Blink Twice (2024) Film Review!

When tech billionaire Slater King meets cocktail waitress Frida at his fundraising gala, he invites her to join him and his friends for a dream vacation on his private island. Wild nights soon blend into sun-soaked days, but when strange things start to happen, Frida must uncover the truth if she hopes to make it out alive.

Blink Twice is directed by Zoë Kravitz which is her directorial debut.

Blink Twice is one of those films where I absolutely respect the swings it went for even if not all of them are successful, they are bold ones and I really have to give credit to Kravitz and everyone involved for going with the directions they did.

Before that I must say the cast is quite great, Channing Tatum plays a very different role than he usually does here and I can’t help but wanting to see more of him doing roles like this. He’s very unsettling and just keeps building that up as the film goes on, it’s by far one of his best performances. He really does make the atmosphere of the film work incredibly well especially combined with the setting that presents some interesting atmospheric moments. Naomi Ackie, Adria Arjona and the rest of the cast all do great here as well, they all add to the film’s mysterious feel and deliver great performances that compliment each other well!

When it comes to filmmaking Kravitz really captured something interesting here, you have this beautiful film filled to the brim with glamour yet at the same time you feel like something is just off throughout the film. The cinematography from Adam Newport-Berra and the production design from Roberto Bonelli also communicate this well, when you have all three combined together you get yourself a seemingly beautiful paradise yet under the surface a sinister one.

With that being said the movie does fumble the ball during the third act, it doesn’t quite match up with what the film was building up to previously and sort of just ends on this weak note that had the potential to be a lot better. There’s also some character development that was definitely needed for some of the characters as a lot of them are just sort of there even if they all work together well. But when you break them down individually that’s when you start to see the weakness of the movie.

Having that said I can’t deny the third act was an interesting move, as I said before it was a swing that I definitely think missed. However I don’t actually hate it, there’s a decent amount to still like and enjoy, it’s just a misstep of what is otherwise a really thrilling film.

Blink Twice is available on all VOD platforms.

7/10 B

Never Let Go (2024) Film Review!

When an unspeakable evil takes over the world, the only protection for a mother and her twin sons is their house and strong bond. Needing to stay connected at all times — even tethering themselves with ropes — they must cling to one another and never let go. However, when one of the boys questions if the evil is real, the ties that bind them together are severed, triggering a terrifying fight for survival.

Never Let Go is directed by Alexandre Aja director of High Tension (2003), The Hills Have Eyes (2006), Mirrors (2008), Piranha 3D (2010), Horns (2013), Crawl (2019), Oxygen (2021) and a few others!

I like Alexandre Aja, not everything he directs is a home run but films like Oxygen or Crawl show he’s a talented director who is clearly passionate about the horror genre. Having that said Never Let Go is unfortunately a misfire which is a shame because there is a good movie here and it almost succeeds.

What mostly holds this movie together from not completely falling apart are the performances, Halle Berry is to nobodies surprise quite great here. She really is believable as a mother who is fighting for survival, at times her character can be a bit one note, but thanks to her acting the viewer could look pass it. Percy Daggs IV and Anthony B. Jenkins are both excellent here, the bond they share as brothers truly shines here and is easily the best part of the movie, the two really go all out with the emotional moments as well as some of the more quiet ones. They are given a lot to do and where as a lot of child actors would more than likely struggle, Daggs IV and Jenkins do an excellent job with working an admittedly weak script.

The one location setting is also another positive, it sets up the right amount of atmosphere that the story requires and almost seems like everything is about to fall into place…until it doesn’t. The main issue here is the script especially during the third act where the movie struggles to really find a place to wrap it up, the set up is decent enough with the whole idea of letting go of the rope leaves you vulnerable to monsters. We get some glimpses of this happening and admittedly are some of the highlights of the movie, however a lot of it is executed in such a way where you say to yourself “well that exists”

It’s really too bad because the way the film discusses the idea of “The Evil” is a lot more interesting than what is actually shown, there’s hints at this idea of it existing outside of the woods the movie takes place in. Although it doesn’t really get explored as to how or why it could exist outside of the woods all that much It’s still quite interesting to think about, I definitely can tell there was a layout for a great film here it just sadly never shows itself and instead really struggles to find it’s footing.

