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THE GENTLEMEN: SEASON ONE Starring: Theo James, Kaya Scodelario, Daniel Ings, Vinnie Jones, Michael Vu, Giancarlo Esposito, and Ray Winstone Creator: Guy Ritchie AMARÚ Guy Ritchie is one of the few filmmakers that I’ll watch sight-unseen. His bang-bang direction, uniquely kooky characters, whip-quick dialogue, and penchant for unraveling exciting mysteries is my exact brand of entertainment. So, of course, Netflix’s The Gentlemen series was one of my most anticipated shows of 2024. Taking Ritchie’s flair from one movie to eight episodes does admittedly take some getting used to, as the series’ start is a bit over-dramatic and paced rather sluggishly. But by mid-season, the stylish cast, led by star turns from Theo James and Kaya Scodelario, helps to deliver another top-notch piece of British gangster greatness. PRESTON The Gentlemen is quintessential Guy Ritchie entertainment, and I recall several occasions where I had to mentally stop to acknowledge his scene-building prowess. The composed British narration through flashbacks of violent mayhem is a formula whose sum always equals enjoyment. However, despite its winning formula, as well as taking into account my usual bias for gratuitous violence and clever banter, this latest creation still had me wondering things like, “Did I do my Duolingo for today?” since its more compelling scenes are more of a rewarding treat than an integral part of a must-watch story that has you hanging on every word. PAIGE With the series spinoff of The Gentlemen , director Guy Ritchie’s portrayal of the British gangster genre is back to form. Even though it may not be as clever and fantastic as the film, it still has plenty of swagger and style. From the variety of different personalities within the characters to the twists and cheekily dry British humor, I still managed to have fun with this iteration. If you're a fan of the movie and are looking for a slick and entertaining watch, check this series out. However, just don’t anticipate it to expand upon the original movie all that much. QUENTIN As a fan of The Gentlemen (film-type) and director Guy Ritchie, my expectations for Netflix’s spinoff series may have been too high. Still, although it doesn’t hit the bar I’d set for it, it’s decent enough, mostly because of the performances. Surprisingly, it doesn’t have the same kinetic spark as Ritchie’s movies, even though he directs the first two episodes. This hinders the fun. Also, the typical Ritchie-thing of sprawling characters and plot points doubling back for fun revelations gets too convoluted when stretched to eight hours, which is even more noticeable given the series’ listless start. Again, it’s watchable, but Ritchie should stick to movies.

Previous Next September 7, 2025 It’s been 19 years since Denzel Washington last acted in a Spike Lee directed film, and the last time they did (Inside Man ) it was one of Spike’s most acclaimed Joints. Now they return for their fifth collaboration, Highest 2 Lowest , a reimagining of Akira Kurosawa’s 1963 classic film, High and Low . Standing toe to toe with Denzel are Jeffrey Wright and A$AP Rocky in this love letter to New York City, hate letter to Boston, and all around bombastic crime story from one of the most unabashed and unique visionaries of our time. Join Amarú, Nick, and Shak as they discuss the comparisons to the original, the action, that score, and a surprise standout performance. Click HERE to subscribe to our YouTube channel for all of our latest video content including our Early Reactions, and be sure to give us a thumbs up and comment your thoughts!

Previous Next April 16, 2025 WRITTEN BY: NICK Canadian films tell us Canadians about ourselves and our neighbours. They tell us about the world we live in and the world we want to live in. They showcase our incredible achievements and our stories. In celebration of that ideal, today is National Canadian Film Day, a day that gives us the opportunity to share those stories while celebrating with people from across the country. With over 1800 free screenings from coast to coast, there is a Canadian film for everyone. If you need help finding one right for you, a list of some of the best films this country has to offer is available HERE . With 38 pages of films, I tried to narrow down to a mixture of my personal favourites, under-appreciated features, and films I think best showcase Canada. Still, there are plenty of great recent indies, like Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person and I Like Movies , that I don't even mention. There have also been notable documentaries, like Wrestling with Shadows and The Carter Effect . Hell, I don't even get into the early works of directors like Denis Villeneuve, David Cronenberg, and Sarah Polley. Canadian cinema is just that good. So, while there is a wealth of films I implore you to seek out, let's talk about just a few of the films I think best encapsulate the spirit of the day. STRANGE BREW (1983) If you have a very stereotypical view of Canadians, you're probably picturing Bob and Doug McKenzie (Rick Moranis and Dave Thomas), a duo that got their start on SCTV before blowing up with their big screen feature, Strange Brew . This is our Dumb and Dumber , featuring two dimwitted friends who supply lowbrow humour and charm in an outrageous and ridiculous story about commandeering free beer — a truly Canadian prize if I've ever heard one. Oh, and did I mention it's a loose re-telling of Hamlet ? Yup. You should definitely check out the pair from The Great White North ; otherwise, take off, ya hoser. THE WRONG GUY (1991) In the world of intentionally dumb comedies, The Wrong Guy is one of the most overlooked. Let's start with the premise: after discovering his boss murdered, Nelson Hibbert (Dave