Well April sure did go by fast and I have to say it was a pretty strong start to Q2 of the year when it comes to films! I still have one more film to review that I saw in April (Sinners) but that will be coming very soon! May seems like it’s going to be a very strong month for films!
Like last time I listed the most anticipated films in alphabetical order since I loved doing that the last time!
Another Simple Favor – May 1st (Amazon Prime Video)
Bring Her Back – May 30th (Theaters)
Caught By The Waves – May 9th (Theaters)
Clown In The Cornfield – May 9th (Theaters)
Fear Street: Prom Queen – May 23rd (Netflix)
Final Destination: Bloodlines – May 16th (Theaters)
Friendship – May 9th (limited) and May 23rd (expands)
Hurry Up Tomorrow – May 16th (Theaters)
Kryptic – May 9th (VOD)
Lilo & Stitch – May 23rd (Theaters)
Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning – May 23rd (Theaters)
A man revisits his childhood beach to surf with his son. Humiliated by locals, he becomes entangled in an escalating conflict that pushes him to his limits.
The Surfer is directed by Lorcan Finnegan director of Without Name (2016), Vivarium (2019) and Nocebo (2022)
The Surfer is an odd duck, at times it embraces its weirdness and is actually executed decently well. While other times it goes for this “lol random” type of humor that I’m not exactly sure why some films seem to think is so funny, which leads to a pretty disappointing film that had the right material just not very strong payoff.
Nicolas Cage gives a solid performance here, he’s one of if not the main reason to even consider watching this one, he has a few classic “Nicolas Cage” moments that are genuinely funny. I also do like that his character is just simply known as “the surfer” it oddly creates this mysterious atmosphere that is present throughout the film and builds intrigue towards his character. There’s not a whole lot going on character writing wise since the film opts for a more trippy direction (the filming and color palette really do a lot of the talking), but with what Nicolas Cage is given to work with he does a fine enough job it’s just not one of his best performances.
The filming is undeniably very well shot, it matches perfectly with the location and makes for some great thrilling atmosphere especially when it comes to the whole one location idea. The color palette that’s used makes this one very dreamlike, while also feeling like a very weird acid trip. Although the trippy and fun feel wears off towards the end of the second act and falls apart afterwards, what remains consistent is the filming and how great it is. It really does bring the viewer into the film and gives a sense of exploration, we slowly start to understand why this particular beach means so much to The Surfer. It’s very neat to see the filming and color pick up the slack of the writing.
With that being said The Surfer falls apart towards the middle of the second act and beyond, what started as a trippy and decently fun film starts to resort “lol random” type of humor. A lot happens for seemingly no reason at all, the plot really starts to become confused, the other characters such as the surfer gang/cult while an interesting concept at first they lack the necessary depth to leave the viewer with a lasting impression especially the leader.
I think what director Lorcan Finnegan and writer Thomas Martin were going for here was interesting, I really like the simple idea of The Surfer wanting to do whatever it takes to take his son surfing but the locals torment him. The added acid trip element at least makes this one standout, but as I said before the middle of the second act and the third act as whole are just not interesting. There is clear some inspiration from The Swimmer (1968) but whereas that film remained interesting throughout and kept the viewer in the film with a strong atmosphere, The Surfer fails to keep the audience invested the whole way through and while the atmosphere is still decently strong throughout it’s not quite enough to save the movie.
Overall I would not call The Surfer a terrible movie, I would call it a disappointing one. It had the right material to make a great film but unfortunately has a lot of missteps. I do think there’s going to be an audience for this one so if it does sound interesting to you I recommend giving it a look, you might just like it.
A man looks after his ailing grandfather while trying to make it in the world of professional bodybuilding.
Magazine Dreams is directed by Elijah Bynum director of Hot Summer Nights (2017)
If you know anything about Magazine Dreams took a while to release, to summarize and keep this short after allegations came out about Jonathan Majors (which he was found guilty of misdemeanor assault and harassment charges) the film was pretty much stuck in limbo until Briarcliff Entertainment picked it up.
