Avatar: Fire and Ash

My View:  Avatar: Fire and Ash  (2025)   PG-13  In Avatar: Fire and Ash, Jake (Sam Worthington) and Neytiri (Zoe Saldana) are trying to deal with the aftereffects of Neteyam’s death. Their status in the Metkayina clan is shaky, and Neytiri is openly shunning Spider (Jack Champion) because of Neteyam’s death. A new threat emerges: the Mangkwan clan (Ash people), led by Varang (Oona Chaplin). They ally with Quaritch (Stephen Lang), who promises them weapons if they help him kidnap his son, Spider. Here is a quote from near the end of my review of Avatar: The Way of the Water (2022): “You will have a sense near the film’s end that we have been here before, and you would be right. I hope that for the next Avatar film, James Cameron spends a little more time in the writer’s room and less time in the special effects room.” Well, he didn’t, and it’s more of the same. If you are a fan of the Avatar films, then you will enjoy this film. If, like me, you were disappointed by the plot holes and slow-developing storyline of the second film, then you will also, like me, think, ‘Oh, it’s more of the same.” This is another over 3-hour experience where the visuals are once again stunning, but the storyline is weak, and the film doesn’t really move until the last 30 minutes, when the final battle is going on. For most of the film, I kept thinking, I don’t really care about this family and their fight for survival. I did enjoy the new bad guy in Varang, played with a lot of evil fun by Oona Chaplin, but I grew weary of Spider, the son of Quaritch, who seems to speak only in one-word expletives. I will admit the final battle is engaging, and I finally cared what happened, but, boy, did it take a long time to get there. If James Cameron has grown tired of this world and wants to move on, this film ends on a note that leaves the series feeling complete. However, I have a word of warning. I hear that they have already shot about 40 percent of the next film, and there are a couple of loose ends that could come back in the next one. I kind of hope we are done and Cameron can find another world or characters to thrill us with. Blue was never my color anyway.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Avatar: Fire and Ash Website  Now playing in theaters

My View:  The Housemaid  (2025)  R  In The Housemaid, Millie (Sydney Sweeney) is a young woman with a troubled past who, against her instincts, takes a job as a live-in housemaid for a wealthy couple (Amanda Seyfried, Brandon Sklenar) and their young daughter. The seemingly perfect life of the family unravels as Millie discovers dark secrets hidden just below the surface. I like Paul Figg as a director, but his last two films, Jackpot! (2024), which was horrible, and Another Simple Favor (2025), which was nowhere near the first Simple Favor film, were not a lot of fun to watch. I am pleased to say that you can’t say this about The Housemaid. I saw it with an audience filled with fans of the book by Freida McFadden, and we both had a blast watching Amanda Seyfried have the time of her life, going nuts on screen in a role that has to be seen to be believed. I had wondered why Seyfried, who just might get an Oscar nomination for her role in the soon-to-be-released The Testament of Ann Lee, would take this role, but then I saw the film. Seyfried gets to chew up scenery with relish, and it’s a delight to watch someone have so much fun going off the wall crazy. Sydney Sweeney, who seems to be in just about everything, does an admirable job of playing the girl with a troubled past who is just trying to survive in a household where the rules keep changing by the minute. Brandon Skenar, hot off the 1923 TV series, is fine as the handsome put-upon husband, but this is Seyfried’s film, and she is front and center for it. The twists are fun (though I figured one out about a third of the way in), and the film keeps the tension ramped up all the way to the end. I talked to a few of the book club audience members who saw the film with me, and they loved it and were happy with the minor changes the film made from the book. So, make yourself a cocktail, but you might want to down it because you are about to go on a rollercoaster ride on the suburbia crazy train.  My Rating:  Full Price  The Housemaid Website  Now playing in theaters

