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Review by Adam Donato  There are not a lot of studios that regularly pump out Christmas movies like Netflix. That Christmas is an animated film that was supposed to be a Warner Bros film, but got bought by Netflix. It’s based on a series of children’s books from Richard Curtis. The studio responsible for the film is Locksmith Animation, who was responsible for Ron’s Gone Wrong. The cast sports notable British actors like Bill Nighy, Jodie Whittaker, and Fiona Shaw, as well as the Scottish Brian Cox voicing Santa Clause. Does this Christmas adaptation have enough heart to be included in the family's Christmas movie rotation? That Christmas has nothing but heart. The story follows the impact of a major snowstorm on a community of families in a small town in England. There’s three central narratives that intertwine with one another. Who but the writer of Love Actually to pen this one. A shy new kid struggling with his parents divorce, twins who can’t be more opposite, and a group of children fending for themselves as their parents face the weather to get back home. These stories are all blended together nicely and come together in the end in a satisfying way. The themes of the movie deal with some pretty serious subjects and there’s some mild language, but this story works for all members of the family.  All the characters have so much personality and are each memorable in their own way. The child characters sound and act like actual children, without being annoying. The character designs are nothing to write home about. The animation looks like any old computer generated animated movie these days. The lack of visual style to the film is covered by the personality, humor and heart of the characters. The dialogue is very cleverly written and the delivery from the reputable cast is on point.
One cliche of the medium is present in this film. About halfway through there’s a montage set to an original song from Ed Sheeran. The song is alright, but the film could’ve done without it. That being said, the runtime is already at a low 95 minutes. The rest of the film features a collection of references to radio hits. This coupled with some more modern references date the film. Nothing outwardly cringe worthy, but certainly noticeable. Unfortunately for That Christmas, it will probably be forgotten in the depth of Netflix’s catalog. 2019’s Klaus, which is a superior film, was so well regarded it received an Oscar nomination, but has seldom been talked about in the last half decade. The family that stumbles upon That Christmas when it’s auto played after The Christmas Chronicles will be rewarded for their faith. That Christmas is an absolute delight and better than most of the theatrically wide released animated films this year. It’s a family film that takes its audience seriously and would be enjoyed by all this holiday season. That Christmas is out on Netflix on 12/4. Rating: 4/5
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Review by Adam Donato  Disney Animation Studios may not be dealing with a world war or near bankruptcy, but this era is quite a low point for the studio. Wish and Strange World were total flops. Even when Encanto succeeded critically, it underachieved at the box office by the studio’s standards. Another hindrance in their box office is the insistence of Disney+. Audiences have been conditioned to know that they can skip the theaters since the movie will drop on the streaming service for free in a couple months. It’s safe to say Disney’s Revivial Era is long over. Besides Encanto, Disney has been crapping out impactless originals and lazy sequels. Will Moana 2 perpetuate this downward spiral? Not unlike Frozen 2, Moana 2 has been plagued with bad press centered around the making of it. Moana 2 was supposed to be a Disney+ series. Last year, Nielsen crowned Moana as the most streamed movie of the year with over 11 billion viewing minutes. From a business perspective, it was a no brainer to stretch this sequel out into a full blown movie. After seeing the film, there are pacing signs that show this was repurposed content. The animation feels up to par and the main voice cast is back, but Lin Manuel Miranda is noticeably missing. Do these disadvantages ruin the film? Moana 2 is fine. Every single aspect about this sequel is inferior to the original. There is not a single song here that is better than any song from the first movie. The jokes are lazy retreads of the exact same jokes from the first movie. The narrative is reminiscent of the story of the first movie. It’s really depressing for a movie about venturing outside of the norm to discover the new to have a sequel lacking in ambition. The only thing really new about this story is the sequel bait, which is hard to get excited about when the story of this movie feels like it’s lacking purpose. Families won’t go into this sequel with as much cynicism as cinephiles, but even then it will be surprising to see any fans of the first movie preferring the sequel.  Criticisms aside, Moana 2 is a very digestible movie. The animation is still pretty and the world of this movie is such a vibrant place to revisit. It would’ve been nice for Moana 2 to take notes from another Disney sequel, The Rescuers Down Under, which sports a similar plot to the first, but feels unique as the location of the film couldn’t be more different from the first. Luckily for Moana 2, the location reflects a beautiful vacation type spot. Watching Moana swing around her boat is almost like watching Spiderman swing around New York City. She’s such a proactive character that’s full of personality so hanging out with her again is a delight. Seeing her grow as a leader and build more relationships with her people is rewarding. The songs aren’t anything to write home about, but there are songs and they are generally fun. There’s kind of a villain song that feels like a villain song, but isn’t really a villain song. Nothing bad with the music, just entirely unspectacular. The new characters are not very memorable, but cool enough and not annoying. Moana has a little sister with big front teeth who is very adorable. Moana 2 is one of the cutest movies of the year and families will eat it up.
