Author: Wanggo Gallaga

Movie Review — Head Over Heart: A Review of ‘Materialists’

I personally feel that the marketing of ‘Materialists’ was all wrong. This film, the second feature-length film by Celine Song (who wrote and directed the wonderful ‘Past Lives’), is less of a rom-com, as it was marketed, and more an intricate exploration and study of how capitalism has twisted and warped the idea of modern love and dating. The three central characters at the center of ‘Materialists’ are so far removed from the usual characters of the romantic-comedy tropes. They are people who are either jaded or cynical about love, or who do not understand it at all, and are therefore driven by checklists and standardized metrics of desirability. One character sells the illusion of love, another buys into it, and the third is afraid to give it a chance because they have been hurt before.

The characters in ‘Materialists’ are either wrestling with the idea of love or buying into its marketing, yet they do not seem to know exactly what it is and how it should feel like. Thus, the usual thrill and electricity one expects from the genre are absent in this film. Instead, we are presented with philosophical positions about dating and romance, and we have to figure out if we’ve also been rendered numb by the social algorithm that we can deconstruct our desires into a checklist.

Lucy is a successful matchmaker in New York. At the start of the film, she celebrates her ninth successful match (one that led to a marriage proposal) but she herself can’t imagine finding someone for her own life. At her client’s wedding, she meets Harry, the groom’s brother, a very successful and attractive man in finance who is immediately smitten with her. At the same event, Lucy also reconnects with her ex-boyfriend, John, who is working in the catering staff of the wedding, who is also a struggling actor. John re-enters her life as a friend, though he clearly still has feelings for her, while Harry is dead set on dating the jaded and cynical matchmaker.

Plot-wise, it sounds like a great rom-com, except Song is much more intellectual than that. All the anxieties, fears, and attitudes of this generation are laid out on the table. Lucy is, at first, resistant to Harry, who in her job refer to as a “unicorn,” the perfect man. She feels she doesn’t deserve a man like him, who in her industry is reserved for the best of the best. In her own estimation, she doesn’t and wouldn’t be a proper match. For Lucy, romance and dating are all about the math. Harry, however, wants to prove her wrong. That the math is wrong because he likes her. He sees “value” in her, which instigates a shift for Lucy, who is growing tired of her industry and her clients’ unrealistic standards.

But then there’s John, who hasn’t really gotten out of the rut that he was in, that caused the breakup in the first place. But you can see there’s a comfort when Lucy is with him. A short hand. Interestingly enough, when things go bad for Lucy at work, the first person she calls is John.

What happens to the math now?

Celine Song uses these characters to really deconstruct and dissect how modern dating has been destroyed by capitalist tendencies – measuring people’s worth by their status, their appearance, by how much they make – and forces us to realign and shift our ideas about love back to that indescribable, undefinable abstract thing. The film can feel cold at times because the characters themselves can be cold. Dakota Johnson, who plays Lucy, seems incapable to gaining any chemistry with Chris Evans’ John or Pedro Pascal’s Harry until you see the spark and magic in certain scenes. It’s only then that you realise Johnson is purposefully breaking the chemistry because Lucy doesn’t think she’s ready for this. Evans’ John is tired and exhausted. Lucy has broken up with him before because of his unstable life and as he is still pretty much the same, he is only really there as a friend. And later on, as charming as Pascal plays Harry, his character’s own internal struggle reveals why his unicorn character never really burns passionately.

For those expecting a rom-com, they will be very unsatisfied. As the film seeks out to dispel the current contemporary obsession with unrealistic standards for romance, the film in itself, subverts the rom-com tropes and conventions. I love it for its understated and realistic view on the topic and its philosophical approach to a topic that is heavily guided by the emotions. The contrast, for me, is fascinating. But, yes, I wasn’t made giddy with excitement. It wasn’t thrilling. I had an intellectual response, not an emotional one.

My Rating:

Materialists is now showing. Check showtimes near you and experience Celine Song’s take on modern romance.

August 17, 2025
Theater Review – Brecht, Vaudeville, and Freaks; A Review of The Sandbox Collective’s ‘Side Show The Musical’

Based on the real life of conjoined twins Daisy and Violet Hilton, ‘Side Show’ is a musical by Bill Russell (book and lyrics) and Henry Krieger (music) that first opened on Broadway in 1997 and was later revived in 2014 with a revised book and additional songs. The musical focuses on their journey from being the star attraction of a sideshow to becoming a success in vaudeville. The Sandbox Collective brings its own spin to the stage, using the original 1996 book and director Toff De Venecia stylized his production to make immediate contemporary connections with the material, which is set in the 1930s, to the present day.

The set design by Mark Dalacat (who also serves as assistant director), places the audience on either side of the stage, creating the impression that the audience can see a row of people watching the show, much like a sideshow. The actors come in and out from the side, though some of the action brings the actors up to the audience area. In the first act, set entirely in the sideshow, there are aerials to create the appearance of the carnival. The incredible ensemble are dressed in different styles – according to De Venecia, each member of the ensemble were allowed to create their own freak – that ranges from snake charmer, bearded woman, fortune teller, and so on.

Credits: The Sandbox Collective

In Act Two, when Daisy and Violet are taken away from the sideshow and into vaudeville, the stage adornments become more posh. The ensemble switch from journalists to party guests to vaudeville dancers. It’s a feast of motion and costumes that really stand out (costume design by Carlos Siongco). De Venecia’s direction is to keep it busy when their lives are busy. So that when the play moves to its more intimate, tender parts, it gets really quiet and the contrast is clear.