My View:  Is This Thing On?  (2025)  R   Is This Thing On? follows Alex (Will Arnett), who is going through a rough time with a marriage that is unraveling. He is separating from his wife, Tess (Laura Dern), and their two kids, getting a small apartment in the city. Alex wanders into a comedy club and decides to try his hand at stand-up. It seems that the only place he can feel alive and make sense of his life is doing standup. This is a movie about a marriage that has lost its steam, its momentum, and both partners know it's true. So Alex is looking for something to fill the void, and by chance, he finds stand-up comedy. Now, if you are going to this film hoping for a laugh-out-loud comedy, this isn’t your film. Alex’s comedy is a slow-burn type, delivered with a world-weary tone, where he doesn’t tell jokes; he just offers observations about his life, which is crumbling around him. Arnett and Dern have a chemistry between them that makes this film feel real. We believe that they once loved each other but have grown apart, especially now that their kids aren’t little anymore and don’t need as much attention. This is a story without a bad guy, no one to blame, but about two people trying to be civil with each other during a trying time, while also exploring life without each other. The more I thought about this film, the more I enjoyed the experience of spending time with two adults who cared but knew it was time to move on.   My Rating: Full Price  Is This Thing On? Website Now playing in theaters

Indiefest:  La Grazia  (2025)   R   La Grazia tells the story of the President of Italy, Mariano De Santis (Toni Servillo), a staunch Catholic who faces moral crises over pending euthanasia legislation and, at the same time, considers pardoning two people who killed their partners, all the while grappling with his late wife’s infidelity during his final months in office. Add in the fact that Mariano thinks that his best friend was the person who slept with his wife 40 years ago. This is a fascinating and well-acted character study of a man still grieving for his wife as he confronts the fact that he has grown old and has only six more months in office. This is a man who doesn’t make rash decisions but has been too cautious his whole life and now has to move on. Toni Servillo is perfect in the role of the President who secretly (sort of) loves rap, smokes one cigarette a day (because he only has one lung because of cancer) and his main sounding board and assistant is his daughter, who has devoted her life to her father and wants him to sign the euthanasia legislation that she has worked so hard to get passed. This is a man who values the law above everything and everyone else, but can’t even make a decision when his beloved horse is sick and needs to be put down. The film is full of twists, and the cinematography is beautiful and sometimes inventive. I think you will be surprised at what decisions the President makes by the end of his term. And be sure to stay for a mid-credit scene that is quite a joy to stay for.  My Rating:  Full Price   La Grazia Website Now playing in select cities 

Indiefest: The Secret Agent (2025) R   In 1977, Marcelo (Wagner Moura) lives in Brazil and is a technology expert fleeing a mysterious past. He moves back to his hometown to be near his son, but he soon realizes that the city is far from the refuge he seeks. The Secret Agent is a film you have to stick with, because it is so layered that it takes a while to get to know the people in the story, what Marcelo is up to, and why. Once you learn his story and what he is searching for, you fully understand the stakes of the film and of Marcelo. The film perfectly captures the paranoia of the time in Brazil. It’s a warranted paranoia, and the film ramps up the tension as Marcelo gets closer to the answers he needs, but so do the long tentacles of the regime. Wagner Moura gives a moving and complex performance as a man who knows the long arm of the government is closing in, but he must continue, even if it means his dreams become nightmares. The Secret Agent is a film whose opening sequence becomes more meaningful and menacing as it goes along, and that is rare.  My Rating: Full Price  The Secret Agent Website  Now playing in select theaters

Forgotten Film:  Chicken with Plums  (2011)  PG-13 A violinist in 1950s Tehran loses his love of music and decides to die. Over the next 8 days, we see how he and his family deal with his decision. As the man slowly dies, the film shows how he made this decision through a series of flashbacks that trace the major events of his life. This is a beautiful film, and it’s one that I wasn’t really liking, that is, until the last fifteen minutes, when everything we have seen earlier in the film suddenly fits together. It was then that I fell in love with this film. My Rating: Full Price  Chicken with Plums Website  Available for rent/buy on Amazon

Weird Credits:  From the credits of Avatar: Fire and Ash: Practice Nurses

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: Mercy (2026)  PG-13  In the near future, a system is implemented that, if you are arrested for a capital crime, you go before an A.I. Judge, and you have only 90 minutes to prove your innocence. Detective Raymond (Chris Pratt) wakes up and is accused of killing his wife. He now has 90 minutes to prove his innocence to the A.I. Judge (Rebecca Ferguson).   Mercy Website  The film will be in theaters on Friday, January 23, 2026

Until Next Time!