Overall Never Let Go is definitely not a bad movie, there was clearly a lot of effort put into it especially with the performances. But with a script that ultimately doesn’t really commit to its premise while having interesting ideas, it’s not enough to save this one unfortunately.

Never Let Go is available in Theaters!

5/10 C

Omni Loop (2024) Film Review!

A quantum physicist finds herself stuck in a time loop with a black hole growing in her chest and only a week to live. When she meets a gifted student they team up to save her life and unlock the mysteries of time travel.

Omni Loop is directed by Bernardo Britto director of Jacqueline Argentine (2016).

Omni Loop in some ways is yet another Groundhog Day type of movie but I do think there’s a few things here the movie explores to just make itself a bit different and stand out a bit better.

For starters Mary-Louise Parker and Ayo Edebiri are both really solid here, they both bring this emotional touch to the movie that works in the movie’s favor. It’s definitely the central part of the movie and why it works so well, for a movie about a woman who has a black hole growing inside of her chest and has one week to live it oddly feels quite grounded at times. The interactions between Zoya Lowe (played by Mary-Louise Parker) and Paula (played by Ayo Edebiri) are genuinely touching and at times sad which is something i definitely wasn’t expecting.

Granted the middle portion of the movie is a bit on the rough side, the movie is 107 minutes long and due to the slow pacing it does feel a lot longer than it really is. There could have easily been a bit of trimming to help the movie keep its balance, however I don’t think that’s enough to completely take away from the movie as it is quite interesting and fun to watch the interactions between the characters.

As far as Groundhog Day like movies go Omni Loop is able to stand out mainly due to looking at the emotional side of things and how the characters feel, director, writer and editor Bernardo Britto does a solid job of giving these characters a more grounded feel, combine that with the performances from Parker and Edebiri and you have yourself a decent ride!

Omni Loop is available on all VOD platforms.

6/10 C+

Child Star (2024) Film Review!

Examining how some of the most well-known former child stars, such as Lovato, deconstruct the highs and lows of growing up in the spotlight and how their ascension to fame, riches, and power affects their futures.

Child Star is directed by Demi Lovato and Nicola Marsh, the documentary is the former’s directional debut.

Earlier this year we had Quiet On Set a documentary series about the dark side of Nickelodeon and the abuse that many of the child stars went through. Child Star follows the same sort of idea only it’s more broad you have Drew Barrymore, Christina Ricci, Raven Symoné, Alyson Stoner, Kenan Thompson, JoJo Siwa and of course Demi Lovato. You also have director Chris Columbus (director of Home Alone, the first two Harry Potter movies and a lot of others) in the conversation as well.

I think as a conversation starter Child Star does pretty okay, there’s a lot of information here that’s been common knowledge for years now particularly with Lovato and Barrymore, however it doesn’t hurt to really share these stories for people who are just hearing them for the first time. The topic is handled with care and it’s clear Lovato is passionate about it, I definitely think the documentary could have used a bit more focused. A little less on Lovato and more on the child stars, having that said Lovato does make some interesting connections between her story of when she nearly died to the child stars. I’m not entirely sure if all of those connections completely work but they are worth thinking about and there is something meaningful there.

As far as filmmaking goes it’s competently made, it’s not anything that’s going to blow your mind. It’s nothing stylish or is going to make it pop, but it really does not have to be. It’s a straightforward documentary about an important topic that all it really has to do is let everyone speak for themselves.

Speaking of which the interviews are interesting, I am glad the topic of kids getting mega popular on YouTube was mentioned even if it wasn’t for very long. It’s a topic that I definitely think needs to be talked about a lot more, I also do like that everyone connected with each other incredibly well, it makes the documentary much stronger and quite sad as well.

Overall Child Star might not blow you away, but it’s still a strong enough documentary about an important topic that definitely should be talked about.

Child Star is available on Hulu!

6/10 C+

Mother Couch (2024) Film Review!

The members of a dysfunctional family find themselves mysteriously trapped in an antiquated furniture store when their elderly matriarch suddenly refuses to get up from one of the display couches. Reluctantly assembled, her three estranged children must figure out how to escape this bizarre predicament.

Mother Couch is directed by Niclas Larsson which is his directorial debut.

The interesting premise combined with the cast is what drew me into watching this movie and unfortunately it’s really nothing of note despite the very weird premise.