Credits: The Sandbox Collective

Daisy and Violet may be conjoined twins, but they are very different people. Daisy longs to be a performer and craves the limelight, whereas Violet is more reserved, wants a normal life, which equates to a family and a home. This tension creates the space for the girls to be tested when two men come into their lives who doesn’t see them as freaks but as performers capable of making it big in vaudeville. These men are Terry Connor and Buddy Foster. They clash with Sir/The Boss of the sideshow, convince their best friend, the show’s “Cannibal King” Jake to let them go and come along with them, and find themselves intertwined with the twins more than just professionally. Violet takes a fancy to Terry while Buddy is keen on making Daisy’s dreams come true. And that’s where the trouble begins.

Credits: The Sandbox Collective

Aside from an incredible ensemble who are filled with such diverse types of people but they all can sing and dance and act a storm. Jon Santos is a menacing force as Sir/The Boss and his presence is felt strongly even in his infrequent appearances in act two. The rest of the main cast is split into alternates. Playing Violet and Daisy are Marynor Madamesila and Tanya Manalang and Molly Langley and Krystal Kane; for Terry, it is Reb Atadero and CJ Navato; for Buddy it is Tim Pavino and Vien King; and for Jake, it is Marvin Ong and Joshua Cabiladas.

Credits: The Sandbox Collective

The alternates bring different approaches to the material. Madamesila and Manalang play the sisters very differently. Their differences in character are so clear while Langley and Kane have to fight through the fact that, in makeup, they look alike, and they even have the same quality of voice. Their attack can sometimes be similar in approach and so their Violet and Daisy sometime blur, though they are excellent singers. Navato and King have a more straightforward approach to Terry and Buddy. Navato plays Terry as all business and King plays up Buddy’s need for the spotlight. It’s an accessible performance and well-suited for a big theatrical piece. Atadero and Pavino play it a little more layered, with Atadero’s Terry is conflicted about how he feels about Violet while Pavino’s approach to Buddy is more contained, let’s out little bursts of his need for fame, which creates an interesting layer when his interactions with Daisy get complicated. I had issues with Cabiladas in the show that I saw.

Credits: The Sandbox Collective

A terrific singer, I felt he would lose character in order to sing the powerful songs that Jake does but Marvin Ong stole the performance at every turn. He imbued the vocally demanding songs of Jake with all the frustrations and rage of The Cannibal King that allowed a true marriage of acting and singing. Ong was, without a doubt, a scene-stealer.

Credits: The Sandbox Collective

De Venecia employs Brechtian techniques in directing ‘Side Show’ allowing us to see the stagecraft that was at play. The show opens with the ensemble engaging with the audience, a Brechtian trick to remind the audience that what they are about to see is a show. He then let’s the players change onstage, while introducing modern elements such as a screen and a camera to adorn his 1930 portrayal with a modern feel.

It can be jarring until the show’s finale when the last striking image – that of a marriage – with the whole exploration of what it means to be a freak takes a poignant meaning.

Credits: The Sandbox Collective

The play is dead set in trying to humanize the two women who the world sees as freaks, but the show is constantly reminding us that these “freaks” are humans too. The modernization of the show brings us to think about who we think are freaks in this day and age and De Venecia’s political stand becomes clearer and clearer. It’s a matter of taste, whether this friction works for you, but the intention is tangible and deeply felt.

My Rating:

SIDE SHOW: THE MUSICAL runs until August 17, 2025, at the Power Mac Center Spotlight Blackbox Theater. Tickets are available at Ticket2Me.

August 11, 2025
Movie Review: Frightening and Funny at Equal Turns, ‘Weapons’ Is a Film Best Viewed in a Group and With No Preparation at All

What made Zach Cregger’s breakout film ‘Barbarian’ so good and so enjoyable was how completely unprepared you were for where that story would take you. It was skillfully written and directed, creating dread and tension from familiar tropes in horror but twisting them so that the surprise came from another element altogether. Then halfway through ‘Barbarian,’ the story shifts to another character who then joins the first half of the narrative and bringing it to a big climax filled with gruesome horror. His latest film, ‘Weapons,’ takes all of that and blows it up. He tells the story in six chapters, following six characters and their entanglement with the main story of the film.

The film opens with a child’s narration on how, one evening in the town of Maybrook, 17 of 18 kids from one class run out of their homes and are never seen again. Some were seen on CCTV of homes, and it all happened at 2:17 in the morning.

The town left is furious and frustrated. They are desperate for answers. They want answers from the class’ homeroom teacher, Justine Gandy, but she has none to give. One of the parents of the missing kids, Archer Graff, takes it upon himself to find out what happened. The other four characters whose point-of-view we follow throughout the film include the school’s superintendent, Andrew Marcus; a police man who is a friend of Justine, Paul Morgan; a junkie named James; and the only boy of Justine’s class who didn’t disappear that night, Alex Lilly.

‘Weapons’ has everything you could ask for in a horror film: nightmarish imagery, unsettling quiet moments of tension when things make a sound at the dead of night, a terrifying evil force, brutal and grotesque violence, and, most importantly, a strong human element that allows us to connect with the characters so we actually root for them and want them to survive. As a Grade 5 homeroom teacher, Justine isn’t as a nice archetype. She drinks, she’s pushy, and at times, reckless. But her care and concern for the missing children is felt.

