THE VOICE OF HIND RAJAB Starring: Saja Kilani, Motaz Malhees, Clara Khoury, and Amer Hlehel Director: Kaouther Ben Hania ADRIANO Using the real audio of Hind Rajab, a 6-year-old girl killed by Israeli soldiers in Gaza, it's very easy to see how The Voice of Hind Rajab is highly effective. Any movie that brings audience attention to the active genocide is worthwhile in my opinion, but showcasing as many perspectives as possible is as well. In this film, the dramatization of an emergency call centre showcases the desperation to save as many people as possible in Gaza, and combined with the heart shattering reality that it's just not possible sometimes, it's a heavy but necessary watch. AMARÚ The Voice of Hind Rajab is a devastating film that should be watched by all who can. The use of real recordings of the Gaza atrocities could easily manipulate audiences, but instead, with the combination of outstanding performances from Saja Kilani, Amer Hlehel, and Motaz Malhees, it humanizes situations in which the globe has become all too numb. Seeing the movie play out through the impossibly no-win scenarios that humanitarians face daily keeps the film grounded, and hopefully creates a spark to make real change in hearts and minds everywhere. This film, Kaouther Ben Hania’s direction, and its cast are an absolute triumph. This film was reviewed by Adriano as part of Bitesize Breakdown's coverage of the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival.

THE HAND THAT ROCKS THE CRADLE Starring: Maika Monroe, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Raúl Castillo, Martin Starr, and Milejah Vega Director: Michelle Garza Cervera PAIGE Let it be known that this remake is completely different from the original 1992 flick. I give it credit for trying to do its own thing, but 2025's The Hand That Rocks the Cradle is a very underwhelming film. It doesn’t come nearly as close to being as cringeworthy and thrilling as the OG version. This movie lacks depth and suspense, and its pacing is extremely sluggish. Maika Monroe and Mary Elizabeth Winstead are easily the best things in this streaming movie, as they are the only thing that keeps this movie somewhat afloat. Without them and their performances, there isn’t much to grasp onto here. KATIE I haven't seen the original The Hand That Rocks the Cradle , so I had nothing to really compare this remake to. It initially has some momentum and a good sense of tension, but it's too long and predictable. As is often the case in these types of films, the husband character is unfathomably imperceptive and unsupportive of his partner, which is necessary for the plot, but frustratingly so. Mary Elizabeth Winstead's and Maika Monroe’s performances are great, particularly Monroe, who is very unnerving and intense as the sinister nanny. However, aside from that, I found it unfortunately tedious. ROBERT I had a preconceived notion about The Hand That Rocks the Cradle and the ensuing conflict: I assumed Maika Monroe’s Polly was just a crazy stalker. Praise should be heaped upon director Michelle Garza Cervera and the writers for recognizing how to build out three acts to sow real discontent between Polly and Mary Elizabeth Winstead’s Caitlin that is surprising. Despite that strong base, everything else around it is a rickety house of cards, with mood and tonal shifts per scene that could cause whiplash, wooden supporting characters, and nothing but idiotic decisions to drive us to the conclusion. In the end, it all falls down. NICK I’ve never seen the original The Hand That Rocks the Cradle , so I don’t know if it's as slow a burn as this one, but this film really takes its time to get going. Maika Monroe and Mary Elizabeth Winstead (often underused actors) give solid showings, but the story they're working with feels half-baked, and honestly, lacks teeth. Had this embraced the apparent campiness of the original more, it could have been fun, but it all just feels unnecessarily dour. In the end, this remake is a fairly forgettable film that is bound to be lost in a sea of better offerings.