Foley) attempts to flee to Mexico as he believes he is the prime suspect, except, unbeknownst to him, the authorities are aware he is not at fault. It's such a simple and silly idea that brings forth plenty of laughs thanks to Foley's over-the-top antics and some repeat gags (Lynn’s (Jennifer Tilly) narcolepsy gets me every time). I'm not one to call for remakes, but you could easily revamp this thing to great effect, too. Until then, the original Canadian comedy gem is there for your viewing pleasure. SHARKWATER (2006) One of the most affecting documentaries I've ever seen is 2006's Sharkwater . Director Rob Thomas (no Matchbox Twenty affiliation) travels the world to explore the plight sharks are facing, as well as the people who continue to disobey the laws meant to protect the endangered giant sea wonders. Thomas is front and center as he showcases his humanity and the beauty of these animals. It will change the way you look at sharks, as it did for many others as Sharkwater led to the banning of shark finning in 90 countries across the globe. Unfortunately, Thomas passed away in a diving accident while shooting the follow-up Sharkwater: Extinction , but his team finished the film, which acts as a wonderful tribute. ROOM (2015) I admit, some of these films aren’t well-known outside of my home country, but that is not the case with Room . The harrowing story of a mother and her child raised in captivity led to multiple Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture and Best Actress for star Brie Larson (which she won). Larson, along with the feature debut of young Canadian Jacob Tremblay, are sensational in the film as they tell one of the most poignant stories of survival in the face of domestic abuse. Room is the kind of film that makes you think, sticking with you long after the credits finish rolling. If you somehow haven't seen this one, make sure you change that. LONG TIME RUNNING (2017) I don't expect non-Canadians to understand the way The Tragically Hip are tethered to the DNA of this country. Hell, I didn't understand until I was older. However, when Gord Downie, the lead singer of the band was diagnosed with brain cancer, leading him to embark on a final tour, it was a national event. Long Time Running captures the ups and downs of this tour, all leading up to the final performance in the band's hometown of Kingston, Ontario. With Downie passing a year later, you're literally watching a man dying in front of you, yet still doing what he loved all his life. He goes all out, performing at the top of his game and closing his career with an unbelievable final performance. The inclusion of a "concert" film here may seem strange, but if you're from here, you get it. BROTHER (2022) Brother was my introduction to rising star Aaron Pierre, and it put him on my radar well before Rebel Ridge and Lanterns . The film, which I originally saw at TIFF, didn’t initially hit me at the levels it has grown to since. I was always high on Clement Virgo’s direction and the stunning cinematography, but it is the dynamic between the two brothers that made the lasting impact. Watching Francis and Michael (Pierre and Lamar Johnson) as they navigate the city of Toronto while battling others’ expectations of who they should be is something to behold. Virgo keeps the story feeling intimate and homegrown, adding to the authenticity, and even though I initially pushed back on the portrayal of Scarborough, Ontario, it still feels like Toronto in many ways. BLACKBERRY (2023) “I’m from Waterloo, where the vampires hang out!” is just one of the many great lines from Glenn Howerton’s Jim Balsillie in BlackBerry . Playing somewhat against type while still harnessing his It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia rage, Howerton is terrific as the bombastic BlackBerry investor Balsillie. It’s a performance that could have easily gone too far over-the-top to be believable, but he finds ways to ground it. It also helps that he’s juxtaposed well to Jay Baruchel’s quiet and reserved Mike Lazaridis, the CEO of Research in Motion (and creator of the BlackBerry). You get the full story of the company’s rise from practically nothing to its legendary downfall. There are comedic moments, yes, but the drama outweighs them in what ended up being one of the biggest surprises of 2023. HEY, VIKTOR! (2023) A large part of this country is its indigenous people, and we're starting to see a lot more of their stories being told. One example, which flew under the radar last year, is Hey, Viktor! This comedy about the journey to make a sequel to the 1998 cult classic Smoke Signals is hilarious. Cody Lightning is a big reason why it’s so funny because he plays into the absurdity of it all while never shying away from poking fun at himself. Even the mockumentary format, which I'm more than tired of, is used sparingly enough that it actually enhances the film. This is probably the most hidden of the gems on this list, but I promise it's worth your time. MR. DRESSUP: THE MAGIC OF MAKE-BELIEVE (2023) I've always been big on nostalgia, and nothing is more nostalgic to my childhood than Mr. Dressup . For those born between 1967 and 1996, Ernie Coombs helped raise us. He was our Mr. Rogers, which is only solidified by the fact that the pair maintained a close professional and personal relationship. This documentary explores the cultural impact the series had, featuring interviews with numerous Canadian stars who speak of their connection to the show and share some never-before-heard stories about Coombs himself. Whether it's his emotional performance on Fred Penner's Place following his wife's passing, or the tear-jerker of a story his son tells about Coombs' stroke, this film does for Coombs what Won't You Be My Neighbor? did for Fred Rogers. That is to say, it does him justice.

