Christy (2025) Film Review

Christy Martin never imagined life beyond her small-town roots in West Virginia, until she discovered a knack for punching people. Fueled by grit, raw determination, and an unshakable desire to win, she charges into the world of boxing under the guidance of her trainer and manager-turned-husband, Jim. Flaunting a fiery persona in the ring, her toughest battles start to unfold outside of it as she confronts family, identity, and a relationship that just might become life-or-death.

Christy is directed by David Michôd director of Animal Kingdom (2010), The Rover (2014), War Machine (2017) and The King (2019).

Christy tells the story of Christy Martin which mainly tells her rise to becoming America’s best known female boxer in the 1990s and later her coach turned husband James V. Martin’s attempted murder of her.

What starts out as a very by the numbers biopic ends up turning into something genuinely interesting and even disturbing, Michôd’s choice of mixing both the rise of Christy’s career and the abuse she faced is a very risky move but one that ultimately does payoff which is mostly thanks to the performances.

Sydney Sweeney does an excellent job here, it does take a bit of time for her to get into the core of her performance but she ultimately leaves the viewer with a very powerful impression. This is a much different type of performance for Sweeney, one that pushes her to her limits and brings out this raw and at times upsetting performance. The final act of the film brings this into detail brutally with one scene in particular that is quite upsetting, Sweeney delivers this incredibly well with genuine pain and betrayal in her eyes and voice, its horrifying and never really leaves your mind even after the credits roll. Sweeney is a main part of why Christy works as well as it does, she paints this portrait of Christy Martin a woman who had beautiful rise but also horrifying betrayal.

Ben Foster as James V. Martin is the other half of what makes the film work so well. Foster delivers a terrifying and disturbing performance, when the film explores the abuse Christy faced the film suddenly becomes this disturbing ticking time bomb. Foster’s ability to switch someone who is kind and constantly praising Christy to a manipulative and abusive monster who wants to destroy Christy is both quite impressive and disturbing at the same time. The interactions between the two have this horrifying rawness that could potentially feel relatable for abuse victims, both Foster and Sweeney truly bring this film from a traditional biopic into something a lot stronger and interesting.

The writing as I said starts out as this typical biopic, we explore the highlights of Christy Martin’s career and her rise to fame. Even if this does have familiar beats, you can’t help but root for her. Christy and her team are fun and engaging, some of the supporting cast do not get a whole lot to do but they make the most of it. As we get into the film’s exploration of abuse that’s when the film strays away from the usual biopic and brings in a much different atmosphere and direction.

The film’s fight scenes are pretty solid as well, there definitely are some odd camera choices but those are a far and few in between. For the most part you get these up close and striking shots that have strength on their own. The film does suffer a bit from padding in some areas and the supporting cast does feel a bit underutilized.

Overall Christy is a very solid film with fantastic performances and tells Christy Martin’s story of her career and her survival very well. It’s horrifying yet ends on a positive note for Christy.

Christy is available on all VOD platforms.

8/10 B+

The Long Walk (2025) Film Review

Teens participate in a gruelling high-stakes contest where they must continuously walk or be shot by a member of their military escort.

The Long Walk is directed by Francis Lawrence director of Constantine (2005), I Am Legend (2007), Water For Elephants (2011), Red Sparrow (2018), Slumberland (2022) and The Hunger Games franchise (2012-Present.)

The Long Walk was a huge surprise, while yes Francis Lawrence has shown that he’s a great director. Making a whole film about the characters constantly walking and never stopping seemed like a bit of a challenge (which hey that’s always a good thing), due to the film’s excellent cast, beautifully done direction and really meaningful moments. The Long Walk ends up being one of this year’s best.

The main praise you hear when this film is talked about is how excellent both the performances of Cooper Hoffman and David Jonsson really are and that is very well deserved. The two give the best duo performance of the year, from the moment their character’s Ray (played by Hoffman) and Pete (played by Jonsson) interact the film focuses on these two’s conversations, the people around them and their stories. The two deliver compelling, nuanced and actually quite astonishing performances that really leave viewer stunned and heartbroken. Jonsson serves as the film’s emotional core, he gives such a heartbreaking performance that especially works during the film’s final moments. Hoffman gives a vulnerable yet powerful performance that sticks with the viewer.

