Tag: movie review

Movie Review: Leaning Into the Camp, ‘M3GAN 2.0’ Sidelines Horror and Leans Into Comedy and a Whole Lot of Action

Right from the start, ‘M3GAN 2.0’ immediately shifts gears by giving us a prologue featuring a new robot that will play opposite M3GAN in an action-packed scene involving a military operation. We’ve all seen it in the trailers: AMELIA is a military weapon using the same technology as M3GAN, but as she becomes self-aware, she uses her abilities to return to the United States and wipe out the people who created her. We then catch up with the main characters, Gemma and Cady, two years after their ordeal in the first movie. While Gemma has become a staunch advocate for AI regulation and of active participation in parenting, Cady has grown into a prickly preteen (now 12 years old) who has taken up aikido and feels resentful toward Gemma for being, ironically, too busy to be more involved in her life.

Director and screenwriter Gerard Johnstone flexes his comedic flair by laying down farcical moments and allowing the scenes to fully bring out the comic and satirical tone of the film, all while building the tension of AMELIA closing in on Gemma. However, that danger feels more in line with the conventions of action and suspense than of horror. While ‘M3GAN 2.0’ remains gruesome and brutal, it is more hard-hitting than it is spooky.

(from left) Gemma (Allison Williams) and M3GAN in M3GAN 2.0, directed by Gerard Johnstone.

Of course, M3GAN is still around, and she comes back with a vengeance. Now, she’s more self-aware, and this is presented through her snarkier attitude and less restrained behavior toward everyone except Cady. She knows what they did to her, and she is unafraid of ruffling feathers. This makes for some great comebacks and very campy moments.

The film doesn’t shy away from the things that made the first movie so enjoyable. What it does is add bigger set pieces, larger action sequences, and a plot that gets bigger, weirder, and more explosive. If you regularly read my reviews, you know I don’t always think that bigger is better, but in this case, it works. For camp to be truly campy, it needs ambition. And this bursts through the ceiling the first film built, going over and beyond what we expected it to be and that’s perfectly fine.

But surprisingly, through its satirical take on the AI rush, the movie explores several compelling insights about the ethical use of AI and the dangers it can bring. An early sequence set in Gemma’s house, which is equipped with smart AI technology, shows how it becomes a threat to everyone inside when one of the robots takes control of the entire infrastructure. Everything from cabinets and refrigerators to even the robot vacuum becomes dangerous.

(from left) Gemma (Allison Williams) and Tess (Jen Van Epps) in M3GAN 2.0, directed by Gerard Johnstone.

Even Gemma’s shift into developing human enhancement hardware, which is meant to help disabled people walk again and make work easier and more efficient for blue-collar laborers, is shown to be dangerous if taken over by an outside source.

M3GAN in M3GAN 2.0, directed by Gerard Johnstone.

Sure, ‘M3GAN 2.0’ has a lot of fun with two deranged robots going at it, and we get a kick out of all the fight sequences and punchlines, but the film also underlines the real dangers of turning our world AI-dependent. There are no safeguards for what might happen if AI technology ever becomes self-aware, or if another human being takes that technology and uses it for their own purposes. The military is always the first suspect.

At the same time, the film manages to shed light on the importance of active parenting and not relying on gadgets to do the job of real people. We are too locked in to our phones and the internet. We have forgotten how to be human and how to interact with each other as humans. Some of the most interesting moments come from the evolving dynamic between Gemma and M3GAN.

Ivanna Sakhno as Amelia in M3GAN 2.0, directed by Gerard Johnstone.

I’m very happy that ‘M3GAN 2.0’ didn’t try to take itself seriously. By doing so, the filmmakers presented a film that is laugh-out-loud funny while still driving home the message about the dangers of unethical, unregulated AI development.

My Rating:

Curious to see what happens when killer AI meets campy fun and over-the-top action? Catch M3GAN 2.0 in cinemas now. Check showtimes and book your tickets here.

June 26, 2025
Movie Review: The Unexpected Duality of ‘28 Years Later’

What is most surprising about director Danny Boyle and screenwriter Alex Garland’s 28 Years Later is the tender heart beneath the story. Considering both are known for their hard-hitting approaches to the subjects of their films, the third installment in the trilogy that began with their collaboration 28 Days Later does not hold back on the tension and horror. However, after the first hour, it shifts direction to bring us something poignant and intimate in the second half.

As indicated by the title, the story is set 28 years after the rage virus destroyed the United Kingdom. The world was able to contain the pandemic within the UK and has since moved on, but anyone left in the country must fend for themselves. On a small island off the coast of Scotland, a community is thriving. Remote and accessible only by a causeway that disappears when the tide is high, the community has found a way to survive. Here, Jamie (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) is taking care of his sick wife, Isla (Jodie Comer), and their 12-year-old son, Spike (Alfie Williams). In this town, part of the children’s education includes learning to fight and protect themselves from the infected. Jamie is taking Spike to the mainland, against the elders’ wishes, as the rite of passage usually happens at 14 or 15, so he can make his first kill.

In Scotland, the infected are scattered. Without the rush of industry and civilization, Boyle and Garland imagine the rich, bountiful Scottish landscape as a forest primeval. Jamie is preparing Spike for more adult responsibilities. What appears to be a father-and-son hunting expedition is actually a test of Spike’s survival instincts, stamina, and his ability to stay calm and collected.

An infected in Columbia Pictures’ 28 YEARS LATER.