Julia Garner brings a spunk to the role, but doesn’t shy away from her character’s flaws, which makes her such an interesting character to follow. Josh Brolin is always a solid performer, and his Archer Graff is tormented by the unanswered questions and the worry for his missing child. These two characters really form the heart of ‘Weapons’ which elevates the horror to a place that can inspire real dread and fear. Many horror films fall short when it comes to character development. Some become flat, uninteresting that we fail to connect with them, while others lean in too much on the protagonist’s flaws making them unlikable and you end up rooting for the monster or the villain. ‘Weapons’ avoids these traps. The missing children and the pain and frustration of the whole town is felt vividly that it amplifies the film’s stakes.

At 128 minutes, the film does feel long – as there’s a lot of stories in it and a lot of characters to uncover – but it is never boring. Cregger uses each character to reveal just a little bit more about the mystery, but it keeps it really well hidden until the final character. Then the exposition begins (near the end) but instead of being boring, what it does is that it ties everything together. All five preceding chapters start to feel whole and complete. It’s a really great exercise in narrative structure.

And while ‘Weapons’ is terrifying and scary, Cregger is also not afraid to be funny and silly. He uses humor in a very clever way to derail the fear so that he can raise the horror later on. There are quite a number of funny moments involving Paul and James (wonderfully played by Aldren Ehrenreich and Austin Abrams) before cutting it as James finds himself in contact with the source of the missing children. Benedict Wong is terrific as Andrew Marcus, who is trying to protect Justine, sometimes from her own worst instincts, and try to keep peace while the town is falling apart. His character’s queerness is present but never overstated but when he becomes embroiled in the story’s horror, the effect is filled with impact.

I’m trying to not talk in specifics because the power of ‘Weapons’ is in its ability to surprise and shock and horrify the audience. Throughout the screening, people were screaming, laughing, and then screaming again. It was such an enjoyable watch, especially in a full cinema filled with an attentive audience. ‘Barbarian’ was already such an incredible movie, I’m happy to say that ‘Weapons’ builds on the strength of Cregger’s first big hit and slams another home run.

My Rating:

Weapons is now showing in cinemas. Gather your bravest friends, check showtimes, and see it before the secrets come for you. Buy tickets here.

August 7, 2025
Movie Review: Too Much Plot and Chaos Ruin ‘The Bad Guys 2’ and Stop It From Being as Fun and Refreshing as Its Predecessor

I loved ‘The Bad Guys.’ I thought the animation and design were arresting. The script was quick, clever, and funny. It featured some extremely strong voice acting performances – Sam Rockwell, Marc Maron, Awkwafina, Zazie Beetz, Craig Robinson, and Anthony Ramos – which added so much character of the overall film. It was refreshing, surprising, action-packed, and had an intricate caper plot that pulled off what it set out to do and more.

So I was excited to catch the sequel, simply called ‘The Bad Guys 2,” which is a refreshing change, considering how most franchises add subtitles to help identify one movie after the next. But to my disappointment, ‘The Bad Guys 2’ wasn’t able to match its predecessor, much less exceed the standard it had set forth.

The film begins with a prologue, a flashback where Piranha (Ramos) is on his first mission with the Bad Guys. It’s a simple enough caper, not too many moving parts, but obviously done to help refresh the audience’s memory of who they were before the events of the first film turned them into good guys. The whole sequence is loud, messy, and bombastic, and felt like it was directed to capture the attention of the audience, keep children’s focus on the chaos on the screen and keep others from reaching for their phones.

It’s messy because it lacks the style and flair that the first film displayed. It’s chaos for chaos’ sake. Just a funny sequence to remind us who the characters are and where they came from.

Then the title card appears, and the film now shows us The Bad Guys, who are now good, but unemployed. No matter how hard they try, they can’t seem to get a job because of their history as criminals. As an animated film, it does offer up an interesting storyline about redemption in the modern age. Can criminals be rehabilitated? Is it worth giving them a second chance? What sort of discrimination do they face because of their troubled past? These questions are briefly explored until the Bad Guys decide to use their skills to stop a new thief, the Phantom Bandit, who is making waves with a string of thefts. They hope to catch them, bring them over to the police, and prove to everyone they’ve changed.

But things go awry when the Phantom Bandit was ready for them and turned the tables to make it look like the Bad Guys was the Phantom Bandit all along and proved everyone’s biases against them right. Now, the Bad Guys have to go in hiding and and find a way to clear their names.

What follows is one big sequence after another as the Bad Guys get caught in the Phantom Bandit’s web. How does a thief outsmart another thief? And do they even want to, when the whole world is against them and won’t believe they’ve changed?

This could have played out wonderfully if director Pierre Perifel and screenwriters Yoni Brenner and Etan Cohen hadn’t gone overboard with the plot and kept the film personal and a character study, much like the first film. Instead, ‘The Bad Guys 2’ is overloaded with plot, with two more capers snuck in-between its huge finale piece in an environment that just feels so big that it feels so far removed from what made the original so endearing.