THE PLAGUE Starring: Joel Edgerton, Everett Blunck, Kayo Martin, Kenny Rasmussen, and Elliott Heffernan Director: Charlie Polinger ADRIANO The Plague is one of the most accurate cinematic portrayals of tween cliques I can remember. While examining bullying and the longstanding psychological effect it can have, it brought back some ugly memories for me, the mark of any effective coming-of-age film. The child performances are all believable to a degree that I remembered these kids growing up. I will say, while the direction is tense and innovative, I could’ve done without the horror elements. They ruin nothing, but the film was a nightmare to watch without them, making them more of a distraction from the film's true brilliance. PAIGE The Plague is one of those films I dove into without really knowing what to expect, and it’s genuinely unnerving in how effective it is. It’s shot and paced like a horror movie as the real horror presented here is how cruel kids can be to one another. The direction is gripping and will leave you tense throughout. The performances from the young cast are terrific and feel completely authentic. The cinematography is stunning and the sound design is dauntingly effective. But even with these strengths, the narrative needed more meat on its bones to fully latch onto, as it weirdly doesn’t amount to much by the end.

DOG Starring: Channing Tatum, Jane Adams, Kevin Nash, Q’orianka Kilcher, Ethan Suplee, Emmy Raver-Lampman, and Nicole LaLiberte Directors: Channing Tatum and Reid Carolin ADRIANO My expectations weren’t high for Dog , so, technically, my expectations were exceeded. The film still isn’t great, though. It’s sort of all over the place in terms of plot and tone. If this is supposed to be a comedy, it isn’t very funny; if it’s supposed to be a drama, it doesn’t really feel that way. As a director, Channing Tatum doesn’t do anything interesting either. That said, it is a very sweet film that gave me a nice smile, so I suppose it wasn’t a total waste of time. JOSEPH From the moment I saw the trailer for Dog , I was pretty sure I had the whole story figured out. Lo and behold, I was right. Despite being very predictable, it is a heartwarming story that allows Channing Tatum to show us a level of depth that we haven’t quite seen from him. Along with that, Tatum proves he’s a pretty competent director, able to capture natural beauty from landscapes while keeping us entertained throughout a film that is essentially a one man conversation for nearly the whole runtime. JACOB Dog is a charming “boy and his dog” story and a suitable directorial debut for Channing Tatum, but it doesn’t quite have the capacity to dive into its more difficult themes. There’s some pretty decent comedy here, and clearly Tatum has the capabilities to make his film coherent and workable. However, when it comes to dealing with its harsher subject matter, such as veteran PTSD and training dogs to be racist, the film only makes cursory nods to them. The film’s potential to be better is what makes the fact that it’s just “pretty good” a little frustrating.

FLY ME TO THE MOON Starring: Scarlett Johansson, Channing Tatum, Jim Rash, Anna Garcia, Donald Elise Watkins, Noah Robbins, Colin Woodell, Christian Zuber, Nick Dillenburg, Ray Romano, and Woody Harrelson Director: Greg Berlanti AMARÚ Fly Me to the Moon is the first purely entertaining film I’ve seen in a while. No stakes, no problems, no drama…well, a little drama…but just enough to take the vibes slightly seriously. That’s what this film is: a mix of rom-com vibes, historical biopic storylines, and predictable satirical twists, which, in all seriousness, could’ve easily failed. But, with Channing Tatum and Scarlett Johansson’s charm, Woody Harrelson’s cheekiness, and a heartfelt supporting cast, led by CW legend Greg Berlanti directing fluff in his ever-enjoyable way, the perfect personnel were assembled to keep this too-long, thinly plotted film working in all the ways it needed to. ADRIANO Fly Me to the Moon will probably reach its intended audience of middle-aged moms, but