Of course, things do not go as planned. They are chased by a pack of infected, now led by a bigger, stronger one who is smarter than the rest, whom they have called Alpha.

Jamie and Spike are forced to spend the night on the mainland before they can attempt to return, hoping that the low tide has made the causeway passable. Throughout the first hour of the film, the atmosphere is filled with tension and suspense. And despite Taylor-Johnson’s charm, his character Jamie is marked by a toxic masculinity that contrasts with Spike’s more gentle nature.

As the relationship between father and son becomes more and more fractured, Spike takes it upon himself to bring his mother back to the mainland after discovering that there is a doctor there who may have gone insane. The second half of the film is the reverse of the first, with the tenderness between mother and son providing a striking counterpoint. They have their own misadventures, but it is the contrast between both parents makes the movie what it is.

There’s a highly stylized filmmaking approach that Danny Boyle takes for ‘28 Years Later.’ His fast-paced editing intercuts scenes with gory images and old video footage, creating a link between the past and the present. This broken world has been broken before. This is not an unfamiliar world. These dangers, and the means of survival, are nothing new. It makes for a stirring watch – not to mention there are fantastic sequences that are wonderfully cinematic including the traverse through the causeway.

The music by Young Fathers and the exceptional sound design make this world feel visceral and emotional. It never stops, even in its quiet, somber, and tender moments. When they finally meet the doctor (Ralph Fiennes), the story shifts in an unexpected direction and features impressive production design elements that turn the film into a visually stunning cinematic experience.

Taylor-Johnson and Fiennes are amazing, and Williams grounds the film by reminding us that he is portraying a 12-year-old so his choices are less rational and more idealistic. He is an amazing anchor for the film and hits the right buttons. However, it is Jodie Comer who completely steals the spotlight in the latter half of the film, revealing the beautiful heart at the center of this story.

This is not the film I was expecting to see, but I enjoyed every bit of it. It is character-driven, and the world-building is solid as it expands the lore behind the infected. It teases a sequel and there’s talk about a new trilogy to follow starting with this one. I was pleasantly surprised by this film, and I am in it for the rest of the ride.

My Rating:

Witness the evolution of fear and survival. 28 Years Later is now in cinemas. Check showtimes and book your tickets here.

June 18, 2025
Movie Review: Fighting Like a Girl: A Review of ‘Ballerina’

While the first ‘John Wick’ was definitely a surprise, it was a revenge film with great action sequences that elevated the genre while still managing to show a lot of heart. Its sequels only upped the ante with even more fantastic action sequence and expanding an unbelievable world filled with assassins. By the second film, it had already embraced a sense of camp. Seriously, how many assassins can there be? But it never took itself too seriously, fully aware that what it offered was action that pushed the boundaries of what could be done within the genre.

‘Ballerina’ offers more of the same. The story is quite familiar. It’s a revenge tale set in the world of John Wick, promising a lot of hard-hitting action sequences with Ana de Armas front and center as the titular character. The film begins with our main character, Eve (played as a child by Victoria Comte), in hiding with her father (David Castañeda), but they are soon discovered. A major fight breaks out, and Eve learns she is being targeted by a man known as The Chancellor (Gabriel Byrne). Her parents were once part of a cult, and her father tried to take her away in hopes of giving her a normal life. However, no one leaves the cult. The Chancellor wants her back, but Eve’s father fights to keep her safe. He succeeds, but dies in the process.

Ana de Armas as Eve in Ballerina. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Lionsgate

Taken in by Winston (Ian McShane), she is brought to the Ruska Roma, her father’s “family,” and Eve decides to become one of their assassins and bodyguards. She trains and thrives, but during one assignment, she is attacked by another assassin and notices a tattoo on him that resembles those worn by The Chancellor’s men. When she confronts the head of the Ruska Roma (Anjelica Huston), she is told to stand down, as there is an uneasy truce between their faction and the cult. Naturally, Eve goes rogue to hunt them down and take her revenge.

Ian McShane as Winston and Ana de Armas as Eve in Ballerina. Photo Credit: Larry D. Horricks for Lionsgate

Under the direction of Len Wiseman (of the ‘Underworld’ franchise and ‘Live Free and Die Hard’) and screenwriter Shay Hatten, ‘Ballerina’ doesn’t linger on the emotional aspects, relying instead on clichéd moments. It never truly explores Eve’s relationship with her father or the depth of their connection. These elements are taken for granted. The film also avoids examining the emotional conflict Eve might feel as she becomes a killer. This is not that kind of film. What it does show is the toughness Eve adopts as her past shapes her present: she’s cold-hearted killer who is quick on her feet and can take a punch.

Anjelica Huston as The Director in Ballerina. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Lionsgate

Len Wiseman is very good with action. He allows us to see the brutality of each fight and frames the scenes so that we get the full range of motion with every punch and kick. It’s bloody, gory, and ruthless. With three other ‘John Wick’ films already released, Wiseman needs to find a way to keep things fresh and surprising, because at some point, it feels like we’ve seen it all. In this story, Ana de Armas’ Eve is not as seasoned as John Wick. She’s only months out of training, so she still makes mistakes. She gets beaten and takes hits, but the training montage early in the film shows us why she can recover so quickly. Sure, there are blows that no one should be able to get up from, but this is a ‘John Wick’ movie. Of course they get back up.