Magazine Dreams was a very well received film when it premiered at Sundance 2023 and it’s easy to see why, while the film runs for a bit too long and the supporting cast are great but not deeply developed. Between Jonathan Majors’s terrifying performance, the acting in general, the very well executed theme of self-destruction and the script, the film manages to paint a pretty terrifying picture that is like a bomb ready to go off.
Jonathan Majors gives a fantastic performance, it’s a performance that right from the start you know is going to be a journey. Seeing the self-destructing behavior from his character Killian Maddox is terrifying, there’s a few scenes in particular that really capture this behavior in a painting (the dinner scene is one of them.) As the viewer we really get to see inside the mind of Maddox and the way Majors goes about this is fascinating, he doesn’t hold back from his tone of voice, to his body language it’s all incredibly intimidating. It also captures the physical and emotional drain of trying to chase something that is completely unattainable, there’s a lot of dedication here from Majors that really makes his performance all the more interesting.
The supporting cast while solid particularly Haley Bennett and Harrison Page are not deeply developed, there’s some strong moments such as their reactions to Maddox’s self-destructing behavior but that is really about it. I think Haley Bennett’s character Jessie gives a very raw reaction seeing Maddox absolutely lose it at the restaurant. A bit more development would have helped these characters.
The writing combined with the atmosphere is incredibly strong, the film takes influences from the whole theme of Eminem’s song Stan, Taxi Driver (1976) and Whiplash (2014) but manages to take these themes and make them its own. The atmosphere really captures this self-destructing behavior in a raw way that the viewer just can’t look away from, it constantly haunts the viewer throughout and really builds on Maddox as a character.
Through the writing we learn more and more details about Maddox and the more we learn the more it becomes clear that there is no return. Some paths are like brick walls ones you can’t go through, it’s devastating yet horrifying look at how self-destructing behavior such as what is portrayed here can not only hurt you but the people around you.
Despite some pacing issues and lack of writing for the supporting characters, Magazine Dreams is a very solid film that paints a terrifying picture of self-destructing behavior.
Magazine Dreams is available on all VOD platforms!
After a drug deal gone wrong, a bruised detective must fight his way through the criminal underworld to rescue a politician’s estranged son, unravelling a deep web of corruption and conspiracy that ensnares his entire city.
Havoc is directed by Gareth Evans director of Footsteps (2006), Merantau (2009), The Raid (2011), The Raid (2014) and Apostle (2018)
Havoc is a film I have been waiting to watch for a couple years now and unfortunately it’s a bit of a disappointment. While the action scenes are spectacular and Evans manages to recapture what made The Raid as it was when it comes to the atmosphere and action scenes. However it’s the character writing and story that really bring this one down quite a lot.
The performances aren’t bad here, Tom Hardy gives a solid performance as does everyone else. The problem here as I said before is the character writing is severely lacking, there’s no character drama that brings the viewer in. None of it is interesting enough to make the viewer connect with these characters, it’s unfortunate because I do think the performances from everyone is not bad, without strong writing these characters are stuck in limbo unfortunately. Hardy’s character is a badass sure but what else?
It goes without saying but the action scenes are very neat, Havoc is definitely a case of a movie trading in story with action scenes and at times it works fine enough. There is a few in particular that are quite spectacular which really makes you admire the choreography, filming and atmosphere that went into these scenes. The atmosphere really syncs perfectly with the action scenes, giving this giant scale of thrills where anything can happen. It almost feels like a first- person shooter video game (without the POV of course), it’s so much fun and really shows that Gareth Evans really knows his stuff when it comes to action and how to build thrilling action scenes.
The movie does take a bit of time to get going which unfortunately puts you through the story, while the story isn’t necessarily terrible. It’s quite generic as action thrillers go it’s very one note and does not offer anything new to a very crowded genre, however you could absolutely do far worse and at the very least you get some decent acting out of it.