The supporting cast are just as fantastic, Ben Wang, Tut Nyuot and Charlie Plummer in particular. The three give their characters depth that would otherwise be absent from the film, sure they might not be given as much as Hoffman or Jonsson but they are still participating in the story and interact with Ray and Pete. There is story arcs here with these characters that are truly compelling and it helps that the performances themselves are all fantastic, each of them bring this natural energy to the mix of the film that completely brings the viewer into the experience.

The writing is incredibly well done, the natural dialogue is so well done here. As we learn about Ray, Pete and the others backstories we really get to see so much depth in them, the film’s atmosphere has this bleakness but at the same time this beautiful humanist feel. There are glimpses of hope in the dialogue that everything can change, which I might be a bit biased here but is a sort of theme I have always loved. The theme of wanting the future to change and seeing a path forward is so well executed here and brings you to tears. Ray, Pete and the rest of the characters just talking about why they are here, what they are going to do after all of this is truly devastating.

The film’s death scenes are all the more disturbing given the film’s story and how much we grow attached to these characters. These are not just random death scenes, these are scenes where the stakes feel incredibly real. It’s showing that the Major (played by Mark Hamill) and his men are not playing around, there is danger at every corner since if you stop walking and the count goes down to zero you die. It’s filled to the brim with thrilling atmosphere that all of the characters must go through. Which ultimately leads to the film’s brutality in its death scenes, the kills are nothing incredibly flashy but the film does not need that at all. It gets the point across with simple gunshots, we see the fear in the characters eyes and body language.

The film’s final moments brings this sense of hope, the journey we went on was bleak and seemed like there was no path to a better future. However the film does such a beautiful and emotional job of showing there is a chance for change, it’s an absolute beautiful way to end this tense ride.

Overall The Long Walk is very well acted, written and directed. It’s an atmospheric ride that has very beautiful human moments. The performances from Hoffman and Jonsson are some of the absolute best of the year.

The Long Walk is available on all VOD platforms.

10/10 A+

Caught Stealing (2025) Film Review

When his punk-rock neighbour asks him to take care of his cat for a few days, New York City bartender Hank Thompson suddenly finds himself caught in the middle of a motley crew of threatening gangsters who all want a piece of him.

Caught Stealing is directed by Darren Aronofsky director of Pi (1998), Requiem For A Dream (2000), The Fountain (2006), The Wrestler (2008), Black Swan (2010), Noah (2014), Mother! (2017) and The Whale (2022).

Darren Aronofsky has always been one of my favorite filmmakers, his ability to bring out transformative or flat out incredible performances from a lot of actors is just fascinating. While I’m always going to prefer Aronofsky’s more dramatic work, It’s always nice to see Aronofsky have a lot of fun and go for something completely different here.

Austin Butler is oozing with charisma and almost immediately captures the atmosphere that the world of the film demands. Every single moment you feel this gravitational pull towards his character Henry “Hank” Thompson and the world around him. Butler’s performance only gets more and more electrifying as the film goes on especially with the film’s tone that quickly becomes more brutal and darker. Butler gives one of the best performances of the year, this is the type of performance of what makes an actor so interesting especially sensing the confidence within the performance.

The supporting performances are just as fantastic, Zoë Kravitz’s chemistry with Butler is captivating and even if her part is not as massive, the time she does have she uses well and brings this passionate bond the film shows through Butler and Kravitz’s chemistry. Matt Smith and Regina King are both fantastic here as well, both capture the energy and atmosphere of their respective roles. Smith being more chaotic and King bringing her strength and pedigree. Tonic the cat is also a fun addition to the film who does a fantastic job with the film’s more comedic moments.

