Former CIA spies Emily and Matt are pulled back into espionage after their secret identities are exposed.
Back in Action is directed by Seth Gordon director of Four Christmases (2008), Horrible Bosses (2011), Identity Thief (2013) and Baywatch (2017).
I don’t think anyone should be surprised that a Netflix January action comedy ends up being terrible, the whole selling point of this movie was that Cameron Diaz came out of retirement from acting. Which that’s great we all love Cameron Diaz but coming out of retirement for this movie really leaves me with a lot more questions than answers.
Cameron Diaz isn’t terrible here and is trying her best with the script given, but her performance is not exactly great here either. She’s capable of far better performances and here it just seems like we get almost absolutely nothing, a lot of what people love about Diaz as an actress is absent and feels more like “we got Cameron Diaz but everything that audiences love about her acting is not here.”
Jamie Foxx falls in the same boat, while the chemistry between Diaz and Foxx isn’t bad and has a few sweet moments, it’s not quite enough to really save the movie. Jamie Foxx and Cameron Diaz are stuck with such a terrible script that tells horrible jokes and throws as many sequences at the wall with none of them sticking, Glenn Close is just kind of here and is nothing more than a poorly written side character.
The movie itself as I said before is so poorly written, this is about as dull as you can get when it comes to action comedies. Everything that you expect is going to happen unfolds almost immediately, there’s no sense of direction with the plot being strangely convoluted for such a straightforward premise. The movie is also Spy Kids (2001) but instead of kids it’s adults, which doesn’t work mainly because 90% of spy films are already like that. Spy Kids at the very least had an audience in mind and is goofy fun even if the movie doesn’t hold up well, Back in Action is just a mishmash of terrible ideas and cliches thrown into a blender nothing more and nothing less.
There really isn’t a whole lot else to say about Back in Action it’s a movie you are going to remember 30 minutes after watching and then move on. The only reason why this movie is known is because of Cameron Diaz coming out of retirement, without that this movie would not have gotten a single ounce of advertising.
A bride-to-be is invited to her fiancé’s bachelor party, but when uncomfortable details of their relationship are exposed, the night takes a feral turn.
Birdeater is directed by Jack Clark and Jim Weir which is both their directorial debut.
Birdeater is a flawed but a decent surprise, where the film lacks in a focused narrative that has so much going on at once. The film makes up for it with a chaotic atmosphere and that has some genuinely decent acting.
The performances are all pretty solid here, particularly Ben Hunter who gives a strong and thrilling performance, despite Shabana Azeez’s character Irene not getting a whole lot of development I still do think she did a solid job here. The terror she showed of being thrown in the middle of a situation that’s presented was shown in great detail here, plus her interactions with the cast were quite investing and at times felt raw.
The film’s atmosphere is chaotic and even experimental which could turn the film off for some people, however I do think it’s used greatly here. Due to the chaotic nature it brings this sense of “what’s going to happen next” and drags you along for the wild ride, it does cost the film narratively with so much going on to the point where the film itself at times struggles to keep up with the narrative. However I do think for the most part it’s able to piece together what’s exactly going on here.
I do think the film exploring the themes of friendships and how toxic behavior can be drawn from them, or making ourselves vulnerable to hurtful actions done by people we trust is pretty interesting. They aren’t always done in ways we haven’t seen before, but at the very least the film has the right atmosphere to back these moments up which leads to intrigue from the viewer.
Overall Birdeater is a solid film that is a decent time! It’s not anything special but it is at the very least interesting and goes in some exciting directions.
Birdeater is playing in theaters and on all VOD platforms!
A 19th-century widow is forced to make an impossible choice during a cruel winter when a ship sinks off the coast, risking what’s left of the village’s dwindling supplies.
The Damned is directed by Thordur Palsson which is directorial debut.
The first 2025 film is The Damned and for a horror film that came out during the first week of the new year I have to say is not horrendous, that doesn’t mean all that much considering the history of terrible January horror movies (there are exceptions of course) but at least this movie has that going for it.