In fact, there are still a lot of really cute little moments that work. Outside bells and whistles of the movie’s overdrawn plot – it’s the little moments between Wolf (Rockwell) and Fox (Beetz), or some of the dialogue (which feels spontaneous and sounds improvised) by Shark (Robinson), Webs (Awkwafina) and Piranha – the characters are what really makes this concept work and when they are spending too much time with the bigness of the film, we don’t get to enjoy the stuff really worth enjoying in the premise, which is how the team works together to save the day.

My Rating:

The Bad Guys 2 is still showing in cinemas. Get showtimes here.

August 6, 2025
Movie Review: What It Feels Like for a Girl – A Review of ‘Sunshine’

From my understanding, ‘Sunshine’ is the second of a trilogy of films about women by writer and director Antoinette Jadaone. It began with ‘Fan Girl’ and it continues now with ‘Sunshine,’ the story of a gymnast who is preparing to compete to qualify for the Olympics when she discovers she’s pregnant.

Jadaone has mastered what I’d like to call “the journey movie.” From ‘That Thing Called Tadhana’ to ‘Fan Girl,’ her characters take on a physical journey – in ‘That Thing Called Tadhana’ the main characters travel from the airport to Sagada while ‘Fan Girl’ follows the lead characters from a mall show to an abandoned mansion in the middle of nowhere – while also embarking on an emotional one. The movement through space runs parallel to the character’s own inner journey and struggle. In ‘Sunshine,’ the lead character played by Maris Racal has her own journey: through the streets of Quiapo and Manila, in search of abortificents that may help her with her situation. The distance is not as far as other Jadaone films, but the interior one is immense as the film tries to see the vast landscape of women’s issues surrounding pregnancy and abortion.

Sunshine, the main character, embodies a lot of the fears and anxieties that women have when it comes to their bodies. What the film manages to do is to show how much the burden of an unwanted pregnancy falls unto the woman. In the story, her boyfriend (played by Elijah Canlas) gives her money to have it aborted. He’s angry and dismissive and chooses not to deal with it at all. Sunshine lives with her sister (played by Jennica Garcia), caring for an infant, whose father is nowhere at all in the film. Their brother skirts away from doing chores and is barely a figure in their lives, doing his own thing.

All the while, Sunshine is visited by a little girl (Annika Co) who seems to know everything about her. The girl is abrasive, tough, and magical, in a way. She’s a lot like Sunshine. She’s a fighter and already, we know she’s more than just another character.

Throughout the film, we see Sunshine see the best and the worst of people. Her journey brings her to a public hospital where she meets two kinds of doctors – those with compassion and those whose principles and faith can turn away a young woman in need. Sunshine meets a young girl who also looking for help because of the frightening situation she has with the father of her unborn child.

‘Sunshine’ is a film about women and through Sunshine, we see all her hopes and dreams slipping away from her hands because of one reckless decision and a man who chose to not use a condom. What the film does is humanize this important discussion and show us the hard truths of the world that we live in and the current policies at play about abortion in the country.

Maris Racal is a force of nature. Her portrayal of Sunshine is a textured work that balances between Sunshine’s need to be tough but, deep inside, she’s vulnerable and breaking. She has an incredible screen presence that holds on to you and it makes Sunshine’s struggle very real and believable. It’s a daring performance that lays it all out there without playing for sympathy. The other standout performance belongs to Jennika Garcia. As the sister of Sunshine, she’s in charge of both her siblings and her own baby. There’s a story there that the film’s narrative never explores but Garcia carries that history in her movements and in the way her character just looks at a moment. She is warm when she needs to be and then finds strength and fire when her character surges like a lioness protecting her cub when she’s out to protect her sister. It’s a powerful performance despite its limited screentime.

What I love most about this movie is its ending. Jadaone makes a stand and in the most poignant way possible, using the whole narrative to push the characters into an ending that makes sense and without judgment.

The cinematography of Paolo Orendain is luscious, finding beauty in the dark, seedy streets of Manila at night. Rico Blanco’s music properly sets the mood while Benjamin Tolentino’s editing keeps it fast paced yet clear. Obviously, Antoinette Jadaone keeps a tight ship and of all of her works, of which there are many great ones, ‘Sunshine’ might be the best of them yet.

My Rating:

Sunshine is now showing in cinemas. Catch this bold and beautiful film that isn’t afraid to say what needs to be said. Don’t miss it! Get showtimes here.

July 28, 2025
Movie Review: ‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ Is a Grandiose, Genre-Bending, Hard Sci-Fi Epic

Speeding past the origin story, ‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ begins in medias res, four years after the team has gained their superpowers. They are now celebrated as global icons for all the good they’ve done. The film is set in Earth-828, a different universe from that of the MCU with The Avengers, and here they are the only heroes of this world. They are public figures and through a quick documentary feature very similar to the ones shown on the trailers, we get to know Marvel’s first family.

Director Matt Shakman and screenwriters Josh Friedman, Eric Pearson, Jeff Kaplan, and Ian Springer (from a story by Pearson, Kaplan, Springer, and Kat Wood) spend the first twenty minutes introducing us to the heroes and this brand-new world. It seems through the genius of Reed Richards, a.k.a. Mr. Fantastic, the world appears to be thriving. There’s a sleek, retro 1960s aesthetic to the technology and there’s a throwback in fashion and social norms. The film never mentions the year but it’s as if the ’60s found itself with superheroes with flying cars, and robots.

