An American-led fracking crew working deep in the Serbian wilderness uncover the unimaginable: a dormant parasitic monster.
Hell Hole is directed by John Adams and Toby Poser directors of The Deeper You Dig (2019), Hellbender (2021), Where the Devil Roams (2023), Halfway to Zen (2016) and a few others.
Hell Hole is the type of movie where you really want to like it as there are a lot of things to like about it, the movie itself just sadly doesn’t really come together all that well.
The creature design is really neat and there’s some over the top gore that’s quite a lot of fun, heck there are some genuinely funny moments that got some laughs from me (some of it being a bit unintentionally funny), you can definitely tell there was effort put into the movie there’s points where it genuinely tries to tell an interesting story but is held back by a lot of different elements sadly.
One of the main ones being the very mixed acting and writing, the overly serious dialogue is incredibly misplaced and doesn’t match the over the top tone the movie goes for during certain portions of the run time. The rock soundtrack while neat, is incredibly out of place much like the serious dialogue.
I do appreciate the movie for taking advantage of the location which has factory ruins and debris that were forgotten about, it’s just a shame that the abandonment like atmosphere does not stay in the movie for very long. It’s not really explored much at all either, sure we see it and there are moments that are discussed but we really don’t get anything concrete unfortunately.
Overall Hell Hole is a bit of a disappointment, there’s a lot of neat ideas here that are just sadly not executed all that well. I think with a higher budget, better acting and a more focused script this could really be something interesting.
Four freshmen in high school get ready for their first school party, they’re preparing themselves for something unfamiliar and terrifying.
Incoming is directed by Dave Chernin and John Chernin which is their directorial debut.
Incoming is Netflix’s version of Superbad (2007), Booksmart (2019) and Good Boys (2019)…not in a good way either.
This movie is another one of those coming of age story comedies that has a tons of parties and is raunchy, but lacks so much comedic power that you start to wonder what was the point of this? I’ll give credit where credit is due, the acting isn’t the worst as there are a few scenes that are decent enough. But nobody here gives a memorable performance that manages to stick out to the viewer, the writing doesn’t give these actors and actresses breathing room to actually deliver something of note.
If you have seen any coming of age film comedy you have already seen this one, there’s a lot of scenes here that are very similar to the films I mentioned at the beginning. The only slight difference here is the plot is tweaked around a bit (even that’s being generous), Project X (2012) just has overall better party scenes and Superbad (2007) and Booksmart (2019) are just overall better written and actually hilarious.
Seventeen-year-old Gretchen reluctantly leaves America to live with her father at a resort in the German Alps. Plagued by strange noises and bloody visions, she soon discovers a shocking secret that concerns her own family.
Cuckoo is directed by Tilman Singer director of Luz (2018).
Cuckoo has been on my radar for awhile now and I’m happy to say that the wait for it was well worth it. This is one absolute insane and atmospheric horror film that is bound to be a midnight film classic in a few years.
The performances were excellent here, Hunter Schafer is one of the most exciting new talent and she only proves that even more here. She gives such a fun and investing performance that quickly grabs the viewer’s attention, her character Gretchen is incredibly intriguing as soon as she enters the film and really makes for a great protagonist. Schafer has incredibly strong screen presence that is truly exciting, her actions and quiet yet strong approach to the film acting wise is truly special and her performance shows she was destined to act in crazy horror films such as this one.
Dan Stevens already gave a very strong performance this year in Abigail and he does it again here, his character Herr König is creepy, crazy and a ticking time bomb that is incredibly enjoyable to watch when he becomes deranged. He’s an interesting character that while may not get the most character moments, but due to Stevens’s insane performance that more than makes up for it.
The film’s world is incredibly fascinating, it’s a mixture of Italian horror/giallo feel and David Cronenberg. It’s a mysterious atmosphere that doesn’t tell you what’s really going on here until the the third act, even then it can be difficult to figure out what exactly is going on here due to just how bizarre everything unfolds during the third act. Which works for this film since the film establishes right from the beginning that this is going to be much different, it’s a film where the more you sink into the film’s world the more you get invested and truly want to explore.
