EMILY THE CRIMINAL Starring: Aubrey Plaza, Theo Rossi, Megalyn Echikunwoke, Jonathan Avigdori, and Gina Gershon Director: John Patton Ford PAIGE Emily the Criminal is a tight little 90-minute noir crime film that turns Aubrey Plaza into a badass. She shines by taking an offer she can’t refuse (making easy money through credit card fraud), but even with this side of her we haven’t seen before, it’s just a mediocre flick. It’s a shame too because the concept is there for a good story, but with the film lacking character development and feeling dry due to not enough depth or tension, it falls shy of being a decent thriller. JACOB Aubrey Plaza is an unwieldy talent and one of the most remarkable actresses working today, so it’s a shame that Emily the Criminal doesn’t quite match her natural energy. That’s not to say the film is bad by any means, only that it looks and sounds like every other small indie film of its kind. There’s not a whole lot to hold onto here, and the film doesn’t put forth a lot of effort in ensuring the story is as gripping as Plaza can often be. That said, it’s worth watching for her performance alone, just not for much else. QUENTIN Emily the Criminal features several of the more superficial aspects I look for in indie crime flicks, to include being shot in a grimy patina befitting the scumbag element at the story’s core. That said, be it the muddled stakes or the dispassionate social commentary, I just didn’t connect with it. Admittedly, Aubrey Plaza is like Kristin Wiig, in that it’s hard for me to take her seriously, which I’m sure didn’t help me to buy in completely since I kept expecting her to deadpan towards the camera like The Office . Whatever the reason, it simply didn’t work for me.

YOU'RE CORDIALLY INVITED Starring: Will Ferrell, Reese Witherspoon, Geraldine Viswanathan, Meredith Hagner, Jimmy Tatro, Stony Blyden, Leanne Morgan, Rory Scovel, Jacki McBrayer, and Celia Weston Director: Nicholas Stoller NICK Considering it stars Will Ferrell and Reese Witherspoon, You're Cordially Invited is straight out of the 2000s. Evoking the memory of films such as Bride Wars , I can't say it adds anything to the comedy battleground genre, staying on par with many of the other entries. There are some decisions late in the film that hurt my overall rating, but for the majority of it, it's an average film. Inoffensive, yet likely to be forgotten once the year turns over. What shouldn’t be forgotten, however, is Geraldine Viswanathan. She’s enjoyable here, and it’s time we start seeing more of her. QUENTIN There are a few moments in You’re Cordially Invited when it seems like writer-director Nicholas Stoller wanted to let Will Ferrell cook in his trademark improvisational style, but they’re buried under so many lazily unfunny jokes, you wonder why they cast Ferrell at all. Alongside that, Invited has one of the laziest R-ratings I’ve ever seen, amounting to nothing more than a couple shoehorned-in F-bombs. Frankly, this dated movie feels like Stoller either self-sabotaged or the studio had too heavy a hand in the final cut because there are shadows of glimpses of a comedy that could have been entertaining. As is, though? RSVP No. PRESTON I entered You’re Cordially Invited with extremely low expectations, and should you choose to do the same, there is an outside chance that you may consider it…not half-bad. I even, surprisingly, avoided the all-too-familiar moment when I thought that I was hating what I was watching. It is ridiculous and sweet, and sometimes funny, and sometimes cringe. But for me, it was a perfectly acceptable way to pass time on a day I was feeling a little poopy. Besides low expectations, an appreciation of Will Ferrell’s style of comedy is also a prerequisite, but that’s too easy. AMARÚ I’m happy to say that You’re Cordially Invited is genuinely heartfelt, hilarious, and more than your run-of-the-mill romantic comedy. Will Ferrell and Reese Witherspoon go toe-to-toe with ridiculous (but not overdone) antics and insightful arcs that’ll make you look at your own familial relationships more closely, but it’s Leanne Morgan and Rory Scovel who threaten to steal the entire movie. Writer-director Nicholas Stoller gives them the biggest laughs while also delivering an honest examination on how people’s differing beliefs can inhibit their ability to listen and empathize. He had no right creating something this good with this premise, but it works. Bravo. ADRIANO You're Cordially Invited has an easy concept, a proven comedic director in Nicholas Stoller, and two great lead performers, one of whom is a comedy legend… so why did it fall so flat? It just comes down to it not being very funny. It has some heart, some chuckle-worthy moments, and there's nothing insincere about it, but Will Ferrell and Reese Witherspoon are sadly not amazing here. Ferrell, in particular, feels weirdly neutered (Jimmy Tatro and Keyla Monterroso Mejia are innocent, though). For a streaming movie, it's simple enough; just be aware you may not laugh as much as you'd hope.

