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THE NUN II Starring: Taissa Farmiga, Jonas Bloquet, Storm Reid, Anna Popplewell, and Bonnie Aarons Director: Michael Chaves PRESTON The Nun II , directed by Michael Chaves, primarily serves to perpetuate The Conjuring Universe, a collection of words that instantly incite skepticism, causing my money-grubbing defenses to be heightened. But, frankly, I believe my cynicism is justified for a sequel that delivers a toothless script and drags us along the well-worn horror genre path. The film is not without merit, though, with Taissa Farmiga delivering an outstanding performance. And the visuals are nice too. In fact, if you can make it through the boring run-up without napping, then you’ll be rewarded with an interesting ending and a few jump scares. Still… meh. KATIE The Nun II , predictably, is a safe, unoriginal studio horror film that mostly just justifies the existence of the franchise. The film quickly falls into an annoying and predictable rhythm of jump scares, which negate the impact of the titular Nun’s frequent appearances. Although the jump scares don’t deliver, Taissa Farmiga’s amazing performance as Sister Irene certainly does, managing to breathe life into a bland and unimaginative script. What’s more, the relentless, over-the-top horror and absurd set pieces managed to hold my attention until the film’s explosive finale, just in time for the most engaging visuals and best-shot sequences. JACOB Credit where credit is due: The Nun II does actually try to make something meaningful out of its predecessor’s dullness. Unfortunately, the resulting effort can’t quite get where it wants to be. The staying presence of the two eventually coalescing narratives is logical, but rendered inert by the fact that one is far more engaging than the other. The third act does manage to bring a little bit of punch to the otherwise slow-moving proceedings, but by then, it’s too late to not feel as if one’s wasted half the time getting there. Perhaps the third time's a charm for this series. CALEB The Nun II packs a few creative scares, but its narrative suffers from a lack of stakes. For “The greatest evil in The Conjuring Universe,” the titular nun seems to be something of a pacifist. This demon clearly possesses enough power to kill our heroes at any time, but continuously chooses not to. It’s difficult to get invested in characters wearing this much plot armor, and it’s impossible to fear an antagonist that simply refuses to harm anyone important. It’s a shame because the film has some fantastically shot sequences, but impressive cinematography alone isn’t enough to save a script this lazy.

TROLLS BAND TOGETHER Starring: Anna Kendrick, Justin Timberlake, Eric André, Kid Cudi, Troye Sivan, Daveed Diggs, Amy Schumer, and Andrew Rannells Director: Walt Dohrn AMARÚ With Trolls Band Together , I guess three times was once too many to ask for a surprising treat. Whereas the first two entries are great family fun with an equally entertaining story and soundtrack, this sequel plays more like a concert featuring the characters than a cohesive story. There are still remnants of the themes and humor that makes Trolls an underrated franchise (especially in the final act), but it’s few and far between the over-indulgence of misplaced nostalgia and surface-level narrative. Kids will love it, though, and I can’t completely say that you’ll waste your time if you choose to indulge. ADRIANO I can acknowledge that Trolls Band Together is not made for me, a 22-year-old adult. That said, I've enjoyed movies geared toward kids when the filmmakers have genuine intentions, and that's sadly not the case here. This movie is content appealing to only children, and with that, an underdeveloped plot, half-baked jokes, annoying remixes, and a hamfisted attempt at a message about family is what we get. It's especially disappointing after DreamWorks put so much heart and nuance into Puss In Boots: The Last Wish last year, but they clearly put none of that effort into this.