Cuckoo is definitely one of those films you need to go into as blind as possible, it’s got excellent kills, incredibly fast paced editing and is just an overall blast for fun! Definitely give this one a watch!
An assassin is on a mission to kill a demonic crime lord.
Aggro Dr1ft is directed by Harmony Korine director of Gummo (1997), Julien Donkey-Boy (1999), Mister Lonely (2007), Trash Humpers (2009), Spring Breakers (2013) and The Beach Bum (2019).
One of the many reasons why Harmony Korine is one of my favorite filmmakers is because you never know what you are going to get with him, you could get something narratively traditional like The Beach Bum (2022) something disturbing like Gummo (1997) or something downright bizarre like Trash Humpers (2009). Aggro Dr1ft definitely falls more in line with the bizarre territory and in the best ways possible.
Let’s get the obvious out of the way, the film is entirely in infrared photography which is an incredibly bold move because this could have easily went horribly wrong, luckily how it’s executed is strangely beautiful? There’s a lot of shots here that are genuinely gorgeous and actually add to the narrative of the film, as well as the narration of a tormented assassin. It’s incredibly dreamlike and really does feel like we are inside somebody’s head it’s an incredibly clever use of infrared photography that I truly have to give credit where credit is due.
The plot being about assassin on a mission to kill a demonic crime lord is very strangely tender and soulful, the film takes place in apocalyptic world where everything is taken over by demons, monsters and such. Most of the characters talk like NPCs from a video game (which can be incredibly hilarious) it feels like a world that truly is no longer functional, but there’s a hero that steps up to the plate and uses the power of love, memory and wants to go back to his family. As the film goes on we hear more and more about thoughts, his journey and his struggles, it’s a very strange direction this film takes but it actually works incredibly well in the film’s favor.
The film’s score from araabMUZIK is absolutely fascinating, it fits the film incredibly well and tells the story of the film so well. There’s a ton of favorite tracks here but Rejoice, Arrival, The Wild, The Awakening, Wild West Bill and my absolute favorite Medieval are the standouts. Each of the scenes that use these songs are scene stealers and really build on the film’s world, speaking of which the world building is much like other parts of this film strangely effective. Even though everything is shot with Infrared photography just looking around at the backgrounds and listening to the narration is enough to give you a good idea of what this world is like. The film doesn’t over explain the world, or it doesn’t give all the details way immediately, it lets the viewer explore and leaves it up to the viewer what exactly is going on with this world.
Aggro Dr1ft is most certainly not going to be for everyone, staring at infrared photography for 80 minutes could be hurtful to the eyes for some, but if you are up for it I do recommend checking this one out.
Deadpool’s peaceful existence comes crashing down when the Time Variance Authority recruits him to help safeguard the multiverse. He soon unites with his would-be pal, Wolverine, to complete the mission and save his world from an existential threat.
Deadpool & Wolverine is directed by Shawn Levy director of Free Guy (2021), The Adam Project (2022), Real Steal (2011), Date Night (2010), Night At The Museum (2006) and many others. Deadpool & Wolverine is the 34th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and serves as a sequel to Deadpool (2016) and Deadpool 2 (2018).
A Deadpool 3 was inevitable it was just a matter of when it was going to release especially due to Disney buying 20th Century Studios, some people thought it would never come out and some people thought Disney would tone it down. I actually liked the last two Deadpool films, am I as crazy about them as I was back when they first came out? Not at all, but for what they were they were fun enough films that had a lot of positives. Deadpool & Wolverine I would say is around the same although I do think it’s not as good as the first film.
Before I start I do want to put a spoiler warning as there are going to be spoilers so be aware!