Ella McCay

My View: Ella McCay  (2025) PG-13 Ella McCay follows Ella (Emma Mackey), who is juggling life as a 34-year-old lieutenant governor with a family that is falling apart. To make matters worse, the state’s longtime incumbent governor (Albert Brooks) has suddenly accepted a cabinet position in the upcoming administration, leaving Ella as the new governor. Writer/director James L. Brooks has won 3 well-deserved Oscars and has brought us some great films, including writing my favorite Burt Reynolds film, Starting Over. Add in Terms of Endearment, Broadcast News (a huge favorite of mine), As Good as it Gets, and another favorite of mine, Spanglish. So I was excited when it was announced that after 15 years, he was writing/directing a new film. So after walking out of the screening of his new film, Ella McCay, I was incredibly sad. I couldn’t believe how bad the film I had just seen was. With a plot that makes little sense, side stories that just lay there and do nothing to move the story along, and a lead character that you just want to slap and say the old “Moonstruck” line, “Snap out of it!” The film is dead on arrival from the first scene, with a couple that you can tell right away is destined to fall apart. Almost nothing is funny in this film, and that’s saying a lot when you have talent on the screen like Jamie Lee Curtis, Woody Harrelson, and the legendary Albert Brooks. The film feels much longer than its almost 2-hour runtime, and I wanted it to be over about 30 minutes in. Ella spends half the movie worrying about her brother (Spike Fearn) and trying to avoid her estranged father (Woody Harrelson), who wants to make amends for being such a crappy husband/father. All the while being announced as the Governor, a role she seems to avoid for most of the film. This is a film with tone-deaf dialogue, characters you don’t care about, much less want to spend time with, and an ending that feels slapped together after Brooks realized he had put his main character in a corner with no exits. If I wasn’t a film critic, I would be looking for the exit to the movie theater. My Rating: You Would Have to Pay Me to See it Again Ella McCay Website Now playing in theaters

My View: Merv  (2025) PG  In Merv, Anna (Zooey Deschanel) and Russ (Charlie Cox) have broken up after living together. The problem is that they share a dog named Merv, and he has become depressed over the breakup. Will a trip together with Merv help mend their relationship? Or perhaps bring them back together just in time for the holidays? I am a big fan of romcoms, though I try to avoid most of the Christmas ones put out this time of year. While this takes place at Christmas time, most of the film takes place at a resort in Florida that caters to dog owners who want to vacation with their beloved furry friends. Merv (played by a lovable dog named Gus) is cute but depressed after his two owners break up. The film features two likable characters who broke up after receiving bad news, and Russ tried to make up for it by proposing. Now, they share a dog, trading him off every week. Unfortunately, much like Merv for most of the movie, the film just lies around. There isn’t much spark between Deschanel and Cox, including a very awkward dance between the two that is not fun to watch. When we watch a rom-com, we want some fun, some romantic moments, and an ending where the two characters finally figure out they are right for each other. I got little from this film, other than Merv/Gus is a very cute dog.  My Rating: Cable Merv Website Now playing on the Amazon Prime format

Indiefest: Scarlet  (2025)  PG-13  Scarlet is an animated film about a medieval-era princess who has trained all her life to handle herself in any situation. After failing to avenge the death of her father, the king, Scarlet finds herself injured in a surreal world. Desperate to return to the real world, she meets a young man who helps her understand that revenge isn’t always the best path forward. I often have trouble with Japanese animated films because they are often based on TV shows or manga books, and knowledge about the characters is needed to fully enjoy them. This is not the case with Scarlet, a standalone animated film loosely based on Hamlet with a little bit of Joan of Arc thrown in. It’s a gorgeously animated revenge film that takes our heroine to an underworld where she tries to find a way back to the living to get her revenge. Scarlet is ruthless on her journey, but along the way, we see that learning about life and forgiveness is beautifully told. My Rating: Full Price Scarlet Website  Now playing in theaters