The acting is at the very least decent here, Odessa Young by far gives the best performance and she really gives it her all here. She turns what otherwise would be uninteresting scenes that are filled to the brim with slow burn horror cliches, into something that at the very least holds the viewer’s interest for a bit longer (I’ll be it not THAT long but still worth mentioning.) unfortunately a great performance can’t help the movie’s script which gives these characters absolutely no depth including Eva (played by Odessa Young.)
The film does have an atmosphere filled with dread and at times you actually feel that dread from the cinematography which is undeniably well shot, however when the film requires the story and script to bring out a sense of dread it drops the ball and leads into cliche territory. Especially during the second half of the movie where it really seems like everyone just threw a bunch of half baked ideas at a wall to see what sticks. Which is a letdown because I do think the way the film was handling the theme of darkness was genuinely interesting but it never goes wider with the idea than those few moments.
The main issue here if you haven’t guessed already is the script, the movie has the right atmosphere and the locations to make its ideas work, the problem is the script is flat out refusing to cooperate and instead of diving into the dread or darkness we are stuck with generic slow burn horror cliches that act more of a clone to Robert Eggers’s work rather than its own. By the end of the movie the viewer’s interest has been long checked out due to just how underwritten the characters are and the themes being completely underutilized.
Overall there really isn’t much more to be said about The Damned, I do not think it’s necessarily a terrible movie. But it is quite a forgettable one that you are probably going to forget about by the end of the month.
Gromit’s concern that Wallace has become over-dependent on his inventions proves justified, when Wallace invents a smart gnome that seems to develop a mind of its own.
Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl is directed by Nick Park and Merlin Crossingham. Nick Park has previously directed Chicken Run (2000), Wallace & Gromit: The Curse Of The Were-Rabbit (2005) and Early Man (2018). While this film is Crossingham’s directorial debut.
I have always had a soft spot for Wallace & Gromit from the charming atmosphere to the beautifully done stop motion animation it’s always been able to put a smile on my face. Which is why I found it quite exciting when a new film was announced and it absolutely lived up to expectations.
Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl has the atmosphere we all know and love when it comes to Wallace & Gromit the charming and humorous atmosphere that has this cozy feel too it, the movie starts off immediately with a bang as Feathers McGraw from The Wrong Trousers (1993) makes his return and takes his revenge on Wallace and Gromit. McGraw is such a fun villain here, him being just a Penguin with a glove on his head while also being dangerous is just a humorous combination that makes for some wonderful gags throughout the film.
What makes this film work is mainly a lot of the gags, whether it’s commentary on AI, just a bunch of puns or the dialogue in general. The film always finds a way to get a laugh out of the viewer, not every single joke lands but even the ones that don’t still have their charm too them. Wallace and Gromit as characters help keep the jokes fun with their charming feel and likable personalities (although Wallace does get obsessed with the robotic garden gnomes).
As far as the plot goes it’s not anything new, it’s very much a story about someone getting too caught up with AI and heavily relying on it. However the way the film tackles it is still very entertaining and there was clearly so much love and passion put into it, the film moves at an incredible nice pace with a 79 minute running time. The beginning is definitely the weakest bit of the film however it still does serve as a nice re-introduction to the characters we all know and love.
Overall there really isn’t much else to say here. Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl is incredibly entertaining and a film that fans will absolutely love.
Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl is available on Netflix.
Happy New Year everyone!!! I hope you all had a great holiday and New Year’s Eve!
Before we begin with the January 2025 list there’s a few things I want to quickly go over.
For starters I do apologize for the large gaps of not posting that happened in 2024, so much happened during the last half of the year. Between my phone screen breaking, my computer suddenly stopped working and some family stuff it was a large mess. Luckily everything is fine now and this year I’m going to stay on top of everything.
The other thing I want to address is I’m going to be dropping the “disgrace to cinema” rating. I’ve been using it for years, ever since I was a teenager I believe. I should have dropped it years ago, it’s very immature and I have rarely used in recent years anyway. The replacement rating will probably be something like “atrocious” or “No good qualities just horrendous.”
Anyways January!! 2025 is looking to be a fantastic year for film, January of course is on the rough side of things. Most of the films on the list are ones that are 2024 films that are expanding this month, with 5/12 films that are 2025 films! This month is going to be used to finish any remaining 2024 films I haven’t seen as of yet! Anyway let’s get to the list!
