Drop (2025) Film Review

Violet is a widowed mother who goes to an upscale restaurant to meet Henry, her charming and handsome date. However, her pleasant evening soon turns into a living nightmare when she receives phone messages from a mysterious, hooded figure who threatens to kill her young son and sister unless she kills Henry.

Drop is directed by Christopher Landon director of Burning Palms (2010), Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones (2014), Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse (2015), Happy Death Day (2017), Happy Death Day 2U (2019), Freaky (2020) and We Have A Ghost (2023)

At this point Christopher Landon has established this style he likes to go for, this suspenseful yet comedic tone that has been present in his last several films. Drop discards the comedic elements (although there are humorous parts in the film) and strictly focuses on building atmosphere, while not every single thing works and the movie kind of lands on a weak note there’s still a lot of great stuff going on here.

Meghann Fahy and Brandon Sklenar both give really strong performances, you immediately buy their chemistry as the viewer and genuinely root for the date to go well. There’s one particular moment towards the end where the two share a heart to heart moment that you can really feel, it’s actually quite emotional and it all comes from the two’s performances which sell this moment spectacularly. I wish the film had a few more moments like these, but from what we got and what Fahy and Sklenar did with their characters is truly great and makes for some fun dialogue exchanges.

The writing is strong for the most part, it does get pretty outlandish during the third act where you really have to suspend your disbelief. But before that the blend of thrills and comedic moments work quite well, the film’s atmosphere is sharp and stays on the ball for a while. The film tackling the theme of domestic violence while not really having anything grand to say about it still works due to how the writing incorporates it into the story, Meghann Fahy’s facial acting especially with her eyes really brings it home and gives these emotional moments that are touching. The conversation between Fahy and Sklenar of how abusers steal hope was quite beautiful and perhaps the film’s best moment.

The direction from Christopher Landon is quite solid, he does a great job of keeping the thrilling atmosphere he likes to use in his films. When he needs to bring in some comedic moments they luckily don’t overstay their welcome, I do think the chaos during the third act that Landon tries to go for does not quite work mainly due to the huge amount of suspending your disbelief it requires, it also just feels like it’s going for a chaotic tone for the sake of going for one and it’s just not as strong as the rest of the movie. It feels like two completely different films, the first two acts are trying to (and succeed) be a thrilling ride that handles a heavy theme of domestic abuse while the third act is this chaotic ride that isn’t necessarily terrible but it is a huge whiplash from the rest of the movie.

Overall Drop despite having a rough landing is still a solid film, it’s a great ride that has strong performances, a thrilling atmosphere and is actually quite a beautiful film visually. It’s not one of my favorites from Christopher Landon but still a solid one!

Drop is playing in theaters.

7/10 B

Dead Mail (2025) Film Review

A post office employee investigates the mysterious origins of a blood-stained note that was sent by a captive man.

Dead Mail is directed by Joe DeBoer and Kyle McConaghy both of which directed BAB (2020) while McConaghy also directed Sheeps Clothing (2024)

Dead Mail heavily reminds me of one of those old midnight films you would watch on some obscure TV channel and I mean this as a compliment because this one is definitely an odd one. Dead Mail is going for a much different style here both with its filming and atmosphere and the movie really leaves it up to the viewer to explore on what exactly is going on here.

The performances are incredibly solid particularly Sterling Macer Jr, John Fleck and Tomas Boykin all of them really capture this dark atmospheric ride that is taking place and really grab the viewer’s attention through their performances. It helps that characters have strong personalities that include endearing, tragic and some pretty scary elements, seeing a new character in this film is like opening a closed door you have no idea what’s on the other side. This film’s world really matches the tone of the characters and really builds upon them very well, even some of the minor characters who may not have a whole lot going on still end up leaving an impression on the viewer.

Something you will immediately notice when the film starts is the grainy filming style, it compliments the film’s world incredibly well and makes the film standout more. It has this very 70s feel to it even the sound compliments it as well, this is some really beautiful recreation that did not feel slapped together this oozes with passion. The classic thrilling atmosphere that was present in a lot of these grainy 70s films is also felt here giving the film a much more natural feel that you truly believe you are back in time.