Previous Next April 2, 2025 WRITTEN BY: QUENTIN It has long been said that Hollywood mostly just repeats itself, which isn’t an unfair accusation, to be honest. For the most part, though, it doesn’t bother me. I’ll watch superhero movies all day if they are well made. Give me Tom Cruise doing a series of increasingly bonkers stunts through 37 Mission: Impossible movies, all good with me. I don’t need 100 percent originality to be entertained, enthralled, or moved. That said, there are some things that Hollywood refuses to give up on that could use a break, if not be outright done away with, because the cracks are showing. It’s not even about original ideas, necessarily. It’s more about studios working with blinders on, not realizing that something that maybe used to work clearly doesn’t anymore (if it ever did). With that in mind, I’d like to paraphrase Regina George (Rachel McAdams) in Mean Girls : Hollywood, stop trying to make … happen. LAUGH TRACKS I really don’t know why television studios still insist on using laugh tracks on sitcoms. They are the absolute worst and nothing more than a crutch for lazy writing. Guys, if you need to tell the viewer when to laugh, your joke isn’t that funny, plain and simple. Plus, the forced pauses for canned laughter kill story momentum and timing. For example, did you know that the producers of Seinfeld would tell the audience not to clap when Kramer (Michael Richards) entered a scene because it threw everything and everyone off? Hell, I’ll go one further… have you ever seen clips of Friends with the laugh track removed? They’re painful to watch. Actually, on second thought, perhaps we should just get rid of multi-camera sitcoms altogether since they are the only television medium still using laugh tracks. Frankly, single-camera sitcoms are categorically so much better — Brooklyn Nine-Nine , Ted Lasso , 30 Rock , The Office , The Good Place , Atlanta , Schitt’s Creek , and the list goes on. In fact, do you know the last multi-camera sitcom to be nominated for Outstanding Comedy Series at the Emmys? The Big Bang Theory in 2014 (gross), and even series creator and showrunner Chuck Lorre knew to lose the laugh track when creating that series’ spinoff Young Sheldon . GAL GADOT In all fairness, this isn’t exclusively about Gal Gadot. I’m sure she is a very lovely person. This is about all the actors and actresses that Hollywood seems determined to force upon us despite audiences and critics alike saying, “no thanks.” Whether accurate or not, these performers’ perceived lack of talent or star-power just isn’t cutting it for most moviegoers, as evidenced by poor box office hauls and middling (at best) audience and critics scores. It’s just that between the recent Snow White drama, the much-maligned “Imagine” video during COVID, and the fact that she was recently awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame when bonafide stars and Oscar winners like Angelina Jolie, Leonardo DiCaprio, Julia Roberts, George Clooney, and Robert De Niro don’t have one, Gadot feels like the current face of this Hollywood trend. I mean, look, I get it to some degree; Gadot is stunningly beautiful, which, sadly, is probably all it takes for some of the crusty old white-guy film producers to keep greenlighting her projects. She is not a good actress, though. She doesn’t make bad-but-fun action throwbacks like Jason Statham, or charming-but-forgettable romance movies like Dakota Johnson. She hasn’t proven to be particularly funny, either. Perhaps this is a sexist take, but beauty is all she brings to the table. Outside of 2017’s Wonder Woman , which I personally find to be extremely overrated, what else has she done? Several other poorly received Wonder Woman appearances, two unremarkable Netflix Originals ( Red Notice and Heart of Stone ), and the by-all-accounts not good Snow White ( Death on the Nile is fine, but not because of anything Gadot does). Quit forcing her on us, Hollywood. But, like I said above, this isn’t just about Gadot. It’s also about the Josh Gads, Tiffany Haddishes, Michael Ceras, Rebel Wilsons, Fortune Feimsters, and maybe even Chris Pratts of the world. Sorry not sorry, but not everyone is a star because they did a thing once. MUSICAL BIOPICS Truth be told, as formulaic as they can be, I really enjoy biopics, especially when they are about an artist I already love. Walk the Line , Ray , Straight Outta Compton , Elvis , and Get on Up are just a few that I could watch on repeat. Even Bohemian Rhapsody , an extremely mid movie, is rewatchable as a sing-along for fans like me. Simply put, I really enjoy learning the backstory behind the hits I’ve been hearing my whole life. As a youngster, I even discovered some musical legends through biopics, like Great Balls of Fire , La Bamba , and The Doors (don’t hate, I was barely 10 years old). That said, after a string of Best Picture-nominated biopics that were also box office hits, a lot of studios have tried to cash in on the trend by making movies about any singer for which they can secure the rights. In fact, there has been a musical biopic nominated for Best Picture each of the past three years ( A Complete Unknown , Maestro , and Elvis ); however, for every good one, there are at least two that never get much traction. It could be because the artist doesn’t “deserve” a biopic yet, or that the story just isn’t that interesting to begin with. It could even be that the studio just went cheap on the whole thing, so it's a bad movie hoping that the faux-prestige hallmarks and built-in fandom will be enough to carry it to