12. Birdeater – January 10th (VOD)
11. Love Me – January 31st (Theaters)
10. The Room Next Door – January 17th (Theaters)
9. Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl – January 3rd (Netflix)
8. Better Man – January 10th (Theaters)
7. Wolf Man – January 17th (Theaters)
6. I’m Still Here – January 17th (Theaters)
5. Hard Truths – January 10th (Theaters)
4. The Last Showgirl – January 10th (Theaters)
3. Companion – January 31st (Theaters)
2. Presence – January 17th (Limited) and January 24th (Wide)
In the 1830s, estate agent Thomas Hutter travels to Transylvania for a fateful meeting with Count Orlok, a prospective client. In his absence, Hutter’s new bride, Ellen, is left under the care of their friends, Friedrich and Anna Harding. Plagued by horrific visions and an increasing sense of dread, Ellen soon encounters an evil force that’s far beyond her control.
Nosferatu is directed by Robert Eggers director of The Witch (2015), The Lighthouse (2019), and The Northman (2022). Nosferatu is a remake of the 1922 silent film Nosferatu which was inspired by Bram Stoker’s 1897 novel Dracula.
Nosferatu is a film that Robert Eggers has wanted to make for years now, development began in 2015 which he described as a passion project. Luckily it’s been released and well it’s no surprise how brilliant the film really is. Eggers has shown time and time again how he can step it up, with Nosferatu he not only does such a good job of capturing the spirit of the original film but he also puts his own style into the mix which leads to making it his own.
The performances perfectly capture the atmosphere of the film in a wide range of ways that throughout the film really get to the viewer. Lily-Rose Depp is an actress I have always rooted for and I’m really happy to say this was her moment, the performances she gives as Ellen Hutter is nothing short of brilliance. Some of the body movements showcased here are truly jaw dropping, they show so much dedication and make certain scenes all the more terrifying, her dialogue with the rest of the cast is also beautifully done and very well acted. Depp’s performance is compelling which was needed to make the film stick the landing in a very powerful way. In a lot of ways Depp almost feels like a second director, completely controlling every single scene she’s in and doesn’t hold back, I am very excited to see where her career goes after this because this was brilliant.
Bill Skarsgärd is just as brilliant as Depp, his performance as Count Orlok/Nosfertau is haunting the moment he appears on screen, the couple of minutes that he is shown on screen he is actually hidden in the darkness or out of focus. Slowly over the course of those scenes we slowly get to see more and more of his body parts until we get the full look of him, it’s such an excellent way of building atmosphere and character. His voice alone is booming, haunting, and intimidating, Skarsgärd is so unrecognizable as Orlok that you would never think it was him if you didn’t have prior knowledge of who was playing him. It’s a terrifying performance that looms over the viewer as the film goes on, heck even at the beginning you can feel his presences. The conversations he has with Lily-Rose Depp and Nicholas Hoult are terrifying and thrilling at any moment he could completely snap and even if you can feel it coming the film makes sure to throw you off.
Nicholas Hoult, Willem Dafoe and Ralph Ineson are all fantastic here as well. Hoult’s best moments are definitely his interactions with Orlok, you can absolutely feel the fear in his voice and body language to the point where you the viewer start to get scared with him. It’s one of the films best parts and a lot of it is due to the very raw acting that is shown. Dafoe and Ineson each give a line that is quite possibly the funniest and best lines of the year, I won’t spoil them here but I will say that the two also give fantastic performances. Even if their characters aren’t exactly written with so much detail, they don’t really need to be their performances do more than enough for the viewer to care about their characters.
One thing that is incredibly clear about Nosferatu is how much passion was put into it, I said earlier that this was a passion project for Eggers and it really shows. The amount of attention to detail put into this film is truly impressive, the film captures the 1830s in this beautifully haunting way that almost feels like we are looking at this lost piece of history. This is very much what watching the original film felt like so I’m really happy to see that the feel is still intact.