The writing is atmospheric, thrilling and genuinely funny at times. It’s a nice balance between the three, none of which completely overwhelm one another. The writing has moments of brutality which is where the depth for these characters comes from, we explore a bit about them. Even if at times there is a bit of surface level information, what we do learn is admittedly fascinating which keeps the viewer in for the ride. The comedic elements are on the black comedy side of things, but are effectively used sparingly and do not take away from the more dramatic ones.

Aronofsky does a fascinating job of capturing this 1990s New York landscape, he invests a ton of energy in creating this beautiful feel that you can’t help but look around. This is definitely one of Aronofsky’s bigger in scale films, perhaps his biggest since Noah (2014). But unlike Noah (2014) where it felt very overwhelming and a giant mess in general, Caught Stealing is a lot more focused and has a lot more interesting elements happening on screen. You have the chaotic nature of the cast and their characters, the brutality of the film, the film’s black comedy and the strong cinematography from Matthew Libatique.

Overall Caught Stealing is such a chaotic and fun ride from beginning to end, that Aronofsky does such a fascinating job of capturing the crazed experience.

Caught Stealing is available on all VOD platforms.

9/10 A

Lurker (2025) Film Review

A retail employee infiltrates the inner circle of an artist on the verge of stardom. As he gets closer to the budding music star, access and proximity become a matter of life and death.

Lurker is directed by Alex Russell which is his directorial debut.

Lurker is a very impressive directorial debut that goes for this realistic and quite uncomfortable look at fan culture and the effects of obsession and celebrity worship. The performances, atmosphere and Russell’s direction truly make the whole package work.

Théodore Pellrin and Archie Madekwe give some of the best performances of the year, Pellrin plays Matthew someone who is obsessed with wanting to belong and eventually does push that way too far, it’s done in this very subtle and realistic way. Some people might write this off as a “stalker film like performance” but what Lurker goes for here is quite different, Matthew gets into Oliver’s (played by Archie Madekwe) life easily by acting useful and harmless. It’s a natural way that just about anyone would fall for, how Pellrin portrays these actions and mindsets is truly fascinating to the point where it’s almost scary.

Archie Madekwe does a fantastic job as Oliver, not only does he do a fantastic job of illustrating the casual control that a celebrity wields. But he also does an excellent job when it comes to having this balance of charisma and detachment, we see this more and more as the film goes on with Oliver realizing that Matthew really needs to be cut off from him, which he does about as well as he really can considering the situation he is in.

The dynamic between the two is what keeps the film moving along, we see they start off as great friends with Matthew becoming more and more obsessive with Oliver. We can see the quick change in their friendship with it slowly but surely going downhill and getting more and more uncomfortable, all of this is captured quite rawly through the performances of Pellrin and Madekwe. It’s uncomfortable yet a fascinating look at how being parasocial can really start to affect your real life bonds a behavior outside the internet.

The supporting cast are great here as well, particularly Havana Rose Liu who may not get the most amount of screen time. But she does have memorable scenes that are quite great and captures the atmosphere of the film decently well. Her and Zack Fox both effectively reflect the audience’s reactions to Matthew’s obsessive behavior.

The writing is fantastic, as mentioned before the film is done in this quite realistic style and the writing really reflects that. Whether it be some of the more explosive moments that the film builds up to, or some of the more quiet and subtle moments that remain thrilling throughout the film. There is always something here to bring in the viewer slowly but surely, the manipulative language that Matthew displays is scary and captures a lot of what makes this sort of behavior so scary in the first place.

The direction from Alex Russell is incredibly confident and paints this picture of a deeply uncomfortable dive into modern day obsession, while some plot points do go where you expect them to. It’s not enough to take away from Lurker as a film, this sense of belonging is captured so well yet ultimately transformers into something much much darker and unhinged. How Russell is able to accomplish this in a much quieter way is truly fascinating.

Overall Lurker is an excellent film that explores parasocial relationships and celebrity worship in this honest and uncomfortable way. It’s incredibly well acted, written and directed, one of the most underrated films of the year.

Lurker is available on all VOD platforms.

