Search Results

MOANA 2 Starring: Auli’i Cravalho, Dwayne Johnson, Hualālai Chung, Rose Matafeo, David Fane, Khaleesi Lambert-Tsuda, Temuera Morrison, Nicole Scherzinger, Alan Tudyk, and Rachel House Directors: Jason Hand, David G. Derrick Jr., and Dana Ledoux Miller AMARÚ Moana 2 is more than just a solid follow up to one of Disney’s best 21st century original animated features, it’s a natural continuation to one of their best hero’s story. With more heart than the first, if that’s even possible, this sequel keeps its themes rooted in family and culture, making even the most trope-ish of Disney plotlines emotional, funny, and magical. The story is pretty straightforward, with curses, omens, and signs we’ve all seen before, but the delightful new characters, especially “Lil Sis” Simea (Khaleesi Lambert-Tsuda), great new music, and sincere themes make for a beautiful time for all to enjoy. ADRIANO Moana 2 is a fascinating one. Not because it's amazing or because it's awful, but because it's neither. It is just so aggressively nothing. This film was supposed to be a Disney+ series that was re-edited into a movie, and it shows since so much of the story and character development were seemingly left on the editing room floor. The adventure plot is serviceable enough, and Auli'i Cravalho and Dwayne Johnson are great once again, but aside from Moana (Cravalho), none of the characters are given emotional weight. Plus, I couldn't hum any of the songs right now for the life of me. It's just so forgettable.

THE KILLER'S GAME Starring: Dave Bautista, Sofia Boutella, Ben Kingsley, Terry Crews, and Pom Klementieff Director: J.J. Perry AMARÚ I tried to have fun with The Killer’s Game, and there is a bit to have with Dave Bautista and Sofia Boutella’s opposites attract chemistry; however, expanding their clashing tones to the entire movie just makes it a confusing mess. It can’t decide if it wants to be a stylishly outlandish assassin film or a semi-serious love story caught in the middle of a dangerous world. What we’re left with is Bautista and Boutella stiffly banking on their cute connection to hopefully compel audiences into accepting the purposeful use of every action cliche imaginable. It mostly isn’t convincing. PRESTON The Killer’s Game possesses an odd dichotomy of seriousness and campiness that fails to ever coalesce. Dave Bautista plays his role quite well, but with a weightiness that never fully embraces the intended silliness. It’s really too bad because it’s the campy aspects that carry the day, which, incidentally, take too long to introduce in the first place. Even with this dilemma, the film is still entertaining, and Bautista's badass “ground game” is also showcased, even if he’s a little stiff with the standup choreography. I would have been much higher on this had it been a straight-to-streaming option.

THE MARSH KING'S DAUGHTER Starring: Daisy Ridley, Ben Mendelsohn, Brooklynn Prince, Gil Birmingham, Caren Pistorius, Garrett Hedlund, and Joey Carson Director: Neil Burger PRESTON The Marsh King’s Daughter is the ultimate tease as a psychological thriller, taking you right up to the point of exhilaration without actually coming through. The initial act sets things up nicely, but what follows is a boring slog that is further hindered by some confusing choices in flashback- and action-sequence camerawork. Daisy Ridley and Ben Mendelsohn are fantastic, though, and, as a film, this may have been the rare case where taking some creative license from the novel on which it is based might have added some pop to a story with an underlying premise that really had potential. QUENTIN Though it does nothing groundbreaking or anything particularly memorable, The Marsh King’s Daughter remains just engaging enough to function as a nice rainy-day distraction. Honestly, it feels a lot like a movie Ashley Judd would have starred in 20 years ago. That said, after an unexpected twist early on, it doesn’t seem to know what it wants to be, with some scenes feeling like they belong in a slasher movie while others are more family drama. Still, it all mostly comes together decently (even if it is predictable), and the performances are solid, especially Ben Mendelsohn. All in all, it was worth the watch.