box office success. In 2024 alone, there were biopics for at least Bob Dylan, Robbie Williams, Kneecap, Pharrell Williams, Bob Marley, Amy Winehouse, Maria Callas, and Milli Vanilli. I don’t know about you, but I feel like we were scraping the bottom of the barrel on some of those. No disrespect to the prolific producer, but was anyone asking for a Pharrell Williams biopic now ? My man is nearly 52 years old, presumably with a lot of great work still left in him. Or maybe even a scandal, who knows? It seems way too early for him to have a biopic. How about Amy Winehouse? Maybe it’s because I’m an American so I have less connection to her, but she had one record-setting album. Not to sound callous, but is one hit record and an overdose five years later all it takes to get a biopic nowadays? “Gangnam Style” set records too; are we giving Psy a biopic? You’ve overplayed your hand, Hollywood. But you don’t have to stop musical biopics altogether — in fact, I’m quite looking forward to Michael (about Michael Jackson) and Deliver Me from Nowhere (about Bruce Springsteen) in 2025 — how about we push pause on those about artists that haven’t reached legend status yet, just to thin out the herd a bit? Otherwise, we’ll be watching biopics for Dave Matthews and Shaboozey in 2031. GENDER AND RACIAL CAST SWAPPING Okay, take a breath, and before you start calling me an anti-woke MAGA head, just hear me out because there is some nuance here. I am not against ALL gender and racial cast swapping. I’m only against it when it feels like blatant pandering. For example, I had no issue with Michael B. Jordan as Johnny Storm in Josh Trank’s Fantastic Four , and I’ve long been a champion for Idris Elba as James Bond. For those two characters, it feels like a “best actor for the job” situation. I also really love the idea of a black Superman because it presents so many interesting avenues in which to explore the idea of “truth, justice, and the American way” that could never be done with a white Superman, especially given current events and how the country has evolved since Superman was first published in 1938. What Men Want , the gender and racially swapped remake of 2000’s What Women Want, is a great example of how these kinds of changes can be used to tell similar stories from new and diverse perspectives. The thing I would like for Hollywood to stop doing is anything that can simply be described as “Original IP but X”: Ocean’s Eleven but women, Can’t Buy Me Love but black, and so on. Changes done in this vein do little to make for a more clever or fresh take on an original story, and it smacks of a soulless and condescending money grab that is only interested in hitting smaller demographic quadrants. I’d even argue that it comes across as performative wokeness, as in old white producers doing whatever they can to make themselves look like allies. Often, it feels like the idea of gender or race swapping is the starting point on which the movie is even greenlit — “we’ve made too many movies for white men. We need to make one for them now. I don’t care what it is, just dust something profitable off and make it for blacks or women.” For example, did you know after the success of The Expendables , The ExpendaBelles was rushed into development without a script or cast? All the studio had was a pandering idea — The Expendables but women. Studios didn’t make 2016’s Ghostbusters because “studies have shown that women didn’t connect with 1984’s Ghostbusters , and we have an interesting take on the female experience that we think will appeal to female audiences.” They just thought, “ Ghostbusters but women. Women will see that, right?” If you’ve seen that movie, then you know the gender swap adds absolutely zero to the movie. It doesn’t add thematic weight or relevant commentary, nor does it add anything meaningful to the basic plot. There was absolutely no reason for Sony to bend over backwards to replace the male characters with female characters (and vice versa, we can’t forget Chris Hemsworth stepping in to the Annie Potts role) other than to pander to different quadrants. A better idea would have been to make the movie about a group of three male Ghostbusters hiring the first woman to join the team. That’s a worthy swap that provides some thematic gold to be explored about boys’ clubs, sexism in the workplace, glass ceilings, the idea of a “man’s job” v. “women’s work,” and more. Yes, I know… it’s a Ghostbusters movie, it’s not that deep; however, you can make a popcorn movie that is smart, funny, and still has something to say. For the most part, though, it seems like Hollywood already stopped trying to make that happen. It’s so not fetch.

BLINDSPOTTING: SEASON TWO Starring: Jasmine Cephas Jones, Rafael Casal, Jaylen Barron, Atticus Woodward, Benjamin Earl Turner, Candace Nicholas-Lippman, and Helen Hunt Creators: Daveed Diggs, Rafael Casal AMARÚ After two seasons and a movie, Blindspotting is a perfect three for three. The show isn’t objectively unflawed, but it builds on its strengths to create a more beautifully ambitious second season. The entire ensemble shines brighter without taking away from leads Jasmine Cephas Jones (Ashley) and Rafael Casal (Miles). The screenplay’s grounded blend of dramedy with powerful free-verse performative art realistically highlights the mental toll that being resilient has on families of the incarcerated. But what makes it perfect is that everything is rooted in Oakland’s cultural influence, as seen with the various “Yay Area'' cameos that only add to the show’s brilliance. Three. For. Three.