considering I'm not 55 years old, I thought this movie was subpar. It’s not endearing or romantic enough to pass as a rom-com, and as revisionist history, it’s uninteresting, strangely convoluted, and way too long. Any laugh I got out of this was from Ray Romano's delivery (pretty big laughs, in fairness). Scarlett Johansson is serviceable, but Channing Tatum is very stilted; I didn't buy their romance at all. Fly Me to the Moon is harmless and silly overall, but I’ve forgotten most of it already. KATIE I was disappointed by Fly Me to the Moon . With the promise of a rom-com starring Scarlett Johansson and Channing Tatum, I expected irresistible chemistry, playful banter, and plenty of laughs. However, their characters, Kelly and Cole, don’t even seem to really like each other, which is a shame because Johansson’s performance is charismatic and fun. Tatum, on the other hand, lacks the light-heartedness necessary to make their dynamic work. It’s also too long, veering from romance to attempts at comedy to emotional drama, never settling on what it wants to be. PRESTON Playing on one of the most widely-held conspiracy beliefs that the televised moon landing was an elaborate government production, Fly Me to the Moon provides enough cleverness in its rom-com format to be an entertaining jaunt to the theater. Although a slow-starter and a bit too long, it still builds appropriately with enough competent pacing to endear the audience to its characters. Scarlett Johansson carries the flick nicely, while Woody Harrelson provides the saucy pop we have come to love him for. Incidentally, Channing Tatum and a cat also star in the film. SHADAN As a Houstonian, I will always be biased toward space-race flicks, but I was admittedly surprised by just how much I enjoyed Fly Me to the Moon . While nothing about the film is outwardly spectacular, the pieces fit together to form a charming, breezy few hours of harmless fun. While I wanted more from the romance between Scarlett Johansson and Channing Tatum, their mere presence here is a delight that further elevates the film to recommendable heights. A perfectly fine time at the movies.

HELLRAISER Starring: Jamie Clayton, Odessa A’zion, Goran Visnjic, Brandon Flynn, Hiam Abbass, and Drew Starkey Director: David Bruckner QUENTIN As far as 80s horror remakes go, Hellraiser is actually pretty decent. My main complaint is that the story is written in such a way that it kinda assumes you know the Cenobites’ whole deal. As someone who hadn’t seen a franchise entry since 1988’s Hellbound: Hellraiser II (this is the eleventh Hellraiser movie, btw), a refresher on the lore would have been helpful. Still though, the performances range from mostly good to great, and the Cenobites’ character design is terrific. Fans of the series will certainly enjoy themselves, but the uninitiated might want to look up Cenobites on Wikipedia for some context first. JTE Horror remakes can be hit or miss. For example, Child's Play and A Nightmare on Elm Street were big misses, whereas My Bloody Valentine and Friday the 13th were hits. This version of Hellraiser lands somewhere in the middle. When you saw the original Hellraiser by Clive Barker, it felt like you were seeing something you weren't supposed to see…the gothic tones and gore crept into your bones. But this new entry from David Bruckner feels too safe and polished. It's not bad, and it has some interesting takes on the mythology, but it feels neutered when compared to the original. PAIGE As of late, Hulu has been releasing some pretty entertaining horror films, and this new installment of Hellraiser is no different. This entry finally finds the missing puzzle piece to give the franchise a fresh start while also tying in lore from the 1987 original. The script may not raise as much hell, but David Bruckner's direction solidifies it to be the best entry since Clive Barker’s horror classic. Jamie Clayton's rendition of Pinhead is terrifying, and as much as I wanted to hide when watching this, I couldn’t help but think that it’s a great addition to the Hellraiser series.