Havoc might not have a whole lot going on story wise but it’s hard to ignore how great the action scenes and atmosphere really are, Gareth Evans is able to push the film just a bit above the finish line to make it work. The movie is a huge step down from Evans’s previous work but I still would not call this one bad. If you don’t care for story and just want really strong action scenes and a thrilling atmosphere this one is definitely for you, I actually recommend checking this one out!
Shortly after the death of her estranged mother, Shoo a primary care nursing student takes a placement in a remote Irish village to care for Peig a reclusive, elderly woman who lives in fear, haunted by her experiences in a Catholic asylum. The house in the woods holds plenty of dark secrets and Peig’s paranoia begins to rub off on Shoo, whose own troubled, abusive past begins to catch up with her.
Fréwaka is directed by Aislinn Clarke director of The Devil’s Doorway (2018)
Fréwaka is an Irish folklore horror film that does tackle generational trauma, admittedly there are so many horror films that tackle this theme. However the film is able to still stand as the performances are very strong, the film having a haunting atmosphere and the way the trauma is executed really works.
The performances are strong and always keep the viewer on the edge of their seat, Clare Monnelly in particular does a really great job of capturing the film’s atmosphere. Whether it be through the dialogue which is almost entirely spoken in Irish, the facial acting that tells the viewer all they really need to know in certain scenes. The generational trauma that is passed down from each generations is felt through the performances and is what gives the film it’s unique feel.
The dialogue as I said before is almost entirely spoken in Irish, which benefits the film since after all it is about Irish folklore. At points it feels like Clarke is trying to tackle Ireland’s past and present cultural landscape which is quite fascinating, the way the film executes trauma is different than what we usually get. There’s a story going on here about generations going through some sort of trauma that are each quite haunting in their own right, when you combine that with the strong dialogue that slowly reels the viewer in you have yourself quite a solid film.
Atmosphere is the part this film really nails, right from the beginning you can feel the haunting yet inviting atmosphere enter the film. We get a bunch of moments where we as the viewers feel lonely, it takes place in a small town that isolates our main character Shoo (played by Clare Monnelly), the interactions are filled with paranoia and even makes the viewer question what is really going on here?
Overall Fréwaka might not be doing anything entirely new, but the way the film goes about the execution combined with the genuinely strong acting and thrilling atmosphere makes for a fun ride that I would recommend giving a go.
Believing he witnessed an abduction, a young man turns to his next-door neighbour, a retired security guard, to help him find the missing woman.
Neighborhood Watch is directed by Duncan Skiles director of The Clovehitch Killer (2018)
Neighborhood Watch is a thriller that when hearing the premise out loud sounds like it’s going to be quite dark. While there are plenty of dark moments there’s also this darkly comedic side to it that unexpectedly works for the most part, this is a movie that is not going to break any new ground especially in the story department. But at the very least the movie keeps the viewer’s interest throughout and it has the atmosphere as well as acting to back it up.
Jeffery Dean Morgan and Jack Quaid are both incredibly solid here, Morgan does admittedly still play his usual tough guy or cool character but in this case it feels a bit more grounded. You can feel his character Ed Deerman is acting this way out of desperation with him fearing that failure could strike at any moment, Morgan portrays this very well and works incredibly well with Jack Quaid. Speaking of which Jack Quaid plays Simon McNally a mentally ill man who can quickly lose it and turn it up to eleven, Jack Quaid does a really solid job here and the buddy cop dynamic of Morgan and Quaid is genuinely interesting. There’s this voice in Simon’s head that constantly mock him making him constantly doubt himself or telling him that nobody will believe him because of his history. Jack Quaid does such a good job of portraying someone suffering through this, it genuinely hurts to watch at times.