RED ONE Starring: Dwayne Johnson, Chris Evans, J.K. Simmons, Lucy Liu, Kristofer Hivju, Bonnie Hunt, and Kiernan Shipka Director: Jake Kasdan ADRIANO I think the thing constantly ruining Dwayne Johnson movies is his absolute lack of a sense of humour, and Red On e, a terrible holiday action-comedy, takes itself so numbingly seriously that it sucks out any fun it could've had. As an action movie, the movie looks ugly, and the set pieces are bland and horrifically thought-out. As a comedy, there's really only one joke being told throughout (Chris Evans' character loudly reacting to weird stuff). The only semblance of enjoyment I got out of this was simply because I love Christmas so much. Plain and simple: Red One is a disaster. AMARÚ Luckily, there’s a bit of heart in Red One between Dwayne Johnson and J.K. Simmons because the story is cliché, melodramatic, surface-level kid’s fodder. Luckily, the creature design and mythological lore is really cool, because the uncanny valley CGI made the saccharine levels rise to ridiculous heights. Luckily, Johnson and Chris Evans sometimes understood that silliness, and could play it to a charming tone, because the horrific villain was mustache-twirling levels of Power Rangers television cheese. Kids may like this, adults may tolerate it, and luckily, there’s just enough that’s watchable to get through unscathed. KATIE I felt I had to give Red One at least one reel, since I did laugh out loud a couple of times and Chris Evans hits all the right notes as the cynic with a heart of gold. There are also some serviceable action scenes, but, overall the visual effects are disastrous, the plot doesn’t make sense, and it overstays its welcome. I’m not sure who this is for, since it feels like a kid's film but is littered with bad language and crude jokes, which makes the empty sentimentality feel even more devoid of Christmas magic. PRESTON Before the critic within me gets to critiquing, it is important to remember what Red One is and who it’s for. Director Jake Kasdan’s unique take on Santa is, first and foremost, a children’s movie, even if the high use of language is confusing. He includes some cool historical figures in international folklore with Krampus (Kristofer Hivju) and Gryla (Kiernan Shipka). Dwayne Johnson and Chris Evans lead the film competently, but lack the back-and-forth chemistry that would have made it much more successful. Ultimately, Red One is a bland, but altogether entertaining Christmas film that won’t be entering the yearly Holiday movie rotation.

THE ETERNAL DAUGHTER Starring: Tilda Swinton, Carly-Sophia Davies, Joseph Mydell, Alfie Sankey-Green, Zinnia Davies-Cooke, and August Joshi Director: Joanna Hogg QUENTIN I’m all for atmospherics in a movie, but it can’t be the only thing going for it. The Eternal Daughter looks like most period piece horror movies, with the old house and gardens constantly engulfed in a hazy fog and everything seemingly lit by candles (think The Others , but 100x worse). That ambiance makes the already slow-moving story very, very sleepy. It feels like it wants to be a mystery thriller, yet there are no mysteries or thrills…just a lot of talking. Tilda Swinton is exceptional in dual roles, adding enough differentiation to create distinct characters, but you’ll probably fall asleep too soon to notice. JACOB Very much a relative of films like The Souvenir , Joanna Hogg’s The Eternal Daughter is a hauntingly atmospheric and surprisingly funny treatise on grief, memory, and human kindness in the face of both. Stunningly shot, though occasionally too meditative for its own good, the film features a captivating central performance from the great Tilda Swinton, as well as a dryly hilarious supporting part for Carly-Sophia Davies. This truly is Swinton’s movie though, and the duality of both characters she plays is so distinct, it’s a miracle she hasn’t been handed every award already. This film was reviewed by Quentin as part of Bitesize Breakdown's coverage of the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival, as well as by Jacob as part of Bitesize Breakdown's coverage of the 2022 New York Film Festival.