The score is also quite beautiful and matches the tone as well, the use of Clair de Lune by Claude Debussy is haunting yet beautiful at the same time especially when combined with the film’s atmosphere. These scenes are some of the film’s best moments and really highlight why the film is so interesting where you can simply just get lost by looking at it (in a good way.)

The film does admittedly go on for a bit too long and some of the emotional depth is not there unfortunately, however the film builds upon its mystery which leaves a lasting impression on the viewer. It’s a fun and dark film that manages to bring the viewer into the experience.

Dead Mail releases Friday on Shudder!

7/10 B

Hell Of A Summer (2025) Film Review

Camp counselor Jason Hochberg thinks his biggest problem is feeling out of touch with his teenage co-workers. What he doesn’t know is that a mysterious masked killer is lurking on the campgrounds, brutally picking off victims one by one.

Hell Of A Summer is directed by Finn Wolfhard and Billy Bryk which is their directorial debut.

Hell Of A Summer is a classic 80s style slasher film, especially summer camp slashers. This is a prime example of a film where you know exactly what you are getting when you walk into it, while not everything here is great there is just the right amount of passion and charm in here that makes it work.

The performances while not anything amazing are still a lot of fun especially from Fred Hechinger who gives a quite humorous performance and really connects with the rest of the cast quite well. He does a solid job of capturing this young adult who really tries to hold on to his youth in hilarious ways, although the character development is not really there (that can be really said for everyone in the film) from what’s presented it’s still a fun character arc mainly due to Hechinger being incredibly charming.

Abby Quinn, Finn Wolfhard, Billy Bryk and the rest of the cast deliver solid performances but a lot of their characters are only there to serve as upping the kill count. Most of them have one personality trait and that’s really about it, to be fair that’s to be expected a slasher film that is clearly trying to capture the 80s slasher is not going to have this deep and rich character writing. So I guess in a way the film does a pretty decent job of capturing that element. Even with that in mind they were hinting at some plot points with certain characters like the bond Claire (played by Abby Quinn) and Jason Hochberg (played by Fred Hechinger) seemed to have, outside of some cliches it really does not go anywhere that interesting. It goes in the way you expect it to.

The humor is quite solid even if not everything lands, the script (which is also written by Wolfhard and Bryk) has this charm that is felt throughout the film and it reflects with the humor. Granted there are not really any moments where you will be quoting the film, but they are nice bits that do help keep the film going at a nice pace.

Script also oozes with nostalgia and charm of the 80s slasher movies, it’s clear that both Wolfhard and Bryk are fans of the genre and the love put into the script shows. It almost feels like Wolfhard and Bryk are sharing their telling of how they saw 80s slasher films, we have seen plenty of throwback films that tackle different eras of the horror genre especially within the last couple of years. Some are definitely better than others, while Hell Of A Summer is not exactly one of the best in terms of quality, it is one of the most charming ones and has a huge heart that really benefits it.

The kills are a bit of a hit or miss, unfortunately there are a handful of off-screen deaths that do take away from the film. I do like the kills that are shown even if they are very simple, you can tell the cast had a blast with them. The film also has this nice atmosphere that feels very much like you are at a summer camp, the atmosphere can have this parody feel that might turn off some viewers. But for what the movie is going for with being a horror comedy I think it fits decently well.

Overall Hell Of A Summer is about what you expect from a summer camp slasher film. It’s not going to break any new ground, but I admire the charm, cast and love put into the film even if everything does not fully work. It’s a quick and easy watch that I’m sure will have its fans!

Hell Of A Summer is playing in theaters.

6/10 C+

The Woman in the Yard (2025) Film Review

Ramona becomes crippled by grief after her husband dies in a car accident, leaving her to care for her two children alone in her rural farmhouse. Her sadness soon turns to fear when a spectral woman in black appears on her front lawn, warning her “today’s the day.” As the mysterious figure creeps closer and closer to the house, Ramona realizes she must protect her children from the evil woman who simply won’t leave them alone.