Ana de Armas as Eve in Ballerina. Photo Credit: Larry D. Horricks

There is an attempt to frame the movie with a feminist lens. In a training sequence, Eve’s mentor Nogi (Sharon Duncan-Brewster) tells her that she always loses because a man will always have the physical advantage. She advises her to do whatever it takes to win: improvise, cheat, set the terms of the engagement, and never fight on their terms. She tells her to “fight like a girl.” And then, Eve starts to win. What’s funny is that, aside from this one bit of dialogue, we don’t actually see her do anything noticeably different from what she was doing before. Yes, she improvises, but so did John Wick. They even bring in Amy Lee of Evanescence to perform a song called Fight Like a Girl for the closing credits. It’s all fair and fine, but it doesn’t quite deliver the feminist perspective the film seemed to be aiming for.

Norman Reedus as Daniel Pina in Ballerina. Photo Credit: Larry D. Horricks for Lionsgate

What the film does show, however, is how hard Ana de Armas worked to make everything look fun, believable, and thrilling. She moves like a champ, and with the choreography, sound design, and strong performances, she really takes a beating. Yet she gets back up again and keeps going. That, in itself, feels more feminist than any contrived appeal meant to speak directly to the women in the audience.

The plot is pretty by-the-books and rather thin, but we’re not here to watch a film with a serious story. We’re here for the action, and the film delivers on that, hands down. There’s even an extended fight sequence with a flamethrower that turned out to be one of the most cinematic moments I’ve seen in an action film. It genuinely surprised me. I wasn’t expecting to enjoy it, but I had a lot of fun. And I was nervous about Keanu Reeves returning as John Wick, but the way it was written didn’t take anything away from Ana de Armas. Instead, it helped show that Eve is not yet on John Wick’s level, but she could be. And since the film ends with an ellipsis, we know a sequel is likely if this one makes money. I’m all in for it.

My Rating:

Ballerina is now showing, serving up killer moves and nonstop action in the world of John Wick. Catch all the thrills on the big screen. Check showtimes and book your tickets here.

June 13, 2025
Movie Review: Another Kind of Love Story: A Review of ‘Only We Know’

I think anyone who has been following my reviews knows that I’m a big fan of Irene Emma Villamor. Other than that, one movie, I’ve always enjoyed her approach to love stories. She likes to really dig deep and explore the way broken people seem to gravitate to each other; trying to figure out if this relationship would be the one to fix them and as the movie progresses, they discover through each other that there’s still a lot of self-reflection they must do before they can find happiness. Her works always have a measure of violence in them: whether it be emotional (‘Sid & Aya: Not a Love Story’ and ‘On Vodka, Beers, and Regrets’) or the actual threat of danger (‘You and Me and the End of the World’). So, it was my pleasant surprise to find that ‘Only We Know’ to be Direk Irene’s most tender work yet. Out of all her movies – including ‘Ulan’ – this has the warmest heart.

Set in Tagaytay, Betty (Charo Santos) and Ryan (Dingdong Dantes) are neighbours. In the many years that they’ve lived beside each other; they have barely interacted. But as the film begins, Betty retires from her teaching position and is now spending a lot of time at home, tending her garden and painting. Ryan, on the other hand, is still grieving the passing of his wife (Max Collins), and has become reclusive, drinking all the time, and only leaving for work or to buy more spirits. Their first encounter is awkward, but Betty is a nurturing, caring person and she takes it upon herself to invite Ryan to dinner at her place. In each other they find a kindred soul. There’s an emptiness that the other manages to fill and a friendship begins to blossom; one that potentially can lead into something more.

And this is what is so endearing about Villamor’s film. She takes her time to show us Betty and Ryan’s world. The lives that they lead and how the other fills the gaps that their personal stories have put upon them. The film is not concerned about plot. It takes on a slice-of-life narrative, showing us how one’s grief can break someone and how another can ease the longing. While retirement can bring up issues of loneliness and how the other can bring surprises at every turn.

There are cliche elements that are presented – Betty’s best friend Cora (Shamaine Buencamino) wants to set her up, Betty’s ex-husband makes an appearance, the unprocessed grief of Ryan will take its toll, and there’s a medical discovery that tends to follow these sort of storylines – but Villamor skirts around them and never uses them for unnecessary drama or lets it linger.

Her focus is on the complex layers of Betty and Ryan’s friendship and withholds key scenes to make us wonder the true depths of each other’s feelings for the other. By doing so, Villamor turns the audience into the nosy Maritess asking for answers to questions they really have no business to ask. We are made to see the symptoms of their relationship but are never really invited in. It makes the title so much more powerful because what is between them is something only, they know.

By using the film language of the romantic-comedy, Direk Irene leads us to everyday, ordinary expectations from a pairing such as this but then she side-steps to present to us the power and importance of friendship. The expectation of romance is our down doing, reducing their need for companionship to something so basic and banal. Once you’re able to let that go, what you will start to see is how love can be a lot more dynamic than what movies usually present to us.

Other than Villamor’s direction, what else drives this movie forward is the incredible skill of Charo Santos and Dingdong Dantes to make this feel all so real. They completely imbibe their characters that every move, every expression, every line delivery feels so natural and organic. Their chemistry even evolves throughout the film. Their awkward first encounter in the film and first few interactions are just that: awkward, unbalanced, odd. But as they keep meeting, talking, helping each other out, they start to connect, and their chemistry begins to grow. It’s a wonderful thing to see in a movie of this nature where usually the chemistry must be there at the onset. Here, we see it bloom. It’s really a testament to the Santos and Dantes and their commitment to the characters and to the story.