THE BOOK OF CLARENCE Starring: LaKeith Stanfield, Omar Sy, RJ Cyler, Anna Diop, Nicholas Pinnock, Teyana Taylor, Caleb McLaughlin, Eric Kofi-Abrefa, Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Alfre Woodard, Michael Ward, David Oyelowo, James McAvoy, and Benedict Cumberbatch Director: Jeymes Samuel AMARÚ With his second feature-length film, The Book of Clarence , writer-director Jeymes Samuel continues to be the star of his own movie. His direction is one-of-one, and the ability to pair the score perfectly with each scene (he’s also the composer) is absolutely dynamic. While the film is entertainingly crafted, it does take some time for the story to fluidly establish the star-studded ensemble’s characters. The first act plays like a disjointed television series stumbling to find its footing. But when it finally comes together, Clarence ’s magnetic style, talented cast, and thought-provoking take on religion brings Samuel one step closer to my “event director” shortlist. NICK With The Book of Clarence , director Jeymes Samuel shows much of the promise he displayed with 2021's The Harder They Fall , but unlike that film, this is a much more disjointed effort. Although the film maintained my attention throughout, I was never "IN" it, largely due to tonal inconsistencies. There are a range of genres (comedy, action, romance, drama), but they often don't mesh, and they certainly make the first "Book" drag more than others. That said, the film improves as it goes, and Samuel shows an undeniable ability behind the lens. It’s not bad, but it’s time to close this book and start another. ADRIANO I am genuinely heartbroken by The Book of Clarence . Writer-director Jeymes Samuel showed boatloads of promise with his debut The Harder They Fall , and the concept of Clarence is so original and interesting. Even when watching it, I can see the film's potential shine through its genuinely great production values and terrific ensemble, led by a never failing LaKeith Stanfield. However, the writing is so muddled and all over the place that it fails to convey anything of note for anyone to take its great ideas seriously. There's excellence here, it's just not in the final product.

NOW YOU SEE ME: NOW YOU DON'T Starring: Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Dave Franco, Isla Fisher, Justice Smith, Dominic Sessa, Ariana Greenblatt, Rosamund Pike, and Morgan Freeman Director: Ruben Fleischer ADRIANO I'm approaching Now You See Me: Now You Don't as someone who didn't like the other two, but aware that others really like them. With that, I found it as messy as the other films, with some additional bloat due to all the new characters. Simply put, I didn't find it that enjoyable, aside from Rosamund Pike's over-the-top campy villain. As a bonus, the big twist made me wonder if everything I saw was a waste of time. That said, I also didn't think it was especially better or worse than the others, so if you're excited, I can't imagine you won't enjoy yourself. AMARÚ I’ll always watch these silly magic movies no matter how dumb. But even though I had some fun with Now You See Me: Now You Don’t , it’s clearly a product of diminishing returns. Between its surface-level plot and the “gee whiz look at this” dialogue underselling a more than capable ensemble, this is the first entry where trying to dazzle the audience was more important than making a competent movie. What’s worse is that the end reveal showed promise of the good film it could’ve been. Too bad the build up didn’t trust the audience or cast enough with a more intelligent story.

JACKASS FOREVER Starring: Johnny Knoxville, Steve-O, Jason "Wee Man" Acuña, Chris Pontius, Dave England, "Danger" Ehren McGhehey, Preston Lacy, Sean “Poopies” McInerney, Zach Holmes, Rachel Wolfson, Eric Manaka, and Compston “Darkshark” Wilson Director: Jeff Tremaine QUENTIN A confession: I will never not find dudes getting hit in the nuts hilarious. And while Jackass Forever has plenty of laugh-out-loud genital trauma, that’s not what makes the movie work so well. It’s the infectious camaraderie and energy of the Jackass crew and their willingness to laugh at themselves as much as they laugh at each other. It makes you feel like one of the guys. As a dude who spent his 20s watching the original series, I admit nostalgia (and my own immaturity) could be a factor, but I was crying laughing for almost the entire runtime. ADRIANO I’ve never been the biggest Jackass fan, but maybe time has done it’s thing because I actually enjoyed Jackass Forever . My biggest issue with Jackass is that some of the stuff just makes me squirm, and this one is no exception. I wish I had never seen a lot of it, actually, but I laughed pretty hard at many of the other stunts. What kinda shocks me is that I found the movie oddly endearing. I enjoyed the camaraderie the group shared, laughing together as they got their ass kicked. A welcome surprise for me. AMARÚ Jackass Forever doesn’t try to be anything more than what you remember, and can you really ask for more? If you went to the theater to watch the old (probably too old) crew and some new (probably too dumb) faces hurt themselves for our amusement, then, no, you can’t ask for anything else. As stupid as their stunts may be, their joy and camaraderie makes the laughs more authentic because you feel like you’re there with them. It’s gross, immature, and ridiculous, yet you can’t help but laugh your ass off even when you have to look away.