The Woman in the Yard is directed by Jaume Collet-Serra director of House Of Wax (2005), Orphan (2009), Non-Stop (2014), Run All Night (2015), The Shallows (2016), Jungle Cruise (2021), Black Adam (2022), Carry-On (2024) and a few others.

The Woman in the Yard is a film that has the right materials to make something very interesting, but unfortunately there’s a lot holding it back from reaching greatness. I like seeing Collet-Serra return to his horror roots but unfortunately what takes this one down is the script.

The acting is strong here, Danielle Deadwyler is the best part of the film and even the only reason I would suggest to give the film a look. What she’s able to do with such a limited script that unfortunately does not have a good balance of its themes and coherent storytelling is pretty impressive, it shows how strong of an actress she really is. When the film explores her character Ramona at first we are given a lot of great moments, she’s struggling with loss and grief which she’s trying to move on from. The balance of trying to move on while trying to be happy for her kids is genuinely touching and even quite heartbreaking at times, it’s all due to Deadwyler’s performance that most of the movie does not almost immediately sink.

Seeing Collet-Serra return to his horror roots is always great, I think one major thing that he is quite great at is building an atmosphere which is very much felt throughout the film. Even when the third act drops the ball the thrilling atmosphere is felt, combine that with some strong cinematography from Pawel Pogorzelski and you have yourself a beautiful looking film filled with this sense of abandonment mainly due to the one location setting. It’s incredibly effective and does a lot of the talking when the movie drops the ball.

As I said before what takes this one down is the script, especially during the third act where the movie trades in a coherent story for very overt metaphors that are basically telling the viewer what’s going on with no subtle at all. Which ends up hurting a lot of the movie’s emotional impact, there’s a lot of grief metaphors as well that really do not do anything differently than a lot of other films have done that have tackled grief. Even without the metaphors the writing is really not doing anything special, while it’s not exactly terrible, for a story like this it needed a much bigger punch to really work and sadly that punch never ends up arriving.

Overall The Woman in the Yard has its moments and Danielle Deadwyler undeniably gives a strong performance. But there is just a lot missing here that really stops it from being something really great.

The Woman in the Yard is available on all VOD platforms!

5/10 C

Dreaming Of You (2025) Film Review

Miles Puck meets a girl during a sleep study. He has anxiety-induced night terrors. His stress rises due to the new relationship, job, and nightmares. He uses a teddy bear to cope with the night terrors.

Dreaming Of You is directed by Jack McCafferty which is his directorial debut!

Dreaming Of You is a cute one for sure this is a film that while flawed and loses itself at some points does in the end have a huge heart and passion on its side. The many styles the movie goes for with animation is quite honestly impressive especially given how low budget it feels.

The performances are quite fun here and are part of why the film works as well as it does, Jack McCafferty (who also directs the film as I said before) it’s charming, fun and connects well with the rest of the cast especially Lauren LaVera and Ian Ross. Speaking of which LaVera once again hits it out of the park with another strong performance and really shows she has such beautiful screen presence, her chemistry with McCafferty is solid and the two are just a delight to watch as their simple yet engaging conversations continue through the film. Ian Ross brings the humor to the film and does a pretty good job at doing so, his character isn’t anything groundbreaking but much like the rest of the cast he’s charming so it works in his favor.

The idea of the film is great, the many dreams we get put into is genuinely interesting and the different styles used as I said before are genuinely impressive. Some are definitely better than others but something they all have is a sense of charm, they don’t overstay their welcome and each has their own personality. Admittedly the film does breeze through some of them a bit too quickly which does not give some of them a lot of time to speak for themselves, however the charm is still felt and they are all still quite beautiful to look at as well.

The romance parts are genuinely cute, as I said earlier McCafferty and LaVera have great chemistry between one another, if you have seen any other romantic comedy film their characters aren’t going to be exactly anything new. However what makes them work is due to the passion and charm that’s held, the laughs the movie gives the viewer are genuine and the dialogue while at times corny actually do have some raw moments.

Charm is the word I have been using throughout this review and I think it’s the best way to sum the film up. It’s filled with charm and passion, even when the film has its missteps it gets back up on its feet and still captures this beautiful atmosphere that a lot of romantic comedies seem to really miss nowadays. This might not be one of the absolute best films of the year but to say I did not have a great time with this one would be a lie!