The writing is solid, there’s this theme of your mind constantly telling you how much of a failure you are or nobody will believe you because of the way you are. It’s a bit surface level sure, but it’s there regardless and from what’s presented the film does a pretty solid job with the execution. The rest of the writing is a bit more on the generic side of things but nothing ends up being terrible, although the emotional payoff in the end does not really come together in the end. The back and forth between Morgan and Quaid is genuinely interesting and even humorous at times, it helps that Morgan and Quaid are just two incredibly likable actors and have a lot of charisma which had the two not been here I don’t think the movie would have worked nearly as well.
Overall Neighborhood Watch is a fun thriller that really does not have whole lot to it, the main reason to watch this is the performances from Morgan and Quaid. It does not overstay it’s welcome which is great and accomplishes what it’s sent out to do for the most part.
Neighborhood Watch is available on all VOD platforms.
A surveillance mission goes wrong for a platoon of American Navy SEALs in insurgent territory in Iraq.
Warfare is directed by Ray Mendoza (which in his directorial debut) and Alex Garland director of Ex Machina (2014), Annihilation (2018), Men (2022) and Civil War (2024) the film is based Mendoza’s experiences during the Iraq War as a U.S. Navy Seal. In particular the film depicts an encounter he and his platoon experienced on November 19th 2006 which was in the wake of the Battle of Ramadi.
Warfare is a beast of a film, not only is it incredibly well directed, incredibly raw and very well made. But it has this anti-war sentiment throughout the film that shows the brutality of war and how disturbing it can really be.
The start with the acting is incredibly raw, everyone here gives phenomenal performances and really captures the brutal and thrilling atmosphere that is taking place. But the two that really take this film home are Joseph Quinn and Cosmo Jarvis, these two are part of what makes this film so brutal and really help the film get its point across. A lot of war films tend to really gloss over injuries or the reactions of being shot, 90 percent of the time it’s a basic you are shot and dead or you are shot and there really isn’t this huge reaction. What Warfare does is very different, when Quinn and Jarvis are seriously injured from a bomb the two scream in agony and their performances are truly haunting. Especially Quinn who almost immediately sends chills down the viewer’s signs, combine that with the gore and the atmosphere reflecting how disturbing the situation is, you have yourself some very terrifying moments that stay throughout the rest of the film.
Part of what makes Warfare work as well as it does is the sound, the screams of Quinn and Jarvis are so effective here as well the gunshots, explosions, rumblings ect. Ray Mendoza has said that for Warfare sound matters saying “Every Round Has A Purpose” and he’s absolutely right here, every single moment with the sound is intimidating simply because you have no idea what you are going to hear next. It’s the type of sound that immediately gets to the viewer and brings you in, you can feel the pain, screams, gunfire and such every single second. This is truly some of the best use of sound I’ve seen in a film in a while.
The cinematography combined with the atmosphere is also thrilling as well as incredibly haunting. The cinematography from David J. Thompson manages to create this big in scale yet claustrophobic feel to the filming, the outside portions of the fight are bigger in scale with wider shots while the portions that take place inside are up close, personal and chaotic. This makes sense as to why they are up close since it is Mendoza’s experience after all, these close shots really depict a disturbing picture that has a lot of panic, desperation and rawness a lot of the time it’s jaw dropping simply due to how well edited and filmed these scenes really are.
Finally the anti-war theme of Warfare is saying how the United States feeds these people into the meat grinder for absolutely no reason at all. It shows just how much life was lost, there’s a few scenes of this terrified Iraqi family whose home Mendoza and his men are in throughout most of the film and just seeing their horrified reactions is devastating because they know what’s about to happen, their reactions alone basically sums up this film. It’s terrifying and unlike some other war films where they try to make war look like this big spectacle that absolutely couldn’t be further from the truth. Warfare tells the viewer that so many people pointlessly died for no reason and this is the legacy that was left, so much death, trauma and pain that everyone goes looks back at and asks the simple one worded question “why?”
Remi and Barnes, two very different teenagers, meet by chance in the winter of their senior year, then spend four days together over the course of a year that will change their lives forever.
