Mal is the manager of England’s homeless football team, taking his players to Rome with the hope of being crowned champions of the Homeless World Cup. He brings with them a talented striker, Vinny, who could give them a real chance at winning.
The Beautiful Game is directed by Thea Sharrock who directed Me Before You (2016), The One and Only Ivan (2020) and Wicked Little Letters (2023).
Not a whole lot going on here, it’s a very typical underdog sports movie. The movie itself is fiction but it is about the real Homeless World Cup Tournament which is a bit interesting. When you read about the Homeless World Cup it’s honestly very touching, it brings people together to celebrate a sport and advocates for the end of homelessness through the sport of football (or soccer for Americans).
It’s unfortunate that The Beautiful Game goes for a cliched underdog type of direction rather than a more authentic one. The movie is well intentioned and there are some great moments particularly Bill Nighty who gives a very solid performance, while his character Mal isn’t exactly a very investing character (Mal’s backstory is incredibly basic) the performance is enough to make him one of the movie’s best parts.
The biggest problem here as I hinted at before is how it’s written, rather than really explaining what the Homeless World Cup is or talking about different parts of it. The viewer is stuck with a very typical underdog narrative which lead into a bucket full of sports drama cliches, it essentially trades in what could have been authenticity for a much safer and convenient path for the movie to go on.
The movie means well and has a nice message, but that kind of defeats the purpose when you really don’t explore the topic of your movie all that well.
Lou is a reclusive gym manager who falls hard for Jackie, an ambitious bodybuilder who’s heading to Las Vegas to pursue her dream. Their love soon leads to violence as they get pulled deep into the web of Lou’s criminal family.
Love Lies Bleeding is directed by Rose Glass who previously directed Saint Maud (2021)
After being incredibly impressed with Rose Glass’s previously film Saint Maud I was very excited to see what she had in store next….and wow she did not disappoint. She uses some of the same techniques she used in Saint Maud but ends up implementing them in drastically different ways, much like Saint Maud the film’s world here is small yet incredibly mysterious which only fits the Neo-noir style Glass is going for.
What especially helps is the characters of the film as well as the performances. Kristen Stewart plays Lou who Rose Glass clearly wants the viewer to really invest in to the point where we the viewer start to feel what Lou feels. Part of this is because of how well acted Kristen Stewart is here, she gives yet another fantastic performance that she is easily able to compliment the film’s tone. Her performance as Lou is truly some of her best work and really captures why she’s one of the most exciting actresses working today. Stewart just interacting with the rest of the cast and even the small talk moments are truly felt which gives her performance that much more power.
Katy O’Brian much like Kristen Stewart is truly brilliant here, a lot of what I just said about Stewart can be applied to O’Brian. Katy O’Brian plays Jackie a character who is incredibly easy to get invested in, lovable and is an incredibly fun character. Rose Glass also wants the viewer to get invested in Jackie much like Lou, the two really help build this film’s incredibly strange world. O’Brian and Stewart are absolutely incredible on screen together, the chemistry feels very natural and especially when the two first meet. It’s a very natural start to a bond that we see build throughout the film, granted we don’t see every single moment but we see quite enough to really get the full picture.
Ed Harris, Anna Baryshnikov, Jena Malone and Dave Franco are all quite great here, they all bring something different to the film especially Ed Harris who is downright intimidating and really fits the film’s Neo-noir type of style. The score is absolutely phenomenal Clint Marshall once again hits it out of the park. It heavily reminds me of the score he did for Requiem For A Dream (2001) which completely fits here, its electrifying, fast paced and suspenseful as well especially when you get to some of the film’s more action moments.
All of this combines into one beautifully haunting picture that Rose Glass very carefully creates, the ending might be a bit outlandish for some but I do think putting in such out there ending with everything else coming before it more grounded makes the film standout that much more, there is definitely a blend of horror here as well such as some slight body horror that really makes me want to see Rose Glass tackle a full on body horror film.
I won’t say too much else here since I do believe that this is a film that you have to go in knowing as little as possible. I highly recommend checking this one out if you haven’t already!
A struggling hairdresser finds a renewed sense of purpose when she meets a widowed father working hard to care for his two daughters. With his youngest critically ill and waiting for a liver transplant, the fierce woman single-handedly rallies an entire community to help.
Ordinary Angels is directed by Jon Gunn director of The Case Of Christ (2017), Like Dandelion Dust (2009), Mercy Streets (2000) and a few others. The film is also based on a true story one that took place during the 1994 North American Cold Wave.
Ordinary Angels was a pleasant surprised, it’s far better than a lot of these faith based movies in just about every single way possible. It more than likely has to do with the talent involved such as Hillary Swank in the leading role plus Meg Tilly and Kelly Fremon Craig (director of Are You There God? It’s Me Margaret and The Edge Of Seventeen) in the writers chair.