With the absence of dramatic cliches, ‘Only We Know’ is a refreshing story about love and friendship that people don’t quickly understand. It’s wonderfully acted, and it carries with it a beautiful warm heart that’s just perfect for this rainy June.

My Rating:

Catch Only We Know in cinemas now. Don’t miss this touching story. Check showtimes and buy your tickets here.

June 11, 2025
Movie Review: While It Delivers Awe-Inspiring Stunts and Action, ‘Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning’ Struggles with the Weight of Its Narrative

I’ve been a fan of the ‘Mission: Impossible’ series since the third film. There’s an old school vibe to the whole franchise where the villains were one-dimensional, the geopolitics were never that complicated, and it was just a battle between Ethan Hunt’s Impossible Mission Force agents representing the force of good and whoever was the big bad in that installment. What was at the forefront were the use incredible stunts and fight choreography. It takes on the genre of the caper film, detailing a verifiable complicated plan to stop the villains from succeeding. It truly captures the idea of “impossible” but it’s done with such flair and shot and edited with such mastery that each film has always been a benchmark for Hollywood blockbuster excellence. Not to mention Tom Cruise’s penchant for doing all his death-defying stunts himself, without the aid of CGI or green screen.

While ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning’ did not do too well on the box office due to its schedule (it opened a week before the ‘Oppenheimer’ and ‘Barbie’ release which totally eclipsed the film and took away its theaters), I very much enjoyed the film. The new enemy is a state-of-the-art AI called The Entity who can hack into any system and corrupt it and its human counterpart, Gabriel (Esai Morales). That film introduced us to new characters – Grace (Hayley Atwell), an expert thief and pickpocket; Paris (Pom Klementieff), an assassin who was working with Gabriel but was betrayed by him and is now aligned with Ethan – and has Ethan on the run and in hiding from his own government as he has taken it upon himself to destroy The Entity as he believes that no power in the world should be able to control it.

Tom Cruise plays Ethan Hunt, Pom Klementieff plays Paris, Greg Tarzan Davis plays Degas, Simon Pegg plays Benji Dunn and Hayley Atwell plays Grace in Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning from Paramount Pictures and Skydance.

‘Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning’ takes place two months after the events of the previous film and spends the next half hour catching us up. In fact, there’s a whole lot of exposition in this film, considering that this is the final installment of the franchise (or so they say), you’d think we’d get right into the action. But ‘Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning’ isn’t just a big finale, it’s also a send off. The script then tries to tie up this film with every other film in the franchise, creating links of the rabbit’s foot of the third film to the Entity and having other characters from previous movies referenced or even show up.

And so the 170-minute running time of the film is not just action sequence after action sequence. Even as he is running from his government and trying to avoid any of the chaos happening globally caused by The Entity corrupting the internet and fostering a world where we no longer trust anything and anyone, Ethan must appeal to various people – high ranking American military personnel – who can get him closer and closer to a sunken submarine, which holds the key to stopping The Entity.

Nick Offerman, Charles Parnell, Angela Bassett, Mark Gatiss and Janet McTeer in Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning from Paramount Pictures and Skydance.

These scenes are a lot of tense moments of Ethan trying to convince people to go against their chain of command to take lead from a rogue operative. These scenes are shot with intense drama but we all know how it is going to turn out.

Tom Cruise plays Ethan Hunt, Hayley Atwell plays Grace and Simon Pegg plays Benji Dunn in Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning from Paramount Pictures and Skydance.

In fact, unlike ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning’ and other films in the franchise, there’s a rushed feel to the whole film. It’s an unbalanced narrative with a lot of exposition punctuated by a high pressure, well-executed fight scene. Each time the film does try to do some character work, especially when it involves Ethan and Luther (Ving Rhames) it leans towards the sentimental that feels heavy-handed. As Ethan faces the consequences of all his choices throughout the whole franchise, this movie will bring up another character who will tell him that he did good. There’s an overall feeling that there or no real consequences in the franchise. Characters can die – like Keri Russel’s Lyndsey Farris in ‘Mission: Impossible III’ and Rebecca Ferguson’s Ilsa Faust from the last three installments – but Ethan’s morality, despite all his skill and resources, is never compromised.

It’s funny because it’s this old school appeal of absolute good and evil that I remarked at the start of this review but in this movie, it builds a tone that makes the film feel less serious than the others. Tonally, it feels off.

Tom Cruise plays Ethan Hunt in Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning from Paramount Pictures and Skydance.

At least, the film tackles and shows us the dangers of unmitigated AI but as terrifying as The Entity is in ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning’ it is barely present in this movie. Gabriel is the main antagonist here, and Morales’ approach feels more suited for James Bond than Mission Impossible.

Tom Cruise and Director Christopher McQuarrie on the set of Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning from Paramount Pictures and Skydance.

But while the tone isn’t synched, the film delivers its promise of incredible stunts and action sequences that are the trademark of the franchise and Tom Cruise and director Christopher McQuarrie. There’s an underwater sequence involving the sunken submarine and a fight between two biplanes, with Cruise jumping unto one and doing acrobatic fight scenes high up in the air. As always, these are the scenes we are all waiting for and as they are shot without CGI, all practical stunts, the effect on the big screen is awe-inspiring and thrilling.