Director Matt Shakman on the set of 20th Century Studios/Marvel Studios’ THE FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS. Photo by Jay Maidment. © 2025 20th Century Studios / © and ™ 2025 MARVEL.

(L-R) Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic and Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm/Invisible Woman in 20th Century Studios/Marvel Studios’ THE FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS. Photo by Jay Maidment. © 2025 20th Century Studios / © and ™ 2025 MARVEL.

The first twenty minutes or so are crucial, as they show the tight-knit family dynamic in action. Reed Richards (Pedro Pascal) and his wife, Sue Storm (Vanessa Kirby) discover that she’s pregnant and the news brings out big emotions. Sue’s brother, Johnny (Joseph Quinn), and Reed’s best friend, Ben Grimm (Ebon Moss-Bachrach), are excited to be uncles. Reed, on the other hand, is panicking. The cosmic storm they passed through when the four of them went on a mission to space four years ago altered their DNA and gave them powers. What effect might it have on their unborn child?

(L-R) Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm/Human Torch and Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm/Invisible Woman in 20th Century Studios/Marvel Studios’ THE FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS. Photo by Jay Maidment. © 2025 20th Century Studios / © and ™ 2025 MARVEL.

(L-R) H.E.R.B.I.E and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm/The Thing in 20th Century Studios/Marvel Studios’ THE FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios/Marvel Studios. © 2025 20th Century Studios / © and ™ 2025 MARVEL.

As Reed prepares for the worst, the rest of the world celebrates until the Silver Surfer (Julia Garner) arrives and declares that the planet was chosen to be devoured by Galactus (Ralph Ineson). The world waits in bated breath and looks to the Fantastic Four to save them. But Galactus is a powerful being that predates time. Can they really stop him?

Julia Garner as Shalla-Bal/Silver Surfer in 20th Century Studios/Marvel Studios’ THE FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios/Marvel Studios. © 2025 20th Century Studios / © and ™ 2025 MARVEL.

Everything about ‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ feels epic in both scope and scale. From Jess Hall’s incredible cinematography (I think the whole film is on IMAX, which means the best way to see it is on IMAX if you can afford it) and Michael Giacchino’s vibrant musical score, the movie feels big and important. It’s a hard-science fiction film that bends the genres, seamlessly switching from a family drama to an action-packed superhero movie to a commentary on how people can quickly turn on their heroes.

(L-R) Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm/The Thing, Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic, Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm/Invisible Woman and Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm/Human Torch in 20th Century Studios/Marvel Studios’ THE FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS. Photo by Jay Maidment. © 2025 20th Century Studios / © and ™ 2025 MARVEL.

(L-R) Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm/Human Torch and Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards/Mister Fantasticin 20th Century Studios/Marvel Studios’ THE FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios/Marvel Studios. © 2025 20th Century Studios / © and ™ 2025 MARVEL.

In this world, The Fantastic Four are the only hope the world has and they have a pretty direct line to them. The world is a huge part of this equation and by playing this off, The Fantastic Four somehow becomes symbolic of any person who comes forward to make positive changes; and they carry the burden of the world on their shoulders. If they succeed, they are loved. If they fail, they are persecuted and blamed.

Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic in 20th Century Studios/Marvel Studios’ THE FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS. Photo by Jay Maidment. © 2025 20th Century Studios / © and ™ 2025 MARVEL.

Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm/The Thing, Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic and Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm/Invisible Woman in 20th Century Studios/Marvel Studios’ THE FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS. Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. © 2025 20th Century Studios / © and ™ 2025 MARVEL

(L-R) Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm/Human Torch, Julia Garner as Shalla-Bal/Silver Surfer, Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm/Invisible Woman, Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm/The Thing and Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic in 20th Century Studios/Marvel Studios’ THE FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS. Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. © 2025 20th Century Studios / © and ™ 2025 MARVEL

The pacing of the film is relentless. Something is always happening, a choice needs to be made, a discovery is just around the corner, and a world slowly awaiting its demise. The film never lets up, and it’s a shame because this world is so rich and the characters so fully realised – both in the writing and in the performances – that I would have wanted another thirty minutes, even an hour of this movie to play out some of the narrative beats. At 114 minutes, it’s compact, but it speeds through certain moments that could have used a bit more drawing out.

Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm/Human Torch in 20th Century Studios/Marvel Studios’ THE FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS. Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. © 2025 20th Century Studios / © and ™ 2025 MARVEL

(L-R) Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm/Invisible Woman and Ada Scott as Franklin Richards in 20th Century Studios/Marvel Studios’ THE FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS. Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. © 2025 20th Century Studios / © and ™ 2025 MARVEL

But it has everything. It goes to space. As seen in the trailer, Galactus makes it to Earth, and buildings are destroyed, and The Fantastic Four work together and team up to do their best to win. The finale is breathtaking and it always leaves you at the edge of your seat. It has some stunning sci-fi imagery both in space and in the final battle that can really move you. Each character gets a moment to really shine, and every actor is bringing their A-game and it just makes the movie so an absolute thrill to watch.

This was such a fun movie to get into so much so that I wanted more of it. I wasn’t satisfied with just 114-minute runtime. I wanted more. I can’t wait for more. And with the post-credit scene (there are two at the end of the film) that they give us, it had the whole cinema screaming.

My Rating:

Catch The Fantastic Four: First Steps now in cinemas and experience the epic beginning of Marvel’s first family on the big screen. Don’t miss it! Get showtimes and buy tickets here.