Indiefest: Dust Bunny  (2025) R  Dust Bunny is about Aurora (Sophie Sloan), an eight-year-old girl who is convinced that a monster under her bed has eaten her family. She asks her neighbor, a hitman (Mads Mikkelsen), to help kill the monster. What could go wrong? Well, to answer that question…a whole lot. I loved this quirky movie, a feast for the eyes, as a young girl decides the only person who can save her and get revenge for her parents is a neighbor she discovers is a man who can take on anything. I love that the film takes a story that we all know, about the child who claims monsters are underneath her bed, and turns it on its side when we discover the monster isn’t a figment of a child’s imagination but is real and deadly. The film works because of the chemistry between Sophie Sloan, who plays Aurora, a child with determination and guts, and her not-so-friendly neighborhood hitman, played by the sullen and magnetic Mads Mikkelsen. It’s a fun relationship between a world-weary killer and a young, wise, and confident girl. Aurora goes as far as stealing money from the collection plates of a church to buy the hitman’s services. What I loved about this film is that nobody believes Aurora until it’s too late, with the exception of the hitman, who slowly realizes that there may be more here than meets the eye. Dust Bunny is a film that needs to be seen on the big screen, as the fight sequences are spectacular and the apartment Aurora lives in is off-the-wall nuts, especially when the monster that no one but Aurora thinks is real actually shows up. Just heed Aurora’s warning and stay off the floor, or you will regret it!  My Rating: Full Price Dust Bunny  Now playing in theaters

Indiefest:  Lone Samurai  (2025) R  Lone Samurai follows Riku (Shogen), a 13th-century samurai who, after successfully defeating an invading fleet, finds himself shipwrecked on a deserted island. As despair sets in, he contemplates ritual suicide. However, his plans are abruptly interrupted when a tribe of cannibals arrives, making him their next intended meal. I saw this film at the Rome International Film Festival and had a blast watching it. It’s a film that takes its cue from the gory Samurai films of the past, with a little Tarantino thrown in. The first third of the film is about a Samurai who has completed his mission, is on what he thinks is a deserted island, and is ready to end his life. Then a group of cannibals shows up, and Riku decides he will go out on his terms and not by the hand of someone who wants to eat him for dinner. The last third of the film is thrilling, and the fight on a beach between our lone samurai and a horde of angry cannibals is an outstanding bit of fight choreography. It’s an amazing piece of fighting (mostly by the stunt crew that worked on The Raid films) and swordplay, which is thrilling and bloody. If you like Samurai films or want to see more after seeing the Kill Bill extravaganza, then get ready for a bloody fight to the end. My Rating: Bargain Matinee Lone Samurai Website  Now playing in select theaters

My Rating: Silent Night, Deadly Night  (2025) R  Silent Night, Deadly Night opens with the scene of a child witnessing the murder of his parents by a man in a Santa suit. That child is now grown, dons the Santa suit, and embarks on a violent quest for revenge. This is a new version of the 1984 film of the same name. In fact, this film uses four songs written for the 1984 film. This time, Billy (Rohan Campbell) talks to someone inside his brain who tells him who to kill and how to find them. Now, Billy kills only during the Christmas season and only kills people who have done horrible things. This is a stupid but fun film that has no scares but plenty of bloody deaths and a whole lot of surprises (you will not believe one of his victims). The original film wasn’t great and had some controversy because of the violence in the film, but this one does a nice job of adding humor and some really fun twists. If you like your Santa impersonator with a little blood on his suit and maybe an axe handy, then this is your film.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Silent Night, Deadly Night Website Now playing in theaters

Forgotten Film: Gorillas in the Mist (1988) PG-13  Gorillas in the Mist is the story of Dian Fossey (Sigourney Weaver), a woman with no formal training, who ventured into the jungle to study the mountain gorillas of central Africa. She was instrumental in expanding our knowledge about the gorillas and became famous through a number of TV specials. The film’s first half is brilliantly done, as we, along with Dian, discover the wonders of gorilla life, and we see how deeply she cares about them. There are some amazing scenes between Fossey and the gorillas as she slowly earned their trust. The film is magical in the first half, and Weaver’s brilliant performance gives us a glimpse into a complicated woman who found her calling alone in the jungle. The film falls apart in the 2nd half, with a romance that Fossey has with a photographer (played by Brian Brown) and Fossey’s attempts at stopping the killing of gorillas, which eventually (spoiler alert) cost Fossey her life. I came away from the film thinking that I knew more about the gorillas than I did about Fossey.  My Rating: Full Price Gorillas in the Mist Info The film is available to rent/buy on Amazon

Weird Credits: From the credits of Scarlet: Stunt Coordinator

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: The Housemaid (2025)  R  In The Housemaid, Millie (Sydney Sweeney) is a young woman with a troubled past who, against her instincts, takes a job as a live-in housemaid for a wealthy couple (Amanda Seyfried, Brandon Sklenar) and their young daughter. The seemingly perfect life of the family unravels as Millie discovers dark secrets hidden just below the surface. Fans of the McFadden book are really looking forward to this film. The Housemaid Website  In theaters on Friday, Dec. 19, 2025

Until Next Time!