WILLOW: SEASON ONE Starring: Warwick Davis, Ellie Bamber, Ruby Cruz, Erin Kellyman, Tony Revolori, Amar Chadha-Patel, and Dempsey Bryk Creator: Jonathan Kasdan AMARÚ If you can get past the medieval-era teenagers speaking like the TikTok generation (with half being British and the other half being…not) and the word-vomit of encyclopedia-level exposition, then you might accept Willow ’s chosen tone. While the latter episodes improve and the visuals are great, I still wasn’t a fan of the series’ choices. Warwick Davis (Willow) and Erin Kellyman (Jade) try to elevate the lore-dumps that move us from one decent set-piece to another, but unfortunately, delivering dialogue isn’t the cast’s strong suit. This first season might be described as fun by some, but that wouldn’t be my description. QUENTIN As a huge fan with fond memories of the 1988 fantasy classic, it pains me to write that Willow , Disney+’s sequel series, is borderline unwatchable. Disney seems to have created the series as direct competition for Netflix’s glut of YA fantasy programming because it certainly isn’t a show for thirtysomethings who grew up with the film. This is cheesy CW shit. And the acting? Child, it’s bad. Even overlooking the fact that most of the characters sound like American teenagers you’d overhear at the mall, the cast’s talent level is such that it exacerbates the cringe cheesiness instead of overcoming it. It’s a massive disappointment. JTE No, you're not dreaming. They actually did make a sequel series to Willow . Never in my wildest dreams did I expect to see this story continued in a film, let alone an eight episode series. Thankfully, the makers of the show are big fans of the original film, and the love and care they have for the mythos are present throughout. This series is out to entertain from beginning to end, a goal they more than accomplish, and the lighter tone is welcomed, especially when compared to the seriousness of The Rings of Power . PAIGE Sorry, Disney, but y’all dropped the crystal ball on this one. Compared to Game of Thrones and The Rings of Power , Willow is absolute crap. While feeling cheap and flat, it fails to recreate any of the charm or magic found in the film. Plus, I couldn’t connect with any of the new characters, especially because they feel way too contemporary and modern. Still, I stuck with it, hoping for at least a fun adventure with the titular sorcerer, but, boy, was I sadly mistaken. Willow (Warwick Davis) is left in the dust on this journey, feeling like a secondary character in his own show.

Previous Next September 10, 2025 WRITTEN BY: AMARÚ As I’m writing this, I’m lying in bed trying to recover from my first day back at work after attending the 50th Toronto International Film Festival, a.k.a. TIFF 50. My body is currently yelling at me for not resting sooner after four straight days of waking up at 8am every morning and not getting back to my hotel room until after midnight every night. It is especially feeling Saturday, when I essentially lived in Toronto’s Scotiabank Theatre for 12 hours. I left screening number 10 fresh from a Matthew McConaughey disaster film just to turn around and walk back into the same exact seat I had just left to watch an Aaron Taylor-Johnson heist film, only going outside once just to line up and walk back in to catch Park Chan-wook’s latest comedy. That was all before watching three more films by the day’s end. This past weekend was a non-stop rotation of wake up, movie, bar food, walking, talking, people watching, and sleep. And after five failed attempts at attending a film festival as press (I’m looking at you New York, San Diego, and Austin), I can tell you with absolute certainty that I wish I was still in Toronto with my fellow Bitesizers, making my body slowly crumble under the weight of beautiful cinematic nerdom. TIFF was absolutely the perfect first film festival to attend. From grabbing a picture with Ms. Marvel (Iman Vellani, who was festing right alongside the rest of us) to immediately turning around to see Ghost from Power (Omari Hardwick) walking towards me, to meeting the Canadian delegation of the Bitesize family (Nick, Adriano, Bode) and extended family (Amanda and Shak) for the first time in person, I was in my element. Watching 15 films in four days seems like an overwhelming task, but with such a friendly environment, easily accessible theaters, (mostly) helpful volunteers and staff (DM me about the “mostly”), and the buzz of being around thousands of my people, those four days went by in a flash. For all these reasons, I hope to continue going to TIFF for years to come, and I haven’t even mentioned the actual films I sat down to watch. As much as I want to keep waxing poetic about the experience overall, the movies are the main reason I attended. So here are my rankings of the films I was lucky enough to preview at this wonderful festival, and to those who are still there living it up, I wish you all a very happy TIFFTY. 