HONK FOR JESUS. SAVE YOUR SOUL Starring: Regina Hall and Sterling K. Brown Director: Adamma Ebo AMARÚ Honk For Jesus. Save Your Soul. ’s subject matter is one that epitomizes “if you know, you know.” Directing/producing duo Adamma & Adanne Ebo address the sometimes swept-up transgressions of the Black church in a way that still feels empathetic and loving, but it’s the knockout performances from Sterling K. Brown and Regina Hall that carry the authenticity with a powerful balance of satire, subtlety, and intensity. The movie as a whole leaves you wanting more closure in the storytelling and more levity in it’s dark comedy leanings, but watching two enthralling performances for 100 minutes will keep you entertained. QUENTIN I’m sure some people will find Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul. to be a hilarious takedown of religion and megachurches, but for me, someone who watches The Righteous Gemstones and has seen other similar satires, its jabs are more than just a little tired and never quite as sharp as the writers think they are. On the plus side, Sterling K. Brown is magnetic as disgraced pastor Lee-Curtis Childs, but if the only things I’ll truly remember are that Childs’ suit game is on point and that Brown is surprisingly shredded like a superhero, that doesn’t say much for the movie as a whole. JACOB Satires are difficult to nail down, which is why Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul. probably deserves a little more credit than I’m likely to give it as one of 2022’s hidden gems. While the sendup of megachurch culture does boast dynamic performances from Sterling K. Brown and Regina Hall, it fumbles when reaching for something more sincere underneath the comedic tone. Balancing satire between blistering and tragic often leaves a film struggling to commit to either, this being no exception. It still mostly works, but feels somewhat emotionally hollow, rendering its more pensive second half difficult to fully embrace.

HELLCAT Starring: Dakota Gorman, Todd Terry, Liz Atwater, and James Austin Johnson Director: Brock Bodell This film has been reviewed by Nick and Quentin as part of Bitesize Breakdown's coverage of the 2025 Fantasia International Film Festival. NICK Although Hellcat is a noticeably lower budget production, it makes up for that with its twisty storytelling. What starts off as an abduction thriller, soon reveals itself as more than meets the eye, especially as you learn these characters’ motivations. For a film so heavily focused on its characters, I would have liked to see some stronger performances (nothing stands out either positively or negatively), but the strength of the story was enough to keep me invested. At times it’s like an extended episode of Are You Afraid of the Dark? or Goosebumps , but for my first film of Fantasia, I can't complain too much. QUENTIN More than any other genre, chamber pieces only go as far as the characters and plotting will take you because those aspects are so front and center. There is no extra fluff to hide behind if those two things don’t work. So, since neither are particularly compelling in Hellcat , the movie falters. It attempts a scenario similar to 10 Cloverfield Lane , in which you don’t know who to believe, but the story isn’t balanced well enough to make the viewer invested in either side, a problem furthered by the bland characterizations. This ultimately results in a final reveal that generates shrugs more than anything else.