BRIAN AND CHARLES Starring: David Earl, Chris Hayward, Louise Brealey, Jamie Michie, Nina Sosanya, Lynn Hunter, Lowri Izzard, Mari Izzard, and Cara Chase Director: Jim Archer JACOB Brian and Charles is absolutely adorable and full of genuine heart. Lightyear may have been the bigger theatrical release this weekend, but it’s this Sundance comedy that ultimately bests the Space Ranger spinoff in pure quality. Charming and creative in all the right ways, its mostly plain filmmaking is overcome through sheer inventiveness, which permeates through David Earl’s tender-hearted performance. There are some aspects of it which lack the nuance it needs to be one of the indie greats, but others work well enough to make up for it. It seems destined to become one of 2022’s most underrated films. ADRIANO Brian And Charles won’t change the world or anything, but it’s definitely worth a watch. Your appreciation for this film will depend on how much you enjoy British humor, though, because there is a lot of it in this movie. That said, the humor lands for the most part, but it’s a little awkward when it doesn’t. The central story isn’t anything mind blowing either, but it’s a sweet one for sure, especially with the titular relationship. It’s not something I’ll be rushing to watch again, yet I am happy that I saw it.

FAST X Starring: Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Chris ‘Ludacris’ Bridges, Jason Momoa, John Cena, Jordana Brewster, Nathalie Emmanuel, Sung Kang, Brie Larson, Alan Ritchson, Leo Abelo Perry, Charlize Theron, and Jason Statham Director: Louis Leterrier AMARÚ If there are two more Fast sequels coming, please don’t include the hour-long rendition of Wiz Khalifa’s “See You Again” that Fast X starts with. Director Louis Leterrier doesn’t do this movie any favors by opening with 60 minutes of tribute meme dialogue set to a pop/rap soundtrack, then shooting the franchise’s fakest looking action sequences. Luckily, once they stopped waxing poetic about the previous nine movies, the focus moved to Jason Momoa’s Dante Reyes, whose wacky, brilliant, devilish, assignment-understanding glee makes up for every head-shaking “why?” moment. So much so, in fact, that I’m actually looking forward to the next ride. QUENTIN At this point, what else is there to say about new Fast & Furious movies? Expensive cars go vroom, big bombs go boom…yada yada yada…boo physics, yay family. You likely already know if you’re crossing the finish line with this series is what I’m saying. Either way, Fast X is about the same, for better or worse, as The Fate of the Furious and F9 . That said, Jason Momoa is the jolt of life the franchise needed. He seems to be the only one who realizes that a tenth(!) Fast movie should be dumb fun, so he goes absolute HAM being gleefully Momoa-y. He’s just…*chef’s kiss* NICK Although Fast X is superior to the series' prior two entries, it's still a far cry from the franchise’s heights. What was once a story about street racers has become one about family, heists, and truly terrible dialogue. Seriously, these films would be so much better if most characters would just shut up. The action is undeniable, but there is no longer any room to think of things logically. It's as if Fast & Furious has become its own parody with how ridiculous it has become. The standout positive, however, is Jason Momoa, in what may be the top performance of his career (seriously). ADRIANO Fast X is proof that this franchise is out of fuel. If it weren’t for Jason Momoa’s gleefully committed villain…the franchise’s most entertaining yet…I’d see nothing of value here; however, he is worth the price of admission. I understand that plot isn’t “important” when it comes to these movies, but this one is a complete mess, with nonsensical diversions and constant conveniences. The dedication to disregarding reality is just not entertaining anymore, and it feels less intentional and more like nobody cares. Lastly, the ending infuriated me, and I am not in any way excited for the next one. JACOB While Jason Momoa may be having the most fun of his entire career in Fast X , much of the excitement the franchise once boasted has unfortunately stalled. Between the frankly atrocious editing, mostly unfollowable action sequences, and the barrage of truly terrible dialogue, the Fast franchise has slowed itself to new lows, especially in scenes featuring Brie Larson's and Alan Ritchson’s one-note cardboard characters. I’m all for the dumb fun of Fast & Furious as a brand, but even this barely passes muster as a movie. Thank god the end of the road has begun, because this series is out of gas.