15: SIRĀT Sirāt is what I used to think Mad Max: Fury Road was: a long road trip with pulsating music heading towards no real destination. It’s the film equivalent of an EDM song, which means it’ll work for many people, I’m just not one of them. Swaths of scenes drag for unending minutes as dreary desert landscapes make our protagonists’ situation bleaker and more burdensome with each passing mile. The focus that puts on the ensemble does allow for some endearing moments, but not enough to really say more than “oh shit” for a fleeting second before not caring once more. 14: MOTOR CITY I’m not going to go say I disliked Motor City , but the big swings it takes don’t always land. There are some great action sequences, including in one location that is quickly becoming a genre staple (you’ll know it when you see it), but the minimal dialogue lends itself to too many slow-motion dramatics that drag the pacing down to lethargic levels. Instead of a cohesive film, it was multiple scenes stitched together, some that dragged and some that rocked, but not at all the intense ball of energy it could have been. 13: NIRVANNA THE BAND THE SHOW THE MOVIE Watching such a Toronto-centric film with such a Toronto-filled audience definitely helped my viewing of Nirvanna The Band The Show The Movie. Now, don’t get me wrong, there were plenty of jokes that I laughed at all on my own, but the communal experience informing me when I missed a very specific joke allowed for director/star Matt Jones and Jay McCarrol’s charm to naturally grow on me. It’s silly and ridiculous in plenty of the right ways, and while it didn’t necessarily fully hit my funny bone, there was an endearing story of friendship to help boost the laughs I both caught and missed. 12: THE CHRISTOPHERS Here is one thing I didn’t think I would say about The Christophers : it’s adorable. Or more appropriately, Sir Ian McKellen playing devilishly adorable makes the film an entertaining watch. He’s a one-man wrecking crew of brash insults and hilarious narcissism. Michaela Coel, conversely, plays off him tremendously with just a piercing look, and both performers needed all the charm they could muster to dive deeper into the messages of adequacy and affirmation the surface-level script couldn’t quite grasp. The leads prove there’s something to this film, and you could feel that every time the story just escaped beyond that something’s reach. 11: THE FURIOUS The Furious is absolutely bonkers. Director Kenji Tanagaki found the best ways to use the different fighting styles linked to the who’s who cast of cinematic martial arts masters, putting together tremendously unique, mind-bending, and jaw-dropping choreography. It’s a gloriously violent affair with gasp-worthy moments, made all the better with its pulpy reverence to the camp that makes many martial arts films a goofy and hilarious time. Story-wise, it does nothing we haven’t seen before, but what we really want to see is the marvelous things that our minds could never imagine the body doing. The Furious delivers that in spades. 10: THE LOST BUS There is no way to truly capture the devastation that 2018’s deadly Camp Fire caused in California, but director Paul Greengrass’ expertise with the shaky handheld does a damn good job getting audiences to that place. Surprisingly, his use of drone shots to mimic the dangerously fast-flowing ferocity of high-wind fires is just as harrowing. Matthew McConaughey’s gritty emotion fits perfectly to infuse genuine despair into The Lost Bus , and while some of the beats are heavy-handed, the gravity of his situation juxtaposed to found-footage of the actual fire ensured that anything less punchy would seem dramatically insufficient. It’s cliché and intense, but it works. 9: THE SECRET AGENT You can feel every bit of The Secret Agent ’s almost three-hour runtime, but it interestingly never takes you out of the film. Director Kleber Mendonça Filho creates beautifully colorful shots and builds great character depth with his meticulous pacing. That slow-build simultaneously has you lost and locked into its disjointed narrative, which has you anticipating the final puzzle piece that clicks the film’s mysteries into place. Much of this is due to a terrific cast, with Wagner Moura continuing to catapult to must-see status, not to mention a standout performance from Tânia Maria. It took a while to get through, but The Secret Agent is worth the payoff. 8: POETIC LICENSE Whether Poetic License was fully scripted, fully improvised, or somewhere in between, director Maude Apatow’s directorial debut fully utilizes Leslie Mann and the entire cast’s awkward energy to successfully point the camera and say “go!” Mann is excellent in her element, but it’s the fantastic duo of Andrew Barth Feldman and Cooper Hoffman, who look like Second City veterans “yes, and-ing,” that anchor this heartfelt yet face-coveringly embarrassing story. It takes some time to find its footing, but the longer it goes, the more awkward it gets, and the funnier and steadier Apatow’s genuine debut becomes. 7: FUZE Director David Mackenzie wastes no time putting Fuze’ s fun machinations into motion, and there isn’t an ounce of dead weight in its 98-minute well-oiled, military crime, cat-and-mouse games. Like clockwork, each scene meticulously moves at a pace that keeps you guessing (sometimes correctly, sometimes not), but never bombastically so. Once you’re dropped in, your eyes never stop looking for the next exit, the next deception, or the next sleaze ball maneuver from a fully game Theo James. Fuze is a ticking time bomb that never feels out of control yet keeps its players and its audience continuously looking around the next corner. 6: RENTAL FAMILY Rental Family is a sweet story that digs deeply into our inherent need for human connection, doing so with sincerity and an open heart. And it's apropos that Brendan Fraser, the sweetest man in Hollywood, is the catalyst of that honest wholesomeness. He was made for this role, embodying a level of truly inspirational empathy. Director Hikari’s smart use of her entire ensemble, through which she successfully delivers this unique story without a drop of saccharine frivolity, also is remarkable. Some emotional beats needed more time to breathe, but the smile on my face the entire runtime was genuinely undeniable. 