V/H/S/Halloween (2025) Film Review

A collection of Halloween-themed videotapes unleashes a series of twisted, blood-soaked tales, turning trick-or-treat into a struggle for survival.

V/H/S/Halloween is a sequel to V/H/S/Beyond and is the eighth installment in the V/H/S franchise!

It’s that time of year again folks, a new installment in the V/H/S franchise, a series of films that I really quite like. Last year’s installment Beyond ditched the year theme that the last couple films were going for and instead focused on this sci-fi theme that worked in the film’s favor. This time around it’s centered around Halloween and the film does that incredibly well, this film not only has some of the goriest segments of the franchise but it could be argued that we get some of the best as well.

As usual with these anthology films I’m going to discuss a little bit about each segment and my overall thoughts, there’s going to be some overlap when it comes to pointing out positives or negatives so keep that in mind. Anyway let’s start with…

Diet Phantasma directed by Bryan M. Ferguson (who has not directed a feature film.)

This one serves as the frame narrative and as usual I’m going to blast through this one since there’s just not a whole lot going on here. The main idea here is these test subjects are given this soda and the camera is documenting the side effects, as you can probably guess the side effects end up being bizarre. Outside of some neat effects there is just not anything exciting here, it’s definitely better than the frame narrative from the last installment Beyond (2024) (outside of that I loved the film), but that’s really not saying all that much. Let’s move on to…

Coochie Coochie Coo directed by Anna Zlokovic director of Appendage (2023)

This one starts the segments off strong, this one has a simple setup. Two teenagers are trick or treating when they enter a house where a spirit known as “The Mommy” lives in an urban legend who supposedly kidnaps children.

The moment our two characters we follow Lacie and Kaleigh enter the house is when this segment gets incredibly bizarre. Not only is there some very strong creature design, but it’s genuinely terrifying as well as being quite disgusting (in this morbid fascinating way) this honestly reminded me of a bit of Fur Babies a segment from last year’s installment Beyond (2024). Mainly due to just how out there the idea is and how it’s surprisingly very well executed, the haunting atmosphere is there. The segment makes great use of the found footage element and as mentioned before the creature design is fantastic. It’s also worth noting that Samantha Cochran and Natalia Montgomery Fernandez give strong and convincing performances that really do make the whole segment work effectively.

What starts as a simple enough segment ends up being a bizarre experience that you really can’t help but love, what an incredibly striking way to kick off the main segments.

Ut Supra Sic Infra directed by Paco Plaza director of the first three films of the REC series (2007-2012) and Veronica (2017).

Next up we have the weakest of the main segments but that’s not necessarily a bad thing considering how strong all of the main segments are this time around. This one follows a sole survivor of a massacre who brings the police to the location of where the crime occurred in order to piece together what exactly happened.

This one starts by cutting back and forth between what led up to the massacre and the present where Enric is leading the police to spot of the crime. This one is very straightforward and has this classic ghost story atmosphere going on here especially when it’s revealed on the way this all occurred by answering a telephone (I’m pretty sure this is some sort of nod to a popular urban legend called The Telephone Game just changed quite a bit for more thrills.) The execution works well, the segment goes for this sort of mean spirited sort of ending which is a lot of fun. The main flaw here is that it’s just a bit weaker when you compare to the rest of the segments, it’s solid enough on its own just nothing particularly amazing going on here.

Fun Size directed by Casper Kelly director of Adult Swim Yule Log and its sequel (2022 and 2024).

This is another insane one, the premise is four teenagers are trick or treating when they find a bowl of candy. When they ignore its instructions to take one per person consequences start to occur.

A straightforward setup that ends up being so incredibly bizarre that you can’t honestly believe what you are seeing, right from the moment the segment switches its tone the segment never stops upping the ante. From the gore to the humor that builds over the course of the segment it has it all. The simple yet fun designs of the creatures called “Fun Size” are surprisingly menacing and the kills are quite strong here as well, a lot of the films in this franchise always like to have at least one very out there segment and while Coochie Coochie Coo could have made you think that this film already used up it’s bizarre segment, Fun Size makes you think again because this one is just as insane if not more.