BLONDE Starring: Ana de Armas, Adrien Brody, Julianne Nicholson, Bobby Cannavale, Xavier Samuel and Evan Williams Director: Andrew Dominik PAIGE As a woman, it’s hard to watch a film about how cruel people in the industry can be to an actress that endured so much abuse and pain even before arriving in Hollywood. They say every darkness has a light, and Blonde needed more light to make the beautiful and talented Marilyn Monroe (Ana de Armas) seem more than just a damaged product. As stunning as the film looks, they should have taken a different approach in telling Monroe’s story. This tragic drama is no doubt a hard watch, but de Armas' radiating performance makes it difficult to look away from. QUENTIN Despite a personal fascination with the era, many beautifully shot scenes, and a knockout performance from Ana de Armas as Marilyn Monroe, Blonde plays more like a fever dream of nightmarish snapshots than it does a linear narrative. Frankly, it’s extremely self-indulgent, especially at almost three hours of exceedingly stylistic flourishes. It’s like director Andrew Dominik was constantly screaming “we aren’t making a movie! WE ARE MAKING ART!” while on set. It’s simply not enjoyable, but if you want to watch a mostly fictionalized biopic about Marilyn’s mentality , not Marilyn the person, done in the style of Requiem for a Dream , be my guest. JOSEPH Blonde is a mixed bag. It employs beautiful filmmaking techniques to showcase Ana de Armas in a heartbreakingly captivating performance. That being said, it is weirdly exploitative, often forcing de Armas to demean herself for no real reason. It also paints a wildly inaccurate portrait of Marilyn Monroe as a mentally ill woman who shouldn’t have been in show business instead of the truth - that she was a massive star abused by her handlers. Overall, Blonde misses its own point, is far too long, has little rewatch value, and features a final half hour that almost put me to sleep. JACOB Ana de Armas may walk away largely unscathed, as does Adrien Brody, but nearly every other element of Blonde stacks up to an oft-upsetting, bizarre mess of a film. Marilyn Monroe (de Armas) hardly gets to be a character, as the film uses her simply as a trauma vessel, forcing the audience to watch her suffer for no discernable purpose other than acute discomfort. Each “daring” thing director Andrew Dominik attempts to do seems only to work against itself, and the first half is genuinely awful to sit through. This is one of the biggest misfires of the year.

THE SURVIVOR Starring: Ben Foster, Peter Sarsgaard, Vicky Krieps, John Leguizamo, and Danny DeVito Director: Barry Levinson QUENTIN Structurally speaking, The Survivor is a mess. The non-linear storytelling throws the pacing and narrative momentum way off, while the third act feels like it was added from an entirely different movie. The echoes of Schindler’s List don’t make it a pleasant watch either, even as it sprinkles in some uplifting elements too. The film is just really disjointed, all around. That said, the perpetually underrated Ben Foster gives an excellent performance, maybe the best of his career, as both the emaciated Auschwitz prisoner and beefy professional boxer that was Harry Haft (complete with a Raging Bull -esque physical transformation). He deserves some recognition. JOSEPH We rarely see the lives of Holocaust survivors on film, but The Survivor changes that. In an Oscar-worthy performance, Ben Foster portrays real-life survivor Harry Haft through multiple decades of his life. The horrors experienced by Haft are shot in black & white and give context to his post-Holocaust struggles in the United States. He’s a broken man, suffering from PTSD and unable to truly speak about it or move forward. The film can feel a bit long, but I think the back-and-forth between time periods helped maintain my interest. It’s a heavy film that hopefully will not be forgotten come awards season.

I DON'T UNDERSTAND YOU Starring: Nick Kroll, Andrew Rannells, Nunzia Schiano, Morgan Spector, and Amanda Seyfried Directors: Brian William Crano and David Joseph Craig NICK What do you get if you take the loose concept of Tucker & Dale vs. Evil , add in a language barrier, and wrap it all up in a queer love story? I Don’t Understand You , a film whose title couldn’t encapsulate it any better. Still, I enjoyed this, and a lot of the credit goes to Nick Kroll and Andrew Rannells. The pair’s chemistry brings an authenticity to their relationship that makes their genuine interactions with those around them just as appealing as the more zany content. Even the language barrier gag never feels overused because of them. This was a pleasant surprise. ADRIANO When I'm promised a horror comedy, I expect to see a horror comedy. We get the comedy part, thanks to the lead performances from Nick Kroll and Andrew Rannells, who do a great job of performing quick-witted, fish-out-of-water comedy that could've been plain. As for the horror, I did find the plot escalation entertaining, but the complete lack of tension made the experience less memorable. All that said, I Don't Understand You is a nice time-waster that'll make you chuckle, which I guess I can't dunk on.