5: HEDDA Before you know it, Hedda (both the film and Tessa Thompson’s character) has you completely wrapped around their finger. Thompson is scandalously mischievous in an enthralling lead turn, Nia DaCosta is somehow improving her already bewitching directorial vision, and Hildur Guðnadóttir ensnares it all together with her playfully mysterious score. By the time Nina Hoss’ Eileen lights a match to the gunpowder trail of a wandering first act, you look around wondering when this team completely snatched your attention. Hedda is a wonderfully mesmerizing train wreck of twists, lies, love, and lust that holds your heart in one hand just to snatch your throat with the other. 4: THE MAN IN MY BASEMENT Nadia Latif’s directorial debut is a darkly meditative look into family legacy, history (specifically surrounding Black people in the U.S.), and self-worth that uses spooky imagery and sinister blocking to create an eerie tone. But truthfully, her great direction is merely a runway to showcase a career-best performance from Corey Hawkins. It’s very hard to make you forget about Willem Dafoe, but Hawkins’ commanding desperation (which, of course, is elevated by Dafoe being Dafoe) is the lynchpin on which every aspect of this film turns. It’s a tremendously shattering performance that delivers a remarkably thought-provoking movie. 3: DINNER WITH FRIENDS Learning that they shot this movie in only nine days further solidifies that Dinner with Friends is a spectacular feat. Depictions of adult friendships usually aren’t the centerpiece of films dealing with the emotional weight of growing up, but the way in which the entire cast felt like they had known each other for decades proves how much that relationship lens shapes each of our lives. Through the laughs, arguments, pettiness, joy, messiness, and truth that conversations with friends create in ways conversations in romantic relationships do not, director Sasha Leigh Henry makes the camera, and audience, the ninth friend in this endearingly authentic story. 2: WASTEMAN We all (should) know that David Jonsson is on the precipice of greatness, but it’s Tom Blyth to whom I owe an apology. I wasn’t really familiar with your game, sir. Wasteman is a two-man tour-de-force wrapped in director Cal McMau’s visceral encapsulation of the hellish conditions of prisons everywhere. His hard-hitting mix of close-quarter camera work and found-footage prisoner videos sets the foundation for Jonsson to showcase a vulnerability not many actors can manage while Blyth hits a level of menace and intensity I didn’t know he could reach. This one hits hard, and it will leave you in a breathless sweat from start to finish. 1: NO OTHER CHOICE I’ve not seen much of Park Chan-wook’s filmography, but it did not take long to recognize his masterful direction while watching No Other Choice . This dark comedy is a masterclass in comedy of error, effortlessly finding the humor in bleakness and the ridiculousness in desperation. Lee Byung-hun masters the descent into madness when no option is your only option, but it’s Son Yejin that surprisingly holds the heart of this story surrounding class disparity and the despair capitalistic systems can create. I was mesmerized by this beautifully macabre artistic wonder, and it’s no wonder that Chan-wook has the word “masterpiece” thrown around every time he drops something new.

MOONHAVEN: SEASON ONE Starring: Dominic Monaghan, Emma McDonald, Amara Karan, Ayelet Zurer, Kadeem Hardison, Yazzmin Newell, and Joe Manganiello Creator: Peter Ocko QUENTIN It’s possible that Moonhaven eventually grows into a great sci-fi series. Perhaps it’ll become the next The Expanse (which sci-fi nerds love, but I didn’t care for). However, for now, this quick season of six episodes is all about world-building, which is fine, but it also makes it feel more like a prologue than a developed series. The thing you have to watch to understand the thing you want to watch, y’know? The acting is serviceable but unremarkable, and the mystery just isn’t very engrossing yet. Will viewers stick around long enough to see if this half-baked concept becomes something special? I certainly won’t be.

THE STICKY Starring: Margo Martindale, Chris Diamantopoulos, Guillaume Cyr, Gita Miller, Guy Nadon, Suzanne Clément, Mickaël Gouin, and Jamie Lee Curtis Creators: Brian Donovan and Ed Herro QUENTIN Given that The Sticky is about the great Canadian maple syrup heist, the not-at-all-serious, “look at these bumbling idiots” tone makes a lot of sense. It’s not unlike The Coen Brothers’ The Ladykillers in that way, for better or worse. However, even at six, half-hour episodes, there just isn’t enough story, character development, or outright quirkiness to make it anything more than a half-hearted distraction. Also, it all just feels too cheap and slight (or too Canadian?) despite Jamie Lee Curtis (also a producer) showing up in a bit role to inject some recognizable clout. Props to all the French covers of American rock classics, though.

QUANTUM LEAP: SEASON ONE Starring: Raymond Lee, Caitlin Bassett, Mason Alexander Park, Nanrisa Lee, and Ernie Hudson Creator: Donald P. Bellisario QUENTIN Given that OG Quantum Leap is my all-time favorite show, I had to give the rebootquel a chance, even as a person who generally turns his nose up to network television. Overall, it’s fine. It offers the same optimistic view of the world as the original, but I realized nostalgia is doing the heavy lifting on my love for the 90s version. While Raymond Lee and Caitlin Bassett are serviceable, they are no Scott Bakula and Dean Stockwell. The new series is more serialized and spends time diving into Project Quantum Leap lore, which is interesting, but not quite interesting enough that I’ll return next season.