9/10 A

East Of Wall (2025) Film Review

A rebellious South Dakotan rancher makes hard decisions related to her fractured family, financial uncertainty and unresolved grief, all while providing refuge for a group of wayward neighbourhood teens.

East Of Wall is directed by Kate Beecroft which is her directorial debut.

Authentic would be the best word to describe East Of Wall, not only does it take on a very documentary like approach. But the film based on the lead actress Tabatha Zimiga’s real life, it’s a docufiction film done at its absolutely best.

The performances feel incredibly raw, Tabatha Zimiga gives her debut performance and does such a beautiful job. Almost immediately you connect with her story simply due to how well the film establishes her and her story very early on, Porshia Zimga similarly plays herself and does just as an incredible job. With a cast that is filled with mostly nonprofessionals we really get to see and feel the impact of Zimiga’s story and the performances here feel that much more authentic. While yes Scoot McNairy and Jennifer Ehle are here (who also do a great job) that does not take away from the authenticity of the film. They mix well with the rest of the cast and fit into the story being told.

Almost immediately you get Chloe Zhao’s The Rider (2018) vibes from the film and in a good way. Much like that film, we get to see the daily lives of Tabatha and her daughter Porshia in this authentic way that shows them living their lives on screen. It’s like we are just watching them for a distance and seeing what unfolds, we get some beautiful cinematography from Austin Shelton who captures the beauty of South Dakota particularly the Badlands a forgotten beauty (that we do not see much in film.)

The writing is phenomenal, Kate Beecroft also wrote the script and apparently lived 3 years with Tabatha and her family. That definitely shows throughout the film, you can feel this personal power that is poured into the script as the film goes on, the emotional moments hit one hundred times harder than they normally would. The quiet moments feel more connective, scenes of Tabatha and her family just talking and bonding are beautiful. There is much beautiful character work here as well as acting talent.

Overall East Of Wall is straightforward yet is the very definition of authentic, it’s a beautifully told story that might take a bit to get going. But it is absolutely worth experiencing.

East Of Wall is available on all VOD platforms.

9/10 A

The Black Phone 2 (2025) Film Review

Bad dreams haunt 15-year-old Gwen as she receives calls from the black phone and sees disturbing visions of three boys being stalked at a winter camp. Accompanied by her brother, Finn, they head to the camp to solve the mystery, only to confront the Grabber — a killer who’s grown even more powerful in death.

The Black Phone 2 is directed by Scott Derrickson director of Hellraiser: Inferno (2000), The Exorcism Of Emily Rose (2005), The Day The Earth Stood Still (2008), Sinister (2012), Deliver Us From Evil (2014), Doctor Strange (2016), The Black Phone (2022) and The Gorge (2025). The film serves as a sequel to The Black Phone (2022).

When The Black Phone 2 was announced a lot of the reactions were something along the lines of “where does it go from here?” The first film was a surprisingly quite strong film that felt raw, it also came out in 2022 the year that was filled to the brim with excellent horror films. Luckily The Black Phone 2 does the smart move of being the complete opposite of it’s predecessor, rather going for more of the same thing the film opts to go for this Nightmare On Elm Street inspired feel. Which in the end works in the film’s favor due to just how well the film is executed.

The performances all around are fantastic, Mason Thames and Madeleine McGraw are both once again fantastic, we get to see their trauma and what has changed since the last film. McGraw especially gets one particular moment during the film’s final moments that I was not expecting to cry at, without spoiling it I will say that it was a very well built up to moment that really does a fantastic job of showing Gwen as a character and just strong McGraw is here. It’s a touching moment that leaves the viewer in tears during the film’s final moments.

Although Ethan Hawk is not in the film as much as one would expect, what makes The Grabber so effective this time around is feeling his presence in the atmosphere itself. Ethan Hawke does deliver a solid performance here and while it is a bit of a shame we do not get to see him as much as we did in the first film, I do think the payoff and what we do end up getting with the atmosphere and dream sequences (I’ll get into that soon) is wonderful and makes up for it.