Eggers as usual does a fantastic job with the visuals, the cinematography from Jarin Blaschke is jaw dropping. There’s so many shots here that you can dissect and analyze due to just how beautiful they are and how much is going on, they all have this large scale that is enough to really speak for themselves. The film is a beast when it comes to giving more dialogue through the visuals, even when you have dialogue in the scene the visuals still are able to provide the viewer with some more dialogue. It’s truly brilliant storytelling that Eggers likes to use in his films and part of the reason why he’s one of the very best directors working today.
The film is like looking into a dark void, you have no idea where it’s going to take you but you are very curious to see what will happen. There’s so much mystery into the atmosphere of this film that quickly reaches the viewer and surprises you with some terrifying moments, there’s moments in this film that describe the word “horror” absolutely perfectly. Which in a lot of ways completely captures what the original film was all about, setting stage for the vampire genre for years to come. This film completely matches that sort of energy while also making its own style.
Overall Nosferatu is a masterpiece that I’m so glad Robert Eggers was able to share with the world, there’s so much passion to the film and outstanding performances that you will remember for years to come.
In the early 1960s, 19-year-old Bob Dylan arrives in New York with his guitar and revolutionary talent, destined to change the course of American music. Forming his most intimate relationships during his rise to fame, he grows restless with the folk movement, making a controversial choice that reverberates worldwide.
A Complete Unknown is directed by James Mangold director of Girl Interrupted (1999), Logan (2017), Ford v Ferrari (2019), Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny and many others. The film is a biopic that portrays Bob Dylan through his early folk music success until the controversy over using electric instruments at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival.
Music biopics have been releasing nonstop lately, much like a lot of things they all start to have this same sort of formula that ultimately hurts the film. I was worried this was going to be the case for A Complete Unknown but luckily it wasn’t, while this does share some common music biopic elements there’s a few different ingredients that the film uses that most of the films in the genre do not. Capturing the spirit of who the biopic is about, bringing passion into the mix, capturing the time period (in this case the 1960s) and completely bringing the viewer into the film, bring them inside the mind of Bob Dylan.
Timothée Chalamet gives an excellent performance as Bob Dylan, right from the beginning you can tell he went all in with this performance. He even captures Bob Dylan’s voice which he uses so beautifully, every single one of the music moments is perfect and really tells Dylan’s story but themselves. Chalamet is already a fantastic actor, but when you put him as one of the greatest songwriters of all time you get fascinating results. It’s one of those performances from a music biopic where the lead is completely connected with the spirt of the person they are attempting to capture through their performance, the scene that has Blowin’ in the Wind in particular is absolutely beautiful and really sums up Chalamet’s performance. You can feel the emotion and what Dylan is going through when Chalamet sings. One of the very best performances of the year that is truly captivating to watch.
Monica Barbaro and Edward Norton are also fantastic here as well, Barbaro has a beautiful singing voice that blends so well with Chalamet during the scenes of the two singing together. Much like Chalamet she’s just captivating to watch and really goes all out with her performance, her facial acting is also top notch. There’s moments where she just stares and that tells you so many different thoughts that are going on inside of her head. Edward Norton has a lot of fantastic moments especially early on (his singing is also kind of amazing). His dialogue with Chalamet is genuinely beautiful during certain moments and he just does such a good job of capturing the spirit of Pete Seeger.
But the part that makes these performances and even the film itself work so well is the screen presence of Chalamet, Norton, Barbaro and everyone else. They all connect with one another so easily and are able to go all out with their talent, there’s times where you really feel like this is a concert film just told with a story and that’s due to just how raw everything feels. It’s so beautiful to see witness Bob Dylan’s story being told in this very passionate light, we see his successes and his bumps in the road. It all makes for such a wonderful picture that tells you so much but at a nice pace that isn’t overloading the viewer with information.
James Mangold clearly knows his stuff when it comes to capturing the 1960s, especially with the early folk music type of feel that is very much present throughout the film. It’s also beautifully shot having this big scope that compliments the early folk music genre and how it important it was for everyone involved with the story, the information being told in the film might not be exactly new especially if you are a major fan of Bob Dylan. But the way Mangold tells Dylan’s story is truly fascinating and captures a lot of what Bob Dylan is all about.