JURASSIC WORLD REBIRTH Starring: Scarlett Johansson, Jonathan Bailey, Mahershala Ali, Rupert Friend, Ed Skrein, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, Luna Blaise, Audrina Miranda, and David Iacono Director: Gareth Edwards AMARÚ Although Jurassic Park 3's Amanda Kirby (Téa Leoni) is the most annoying character in the franchise, Rebirth features someone who almost takes the crown. However, this character’s trajectory mirrors the film’s, as both grew on me with time. Tell-not-show exposition gives way to a simple formula: charming cast runs for their lives from awesome looking dinosaurs in scary action sequences. Not to mention, a moment of wonder I haven’t felt since the original, which banks a massive amount of goodwill. Despite its lows, including a disappointingly anticlimactic ending, Rebirth is better than the last two films, a win in and of itself. NICK Unlike Dominion , Jurassic World Rebirth isn't terrible, but it sure is disappointing. The first hour is cold and heartless (including an exploitation of the original score). The second is an improvement, thanks to the introduction of the Delgado family (led by Manuel Garcia-Rulfo) and some memorable dino moments (we finally got the river raft scene!). But that's been the issue with these Jurassic World films: they all have their moments, but can't seem to put together a quality film. There’s no doubt this franchise will continue, but I think this should be the retirement of the Jurassic World moniker. ADRIANO I'm not sure how Universal has managed to screw up the basic concept of surviving from dinosaurs four times. Jurassic World: Rebirth is another massive miss. The first hour is genuinely unbearable, and while it picks up a little when they get to Ile Saint-Hubert, the emptiness of the two conflicting storylines and the weightless dinosaur action makes this excruciating. A Jurassic Park movie should never be as dull as this was. It'll make its billion dollars and get a sequel greenlit, but I'm begging the next one sticks to the basics by actually being thrilling. QUENTIN Technically, Rebirth is the best of the Jurassic World movies, though I concede that is an incredibly low bar. The dinosaur sequences are top-notch, riding a wave between semi-horror and thrilling action, and if that is all you need for a good time, then Rebirth mostly delivers. However, it struggles with the human cast. The performances are serviceable but nothing special, while the character development is, frankly, piss-poor. More egregiously, though, the final 20ish minutes jumped the shark to such a degree that I audibly giggled, not to mention the eye-rolling amount of nostalgia bait. Still, Jurassic Park 7: Jurassic World 4 is an improvement…technically . BODE I don’t expect a Jurassic World sequel to live up to the original, but I wish they fulfilled even the bare minimum. Rebirth proves that they still can’t do that. While director Gareth Edwards doesn’t embarrass himself technically, as he knows how to manage scale, the same can’t be said for returning screenwriter David Koepp, who saddles Edwards and its cast with a mediocre script needlessly swinging between two storylines. The momentum dies every time it happens. Yes, there’s some fun set-pieces, and no, this isn’t the worst one in the franchise. But at this point, is that enough? Want to hear even more of our thoughts? Nick and Amarú join Matt to take A Bigger Bite out of Jurassic World Rebirth HERE .