TONY Starring: Dominic Sessa, Antonio Banderas, Emilia Jones, Leo Woodall, Stavros Halkias, Michael Jibrin, and Monica Raymund Director: Matt Johnson NICK Aside from knowing he was a chef and learning about his untimely death, my knowledge of Anthony Bourdain was very limited. Tony , however, made me want to learn more about him, which is the best compliment I can give. By focusing on Bourdain's culinary origins, director Matt Johnson is able to tell his story as a compelling coming-of-age tale that works tremendously well. With a career-best performance from Dominic Sessa as Bourdain and a sincere turn from Antonio Banderas as his de facto father figure (both men deserve award recognition), Tony is a success across the board and highlights Johnson’s limitless possibilities as a director. ADRIANO Tony exemplifies what I want from a biopic. I don’t have much interest in Anthony Bourdain (played perfectly with young greaseball energy by Dominic Sessa), yet this film had me intrigued by his upbringing and what made him who he became. Instead of the annoying “here are the things he did” approach, director/co-writer Matt Johnson opts for a profound but endlessly entertaining coming-of-age story about being young, stupid, and realizing you don’t have it figured out yet. That it happens to be about Bourdain is just a bonus. Paired with excellent cinematography in every frame, Matt Johnson is two-for-two in 2026. AMARÚ Tony is dirty, grungy, and the epitome of Anthony Bourdain: the asshole we can’t help but gravitate towards. The fact that Matt Johnson and Jay McCarrol can successfully go from directing and composing the hilariously silly Nirvanna movie to something this somber shows they have a true handle on their voice; this film’s voice is rooted in both soul and suffering. It has a darkness that will resonate with many people, but underneath it all is a hope, warmth, and passion that will resonate even more. Dominic Sessa channels all that summed up Bourdain, body and mind, and helps deliver a melancholic yet entertaining film. KATIE Tony is less of a biopic and more of an unconventional coming-of-age story. Though it incorporates familiar elements from those types of narratives, namely love, loss, and life lessons, it never feels generic or too predictable. Dominic Sessa is fantastic as Anthony Bourdain, earning every bit of character development, and his performance ensures Bourdain is neither too unlikeable nor too forgiving. Plus, Antonio Banderas, in some of his most impressive English-language work, gives a scene-stealing performance. The cinematography also is immersive, looking gorgeous yet understated and like a perfectly sun-kissed 1970s. And, most importantly, it’s always entertaining. ROBERT Unless you have three-plus hours, trying to compile all of a person's important life events into a cohesive and entertaining biopic is foolhardy. Tony handles this conundrum with aplomb by focusing on a small yet important cross-section of someone’s life and building up character. If you’re aware of Anthony Bourdain, played by Dominic Sessa with tireless, rebellious energy, you see the indelible traits sprinkled throughout that were prominent in his real life. If you aren’t familiar, you get a wonderfully composed snapshot in time of a man trying to figure himself out during a post-Vietnam, 1970s America. Director Matt Johnson knows his business well: trailblazing misanthropes. BODE The thing to note about Tony is that it’s only barely a biopic. While director Matt Johnson - working with some A24 money this time - does take a page from the early days of Anthony Bourdain, it almost never comes off like he’s going through your typical “making of the legend” arc. It’s mostly content being a breezy, chaotic, and melancholy hangout movie, and Johnson hits those beats quite capably - getting great performances out of his cast (Antonio Banderas and Leo Woodall especially shine), and utilizing some great period-accurate needle drops in the process. It’s a solid maturation for the Nirvanna filmmaker all around.