The performances here are quite great, Hillary Swank delivers a strong performance the gets even better as the film goes on, in fact the same can be said for the movie itself. The first 20-25 minutes or so are definitely a bit rough as they do feel very similar to the typical faith based movie genre, however the longer you stay with the film the better it gets. There’s some genuinely touching moments between the cast and the overall message of the film lands quite well. Alan Ritchson does a really solid job in his performance and much like Hillary Swank’s performance gets better as the film goes on.
The film isn’t preachy at all either, this film is more about good people doing good things for others as well as coming together to help. Heck the whole town eventually reaches out to help, the film itself is definitely not anything groundbreaking but it’s such a nice heartfelt film that you really can’t help but like.
Ordinary Angels is available on all VOD platforms.
In search of a fresh start, two women embark on an impromptu road trip to Tallahassee, Fla. However, things quickly go awry when they cross paths with a group of inept criminals along the way.
Drive-Away Dolls is directed by Ethan Coen which by himself and not with his brother Joel Coen he previously directed the documentary Jerry Lee Lewis: Trouble In Mind (2022).
Drive-Away Dolls is a very bizarre one, it has a lot of what make the Coen brothers films so great but also feels like it’s in it’s own world. I can easily see why this one is quite divisive however I came out of this one quite liking it, but will say there are parts of it that didn’t quite work for me.
The best part of the film hands down is the cast, everyone here turns in absolutely bizarre and quite energetic performances that I can’t help but love. Margaret Qualley and Geraldine Viswanathan have this natural chemistry almost immediately at the film’s beginning moments, the comedic timing between the two is excellent, they bounce off of each other incredibly well and their overall performances range from being goofy (in a good way) to being highly energetic and genuinely hilarious. The rest of the cast like I said earlier are just as great, Colman Domingo in particular who although doesn’t get a lot of screentime is still quite solid and actually delivers quite a few laughs throughout the film.
Drive-Away Dolls goes for this bizarre and energetic feel which for the most part works quite well, it’s a very fast paced film that’s only 84 minutes long and manages to wrap the story up in a fair amount of time. That being said I do think choices such as the screen transitions that look like something out of Microsoft Word are a bit too much. I get that the joke is that it’s supposed to be bad and you can absolutely make the argument that it fits the film, however I do think the joke runs dry after the first time or two it’s used. Granted this isn’t really something that completely ruins the film (far from it) as the strong performances and solid humor overshadow it, it’s just something worth pointing out.
The character’s personalities are quite entertaining, you have a lot of characters who are so out there and can go completely insane in a matter of minutes that it actually fits the world Ethan Coen and Tricia Coen wrote and want the viewer to explore. Granted outside of Jamie (played by Margaret Qualley) and Marian (played by Geraldine Viswanathan) we don’t get the most character writing however I do think the fact the viewer doesn’t know too much about the other characters outside of the leads actually benefits the film’s whole bizarre nature.
Overall Drive-Away Dolls is bizarre and quite a lot of fun, as I said before it’s definitely not for everyone. But I think it really works as a breezy and entertaining comedy.
Drive-Away Dolls is available on all VOD platforms.
On a stormy night, Patrick, a seemingly troubled man, is visited by a mysterious woman, asking for shelter at his mobile home. As the night unfolds, their anxiety and mutual mistrust grow, causing fear and paranoia to engulf the small RV.
You’ll Never Find Me is directed by Indianna Bell and Josiah Allen which is their directorial debut the film is also written by Indianna Bell.
You’ll Never Find Me is an interesting one, it has a simple setup of two strangers in a cabin. A lot of the setup has the viewer trusting Patrick (played by Brendan Rock) but we quickly see that he’s definitely not someone worth trusting. As Jordan Cowan who plays a character simply known as “woman” finds out.
If it’s two things You’ll Never Find Me nails down it’s the performances and atmosphere, both Brendan Rock and Jordan Cowan are both fantastic here and due to the strong acting from the two. Each scene is incredibly thrilling and is like a ticking time bomb waiting to go off at any given moment. From the casual conversations to the scenes that happen much later in the film it’s filled to the brim with thrilling and atmospheric moments that really get the viewer. The atmosphere has this claustrophobic feel to it due to just how small the cabin is and is an absolute perfect narrative device for a one location horror film.
The film does unfortunately fall a bit short with the ending, it’s not so much that the ending is bad it’s that it really doesn’t match the tone of the rest of the film. It’s much more abstract rather than this raw and close up look at two strangers, I can absolutely see what they were going for here I just think it doesn’t quite work given how the rest of the film presented itself. I will say though it is bonkers and there are parts of the ending I did enjoy, just nowhere near as much as the rest of the film.