Dreaming Of You releases tomorrow on all VOD platforms.

6/10 C+

The Alto Knights (2025) Film Review

In the 1950s, notorious New York crime bosses Frank Costello and Vito Genovese vie for control of the city streets. Once the best of friends, petty jealousies and a series of betrayals place them on a deadly collision course that reshapes organized crime forever.

The Alto Knights is directed by Barry Levinson director of Rain Man (1988), Sleepers (1996), Good Morning Vietnam (1987), Bugsy (1991), Wag the Dog (1997), The Bay (2012) and many others.

There really is not a lot to be said about The Alto Knights, this is about as generic and cliched as you can really get with the crime drama genre. Everything here has been done better elsewhere leaving this movie to be a chore to sit through.

Robert De Niro does a fine enough job with the dual performance but even then this is a role he’s already done in far better films. Fans of De Niro will get absolutely nothing out of this performance outside of a few moments that are genuinely great and at least attempt to try and move the story along. The rest of the cast however really do not have that much to work with, that mostly comes from the writing which fails to offer any interesting moments.

The writing is terrible and repeats itself over and over again to the point where it feels like this is an elaborate bit. The editing is bafflingly awful with tons of scenes that go on for far longer than they really should, the movie itself fails to get the viewer engaged as it throws just about every mobster movie cliche in the book at the wall with none of it sticking.

What more can I really say here? The Alto Knights is a chore to sit through and there’s very little going on here. There might have been a good movie here had the writing been anything of substance, but as it stands this is hands down one of the most forgettable movies of 2025 so far.

The Alto Knights is available on all VOD platforms.

3/10 D-

G20 (2025) Film Review

When terrorists take over the G20 summit, US President Danielle Sutton uses her governing and military experience to defend her family, fellow leaders, and the world.

G20 is directed by Patricia Riggen director of Under The Same Moon (2007), Lemonade Mouth (2011), Girl in Progress (2012), The 33 (2015) and Miracles From Heaven (2016)

I will give G20 this, it’s not as bad as expected and that’s mainly due to Viola Davis carrying this movie to the finish line. There’s some decent moments every now and then but ultimately this is just yet another Die Hard (1988) clone mixed with Olympus Has Fallen and White House Down (2013)

The performances are not bad here, in fact they are probably the best thing the movie has going for it. Viola Davis gives a great performance that really keeps the movie rolling along, her role here as Danielle Sutton the U.S. President might not be one of her excellent roles. But it’s clear that Davis tried with what she could with such a generic script, Anthony Anderson is pretty decent here as well although much like Davis really can’t fully flesh out the role due to the script.

Unfortunately what kills G20 almost immediately is the script, it’s a very basic Die Hard (1988) knock off that is not doing anything new or even exciting. There are some nice bits between the Sutton family but they are so far and few in between that it fails to get the viewer to engage with their bond. The lack of the emotional bond between the family is due to a lot of underdeveloped characters leading to a lot of one-dimensional characters who are only really there as plot devices or walking and talking cliches.

The action scenes are not terrible but they lack a lot of passion and very much feel like they were slapped together at the last minute, the movie’s focus on throwing in as many buzzwords such as AI and cryptocurrency into the plot without even exploring them is incredibly obnoxious and does not lead into anything investing. It’s all incredibly surface level discussion that really does not add to anything and the end result is an uninspired take on the political action genre.

There really is not much more to say about G20 despite Viola Davis trying her hardest to really keep this one afloat, the movie sinks itself for being way too cliched and offering nothing new to the genre. This is once again another example of release date fodder.

G20 is available on Amazon Prime Video.

4/10 D+

Sacramento (2025) Film Review

Rickey, an energetic and free-spirited young man with a Peter Pan complex, convinces his long-time friend Glenn to hit pause on his blissful domestic life and embark on an impromptu road trip across California.