Kung Fu Panda 4

Familyfaire: Kung Fu Panda 4 (2024)  PG  Po (voiced by Jack Black) has been picked to become the Spiritual Leader of the Valley of Peace, meaning he must find a new Dragon Warrior. Meanwhile, a wicked sorceress plans to re-summon all the master villains Po had vanquished and get her revenge. I’m not a huge fan of the Kung Fu Panda films and this is probably the weakest of the bunch. Po is on his own this time with the exception of a new sidekick, a fox named Zhen (voiced by Awkwafina), who is a thief who tags along with Po on his latest adventure. The kids will enjoy all the colorful action sequences but the adults are going to be very bored by the constant attempt to make a joke or two or three. The pacing seems off and I think the film misses all the Kung Fu masters that Po is used to dealing with. So fans of the big Panda will probably enjoy the film but the rest of us, it’s a miss with that round house kick, even with the ‘skadoosh’ finish. My Rating: Cable   Kung Fu Panda 4 Website  Now playing in theatres nationwide. 

My View: Ricky Stanicky (2024) R   Ricky Stanicky is about three best friends who, when they were kids, invented the imaginary Ricky Stanicky as a handy alibi to get them out of trouble. Now, as adults, the three (Zac Efron, Andrew Santino, and Jermaine Fowler) continue using the nonexistent Ricky anytime they need to get out of immature behavior. Unfortunately, their friends and spouses have grown suspicious of Ricky and demand to meet him. So, the three hire a washed-up actor (John Cena) to play the part of Ricky. What could go wrong? Well, a lot, and I’m not talking about the plot but the overall mess of this film. If you think John Cena dressed as Boy George and singing a song about masturbation is funny, then you will enjoy this film. I don’t, hating this film almost from the first appearance of Cena. John Cena has a talent for comedy, but this film always goes for the low bar, with the easy, crass joke. I also have a problem with three guys always lying to their significant others so they can have a good time without their ‘loved ones.’ I think I laughed once, and it may have been laughing at how many weird little cut-downs on pop culture the film enjoys doing for no reason at all. As expected, the film’s plot goes from stupid to incredibly stupid, where we are asked to believe way too much that would never happen, even in a bad movie. And yes, this is one.   My Rating: You Would Have to Pay Me to See It Again.   Rickey Stanicky Website Now playing on Prime Video. 

My View: Damsel (2024) PG-13   Elodie (Millie Bobby Brown), a young noblewoman, has agreed to marry a handsome prince. Elodie discovers that the marriage has only happened so that she can be sacrificed to repay an ancient debt. Elodie is now trapped in a deep cave with a dragon bent on killing her. She will need all her strength and wits to survive and get out to get her revenge. I have become a fan of Millie Bobby Brown, enjoying her work on Stranger Things and the Enola Holmes films, so I was looking forward to this film of Brown’s character taking on a dragon. After a lengthy setup of how bad Elodie’s kingdom is doing and how the new kingdom she is marrying into is right out of a fairy-tale, the film takes a turn where it's a cat-and-mouse game of Elodie evading the dragon. And keeps evading the dragon. I am guessing half the film is about the trials that Elodie goes through in the caves with the dragon (who talks, by the way). From her work in Enola Holmes and Stranger Things, we know that Brown can hold her own in action sequences, but all she does is a lot of falling, running, and crying out. It’s not until the last 15 minutes of the film that we get Elodie actually taking on the dragon, with an ending that is too quick and too much of a letdown. That revenge I mentioned earlier in the review is over in the blink of an eye. Even if it is still a large dragon eye, it’s still a blink.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Damsel Website   Now playing on the Netflix platform. 