Overall You’ll Never Find Me works for the most part, it’s a solid directorial debut for Indianna Bell and Josiah Allen and really makes me excited to see what they do next. If you can get passed the ending you will more than likely really enjoy this one.
Ex-UFC fighter Dalton takes a job as a bouncer at a Florida Keys roadhouse, only to discover that this paradise is not all it seems.
Road House is directed by Doug Liman who directed Edge Of Tomorrow (2014), American Made (2017), Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2005), The Bourne Identity (2002), The Wall (2017), Chaos Walking (2021) and a few others. The film is a remake of the 1989 film of the same name.
Not a whole lot to really say here since I don’t really have any special attachment towards the original Road House but even I will say that it’s a highly entertaining film and Patrick Swayze had this special approach that I don’t think anyone could really replicate. I had some hope that Doug Liman despite his last two movies being quite awful, could turn this into something solid. To his credit there was absolutely a level of attempt here, unfortunately it doesn’t quite land.
Jake Gyllenhaal is solid in the leading role which you would expect since it’s Gyllenhaal who almost always turns in a great performance, the problem is it doesn’t hit that mark that Swayze’s performance did. It just feels like another solid Gyllenhaal performance and nothing more. The rest of the cast are fine enough but the one that’s truly out there is Connor McGregor which is his acting debut. I honestly have no idea what to think of his performance, I definitely did laugh at how unhinged he really gets so that should count for something at least. I don’t think the performance is “good” but it’s so unhinged and his delivery is just incredibly out there that I can’t help but laugh and like it for what it is.
There’s some fine enough action scenes here but the pacing really drags this down especially during the second act, it really does not mesh well at all with the story being told and really turns Road House into a bit of a slog to get through which really does miss the point of the original. The original had a lot of energy and wasn’t a slog to get through, but here all you really get is an unhinged performance and some okay action scenes.
I think if this wasn’t called Road House this would have been a drastically better movie especially since it would have been its own thing. But as it stands this is one of those action movies that almost immediately leave your mind when you finish watching it.
In 1972, the first-ever Black congresswoman, Shirley Chisholm, launched a trailblazing campaign to become the president of the United States.
Shirley is directed by John Ridley who has directed Cold Around the Heart (1997), Jimi: All Is by My Side (2013) and Needle in a Timestack (2021).
Shirley tells the story of Shirley Chisholm an American politician who became the first Black woman to be elected into the United States Congress in 1968. She also became the first Black candidate for a major party nomination for President of the United States. The film documents the 1972 presidential run of Shirley Chisholm.
There is absolutely no denying what Shirley Chisholm did broke many barriers and was truly inspiring, a lot of that is felt throughout the film, sadly however the movie does have a flaws that hold it back. The main one being this is yet another incredibly safe biopic that goes about as deep as a Wikipedia page, this is sadly a common trend among a lot of biopics and Shirley is no different.
Having that said there are positives which mostly comes from the performances. Regina King plays Shirley Chisholm and as usual knocks it out of the park, even with a lacking script Regina King is able to really turn a lot of the movie around and make certain scenes genuinely powerful. She nails down the accent, actions and mannerisms of Shirley Chisholm which truly is fascinating. Her commanding the screen at any moment she’s given is truly powerful and once again fascinating to watch.
Lucas Hedges returns (his last film performance was in 2020) he plays Robert Gottlieb which while he doesn’t have a whole lot of screentime, Regina King and Lucas Hedges work incredibly well together and actually deliver some charming moments. Hedges also really nails down his portrayal of Gottlieb quite well. The late Lance Reddick plays Wesley McDonald Holder (one of his last performances, there’s still three more film performances after this) does an excellent job and again shows how incredible he was as an actor. He works incredibly well with the rest of the cast and much like Regina King, he’s able to take a lacking script and turn into something really fascinating.
As I said before unfortunately Shirley is a very by the numbers biopic, the directing style is played very safe and falls in line with a lot of other biopics. Which is a shame because Shirley Chisholm’s story is very fascinating and deserves to be told with so much more power.
London broker Nicholas “Nicky” Winton helps rescue hundreds of predominantly Jewish children from Czechoslovakia in a race against time before the Nazi occupation closes the borders. Fifty years later, he’s still haunted by the fate of those he wasn’t able to bring to safety.
One Life is directed by James Hawes which is directorial debut (not counting TV movies). One Life tells the true story of Sir Nicholas Winton who helped groups of Jewish children in German occupied Czechoslovakia to hide in flee in 1938-1939 just before the beginning of World War II.
It’s a very true fact when they say that World War II created a ton of personal stories from many different people, one of those is Nicholas Winton who was just ordinary man before he decided to put his life on the line and save so many children who were going to be killed.