TWISTERS Starring: Daisy Edgar-Jones, Glen Powell, Anthony Ramos, Brandon Perea, Maura Tierney, Sasha Lane, Harry Hadden-Paton, Tunde Adebimpe, Katy O'Brian, and David Corenswet Director: Lee Isaac Chung ADRIANO In the beginning, Twisters sort of struggles. A lot of it is exposition, cheesy dialogue (granted, probably intentionally), and quite frankly, some of director Lee Isaac Chung's set pieces feel a bit off. But in the second half, the film flips a switch and becomes a fun, classic, 90s-style, summer blockbuster. The tornado sequences are pulse-pumping, Daisy Edgar-Jones is a great lead, and Glen Powell continues to show off his effortless charm. Some of the story beats are underdeveloped, but when Twisters hits, I couldn't not have a blast. NICK Let's get this out of the way... Twisters gets off to a rough start. The 90s rom-com tone and over indulgence of "music video moments" creates a cheesy atmosphere that completely dilutes the natural disaster aspect. But, then, there is a shift. A specific scene happens (taking place in an in-ground pool), and from that point on, the pace picks up and the focus is placed on the tornados. It’s a high-octane second half that greatly exceeds the first, but as exciting as it is, it could have been even more so if it didn’t take so damn long to kick into gear. AMARÚ With Twisters being director Lee Isaac Chung’s first true foray into feature-film action, I won't fully blame him for the film’s disaster elements feeling manufactured, poorly edited, and anti-climactic. What I can’t forgive is the laughably horrible script that is as subtle as an F5 tornado. Everybody not named Glen Powell gets lost in an exposition fest that lifelessly spells out every plot point, and even with his face plastered throughout the marketing, Powell isn’t in the film enough to save it. Daisy Edgar-Jones and Anthony Ramos, two oftentimes charming and bankable up-and-coming stars, could do nothing to help yet another lackluster legacy sequel. PRESTON Glen Powell…tsk, tsk. Just when you were starting to gain momentum, you go and do this. It’s not that he is bad in Twisters , but he isn’t really good either. The same can be said about the film itself, but, to be fair, much of what we get is probably the result of a poorly written script and very thin plotline. Being formulaic, uninventive, and cheesy, not to mention the mediocre visual effects, gather to create a storm that is, somehow, neither soothing nor thrilling. Perhaps leaning into the rom-com elements earlier and releasing straight to digital would have made Twisters forgivably enjoyable. PAIGE I’m so thankful that Mother Nature gave us Twisters , a good, old-fashioned, crowd-pleasing summer blockbuster. There is no disputing that the movie is mindlessly entertaining, even though the script is a tad wonky at moments, because it embodies everything we all cherished about the original. It features amazing practical and visual effects, thrilling moments, and endearing performances from Daisy Edgar-Jones and Glen Powell, as well as their supporting cast. All in all, I applaud director Lee Isaac Chung for sticking the landing and delivering a promising legacy sequel to one of my favorite 90s movies. SHADAN Twisters is not a good movie. I wasn’t expecting to be blown away, but I was hoping I’d have a bit more fun in the process. There is very little humor, courtesy of a dull script that gives way to lifeless performances from Daisy Edgar-Jones and Glen Powell, as the two are completely drained of their natural charisma. The first tornado sequence is compelling, but all subsequent set pieces fall flat because I was not invested in the characters. Let’s hope the box office success will lead to better projects for director Lee Isaac Chung and his cast because this outing is a miss. QUENTIN For better or worse, Twisters is a throwback action movie from the 90s, which means while it’s fun, it’s not without its flaws. The dialogue can be a little cheesy at times, and the “will they/won’t they” dynamic between Kate (Daisy Edgar-Jones) and Tyler (Glen Powell) plays out just like you would expect. However, when you have fairly thrilling natural disaster sequences (fire tornado!) that are grounded by showing the true human cost of tornados, not to mention Powell’s charming swagger and movie-star smile, it’s easy to overlook any perceived issues and simply enjoy one of the better legacy sequels out there. KATIE I loved the straightforward, nostalgic, and comforting appeal of Twisters. The film unashamedly indulges in exciting spectacle, cheesy rom-com fun, and channels the enduring charm of 90s event movies that are built on incredibly immersive effects, a thunderous score, and genuinely thrilling action set pieces. Glen Powell is in his element as Tyler, demonstrating classic movie star charm, but I wished the film would have allowed his relationship with Kate (Daisy Edgar-Jones) to be more romantic. Overall, Twisters is an effortlessly entertaining film that lives up to the original, while also offering an interesting perspective on the impact of tornadoes on affected communities.

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.

