COBWEB Starring: Lizzy Caplan, Antony Starr, Woody Norman, Cleopatra Coleman, and Debra Wilson Director: Samuel Bodin QUENTIN Knowing nothing more than it starred Lizzy Caplan and Antony Starr, I went into Cobweb completely blind. I didn’t even watch the trailer beforehand, and I’d recommend you do the same because this movie succeeds on the strength of its creepy mystery and suspenseful atmosphere, which could be lost if you go in with any awareness. Admittedly, the way the story plays out leaves a little to be desired, but the effective jump scares, a few excellently shot scenes, and just the general ambiance of it all are more than enough to make this 90-minute under-the-radar gem an easy choice for horror heads. JACOB The atmosphere of Cobweb is thick, and it does a lot of things quite well. The scares are decent, the sound design is effective, and once the second act starts, the tension ramps up a decent bit. On the other hand, the things it doesn’t do as well kind of overwhelm its competently directed mystery, namely the script and characters (apart from Woody Norman’s) are a bit all over the place. There is a reason for it, but the execution of that reason leaves something to be desired. All that said, the film’s tight runtime does help mitigate any boredom. NICK Through the first half of Cobweb , I was hooked by its haunting vibe and the potential directions it could go. Although its latter portion turns up the intensity a ton, it loses the eerie tone that gives the film its strong start, which holds it back from reaching the heights of a film like Talk to Me . That said, the underrated Antony Starr, the reliably unhinged Lizzy Caplan, and Woody Norman (coming off an award-worthy performance in C'mon C'mon ) are pitch-perfect casting, shining on screen to elevate the material. Thanks to this, it's worth a watch, just go in as blind as possible.

DEEP COVER Starring: Orlando Bloom, Bryce Dallas Howard, Nick Mohammed, Sean Bean, Paddy Considine, Ian McShane, Sonoya Mizuno, and Omid Djalili Director: Tom Kingsley KATIE Deep Cover is a charming indie comedy that delivers genuine laughs. The film plays with crime-drama tropes in a way that’s clever and funny, and makes excellent use of serious actors who are known for being tough and threatening characters, namely Sean Bean, Paddy Considine, and Ian McShane, who play on their personas to a hilariously goofy effect. Plus, Orlando Bloom, Bryce Dallas Howard, and Nick Mohammed make a very likeable trio who bounce off each other wonderfully, all perfectly understanding the brand of comedy the film calls for. QUENTIN Deep Cover , which feels like a movie I’ve seen before even if I can't recall what specific movie it reminds me of, works surprisingly well, with all credit going to the committed cast. Orlando Bloom is the highlight, but the comedic chemistry of the lead trio (Bloom, Bryce Dallas Howard, Nick Mohammed), not to mention excellently done supporting roles from veteran actors like Paddy Considine, Sean Bean, and Ian McShane, just prove how far you can get on the backs of talented performers even if the script leaves a feeling of déjà vu. It's a shame most people probably haven’t heard of this one.

HEEL Starring: Stephen Graham, Anson Boon, Monika Frajczyk, Kit Rakusen, and Andrea Riseborough Director: Jan Komasa NICK With a unique premise and Stephen Graham coming off of Adolescence , Heel (originally titled Good Boy) was on my radar fairly early. Although it landed in the middle of the pack for my festival run, it’s not without its positives. Graham and Anson Boone are key among them, as their abilities to give their characters aspects of both villainy and humanity kept me engaged throughout the entire film. As great as both leads are, however, the film’s pacing often betrays them and limits the potential for powerful moments in this character study about rehabilitation. Much like its original title, this one is “good” not great. PAIGE Heel is one of those films where you have no idea what direction it’s going to go next. The film plays out like a car crash that you can’t look away from. And while it doesn’t fully commit to its insane premise, it’s unsettling nonetheless. The whole idea of thinking that you can try to train someone to become a better person is certainly uncomfortable, and the film isn’t afraid to lean into that tension. This Yorgos Lanthimos-like film isn’t as fleshed out as I hoped, but it's still a fascinating story led by great performances from Stephen Graham, Anson Boon, and Andrea Riseborough. This film was reviewed by Nick as part of Bitesize Breakdown's coverage of the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival.