Winter Spring Summer Or Fall is directed by Tiffany Paulsen which is her directorial debut.
Winter Spring Summer Or Fall is a romantic drama film that sure does exist, I did not go into this one with very high expectations and while it’s nowhere near one of the worst movies I’ve seen so far this year. That really does not make it a good one.
The performances are fine enough here, Jenna Ortega (especially during the last 15 minutes) and Percy Hynes White in particular have moments where they really try to make the film work. The rest of the cast are given very little to do which is to be expected for what the movie is going for. As far as characters are concerned there is just really not all that much going on here, it’s very typical teen romance characters that are filled to the brim with cliches.
The writing is what completely destroys this movie, the script from Dan Schoffer who previously wrote Not Cool (the Shane Dawson movie) goes about as well as a bad high school film project. The final act in particular repeats the exact same plot point twice within 5 minutes of each other, for example at one point after their breakup Remi (played by Jenna Ortega) wants to reconnect with Barnes (played by Percy Hynes White) so they meet up again and Remi realizes she still loves Barnes but doesn’t tell him. That’s simple enough…until they do the exact same thing but reverse only Barnes does not tell Remi that he still loves her it’s almost comical how badly it’s executed, I will admit it this did get a laugh out of me simply due to how much of a baffling decision it was.
I will say that I was not expecting the film to be this low of a budget, I knew it was an indie film obviously but this still caught me a bit by surprise. This does not really hurt or benefit the movie in any sort of way when it comes to how it was shot or other technical aspects because I do think there are some decent shots here and I kind of liked the soundtrack particularly the original song “What Are You Doing Later?” by Evangeline, It’s not anything outstanding but it fits the movie decently well.
I wish there was more to be said here but Winter Spring Summer Or Fall is incredibly bare bones especially for the romantic comedy genre, you could absolutely do far worse than this one but that’s not exactly a ringing endorsement.
Winter Spring Summer Or Fall releases tomorrow in theaters and VOD platforms.
When his beloved wife, Kathryn, is suspected of betraying the nation, intelligence agent George Woodhouse faces the ultimate test — loyalty to his marriage or his country.
Black Bag is directed by Steven Soderbergh is director of Ocean’s Eleven, Twelve and Thirteen, Magic Mike (2012) Logan Lucky (2017), Unsane (2018), Kimi (2022), Presence (2025) and so many others.
Steven Soderbergh once again hits out of the park with his second film this year, as I said before in my reviews of his work I absolutely love that he takes on different genres. You are never really certain about what you are going to get with his films but most of the time it ends up being really great and luckily that’s the case with Black Bag!
The performances all across the board are really great here, Cate Blanchett, Michael Fassbender and Marisa Abela in particular being the strongest. Blanchett and Fassbender both have incredibly solid chemistry between one another, it helps that the script from David Koepp adds so much engagement towards their characters that it almost immediately connects with the viewer. They both feel like they are straight out of the classic spy thriller film and Soderbergh’s direction only amplifies that. Marisa Abela gives a great performance here which I’m glad to see, after the disastrous Back To Black (2024) it’s great to see her talent being used here. What I said about Blanchett and Fassbender can be applied to Abela, a wonderful performance that oozes with style especially the classic spy thriller type.
As I said earlier the writing from David Koepp adds so much to the characters, while not every single character is given a whole lot to work with. One similarity that they all have is they all feel like they are from a classic spy thriller film, there’s a lot more that adds to that (which I’ll get to in a second) but Koepp’s script really builds these characters which is part of what help builds the film’s atmosphere. It makes the film have this classic filmmaking feel that really is not present in a lot of the spy film genre anymore, what Koepp brings to the table might be straightforward but the way it’s executed and presented has this classic feel that’s filled with strength and confidence.