My View: Imaginary (2024) PG-13  Jessica (DeWanda Wise) has returned to her childhood home with her daughters. Jessica is shocked when she discovers that the imaginary friend she left behind is very real and is targeting Jessica’s youngest daughter because he is unhappy that she abandoned him so long ago. Imaginary is a fun, but not any sense, great or even really good horror film. There are too many ‘jump out of the dark’ scares in the film's first half, but the second half makes up for that a bit with some nice twists and turns and a few horrifying moments. Still, it's a fun premise to have an imaginary friend who isn't so friendly when you get to know them better. I am a fan of Betty Buckley, but she is wasted in a role that brings some of the film down with a couple of downright silly plot twists. Imaginary is one of those movies you see just because you're in the mood for a horror film, not because you think it will be great, but because you can have fun with it. I mean, a stuffed bear with a really creepy song that plays when you pull his string has to be a little evil, right?   My Rating: Cable   Imaginary Website  Now playing in theaters. 

Forgotten Film: House of Games (1997) R  A psychologist, Margaret (Lindsay Crouse), wants to help a patient escape a gambling debt. She visits a bar where Mike (Joe Mantegna) runs a poker game. Mike convinces her he will forgive the debt if she helps him look for ‘tells’ in the gamblers to get an edge in the game. What seems to be an easy way out becomes much more complex. House of Games is a film by David Mamet (The Verdict (1983), Glengarry Glen Ross (1993), and Wag the Dog (1998)) about con artists and gamblers. It’s how there is always one more con in the game, and nothing is as it seems. I love the dialogue in this film, and the appearance of one of the greatest magicians/con men of all time in real life, Ricky Jay, as the Vegas man. Jay was also a consultant on the film and helped with staging all the con jobs in the movie. It’s a fascinating film with plenty of twists and turns to keep you interested till the end. My Rating: Full Price  House of Games Info  The film is available on multiple streaming services. 

Weird Credits: From the credits of Ricky Stanicky: Dog/Duck Trainer

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: Immaculate (2024) R   Cecilia (Sydney Sweeney) is a woman who believes that God has a plan for her. Cecilia is warmly welcomed to her new convent with open arms. But it becomes clear to Cecilia that the convent is not what it appears to be, harboring dark and horrifying secrets. Sydney Sweeney is having a good run in her career, with her breakout role on The Handmaid’s Tale, getting Emmy nominations for her roles in the TV series The White Lotus and Euphoria, and a hit in the rom-com Anyone But You. Now, let's see what she can do, headlining a horror film.  Immaculate Website  In theaters March 22nd. 

Until Next Time!

The Boy and The Heron

My View: The Boy and The Heron (2023)  PG-13   The Boy and The Heron is about a young boy named Mahito who loses his mother in a fire and is haunted by her memory. His father has remarried and moved to a new house in the countryside. Mahito keeps hearing his mother call his name, and he sets out to find her in an abandoned and magical tower that will take him to a world he never knew existed. The Boy and The Heron is a film from legendary animator Hayao Miyazaki, who has, over the years, given us some of the greatest animated films in history (Spirited Away, Howl’s Moving Castle, The Wind Rises). Now he gives us what may be his last film, a very personal story of a boy trying to find the answer to why his mother left him in a world that is so strange and cold. When I see animated foreign films, I try to see them in their original language, as I did with this one. However, after seeing the voice cast for the English version, including Robert Pattinson, Florence Pugh, Mark Hamill, and Christian Bale, I regret that decision. The film is beautifully told as the young boy goes on a journey of discovery, helped along the way by unique characters, including a weird and threatening big heron who initially seems to be the enemy but becomes a friend to help the boy in his quest. This is a magical tale with fantastic animation, a brilliant score, and a storyline that will move you while also delighting you. This is a little more adult than the typical Miyazaki film, like Howl’s Moving Castle, so small kids might sometimes be a bit bored. But older kids and adults will be filled with wonder and awe as Mahito goes on his journey accompanied by a big, talkative bird. If The Boy and The Heron is the last film of Miyazaki, he is leaving us with a masterpiece. This film is a sure bet to be nominated for an Animated Feature Oscar and should be seen in a theatre.   My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again The Boy and The Heron Website Now playing theatres nationwide.