LOCKED Starring: Bill Skarsgård and Anthony Hopkins Director: David Yarovesky NICK As far as under-the-radar releases go, I quite enjoyed Locked . Starring Bill Skarsgård and Anthony Hopkins, this remake of the Argentinian film 4x4 is a fun thrill-ride that's just the right amount of ridiculous. The co-leads are entertaining (it's nice to see Skarsgård without prosthetics) and there are no real lulls in the cat-and-mouse game. Unfortunately, any attempts at emotional moments don't really land, which dampens the stakes a little; however, the short runtime and deliberate pacing help mask that issue. As for entertainment value, though, I have no complaints here. KATIE Locked presents a basic concept that's pulled off well, driven by the entertaining performances of co-leads Bill Skarsgård and Anthony Hopkins. Although their characters are barely developed and I didn't care about their emotional backstories, I still had fun. The tense action is great, as is Hopkins’s delightfully sinister voice-over, but his morals are completely nonsensical, and a couple of his monologues verge on being tedious. I would have actually preferred if it disregarded character development and reasoning, focusing entirely on the cheap thrills and their compelling dynamic. AMARÚ Watching Locked , I couldn’t help but think about the epic Joel Schumacher thriller Phone Booth . Director David Yarovesky tries to set up a gritty opening similar to Schumacher’s introduction of Colin Farrell’s slimy Stu, but unlike the captivatingly tense relationship established between Stu and his captor (Kiefer Sutherland), I was unmoved by Bill Skarsgård’s sad sack Eddie, constantly annoyed by Anthony Hopkins running back his Transformers: The Last Knight brand of crazy, and bored by this slowly placed 90ish-minute movie. Wrap all this in multiple pompous lectures of society’s ills, and you get a pale imitation of the 2002 thrill-ride. QUENTIN In what feels like an unofficial and loose remake of Phone Booth , Locked serves up enough tension, social commentary, and “what would you do?” questions to make for an entertaining 90 minutes. Bill Skarsgård, who previously has created iconic villains under mountains of makeup (Nosferatu, Pennywise), is finally given a role where his unfiltered talent must do the heavy lifting, mostly succeeding in the process. As for Anthony Hopkins as the voice? He sounds disengaged, like director David Yarovesky had him record his lines while killing time at the airport (he’s no Kiefer Sutherland is all I’m saying). Still, Locked is better than it should be. PAIGE Despite Bill Skarsgård’s dedicated performance, David Yarovesky's Locked never made me strap in for the ride since it’s nothing we haven’t seen before. This is a straightforward and contained thriller that aims and fails to be pulse-pounding, offering neither tension nor thrills. To tell the truth, I found the plot to be increasingly monotonous and exhausting as the film went on. If a movie is going to beat its audience over the head with themes of class and structure, it either needs to have a clever script or entertain us. This movie doesn't do either one.

THE CONJURING: LAST RITES Starring: Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson, Mia Tomlinson, Ben Hardy, Beau Gadsdon, Kila Lord Cassidy, Elliot Cowan, Rebecca Calder, and Steve Coulter Director: Michael Chaves KATIE Last Rites is the finale to one of my favourite horror franchises, even after the disappointing The Devil Made Me Do It. Thankfully, this is a huge improvement on that entry, and I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. I’m very invested in Ed (Patrick Wilson) and Lorraine Warren (Vera Farmiga), so I liked the time it spent on the family’s story and emotional side of their relationship. I expected more intensity, and it's more horror-drama than outright horror, but it does build tension and deliver a couple of good jump scares. ROBERT When a horror franchise promises an end, especially a franchise as successful as The Conjuring , you expect massive box office numbers, which Last Rites delivered for Warner Bros. However, this finale doesn't feel definitive, no matter what the opening scroll or epilogue suggests. I was promised some kind of shockwave for Ed and Lorraine Warren (Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga, respectively) to get them to quit ghost hunting, but I was given another standard paranormal case, simply with more involvement from their family. It drags considerably too, trying to really drive home that the Warrens weren’t doing investigations anymore despite what we all knew. Bloated and uninteresting was not the exclamation point we deserved.

ON BECOMING A GUINEA FOWL Starring: Susan Chardy, Elizabeth Chisela, and Henry B.J. Phiri Director: Rungano Nyoni QUENTIN Have you ever watched a movie that you respect immensely even if you didn’t really enjoy the experience? On Becoming a Guinea Fowl is that type of movie. The messaging that abusers should be held accountable and that continuing to speak up even after being ignored is incredibly important. Plus, the representation of Zambian culture, tribal, and family dynamics is super enlightening. That said, this is not a movie I’d ever watch again, and I didn’t find my viewing experience to be personally rewarding. I did love the final shot, though. ADRIANO On paper, On Becoming a Guinea Fowl could have been one of the year's most talked about films, but something was lost in the execution. Well acted across the board, Rungano Nyoni wrote and directed this film with a very unique lens, leaning heavily into absurdism in its approach to toxic familial relations and the dark secrets that lurk underneath. That said, a lot of the absurdism winds up being less poignant and more confusing, resulting in a film that winds up being kinda messy and unclear on exactly what it wants to say. I respect the swings, but this was mostly a miss. This film was reviewed by Quentin as part of Bitesize Breakdown's coverage of the 2024 Cannes Film Festival.