The cast is quite good which is mostly what saves this movie from being a mess. Ewan McGregor, Taylor Russell and Ellen Burstyn all contribute to the movie in their own ways that are at times entertaining. There’s actually a few heart filled moments for McGregor that works well enough which almost helps the movie stick the landing.

The one location being a furniture store is an interesting one, it leads to this absurdist family drama that is promising at first but falls off the more it goes on. The metaphors are there but ultimately don’t mean all that much until the kicker of the movie shows up, but by then it’s a bit too late as the movie has run it’s course and starts to repeat itself.

Not a whole lot else to say here, there’s some great acting bits and I do like the concept but the lacking execution is really holding this one back.

Mother Couch is available on all VOD platforms.

5/10 C

1992 (2024) Film Review!

Mercer is desperately trying to rebuild his life and his relationship with his son amid the turbulent Los Angeles riots in 1992. Across town, another father and son put their own strained relationship to the test as they plan a dangerous heist where Mercer works. As tensions continue to rise in the city, both families reach their boiling points when they collide.

1992 is directed by Ariel Vromen director of Rx (2005), Danika (2006), The Iceman (2012), Criminal (2016) and The Angel (2018).

1992 is a movie that actually had some great ideas down but unfortunately is incredibly lacking in execution, the film combines the 1992 Los Angeles riots with a very forgettable heist type of plot which ultimately leaves the viewer wanting more.

The performances are decent, Tyrese Gibson in particular is a solid lead and works with what he has with the script. Scott Eastwood is also pretty solid here as well, the two do the best they can by trying to elevate this movie from being just another heist movie. Which in some areas they do that well enough, but when the third act comes around and turns this into a generic cat and mouse game that’s when it really sinks.

Using the 1992 Los Angeles riots as a backdrop opens the door for many opportunities that the movie could have used to it’s advantage, when the movie does focus on the riots it’s actually not too bad. The problem is the center focus is the heist plot which is nowhere near as interesting as the riots, it’s very clear that Vromen really struggled with finding a way to connect the two plots together as the movie seems like it gives up and doesn’t attempt to do anything with the riots later in the movie.

Which is very disappointing because I do think Vromen had the right material to make it work, the writing was just all over the place and the choice to focus on a very by the numbers heist plot was an incredibly poor one.

1992 is available on all VOD platforms.

5/10 C

Slingshot (2024) Film Review!

An astronaut struggles to maintain his grip on reality during a possibly fatally compromised mission to Saturn’s moon, Titan.

Slingshot is directed by Mikael Häfström director of 1408 (2007), The Rite (2011), Escape Plan (2013), Outside The Wire (2021) and a few others.

Slingshot is what happens when you throw random ideas for an ending at all without thinking, you get something completely nonsensical that does not match at all with what was shown previously.

The performances are fine enough here, Casey Affleck and Laurence Fishburne are solid and do well enough during the first two acts of the movie. The first two acts aren’t anything to write home about, in fact they are quite forgettable but nothing I would say is necessarily terrible. Just not written in a way that’s going to grab the viewer’s attention, the movie does attempt to explore John’s (played by Casey Affleck) past but has a hard time of making a distinction when it’s the past or present which ultimately leads to a bit of a mess.

When the twist and the third act happens that’s when things go from being on the bland side of things to being a complete and total mess. Suddenly nothing makes sense, everything you just saw from the rest of the movie becomes incredibly pointless and meaningless. There’s only so far someone can suspend their disbelief, this is incredibly pushing it. It might have been one thing if what ends up happening were interesting but it doesn’t even achieve at being that.

The best I can say about Slingshot is it’s decently made and has decent acting, but ultimately ends up being incredibly forgettable and ridiculous in a very bad way.

Slingshot is available on all VOD platforms.

4/10 D+

Afraid (2024) Film Review

Curtis and his family are selected to test a revolutionary new device, a digital assistant called AIA, that takes smart homes to the next level. As AIA begins to learn everyone’s behavior and anticipate their needs, it soon makes sure nothing and no one gets in the family’s way.

Afraid is directed by Chris Weitz director of The Golden Compass (2007), Twilight: New Moon (2009), Operation Finale (2018) and a few others.

I really don’t think you need me to tell you that Afraid is horrendous and completely fails on just about every single level. This is basically if you took M3GAN (2022) as well as the character and made her a smart home AI, it’s not a terrible idea on the surface but absolutely requires a lot to standout which you could probably guess it doesn’t.

