TOP GUN: MAVERICK
4.5 out of 5 stars
Our need for speed is insanely indulged w/ the calm, cool, & incomparable Cruise as our captain. This illustrious legacy sequel flies laps around the cherished original, soaring to astonishing new heights that’ll leave you breathless. Nostalgia serves as an irresistible wingman, but director Kosinski & crew aim for something more substantial, & they pull it off masterfully. The aerial action is the showstopper, though Cruise isn’t one to be outdone. Rocking the old jacket & shades – he’s in top form on land & in the sky. Exhilarating, emotional, & entertaining to the max – it’s a thrill ride that’s rarely experienced on this level at the movies. A spectacular summer blockbuster for the ages.
CHIP ‘N’ DALE: RESCUE RANGERS
3.5 out of 5 stars
Samberg & Mulaney are a topflight duo in their voicing of the two classic chipmunks in this Rescue Rangers comeback that’s much better than it has any business being. With huge hints taken from the one & only Roger Rabbit – it’s splendidly inventive, brilliant & just outright fun. Between the running meta quips & neat childhood nostalgia – it’s an enjoyable watch for fans, both old & new. And wait til you see what director Schaffer (from The Lonely Island) has in store w/ his array of cartoon cameos. They’re legit incredible! Good for Disney for not being its usual self w/ this one.
WATCHER
3 out of 5 stars
A tense, slow-burn, paranoid thriller centering around a young actress who, w/ her husband, moves to a foreign city & instantly feels she’s being watched by a suspicious stranger. Go figure since there’s a serial killer on the loose! The atmosphere assembled by writer/director Okuno in her feature debut is certainly chilling. Likewise, Monroe delivers a stellar performance that’s weighed down by fear, loneliness, & wanting to be believed. As far as the story itself, there’s no real surprises – showing an unwillingness to elude the genre’s typical tropes. But w/ its veracity & quality pacing, as well as Okuno & Monroe’s effective work, this whodunit stays more or less consuming & unquestionably creepy.
THE INNOCENTS
4 out of 5 stars
Writer/director Vogt’s haunting art-house fable about a group of kids who discover they have telekinetic powers is rigidly told from their perspective, providing a distinctive, magnetic experience that seeps into the skin. They naively play w/ these new abilities at first, but something darker & more disturbing & dangerous slowly creeps out. Through it all, Vogt persists in keeping his story in the real world w/ an exceptionally eerie & consuming atmosphere. With phenomenal young performances at the helm – it’s a chilling look at precious childhood innocence & the desperately delicate balance transpiring at a very young age between good & evil.
DOCTOR STRANGE IN THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS
3.5 out of 5 stars
Cumberbatch is sensational as usual w/ fans getting their dose of Strange(s) in a solid sequel that could afford to be more maddening. Even w/ its faults, this separates itself from a lot of other MCU entries by being venturous enough to carry our favorite smartass sorcerer into new territory that’s assuredly strange & scary. And make no mistake, director Raimi is the main reason for that. His cracking visuals overcomes a good deal while becoming MCU’s first true horror movie. With the support of Elfman’s sublime score, Raimi does what he does best – feeding audiences a big ole spoonful of creepiness, jump-scares, & violence the likes of which we’ve never seen before in the MCU. This may very well be Doctor Strange’s movie, but it’s Olsen’s portrayal of Wanda/Scarlet Witch that provides the story’s emotional core that’s entirely essential. She’s irrefutably a force to be reckoned with. (Full review)
POSER
2.5 out of 5 stars
Mix is stellar as Lennon, a young, timid podcaster heavily striving to be included in the Columbus, OH underground music scene. Upon her meeting Kitten (playing some version of herself), an occult pop rocker, a friendship between the two begins to blossom, making way for Lennon to become what she’s always wanted. Though, it’s not in in the most honest of ways, & as her scary obsession gets worse & worse – her identity gets more & more blurred. Directors Dixon & Segev’s psychodrama has intriguing elements about a lonesome girl finding her voice & gaining a sense of belonging in a very alarming way. However, it’s been repeatedly told before & more effectively. Additionally, its ending is mishandled & hardly shocking. Mix’s performance solely pushes this character study a good distance. Still, it just isn’t enough as the story is unable to stand out in the crowd & play something indelible.