VENGEANCE Starring: B.J. Novak, Boyd Holbrook, Ashton Kutcher, Issa Rae, J. Smith-Cameron, Eli Bickel, Dove Cameron, and Isabella Amara Director: B.J. Novak NICK Who'd have thought a film that starts off so shallowly could be so insightful? B.J. Novak's directorial debut has a lot to say about relationships and the climate of our world, and in true 21st century fashion, it does so through a podcaster. When the film is a grounded, quasi-family story, it’s great. There are some very funny jokes and solid character growth. However, it falls apart in the final act. It relies on a few film clichés and undoes its good work by trying to be bigger than it needs to be. Still, an entertaining watch and solid launching pad for Novak. JACOB B.J. Novak’s Vengeance may not revolutionize murder mysteries or offbeat comedies, but it remains one of the smartest movies 2022 has to offer and a stellar debut for Novak in the director’s chair. While it doesn’t quite succeed at everything it sets out to do, Novak’s ingenious script offers three-dimensionality to characters most other Texas-set comedies would only poke fun at, confronting stereotypes head-on from both sides of the aisle in nuanced and often unexpected ways. The entire cast turns in excellent work too, but it’s Boyd Holbrook and Ashton Kutcher that end up stealing the show. QUENTIN In his directorial debut, B.J. Novak has a lot on his mind about the current state of America, touching on everything from aspirational fame, hook-up culture, small town bureaucracy, the exploitative true crime genre, and the Red State v. Blue State divide. It’s admittedly a lot, and while the commentary is sharper on some points than others, the gist of what he is saying in the less clever moments still is enough to get you thinking. That’s hardly a complaint though, as Vengeance remains darkly funny with an engaging mystery, not to mention the excellent performances from Boyd Holbrook and, of all people, Ashton Kutcher.

HEART OF STONE Starring: Gal Gadot, Jamie Dornan, Alia Bhatt, Matthias Schweighöfer, Sophie Okonedo, Archie Madekwe, Jing Lusi Director: Tom Harper CALEB I’ll give Heart of Stone credit where it’s due: its narrative is surprisingly ambitious. The concept of a global military being governed by A.I. is interesting, but the thriller fails to capitalise on its own potential. The film is plagued by dull action sequences, tacky licensed music, and some seriously egregious green-screen utilisation. The script isn’t awful , but the material is severely hampered by Gal Gadot, who delivers what may be her most unconvincing performance yet. I wish it took advantage of its promising concept, but Heart of Stone seems content with being disposable. QUENTIN To give you an idea about the level of intelligence we are dealing with in Heart of Stone , it’s about secret agent Rachel Stone (Gal Gadot) trying to protect an A.I. system called “The Heart.” Get it?! HEART …of STONE ?! Beyond that, this is the Wish.com version of a Mission: Impossible movie (I mean, Dead Reckoning literally just did an A.I. storyline), featuring listless action scenes that are poorly directed. Plus, I’m sorry, but Gal Gadot, who I’m sure is a very lovely person, isn’t a very good actress. This is just another algorithm-driven Netflix offering that is big on star power but little else. PRESTON Heart of Stone immediately kicks off the action without doing us the courtesy of providing any sort of character development. Gal Gadot does her job as the marketing ploy to bring in viewers, doing fine with what she is given to work with, and as a knock-off of a poorly developed James Bond film, it makes sense that it’s a streaming release. If you can make it through the first half, the plotline does start to come together eventually, and it isn’t totally without merit; I’d suggest watching this after a long workday, or in the background while doing household chores. KATIE Heart of Stone is a forgettable and unoriginal spy thriller with little-to-no character development and a one-note performance from Gal Gadot, playing the central character aptly named Rachel Stone. The film features some engaging action, and it does get better over its runtime, but it constantly evokes films that I’d rather be watching. A blatantly CGI-ed skydiving scene made me think of Tom Cruise’s impressive stunts in recent instalments of the Mission: Impossible franchise, and the pre-opening title sequence in the Italian Alps reminded me of better scenes from James Bond. A good film to stick on in the background! PHILL Heart of Stone is a perfectly serviceable action movie, albeit a very predictable one. There is no real style or substance to be found in Gal Gadot’s latest outing, but for a generic straight-to-streaming film, it succeeds as something loud and explosive to switch your brain off to after a long day at work. For the most part, the film is well shot and filled with adequate performances as the cast jumps from one locale to the next. For a film that feels like it was made from a rejected James Bond script, it’s fine.