John Cho is really trying here, but the script doesn’t allow him or the rest of the cast to bring any interesting moments between their characters. They are all stock characters filled with cliches, none of the family are able to have their own identity due to this and come off more as retreads from better films. Having that said the performances while not great are the only remotely fine enough part about this movie, you can tell the cast are trying their best. But with a script so empty they can only work with so much.

If you hadn’t guessed already this is yet another one of those “danger of AI” movies, which the movie basically copies the same formula. AI is introduced and is proved to be helpful, strange things happen and the AI is being questioned, the AI starts fully turns against the family. If you have seen a single one of these movies you can already guess what’s going to happen. Afraid doesn’t have anything new to say or it doesn’t do anything interesting at all.

The ending is laughably bad, the movie goes from an AI wanting to destroy the family to begging for forgiveness in the most unintentionally funny way they could have possibly come up with. The messaging is immediately lost here, is the movie warning viewers about AI or is it pro-AI? What was the point of all of this? Why did the family just shrug off AIA trying to kill them? It’s absolutely bizarre and makes very little sense in the context of the rest of the movie.

Overall Afraid is terrible and a very confused mess, at the very least Subservience was attempting something a bit different (although still very much like M3GAN) Afraid however goes for the most laziest direction possible.

Afraid is available on all VOD platforms.

1/10 F

Booger (2024) Film Review!

After the death of her best friend Izzy, Anna focuses all her attention on Booger, the stray cat which she and Izzy took in. When Booger bites her, she begins to undergo a strange transformation.

Booger is directed by Mary Dauterman which is her directorial debut.

A body horror film in which a cat bites a woman and she slowly goes through a transformation. A very straightforward premise that while doesn’t really do all that much, is still fun to watch unfold.

Grace Glowicki gives a decent performance, it’s not anything mind blowing or anything but you do feel the emotion of her grieving the loss of her best friend. Which is the center focus of the movie, the movie itself doesn’t really go into too much depth. But from the quick snippets on Glowicki’s character Anna’s phone of her best friend we can gather the information we need.

The body horror elements are fun, they don’t go incredibly far with them and instead opt to use it more as symbolism for trauma or grief. Which at times works but could have went a lot further, the twist at the end is pretty fun and does leave the viewer with questions in a good way.

Overall Booger may not have a whole lot going on, but it is a decently fun body horror movie that I do recommend and of course Booger the cat is cute!

Booger is available on all VOD platforms.

6/10 C+

Winner (2024) Film Review!

A brilliant young misfit from Texas finds her morals challenged while serving in the U.S. Air Force and working as an NSA contractor.

Winner is directed by Susanna Fogel director of Life Partners (2014), The Spy Who Dumped Me (2018) and Cat Person (2023).

Despite already getting an incredibly strong film about Reality Winner last year called Reality which was directed by Tina Satter and Sydney Sweeney playing Reality Winner which was a fantastic film and performance. I had some sort of hope Winner would still be solid, the cast intrigued me and I was interested to see what the movie had to say about the topic. Unfortunately this is one of those movies where you are better off reading a Wikipedia page or other articles you find online.

The performances are decent enough, Kathryn Newton although not given a whole lot to do is great in her performance. Connie Britton and Zach Galifianakis definitely bring some emotional moments to the movie that were actually quite touching, especially during the last half of the movie where it does admittedly get a lot better and more focused. There’s a few interesting aspects of Winner’s life before her arrest and for what it’s worth the movie does do well with those moments.

Unfortunately the rest of the movie is incredibly forgettable, Emilia Jones is miscasted as Reality Winner, combine that with the movie’s strange comedic drama tone that it goes for and you have a performance that just does not land with nowhere near enough power as it should. Sydney Sweeney’s performance had atmosphere, tension, focus and attention to detail. While I do understand Jones and Sweeney’s performances were going for two completely different things it really comes down to if they fully worked or not. Obviously that’s going to be up to the viewer but Jones’s performance just doesn’t come off as sincere especially when it’s telling the story of a woman who was called a traitor and arrested, the comedic tone just doesn’t match with the story being told here at all.

We do get some very genuine moments towards the end when Winner is arrested, Britton and Galifianakis throughout the film give very touching performances but this is not enough to really save this movie from being very forgettable unfortunately.

Winner is available on all VOD platforms.

4/10 D+