The supporting cast such as Demián Bichir and Arianna Rivas are both strong here as well, we get to see some genuinely solid moments of the two helping Finney and Gwen, plus a few moments of Bichir’s character Armando showing some vulnerability. It might not be a particularly huge moment but it does show that the film wants everyone to at least be involved in the film’s world.

The Nightmare On Elm Street inspirations become very clear when it comes to the dream sequences, these sequences are filmed using an 8mm camera and they are quite haunting. You can fell the dark atmosphere and The Grabber’s presence throughout these scenes, these moments perfectly capture what it’s like to have very unclear and confused dreams that get you thinking about what exactly happened. The 8mm camera only adds to the blur and confused nature as well as this terrifying painting of trauma, there is this theme of trauma here that is very effectively done. As the dream sequences keep occurring we see more and more build up until the whole film leads to the return of The Grabber making his presence known.

The writing does have its cornball moments, however the film mostly stays on the ball with delivering a ton of genuine moments that are touching. Finney’s bond with his sister Gwen is incredibly charming and the roster of characters all feel involved as I mentioned before, some are definitely more important than others but the film does a great job of giving these characters life.

Overall The Black Phone 2 is a very strong sequel that’s just as great as its predecessor, it was a very smart move to go for a much different direction rather than doing the same thing again. It does interest me where they will go if a Black Phone 3 does happen.

The Black Phone 2 is available on all VOD platforms.

9/10 A

After The Hunt (2025) Film Review

A college professor finds herself at a personal and professional crossroad when a star student levels an accusation against one of her colleagues, threatening to expose a dark secret from her own past.

After The Hunt is directed by Luca Guadagnino director of A Bigger Splash (2015), Call Me By Your Name (2017), Suspiria (2018), Bones and All (2022), Challengers (2024), Queer (2024) and a few others.

After The Hunt is a rare miss for Luca Guadagnino, last year he did incredibly well with delivering two of the best films from last year Challengers and Queer. After The Hunt however is a bit of mess that tells it’s story in the most bland and most frustrating way possible, there is clearly some sort of effort put into the movie thanks to the cast and even some solid moments. But for the most part the movie either does not explore the characters nowhere near enough or is holding back for no explainable reason.

Julia Roberts, Andrew Garfield and Ayo Edebiri all try their best with a script that is not doing the movie any favors. Roberts gets the biggest end of the stick mainly due to having a number of more quiet moments where you can really tell how she is feeling and what she is thinking during certain scenes. While Andrew Garfield does give a solid performance and even has one particular moment that is quite memorable, he has given far better performances before. At certain points during the movie it almost feels like the script is holding him back from making his performance even better. Ayo Edebiri unfortunately gets the short end of the stick, while her performance is certainly not bad. The movie fails to give her character any sort of strong writing or dialogue to help her stand out. These are all very talented actors that are unfortunately held back by such an empty script that gives nothing for the viewer to chew on.

The writing is what breaks the movie, what makes Guadagnino’s films so interesting (at least for me) is always the characters and the world in which they live in. There is always this element of surprise and intrigue that quickly brings the viewer into his films almost immediately. You do not get that here with After The Hunt, instead you get a very messy story that has no real idea of what it’s trying to go for here, the serious subject matter is just not taken with the care it deserves. The movie does not add anything new to the conversation and instead feels like it’s repeating itself over and over again.

Which leads to the movie’s 139 minute runtime which is baffling to say the least, it goes on for way too long and adds so much extra padding. It gets to a point where the movie almost has this run on sentence type of feel, with every couple of great moments that show signs of a decent movie there is at least ten moments that say the exact same thing.

Overall After The Hunt is not as bad as some will say, however it is a huge mess of a movie that has very little to say about such a serious subject. It’s by far the most disappointing move of the year and I’m not sure if it’s even close.

After The Hunt is available on all VOD platforms.

5/10 C

The Smashing Machine (2025) Film Review

The true story of mixed martial arts and UFC fighter Mark Kerr, whose obsession with greatness made him a legend — and nearly cost him everything.

The Smashing Machine is directed by Benny Safdie director of which his is first film directing without his brother Josh Safdie.