I don’t want to say much else about this one as this one is better if you go as blind as possible.

KidPrint directed by Alex Ross Perry director of Nostalgia (2015), Her Smell (2018), The Sweet East (2023) and a few others.

This one is about a videostore offering “kidprint” videos which basically means tape recordings meant to ID children In case they go missing.

Reading the plot of this admittedly makes you probably predict correctly as to what’s going to happen, the video store does end up being the very thing it’s trying to prevent. Although I will say to the segment’s credit it’s quite disturbing at times and it gets quite dark rather quickly, it’s definitely the second weakest of the main segments but it’s certainly not bad either. This one is just a bit more on the predictable side of things. Stephen Gurewitz does give a pretty solid performance here.

Home Haunt directed by Micheline Pitt-Norman & R.H. Norman.

Finally we have our last segment, this one is about a family’s yearly Halloween tradition of creating this home-made haunted house goes horribly wrong when a cursed LP record is added in where monsters come to life.

This one is my favorite segment, much like the rest of the segments it’s incredibly gory and the creature designs are top notch. There’s this fun element added here that makes the whole segment that much more of a treat to watch, it’s chaotic and does not overstay its welcome. Its job is to wrap the film up and it does that effectively, it has some classic found footage elements that are used wonderfully and even quite comedically at times. While yes it’s a straightforward idea the execution alone makes it worth it and combining gore with effective creature design certainly helps.

Overall V/H/S/Halloween is yet another really strong installment in the franchise, I would love to see if they continue the whole Halloween theme for the next one because it’s done so well here that I can see this one going on to be a classic that people will watch during the Halloween season.

V/H/S/Halloween releases tomorrow on Shudder.

9/10 A

Mission Impossible – The Final Reckoning (2025) Film Review

Ethan Hunt and the IMF team race against time to find the Entity, a rogue artificial intelligence that can destroy mankind.

Mission Impossible – The Final Reckoning is directed by Christopher McQuarrie director of Jack Reacher (2012), The Way of the Gun (2000) Mission Impossible – Rogue Nation, Fallout and Dead Reckoning (2015-2023). The film serves as a direct sequel to Mission Impossible – Dead Reckoning and is the eighth installment in the Mission Impossible series.

While Mission Impossible – The Final Reckoning may not have the absolute highs that the previous film did, it still ends the series (at least with Tom Cruise involved) on a high note and is what any fan of the franchise could really ask for.

The performances are all pretty strong here Tom Cruise is just as great as he has been in these films, he’s particularly strong during the film’s climax that is a rollercoaster ride. His commitment to keep pushing boundaries of stunt work continues to be impressive and that’s shown here in great detail. Hayley Atwell has solid chemistry with Tom Cruise and overall gives a strong performance by herself, Pom Klementieff gets some solid character growth and much like Atwell gives an overall pretty strong performance.

The writing does have its hiccups, for one thing there is a lot of callbacks to the rest of the franchise. That in itself is not necessarily a bad thing, but doing too much of it can start hurting the writing and in some areas it does. I can absolutely see what people mean when they say “the first hour is a slog” although there’s some interesting moments going on here, it is admittedly incredibly slow and does end up hurting the pacing in the long run. I will give some credit that the flashbacks are decently edited and at least build some sense of paranoia for Ethan particularly about his past and future.

Thanks to this paranoia that’s built, the rest of the film is able to shine. The thrilling atmosphere ends up giving the viewer one of the franchise’s most thrilling sequences and the film only keeps going up from there, constantly upping itself filled to the brim of incredibly well done stunt work and an atmosphere that brings the viewer to the edge of their seat.

The stunt work is incredibly well done and as I mentioned before is a prime example of Tom Cruise pushing boundaries of stunt work, he tops a majority (arguably all) of anything he’s done in his career with the climax and ends the film on the highest note possible. You can feel the passion from Tom Cruise through the screen and immediately brings the viewer front and center into the action, it’s by far some of the film’s greatest moments and only feels appropriate to end this series (at least with Tom Cruise this way).

Overall Mission Impossible – The Final Reckoning is flawed, but once it gets past the weaker first hour (although as I said before it does have its positives) the film only improves from there. The plot might not exactly have a lot going on here detail wise, however the film remains fun throughout the experience and ends on a high note that most fans will be satisfied with.