So for starters the biggest positive of the film and the one who steals the show is Hugh Jackman who returns to play Wolverine from the X-Men films and the Wolverine films, he’s just as a great as he was in those films and shows that he still has it. There’s a few scenes in particular that standout quite well, Jackman adds some much needed emotional depth to the film. Granted it’s not anything mind blowing but it’s something and Jackman’s great acting is able to get the viewer invested which was part of Jackman’s portrayal of Logan/Wolverine in the first place. Ryan Reynolds is perfectly fine here, he isn’t anything special. But he works well with Hugh Jackman and there’s some comedic bits that do work between two, but then there are moments that are eye roll worthy that do end up hurting the movie in the long run.
The cameos I have to say this time around were actually fun, usually with a lot of the recent Marvel films it really does feel like they are shoving cameos in just for the audience to point and say “oh my god I know that guy.” While yes that argument can be used here, at the very least the cameos themselves are given more to do rather than blink at the camera, say a one liner and then leave. They actually tie into the story decently well and while some are definitely better handled than others I do think for the most part the movie does a decent job with them.
I’m not going to name every single cameo as there are quite a few of them and some of them such as Sabertooth who’s played by Tyler Mane (from X-Men (200)), really only serve as henchmen for the main villain Cassandra Nova (played by Emma Corrin) and then quickly get disposed of, sure it’s really cool to see that he’s here but that’s really all you can really say about him.
The main ones worth mentioning here are Chris Evans as Johnny Storm from Fantastic Four (2005) and it’s sequel Rise Of The Silver Surfer (2007), Jennifer Garner as Elektra from Daredevil (2003) and Elektra (2005), Wesley Snipes from the Blade trilogy (1998-2004), Dafne Keen as Laura/X-23 from Logan (2017) and finally the biggest surprise which I will say was quite clever of the film Channing Tatum as Gambit from the Gambit film that was planned but never ended up coming out. All of these performances at least contribute something to the film, Dafne Keen in particular shows some really great acting here especially the bonding moments between her character Laura and Wolverine. It’s some of the best moments of the movie with some nice character development that was very needed. Channing Tatum is a delight to see even if Gambit is given the least to do out of the bunch, Tatum is clearly having a blast doing this performance which in turn makes it a lot of fun to watch.
As far as everything else goes it’s pretty alright, the action scenes combined with some of the song choices are quite fun, one of the biggest standouts being Bye Bye Bye by NSYNC which happens to be the opening of the movie. So it does start out with a huge bang. The humor is definitely one of the weaker parts about this movie, while there are some hilarious moments a lot of it is the exact same thing from the previous two movies. Which I get it the movie is pulling from the source material and that’s just how Deadpool’s personality is but it really is a bit repetitive at this point and does start to really to become incredibly noticeable very quickly.
I will say the end credits combined with clips of the old 20th Century Studios Marvel films and behind the scenes footage of those films while using Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life) by Green Day (I’m surprised it took a film from the MCU this long to use a Green Day song) is actually quite nice. Does it scream graduation slideshow? Absolutely but growing up with these movies despite the wide range of quality and seeing them go like this is decently touching.
Overall Deadpool & Wolverine is fine for what it is, a lot of it is the same thing the MCU has been doing for the last couple years. But at the very least this one is entertaining, I’m probably not going to ever revisit it this movie but it made for a satisfying watch.
Enthralled by her own imagination, 11-year-old Lacy spends the long summer at home with her mother and three strangers.
Janet Planet is directed by Annie Baker which is her directorial debut.
Janet Planet is one of those films where you digest every single scene due to just how beautiful everything looks, from the actions of the characters, to the Western Massachusetts location including the foothills of the Berkshires and the town of Cummington. This film is the very definition of compelling and really does make your jaw drop.
The performances are some of the best so far this year, Julianne Nicholson plays Janet the mother of 11-year old daughter named Lacy (played by Zoe Ziegler) and it’s pretty incredible how raw Nicholson’s performance really gets, there’s so much character, emotion and heart put into this performance that you would think you are watching an every day person on your screen. The mother and daughter bond between Nicholson and Ziegler is also incredibly powerful, filled to the brim with so many heartfelt and emotional moments that really grab the viewer incredibly quickly. It takes awhile for Janet to figure out exactly how to connect with her daughter even though it’s clear she truly does love her. Lacy wants affection and attention she wants to see her mother listen to her and connect with her, this is shown in beautiful and quite emotional ways that really do tug at the heart strings.