PRIMATE Starring: Johnny Sequoyah, Gia Hunter, Victoria Wyant, Jessica Alexander, Benjamin Cheng, and Troy Kotsur Director: Johannes Roberts NICK With all due respect to the creative team, Primate is so much better than it has any right to be. Its influences are clear and prominent throughout the film, but it still offers something new to pair with the homages. There are horror hallmarks, including highly effective jump scares and gruesome kills, but there’s also a story about family and relationships that strengthens both the characters and the film’s foundation. If you’ve been underwhelmed by some of the more recent creature features (Coyotes , Death of a Unicorn , Dangerous Animals ), Primate is exactly what the doctor ordered. ROBERT If Cujo and Laguna Beach had a baby, it would be Primate . I respect that director Johannes Roberts wastes no time getting to the heart of the movie, which is Ben, the chimp, brutally murdering every human whose path he crosses. The kills are gnarly and the most fun aspect. The other great strength, or weakness, depending on your perspective, is that you only care about one living creature throughout, and it is Ben. I found myself rooting for Ben to outlive every human, who meant nothing. While incredibly dumb, the unintentional comedy levels were outrageously high, making me laugh and smirk incessantly. PAIGE The premise of Primate is as ridiculous and simplistic as they come, and it completely lacks an emotional core to latch onto any of the characters, including Ben, the chimp. However, what the movie does have going for it is jaw-droppingly brutal kills, which make for a surprisingly entertaining watch. It goes all out with its blood and gore, and its score creates a tense atmosphere throughout. Primate won’t end up being the best horror film of the year, but it’s certainly a bloody fun January release to start the year off right. QUENTIN I’m not sure where the line is drawn when it comes to paying tribute to influences or ripping those influences off. Director Johannes Roberts seemingly doesn’t either because Primate ’s basic premise is Cujo meets The Shallows for the CW crowd, and there are scenes very obviously recalling iconic classics like The Shining , Jurassic Park , and Halloween . The poorly developed characters are the typical slasher-movie archetypes, and there are too many missed opportunities and logical leaps to ignore. That said, the kills are delightfully gruesome, if not very creative or scary. Maybe that’s enough, but for me, Primate is a monkey that flew out of someone’s butt. ADRIANO As far as January horror goes, you can do so much worse than Primate . With that in my mind, it’s not nearly as fun as it should be. Everyone involved knows exactly what kind of movie this is and isn’t trying anything more or less, but the result is certainly less. Despite glimpses of heavy gore, the build-up is uninteresting and clearly there just to set up faceless murder-bait. The rest is cheap and tensionless. I see the appeal, as Primate has the potential to satisfy a blood-hungry adrenaline junkie, but this is an inoffensive but weak attempt at a creature feature. BODE When you go into a horror flick like Primate in the month of January, you know what you’re getting. A killer chimp? Check. Beautiful young people? Check. Lots of kills? Check. A warm setting? Check. Director Johannes Roberts delivers all of this and more to the film's paying audience, but does so in ways that are genuinely better than I certainly thought they would be. It’s lean, it’s surprisingly mean, and the fact the chimp itself is a guy in a monkey suit (Miguel Torres Umba) does wonders for how effective the kills and jump scares are. What can I say? I had fun. This film was reviewed by Nick as part of Bitesize Breakdown's coverage of the 2025 Toronto After Dark Film Festival.