As a fan of the franchise, this wasn’t exactly the film I had wanted the franchise to end on. The narrative is messy and loaded with exposition that kills its pacing and dripping with sentimentality. It underutilizes Hayley Atwell, who is introduced in a big way in the previous film but is minimally used except for two scenes. Luckily, the film’s action sequences, and impressive stunts still make it fun to watch but it’s 50-50. It’s not the big finale the series deserves.

My Rating:

Witness the ultimate finale! Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning is now showing. Check showtimes and buy your tickets here.

May 17, 2025
Movie Review: Lacking Restraint, ‘Untold’ Also Gives Us No One to Root For

It is sometimes useful to withhold information in a film’s story to create a sense of mystery; that would get the audience invested into the narrative and capture their attention. The big reveal would create the “Aha!’ moment in the film’s third act that can create an emotional response that can make cinema fun. From the title alone, the horror film directed by Derick Cabrido and written by Enrico Santos ‘Untold’ attempts to use this structure but ends up undermining its film’s relatability making it a difficult watch. After all, ‘Untold’ is a horror film and by withholding important information at the first act of the film, it becomes harder for us to invest in the protagonist Vivian Vera, played by Jodi Sta. Maria.

The movie is about a reporter, Vivian Vera, who is being haunted by her past. Her latest scoops have not been doing as well as a landmark reportage she did in previous years about a massacre that happened at a real estate development property. That story put three people in jail, three of the culprits and the guard that let them in the property to kill the informal settlers whose homes were being vacated for the project. But now the guard has been set free, and Vivian is seeing the ghosts of the victims, and they are terrorizing her.

There are several things that aren’t working well in this film, the most significant one is the structural issue I stated above. As we enter the film, Vivian is the star reporter of the news program Untold and she’s unpleasant to work with, she comes off as two-faced to her boss and to the people around her, and she seems more concerned about her career than anything else. It’s a tough person to like, even when played by Jodi Sta Maria. Her character’s vulnerable side is her relationship with her mother (Gloria Diaz). The film, though, never takes a moment to really cement their dynamic. The nuances and textures of their relationship, much like the big mystery about why Vivian is being haunted, is left as a big exposition scene at the third act. This means that throughout the first two acts, Vivian is a character that we do not like and so it is hard for us to care about her and the fact that these spirits are haunting her.

Source: Untold Movie FB Page

For a horror film to succeed, we need to be able to care about the safety of the protagonist or at least someone good but this film has a huge absence of innocents. Almost everyone has a dark side or secret. Even the most innocent of the characters, Juan Karlos’ Jasper Torres, who works with Vivian and has an intense crush on her. He is the closest to good with have in the film but when you realize that he is blind to Vivian’s dark side that he would support her even after he discovers who she is do we see that he can’t be all that good. Without someone to root for, the hauntings become less scary.

And this is where it also fails. They say, “less is more” and ‘Untold’ could have used a bit more of this adage because the film is just chock-full of these scary moments. Vivian is constantly entering into a trance and being grabbed and groped and choked by these spirits, but she also ends up alive after every attack. No actual physical harm comes to her. After a certain point, they stop being scary because there’s no real apparent danger. The more we see – and we see the make-up, the special effects, and we get used to loud sound design that comes with everything haunting – we become desensitized and at some point, the people behind me at the cinema just started laughing.The film has a lot to say about not taking everything we see on media at face value. It asks us to interrogate what we see, ask questions, verify information and challenges everyone in that field to hold on to their integrity. It is quick to punish those that have stepped out of line but offers no counterpoint or comparison, so it comes off cynical and jaded. It’s not an easy watch. Even in films like these, we still need someone to root for.

My Rating:

Untold is now showing in cinemas! Check showtimes and buy your tickets here.

May 4, 2025
Movie Review: Revolutionary in Vision, ‘Thunderbolts’ Is a Great Underdog Story

I love a good underdog story. Everything about ‘Thunderbolts*’ is geared towards entering the psyche of those who feel lost and empty and left behind. It’s a superhero movie, for sure, in the very superhero world of the Marvel Cinematic Universe but each character, many whom we have seen before, are experiencing burn out or aimlessness. Each of the protagonists of the film have done horrible things and they cannot escape their past. It is said many times in the trailer that “they are not heroes” but as the trailer also suggests, they are the only ones left to stop the MCU’s next impeding danger.

In post-Avengers world, Yelena (Florence Pugh), John Walker (Wyatt Russell), Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen), and Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko) find themselves out hunting each other as a trap laid out by their former employer Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus). It is supposed to be Yelena’s last job as she’s lost her heart for it, for everything. But the ensuing standoff finds the mercenaries joining together to get out alive all the while trying to discover the mystery behind Bob (Lewis Pullman), who happened to be at the vault that Valentina was trying to destroy along with the mercenaries.

John Walker (Wyatt Russell), Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen), Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh) and Alexei Shostakov/Red Guardian (David Harbour) in Marvel Studios’ THUNDERBOLTS*. Photo by Chuck Zlotnick. © 2025 MARVEL.

On the trail is Bucky Barnes AKA the Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan) as he is trying to navigate politics as an elected congressman but seems better suited to the life of a hero. Joining them is the Red Guardian (David Harbour) and the new ragtag team must find it within themselves to be the heroes America is lacking to fend off the super powerful new entity known as The Void.

Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) in Marvel Studios’ THUNDERBOLTS*. Photo by Chuck Zlotnick. © 2025 MARVEL.