Finally the film does such a beautiful job of making the viewer feel like they personally know Bob Dylan, it very much feels like Dylan himself or someone who knows Dylan is telling you his story (even though there isn’t a narrator in the film.) you get that sort of feel through the film’s beautiful atmosphere that takes you along this path filled with beautifully sung music.
Overall A Complete Unknown is a fantastic film that really surprised me, I highly recommend checking this one out!
A high-powered CEO puts her career and family on the line when she begins a torrid affair with a much younger intern.
Babygirl is directed by Halina Reijn director of Instinct (2019) and Bodies Bodies Bodies (2022).
Babygirl is definitely an interesting one that’s for sure, I’ll say this straight out the gate that this is very much a film that is not going to be for everyone. Some people could probably write this off as something similar to Fifty Shades Of Grey or any of those Netflix movies, however Babygirl is far better written and actually explores its themes rather than just say “oh look we have themes” and completely ignore them.
What keeps Babygirl going is the performances, everyone here does such a great job and really matches the tension of the atmosphere. Nicole Kidman is of course the highlight, she delivers a wonderful performance that dives into her character Romy a woman who doesn’t want a man to order her around. She’s aware of what she’s doing and who she is, she isn’t this copy and paste character type from any of those Netflix movies. That’s more than likely due to Nicole Kidman combined with Halina Reijn’s script and direction. Romy is a very well written character that tries to balance her family life with her desires that she really wants, the way the film explores these desires and how it ultimately meshes in with her family is very fascinating.
Harris Dickinson is also quite great here, he works very well with Kidman and brings the tension needed to make the film work, his character Samuel is actually far better written than you would expect. There’s some genuine moments where he exposes this need for some understanding and clarity, plus I do think the chemistry between Kidman and Dickinson is incredibly strong. The conversations the two have are filled with tension and this whole feel of the two looking at each other’s souls that ask each other question “what is he or she going to do next?” These moments tell a lot about Romy and Samuel without really needing to say many words, it also helps that the camera brings us up close and wants to be filled in with their gazes.
The direction and writing from Halina Reijn is incredibly solid, early Reijn establishes an atmosphere for the film that is filled with tension that never really goes away throughout the film. She also mixes in this soap opera charm that naturally comes with some ridiculous moments, but those moments don’t hurt the film if anything they give the film this chaotic feel that comes towards the end where things come crashing down. The theme of desire is felt throughout the film, Romy constantly doing anything to get her desire to become a reality while attempting to be cautious of how to get said desire.
The cinematography from Jasper Wolf and the music mesh well together, they are able to create some very striking scenes that help this film standout. The camera is most effective when it constantly brings us towards Romy and Samuel whether be when they are talking or Romy acting out her desires. The camera oozes with power and desire that can be felt through the screen.
Overall Babygirl is a fascinating film, while the writing can fall on itself towards the end. That’s not nearly enough to really stop this film from being quite interesting and a solid exploration of its themes!
Sonic, Knuckles and Tails reunite to battle Shadow, a mysterious new enemy with powers unlike anything they’ve faced before. With their abilities outmatched in every way, they seek out an unlikely alliance to stop Shadow and protect the planet.
Sonic The Hedgehog 3 is directed by Jeff Fowler who previously directed Sonic The Hedgehog (2020) and Sonic The Hedgehog (2022). This film is the third installment to the Sonic series.
Sonic The Hedgehog 3 is the best of the series so far, it improves on the already incredibly solid Sonic The Hedgehog 2 (2022) and adds in elements that fans will instantly recognize and people who haven’t played the games can still really enjoy.
In terms of performances this is the best they have ever been. Jim Carrey this time around is in a dual role Ivo Robotnik (Eggman) and Gerald Robotnik Ivo’s grandfather. Once again he does such a fantastic job, he’s able to balance the two performances incredibly well, one doesn’t take away from the other. Gerald as a villain is quite great, the couple flashbacks we do get do a solid job of explaining his character without needing to over explain.
