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'Babygirl' Review September 12, 2024 By: Hunter Friesen Babygirl had its North American Premiere at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival. A24 will release it in theaters on December 25. To make a film, you must have a question. Writer/director Halina Reijn has several questions on her mind within Babygirl , each of them even more sexually charged than the previous one. For those who thought the provocation of Catherine Breillat would stay outside of America’s border, you’re sorely mistaken. To pull off her highwire act of tone and impurity, Reijn has enlisted the help of one of the bravest A-listers around: Nicole Kidman. If there’s anyone who can get this project over the finish line, it’s the star who’s worked with Stanley Kubrick, Lars Von Trier, and Yorgos Lanthimos. Kubrick’s Eyes Wide Shut would be an apt comparison here, based on the surface-level story of an affair during Christmas and the underneath layer of promiscuity and power. “They did a bad, bad thing” would be the hook that plays over the relationship between Romy (Kidman) and Samuel (Harris Dickinson). She’s the CEO of a leading artificial intelligence company, and he’s the fresh-faced intern. But their paths first cross before they enter the office building, with him calming down a dangerous dog about to lunge after Romy. He can tame the beast, while also unleashing it by asking forward questions and making criticisms about Romy’s coffee habits. Romy may spout the usual HR-approved speeches about the CEO being a collaborative leader of a family, but that all ends in the bedroom. She’s the dominator when having sex with her husband Jacob (Antonio Banderas), and when trying to parent her angsty teenage daughter (Esther McGregor). There’s something about Samuel’s brashness that turns her on, even when it should be cause for an immediate dismissal. An innocent kiss becomes a string of flirtatious text messages, which becomes a secret meeting in a hotel room, which becomes a passionate game of hide and seek around the office. Reijn never proposes to have all the answers for why such a powerful woman would engage in something so destructive. Jacob is a perfect husband, and he’s obviously quite handsome. She’s passionate about her job, and is looked upon highly by her assistant (Sophie Wilde) as a titan in a male-dominated industry. But there’s a darkness within her, a need to unravel everything. She’s too scared to take the plunge on her own, which is why someone like Samuel is so irresistible. She can only tame her desires for so long, and it always bites back ferociously. It’s no surprise that Kidman won the Best Actress award at the Venice Film Festival, with her dedication to the film’s twists and turns being unmatched. She bares all both literally and metaphorically, navigating the challenges of the corporate world and a teetering domestic life. There’s real passion in her scenes with Dickinson, and the practice with Zac Efron over the years in The Paperboy and A Family Affair is surely paying off. Dickinson is a frat boy who finally gets what he’s been bragging about all these years. Now that he has it, he doesn’t know what to do with it. There’s an emotional immaturity to his actions, which makes him a time bomb ready to explode if he doesn’t get what he thinks he wants. Reijn supports women’s rights, and also women’s wrongs. Everything is wrong with Babygirl , with those unsatisfactory feelings being just what the erotic subgenre needs. It’s a dirty film with a dirtier message, perfect for release during the Christmas season. Must Read 'Blitz' Review A good film is still a good film, although it still tastes a little bitter when you know it could have easily been better. SHOP 'Here' Review For some people, this might be the wake-up call they’ve always needed. For others, it’s just another hokey life lesson from people that the world has passed by. SHOP 'A Real Pain' Review By the time the ninety minutes are up, A Real Pain has taken you on a journey with not just these characters, but also with yourself. SHOP 'Magpie' Review It’s a delectable cake, with just a bit too much sugar added. SHOP 'The Shadow Strays' Review Action and Tjahjanto fans will eat the movie up, but regular cinephiles and moviegoers won’t be in as much of a chokehold. SHOP

'Emilia Perez' Review June 6, 2024 By: Hunter Friesen Emilia Perez premiered at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival. Netflix will release it in theaters on November 01 and on its streaming service on November 13. A prison drama centering on a Muslim convict; a romance between a single father and a killer whale trainer deepens after tragedy; a Sri Lankan Tamil warrior feels to France to seek a better life; two brothers chase after a gold prospector in 1850s Oregon; and a sexually-charged romantic comedy about millennial Parisians. These are the basic descriptions of the last five films directed by Paris’ own Jacques Audiard, none of which seem to share an obvious thematic link or calling card. In fact, the only thing that keeps them connected is their fate after they premiere, with all of them collecting a bevy of festival and César nominations/awards. That streak of genre maneuverability continues with Audiard’s latest work, Emilia Perez , a musical crime comedy set in modern Mexico. Based on the results, I’m sure more awards are not far behind to go along with the Best Actress and Jury Prize haul at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. Those Cannes audiences may have already had their fill of pure bewilderment in the form of Francis Ford Coppola’s long-gestating Megalopolis , but Emilia Perez is the one of the pair to actually do it right. It’s a film whose on-paper plot raises several eyebrows, only to be met with more craziness as it all explodes on the screen. It doesn’t always work, but it bats a pretty high average, and almost all of the strikes are just as satisfying to watch as the hits. Let’s start back up at the top and get ourselves reoriented. Rita Moro Castro (Zoe Saldaña) is an overworked and underpaid lawyer in Mexico City. Her victories in the courtroom are often defeats in her personal life, as no amount of work she does seems to make a difference. Her strong resume gets her noticed by the ruthless cartel leader Manitas (Karla Sofía Gascón donning incredibly convincing makeup), who, in exchange for $2 million, hires Rita to help him go through the gender reassignment surgery that he’s always dreamed of having. Years go by as Manitas becomes Emilia Perez, with Rita taking up the position of the professional guardian for Emilia’s wife (Selena Gomez) and kids, who have been in the dark about the whole operation. The degree to which the musical aspects would play into the narrative may have been shrouded in mystery during the announcement and production phases, but all those uncertainties are squashed within the first minute of the finished product. Saldaña is our guide through this story, with her seldom-seen musical chops being unleashed in an opening number featuring a large chorus and flashy camerawork. It’s this sequence that illustrates much of what’s to come, both from the story and performers: an extraordinary amount of dedication and sincerity to even the most outlandish of concepts. Audiard gives maximum effort to each of the genres he’s melding together. Each of the musical sequences is bursting with a bombastic spirit, the lighting and camerawork being as expressive as the actors. Then there’s also real danger with the crime elements, which attempt to grab ahold of Mexico’s problem of missing persons and cartel-related violence. It can all feel a little silly due to the operatic