BARDO: FALSE CHRONICLE OF A HANDFUL OF TRUTHS Starring: Daniel Giménez Cacho and Griselda Siciliani Director: Alejandro González Iñárritu JACOB Despite some occasionally breathtaking photography and one or two genuinely stunning set-pieces from a pure difficulty perspective, Bardo seems to take every trick in director Alejandro González Iñárritu’s playbook and amplify them to their worst outcomes. It’s not that this surrealist examination of Iñárritu’s obsessions is a complete disaster, but nearly everything that has worked for him before doesn’t work here. The ultra-wide lensing is more distracting than immersive, the surrealism itself feels forced rather than intriguing, and at the end of the day, it feels as though the whole exercise is a pretentious way of saying “critics just don’t understand my art.” ADRIANO Bardo opens with some promise. I didn’t know what was happening, yet I still loved it. However, as the film continues, it starts to make less and less sense. Co-writer/director Alejandro G. Iñárritu fills the film with jaw-dropping cinematography and themes of identity and multiculturalism, but those highlights are muddled in a plot that borders on self-indulgence and meta pretentiousness that adds nothing substantive. I never felt attached to the lead, and there is so much weirdness that I couldn’t make out the meaning. Bardo is not the best effort from a director whose work I generally love. JOSEPH There are some beautiful shots to be found, but Bardo mostly feels like an attempt to make us all feel stupid. It wants to say so much, but it also is determined to make sure to state that it’s smarter than you, even going so far as to criticize itself around the halfway point. It’s a nonsensical odyssey attempting to be surrealistic cinema, and it has cemented the idea that I may just not be a fan of Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s films. It’s the definition of pretentious. QUENTIN Upon finishing the film, I finally understood what director Alejandro G. Iñárritu was doing. However, it’s a long and weird 159-minute journey to get there (a journey made to feel longer because of all the subtitles). So, by the time I “got it,” I didn’t care much anymore. Often though, a scene was so beautifully shot or a sequence so excellently captured that you remember why Iñárritu is so revered as a director. He just misses the mark here, leaning a tad too far into self-indulgence as he addresses (presumably) his personal conflict with multiculturalism. As a white dude, it was hard for me to relate.

THE EXORCIST: BELIEVER Starring: Leslie Odom Jr., Ann Dowd, Jennifer Nettles, Norbert Leo Butz, Lidya Jewett, Olivia O'Neill, and Ellen Burstyn Director: David Gordon Green NICK The Exorcist: Believer may have exhausted all the goodwill David Gordon Green and Danny McBride earned from Halloween . This unnecessary entry in The Exorcist franchise features straight-to-DVD-level camerawork and wastes the one interesting idea it offers. The connection between the girls could have been SOMETHING, but it’s never explored enough to make it necessary for the story. Also, unlike Jamie Lee Curtis' warranted return to the Halloween trilogy, Ellen Burstyn feels like a cheap gimmick here. I wasn’t expecting much, but I didn’t think the quality of Believer would be low enough to warrant canceling the rest of its planned trilogy. Well, it is. ADRIANO What makes The Exorcist such a classic isn't just how scary it is, but how it's really a character drama under the guise of a horror movie. I don't believe director/co-writer David Gordon Green understood that. His direct sequel The Exorcist: Believer is filled with cheap scares and characters that you never feel for, utterly failing at the two things the original mastered. Ellen Burstyn is there for fanfare and nothing else, and the movie has some baffling editing choices. And this is supposed to be the start of a trilogy? Consider me checked out already. PHILL Fifty years ago, The Exorcist made cinematic history when Regan (Linda Blair) terrified audiences around the world under the late, great William Friedkin’s masterful direction. David Gordon Green’s legacy sequel, The Exorcist: Believer , isn’t completely terrible, but it pales in comparison to the original classic, while adding nothing of interest that you haven’t seen before, other than there being two possessions instead of one. There is clearly a deep respect and affinity for Friedkin’s masterwork, but that doesn’t prevent Believer from being a poorly paced, bland addition to an already dead franchise. KATIE The Exorcist: Believer just about succeeds as a horror film, but fails as a direct sequel to The Exorcist . It’s at its worst when directly engaging with the source material, wasting Ellen Burstyn’s return as Chris MacNeil, using a disappointing amount of bad CGI effects, and reminding me of the original’s superiority. However, I did think the jump scares were fun, and Lidya Jewette and Olivia O'Neil give great performances (I’d have loved if the film delved deeper into their relationship). I cannot fathom how this would warrant a sequel, but Believer works best as a frivolous fright night flick.