The cinematography is absolutely beautiful especially when combined with the lighting, Steven Soderbergh (who is the cinematographer under the name Peter Andrews) goes all out and truly paints a thrilling picture. The beautiful lighting mixed into the atmosphere also builds these characters, when they are all together you feel the tension and their personalities clashing against one another, the light and shadows tell a lot of the story when the film wants to focus on showcasing certain shots. It’s incredibly well done and quite cleverly put together as well, the editing also from Steven Soderbergh (under the name Mary Ann Bernard) much like in his previous film Presence (2025) is incredibly well done. It’s beautifully done and compliments the cinematography perfectly, giving the whole film this personality that really feels alive.
Finally you have Soderbergh’s direction which is phenomenal, Soderbergh consistently captures a thrilling atmosphere in his films and here is no exception. As the film goes on you can feel the thrilling atmosphere build over the course of story until it all clashes during the final act, the film does require patience from the viewer as the pacing is pretty slow. But the buildup and end results that Soderbergh manages to create is very much worth the wait!
Overall Black Bag is another incredibly solid film from Steven Soderbergh, if you are a fan of the spy thriller genre I highly recommend giving this one a go, it has familiar ideas but is executed quite beautifully!
Porky Pig and Daffy Duck become Earth’s only hope when their antics at the local bubble-gum factory uncover a secret alien mind-control plot. Faced with cosmic odds, they must save their town and the world while not driving each other totally looney.
The Day The Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie is directed by Pete Browngardt which although it is his feature directorial debut he has worked on many shows you would recognize such as Futurama, The Venture Bros, Chowder, The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack, Adventure Time and is the creator of Uncle Grandpa.
Believe it or not The Day The Earth Blew Up is the first fully animated and theatrical released Looney Tunes film, which is something that does not sound real but sure enough it is. If there’s one word to describe this film it’s charming, what Browngardt did with the Looney Tunes here is absolutely well done and incredibly imaginative. It has this sense of nostalgia without feeling like it’s trying to bait the audience and throw half a dozen easter eggs at you, it’s a film where long time fans and newcomers can really enjoy and walk away from the film loving the Looney Tunes all over again or wanting to get into them more.
The voice acting is top notch, Eric Bauza who voices both Daffy Duck and Porky Pig is the best he’s ever been, there’s so much charm to the characters and it’s all captured in the familiar voices of the characters. Having Daffy Duck and Porky Pig together is also quite neat, I grew up with Duck Dodgers a show that was on Cartoon Network that also had Daffy and Porky as the main characters. So it does bring a sense of nostalgia to see the two on screen together again and much like in Duck Dodgers they are both excellent here. The humor, their two personalities and the writing really brings out everything that we all love about these two characters. Candi Milo as Petunia Pig is a nice mix as well, Peter MacNicol as The Invader gives some great laughs over the course of the film.
The humor is very well done and is pretty spot on when capturing the spirit of the Looney Tunes. Even when the film goes for more of the newer type of humor it still works, one particular scene of (Everything I Do) I Do It For You by Bryan Adams showing up is genuinely hilarious and works in this fun way. There’s some fourth wall breaking jokes that are actually pretty charming, I don’t think these jokes would have worked nearly as well had this not been a Looney Tunes film but due to the charm and the way they are executed they work well here and match the tone.
The charm of the film is ultimately what makes the film, you can tell Browngardt and the many other writers wanted to make this special as well as a tribute to the Looney Tunes franchise as a whole. Not only does the film accomplish that it does its own thing, as I said earlier the film does not rely on nostalgia or easter eggs to bring the viewer in. It relies on classic Looney Tunes shenanigans, humor and energetic voice acting to bring it all together. The animation is also filled to the brim of charm with so much detail and so much to look at it’s incredibly pleasing to the eyes.
Overall The Day The Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie is such a fun film that any Looney Tunes fan will love, there’s so much passion put here and respect for the franchise. Definitely be sure to check this one out!
The Day The Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie is available on all VOD platforms.
Jerome Reviews... 