fever dream of the production, but its heart is always in the right place. Carrying that heart is Spanish trans-actress Karla Sofía Gascón. While Rita is the one finding herself falling deeper down the rabbit hole, Manitas/Emilia is the one trying to dig their way out. Gascón finds that nugget of remorse that’s needed for us to sympathize with her. She also brings the house down with some of her solo numbers. Gomez is a bit shortchanged by the structure of the story, only showing up in bits and pieces. Her pop-star presence gives her scenes a certain amount of flair that distances them from any of her other previous roles. Musicals will be all the rage later in the year with Joker: Folie à Deux , Moana 2 , Wicked , and Mufasa: The Lion King filling up the multiplexes. Save for maybe Todd Phillipps and the chaotic duo of Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga, Audiard and his cast could easily lay claim to the most audacious musical of the year. Must Read 'Here' Review For some people, this might be the wake-up call they’ve always needed. For others, it’s just another hokey life lesson from people that the world has passed by. SHOP 'A Real Pain' Review By the time the ninety minutes are up, A Real Pain has taken you on a journey with not just these characters, but also with yourself. SHOP 'Magpie' Review It’s a delectable cake, with just a bit too much sugar added. SHOP 'The Shadow Strays' Review Action and Tjahjanto fans will eat the movie up, but regular cinephiles and moviegoers won’t be in as much of a chokehold. SHOP 'Smile 2' Review It takes a lot of skill to scare people, and a whole lot less to startle them. SHOP

'Queer' Review September 10, 2024 By: Hunter Friesen Queer had its North American Premiere at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival. A24 will release it in theaters later this year. Desperation and desire go hand-in-hand within Luca Guadagnino’s Queer , an adaptation of the legendary William S. Burroughs’ early short novel. These are qualities that the famed workaholic Italian director has found a knack for expressing, doing so in opposing fashions this year with the stylishly Hollywood-y Challengers and this magnetically opaque hedonistic journey. Everything is presented in its most sensual form through Guadagnino’s eyes and ears, with the destination this time being Mexico in the 1950s. World War II is over and those returning from Europe and the Pacific are looking for a little rest and relaxation. The American public still (and will continue to for decades) looks upon homosexuality as a disease, forcibly creating the neighboring southern country as a haven filled with life’s great pleasures. The streetlights cast beams of heaven down upon the men and women of the night, the bars are always open, and everyone’s thirst is perpetually unquenchable. But Guadagnino and production designer Stefano Baisi don’t stop there, replacing establishing shots with dreamy illustrations filled with miniatures and backdrops that seem much larger and more expressive than they ever could have been. This version of Mexico isn’t being viewed through an objective lens, it’s someone’s reconstruction of a long memory. That memory belongs to William Lee (Daniel Craig), one of those GIs who left America once he got off his Navy boat and never looked back. Donning a sharp outfit and an even sharper tongue, his days consist of bar trips, flirtations with the boys passing through, and consuming what drugs and alcohol he can get his hands on. It’s a fast and cheap lifestyle, one that comes to a halt once he lays eyes on fellow American Gene (Drew Starkey). The youngster arrives on the scene in slow motion and is engulfed by the blaring words of Nirvana’s Come As You Are . You can feel the temperature rising in the room rising just as much as it is within William’s loins, with this introduction being just the first of many moments where the anachronistic soundtrack and Sayombhu Mukdeeprom’s camera concoct some of the most potently erotic sequences put to celluloid. That dichotomy between the audio and the visuals translates to William and Gene’s relationship, with the former trying to play younger and the latter containing much more maturity than his fresh face lets on. They have a unique honesty with each other, which Guadagnino transfers to the bedroom with as much raw authenticity as he had with Call Me by Your Name and last year’s All of Us Strangers . Craig is at his most appealingly charming here, mixing the sexual power of James Bond and the eccentricities of Benoit Blanc. He sees what he is through the mirror that is Starkey’s performance, the enigmaticness of Gene being his most appealing and perplexing quality. Burroughs’ novel was published in its unfinished form, something that Guadagnino and screenwriter Justin Kuritzkes emulate within their project, even down to the literal runtime, which has been the subject of much scrutiny as it kept getting whittled down since its announcement. A question came to Guadagino during the North American premiere screening at the Toronto International Film Festival asking if the initial three-hour cut would ever see the light of day. The director shyly laughed and said that this was the film that he made, the hesitation in his voice almost signaling that he has as much desire to share his undiluted version as much as audiences want to consume it. The current 135-minute version is a shaggy mini-beast, hypnotically blending reality and dreams as it traverses from the urban hustle to the isolated jungles. Comparisons to Bardo may be appropriate in terms of trying to understand the imagery and intention behind each scene. There are moments when everything is frustratingly translucent, just escaping your grasp no matter how hard you try to grab ahold of it. But even in its haziness, there’s an alluring power that prevents your ignorance from clouding the enjoyment. Must Read 'Here' Review For some people, this might be the wake-up call they’ve always needed. For others, it’s just another hokey life lesson from people that the world has passed by. SHOP 'A Real Pain' Review By the time the ninety minutes are up, A Real Pain has taken you on a journey with not just these characters, but also with yourself. SHOP 'Magpie' Review It’s a delectable cake, with just a bit too much sugar added. SHOP 'The Shadow Strays' Review Action and Tjahjanto fans will eat the movie up, but regular cinephiles and moviegoers won’t be in as much of a chokehold. SHOP 'Smile 2' Review It takes a lot of skill to scare people, and a whole lot less to startle them. SHOP