The film itself is just beautiful to look at, the many gorgeous shots really take in that summer feel and capture the Western Massachusetts setting flawlessly. The little things such as the sounds of the chirping of the bugs, the Janet’s family eating outside on the porch it really captures this summertime lifestyle that is truly beautiful to see really do make this film all the more special and compelling.
The direction from Annie Baker is masterful, the bond between mother and daughter that evolves slowly but surely throughout the film is done in a very grounded and touching way. The film’s script (which is also written by Baker) compliments the film and gives these characters so much development and captures the feel of growing up and showing our loved ones have layers, the film does such an excellent job of exploring these layers that can have their weaknesses and strengths. The final moments of the film really compliment this well and really brings the story home.
Overall Janet Planet is a phenomenal film that I can’t recommend enough! It’s a beautifully told film that captures everything it needs to!
As artificial intelligence reigns, emotions have become a threat; to get rid of it, Gabrielle must purify her DNA by diving back into her past lives; she finds a great love there as well as a bad feeling.
The Beast is directed by Bertrand Bonello director of Nocturama (2016), Zombi Child (2019), Coma (2022), On War (2008) and a few others.
The Beast is a powerful one, dealing with many themes such as loss, narcissism, loneliness and much more.
To start off the performances are all fantastic here Léa Seydoux and George MacKay bounce off of each other during their conversations in a very natural way that’s quite beautiful and moves the story along at a beautiful pace. But it’s the performance by Seydoux that’s the standout and is honestly a career best worthy performance, she is able to adapt to the film’s many themes and time periods the film uses. Each new period we learn something new about her character Gabrielle which she gets more and more investing as the film goes on.
Seydoux also blends incredibly well with the film’s mysterious atmosphere, I’ve talked before about the sense of the unknown in some other reviews, this film uses that cleverly. Each time period, each scene or even dialogue you never know what’s going to happen. The film challenges the viewer to look at the film closely and try to figure out what exactly is going on here, it takes a lot of turns that I most certainly wasn’t expecting but glad the film made the decisions it did.
The script is incredibly well written, it tackles the themes of loss, loneliness and such incredibly well. Particularly loss, throughout these time periods there’s this sense of the characters losing parts of their lives, given what ends up happening in the film that does seem to be the case. It’s haunting yet beautiful portrayal of loss that is quite different from how other films portrayed it as. Loneliness mostly comes from the atmosphere and just the storytelling, it really seems abandoned especially towards the end that really hits you with the loneliness feel. It’s quite scary, raw but at the same time beautiful.
Speaking of which the film itself is beautifully shot, it’s one of the best looking films so far this year and that really comes from just how fluently the film moves, how the story adds to the cinematography, the character’s movements and so much more.
The Beast is definitely not going to be for everyone, as it does take a lot of time to get going. However if you are patient the film rewards the viewer greatly, it’s a fascinating film that I do highly recommend checking out.
Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear and Disgust have been running a successful operation by all accounts. However, when Anxiety shows up, they aren’t sure how to feel.
Inside Out 2 is directed by Kelsey Mann which is directorial debut. Inside Out 2 is the sequel to Inside Out (2015).
Inside Out 2 was always going to happen at some point, the first film was met with immediate love both critically and financially. It’s become a huge favorite among Pixar fans and while it might not be one of my absolute favorites of Pixar I still really do like the film. I think the same can be really said for Inside Out 2.
Inside Out 2 is quite similar to the first film and the plot is very similar which is not too much of a problem since the movie itself is very charming and endearing, however there are times where it’s a bit frustrating to see it keep things a bit too safe. Plus the movie doesn’t quite have the emotional punch that the first movie had. Having that said the positives really outweigh the negatives so let’s get into those.