It’s quite clever how director Jake Schreier and screenwriters Eric Pearson and Joanna Calo manage to execute a character study while filling all the time with funny moments and intense action sequences. While this is without a doubt Yelena’s movie, almost each other character finds a moment to realize that there’s something missing in their lives. Walker is still trying to live with the shame of being a failed Captain America. Bucky is not suited for politics and is trying too hard to still do good in the only way he knows how. The Red Guardian is still pining for the glory days when his name and his identity meant something and this all ties up so well with The Void, an ominous super-powered being who threatens to engulf the world in darkness.

(L-R) Director Jake Schreier and Wyatt Russel on ther set of Marvel Studios’ THUNDERBOLTS*. Photo by Chuck Zlotnick. Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. © 2025 MARVEL.

As funny as the movie is, it’s quite refreshing to see a superhero film deal with burn out and existential questions, especially coming from characters who have a history of violence and murder. Through their interactions with each other and, the eventual joining of forces to become a team, ‘Thunderbolts’ ends up becoming a hopeful belief in second chances and of finding redemption by leaning on others, even when you don’t believe in yourself.

Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen), Bob (Lewis Pullman), John Walker (Wyatt Russell), Alexei Shostakov/Red Guardian (David Harbour), Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh) and Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan)in Marvel Studios’ THUNDERBOLTS*. Photo by Chuck Zlotnick. © 2025 MARVEL.

It’s the magic of Florence Pugh, who manages to make Yelena’s existential crisis fit so perfectly into a superhero movie. We’ve seen her in films like ‘Midsommar’ and ‘Little Women’ so we know her range and talent and she manage to show it off again by playing it authentically in this film but not laying it on too heavy that it moves away from the tone of the film. She makes it real but keeps it comic-book appropriate. Wyatt Russell does the same with the scenes he gets to play with but the other real star here is Lewis Pullman, who manages to make the mysterious Bob so fascinating to watch as we discover the full history of his character.

(L-R): John Walker (Wyatt Russell), Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan), Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen) and Alexei Shostakov/Red Guardian (David Harbour) in Marvel Studios’ THUNDERBOLTS*. Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. © 2025 MARVEL.

There’s a lot of action and superhero fight sequences to keep the film fun, fast, and exciting but it’s how it handles its ending that feels very revolutionary. I don’t want to spoil anything but the way the film finds its solution – for a team that only “punch and shoots” – is sort of powerful that I almost cried. It’s so refreshing that the solution isn’t what we think it’s going to be and it’s so right for the themes that are at play in the film.‘Thunderbolts’ is a return to form. A big superhero movie that isn’t afraid to be revolutionary and say some really big things about mental health and redemption. It has a wonderful score by Son Lux and a great cast. I hope this is a bigger hit than it is set up to be because I want more superhero movies like this.

My Rating:

Experience the 5-star brilliance of Thunderbolts*, a superhero epic that redefines redemption! Check showtimes and buy your tickets here.

April 30, 2025
Movie Review: American Terror in ‘Warfare’

There’s something visceral and authentic about ‘Warfare,’ the film written and directed by Alex Garland and Ray Mendoza, Mendoza being one of the US Navy SEALs who had experienced first-hand the events that transpire in the movie. The film reenacts the conflict in Ramadi, Iraq in 2006 by two Navy SEAL platoons as they faced heavy fire from the locals who wanted them out of their land. On one hand, it is a battle of survival, showing the tactical strategies and the battle instincts of American soldiers in times of conflict and it is thrilling to see how a platoon managed to get out despite being surrounded by a whole city of hostiles. But as a non-American, the film ends up becoming a cautionary tale of the horrors of war and imperialism. It plays off as an anti-war film when you can see, without filters, the damage that wars cause both on human lives and ways of living.

The plot is simple: a platoon of Navy SEALs sneaks in under the cover of night into a two-story house in Ramadi. They take the families living there into one room and force them to cooperate as they use the house as a watchtower over the central plaza. The film remains quite obtuse about why they are there and what exactly they are doing.

Later on, they are discovered, and as the city begins to quiet down, locals start to arrive, surround them, and begin their attack on the soldiers. As two members are wounded and need to evacuate, they come across heavy fire and suffer heavier injuries and losses and urgently need to get to safety.

The film’s script is based solely on the testimonies of the soldiers present in the house and with Mendoza as co-screenwriter and co-director, he was able to recreate the events as it was shared by everyone involved. The drama and tension of being caught in that moment are laid bare for all to see. The effects of shell-shock, seeing and hearing your companion scream in pain as his legs are torn to the bone, surrounded by the sounds of gunfire are devastating. It’s a compelling cinematic approach that brings us as close as possible to the heart of an armed conflict. It’s brutal, chaotic, and unforgiving. It would be thrilling if it weren’t based on real events.

What’s interesting about this depiction is how there’s so little context that’s in the film. It wasn’t until after the movie ended that I researched the conflict and discovered it depicted a rescue attempt in the wake of the Second Battle of Ramadi. Apparently, Ramadi was the capital of the insurgent forces of the Islamic State of Iraq during the American occupation. None of this context was made clear in the film and, so what I saw, as a non-American, was a bunch of American soldiers traipsing around in lands that were not their own (after all, it’s been argued that the American occupation of Iraq was motivated by faulty intelligence and questions about the legality of that war have been expressed) and causing chaos to everyone around them.