'William Tell' Review September 5, 2024 By: Hunter Friesen William Tell had its World Premiere at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival. Samuel Goldwyn Films will release it in theaters in 2025. William Tell, not the historical figure, but the character within writer/director Nick Hamm’s newest film, is a protagonist we’ve seen several times before. He’s a veteran who’s been scarred by battle, with PTSD flashbacks of his younger and more violent days ravaging him each time he lays eyes on a weapon. But he’s made peace with his past, settling in the serene Swiss mountains and tending to his farm and livestock with his wife and son. However, trouble comes knocking one day in the form of the Austrian tax collectors, servants of the ruthless Hapsburg king. One thing leads to another, and Tell is forced to choose to pick up arms again to fight against tyranny, or leave that part of his life good and buried. Of course, history and the laws of cinema would tell you that our reluctant hero will do what is right and join his brothers, even if it means going against his creed of reformation. Hamm makes damn sure that we as the audience agree with Tell’s stance on the possibility of a Swiss revolt against their Austrian oppressors, opting for a litany of analogies centering on fire, streams, and bee stings, all of which boil down to the old saying about an eye for an eye. The rest of the dialogue gets even clunkier, with characters always entering by coyly stating their purpose and motivations, and most conversations repeating themselves until their theses have been hammered home. Even with several attempts across the 133-minute runtime, Hamm never strikes oil, with his insistence on violence being soulless never being properly communicated through the action. There’s always a modicum level of enjoyment to be had in the set pieces, with Hamm speaking out of both sides of his mouth as he declares that war is hell, but that we should still have some fun while pondering its ramifications. And if Tell is Batman, then Viceroy Gessler is his Joker, a bloodthirsty lieutenant of the king who’s hellbent on quelling the hope that Tell incites within the Swiss masses. His cruelty knows no bounds, with his devious acts being the spark that ignites this initially small movement into a declaration of war. The comparisons to Braveheart and The Outlaw King are too hard to ignore at this point, something that also extends to the film’s strengths and weaknesses. Hamm’s first foray into screenwriting might not be successful enough for him to continue down that path, but his prowess in the director’s chair is still something to behold. There’s an old-school sweep to this story, with a rousing score by Steven Price and, except for a few establishing shots furnished with gaudy digital backdrops, some handsome cinematography by Jamie Ramsay. Despite not hailing from a big studio, a chunk of change has been invested and efficiently used for this production, something that fans of historical epics will certainly find enjoyment in. Claes Bang maintains his physique from The Northman as the titular character, this time trading a spear for a crossbow. His particular set of skills aids him in downing several enemies in short order on the battlefield, and his stoic sense of honor rallies those to his cause from all over the land. He does have a well-rounded supporting cast to support him, with Ben Kingsley harnessing his star power as the Hapsburg king and Ellie Bamber shining as his niece, who longs for the two lands to be reunited through anything but bloodshed. The big screen is where William Tell will thrive best, as the saving grace that is its cinematic qualities will lay waste on even the biggest television. At the moment, when and how that will happen is a mystery, but Hamm and his production have made enough of a case for it to be sooner rather than later. Now all we need to do is wait and come up with a way for the “William Tell Overture” to be incorporated into the marketing. Must Read 'A Real Pain' Review By the time the ninety minutes are up, A Real Pain has taken you on a journey with not just these characters, but also with yourself. SHOP 'Magpie' Review It’s a delectable cake, with just a bit too much sugar added. SHOP 'The Shadow Strays' Review Action and Tjahjanto fans will eat the movie up, but regular cinephiles and moviegoers won’t be in as much of a chokehold. SHOP 'Smile 2' Review It takes a lot of skill to scare people, and a whole lot less to startle them. SHOP 'A Different Man' Review It’s a haunting and unsettling piece of cinema that, despite its flaws, leaves a lasting impression. SHOP

'A Real Pain' Review October 24, 2024 By: Hunter Friesen A Real Pain screened at the 2024 Twin Cities Film Fest. Searchlight Pictures will release it in theaters on November 01. Without having seen Jesse Eisenberg’s freshman feature as a writer/director, When You Finish Saving the World , I can already tell you that his sophomore work, A Real Pain , is a major improvement. You can just feel the extra confidence that Eisenberg has in every facet of his production, so much so that he even allowed himself the time and space to be in front of the camera this time around, sharing it with Kieran Culkin to create a wonderful buddy dramedy. Joan Didion said it best when she told her readers: “I’m not telling you to make the world better, because I don’t think that progress is necessarily part of the package. I’m just telling you to live in it. Not just to endure it, not just to suffer it, not just to pass through it, but to live in it. To look at it. To try to get the picture. To live recklessly. To take chances. To make your own work and take pride in it. To seize the moment.” Although I’m fairly confident that Benji (Culkin) has never come across these words, it’s the mantra he lives by. “You meet the craziest people here,” he says as he explains to his cousin David (Eisenberg) why he arrived at the airport several hours earlier than he needed to. This was all while David frantically left several voicemails to him worrying about every detail about their flight and trip to Poland to discover exactly where their Holocaust-surviving grandmother came from. They’re yin and yang, although the poles they inhabit aren’t as separated as you would believe. In actuality, when we first see Benji, he’s sitting alone in the airport with a dead look on his face. It’s only when David’s right in from him that he sports his trademarked charismatic humor. That cycle repeats again and again throughout their trip, with Benji lighting up the room every time he interacts with the few other people accompanying them on the tour. David just kind of floats on by, exchanging pleasantries all while keeping to himself. For the most part, that opening shot in the airport is the only time we ever see Benji alone. For as much as this is a two-handed film (a major reason why Culkin running in the Best Supporting Actor category at this year’s Oscars is grounds for fraud), everything comes from David's perspective. Small details come to light, such as Benji having a much deeper relationship with their grandmother realized, and the fact that despite the two of them essentially being joined at the hip as kids, this is the first time they’ve interacted in months. Each discovery brings a new meaning to the smiles and nonchalance of Benji, who we incrementally see as a person of great contrasts. As a writer, Eisenberg displays a deft touch in balancing the highs and lows of this journey. At its heart, this trip across the world is about reconciliation and grief, reaching its peak when, while smoking weed on the roof of their hotel, the cousins have nothing left to talk about except the elephant in the room. They’ve each grown up in different directions, running away from their problems and themselves. But this is also a very funny movie filled with American tourist antics and one-liners. One would think that it would be near impossible for both Culkin and the audience to shed the image of Roman Roy so quickly after the conclusion of Succession . While Roman and Benji are cut from a similar cloth, Culkin does so much to keep this character honest and alive. It’s impossible to always love someone who operates at the heights that Benji does, never holding back his opinions and perpetually occupying the center stage. Even in its most loathsome moments, you still deeply care for him. Eisenberg also finds ways to break free from his straight-laced archetype, most notably during an extended monologue once Benji leaves the room. The country of Poland and the overall Jewish experience become supporting characters in their own right. Eisenberg examines the past and present by showcasing how locations around the country have changed in the several decades since WWII, many of them drastically homogenized to try and make people forget. A walk through a well-preserved concentration camp is done with relative silence, with the stakes of this trip staring right back at Benji and David. They can do nothing but stare back, opening themselves up to pain, both in its most unpleasant and cathartic form. By the time the ninety minutes are up, A Real Pain has taken you on a journey with not just these characters, but also with yourself. Must Read 'A Real Pain' Review By the time the ninety minutes are up, A Real Pain has taken you on a journey with not just these characters, but also with yourself. SHOP 'Magpie' Review It’s a delectable cake, with just a bit too much sugar added. SHOP 'The Shadow Strays' Review Action and Tjahjanto fans will eat the movie up, but regular cinephiles and moviegoers won’t be in as much of a chokehold. SHOP 'Smile 2' Review It takes a lot of skill to scare people, and a whole lot less to startle them. SHOP 'A Different Man' Review It’s a haunting and unsettling piece of cinema that, despite its flaws, leaves a lasting impression. SHOP