LAST BREATH Starring: Woody Harrelson, Simu Liu, Finn Cole, Cliff Curtis, Mark Bonnar, MyAnna Buring, Bobby Rainsbury, and Josef Altin Director: Alex Parkinson NICK Director Alex Parkinson's decision to recreate the subject matter of his 2019 documentary as a dramatic feature is a bit of a mixed bag. The highlights are the stranger-than-fiction story that the narrative follows and the authentic performances of the cast. When the film creates tension, it's at a peak. Unfortunately, in staying true to the real life story, there are some lulls that stall any momentum being built, and the nature of the film doesn't allow for engaging performances to fill up those spaces. All in all, this is a fine film that does nothing to add to the doc. QUENTIN While the true story of Last Breath is an incredible one, it’s too thin to sustain a feature length movie considering the real-life incident only lasted about 30 minutes. At no point was I invested in any of the characters, outside of the general sympathy I’d feel for any random person trapped on the ocean floor without oxygen, and there isn’t much to the efforts to save the stranded diver, resulting in absolutely zero tension. As such, the cast isn’t given much to do, including a completely wasted Woody Harrelson and another step towards irrelevance for Simu Liu. This one should be left in the abyss. AMARÚ For a 93-minute movie, much of Last Breath tends to drag. I can appreciate the attention to detail director Alex Parkinson pays to the mechanics of diving, especially because this is a true story, but the careful time spent setting up the dive makes the film plod at a snail’s pace. What helps are the emotional performances from much of the cast, with Mark Bonnar being a standout and Woody Harrelson trying to “Woody” the hell out of any scene he can, but the short runtime mixed with its real-life pacing has every exciting moment slip away just as fleetingly as it came. KATIE The concept of Last Breath terrifies me to my core, so I was primed and ready for a tense and engaging film. It's at its best during the nail-biting underwater scenes, but when above water, the pacing drags, especially considering its short runtime. I know Simu Liu’s character is meant to be standoffish, but he comes across as stiff; Woody Harrelson is charming as always, but his performance is nothing special. Most disappointingly, the miraculous fate of one of the divers is so understated that they somehow make it seem unremarkable, and the tedious latter half of the film truly lost me. ADRIANO To my surprise, Last Breath is solid enough. I fell for its crowd-pleaser aspects as the situation, while not perfect, is easy enough to root for, although my favourite parts are when the characters are bouncing off each other before the incident. As I've said before, for all the complaints about movies being too long, there is such a thing as a movie being too short. As is, I didn't have enough time to be fully scared for this guy before they got to the inevitable rescue. But, hey. I was entertained, so I can't fully complain. PAIGE Last Breath may be a claustrophobic watch, but it oddly lacks tension as the stakes never feel as prevalent as the film intends them to be. The underwater scenes are fascinating to witness, but everything above the surface is hardly serviceable to this true story. Not to mention the dialogue sucks the air out of the room with how thin it is. All in all, this movie is as generic as they come, though perhaps I would have appreciated the story more if I had seen the documentary on which the film is based. ROBERT Nothing scares me more than feeling claustrophobic underwater, so Last Breath upped my anxiety levels to near-maximum. With no concept of the documentary, I felt the closing weight of the ocean and the uncertainty of being swept away by an unrelenting force. It did feel short, but simultaneously felt as if the filmmakers meant to end it sooner than it actually did, as I was expecting an addendum to the rescue that never came. However, that didn’t detract from the roll-out of the story overall. The lived-in character bonds made me care for the emotional relationships; but mostly, this film showed that the ocean should remain mostly unexplored. BRYAN Even for someone who’s terrified of films primarily set underwater, Last Breath doesn’t fully live up to its tense potential. While there are quite a few flaws, there is also quite a bit to praise. For one, the underwater sequences are nail-biting, and the performances from the cast are serviceable. Yet, the screenplay doesn’t do the film any favors, being a mostly surface-level (pun intended) plot. It was 90 minutes that I don’t entirely regret spending on a jarring attempt to transition a documentary into a narrative, and while it isn’t a disaster, it could have been so much more.