My View: Leave the World Behind (2023) R A wife (Julia Roberts) books her husband (Ethan Hawke) and their two kids a getaway to a luxurious rental home. This dream vacation takes an ominous turn when a massive cyberattack knocks out their services just as two strangers (Mahershala Ali and Myha’la Herrold) show up at their doorstep, stating that the house is theirs. This is one of those films that should have been better. The film has an outstanding cast, but I felt that, at times, they seemed a bit out of place. The movie is never scary, even though it deals with some terrifying ideas, but the film never finds the tension it needs to make us keep watching. Other than some creepy deer that keep showing up (we don’t know if they are trying to warn the characters or get revenge for murdering Bambi’s mom) and a few attempts of shocking us with a scene or two, the film never finds its momentum. It also feels like director Sam Esmail got a little too in love with the tricky camera shots, so much so that it took me out of the film each time he did something weird with the scene. I also hated that the soundtrack kept jumping in with music, sometimes stopping the movie to a dead stop so we could listen to a selection. I never cared for the people in the film, especially the Julia Roberts character, who we hate from almost the first frame of the film to the last. Leave the World Behind is a film that tried to say too much and make too much of a statement, and it never succeeded in making us afraid or care.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Leave the World Behind Website  Now playing on the Netflix platform.

My View: We Live Here: The Midwest (2023)  The documentary highlights the individual experiences of LGBTQI+ families who faced with discriminatory laws and rising hostility, try to live their lives in the heart of the country, a place that they dearly love. This is a documentary about families trying to live their lives in a part of the country that doesn’t always welcome different lifestyles. We Live Here is about the love of families and acceptance of who you are. One story the film follows is about Minnesota Representative and queer mother Heather Keeler, who uses her political know-how to bring LGBTQI+ rights to the forefront despite ongoing death threats. We Live Here: The Midwest is a film that shows you all sorts of families living in the Midwest, on farms or in cities, who aspire to be a part of their communities and live their lives as best they can. Families that are full of love and support. We need more of that in the world.   My Rating: Full Price  We Live Here Website  Now playing on the Hulu platform.

Indiefest: The Oath (2023) PG-13  In 400 AD, the last warrior of his people, Moroni (Darin Scott), is trying to survive while being hunted down by a ruthless king named Aaron (Billy Zane). King Aaron has banished his mistress, Bathsheba (Nora Dale), to the wilderness after savagely beating her. Moroni takes Bathsheba in even though she is the enemy, and she’s her a kindness she has never known. Can they survive in the wilderness together as King Aaron sends out his best warriors to find the last warrior? This was a film that was a very confusing experience. The film seems to believe that I know what this story is about and the history of the religion in the movie. The story is boring, with most of the film Moroni teaching Bathsheba about his beliefs and faith. We are teetering on the fine line of the ‘white savior’, saving the savage from a bad belief system to one that teaches how to live. The film ends with the hero finding peace with his beliefs and life. All this made sense when I saw the final credits, which I was not happy with. I won’t go into any more about this film, but to say it is a promotion piece for a religion, and it’s not very well done.   My Rating: You Would Have to Pay Me to See it Again  The Oath Website  Now playing in theatres.

Forgotten Film: Waking Life (2001) R Willy has returned to the town he grew up in. However, he has returned in his dreams. As he wanders around the town, he both listens to and engages in conversations with people he encounters. The discussions range from what is reality, whether their free will is really free, what makes up a relationship, and, of course, serious subjects like what our purpose on earth is. Directed by Richard Linklater (Boyhood, Before Sunrise, Slacker), this is a beautifully animated film that Linklater uses to make us feel like we are part of Willy’s dream. Waking Life is a beautiful film that celebrates ideas and the exploration of people’s dreams from all walks of life. Note there are a few surprise appearances of characters from other films, so that adds to the fun. So, go on a journey with Willy to discover what makes the world tick.   My Take: Full Price  Waking Life Info  The film is available to rent or buy on Amazon or Apple TV.

Weird Credits: From the credits of Leave the World Behind: Dental Prosthetics

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: Anyone But You (2023)  Bea (Sydney Sweeney) and Ben (Glen Powell) went on a first date that had sparks at first, but then things happened. Now they have been unexpectedly reunited at a destination wedding in, of all places, Australia. Their exes are also there, so they do what two mature adults would do: pretend they are a couple. This looks like it could be a fun rom-com to see to get away from the Christmas rush. Sweeney is coming off two Primetime nominations in 2022 for The White Lotus and Euphoria. Powell impressed film lovers with his role as Lt. Jake ‘Hangman’ Seresin in Top Gun: Maverick.   Anyone But You Website  The film is in theatres on Friday, Dec. 22th.

Until Next Time!