July 24, 2025
Movie Review: ‘Bring Her Back’ Is an Emotionally Driven, Intelligent Horror Film With a Stellar Performance From Sally Hawkins

‘Bring Her Back,’ from directors Danny and Michael Philippou and written by Danny Philippou and Bill Hinzman, is a classic-styled horror film that is rooted in human emotion and opts out of CGI and favours practical effects to create a real sense of dread and terror. The scares come from amplifying the situation and how vulnerable and helpless our protagonists are. The film never employs cheap tricks or cheap jump scares for easy reactions but works slowly to get under our skin. And it succeeds immensely at this.

The film is the story Andy and Piper. The two are siblings and Piper being partially sighted. At the get-go, we can see how close the two are, with Andy protecting Piper from the harshness of the world through little white lies and their closeness is displayed in ways like their secret codes and catch words only both of them understand. The siblings share a father, though their mothers are different but the closeness of the two is evident. When their father dies from an accident, the two are sent to foster care. Andy is only 17 but he fights to stay with Piper so that he can adopt her as her legal guardian when he turns 18. Enter Laura, a kooky, eccentric former counselor, who becomes the foster mother of Piper. She takes in the two siblings under her care but she harbors a dark secret and her closeness to Piper hides sinister plans.

The set up is long but it is not uneventful. From the get-go, we already know or feel something is up with Laura. The directors take their time to present us with myriad obstacles – Piper’s partial blindness, Andy’s former difficult past, how reclusive and isolated Laura’s home is to the rest of the city, the fact that Laura has legal guardianship of Piper and Andy is only living with them as a technicality – these already create tension and suspense. Things are exacerbated as Laura is also caring for another foster child, Oliver, who is unresponsive and sometimes violent. He is locked up in his room when Laura is not present and you just know things are not right here.

Soon, the film begins to peel back the veneer and we can see Laura trying to drive a wedge between Andy and Piper and the stakes got higher and Andy starts to catch on that everything is not right. Tensions build and the battle for Piper goes full blast.

‘Bring Her Back’ is pure horror. Just the idea of how vulnerable Piper and Andy are is already a cause for fright but the weirdness and the supernatural elements that are slowly revealed makes everything even more thrilling. Oliver’s transformations throughout the film is awe-inspiring and also fearsome. The fact that it’s not CGI but really good prosthetics and a fantastic performance by Jonah Wren Phillips is astounding.

In fact, the whole cast is incredible from Billy Barratt as Andy and Sora Wong as Piper; Wong, who really is partially sighted. The two have incredible chemistry and really ground the film’s story by making you really root for them.

But the real star of this movie is Oscar nominee Sally Hawkins as Laura. Her Laura is a riveting, fascinating character study of grief and pain and loss. She manages the backstory of Laura through her ability to shift gears emotionally throughout the film. As more and more is revealed about her character, we start to see the layers that she has carefully built in her performance from the first moment we see her as a kooky, eccentric woman to the fearsome thing she has become because of her character’s history. She’s a force of nature that manages to humanize her and allows us a glimpse of who she is that allows her to the monstrous things she does is the movie.

From the same directors of the hit horror film ‘Talk To Me,’ the Philippou brothers does it again by giving us a wonderfully layered, very human horror film that never pulls back on the scares. By using primarily practical effects, what we see on screen can move us while also scaring us fully. ‘Bring Her Back’ is an intelligent horror film that will get you engaged and invested in the characters and the story.

My Rating:

Bring Her Back is now showing, don’t miss this hauntingly powerful horror on the big screen. Check showtimes and catch the action on the big screen here.

July 18, 2025
Prime Video Streaming Review: Despite Its Good Intentions, ‘Heads of State’ Is Marred by Real-World Politics to Really Be Enjoyable

On paper, ‘Heads of State’ should work. It’s an old-school buddy action-comedy with John Cena and Idris Elba in the lead. Its premise, the U.S. President and the U.K. Prime Minister (played by Cena and Elba, respectively) must join forces to stop an arms dealer from destabilizing the world through a global surveillance program and an effort to neutralize NATO.

As with any buddy action-comedy, the two lead characters usually hate each other. John Cena’s Will Derringer is a former action movie star who is more versed in the optics of politics though has little experience with actual governance. Sam Clarke, played by Idris Elba, is a British Army veteran who has very little respect for Derringer. The two play off the usual Americans and British stereotypes but eventually find common ground through their adventures.

Again, on paper, this follows the formula for what could have been an entertaining movie but the current geopolitical landscape and ongoing world events cast a shadow over the film’s good intentions. The project was announced as far back as 2020, but filming didn’t begin until May 2023. They likely had a finished, approved script and aimed to deliver a comedy that would let audiences laugh at the contrasts between the U.S. and the U.K.

But then American politics happened. A reality star-turned-president takes his second term, and all throughout the first half of 2025, he began to destabilize the American image and his actions in regards to the Russia-Ukraine war and his pointed comments against NATO becomes an obvious counter-point to ‘Heads of State.’ The film, unfortunately, is not a satire and with the current news cycle as the backdrop of the movie’s release: it looks and feels like a hallow ideal that is not at all representative of any sort of truth.