'The Brutalist' Review September 7, 2024 By: Hunter Friesen The Brutalist had its North American Premiere at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival. A24 will release it in theaters later this year. The more that The Brutalist progresses along its 215-minute track, the more it becomes evident that co-writer/director Brady Corbet sees himself in his protagonist, László Toth (Adrien Brody), the overlooked genius who seeks to reform modern architecture away from its ugly preconceptions and must put himself through the wringer to prove the doubters. A later scene sees Toth introducing the design for his wildly ambitious project, a sort of shrine to a capitalist’s deceased mother. It’s going to house a worship center, gymnasium, library, auditorium, and several pathways lined with marble and concrete. There’s never been anything like it, which is why, while curious and attracted to the ambition, the investors are trepidatious about its feasibility. One could imagine Corbet employing the persuasiveness of Toth’s design and vision in the pitch meetings for the film as a whole. With a runtime eclipsing that of any American feature in decades, photography in VistaVision that is projected in some combination of 70mm (Note: The projection I saw at the press and industry screening at the Toronto International Film Festival was in 35mm), an overture, an intermission, and an epilogue, nothing about The Brutalist screams commerciality. But like Toth and his monument, every dollar that Corbet’s behemoth sacrifices at the box office will be used to better the art form. The only currency that matters in cinema is the experience you carry with you long after the viewing. Such a grandiose production must also house a grandiose story, with Corbet and his often co-writer and partner Mona Fastvold saddling themselves with nothing less than weaving a rich tapestry of the modern American experience. In a nearly identical vein to what has made Francis Ford Coppola’s Godfather films filled with eternal beauty, Corbet identifies that the truest Americans were those carried by steamship through Ellis Island. Toth snakes his way through the bowels of the ship, the foreboding score and canted angle of the Statue of Liberty signifying the joys and dangers of what’s to come in his new life. Loneliness is his most potent quality, as his wife (Felicity Jones) and niece (Raffey Cassidy) are still trapped in post-WWII Eastern Europe. The American Dream is more about the freedom to assimilate than the freedom to be yourself, which is why Toth’s successful Philadpehian cousin (Alessandro Nivola) has westernized his last name to Miller, married a Catholic girl, and reluctantly talks about their upbringing in the Old World. Toth can’t blend in so easily, with his features (an in-joke is made about Toth’s nose being broken) and accent too recognizable. Collaboration, conflict, and compromise are the tools to his success, each made all the more possible with the financial backing of Harrison Lee Van Buren (Guy Pearce). It doesn’t matter if his interest in Toth’s work is genuine or just a temporary distraction to amuse himself with. His money is very real , and so are his ambitions for Toth. He parades him around his socialite friends at his swanky gatherings, using Toth’s struggles as conversation starters. With his previous two features, Corbet has trained his sights on the costs of being someone and creating something. While the deal Toth makes is not as literally Faustian as it is in Vox Lux , he does have to tear pieces of himself away for the project. Brody is tremendous, reaching a new dramatic height after years of only gaining notice within the whimsically stacked casts of Wes Anderson. The comparisons to his work in The Pianist , both in terms of what’s on the screen and how it be rewarded, are appropriate. He buries himself within his work, with his creation destined to become his salvation. What Corbet is crafting is just as alluring, with Lol Crawley’s cinematography ranging from hauntingly claustrophobic to sweepingly beautiful. Even in the gloomy Pennsylvania countryside, a place where the frost tinges the corners of the frame, he and production designer Judy Becker make those slabs of steel and concrete pour out with Toth’s soul. With the added time, each scene flows with more freedom and weight, all of them simultaneously epic and intimate as the camera glacially passes through the years. This is a full-course cinema meal, requiring an afternoon to consume and much longer to digest. It’s easy to savor every moment of it in real-time because of its boundless beauty, and just as easy over time thanks to its long lingering themes on the ideals that modern America convinced itself it was built upon. Must Read 'The Shadow Strays' Review Action and Tjahjanto fans will eat the movie up, but regular cinephiles and moviegoers won’t be in as much of a chokehold. SHOP 'Smile 2' Review It takes a lot of skill to scare people, and a whole lot less to startle them. SHOP 'A Different Man' Review It’s a haunting and unsettling piece of cinema that, despite its flaws, leaves a lasting impression. SHOP 'The Outrun' Review Repetitive and labored are the traits most commonly found on the road to sobriety, although the authentic notion of translating them to the screen doesn’t favor the viewer. SHOP 'Joker: Folie à Deux' Review A movie filled with so much contempt for its fans that you wonder why it even bothered to please them in the first place. SHOP