The film itself switches back and forth between Winton’s early life which includes him saving the children and the present where he is much older and is known as a hero. The film really does a fantastic job of going back and forth between times, it cuts to when Winton is an elder at the best times possible so that the historical moments can hit the viewer harder. When it cuts to Winton’s younger years it allows more information about him to be revealed nice and slowly without being overwhelming for the viewer.
Johnny Flynn plays younger Winton which he does such a fantastic job, he absolutely fits the role and really fits the part as a man who sees pain and hurt then proceeds to put his life on the line to save those in need. Combine his performance with the nice and smooth pacing and you have yourself some really powerful moments throughout the film.
The first two acts are your standard biopic, they are by no means bad in fact there are tons of excellent moments between them. There just isn’t anything mind blowing. What helps the first two acts is the hero’s journey type of element to Nicholas Winton, it’s incredibly inspiring to see and never leaves your head throughout the film.
When the third act comes in that’s where the film’s power comes in, I purposely saved describing Anthony Hopkins performance for last because it’s truly gut punching and absolutely powerful. Anthony Hopkins gives one of my favorite performances so far this year, he plays this honest and heartwarming performance who reflects on the events of Winton’s early life. Every single moment of Hopkins’s performance especially during the third act comes off as honest, it’s absolutely beautiful and will make you cry.
The third act has some of the children (who are now grown up) that Nicholas Winton saved meet with a now elderly Nicholas Winton to meet him. All of this takes place during a tv show called That’s Life. This is some of the film’s most powerful moments and it all comes down to the acting, between Anthony Hopkins’s quiet performance during this scene, to the absolute raw reveal and Hopkins tears. It’s truly some of the most beautiful and powerful moments from a film so far this year.
Overall One Life is a beautiful film, sure the first two acts might not be the absolute strongest but between the third act, performances and the great use of switching in time. It more than makes up for its flaws.
A talented stop-motion animator becomes consumed by the grotesque world of her horrifying creations — with deadly results.
Stopmotion is directed by Robert Morgan which is his feature-length debut. It is worth noting that he did direct “D is for Deloused” in ABCs Of Death 2 (2014).
Robert Morgan’s work is truly neat, if you have watched his short stop motion animation films you probably have a very good idea of what Stopmotion has in store. It combines stop motion and live action wonderfully and really does a good job of having the two compliment each other storywise.
The performance from Aisling Franciosi is quite fantastic, she gives a surprisingly raw performance that captures the film’s creepy atmosphere. The gore is quite great and adds to the already suspenseful and creepy atmosphere as well, Caoilinn Springall who plays a character simply known as “Little Girl” is also quite great. Much like everything else I’ve talked about so far she adds to the atmosphere.
The film’s weapon of choice it likes to use…is it’s atmosphere, when you combine the performances, gore, the stop motion animation and such you get such a dark and creepy atmosphere that sticks with you throughout the film. The direction from Robert Morgan is also quite fascinating as well, while not exactly using anything new narrative wise. He does end up making it work due to the stop motion connecting with the live action, it’s some very interesting touches Morgan went with.
The main flaw here is mostly in the script, the story itself is a very traditional slow burn horror film. While that’s not necessarily a bad thing (far from it) it does leave a bunch of missed opportunities at the door to try and do something a lot more with the story. Some of the supporting characters are forgettable and don’t have a whole lot going on. The character arc combined with the narrative beats are on the predictable side of things as well.
Despite the flaws however I still do recommend giving Stopmotion a go, the artistry is absolutely there and the movie itself is still quite interesting. Just do not go into it expecting a masterfully written story.
Gordon is a hopeless romantic whose proposal plans are put in jeopardy when his girlfriend gets swept away to Canada by a job offer from her ex. Determined to keep their love alive, he leaves Brooklyn, N.Y., for her hometown, only to find himself out of his depth while trying to charm her hard-to-impress, French-speaking family.
French Girl is directed by James A. Woods and Nicolas Wright which is both their directorial debut.
The only reason why I know French Girl exists is because I saw a few people on Twitter poking fun of the trailer and trust me the trailer makes the movie look like one of those movies where you watch it just to see how much of a disaster it is. Unfortunately this movie is very forgettable and is basically another meeting the parents type of romantic comedy.
Performance wise Zach Braff, Evelyne Brochu and Vanessa Hudgens are all okay. They do what they can with such a very dull script there’s a couple moments where there is a bit of comedic potential but unfortunately a majority of this movie is filled to the brim with cliches.
If you have seen any movie where someone is meeting the person they are dating parents and then trying to impress them, then you have already seen French Girl. You could probably take a good guess what ends up happening in this movie and you would probably be correct.
Honestly if it hadn’t been for the cast I definitely feel like French Girl would not be talked about at all, it’s a very stale romantic comedy that really has nothing going for it.
Jerome Reviews... 