Mendoza and Garland take every opportunity to try and make each character recognizable – easily done by casting some very prominent young actors in these roles including Will Poulter, Kit Connor, Charles Melton, Joseph Quinn, Cosmo Jarvis, and D’Pharaoh Woon-a-Tai – giving them close-ups and calling them out by name. The directors humanize these people so that when the bullets start falling and people start to get hurt, we feel strong enough to care. It’s a complex emotion, for me, knowing that the filmmaking is making me empathize with these people, who in my understanding, are not where they are supposed to be and are bringing the danger to their own selves.

But that’s the thing about war: it’s fought by soldiers who are just following orders. Absent from the film are the people whose decisions it was that put this conflict into action in the first place. The ones who get hurt or die, whose houses are shot at by guns and tanks, they are the ones at the frontlines and dying but on whose say so?

This is how ‘Warfare’ becomes an anti-war movie for me because there’s a lingering shot at the end of the film, when the soldiers finally retreat and are evacuated and all we see are the empty streets of Ramadi with all the debris on the streets, the house from the house shot at by tanks, and the locals stepping out to assess the damage.

It’s the final shot of this film, which omits crucial context, poses a profound question: who was terrorizing whom?

My Rating:

Warfare is now showing in cinemas. Check showtimes and buy your tickets here.

April 25, 2025
Movie Review: A Hell of a Night: A Review of ‘Sinners’

There’s something epic about Ryan Coogler’s ‘Sinners,’ even though the entire story unfolds over just 24 hours in a single community in the Mississippi Delta in 1932. There’s a bigness to the way Coogler sets each scene and introduces to us each character that while the film may feel contained, the themes and the imagery goes way beyond the story’s premise of twin brothers who come back from Chicago to open a juke joint for the black community of their hometown. There is an exploration here of race, of freedom, of history, and of resistance. While the trailer may lead us to think this is a period vampire movie with two Michael B. Jordans (playing the aforementioned twins) but this is a Ryan Coogler movie. It’s a lot more layered than this.

The film begins with a flashforward, a shot of the finale, with Sammie arriving at the church where his father is a pastor, bloodied and dirty and carrying a broken guitar. His father takes him in the congregation and pleads for him to leave his life of sin: of alcohol, of sex, and of blues music. We then shift to the day before, when Sammie sees his cousins, Smoke and Stack (Jordan in a dual role), who have returned from Chicago to open a juke joint in a former sawmill owned by a racist white man.

Photo Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures

In one day, the twins recruits the members of their joint, which include musicians like Sammie and Delta Slim (Delroy Lindo), local Chinese merchants Grace and Bo (Lu Jun Li and Yao, respectively) for supplies, Cornbread (Omar Benson Miller) to act as bouncer, and Smoke’s estranged wife Annie (Wunmi Mosaku), who is also versed in the occult and knowledgeable in the supernatural.

Photo Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures

In one day, the twins recruits the members of their joint, which include musicians like Sammie and Delta Slim (Delroy Lindo), local Chinese merchants Grace and Bo (Lu Jun Li and Yao, respectively) for supplies, Cornbread (Omar Benson Miller) to act as bouncer, and Smoke’s estranged wife Annie (Wunmi Mosaku), who is also versed in the occult and knowledgeable in the supernatural.

Photo Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures

While the juke joint brings in the community to eat, drink, and sing and dance to the blues and jazz, a young woman from Smoke and Stack’s past joins the revelries, Mary (Hailee Steinfeld). With both brothers dealing with the strained relationships of their past, Mary and Annie, and Sammie trying to catch the attention of Pearline (Jayme Lawson), a married singer, trouble begins to brew as a vampire circles the sawmill, hoping to get an invite into the premises.

Photo Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures

You wouldn’t think, during the first hour, that this is a vampire movie. Except for a brief scene introducing the Irish vampire Remnick (Jack O’Connell), the first hour of the film is dead-set on building this vast world and its histories. Smoke and Stack are out in town bringing the people they need to make the juke joint work, and each encounter offers a world of stories that adds layers and depth to this film. Set during the era of the Ku Klux Klan, Prohibition, and blatant, racially charged oppression, ‘Sinners’ carves out a space of what freedom looks like for an oppressed people. And for the cotton-picking farmers of the Mississippi Delta, it’s drinking, dancing, and singing along to some good ol’ country blues that can set a spirit free.

Photo Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures

The symptoms of oppression hang heavy throughout the film but never overpower it, so it never feels preachy. Instead, it creates layers and textures such as the presence of the Chinese merchants, which is historically accurate, and the very colorful history of Steinfeld’s Mary, who also shares the same sort of roots her character has.

Photo Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures

By the time the vampires come and make their attack, the film has turned this fiction into something tangible and real; the stakes are high and true, and while the film can lean a bit too close to camp, there’s a gravitas to the whole proceeding that keeps it grounded and its footing secure.

Photo Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures

Michael B. Jordan is excellent in the dual role of the twins, showing two sides of the same coin: the serious Smoke and the more carefree Stack. He’s a great anchor for the film’s hopes and dreams with an excellent counterpoint by Miles Caton’s Sammie whose own hopes and dreams are filled with idealism as compared to the cynicism of the twins. Delroy Lindo is always a joy to watch but the ones who steal the show here are Steinfeld and Mosaku. Both women have done their assignment and slide into any of their scenes and take the spotlight. Both women steal their scenes (hard to do with Jordan, Lindo, and Caton’s incredible singing) but Steinfeld and Mosaku are completely synched to Coogler’s vision that they make their screentime shimmer with energy.