'Smile 2' Review October 16, 2024 By: Hunter Friesen It’s crazy that Smile 2 so casually assumes that you haven’t seen Smile , the $200 million smash hit and global marketing sensation. How else could one explain the gumption that writer/director Parker Finn has to repeat all of the beats to his previous film, even down to the exact same twists and explanations for what is going on? There could be a slight excuse if this was released several years later and given a semicolon title like Smile: Rebirth or Smile: A New Chapter . But no, this is literally Smile 2 and it’s only been two years (or one day for someone like me who watched the first film in preparation), so we’re all left to experience déjà vu. Finn is a talented craftsman, engineering some decent setpieces through brilliant camerawork and sound design. His use of creeping camera pans is commendable, stirring up the tension as he allows our minds to create temporarily unseen terror. The opening sequence exemplifies all of this, taking place almost immediately after the ending of the first film. Joel (Kyle Gallner) is afflicted with the curse that besieged Rose, needing to rid himself of it through either murder or suicide. He attempts one of those options in an extended long take that traverses in and out of a drug house, capping with the other option. Time goes by and the location changes, but the circumstances remain the same. Skye Riley (Naomi Scott) is your average pop star attempting to make a comeback world tour after a falling out through drugs and alcohol. She still has a drug dealer, but only for Vicodin to help with her back pain caused by a car accident that killed her then-boyfriend. What begins as a suspected bad drug trip turns into something much more sinister once the dealer sports an eerie smile and bashes his face in with a barbell plate. The chain of haunting ensues, ranging from terrible visions to… well, pretty much just visions. If you were to list all of the terrible things that happened to Skye in this film, the large majority of them didn’t actually happen. The stakes get increasingly lowered each time something gets interrupted by Skye jolting awake only to realize it was all just a dream. It’s no different than the age-old complaint of the Marvel movies undercutting every emotional moment with a joke. But even in those dreams, the scares aren’t conveyed as effectively as they were the first time. For as much as Finn knows how to set something up, he opts for the balloon-popping jumpscare nearly every time. If you listen for the silencing audio cue, you can guess when it’s going to come without fail. It takes a lot of skill to scare people, and a whole lot less to startle them. Finn has what it takes to truly scare you, and there were several moments here where I could almost taste it. There are inklings of other themes outside of the well-worn topic of trauma that the first film embraced so enthusiastically. The pressures of fame compress Skye at every moment, with hundreds of people depending on her at every moment. She never smiles outside of performing, hoping that faking it will eventually lead her to making it. The increased production budget, most likely supplied through the blatant product placement of Voss Water, allows for some of those intricately choreographed stage shows to highlight the physical and mental demands placed on those just looking to entertain us. Of course, if you want to see the total unraveling of a popstar due to the metaphysical darkness that lurks behind every corner, you’re better off with Vox Lux , which should be all the rage now with the director’s new film, The Brutalist , making waves on the festival circuit. Smile 2 saves its best idea and single shot for the absolute end, presenting a unique idea for what could be in store for Smile 3 . If only Finn had decided to expedite that process and save us the two tedious hours to get there. Must Read 'Smile 2' Review It takes a lot of skill to scare people, and a whole lot less to startle them. SHOP 'A Different Man' Review It’s a haunting and unsettling piece of cinema that, despite its flaws, leaves a lasting impression. SHOP 'The Outrun' Review Repetitive and labored are the traits most commonly found on the road to sobriety, although the authentic notion of translating them to the screen doesn’t favor the viewer. SHOP 'Joker: Folie à Deux' Review A movie filled with so much contempt for its fans that you wonder why it even bothered to please them in the first place. SHOP 'Wolfs' Review It’s fun in the present and harnesses the power of movie stars in a time when that magic has steadily faded. SHOP

'A Different Man' Review October 9, 2024 By: Tyler Banark A24’s latest black comedy, A Different Man, is an intriguing psychological drama that takes viewers on a thought-provoking journey through themes of identity, transformation, and obsession, with Sebastian Stan, Renate Reinsve, and Adam Pearson leading the way. Directed by Aaron Schimberg, the film follows the story of Edward (Stan), a man grappling with his appearance and sense of self after undergoing facial reconstructive surgery. He then becomes fixated on an actor (Pearson) portraying him in a stage play based on his life, setting the stage for a tense exploration of how outward changes can impact one’s internal world. At its heart, A Different Man is about the fragility of identity and the fact that everyone should know any one thing doesn’t define their worth. Edward’s surgery is intended to offer him a fresh start, a way to shed the physical features that have made him feel ostracized and alienated. However, instead of finding peace or comfort in his new appearance, he spirals into a dangerous obsession. This core premise taps into something universally human—the desire to be seen and accepted and how external perceptions shape our sense of who we are. Yet, the film twists that premise into something unsettling, as Edward’s fixation on the actor blurs the lines between admiration, envy, and self-loathing. Stan delivers a layered performance by portraying a character who undergoes not just a physical transformation but an emotional and psychological unraveling. His ability to convey Edward's internal turmoil without falling into melodramatic traps is commendable. Much of Stan’s performance relies on subtle facial expressions and body language, especially given the fact that Edward, post-surgery, is someone who is literally and figuratively hiding behind a new face. His restraint in portraying Edward’s growing obsession feels measured and controlled, making it all the more unsettling to watch his character descend into a darker state of mind. Supporting Stan are Reinsve and Pearson. While the former is minor to the plot, her role adds a layer of emotional complexity to the film. Much like her breakout role in 2021’s The Worst Person in the World , Reinsve’s character is drawn into Edward’s world, and her interactions with him reflect his internal struggles. There’s an awkwardness and tension in their exchanges as she, too, becomes entangled in the surreal situation. The chemistry between the actors is notable, though the film is less interested in romantic entanglements and more focused on the psychological dynamics at play. Then there’s Pearson, who has neurofibromatosis, playing both Oswald and a version of Edward’s former self in the play. This duality is fascinating, as it forces Edward to confront his physical past and the psychological baggage that comes with it. Pearson’s performance is captivating in its own right—he adds a rawness and authenticity that grounds the film’s more surreal elements. Visually, A Different Man creates an unsettling, almost claustrophobic atmosphere. The strange cinematography is critical in this as it uses shadows, muted colors, zooms, and close-up shots to evoke a sense of unease. The film is not overtly a horror film, but it borrows many elements from the genre, particularly in how it builds tension and atmosphere. The way Edward is often framed—isolated, detached from his surroundings—reflects his emotional and psychological state. The more he ponders why Oswald isn’t shunned by society because of his appearance, the more he becomes the monster he thinks people thought of him pre-surgery. The film’s pacing, however, may prove divisive for viewers. Schimberg deliberately takes his time unraveling the plot, and the film’s slow-burn approach can either work as a meditative exploration of identity or feel too sluggish for those looking for more immediate thrills. While the slow pacing helps to build a sense of dread and inevitability, it also means that certain plot points feel stretched or repetitive. Furthermore, the film raises many intriguing questions about identity, self-perception, and the nature of obsession, but it doesn’t always provide satisfying answers. There is a deliberate ambiguity in