QUEEN OF BONES Starring: Julia Butters, Jacob Tremblay, Martin Freeman, and Taylor Schilling Director: Robert Budreau KATIE I’m struggling to muster the words to describe how I felt about Queen of Bones , a film that didn’t engage me in any way. The performances are all over the place, and the cast is so disconnected that none of the relationships are believable. The script doesn’t help, neglecting to develop the central family’s dynamics or emotional bonds, and I found that characters often stated their feelings and intentions in an unnatural way. The plot is disjointed and unfocused, and doesn’t explore the themes it establishes early on. Overall, Queen of Bones is regrettably underwhelming and forgettable. QUENTIN From a person who is often disappointed by atmosphere-driven folk horror movies like The Witch and Starve Acre due to their lack of momentum and sleepy vibe, Queen of Bones might be the worst offering from the genre in some time. To be perfectly blunt, this is 90 minutes of nothingness. No real twists or turns. No scares. No intrigue. No depth. Adequate but unremarkable performances and direction. This movie is so obviously predictable and instantly forgettable that I’m having trouble writing this review a mere few hours after the credits rolled. But if you suffer from insomnia, ask your doctor about Queen of Bones .

RESURRECTION Starring: Rebecca Hall, Tim Roth, Grace Kaufman, Michael Esper, and Angela Wong Carbone Director: Andrew Semans JACOB Resurrection is a deeply unsettling horror film and one of the most disturbing releases of the year so far. Director Andrew Semans’ disquieting tale is precisely so because there are no big moments and no obvious scares to jolt the audience. It simply shows us horrifying images, asks us horrifying questions, and then has us sit with both as we await what’s next. Rebecca Hall is excellent per usual, but it’s Tim Roth who ends up being the scariest part of it all. Even with the briefest of screen-time, he’s terror-inducing. The ending could have been less ambiguous, but it’s not detrimental. QUENTIN I don’t want to take anything away from Rebecca Hall, who has proven herself so capable at playing traumatized white women that one must wonder if it’s even an act anymore, but her great performance in Resurrection can’t save this slow burn of a movie that goes so far off the rails that it elicited an audible groan from me. The start is strong, if maybe a little too deliberate, building strong tension and a compelling gaslighting mystery, but the silly payoff is not worth the patience. I can’t in good conscience recommend this movie, even to the strongest of indie horror film buffs.

BOOKWORM Starring: Elijah Wood, Nell Fisher, Michael Smiley, and Vanessa Stacey Director: Ant Timpson This film has been reviewed by Paige and Nick as part of Bitesize Breakdown's coverage of the 2024 Fantastic Film Festival. NICK Bookworm is a fairly formulaic father/daughter story, but it works within that formula well. Filmed almost entirely in the wilderness (a beautiful showcase for New Zealand), this is a well-shot adventure bolstered by the performances of its lead actors. You have Nell Fisher's Mildred, the know-it-all daughter, contrasted with Elijah Wood's character, her estranged magician father; their chemistry is the lifeblood of this feature. The other thing about Bookworm is its willingness to tread into darker territory, which in turn strengthens the film. All in all, it’s a solid children’s film bound to appease adults and children alike. PAIGE Even though some of the gags don’t always land and the script is a bit clumsy, the peculiar chemistry between Elijah Wood's and Nell Fisher’s characters is what makes Bookworm shine. It’s a sweet and adventurous father-daughter tale with some lovely moments sprinkled throughout. While I’m not quite sure if the dry and offbeat New Zealand humor will work for everyone, it worked for me. Ultimately, I found this family flick to be cute and somewhat fun, even if the pacing is a little slow at times.