ENCOUNTER Starring: Riz Ahmed, Octavia Spencer, Rory Cochrane, Janina Gavankar, Misha Collins, and Shane McRae Director: Michael Pearce JOSEPH Fresh off Sound of Metal , Riz Ahmed delivers another great performance in Encounter . The film is consistently thrilling due to the way it plays with your expectations. It can be heavy and dark, but there is some levity offered by the father-son dynamics at the heart of the film. It’s also heartbreaking at times, and as the story unfolds, it only gets more upsetting. Still, it keeps you engaged with its fast pace. It’s definitely one to watch. QUENTIN Somewhere in Encounter , there is an excellent movie…maybe even two…but director and co-writer Michael Pearce is unable to merge the two ideas together for maximum effectiveness. Instead of concurrently intertwining the two perspectives to keep the audience guessing about the truth, he essentially breaks them up into the “first half story” and the “second half story.” And once the truth is revealed, the movie kinda loses steam. Riz Ahmed is great in it, though. Overall, it’s not terrible, but it was *this* close to being something special.

THE SUBSTANCE Starring: Demi Moore, Margaret Qualley, and Dennis Quaid Director: Coralie Fargeat QUENTIN If you get squeamish with gross body-horror imagery and flat-out disgusting noises, The Substance isn’t for you. However, for those unbothered by such things, director Coralie Fargeat delivers a hilariously audacious commentary on Hollywood ageism and the impossible beauty standards women must deal with. Demi Moore — in a brilliant bit of meta casting — gives a fearless performance that should kickstart a career comeback, while a never-been-sexier Margaret Qualley continues to show why she is one of the most in-demand young actresses working today. Despite an ending that goes on for too long, between this and Revenge , Fargeat has reached “Event Director” status in the horror genre. NICK The Substance is the latest film from director David Cronen... Psych! This feature is directed by Coralie Fargeat, and although there certainly is a Cronenberg feel at times, she makes it all her own. Exploring themes of mortality, self-confidence, and desperation, Fargeat tells a story that’s surprisingly relatable. Demi Moore is given a chance to strut her stuff for the first time in years, while Margaret Qualley lives up to exactly what her character needed to be. As for the body horror aspects, this still would have been a good movie without it, but it takes things to another level in the most wonderful ways. ADRIANO Dear God, Coralie Fargeat, you absolute mad woman. The Substance is insane. While the film features not one ounce of subtlety, its in-your-face approach winds up contributing to the primal enjoyment of this treat of a film. The execution is unique and fun as hell from the get-go, but towards the end, as it plunges itself deeper into madness, I couldn't keep my jaw off the floor because of the prosthetic work and overall insanity of the situation. It may not be the most effective message on beauty standards, but a one-of-a-kind blast nonetheless. PAIGE Coralie Fargeat’s The Substance may be one of the greatest body horror films I’ve ever seen! It’s an in-your-face type of movie that tackles Hollywood's beauty standards head-on. From a technical standpoint, this movie is flawless, featuring stellar sound design, fantastic practical makeup effects, and a unique framework, not to mention a career-best performance from Demi Moore. All in all, this satire is batshit crazy in the best way possible. The only thing holding this audacious piece of art back from being perfect is its over-the-top final act. PRESTON Have you ever seen videos of “The Hurricane Shot;” where the victim takes a shot, gets water thrown in their face, and is then slapped by some baddie bartender? Well, leaving The Substance felt like I did about five of those in a row. It is a masterfully daring film, featuring Demi Moore (Elisabeth Sparkle) and Margaret Qualley (Sue) on full, courageously brilliant display. The effects, makeup, and sound coalesce into a perfect symphony of grotesque horror. The film devolves in a tragic final act, but director Coralie Fargeat has earned, sight-unseen, must-watch status on her next effort. This film was reviewed by Quentin, Nick, and Adriano as part of Bitesize Breakdown's coverage of the 2024 Cannes Film Festival and 2024 Toronto International Film Festival, respectively.