PRISONER'S DAUGHTER Starring: Kate Beckinsale, Brian Cox, Christopher Convery, Ernie Hudson, and Tyson Ritter Director: Catherine Hardwicke NICK Did I enjoy Prisoner's Daughter ? Yes. Am I likely to remember it a year from now? Probably not. All in all, that really sums things up regarding this film. This is a movie that does nothing great and few things poorly, yet it kept my attention through its runtime. The strongest aspect of the film is the grandfather/grandson dynamic between Brian Cox and Christopher Convery, while the weakest is the painfully generic soundtrack that sounds like an amateur YouTube tribute video. Everything else is…fine. It may not light your world on fire, but you can do worse than Prisoner’s Daughter . QUENTIN The phrase “no need to reinvent the wheel” exists for a reason, and Prisoner’s Daughter is a very well-made wheel. It’s content to tell a fairly standard story about an estranged father and daughter (and grandchild), but it does so on the back of excellent performances from Brian Cox and Kate Beckinsale. The film even manages to subvert some of the more modest expectations, which came as a pleasant surprise. It’s not mind-blowing by any means, but it’s the kind of efficiently made, unpretentious grownup fare that we don’t see very often anymore. This film was reviewed by Nick and Quentin as part of Bitesize Breakdown's coverage of the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival.

WEST SIDE STORY Starring: Rachel Zegler, Ansel Elgort, Ariana DeBose, David Alvarez, Mike Faist, Rita Moreno, Josh Andrés Rivera, Ana Isabelle, Corey Stoll, and Brian d’Arcy James Director: Steven Spielberg JACOB Steven Spielberg’s updated take on the classical musical West Side Story is a wonderful adaptation and one of the director’s most accomplished works. The changes he makes further enhance the story’s emotional depth to brilliant effect. It’s so thoroughly captivating that even the charisma-less performance of Ansel Elgort can’t manage to sink it, and it’s packed top to bottom with gorgeous visuals, stunning production design, and star-making turns from its cast. Ariana DeBose and Mike Faist are surefire Oscar nominees, and newcomer Rachel Zegler delivers a landmark debut performance. She’s going to be a superstar. ADRIANO West Side Story is a how-to guide on how to update a classic. Director Steven Spielberg and writer Tony Kushner somehow find ways to improve on the original while also maintaining the magic of it. The film is one of the year's absolute best crafted works, especially Janusz Kaminski’s cinematography. The entire ensemble is top notch, but it’s Ariana DeBose and newcomer Rachel Zegler giving star-making performances. There is honestly not that much not to love about this movie, and I couldn’t help but smile and cry while watching this one.

EVERY HEAVY THING Starring: Josh Fadem, James Urbaniak, Tipper Newton, Vera Drew, John Ennis, Kaylene Snarsky, and Barbara Crampton Director: Mickey Reece This film has been reviewed by Nick and Bode as part of Bitesize Breakdown's coverage of the 2025 Fantasia International Film Festival. BODE I’ll admit that before jumping into director Mickey Reese’s latest film Every Heavy Thing , while I knew of his reputation in the indie circuit, I hadn’t seen any of his previous work. I can honestly say that this made me curious. Reece takes the cat-and-mouse serial killer thriller and turns it on its head, using surrealist imagery and dry humour to explore themes of gendered violence, big tech, shame, and repression. It can get a bit lost (especially in the third act), but its strangeness is so compelling that I can’t help but respect it. Also, support your local alt-weekly! NICK Because Fantasia is a genre festival, there's always some surreal entries with unique and ambitious editing techniques. In the case of director Mickey Reese's Every Heavy Thing , he uses VHS videotape sheen and glitch art to tell the story of a man, Joe (Josh Fadem), confronted by a local serial killer. Although it doesn't get off to a strong start, as Joe becomes increasingly tormented, I became more engaged. It falls off again in its closing, as it stumbles towards an end. That said, the darkness in the visuals and comedy works, I just wish the film was bookended better. QUENTIN Every Heavy Thing is terrible. From the low-budget aesthetics to the abysmal performances, it’s an 89-minute endurance test. Even if one wanted to forgive its indie trappings, which is valid, director Mickey Reece’s insistence on adding weird, Max Headroom-ish fever-dream interludes make for an epileptic fit waiting to happen. Admittedly, there is some Lynchian surrealness, which isn’t my thing, but I can usually recognize the merits of such films even though they aren’t for me. I have nothing positive to say here. Late in the movie, one character says, “…the shit that passes for art in this town.” Preach.