And it’s unfortunate. For a straight-to-streaming movie, the film is supported by a big budget and has a lot of action sequences that rival Hollywood’s major summer blockbusters. There are rather intricate fight sequences – some funny while others are huge set pieces in big locations with a lot of explosions – that can really make the movie standout. It also includes the usual banter and funny quips that Clarke and Derringer throw at each other, which ends up with mixed results. Cena has clearly mastered this genre and demonstrates strong comedic timing. Elba, however, feels detached and is unable to bring his usual charm to the plate to make the role fully realised and work within this genre.

Films like these operate on a level of escapism – a fantasy that world leaders have our best interest (and the world’s) at their sights. It’s very similar in scope to another Amazon Studios film ‘G20’ with Viola Davis. But the recent news cycles that are inescapable on social media and the news tells us a different story about what the western world and those in power really stand for. ‘Heads of State’ feels tone deaf and silly.

It doesn’t help that Priyanka Chopra, who plays an MI6 agent with a shared past with the U.K. Prime Minister, takes on her role a little too seriously, feeling out of sync with the film’s overall tone. Meanwhile, Carla Gugino is underutilized as Elizabeth Kirk, the Vice President of the United States. Gugino is always an interesting presence on screen, but here, she’s given far too little to do.

On paper, ‘Heads of State’ should have worked but it’s about ten years too late. It’s presents a fantasy where Western nations – especially the US and the UK – are leaders for peace and order in global politics but the more you dig deeper into history and the general impressions of people online, it seems we’ve all become aware of the imperial history of both countries for this film to be excused for its good intentions.

My Rating:

Heads of State is now streaming on Prime Video. Hit play if you’re in the mood for some action-comedy escapism.

July 17, 2025
ClickTheCity Exclusive: 5 Minutes With the Director of Upcoming Horror Film ‘Bring Her Back’

With ‘Talk to Me,’ Australian filmmaking duo Michael and Danny Philippou made a big splash in the world of genre filmmaking. Their horror film was a phenomenal success and had made the brothers ones to watch out for in the industry. Their brand of truly frightening horror films, grounded in strong emotions, is at the center of their debut film. In the press release for their upcoming film, ‘Bring Her Back,’ Michael Philippou shared, “We really want our stories to have a strong emotional core. The stuff we want to create, we want it to work on multiple levels.”

Michael and Danny Philippou

This can be seen in the upcoming film ‘Bring Her Back,’ which stars Oscar nominee Sally Hawkins along with Billy Barratt and Sora Wong. It tells the story of two teens, Andy and Piper, played by Barratt and Wong, who lose their father and are placed in foster care under Sally Hawkins’ character, Laura. But Laura harbors a dark secret,one that tests Andy and Piper’s bond and puts their safety in peril.

Not relying on special effects, the scares come from how vulnerable Andy and Piper are when faced with the danger that their foster mother has dark plans for them. But it also reaches in and tugs at your heartstrings when you are faced with the realisation that all three characters are reacting intensely to grief and loss.

ClickTheCity was fortunate enough to have a five-minute Zoom interview with Michael and Danny Philippou, where we had the chance to ask them about the making of the film.

ClickTheCity: In the press kit, it says that you wrote all this lore behind your film, but chose not to include it in the film. Something you also did with your earlier film ‘Talk to Me.’ I love that. I really love that. When did you decide that you wanted to make horror movies this way where you don’t explain everything?

Michael Philippou: It’s the same as when you are creating a character. You need to know everything that happens with that character’s life that led them up to this point. What are the things that affected them? What is their personality? What was it like for them growing up? You build these backstories that people will never see but it arrives at the story you are telling now. It’s the same with the world. You need to know all those things, so you know how it got here. [he then shares details about the film that I will not share for sake of spoilers] It’s what is necessary for the story but it’s the human side of the story. We are being put into the center of the story.

Danny Philippou: We like it as a puzzle box. There are secrets in ‘The Shining’ where the answers aren’t overt but if you read the script and the novel there are more answers there.

CTC: But do you fall in love with the lore that you’d want to do a prequel or an origin story and, with regards to that, how do you feel about horror franchises? Do you feel your films could do that?

DP: I think if I was ever going to expand ‘Bring Her Back’ it would be a novelization as opposed to another film and really track her arc. That, to me, is really exciting. I’d be so down for that. And I love horror franchises. I’m obsessed with all of them. Like I’m obsessed with ‘Child’s Play’ and ‘Friday the 13th.’ I loved watching the new ‘Final Destination.’ Yes, I love the idea of franchises but I don’t think ‘Bring Her Back’ is franchise-able.

CTC: Thank you for that. I love that answer. Horror films are great as their own stand-alone thing and I love it that you think that same way about your movie. Both films, ‘Talk to Me’ and ‘Bring Her Back,’ talk about the dangers of contacting the dead. What are your feelings about mortality? At the same time, both films are fueled by rage… uh… no, grief, sorry! What is your relationship with grief?

DP: Well, it’s about rage as well. [laughs] We lost someone while we were writing the project and then we lost someone while we were about to shoot as well. So it eventually made its way into the material.

MP: Danny is just a sad f**k.

DP: Yeah.

[we all laugh]

DP: And the thing is… No. That’s a good answer.

CTC: Sally Hawkins is wonderful. Was she the first person you had in mind to play Laura?

DP: Yeah, she was the first person in the list and the first person we approached. We felt so honoured to be able to work with her.