The Smashing Machine tells the story of Mark Kerr a former amateur wrestler and MMA fighter. I must say that this one surprised me, while yes this does have a lot of the usual biopic tropes that we as the audience have come to expect. There is something about The Smashing Machine that clicked for me and I’m still not quite sure what it was, perhaps it’s due to the film feeling like one of the more down to earth and humanly told biopics or in other words ones that don’t feel manufactured.

Dwyane Johnson gives a fantastic performance here, he shows that he can really go all out as an actor. There is plenty of scenes here that he shows little subtleties on his face and body language which goes a long way, he gives this authentic and surprisingly shows vulnerability. Johnson plays Mark Kerr in this way that shows he doesn’t know how really register the rest of the world when he isn’t fighting. His body language is shaky, he hesitates for periods of time before speaking and he’s actually intimidated, it’s this fragile portrayal and feel that shows the complete opposite of the type of performances Johnson has been doing the last several years.

Emily Blunt is also fantastic here, the messy relationship between Mark Kerr and Dawn Staples is shown here and in surprisingly raw detail. The scenes of the two arguing are brutal and raw, brutal in the sense that these are the sort of arguments feel all too real. These are the type of fights that feel like they come from years of loving someone and standing by them but the pressure just keeps building up until nobody can take it anymore. Each of these scenes are heartbreaking and tragic to watch, it ultimately builds into one particular scene that is genuinely soul crushing. Emily Blunt does such a fantastic job of displaying a lot of this and being the anchor of the film and reminding us how violence is not just in the ring. Blunt gives a heartbreaking performance that feels all too real and can absolutely be relatable to the viewer.

Speaking of which the fight scenes themselves are done in a quite fascinating way, the fights have this documentary and dream like feel. There’s this sense of Mark Kerr feeling like he’s lost and cannot find where to go or what is going on when his opponent is right in front of him, the brutality during these scenes almost feels like the camera is scared of it. This brings the question if Mark is scared of the brutality as well? It’s something the film does a fantastic job of exploring during these sequences and we really do not get a conclusive answer.

The 90s like filming style is quite phenomenal, there’s this old VHS type of look that compliments the film incredibly well and gives the film this sort of classic pay per view wrestling type of nostalgic feel. I’m not into wrestling and know very little about it, but I do remember a lot of people talking about pay per view wrestling growing up and this film’s filming style really captures that feel incredibly well. Cinematographer Maceo Bishop does a wonderful job of showing this in a very natural and nostalgic way that you can’t help but think about.

The writing does have some typical biopic tropes, if you have seen the documentary about Mark Kerr you already know what’s going to happen. The film also does fall in the department of not showing enough of how Kerr’s chaos hurt others (outside of Dawn Staples), the film only touches on this but does not go far enough. However that does not take away from the film’s brutal honesty during a lot of moments, the addiction scenes are anxiety inducing, the romance as said before has so many broken moments and there’s this sense of loneliness that hits you in this quiet but powerful way, the presence of loneliness remains throughout the film.

Overall The Smashing Machine feels humane and tender, between the raw performances and the many different themes as well as the filming. There is truly something powerful here that might not show up immediately but will eventually leave you thinking about it.

The Smashing Machine is available on all VOD platforms.

8/10 B+

Pools (2025) Film Review

In the midst of her whole life falling apart, Kennedy attempts to somehow reconnect with her dead father, searching for permission to live her own life within a wild pool-hopping escape through the elaborate estates of her college town.

Pools is directed by Sam Hayes which is his directorial debut.

Pools is a coming of age film that may not exactly do anything brand new, however there is this theme of being young and having to grow up and how life can uppercut you that quickly connects to the viewer and it’s done in a way that feels very natural. Combine that with some strong performances, camerawork and direction you have yourself a charming little film.

Odessa A’zion has quickly become a rising star and this is yet another showcase of how great of an actress she really is. She plays her character Kennedy incredibly well and in this natural way that quickly gets the viewer invested into her character, she adds so many layers and depth to Kennedy. She has her own personal issues underneath it all and the way the film goes about exploring these issues is interesting and really shows how talented A’zion is as an actress.