Sacramento is directed by Michael Angarano director of Avenues (2017)

Sacramento does not reinvent the wheel when it comes to the road trip comedy genre, however it was one of the most genuine in recent years. Often times I find a big problem with a lot of road trip movies is they have tend to be more or less the exact same thing with humor that feels incredibly manufactured. Michael Angarano avoids that and brings something from the heart, while it does take some time to get going and not every single joke lands, there is still this genuine feel to it that brings the viewer along for the ride.

The acting is strong here and is what really gives the film its heart. Michael Angarano and Michael Cera are both hilarious together and bring this nice balance of humor and more dramatic moments, in a lot of ways their bond is going to remind people of last year’s A Real Pain (2024) and while there are similarities the two films are going for very different goals. Angarano and Cera help the film reach the goal especially through the more quiet moments and when the film’s themes of vulnerability and emotional maturity come into play, the two really do a fantastic job of bouncing off of each other and really opening up to one another. There are some genuinely powerful moments here that could be incredibly relatable to the viewer, opening up and vulnerability is difficult which is something the film shows in great detail.

Maya Erskine and Kristen Stewart are both solid here as well, even if they don’t have huge roles the two still do a really great job of balancing humor and drama much like Angarano and Cera. Both are humorous in their own ways and have this genuine connection with Angarano and Cera that is the heart of the film, the conversations are interesting and the performances from the two are just fantastic and beautifully done.

The writing from Michael Angarano and Chris Smith is genuine and heartfelt, as I said before the film’s themes of vulnerability and emotional maturity are done very well here. Both are shown through humor and more dramatic moments there’s a nice balance of the two, one never outweighs the other which keeps things interesting as it goes on. There’s even some meta commentary about Angarano and Erskine’s marriage which is pretty clever to include, it makes the film feel a bit more personal to Angarano like he’s telling the viewer his story and asking us to listen.

Which leads me to the direction, Angarano does a wonderful job in the director’s chair. He takes this familiar feel but turns it around and makes it the story he wants to tell you as the viewer, it’s exciting to watch and you can absolutely feel the passion in the air with this film. As I said not every single humorous moment works but there’s so much charm here that it ends up working incredibly well.

Overall Sacramento is a cute road trip movie with a big heart and a fantastic cast, this one is not going to reinvent the wheel as I said earlier. However it will leave you with a smile on your face and make you love the journey the film took you on!

Sacramento releases tomorrow in theaters!

7/10 B

Paddington in Peru (2025) Film Review

When Paddington discovers his beloved aunt has gone missing from the Home for Retired Bears, he and the Brown family head to the jungles of Peru to find her. Determined to solve the mystery, they soon stumble across a legendary treasure as they make their way through the rainforests of the Amazon.

Paddington in Peru is directed by Dougal Wilson which is his directorial debut. The film serves as the third installment in the Paddington film series.

Paddington in Peru had big shoes to fill, the first two films were widely loved and have become somewhat of modern classics for some people. That’s thanks to Paul King’s beautiful and quite magical direction that translated a classic children’s book character incredibly well to live action. Paul King unfortunately did not come back to direct this one as well as Sally Hawkins not returning as Mary Brown (Emily Mortimer was cast.) With that being said I do think Paddington in Peru still manages to capture a lot of what made the first two films so great, it’s by far the weakest of the films but the charm and humor is still intact.

The performances are quite great here, as I said before Emily Mortimer replaces Sally Hawkins as Mary Brown and while she does a great job plus she had a ton of funny moments. The absence of Sally is incredible noticeable and really sticks out like a sore thumb especially since the rest of the Brown family remain the same, with that being said Mortimer does great here and interacts with the rest of the family incredibly well. They all do phenomenal in their respective roles and each get moments to shine, Olivia Colman is a ton of fun here and is the best performance of the film. Even if she is not utilized to her character’s full potential she still gets a decent amount of screen time and hits it out of the park with every scene she’s in.

The script is definitely weaker than the previous two films…at least for the first half where it’s trying to find its footing, which admittedly has this very traditional family movie feel. That’s not necessarily a bad thing considering at the end of the day the Paddington films are family movies, it just does not standout as much as the other two films. However once the second half kicks in the film finds itself and brings the warmth and charm of the previous two films, the writing really brings your heart into the film at this point and the several charming moments are here in full force. Imelda Staunton voicing Aunt Lucy does such a fantastic job of really bringing the heart of the film, her scenes are easily some of the best of the film and really tie its themes together in a nice bow.

