Never Find Me is an interesting one, it has a simple setup of two strangers in a cabin. A lot of the setup has the viewer trusting Patrick (played by Brendan Rock) but we quickly see that he’s definitely not someone worth trusting. As Jordan Cowan who plays a character simply known as “woman” finds out.

If it’s two things You’ll Never Find Me nails down it’s the performances and atmosphere, both Brendan Rock and Jordan Cowan are both fantastic here and due to the strong acting from the two. Each scene is incredibly thrilling and is like a ticking time bomb waiting to go off at any given moment. From the casual conversations to the scenes that happen much later in the film it’s filled to the brim with thrilling and atmospheric moments that really get the viewer. The atmosphere has this claustrophobic feel to it due to just how small the cabin is and is an absolute perfect narrative device for a one location horror film.

The film does unfortunately fall a bit short with the ending, it’s not so much that the ending is bad it’s that it really doesn’t match the tone of the rest of the film. It’s much more abstract rather than this raw and close up look at two strangers, I can absolutely see what they were going for here I just think it doesn’t quite work given how the rest of the film presented itself. I will say though it is bonkers and there are parts of the ending I did enjoy, just nowhere near as much as the rest of the film.

Overall You’ll Never Find Me works for the most part, it’s a solid directorial debut for Indianna Bell and Josiah Allen and really makes me excited to see what they do next. If you can get passed the ending you will more than likely really enjoy this one.

You’ll Never Find Me is available on Shudder.

7/10 B

Mea Culpa (2024) Film Review

A criminal defense attorney takes on the case of a seductive artist accused of murdering his girlfriend, but when burning desire takes hold, things get hot — and dangerous.

Mea Culpa is directed by Tyler Perry who I don’t think needs an introduction.

Tyler Perry is back with another thriller that should have been on the Lifetime channel rather than Netflix, Mea Culpa is pretty much two hours of some of the exact same elements that Tyler Perry has been putting in his movies for years now.

For starters the movie is 2 hours long when it has no reason to be, it’s drawn out for the sake of being drawn out and is a huge chore to sit through. Kelly Rowland and Trevante Rhodes do the best they can with the script, but what’s there is very little to work with.

At least the third act while still horrendous is hilariously bad due to the many baffling twists this movie decides to use. They aren’t well thought out and make very little sense if you think about them for more than a minute. Which let’s be honest is to be expected from a script written by Tyler Perry.

Had the rest of the movie been written like the third act I would actually say to give this one a go for the laughs, but sitting through a majority of this movie when it’s dull and have nothing going for it is just not worth it.

Mea Culpa is available on Netflix.

1/10 F

History Of Evil (2024) Film Review

War and corruption plague America and turn it into a police state. A resistance member, Alegre Dyer, breaks out of political prison and reunites with her husband and daughter. The family on the run takes refuge in a safe house with an evil past.

History Of Evil is directed by Bo Mirhosseni which is his directorial debut.

Unfortunately History Of Evil is a prime example of a movie that has a lot of interesting ideas that could be investing to the viewer, but ultimately fall completely flat. The acting is fine enough and I actually do like the slow burn element of it all as it does fit the feel the movie is going for. It helps create the world the movie is establishing during the first half. Paul Wesley easily gives the best performance and what the movie attempts to do with his character is actually quite great as well. His character Ron is pretty compelling and really sticks out.

The idea of the movie being The United States Of America becoming the North America Federation which is a fascist totalitarian state that took over in the year 2045. Unfortunately that’s really about all the movie explores, it doesn’t go any deeper than a group took over. The rest of the movie is poor character writing and a lot of dull haunted house narratives that have been done better elsewhere, the first half at the very least tries to do something with Ron but forgets about the other characters.

It doesn’t help that said group of fascists are incredibly goofy and cartoonish which takes out any of the grounded nature the movie was attempting to go for, it’s frustrating because I think with far better writing this could be something interesting.

History Of Evil is available on Shudder.

3/10 D-