The rest of the cast is quite great, while the character writing is not as strong for the rest of the cast. They all still turn in great performances, particularly Ariel Winter and Mason Gooding both of which I’m not exactly crazy about as actors. But I will admit that they do a pretty solid job here especially in one particular scene that shows some sort of depth for these characters.

The technical aspects of the film are surprisingly pretty solid, the cinematography from Ben Hardwicke has this summer vibe going on here which matches with the film quite well. The editing and camerawork which includes some zoom ins make for some decently funny visual language. The atmosphere also has this laid back summer feel that mixes well with the film’s more dramatic moments.

The writing has plenty of raw moments that helps these characters explore their issues in their personal lives, the humor can be a bit of a hit or miss and as I said before Pools is not exactly groundbreaking. However the film has this charming message and wonderfully funny atmosphere that you cannot help but enjoy.

Overall Pools is a fun little coming of age film that is backed by its cast, direction and technical elements.

Pools is available on all VOD platforms.

7/10 B

Roofman (2025) Film Review

After escaping from prison, former soldier and professional thief Jeffrey Manchester finds a hideout inside a Toys “R” Us, surviving undetected for months while planning his next move. However, when Jeffrey falls for a divorced mom, his double life starts to unravel, setting off a compelling and suspenseful game of cat and mouse as his past closes in.

Roofman is directed by Derek Cianfrance director of Brother Ted (1998), Blue Valentine (2010), The Place Beyond The Pines (2012) and The Light Between Oceans (2016).

Often times I find that films that are about bizarre true stories where if you told someone who was completely unfamiliar them they would look at you like you have five heads to be the most interesting. That’s especially the case here with Roofman a film that tells the story of Jeffery Manchester a spree robber who escaped prison and who hid in a Toys R Us, he escaped in June 2004 and was recaptured in January 2005. It’s a bizarre story that the film tells incredibly well, there is even a lot of heart in the film as well.

First and foremost the performances here are quite fantastic, Channing Tatum gives such a wonderful performance that captures the bizarre nature of the story as well as just being incredibly charming. He has so much charisma and works with the rest of the cast effortlessly, there’s this sense of vulnerability that is shown through the film’s more quiet moments. It’s a bit surprising to see given the film’s story but at the same time it’s not, Cianfrance’s usual bringing out career worthy best performances from several actors is present here and that can be argued for Tatum.

The film also does not undermine the effect the actions of what Jeffery (played by Channing Tatum) has had on the people in his life, even showing how people who were caught in the crossfire were hurt, it’s done in this way that is meaningful and shows everyone’s reactions in this detail that has a lot of emotion and power.

Much like Tatum, Kristen Dunst gives an incredible performance here. A lot of what I said about Tatum’s performance can be said about Dunst. Her chemistry with Tatum is absolutely wonderful and really elevates the film, the close-up shots of the two is emotional and really pushes the film to greatness. Dunst has this charm to her performance that also shares vulnerability, the scenes of Dunst and Tatum just talking about each other and sharing their life story are some of the film’s most powerful and intimate moments that truly make the film.

The writing is truly fascinating here, this is one of those films that gives the supporting cast no matter how small of a part they have something to do. LaKeith Stanfield is of course fantastic and Peter Dinklage gives a humorous performance. The writing also does a great job of balancing the dramatic moments with the humor, the humor is not the main focus of the story (which the trailer would make you believe that it is) but it’s still present and blends well with the dramatic moments. The character writing from this film is shockingly quite great, it brings the viewer’s interest quickly and does a wonderful job of giving these characters the rawness they need.

Finally there is Cianfrance’s direction which is quite excellent, as mentioned before he loves to bring out career best worthy performances and that’s the case here with Tatum. The humor and drama he brings to the story is carefully put together, one does not overwhelm the other. It’s all done in this sort of direction that has a lot of heart and care, which is a very interesting approach to such a bizarre story that really works.

Roofman is available on all VOD platforms.

8/10 B+