AMERICAN FICTION Starring: Jeffrey Wright, Sterling K. Brown, Erika Alexander, John Ortiz, Issa Rae, Myra Lucretia Taylor, Leslie Uggams, and Tracee Ellis Ross Director: Cord Jefferson NICK Talk about making your debut with an exclamation point! American Fiction is a brilliantly written satire about the way the Black experience is viewed and desired in mainstream (read: white) media. Writer/director Cord Jefferson has crafted a smart and hilarious film around Jeffrey Wright, who instantly makes you question why he doesn’t lead more projects. Jefferson said one of his goals with this film was to amplify underused actors, and he takes full advantage of the likes of Sterling K. Brown, Erika Alexander, and the rest of this talented supporting cast. I can’t wait for others to get to see this one. ADRIANO American Fiction juggles comedy, family drama, and social-racial politics amazingly considering this is writer/director Cord Jefferson’s first feature. The film is hilarious throughout, with a healthy blend of absurdism and slice-of-life humour. While the family drama plot can seem familiar (not in the way I imagine was intended), the way it blends with the commentary on how black people are depicted in the media and in culture was nothing short of brilliant. I foresee the ending dividing people, but I thought it was incredible. American Fiction is, at worst, a familiar comedy; at best, an ingenious satire. AMARÚ For as much satire that’s in American Fiction , it’s some of the realest shit I’ve ever watched. Within writer/director Cord Jefferson’s innumerably layered script, what resonates most is its focus on black people’s use of humor to deal with grief. Not to mask or deny it, but to recognize that sorrow, while existent, is not an absolute in life. That fraudulence of absolutes is the meticulously utilized throughline that ties together such a profoundly multifaceted story. And I haven’t even mentioned the performances, the music, the heart, the ending… (I could go on and on). This movie is fucking brilliant. This film was reviewed by Nick and Adriano as part of Bitesize Breakdown's coverage of the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival.

BAD HAIRCUT Starring: Frankie Ray, Spencer Harrison Levin, Beau Minniear, Nora Freetly, R.J. Beaubrun, and Martin Klebba Director: Kyle Misak This film has been reviewed by Quentin and Nick as part of Bitesize Breakdown's coverage of Fantastic Fest 2025. QUENTIN Like many horror comedies, Bad Haircut has some trouble finding the right blend of the two genres. There are moments that should be filled with dread, but since the film leans a little too hard toward silliness in parts, that tension never truly manifests. That said, Frankie Ray — channeling Jack Sparrow, Buffalo Bill, and Iggy Pop as the tragically off-his-rocker barber Mick — gives a performance so magnetic that most perceived flaws fade away. The movie around Ray may not always work to perfection, but Mick is so damn electric and compelling that he could drive the next cult franchise, a la Art the Clown in Terrifier . NICK There's something oddly enchanting about Frankie Ray's Mick in Bad Haircut . He's got the looks of Iggy Pop, the mannerisms of Steven Tyler, and the psychosis of Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker. He’s quite the enigma, and you can't really take your eyes off him. Beyond his performance, is this film anything special? Not really. The rest of the cast turns the silliness up to contrast Mick, and it’s visually fairly unimpressive. But that lead performance? Much like Elvis Nolasco as Mr. Crocket in last year's festival, that will stick with me. I’d welcome a return.

DAYDREAMERS Starring: Tran Ngoc Vang, Thuan Nguyen, Chi Pu, and Trinh Thao Director: Timothy Linh Bui KATIE Daydreamers is a refreshingly bold, stylish take on the vampire genre. It uses the loneliness and angst of vampirism to explore the protagonist Nhat’s (Trang Ngoc Vang) struggle to find a sense of belonging and freedom, blending rural aesthetics with the urban neon-lit city. The CGI effects are the film's weakest aspect, but that doesn’t overshadow the stylish cinematography, vibrant colours, gorgeous lighting, and fantastic performances. At times, it almost looks like a pastiche of 1960s technicolour melodrama. I don’t think I’ve seen any Vietnamese films, but Daydreamers has inspired me to seek them out. NICK Although Daydreamers isn’t going to be the vampire film people are most talking about this month, it’s not without its charms. The biggest charm being the vibrancy of the dynamic colour palette, which really gives the film a style that stands out. Besides its appearance, however, there’s just not much here. The effects are subpar while the story (though conceptually interesting) struggles to stay engaging. The latter especially is a shame because it's a take on vampires we haven’t really seen before. Unfortunately, the poor story structure, as well as the dialogue heavy subtitles, hindered my ability to fully get sucked into this world.