THE MONKEY KING Starring: Jolie Hoang-Rappaport, Jimmy O. Yang, Jo Koy, Hoon Lee, Stephanie Hsu, Andrew Pang, BD Wong, Ron Yuan, James Sie, and Bowen Yang Director: Anthony Stacchi KATIE The Monkey King is a fun - if average - animation, best suited to very young viewers. The central character, Monkey (voiced by Jimmy O. Yang), is annoying, but not in an endearing or funny way. He can be slightly unlikable, which makes it very difficult to appreciate his character arc, but did make me appreciate Lin’s (Jolie Hoang-Rappaport) unwavering understanding. On a positive note, I thoroughly enjoyed the Dragon King’s periodic appearances. Voiced by Bowen Yang, he channels the extravagance of The Little Mermaid' s Ursula with a menacing intensity, and his fabulous musical number was my favourite part of the film. PHILL The Monkey King has very little going for it, outside of some flashy colours. Every single character in the film is completely grating and hugely unlikable, and they never really evolve or develop in any way. The action sequences are exceptionally dull, and they make up far too much of the runtime. Unfortunately, watching a stick spin around and bonk a bad guy on the head can be entertaining only so many times. Strangely, the biggest offender might be the incredibly bizarre soundtrack that never seems to pick a consistent style or suitably compliment a scene.

BALLS UP Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Paul Walter Hauser, Benjamin Bratt, Eva De Dominici, Daniela Melchior, Molly Shannon, Eric André, Jackson Tozer, Chelsey Crisp, and Sacha Baron Cohen Director: Peter Farrelly ROBERT Sometimes you can go home, and other times you can’t. Despite streaming comedy warning flags, I figured Balls Up would be a refreshing return to R-rated comedy for Peter Farrelly and Mark Wahlberg. Unfortunately, despite the aesthetics and general return-to-the-1990s feel, the sentiment was missed horrendously. I think Wahlberg and Paul Walter Hauser have decent chemistry, and both Molly Shannon and Benjamin Bratt come out firing in their limited time, but the jokes are outmoded, the setups lack energy, and the set pieces don’t inspire fun. There is too much bad to swallow here. BODE If there’s anything notable about Balls Up , it's that it's the only movie to come from an Oscar-winning director with a premise built on one long dick joke. But while it’s admirable that Peter Farrelly hasn’t abandoned his comedy roots, this latest effort is just another reminder of how he’s struggled to fully recapture the lowbrow charm of his earlier works. It’s not without some laughs here and there, but there aren’t enough to distract from the haphazard plotting, surprisingly lethargic pacing, and lack of buddy chemistry between stars Mark Wahlberg and Paul Walter Hauser. Balls Up ? More like balls down.

NONNAS Starring: Vince Vaughn, Lorraine Bracco, Linda Cardellini, Joe Manganiello, Drea de Matteo, Brenda Vaccaro, Talia Shire, Michael Rispoli, Campbell Scott, and Susan Sarandon Director: Stephen Chbosky KATIE Nonnas is an unexpectedly heart-warming comedy inspired by a true story. I loved the themes of connecting to your heritage and loved ones through food, and the sincere approach to the story makes it overly sweet, but easy to enjoy. The “nonnas” Susan Sarandon, Lorraine Bracco, Talia Shire, and Brenda Vaccaro are an endlessly charming bunch, and although some of their scenes don’t quite work, their performances are still a pleasure to watch, complemented by Vince Vaughn’s reliable, good-guy charm. Like the best Italian dishes, Nonnas is warm, cheesy, and familiar; a true Sunday afternoon kind of film. ADRIANO As an Italian man, I may have a bias to this personally relatable story, but I was so endeared by Nonnas that it nearly brought me to tears. I don't expect people without that connection to have a similar reaction as the movie can be pretty flat, both dramatically and comedically. But when I watched the nonnas and Joe (Vince Vaughn) discuss their familial migration history in a warm and goofy way, it was hard not to smile. Now, if you will excuse me, I'm going to go hug my nonnas. ROBERT A recipe for a successful Vince Vaughn comedy usually doesn’t rely on heart and emotion, but The Internship proved that is when his films are at their most unique. Nonnas is no exception, as juvenile humor has been replaced with warm messaging about honoring elders and the dead, and keeping family alive in tradition passed down, like food. Those heartfelt moments spoke to me the most, and seeing actresses I haven’t seen on screen in a while, like Lorraine Bracco and Talia Shire, inspired the most joy. I went in expecting something like 80 for Brady , but was fed something much more substantial.