how Schimberg handles the themes, which some may appreciate as a way to leave the film open to interpretation. However, the lack of a clear resolution may be a missed opportunity for others. A Different Man excels at creating a world that feels almost dreamlike in its disorientation. The blend of psychological drama with subtle horror elements allows the film to hover in a unique space, even if it doesn’t fully commit to one genre. The film’s use of the stage play as a central device is also practical, as it mirrors Edward’s internal journey. Watching someone else portray him on stage becomes a metaphor for the way Edward is distanced from his own identity. Schimberg’s previous work often centers around characters on the fringes of society, and A Different Man continues that trend by offering a protagonist who feels out of place in his own skin. Edward’s journey is one of isolation and alienation, and the film’s depiction of his struggle to reclaim his sense of self is haunting and poignant. A provocative look at identity and worth, A Different Man sees Sebastian Stan at his best while Adam Pearson gives a statement performance that should resonate in today's industry loudly. While it does ponder a bit and makes the audience question its intentions, it never ceases to commit to its goal. Schimberg’s direction shows a clear vision, even if the film doesn’t always reach its full potential. It’s a haunting and unsettling piece of cinema that, despite its flaws, leaves a lasting impression. You can follow Tyler and hear more of his thoughts on Twitter , Instagram , and Letterboxd . Must Read 'A Different Man' Review It’s a haunting and unsettling piece of cinema that, despite its flaws, leaves a lasting impression. SHOP 'The Outrun' Review Repetitive and labored are the traits most commonly found on the road to sobriety, although the authentic notion of translating them to the screen doesn’t favor the viewer. SHOP 'Joker: Folie à Deux' Review A movie filled with so much contempt for its fans that you wonder why it even bothered to please them in the first place. SHOP 'Wolfs' Review It’s fun in the present and harnesses the power of movie stars in a time when that magic has steadily faded. SHOP 'The Wild Robot' Review The film will captivate younger viewers and leave older ones reflecting on the delicate balance between the human (and mechanical) and natural worlds. SHOP

'The Outrun' Review October 4, 2024 By: Hunter Friesen You’re midway through your standard musician biopic. The lead singer, who was doing so well for themselves, has now been introduced to drugs. “I just need to take the edge off,” they say repeatedly, all while their friends and family plead for them to return to how they used to be. They crash out, literally and figuratively, lying in a puddle of their stench and failure. But that low valley eventually leads them to the highest mountain, with sobriety presenting an opportunity to return to their roots and refind their passion for life. Chances are that it didn’t take much mental strain for you to think of at least a half dozen films that fit that exact description. It’s not hard when the path has been trekked so often that there’s nothing left to admire about it. Now, let’s take that 15-30 minute sequence from all those movies and laboriously stretch it out to 120 minutes. By doing that, you’ve created The Outrun , an addiction drama in which I could have used a couple of drinks to help numb the boredom. Granted, there is a ceiling to how much a biography can be railed for being formulaic, as they all retell the events in a person’s life, something I have no right as an (uninformed) viewer to criticize as fact or fiction. Who am I to tell someone that their personal journey doesn't ring true, or isn’t unique enough to be worth adaptation? The novel that The Outrun bases itself on serves as a memoir for author Amy Liptrot, tracing her alcohol-fueled days in London to her rehabilitation back in her native Scotland. Liptrot, Daisy Lewis, and director Nora Fingscheidt adapt the story for the screen, crafting a nonlinear structure that leverages the grip that the past will always have on Liptrot’s stand-in, Rona (Saoirse Ronan). Weeks into her recovery period, she will face a sudden and almost unquenchable urge to drink, coupled with a flashback to the allure that alcohol had in her boozier days. Those crashes of the past and present serve as the biggest flourishes within Fingscheidt’s directorial arsenal, although the past never illuminates more than the simple fact that Rona was a volatile alcoholic who alienated her friends and family. It’s all a bit generic, from the early party days when everything was great, to the later years when she’s stumbling down the street and everyone pleads with her to get help. Ronan dives headfirst into the material in the same way as someone like Gena Rowlands, grabbing the screen with their magnetic presence and never letting go for a second. She is the pulse that keeps this heart beating, albeit quite slowly for most of the runtime. One would have hoped that a stronger story would have supported her, as her performance, however strong it is, leaves little impression when compared to her previous work and the work of her genre contemporaries. Repetitive and labored are the traits most commonly found on the road to sobriety, although the authentic notion of translating them to the screen doesn’t favor the viewer. An addiction drama will be born, people will halfheartedly care about it, the performance will gain awards attention, and the world will move on. It’s the circle of life, and we’re just living in between stages of it. Must Read 'The Outrun' Review Repetitive and labored are the traits most commonly found on the road to sobriety, although the authentic notion of translating them to the screen doesn’t favor the viewer. SHOP 'Joker: Folie à Deux' Review A movie filled with so much contempt for its fans that you wonder why it even bothered to please them in the first place. SHOP 'Wolfs' Review It’s fun in the present and harnesses the power of movie stars in a time when that magic has steadily faded. SHOP 'The Wild Robot' Review The film will captivate younger viewers and leave older ones reflecting on the delicate balance between the human (and mechanical) and natural worlds. SHOP TIFF24 Dispatch #4 Anora, Megalopolis, Oh, Canada, The Substance SHOP

'Black Panther: Wakanda Forever' Review November 9, 2022 By: Hunter Friesen To paraphrase James Cromwell’s Captain Dudley Smith from L.A. Confidential : “I wouldn't trade places with Ryan Coogler for all the whiskey in Ireland.” Just on a purely basic level, the bar for the sequel to the box office smash / Oscar-winning / pop culture phenomenon that was Black Panther was almost insurmountable. Add in the untimely death of lead star Chadwick Boseman and the overall decline in reception to the preceding bunch of Phase Four, and you’ve got yourself a recipe for an anxiety attack. To Coogler’s credit, he makes a valiant effort to craft something unique out of his unfortunate situation. It’s just that his efforts didn’t turn into results, with Black Panther: Wakanda Forever feeling more like MCU entry #30 rather than a distinct work by a talented filmmaker. Just as Boseman is tragically gone from this world, so is King T’Challa from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The film opens with Shuri (Letitia Wright) unsuccessfully attempting to cure her brother of an unknown illness. She blames herself for his death, leaving her unable to properly grieve the loss. With Wakanda stripped of its chief protector, the superpowers of the world see an opportunity to seize their coveted vibranium resources, leading to hostile