MP: It wasn’t written with Sally in mind but then when we were thinking about casting, we were thinking what could be unique and special about it. If we could approach anyone, Sally was first on the list.

CTC: It also says in the press kit that she really threw herself into the material and into the character, did you have to reign her in? What were the ideas that she had with the character that you kept into the film?

DP: It’s even small things. There’s a dialogue exchange between Laura and Andy and in the script, she said, “I would have done anything to hear her call me ‘mum’ one more time.” And Sally suggested to change it to “I would do anything…” and bring it out of the past tense and put it into the present tense and that really underlined the ending moments of the movie. So even small things like that, she can elevate the movie into something even more.

Then, it was here that my time was up. I wanted to ask more about working with Sora Wong, who not only fits the character of Piper but also shares the character’s vision impairment. I also wanted to talk about their penchant for using practical effects and not rely on CGI to create the horror in their movies. But even in just five minutes, the enthusiastic directors, who were so accommodating even when you could tell that I was their first interview after the lunch break and goodness knows how many interviews, they already had that morning. Their passion and joy in talking about their film was undeniable. It’s artists like these that truly excite me and with ‘Talk to Me’ and ‘Bring Her Back’ as proof of their emotionally resonant and well-crafted films, I really must echo other critics in saying these two are the ones to watch in the future of genre filmmaking.

Don’t miss Bring Her Back, hitting cinemas tomorrow, July 16, 2025! Get your showtimes and tickets now here.

July 15, 2025
Movie Review: By Focusing on His Humanity, ‘Superman’ Feels Refreshing and New

It’s so refreshing to watch a new Superman movie that doesn’t go over the backstory again. How many times do we have to see Superman’s home world Krypton explode and the young infant Kal-El is sent to Earth to live with humans? What’s refreshing about James Gunn’s ‘Superman’ is that it starts the story in medias res with Superman already having saved Metropolis enough times to be beloved by all and his longtime nemesis Lex Luthor is knee-deep in a new plan to destroy him. In fact, the film starts with Superman in mid-battle and it’s brutal. It kicks off the film with a lot of energy, taking all our expectations and throwing it out the window because everything looks stunning.

But more importantly, what I find truly engaging is Gunn and David Corenswet’s take on the metahuman Superman. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a huge fan of Christopher Reeve, Henry Cavill, and even Brandon Routh’s portrayals of the iconic hero. But all of their versions carry a lofty, otherworldly goodness that leans heavily into the archetype of the boy scout: infallible and overflowing with kindness. Of course, Cavill’s take is a little darker, a little more tortured, because of Snyder’s grasp of the world but it’s still more than human. But Gunn and Corenswet makes Superman very, very human.

He gets frustrated. Little things bother him. There’s a joy he has when he does something good, like a teen winning an award at school. He can even be a bit cocky, which gives him a bit of an edge. It’s these little touches that makes Corenswet’s Superman so believable, especially when the film tries to paint him as a human being with godlike powers. For the first time, I believe in Superman as a character.

Gunn also manages to build a world where metahumans are a normal part of everyday life. When they battle in the middle of the city, some people stop to stare or take videos, while others run for cover. It’s all part of life in a superhuman world. In one hilarious scene, Clark and Lois (Rachel Brosnahan) share an intimate moment while, in the background, a group of heroes fights a massive creature. It’s probably just another Tuesday in this version of reality.

In the film, Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult) uses the resources of his billion-dollar empire to try and take down Superman. The caped hero is in hot water because he stopped a war between two nations, the nation that started the conflict being an ally of the United States of America. His intervention has caused a geopolitical mess that has Luthor lobbying for the banning of metahuman activities.

But Superman just wants to do good and in a brilliantly written and performed scene by Corenswet and Brosnahan, Lois interviews Superman and asks him the tough questions about the dangers of overstepping his authority in matters of geopolitics.

This and other events lead to Superman losing the public’s trust, and it’s quite brilliant how Gunn weaves in politics, foreign policy, and social media to become a greater threat than Lex Luthor ever could be. Gunn manages to maintain a sense of whimsy and comedy (which he has mastered in previous comic book films) while using the narrative to allude to real-world issues and forming an allegory for the problems that’s happening in the world and in America today.

By bringing in the importance of public opinion, Rachel Brosnahan’s Lois Lane becomes an active player in the story and not just Superman’s love interest. As a reporter, she has the means to go against Lex Luthor in the public sphere while Superman handles the superhuman threats the comes along.

And Superman is not alone.

‘Superman’ is a big, fun, and fast-paced comic book movie. It’s irreverent, packed with stunning visual effects, and filled with high-flying, high-octane fight scenes. The editing is sharp, quick without ever losing clarity. Corenswet and Hoult are both incredible, and Brosnahan holds her own, never fading into the background. While Nathan Fillion’s Guy Gardner is bound to become a fan favorite, it’s Edi Gathegi’s Mr. Terrific who might surprise new viewers with a quiet meaty role and has a lot of standout moments.

Superman, as a character, has always been so invincible that writing a story for him for the movies seemed impossible to bring it down a scale to something relatable. It’s always so big and massive because of the power he wields. What James Gunn and his team does is not bring down the scale but amplifies his humanity making ‘Superman’ something new, especially for people like me who has never read his comics.

My Rating:

Catch Superman now in cinemas and see the Man of Steel like you’ve never seen him before. Check showtimes and catch the action on the big screen here.

July 10, 2025