Mission Impossible – The Final Reckoning is available on all VOD platforms.

8/10 B+

F1 (2025) Film Review

In the 1990s, Sonny Hayes was Formula 1’s most promising driver until an accident on the track nearly ended his career. Thirty years later, the owner of a struggling Formula 1 team convinces Sonny to return to racing and become the best in the world. Driving alongside the team’s hotshot rookie, Sonny soon learns that the road to redemption is not something you can travel alone.

F1 is directed by Joseph Kosinski director of Tron: Legacy (2010), Oblivion (2013), Only The Brave (2017), Top Gun: Maverick (2022) and Spiderhead (2022).

F1 is a great film that suffers from mainly narrative and character writing issues. Despite the however the film does manage to at least be fun, the technical aspects are mainly what’s carrying this film.

The performances are solid, although the script is not really doing the cast any favors. Brad Pitt gives a decent performance although it isn’t something exactly we have not seen from him before, if there is a standout here it might be Kerry Condon but even then the script is so limited and the character writing just does not give any of these characters any sort of depth that it’s incredibly hard to tell. Damson Idris and Javier Bardem are both pretty solid here but once again not a lot of depth for their characters. I will say though Pitt, Condon, Idris and Bardem are all fun to watch here and at the very least never bore the viewer.

The writing is unfortunately where this film suffers the most, from a narrative standpoint it’s exactly what you expect. Reading the basic plot synopsis tells you exactly what to expect and your guess as to what’s going to happen is more than likely correct, the film tries some emotional moments some of which do work for a few minutes but are then quickly forgotten about. Character writing wise there’s not a whole lot going on here, as good as the performances are they can only go so far. A lot of the character traits are mainly there for the plot to move forward, it’s a shame because these solid performances deserve a better script.

With that being said, the film is excellent when it comes to the technical aspects. Whether it be from the the booming and at times intense score from Hans Zimmer, the fast and electrifying editing from Stephen Mirrione or the incredibly well done cinematography that captures the racing scenes in a lot of detail from Claudio Miranda the film does such a great job of creating this thrilling atmosphere during the racing scenes that keep the viewer’s eyes on the action.

Despite my complaints about F1 I absolutely would not call this a bad film, it’s just a very flawed one that at times feels like a missed opportunity to expand on the characters or to give the narrative the extra power it needs to really stand out. It’s undoubtedly entertaining and thanks to the performances from a talented cast combined with the film’s technical aspects that do make it as if you are in a race, the film is worth a watch in the end.

F1 is available on all VOD platforms.

7/10 B

The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025) Film Review

Mister Fantastic, Invisible Woman, Human Torch and the Thing face their most daunting challenge yet as they defend Earth from Galactus and Silver Surfer.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps is directed by Matt Shakman director of Cut Bank (2014) and WandaVision (2021). The film serves as the 37th installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the second reboot of the Fantastic Four movies.

For years Hollywood has been trying to get The Fantastic Four to work. First there was an unreleased film in 1994, then the Tim Story movies which much like a lot of the Fox Marvel movies that were releasing at the time weren’t good, finally there was Fantastic Four (2015)….there is a reason why a lot of people consider this to be one of the worst superhero movies ever made.

Luckily Matt Shakman stepped up to the plate because this is far more in line with what to expect from a Fantastic Four film. The characters mesh well together, each actor brings something exciting to the table and it’s clear that this time around this was handled with so much care to the source material. Combine that with a surprisingly captivating retro look to the film and you have yourself a quite strong film.

The performances all around were very well done, Pedro Pascal is fun and plays the whole scientist type of character incredibly well. There’s some moments where this plays into the film’s humor which works due to the lively atmosphere. Pascal’s chemistry with the rest of the cast is charming especially with Vanessa Kirby which leads to some genuinely cute and beautiful moments. The balance of being incredibly smart yet not knowing how to interact with other people makes for some compelling moments that actually do feel very real.