relations for Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett) to deal with. But, as it turns out, vibranium is not solely located within Wakanda. It’s also found near the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean thanks to a detector built by MIT student and overall wunderkind Riri Williams (Dominique Thorne). Unbeknownst to all, the underwater civilization of Talokan, led by the ankle-winged (an objectively silly concept) Namor, has observed the surface world for centuries and treats their underwater vibranium excursions as the straw that breaks the camel’s back. Namor wishes for Wakanda to join him on his crusade, but his request is swiftly denied. Knowing that the Wakandan forces are the only ones powerful enough to stop him, he wages war on the briefly vulnerable kingdom. The premise of Wakanda Forever is awfully by-the-numbers, especially when compared to its ever-interesting predecessor. The complex arguments from Michael B. Jordan’s Killmonger have been replaced by surface-level (pun intended) anecdotes about how “humans are bad” by Namor, who falls far down the MCU villain power rankings. It also doesn’t help that his motives and the design of his underwater kingdom look and sound scarily similar to 2018’s Aquaman , which actually performed better on a technical level. Of course, James Cameron will probably have the last laugh with Avatar: The Way of Water next month. The blandness that Namor suffers from can also be found in Riri, aka Ironheart. Along with America Chavez from this year’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and Kate Bishop from Hawkeye , Riri fills the role of the “young protege who needs to be saved by the current hero so that she can take their place.” Florence Pugh’s Yelena remains the cream of that crop, with Riri being adequate, yet entirely forgettable. Still, there are many things that Coogler does within Wakanda Forever that give it just enough personality. One of those things is the emotional heft he conveys through T’Challa’s passing, with the talented cast more than up to the challenge. Wright effortlessly takes on a leading role in this story, and Bassett brings her signature gravitas to every bit of dialogue. Barring the final battle, which, like the first Black Panther , looks shockingly poor, and some off-putting uses of slow motion, the action set pieces are thrilling. Danai Gurira as Okoye remains a venerable badass, wielding her spear with fury. Her introduction out of the shadows is one of the countless beautiful shots. Even with all its shortcomings, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever closes out a beleaguered Phase Four as one of its best entries thanks to its emotional honesty and quality action. Except those commendable attributes are in service to a lacking plot and an (at this point, expectedly) uninteresting villain. This return to the land of Wakanda was a welcome one, but it could have been so much more fruitful. Must Read 'Wolfs' Review It’s fun in the present and harnesses the power of movie stars in a time when that magic has steadily faded. SHOP 'The Wild Robot' Review The film will captivate younger viewers and leave older ones reflecting on the delicate balance between the human (and mechanical) and natural worlds. SHOP TIFF24 Dispatch #4 Anora, Megalopolis, Oh, Canada, The Substance SHOP TIFF24 Dispatch #3 April, On Swift Horses, Relay, The Fire Inside SHOP TIFF24 Dispatch #2 Bird, Harbin, The Assessment, The Order SHOP

'West Side Story' Review December 11, 2021 By: Hunter Friesen Leave it to Steven Spielberg to make his first outing into the musical genre one that completely crushes the competition. Like The Mad Titan Thanos, Spielberg has seemingly made it his mission to collect the stones of nearly every genre known to cinema. Throughout his nearly fifty-year feature film career, he’s already conquered monster movies ( Jaws ), science-fiction ( E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial ), adventure ( Indiana Jones ), war ( Saving Private Ryan ), and biopics ( Schindler’s List & Lincoln ). But before he takes on the Avengers-level threat of Netflix and other streaming services in the fight for the theatrical experience, Spielberg needs to claim the last stone that has eluded him: musicals. And after all these years (including a worldwide pandemic), The King of Entertainment can finally stake his claim with his remake of West Side Story . Spielberg and screenwriter Tony Kushner have made it clear that this West Side Story is not a remake of the 1961 film, which won ten Academy Awards, including Best Motion Picture. Rather, this is a new adaptation of the 1957 stage musical. Many might be confused as to why Spielberg felt the need to readapt such a timeless piece of entertainment, especially with the 1961 film being heralded as one of the great screen musicals. The answer to that argument can be broken down into three parts. First, Spielberg may be humble, but like all great directors, he has a bit of hubris and isn’t afraid to remake sacred material, as he’s already done with 2005’s War of the Worlds . Second, Spielberg has cited the musical as a foundational piece of his childhood, so much so that it was one of his key inspirations for becoming a director. And third, while the 1961 version may be a monumental feat, it is far from perfect. Arthur Laurents, who wrote the original Broadway production's book, spoke to the New York Times in 2008 about his feelings towards the film version, which he thought was very flawed due to “bogus accents, bogus dialect, bogus costumes.” Laurents’ argument against the costumes may be puzzling, but he’s right on target with how the film whitewashed much of the characters. Spielberg’s West Side Story looks to right the wrongs of the past, as nearly all of his Puerto Rican characters are played by Puerto Rican or Hispanic performers. And to do this, Spielberg hasn’t committed the sin of nearly every modern musical adaptation where big movie stars are cast instead of the performers who brought the characters to life on the stage. Apart from Ansel Elgort (who, while still being the film’s wet blanket, is not as bad as one would expect), all of the cast members come from some sort of theater background. Ariana DeBose, who played a featured part in Hamilton both off and on Broadway, takes over the role of Anita with a fiery passion. Playing her overprotective partner Bernardo is David Alvarez, one of the original Billys in Billy Elliot . Mike Faist, who originated the role of Connor Murphy in Dear Evan Hansen , harnesses a special jittery vulnerability as Riff. And then emerging as the star of this troupe is newcomer Rachel Zegler as María. The world may have already gotten a glimpse of Zegler’s singing talent through her YouTube channel, but this is a true showcase of what she has to offer. Since production wrapped in September 2019, Spielberg has claimed Zegler as the greatest María he’s witnessed. At the time, it sounded like the usual praise a director would heap on his own film. But now that the court of public opinion gets its say, it seems he was telling the truth. With so many stars in the making, Spielberg is able to harmonize the past and the present, making the remake feel like a Golden Age musical made with modern craftsmanship. Spielberg and his longtime cinematographer Janusz Kaminski keep the same desaturated, high-contrast look that they have maintained for nearly three decades. The camera swoons and cranes in extended takes, capturing the incredibly choreographed dance numbers conceived by famed ballet dancer and director Justin Peck. The “America” (which has been taken down to the streets instead of the rooftop) and “I Feel Pretty” set