Rewatching the first Moana after seeing the sequel is a depressing act as the level of passion and artistry has taken a huge hit. It’s not an instant classic, but it’s a fun and light movie that will entertain the masses. It will contend for the highest grossing animated movie of all time, but if Frozen 2 didn’t warrant a Best Animated Feature nomination, then this shouldn’t get one either. Listen to what the studio was saying in the first place: this “movie” belongs on a streaming service for kids to play on repeat. Watch it in theaters for a mildly fun, if not forgettable time. Even in a dismal year for animation, Moana 2 is more of the same for Disney Animation Studios: passionless and cynical content. Moana 2 is in theaters on November 27. Rating: 3/5 Review by Adam Donato  Musical adaptations have not seen much success at the box office as of late. Mean Girls, The Color Purple, West Side Story, Dear Evan Hansen, In The Heights, and Cats all saw failure at the box office in the last five years. Wicked appears poised to buck the trend. These days musicals seem to try to hide the fact that they’re musicals, but Wicked brandished it like a badge of honor. The only thing it’s trying to hide is the fact that it’s a part-one situation. Just like Dune, the uninitiated will be going in completely unaware that this two-hour and forty-minute movie is only half of the story. The difference between Wicked and Dune is that Wicked Part Two is slated for next year, but Dune wasn’t a slam dunk to get a part two. Any inch marketing can get to squeeze out a larger audience. The film is dazzling. Despite its lengthy runtime, it’s engaging throughout. The film centers around the relationship between Glinda and Elphaba as they start out at odds with one another, but develop a sister-like bond. There have been many adaptations of The Wizard of Oz, but it’s been over a decade since the last theatrical adaptation of the story. That fact, coupled with the fresh perspective on the narrative, keeps this movie feeling fresh. It may not hold up to the original The Wizard of Oz, but that’s arguably the greatest fantasy film of all time. Regardless, they made something old feel new and it’s sure to delight audiences.  Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande are electric together. It’s not easy to follow in the footsteps of Idina Menzel when it comes to singing, but Erivo does a great job hitting some of those notes. Her makeup looks convincing and her look overall was on point. The role requires a ton of dramatic weight that will have audiences on the verge of tears. Such a heartbreaking role and performance. Grande may be the more impressive performance as acting is not her main trade. Going from popstar to musical lead isn’t a total change, but it’s not a one to one comparison. Fans of Nickelodeon shows like Victorious and Sam & Cat know that Grande is hilarious, but she reminds the world here that she is. It’s a very physical comedic performance as well that kept the tone feeling light throughout. Her character has more of an arc than Erivo’s character, but that’s just due to the fact that this is more of Erivo’s story and this is only one half of the film.