The cast is great and the characters are just as fun as they were in the first film, Maya Hawke plays a new character Anxiety who steals the show. Maya Hawke absolutely nails it here and completely captures the character, Anxiety plays a lot like Joy did in the first film but luckily the chemistry between the two characters is quite fun so it doesn’t leave the viewer feeling bored or that they have seen this before.
The animation is beautifully done and adds a lot of attention to detail, the scenes with Riley are touching and have the awkward situations you would expect, there’s some strong emotional moments here that makes the viewer fall in love with these characters all over again. I also do think it’s clever they added emotions mainly due to Riley going through puberty which is a theme in this film change and how to go through it or embrace it. Really nice messages here that are absolutely relatable to a lot of people.
Overall Inside Out 2 is quite great, i definitely think if they are going to continue with a third film they are definitely going to have to step it up and not make it another “Joy and other emotions get separated from the headquarters” but the film is charming, has a strong message and is crafted incredibly well.
A construction worker joins a community of queer rodeo performers searching for their own version of the American dream. While working on a ranch in the Southwest, they contend with the undeniable forces of nature, family and love.
National Anthem is directed by Luke Gilford which is his directorial debut.
Very sad to see National Anthem go very unnoticed because this is a really powerful one, it’s a beautifully told story about the queer community and figuring out your true self.
Charlie Plummer does a lot of what he did in Lean On Pete (2017) here and that’s giving an incredibly touching performance that easily bounces off of the rest of the cast incredibly well, there’s a lot of moments where you the viewer feel like your traveling around the film’s world with him. He has this spark that activates as soon as he appears on screen that connects with the viewer. Eve Lindley is just as excellent Plummer, she gives a beautiful performance that’s incredibly raw, touching and her conversations with Plummer are truly fascinating. Both of them trying to figure out who they are is some of the film’s most incredibly compelling moments. It helps the film’s script compliments Plummer and Lindley, it gives their characters this natural feel like you may actually know them from somewhere.
The western cowboy setting is absolutely beautiful and very cleverly used here, the way it compliments the story by being about the queer community in the American west something that is often not talked about at all. It’s clear that Gilford really wanted to make this as some sort of love letter to the queer community and he does such a such a good job of doing so. It’s a very touching story that really compliments its characters.
The film is also quite confident in itself, it pours so much heart into the story and makes sure that viewer connects with these characters as soon as possible. There definitely is some cases of underdevelopment with some of the side characters, but that ultimately doesn’t hurt the movie when you have incredibly likable characters, a beautifully written script and a wonderful location to go along with it.
National Anthem is available on all VOD Platforms.
Housewives Alice and Celine are best friends and neighbours who seem to have it all. However, when a tragic accident shatters the harmony of their lives, guilt, suspicion and paranoia begin to unravel their sisterly bond.
Mother’s Instinct is directed by Benoît Delhomme which is his directorial debut.
I typically don’t like using the phrase “style over substance” because I do feel it’s become quite overused the last couple years. However it’s very appropriate here as Mother’s Instinct tends to heavily focus more on looking beautiful rather than telling a story that will grab the viewer.
Anne Hathaway and Jessica Chastain are by far the best parts of this film, they both give solid performances that do show their really fun screen presence. They both commit to their roles incredibly well Hathaway as Celine manages to use a lot of the character’s emotions and shifts between them effortlessly. While Chastain’s portrayal of Alice is more subdued but also compelling.
The cinematography combined with the 1960s America suburbia backdrop is undeniably beautiful. It adds a lot of detail and for the most part captures the time period decently well. There was clearly a lot of attention to detail that went into the filming and it absolutely shows in a lot of the scenes throughout the movie.
The main problem here is everything else in between, mostly the script is incredibly lacking in character and substance. The movie attempts to explore the darker sides of suburban life, but in the end doesn’t really say or do all that much. The movie has a lot of very repetitive conversations about about motherhood and societal expectations, the third act doesn’t get much better it turns into a melodrama that just kind of comes out of left field and not in a good way.
I really don’t know how else to describe Mother’s Instinct there’s definitely stuff to appreciate here but the overall package leaves so much more to be desired.
Mother’s Instinct is available on all VOD platforms.
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