pieces contain some of Spielberg’s greatest directorial work, with Leonard Bernstein’s music and Stephen Sondheim’s lyrics proving once again why they have inspired so many. But all the technicals and performances mean nothing if the story doesn’t match their excellence. Thankfully, screenwriter Tony Kushner has taken the original material and given it a new life. For the most part, this is still the same Romeo and Juliet story of star-crossed lovers caught in a war between rival gangs. But then, every once in a while, something unexpected will happen, taking things in a different direction. The narrative about the immigrant experience has been made more profound, with the Spanish dialogue - accounting for nearly one-third of the total spoken lines - going unsubtitled in a move that Spielberg and Kushner described as an effort to respect the language. And the character of Doc has been reimagined as Valentina, allowing Rita Moreno (the 1961 Anita) to ground the film with a heartbreaking final number. All of these revisions don’t come off as gimmicks needed to justify the film’s existence, just different (and better) ways to tell a classic tale. With The Great Musical War of 2021 coming to a close, Steven Spielberg has emerged as the predictable winner. Perfectly melding the work of Bernstein and Sondheim with the newfound talents of DeBose, Faist, and Zegler, the new West Side Story makes the case for why some remakes should be allowed to happen. Because sometimes, they can meet or surpass the original, such as how this one does by bringing classic cinema into the modern world. Must Read 'Wolfs' Review It’s fun in the present and harnesses the power of movie stars in a time when that magic has steadily faded. SHOP 'The Wild Robot' Review The film will captivate younger viewers and leave older ones reflecting on the delicate balance between the human (and mechanical) and natural worlds. SHOP TIFF24 Dispatch #4 Anora, Megalopolis, Oh, Canada, The Substance SHOP TIFF24 Dispatch #3 April, On Swift Horses, Relay, The Fire Inside SHOP TIFF24 Dispatch #2 Bird, Harbin, The Assessment, The Order SHOP

Awards Update: Fall Festival Winners & Losers September 28, 2024 By: Hunter Friesen Welcome to an ongoing series where I cover the 2024/2025 awards season. On a regular basis, I will update my Oscar predictions, taking into account the new information that has been received since the last update. Full predictions in every category can be found on the Home and Awards page. “Frenzied” and “chaotic” would be the words most apt to describe the two weeks where the Venice Film Festival, Telluride Film Festival, and Toronto International Film Festival crash into each other. Reactions pour in, standing ovations are timed, and prizes are bestowed upon a select few. It’s one of the most fun stretches of the year as a cinephile and an awards junkie, a time when you can eat your fill of quality cinema and confirm/deny your early Oscar predictions. Because there’s so much to talk about and so little margin space to fit it all in, let’s split everyone off into two groups: Winners and Losers. Of course, all of this is relative, and anything could happen in the six months we have left in the season. Starting with the winners, more specifically the actual winners, we’ve got Pedro Almodóvar’s The Room Next Door nabbing the Golden Lion in Venice, a victory I learned about as I exited from the press screening of the film at TIFF underwhelmed. But the Isballe Huppert-led jury saw something different, which I don’t think many other people will agree with so enthusiastically. This is not a top-tier work by the famed Spanish filmmaker, with the lead performances by Tilda Swinton and Julianne Moore being the only viable awards chances. They’re both being submitted as lead actresses by distributor Sony Picture Classics, which is the morally correct move. But that category has found itself quite stacked in the past few weeks, and SPC already has Saoirse Ronan in The Outrun to campaign. We can scratch The Life of Chuck , this year’s TIFF People’s Choice winner, off the prediction charts. It’s just been picked up by Neon with a planned Summer 2025 release. That also means we’ll have to wait and see if the film can repeat what the last twelve winners of that award did and be nominated for Best Picture. Could we get two People’s Choice winners nominated at the 2026 ceremony? The two runners-up at TIFF, Emilia Pérez and Anora , both solidified themselves as top-tier contenders. They both received swaths of attention at Telluride and TIFF, showing that they can perform just as well at public festivals as they did at a high-brow competition like Cannes. I expect them to dominate the above-the-line categories, with Emilia Pérez nabbing a handful of craft nominations for its outstanding musical numbers. However, there was no bigger winner these past few weeks than Brady Corbet’s The Brutalist , which nabbed its director the Silver Lion for Best Director. It was by far the best thing I saw at TIFF, a sentiment that many critics agreed with. It’s amazing that something made so cheaply (under $10 million) feels so similar to the epic Hollywood productions of the past. How A24 will be able to maintain that desire and enthusiasm until the release date announced on December 20th will be a question, but they certainly have something special on their hands that people are hungry for. I mentioned in my last update that I would put it in several categories if the reviews were kind, and now that promise comes true. Other small winners would be Babygirl and Hard Truths , both of which gained great reviews for their lead actresses Nicole Kidman and Marianne Jean-Baptiste, respectively. Conclave and The Piano Lesson would also fall into this category, although some of the early predictions for Stanley Tucci and Samuel L. Jackson turned out to be wishful thinking. Regardless, both of those adaptations received strong enough reviews and public sentiment that they should find themselves in more than one category. There’s also September 5 , which was picked up by Paramount and received strong reviews despite its under-the-radar status. Sitting in the loser territory (only slightly) is Luca Guadagnino’s Queer . Reviews were fine, but the passion is definitely lacking, which is something this very challenging (no pun intended) movie needs. It’ll likely only have an awards presence through Daniel Craig’s performance. Also a small loser is Pablo Larraín’s Maria . Angelina Jolie will almost certainly be nominated, but I’m thinking Larraín and Netflix are striving for a bit more considering this is supposed to be his final entry in his biopic trilogy. And then there’s Nightbitch , a movie that is much more subdued and normal than its title and trailer led us to believe. Of course, we can’t end this article without mentioning the dud that was Joker: Folie à Deux . This sequel could have never repeated the overwhelming success of the first film, but the mediocre reviews, bad press, and low box office projections suggest that it will be a mighty challenge to muster any awards attention. It’ll probably still get some craft nominations, just nothing substantial. Now it’s on to the regional festivals (NYFF, AFI, Middleburg, Chicago, etc.), where most of these winners (and some of the losers) parade themselves around to gain national support. It’s a lot like the election primaries, so we’ll need to have our ears to the ground and listen for which ones are gaining traction when even more eyes are placed upon them. Must Read 'Wolfs' Review It’s fun in the present and harnesses the power of movie stars in a time when that magic has steadily faded. 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