Photo Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures

Coogler uses the film’s mysticism to create extraordinary moments into the film which elevates his vampire movie into an allegory of black oppression and their unyielding desire for freedom. The success of the juke joint invaded by a white vampire is not just coincidental. The symbolism is just one of many that subtly makes ‘Sinners’ more than your usual popcorn fare.

Photo Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures

The gorgeous music of Ludwig Goransson and the crisp, powerful cinematography of Autumn Durald Arkapaw completes the set for this incredibly enjoyable film, especially if seen on IMAX.

And don’t forget to stay until the very end, as there is a mid-credit and end credit scene for full effect.

My Rating:

Sinners is now showing in cinemas. Check showtimes and buy your tickets here.

April 23, 2025
Movie Review: Struggling With Two Genres, ‘The Amateur’ Is a Movie Without a Solid Identity

There’s something about the trailer of ‘The Amateur’ that leads us to expect something that’s thrilling and action-packed; like a glossier cousin of the Bourne franchise. The premise of a genius CIA cryptographer who goes rogue to find the killers of his wife, Sarah (Rachel Brosnahan), on a quest for vengeance gives us ‘John Wick’ vibes but with gadgets and technology. So, it’s kind of jarring to sit in the theater and watch as the film takes an interesting approach by focusing the drama on whether protagonist Charlie Heller (Rami Malek) can bring it upon himself to kill. All the exciting gadget-centered traps seen in the trailer are not really what’s on the spotlight but whether a brilliant and rational computer geek can become a cold-blooded killer.

At the start, the film takes pains to show us how much Charlie is rather insulated from the world. He lives in a beautiful, lavish cottage filled with lush greenery, which tells us he doesn’t live in the city but away from it. His wife, Sarah, travels a lot and is always inviting him to come along but he doesn’t. Always finds an excuse, work-related mostly, it seems. As a CIA codebreaker, Charlie is sent some top-secret files from an anonymous informant that implicates his boss in something politically disastrous but this is pushed aside when he is told that his wife has been killed in a violent event that led to her being taken hostage and then killed.

Image Source: 20th Century Studios

Consumed by her loss, Charlie uses the secret files to blackmail his bosses to give him field training so that he can chase after his wife’s killers and take vengeance. But his bosses at the CIA are not happy that he has the files and that they are being blackmailed and are also attempting to take him out of the equation.

Image Source: 20th Century Studios

So, Charlie must get what he needs from the CIA before they take him out while chasing after some cold-blooded killers who are way more experienced than he is.

On paper, it sounds exciting. I bet the book that it’s based on, the 1981 novel by Robert Littell with the same name, is probably exciting. The book being released in 1981, it’s probably a lot more low-fi than this version which uses hi-tech traps for Charlie to exact his vengeance, as guns are not his specialty. As his trainer (Laurence Fishburne) tells him at some point, he uses these elaborate set-ups because he’s afraid to get his hands dirty, which makes an interesting thesis.

Image Source: 20th Century Studios

Rather than focusing on how Charlie sets up and pulls off his traps, the film takes several digressions to show visions of Sarah intruding into his daily life and memories of her. The film spends a whole hour preparing Charlie to go after his wife’s killers. Throughout this first half, it shows us how brilliant Charlie is but also how pulling a trigger is harder than it looks. Then the next half has his trying to execute his plans and him dealing with the repercussions of his actions. Director James Hawes and screenwriter Ken Nolan and Gary Spinelli give Charlie as much time to unfurl at a club after he makes his first kill.

It’s these scenes, which paints Charlie as a complex person growing into his new vigilante persona, that slows down the whole film. The dramatic, character-driven parts are not in synch with the aspects of the film that falls under the spy action-thriller tone. It’s not as cohesive as, let’s say, ‘Collateral’ or the dense and cerebral film ‘Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.’

Image Source: 20th Century Studios PH FB Page

Malek is a ball of nerves as Charlie. He has the same affectations as his character in ‘Mr. Robot’ but he’s allowed to be human here as Charlie is not a sociopath (or is his character in Mr. Robot on the spectrum?). He handles the dramatic parts well and how his character subtly builds his confidence after every strike. The changes are subtle but clear. The ones who steal the show though are Laurence Fishburne’s Henderson and Jon Bernthal’s small role as a spy in the CIA who Charlie has admiration for. As Henderson, Fishburne exudes an “I’ve-seen-it-all” attitude and carries himself with such an air of confidence that it makes Henderson so scary while he’s being warm and nurturing to Charlie. It’s an interesting role that Fishburne knows exactly how to elevate. Bernthal, on the other hand, has two or three scenes but he has a screen presence that fits his role so well and creates a wonderful counterpoint for Charlie. His appearance on the latter half of the film leaves such a great impact as we see Charlie facing off with the person, he admires the most.

While polished and well-crafted, ‘The Amateur’ is a different movie than what it appears to be. As a spy thriller, it short-cuts the things we want to see. As a character-study of a man who is reconciling turning into a vigilante, it does not go deep enough to have anything clear to say about the moral quandary of taking justice into your own hands. It has the makings of a sequel and hopefully, they’ll fine tune the general tone and figure out its identity.

My Rating:

The Amateur is now showing in cinemas! Catch it on the big screen—check showtimes and get your tickets here!

April 15, 2025