MEN
3 out of 5 stars
Writer/director Garland is swapping out sci-fi for folk horror, while pushing his surreal, ambiguous filmmaking to the breaking point w/ his third film. Chock-filled w/ atmosphere, anxiety, & creepiness, Garland wades into toxic masculinity in a deeply disturbing & sinister manner that, to a certain extent, should not be too surprising. Though, when the third act reveals itself – that’s when his exceeding vision gets the best of him.
This ravishing, subliminal nightmare revels in constant uncomfortableness, & Kinnear’s uncanny & chilling performance(s) is the strength behind it. Just the conversations his characters have w/ Harper (a staggering Buckley) will make your skin crawl. However, admittedly, this is my least favorite of the trio of films from Garland. That’s mainly because of the ridiculous ending that goes for broke in body horror that carries on for too long. Everything leading up to it is wildly immersive & off-putting, yet w/ such a WTF finale – there’s a piece of Garland’s vision taking shape that feels rather dissatisfying.
FIRESTARTER (2022)
1 out of 5 stars
Out of the plethora of new King adaptations coming out these days, this is undoubtedly the worst one yet. A boring & useless supernatural horror that has no clue what it wants to be. What it’s not is enthralling, capable, or scary. It’s borderline impressive how fast everything goes up in smoke. My advice would be to watch w/ your eyes closed, solely listening to Carpenter’s nifty score & nothing else.
HOLD YOUR FIRE
4 out of 5 stars
Fear, racism police violence, & the meaning of masculinity are enwrapped within this excellent, efficient & effective doc about the longest hostage siege in NYPD history – all the while becoming the origin of what we now recognize as hostage negotiation thanks to an insightful police psychologist. Writer/director Forbes does a sensational job remaining impartial, approaching this forgotten historical moment in 1972 Brooklyn from every side so we can decide for ourselves what went down inside those 47+ hours.
And Forbes’ focus isn’t solely on the cops & robbers, but on the hostages & their families as well who suffered because of a bad decision made by four young black Muslim men. It’s an intensely complicated situation that’s richly layered, raising issues that currently divide our country. The compelling footage, sounds, & conflicting perspectives from those who were there considerably create a truly fascinating & affecting watch that no one should miss out on.
ON THE COUNT OF THREE
3.5 out of 5 stars
In his directorial debut, actor/comedian Carmichael is fearless in his telling of a story about suicide…that’s funny?! It’s a somewhat winning pitch-black comedy & quite a thoughtful, honest drama about depression & mental illness. And none of it would work as well as it does without the cracking chemistry between Carmichael & Abbott – playing best buds who are ready to go out with a bang. Both actors’ portrayals walk a fine line in a narrative that’s juggling a few genres; but, no matter how damn demanding it must have been physically and/or mentally – they make it look especially effortless & authentic. It may be guilty of being negligibly uneven & undeveloped from time to time. Be that as it may, this is unquestionably a dynamic & daring debut for Carmichael in his first outing as a director. (Full Review)
PLEASURE
2 out of 5 stars
In her feature directorial debut, Thyberg’s mercilessly provocative & sexually graphic realist drama about becoming a star in the L.A. porn industry is anything but sexy. Kappel puts in a stupefying performance in her first acting role as a naive Swedish 19 year-old who free falls into psychological agony when thrown to the porno wolves. Though when the initial surprise of everyone baring it all is gone – what remains is honestly not all that shocking & sort of just sad. Aside from Kappel, there’s hardly any added fascination to this common monitory tale about the desire for fame & how it poisons the soul so much to the point where one becomes unrecognizable to themselves. It’s an empty depiction that’s less pleasurable & more pedestrian.
Brandon Vick is a member of The Music City Film Critics’ Association and the Southeastern Film Critics Association, the resident film critic of the SoBros Network, and the star of The Vick’s Flicks Podcast. Follow him on Twitter @SirBrandonV and be sure to search #VicksFlicks for all of his latest movie reviews.
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