THE ELECTRIC STATE Starring: Millie Bobby Brown, Chris Pratt, Ke Huy Quan, Jason Alexander, Woody Harrelson, Anthony Mackie, Brian Cox, Jenny Slate, Giancarlo Esposito and Stanley Tucci Directors: Joe and Anthony Russo BODE Since helming some of the most successful films of all time under the MCU banner, the Russo Brothers have mostly spent their capital on over-budgeted streaming fodder that you can half-watch while doing other activities. The Electric State is their latest project to serve this purpose. They take the basic premise of Simon Stålenhag’s illustrated novel and make an utterly soulless Amblin homage out of it, complete with hollow observations regarding our reliance on technology, bland Marvel-style humour, and performances that are either doing too much (Chris Pratt) or too little (Millie Bobby Brown). At least the effects are decent, hackery be damned. ROBERT Given recent announcements for future projects, The Electric State seems like the Russo Brothers spinning their directorial wheels until they are fully engrossed in Avengers movies again. Overall, this gives off vibes of Wall-E and Ready Player One , mixed with some Terminator : cautionary tales about how human laziness will lead to technology reliance and potential destruction (or, at the very least, aversion to reality). The difference is that those movies are mostly more enjoyable since they are managed with more direction and emotional pathos. When the robots have more heart than the humans, you’ve got problems. ADRIANO For a directing duo that can't seem to stick the landing while also saying pretty stupid things about cinema (ok, really just Joe Russo, in fairness), The Electric State is, unsurprisingly, just unwatchable. The whole movie is essentially the Russo Brothers advocating for AI on a thematic level, and to make their point, they deliver a movie with a terrible script that lacks good ideas and cohesion to an otherwise straight-forward story, not to mention flat direction emphasized by horrible editing and a robotic performance from Millie Bobby Brown. These are your Avengers: Doomsday directors. Yeah, good luck with that. BRYAN There was a time when a new Russo Brothers outing was exciting, yet post-Endgame , the results have been repeatedly chunky. The Electric State may have even reached new levels of unwatchable in every possible way. If you wanted a guide to Lazy Filmmaking 101, this meets the criteria. Any ounce of emotional heft presented in the illustrated novel is nowhere to be found throughout this $320 million soulless snoozer. Even with a talented cast at the forefront, everything feels off. There was promise here, but maybe it'd be best for the Russos to hang it up.

RUMOURS Starring: Cate Blanchett, Charles Dance, Denis Ménochet, Alicia Vikander, Roy Dupuis, Takehiro Hira, Rolando Ravello, and Zlatko Buric Directors: Guy Maddin, Evan Johnson, and Galen Johnson NICK As far as political satires go, Rumours is among my favourite, conceptually speaking. The directing team of Guy Maddin, Evan Johnson, and Galen Johnson fill the opening hour with clever jokes and visual gags, all of which is brought to life via a very solid ensemble, highlighted by Roy Dupuis (pure coincidence he plays the Canadian Prime Minister). However, after that first hour, things run out of steam as the clever intricacies are replaced by a more ridiculous tone. Although this worked for a film like Triangle of Sadness (which, coincidentally, also features Zlatko Buric), it works against things here. ADRIANO I'll always respect a swing for the fences, but you gotta have something to back those swings up. Rumours doesn't have that. I liked the ensemble, and it got some laughs out of me, but it pretty quickly falls off its central concept. Then, the laughter begins to trickle out, and the movie becomes utter nonsense. Its commentary on world leaders' incompetency is lazy, and for a movie with three directors, one of which is the seasoned Guy Maddin, it feels a lot like a student film. Rumours is just a really bad movie, plain and simple. QUENTIN As a political satire, Rumours is certainly clever, but probably a little too smart for its own good. It requires a certain level of winking, “if you know, you know” awareness, and I’m not sure audiences lacking a general knowledge about geopolitical reputations will get a lot of the jokes present in this surreal sci-fi comedy. That awareness is the difference between a movie worth your time and a movie that is merely a mildly amusing diversion. No complaints about the cast, though, all of whom are game for the B-movie weirdness happening on screen. PAIGE Rumours is an over-the-top satire on global politics that becomes less effective and less funny as it goes along. While it does have some fun with its campy camera work, ominous music, and bombastic performances, the script is a mess, and its stereotypical depictions of these political leaders are very one note. Having three directors helming the project kept the movie from being cohesive, as it veers off course while failing to make any kind of point. This absurd film runs out of steam fairly quickly and is pretty forgettable. This film was reviewed by Quentin, Nick, and Adriano as part of Bitesize Breakdown's coverage of the 2024 Cannes Film Festival and 2024 Toronto International Film Festival, respectively.