Vanessa Kirby is definitely the standout here, right from the beginning she completely makes the role of Sue Storm her’s. She’s the driving force of the story, the whole plot line of her trying to protect her son adds this family theme into the film. While it’s not done in any way that would be considered new, it still feels earnest and makes you care for the characters. Vanessa Kirby starts out with a more calm performance but quickly morphs into this powerhouse performance during the film’s third act. She’s an incredible actress who always gives it her all and here is no exception.

Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm and Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm are both incredibly fun, the two work perfectly with each other as well as Pascal and Kirby. The humor the two create feels genuine, it’s shared among the group which almost feels like organic conversations that a real family would have with each other. While the two don’t get these huge character writing moments, what we are presented with is more than enough to feel connected with their characters at the very least they are involved with the story and unlike some of the last Fantastic Four films we get this sense of teamwork and how they feel connected as a team. Maybe that’s due to the actors having such great chemistry whatever the case might be it’s very much present here.

Galactus is a very well done villain who is incredibly menacing as soon as his voice is heard. Ralph Ineson does such a fantastic job of bringing this character life as well as capturing the scale, fear and the menacing atmosphere of the character. The shadow that looms over the environment is more than enough to give the viewer chills, the build up to see his entrance to the film is well worth it and the final act of him taking action is truly large and powerful in scale.

The writing is quite excellent, the film combines its humor that feels much more natural than a lot of other MCU films and is able to capture the more dramatic moments well. As I said before the family element isn’t done in this brand new way, but it has this honesty that comes with it in this charming way that you can’t help but love. The fun banter between our heroes feels like the type of banter and dialogue you would hear from a family.

The film absolutely knocks it out of the park with the cinematography which has this blend of futuristic and 60s retro style. It makes the film standout a lot more and the color pops making this appealing to the eye, it helps that the cinematography from Jess Hall is large in scale, detailed and incredibly striking. There is this sense of wonder and exploration that you feel as the film goes on, which is fitting since a plot point of this film is space and that’s typically the feel and atmosphere you get when you think about space exploration in general.

Overall The Fantastic Four: First Steps is a very strong addition to the MCU, the story might not be anything grand. But it’s filled to the brim with passion, style and charm that you can’t help but fall in love with it.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps is available on all VOD platforms.

8/10 B+

The Naked Gun (2025) Film Review

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.

The Naked Gun is available on all VOD platforms.

8/10 B+

Oh, Hi (2025) Film Review

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.

Oh, Hi is available on all VOD platforms.

7/10 B

Nobody 2 (2025) Film Review

Workaholic assassin Hutch Mansell takes his family on a much-needed vacation to the small tourist town of Plummerville. However, he soon finds himself in the crosshairs of a corrupt theme-park operator, a shady sheriff, and a bloodthirsty crime boss.

Nobody 2 is directed by Timo Tjahjanto director of May the Devil Take You (2018), The Night Comes for Us (2018), May the Devil Take You Too (2020), The Big 4 (2022) and The Shadow Strays (2024). Nobody 2 serves as a sequel to Nobody (2021).

When I saw that Timo Tjahjanto was taking over directing duties for Nobody 2 I was pretty excited, Tjahjanto has consistently put out great work and is definitely one of the most engaging action film directors currently working. So it is quite disappointing to see that Nobody 2 doesn’t quite reach the highs of its predecessor, granted it is definitely not a bad movie at all. It’s an entertaining ride from beginning to end but that’s really all it is, there isn’t an added flavor here that helps the movie stand out on its own unfortunately.

Bob Odenkirk as Hutch Mansell is just as great as he was in the first film, he once again knocks it out of the park with the action scenes and delivers some charming dialogue and interactions with his family. These moments are not anything special mind you but they are sweet and give the movie some sort of emotional core. Connie Nielsen has strong chemistry with Bob Odenkirk, which makes for some strong moments between the two.

The action is once again quite great, although Tjahjanto isn’t able to fully go all out like he usually does with the action scenes. They are still very entertaining, seeing Bob Odenkirk just completely wreck so many henchmen is more than satisfying enough to forgive the movie’s very standard plot. The movie’s vacation theme makes for a good background for these action scenes, the fight choreography is fun and the action scenes in general are well filmed.