SISU Starring: Jorma Tommila, Aksel Hennie, Jack Doolan, Mimosa Willamo, and Onni Tommila Director: Jalmari Helander QUENTIN If I walked away from 2022’s Toronto International Film Festival with only one discovery that I needed to tell everyone about, it was Sisu . It’s an action-packed thrill-ride featuring over-the-top revenge violence directed towards everyone’s favorite villain, Nazis. Imagine John Wick meets Captain America: The First Avenger , as directed by Quentin Tarantino. Does that sound bonkers? It most certainly is. But it’s also one of the best times I’ve had in a movie theater in quite some time. It was easily one of TIFF’s best offerings, and is now one of 2023’s best movies. Plus, don’t be fooled by its foreignness - it’s in English. JACOB True to its premise, perhaps to a fault, Sisu is as simple as it sounds and as entertaining as its premise promises. About a former Finnish commander killing a bunch of Nazis in violent and brutally badass fashion, comparisons to the John Wick franchise are warranted, but director Jalmari Helander’s 90-minute actioner takes a more grounded approach to the mayhem as Jorma Tommila soldiers on through various perils to exact his vengeance. The film could have used a slightly more thorough emotional through-line (all we really get is one exposition scene), but beyond that, there’s very little not to enjoy here. ADRIANO Sisu is the kind of movie that falls apart if the director takes it too seriously, and thankfully, that’s not what happens here. While the story is paper-thin, the film is wholly watchable for the absurdity of it all. An old man expertly and gruesomely slaughtering Nazis left and right in a John Wick meets Quentin Tarantino fashion is a satisfying sight to behold. I wish the female prisoner storyline got a little more attention because I liked the potential of it much more than what we actually got; nevertheless, even if Sisu is really stupid, that’s why I enjoyed it. This film was reviewed by Quentin as part of Bitesize Breakdown's coverage of the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival.

LUTHER: THE FALLEN SUN Starring: Idris Elba, Cynthia Erivo, Andy Serkis, and Dermot Crowley Director: Jamie Payne DARRYL While not as strong as the series it stems from, The Fallen Sun is enjoyable for what it is: a feature length crime thriller spearheaded by everyone's favorite rogue criminal inspector. Idris Elba continues to be brilliant in his portrayal of the long-suffering protagonist, showing Luther as a weary ex-cop weathered by past decisions while doggedly pursuing his man. Although he has been better in recent roles, Andy Serkis (and his ridiculous wig) is serviceable as the weakly written antagonist. The story crumbles in the third act, but The Fallen Sun still holds up enough to be a decent weekday watch. QUENTIN As a fan of Luther , The Fallen Sun scratched my itch for more gruff crime-solving from Idris Elba and his trademark overcoat. However, as a standalone movie, it’s nothing particularly special, coming in slightly better than serviceable-yet-forgettable 2000s crime thrillers like Along Came a Spider and Taking Lives . I guess it feels bigger and more “professional” than the show, but it doesn’t quite feel cinematic either. Still, the acting is solid (despite whatever Andy Serkis’ wig is doing), the cat-and-mouse games are just compelling enough to hold viewers’ interest, and best of all, you don’t need to have seen the show to enjoy the movie.

IS THIS THING ON Starring: Will Arnett, Laura Dern, Andra Day, and Bradley Cooper Director: Bradley Cooper ADRIANO After really not liking Maestro, but being quite fond of A Star is Born , Is This Thing On? might be my favourite directorial outing from Bradley Cooper as it's the antithesis of what I despised about Maestro . It's much more sedated, trading his previous films’ large scale for a small yet emotionally cathartic and consistently funny story of a couple working out their problems to beautiful results. Despite how small it is, Cooper's direction feels very purposeful and intriguing, and with Will Arnett's incredible performance to anchor the piece, Is This Thing On? is a nice surprise. NICK Outside of TV, Will Arnett is often relegated to supporting roles. Is This Thing On? not only gives him an opportunity to lead, but it does so in a fairly serious role. He nails it. There’s comedy to be found, sure, but this is a mature look at modern relationship dynamics. Arnett, alongside the equally great Laura Dern, explores the ebbs and flows of separation through subtle yet poignant direction from Bradley Cooper. Unlike his previous films, Cooper takes a backseat to tell a more grounded story. It's a new wrinkle in his game, and perhaps the beginning of a new path for Arnett. AMARÚ The intimate way in which Bradley Cooper directs Is This Thing On? was such a great choice. It immediately connects you with the main characters’ dynamic as a couple and individually, creating a thoughtful examination of Alex and Tess Novak’s (Will Arnett and Laura Dern) separation and subsequent reinventions. Every emotion is up close and personal, with two powerful leads that carry the laughs, the love, and the loathing with a recognizable honesty. Between the immersive direction and the committed performances, Is This Thing On? is a reverent and relatable pleasure to watch