THE VINCE STAPLES SHOW Starring: Vince Staples Creator: Vince Staples QUENTIN This probably isn’t true, but The Vince Staples Show feels like a bunch of Netflix executives asked the titular rapper-actor to make the next Atlanta . I don’t even fault him for trying…but Donald Glover, he ain’t. In these five almost sketch-like episodes, Staples simply lacks the outward charm and charisma to sell such a carbon copy of that surreal masterpiece, which is wild because I know he’s a charming and charismatic cat. Staples obviously is multi-talented, but his seeming attempt at mimicry instead of being original here, plus the lack of on-screen support (even Glover had Brian Tyree Henry and LaKeith Stanfield), holds the series back. AMARÚ Vince Staples is one of the smartest and funniest artists in the music industry, and The Vince Staples Show is the exact balance of hood and high-concept hilarity I expected. It’s like if Ice Cube’s “Check Yo Self (Remix)” video (the aftermath of “It Was a Good Day”, when he realized it, in fact, was not) was transported into The Twilight Zone . Vince takes you on a hyper-stylized stroll through Long Beach, and it’s a satirically entertaining good time that’s too ridiculous to be unrealistic. If you know you know, and I know that I’m down for more.

Previous Next Chris Hemsworth returns to the role of Tyler Rake in Extraction 2 this week. With that in mind, we figured it was the perfect time for the Bitesize crew to put their brains together to compile Bitesize Breakdown's consensus Top Five Performances from the Original Avengers excluding all MCU performances. Each writer ranks his or her top 15 actors in the category. Those lists are then weighted on a reverse point system. After all the points are tallied up, the entries with the most total points make up the Bitesize Top Five. 5. SCARLETT JOHANSSON - SAMANTHA (HER) It is a rare echelon of quality that successful non-visual performances find themselves in when paired with live-action storytelling, and nowhere is this more apparent than Scarlett Johansson’s heartbreaking vocal turn in Spike Jonze's Her . Johansson’s performance, by my view, is the closest a purely vocal turn has come to being a main category nominee (Best Actress or Supporting Actress), and perhaps it should have been. There are few voice performances so integral to their film’s storytelling, and even fewer still who can manage to both endear and devastate you in the same breath as Johansson does here. - Jacob 4. SCARLETT JOHANSSON - ROSIE (JOJO RABBIT) Jojo Rabbit contains some of the best work of Scarlett Johansson's career, and her performance as the resilient mother of young Johannes (Roman Griffin Davis) is the glue that holds the film together. She brings an enormously endearing quality to Rosie, a character that responds to all situations with an eye on love whether the scene is humourous or heartbreaking. There are a lot of moments in this performance that stick out, but none quite as loudly as the now iconic dinner scene. - Nick 3. JEREMY RENNER - JAMES COUGHLIN (THE TOWN) Damn right Jeremy Renner’s performance in The Town made the cut! As a born and bred Boston girl myself, what Renner is able to capture as a Southie criminal is remarkable. He hits the nail on the head with this performance while mastering the Boston accent exceptionally well. He completely inhabits this role, and makes his character, Jem, feel real and lived in; not to mention he earned an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his work in this wicked awesome film. - Paige 2. ROBERT DOWNEY JR. - KIRK LAZARUS (TROPIC THUNDER) Even though there are some small circles buzzing online about canceling Robert Downey Jr. because of the blackface of it all, the fact of the matter is that those people probably just don’t get the satire at play here. That aside, RDJ’s Academy Award-, BAFTA-, SAG-, and Golden Globe-nominated performance is flat-out terrific, not only as Australian method actor Kirk Lazarus, but also as SSG Lincoln Osiris. I mean, name another Avenger that could realistically pull off the role of “a dude playing a dude disguised as another dude” with so much humor, intelligence, and nuance. You can’t do it. - Quentin 1. SAMUEL L. JACKSON - JULES WINNFIELD (PULP FICTION) “The path of the righteous man is beset on all sides by the inequities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men. Blessed is he who, in the name of charity and good will, shepherds the weak through the valley of darkness, for he is truly his brother's keeper and the finder of lost children. And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger those who attempt to poison and destroy my brothers, and you will know my name is the Lord when I lay my vengeance upon thee.” What the fuck else do I need to say? - Amarú HONORABLE MENTIONS SAMUEL L. JACKSON - STEPHEN (DJANGO UNCHAINED) JEREMY RENNER - IAN DONNELLY (ARRIVAL) SCARLETT JOHANSSON - NICOLE BARBER (MARRIAGE STORY) CHRIS HEMSWORTH - BILLY LEE (BAD TIMES AT THE EL ROYALE) MARK RUFFALO - DAVID TOSCHI (ZODIAC) Photo Credits: Photo 1, 3 - Warner Bros.; Photo 2 - Fox Searchlight Pictures; Photo 4 - Paramount Pictures Photo 5 - Miramax Films