Honestly the biggest problem with Nobody 2 is it really doesn’t add anything and ultimately feels like a lesser version of its predecessor. The writing is not terrible, but it’s far less exciting and thrilling. Nobody 2 goes in the direction you think it’s going to go, which is not always a bad thing but when you come off of such a fun and clever first film it’s very disappointing to see such a step down.

Despite that however I still do think Nobody 2 is a fun time, it’s not something you would probably ever revisit again. But thanks to the performances and the well done action scenes I would at least recommend this one if you liked the first film even if it’s a lesser version of that film.

Nobody 2 is available on all VOD platforms.

6/10 C+

Him (2025) Film Review

Cameron Cade is a rising quarterback who suffers a potentially career-ending injury after being attacked by an unhinged fan. Just when all seems lost, Cam receives a lifeline when his hero, Isaiah White, offers to train him at an isolated compound. However, as the training accelerates, Isaiah’s charisma turns into something darker, sending Cam down a disorienting rabbit hole that may cost him more than he ever bargained for.

Him is directed by Justin Tipping director of Kicks (2016).

Him is the sort of movie that you respect what it’s attempting to do but the movie itself is a complete and total mess to the point where it’s almost baffling. While I don’t think Him is quite as bad as others have said, I would absolutely not call this a good movie it’s in this realm of where it has interesting moments going on put is putting the pieces in the wrong places.

Tyriq Withers, Marlon Waynes and the cinematography are doing a lot of the heavy lifting and are the soul reasons why this movie is at the very least watchable. We will get to the cinematography in a moment for now let’s talk about the performances, Tyriq Withers gives a solid performance and works with what he can with a shallow script. Withers’s interactions with Marlon Waynes are among some of the movie’s best moments simply because you never know when Waynes is going to lose it. Marlon Waynes borders on cartoon character mode which ends up working in his favor, there’s a lot of dialogue that’s unintentionally hilarious that Waynes makes work.

When it comes to the character’s personalities, on one hand you have Cameron Cade (played by Tyriq Withers) a calm and focused young man that wants to make his family proud. On the other you have Isaiah White (played by Marlon Waynes) a legendary quarterback who when we are first introduced to him we can get the sort of feeling something is off, as the movie progresses he gets more and more insane to the point where he almost becomes a cartoon character. These two personalities clashing makes for some decently interesting bits, it’s a shame the rest of the movie fails to capture the viewer’s attention however.

The cinematography from Kira Kelly is quite beautiful, there’s a ton of shots here that are well detailed and actually captures the atmosphere (something the writing failed to do.) There’s some effective use of different styles that pop out to give the movie personality (at times), during the training sessions and the shots towards the end is where the cinematography is at its best and gives this lonely world the movie takes place in something grand.

Unfortunately that’s where the positives for Him end, as hilarious as some of the dialogue is, it’s quite atrocious in a lot of areas and completely misses its end goal. The character writing is nonexistent and the criticism towards Football culture while admirable does not really show on paper. It’s a very real fear among football players that they will eventually be replaced and even be forgotten about, the movie touches on this yet does almost nothing with it. The execution is completely botched and fails to display this in any meaningful way. We are told things about Cam’s father but we don’t actually get to explore a lot about him as much as the movie claims, the twist at the end makes it sound like the movie did this incredibly deep dive on him when all we really know about him is he really wanted Cam to get into football. This is the very definition of show don’t tell.

Overall Him is a misfire and a very frustrating one as well. A sports horror film is an interesting idea and I respect what it’s going for, but when your movie is a gigantic mess that only has a few a few performances and the cinematography going for it. That’s not a good sign at all.

Him is currently in theaters.

4/10 D+

American Sweatshop (2025) Film Review

A social media moderator is tasked with purging the most offensive content from the internet. When she sees a video that appears to show a crime, she’s lured into a dangerous world as she obsessively looks to hold someone accountable.

American Sweatshop is directed by Uta Briesewitz which is her directorial debut.

American Sweatshop is a film that should have been a home run but instead ends up being foul ball. To the movie’s credit it’s not all bad, Lili Reinhart gives a fascinating performance, the atmosphere is haunting and there’s moments of strong and suspenseful interactions between the characters. But for the most part the movie misses the mark.