Keanu Reeves as Shadow The Hedgehog was an absolute genius casting decision, right from the moment he appears on screen he already hits it out of the park. Reeves captures the spirit of the character and really works in the whole emotional core of Shadow’s story as well. For those that don’t know the film takes elements from Sonic Adventure 2 (2001) and Shadow The Hedgehog (2005) and part of those elements is Shadow’s emotional story, it’s a story that absolutely needed someone who could play a strong Shadow and luckily Reeves went all in.
The writing this time around is quite strong, maybe it’s because the film focused on Shadow’s story a part in the video game franchise that is among one of the most cherished moments by fans. The way the film goes about telling the story is quite excellent, it doesn’t feel skimmed and it doesn’t feel drawn out. It has this perfect balance that is able to please fans while also bringing people unfamiliar on board. Understandably there’s far less jokes which makes a lot of sense, but even when there are jokes there’s at least balance and those moments don’t take away from the serious ones.
Overall there really isn’t a whole lot to Sonic The Hedgehog 3 but there really doesn’t have to be, it’s a very strong installment to this franchise that is only going to go up from here!
After his home is conquered by the tyrannical emperors who now lead Rome, Lucius is forced to enter the Colosseum and must look to his past to find strength to return the glory of Rome to its people.
Gladiator II is directed by Ridley Scott (I don’t think I need to list what he’s directed) the film serves as a sequel to Gladiator (2000).
Gladiator (2000) is one of those films where even if you aren’t into film you have probably seen or heard of it referenced somewhere and rightfully so. It’s an iconic film that won Best Picture at the Oscars and is still talked about, examined and celebrated to this day. A sequel to Gladiator (2000) was always talked about but for one reason or another it never happened until it was announced officially in 2018. Gladiator II is one of those cases where it’s a prime example of just leaving the original as is, because outside of a few scenes and performance this was really a whole lot of nothing.
As you probably have heard by now, Denzel Washington is far and away the standout of the movie. He brings this interesting balance of this calm and collective villain behavior and mixes it with a chaotic one, he doesn’t going over the top with it which I think really makes his character Marcinus all the more intimidating. Washington is just also a blast to watch on screen and continues to show that here, his moments with Tim Mclnnery although small are actually quite fun. The two have this bond that strangely works well (I wish the movie explored Mclnnery’s character Thraex a lot more but that’s a common theme with this movie I’ll get to soon.)
Joseph Quinn and Fred Hechinger are also quite fun, their characters Emperor Geta (played by Quinn) and Emperor Caracalla (played by Hechinger) don’t have a lot of depth to them and the most we really get about their characters is that they are evil emperors but the way Quinn and Hechinger go about playing them is genuinely hilarious and chaotic. I’m not sure if I would call these “good” performances but at the very least they stood out in a movie that is painfully dull and get a reaction out of the viewer. Pedro Pascal is also pretty decent here, again we don’t get much on his character General Acacius but he does have some good moments such as the action scenes.
The rest of the movie however is a complete and total mess, it’s basically doing a lot of what the first film did but nowhere near as interesting. A huge problem I hinted at earlier is the characters, while the acting is strong for the most part. It’s the characters who get absolutely no depth to them at all, Paul Mescal’s character Lucius is very typical protagonist that really doesn’t bring anything new to the table. He’s a less interesting Maximus from the first movie and his journey is way too similar to Maximus’s, we get some flashbacks that try to give Lucius some more depth and explanation of his past but it’s very skimmed over. It ultimately does not lead to anything compelling or exciting for the viewer it’s just there to briefly try its best to try to fill in some holes.
The action scenes here are fine enough, thanks to the cinematography from John Mathieson who does a beautiful job with the filming. But unfortunately that doesn’t stop the CGI fights from being ugly, it’s a very weird mishmash between some genuinely great shots with some terrible CGI that easily takes you out of some of the action. It’s a shame because I do think the fights themselves in concept are neat and actually do have some solid atmosphere, but to say the CGI doesn’t take away from these scenes would be lying.
Overall there really isn’t much more to be said, Gladiator II is one of those sequels that exists that also doesn’t do anything better or interesting to its predecessor. It’s a shame because I do think with a far better script and a more focused direction this could have been something great.
Jerome Reviews... 