As far as the humor and direction goes they are both quite solid, the direction from Paul King is very noticeably absent as I said before. However Dougal Wilson really does a great job of capturing the magic of the previous films, he isn’t trying to go for the bare minimum he’s giving it his all. While not every single moment works as some of the humor isn’t as fun as the previous films, there is still this feel of warmth, adventure and wonder. It’s not on the grand scale as the other movies but it’s absolutely there and that’s what really matters the most.

Overall Paddington in Peru is a solid film, it’s not going to break any new sort of ground for the series or the family movie genre itself. But it’s an incredibly charming little ride from start to finish!

Paddington in Peru is available on all VOD platforms.

7/10 B

Novocaine (2025) Film Review

When the girl of his dreams gets kidnapped, a man turns his inability to feel pain into an unexpected advantage as he fights a bunch of thugs to get her back.

Novocaine is directed by Dan Berk and Robert Olsen both of which directed Body (2015), Stake Land II (2016), Villains (2019) and Significant Other (2022)

Novocaine is an odd one and I’m not saying that when it comes to story, it’s more in terms of how the film almost feels like it’s restricting its own premise and not going all out with it. When the film does focus on its premise it is a whole lot of fun and leads to some quite gory moments, at the very least the film has the charm of the cast and the action scenes to back it up especially since the plot is so simple.

The performances are what really make this one work, Jack Quaid is incredibly likable and filled to the brim with charm. This goes for most of his performances but it’s especially noticeable here, he just has strong screen presence that gets to viewer almost immediately which in turn helps bring the viewer into the film. His chemistry with Amber Midthunder is incredibly cute even if we don’t get to see them together for most of the movie, introducing the chemistry between the two early on is a smart move so we the audience can root for Nathan (played by Jack Quaid) to rescue Sherry (played by Amber Midthunder.) Quaid is not exactly doing anything new with his performance, however as I said sheer likability does a lot of heavy lifting and helps keep the viewer engaged.

Amber Midthunder and Ray Nicholson are both solid here as well, Midthunder is unfortunately restricted to being kidnapped for most of the film. But as always she does a really great job with what she’s given and like I said before her early scenes with Quaid are incredibly cute and is the heart of the film. Ray Nicholson gives yet another great performance, although his character is kind of just a generic bank robber who really does not have a whole lot going on character wise. It’s his performance that makes the character work and admittedly does deliver some great lines as well as action scenes with Quaid.

The gore and action scenes are a whole lot of fun, there are some pretty gory moments that actually do capture the movie’s premise well. There definitely could have been more of these moments and even go into a bit more detail about them, but from what’s presented they get the job done. The action scenes are a lot of fun as well, they are very energetic and the fight choreography is fun to watch. Nothing exactly groundbreaking going on here but at the very least it keeps the viewer entertained, the film knows its job when it comes to the action scenes and it accomplishes it just fine.

The writing is where the film suffers the most, while it’s not anything terrible. For a movie that is about a man who cannot feel any pain it is shockingly simple, which there is nothing wrong with being simple let me be clear. But it almost feels like at times the movie is restricting itself like it does not want to go further on its own premise, the gore is great and fun here but there’s nothing absolutely crazy that you would expect. A lot of the writing also suffers from very predictable beats that we have seen in some of these action movies and the humor isn’t exactly all that great, I know Jacob Batalon is trying his best to be the comedic friend but a lot of the humor especially from him is very standard and something so many action movies have done already.

Overall Novocaine is a fine enough action film that is pretty fun despite its flaws, as I said constantly charm and likability is what is keeping the film afloat especially from Jack Quaid. Without Quaid or the rest of the cast this would have absolutely been a very forgettable film that would have not worked as well as it did. Don’t go into this one expecting something that takes advantage of its premise you won’t get that here, but if you want a fun ride and have 110 minutes to kill I say give this one a look.

Novocaine is available on all VOD platforms.

6/10 C+