As I said earlier Lili Reinhart as Daisy (a content moderator) is fantastic here, she’s far and away the best asset of the film and gives such a vulnerable performance that we see slowly change over the course of the film. Part of the movie explores Daisy’s transformation into a full-fledged vigilante which does make sense in the context of seeing multiple videos of evilness and doing very little to stop it due to not being allowed to get involved. Even if the movie starts to lose itself during the final act, Lili Reinhart is able to make her character work due to just how great of a performance she gives as well as keeping it grounded (for the most part.)

The writing unfortunately holds itself back, with a topic as heavy as violent crimes like this. It’s good that these are being discussed to begin with, however it’s disappointing that the way it’s told is very watered down. Red Rooms (2024) handled this subject matter masterfully, the film used so many different techniques to explore these subjects and ended up being incredibly disturbing without being incredibly graphic. American Sweatshop nails the claustrophobic and haunting atmosphere when you stare at this type content, but unfortunately that’s as far as the movie is willing to go. Everything else plays a bit too safe and drifts off during the last act of the film.

The unresolved parts of the film admittedly match up with reality as they showcase the impact of social media in our lives today. With that being said there are other parts that simply felt almost ignored by the movie and with playing way too safe it ultimately defeats the purpose of the movie’s intended message.

Overall American Sweatshop is not a bad movie, it’s just a very disappointing one that had so much potential. Lili Reinhart’s performance is what keeps this movie afloat so I do recommend giving it a go if that interests you. I’m sure this will be easy to digest for some audiences, but if you want to dig much deeper on this topic I would recommend giving Red Rooms (2024) a go.

American Sweatshop is available on all VOD platforms.

5/10 C

Aztec Batman: Clash Of Empires (2025) Film Review

the time of the Aztec Empire, Yohualli Coatl – a young Aztec boy – experiences tragedy when his father and village leader, Toltecatzin, is murdered by Spanish Conquistadors. Yohualli escapes to Tenochtitlan to warn King Moctezuma and his high priest, Yoka, of imminent danger. Using the temple of Tzinacan, the bat god, as a lair, Yohualli trains with his mentor and assistant, Acatzin, developing equipment and weaponry to confront the Spaniard invasion, protect Moctezuma’s temple, and avenge his father’s death.

Aztec Batman: Clash Of Empires is directed by Juan Meza-León which is his directorial debut.

Another take on Batman and a take that I’m not entirely sure really worked even after watching, admittedly it is a unique take on the Batman mythology but that’s quite honestly the only thing that stands out.

The voice acting is at least decent and makes for some engaging moments, even if the characters are a bit on the bland side of things. There were attempts at different spins on certain characters such as Two-Face and The Joker, some spins are definitely more elaborate and detailed than others, but none of them are incredibly noteworthy. Two-Face definitely gets the bigger end of the stick as he’s a huge part of the film and actually done decently, The Joker feels more of an afterthought (the movie sets up for a sequel.)

The writing is a mixed bag, on one hand you have some solid interactions between Batman and Acatzin and Batman with Catwoman, but on the other you have a story that despite having a unique setting often feels like you have seen this before. A lot of the familiar beats from these DC animated films are present here and unfortunately hurt the story in the long run. The story itself has its moments which mainly come from the voice cast trying their absolute hardest to sell the movie to the viewer, but a lot of the time it’s painfully predictable and fails to give some of these characters the writing they need to standout.

Finally there’s the animation which mostly works, it takes a bit to get used to since admittedly it is a step down from other DC animated films. But it’s really not all that bad, the best thing you can say about it is that it’s unique and whereas the writing fails to really take advantage of the setting, the animation at the very least steps up to the plate and works with what’s available. There might not be any jaw dropping moments with the animation, but it’s consistent and gets the job done.

Overall despite a unique setting Aztec Batman: Clash Of Empires is very bland and doesn’t really offer anything exciting. There is moments of promise, but those are quickly overtaken by more forgettable ones and a bland story that feels very thrown together.

Aztec Batman: Clash Of Empires is available on all VOD platforms.

4/10 D+