A good deal of concern was brought up over the look of the film. Many were up in arms about the cinematography saying that it was too washed out and desaturated. This is less of a problem while watching the film. While the film doesn’t give you that bright technicolor feel like in the original, the world does look pretty and it’s not as distractingly dull like the Solo: A Star Wars Story is infamous for. The special effects hold up pretty well. There’s probably going to be more intense CGI in the second half of the story, but the talking animals and the flying sequences look good. It feels like the visual inverse of Oz the Great and Powerful, which was criticized for its over reliance on green screens. Wicked is very much a known commodity. It’s sure to be one of the biggest box office successes of the year despite tough competition in Moana 2 and Gladiator 2. The musical lives up to the lofty expectations and is sure to garner some awards nominations this year. What a glorious win for Broadway adaptations and for moviegoers everywhere. Be sure to check this one out in theaters this Thanksgiving season. Wicked will be in theaters on November 22. Rating: 4/5 Review by Adam Donato  Curious how streaming sites decide when to let their movies be released in theaters and for how long. Any normal person would think that a big, action blockbuster starring Captain America, the yellow peanut M&M, and The Rock might attract people to come out to the theater. Of course these streaming sites don’t want to support the box office as they want to kill the theater industry and move movies to streaming. Short term payday or long term culture shift? Today, Amazon chose a wide theatrical release. Jake Kasdan has directed many comedy films, but Red One feels most akin to the Jumanji reboot duology. That franchise also stars The Rock and is a bad mouth, but family friendly, fantasy, action, adventure romp. Those movies were a big hit at the box office, but this time the franchise recognition is Santa Clause and The Rock’s reputation isn’t the same as it was five years ago. Speaking of five years ago, that’s the last time Chris Evans played Captain America. He’s collected a few streaming flops in that time in Ghosted, The Fall Guy, and Pain Hustlers. The marketing for Red One is pretty substantial for an original film like this. Seems like a pretty big gamble. There’s plenty of good ingredients here, but this movie is just corporate garbage. Evans and The Rock have zero chemistry together and the majority of the movie is just the two of them together. The constant lame one liners from Evans are cringe inducing and make him entirely unlikable. The Rock is the same old serious The Rock action man. Both of these guys are really good actors that have had success in the past and have the potential to succeed again, but Red One is no success.  It’s funny thinking of Santa Clause as a franchise. Can’t make a blockbuster without some sort of name brand recognition. It is interesting to see the different takes on Santa in movies. This corporate ripped Santa and CIA esq crew are not a crazy new take. It’s reminiscent of Arthur Christmas, especially in its corporate aspect. The entire joke of J.K. Simmons’s Santa is that he’s ripped, but it’s funny because Santa is usually fat because he eats all the cookies. The elves are little CGI freaks. The trolls are big CGI freaks. One of the main supporting characters is a CGI polar bear named Garcia, who happens to be the only memorable character. Just seeing this corporate/special ops take on Santa coming from Amazon was sad.
The CGI in the film was disgusting. Again, outside of Garcia the polar bear. All the CGI characters had such ugly designs and were very unconvincing. There’s a scene where The Rock slides down a giant outdoor slide. Horrible. One of the recurring bits in the movie was that some characters would have the ability to shrink to about half their size in an instant like Ant-Man. This looks bad every time. That being said, there are some makeup and practical effects that look cool in this movie, this is especially true for Krampus and his horde of goons. It was reminiscent of the Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves. A movie that’s quite similar in tone to Red One, but much, much better quality. The humor in the film is lazy. It’s littered with baseline “person getting hit or falling down” jokes. Red One is rated PG-13 and thinks mild cursing is a good punchline. They don’t even actually go for it. PG-13 allows one f bomb and they cut away from it. Either say the word or don’t. They want to appeal to the same type of kids that would go to a Marvel movie. This is really sad because Jake Kasdan has a very good track record of comedies. The film just feels passionless and artificial. When the people asked for original movies, this is not what they meant. Maybe paying Dwayne The Rock Johnson $50 million in 2024 wasn’t a good value contract. He cannot wait until Moana 2 revives him. Unluckily for Red One, Moana 2 is only a couple weeks away. Next week is only Gladiator 2 and Wicked. If Amazon would’ve kept this on streaming, nobody would’ve noticed this bellyflop. The masses may mildly enjoy this, but it’s not sneaking into the annual Christmas movie rotation. Red One is in theaters everywhere on November 15. Rating: 1/5 Review by Adam Donato  Scott Beck and Bryan Woods put their names on the map when they came up with the story for A Quiet Place. They received their first chance to make a wide release movie in the form of 65, which flopped both critically and at the box office. The pair of filmmakers reteams not even a year later with Sophie Thatcher, the star of another horror film they wrote called The Boogeyman (2023). Thatcher and co-star Chloe East are young missionaries going door to door to spread the word of their religion when they come across the door of Hugh Grant’s character. Far removed is Grant from his heartthrob, romantic comedy days as his career has turned towards more fantasy, action, and comedies. Heretic is an A24 film and is sure to garner quite the audience due to that alone, but is it good enough to deserve the label. Hugh Grant is no stranger to playing the villain lately, and his performance in Heretic is where the movie shines. The film has a classic horror concept of a man holding a couple young women hostage, but diverts from the formula in that his character doesn’t appear to be openly hostile. Instead he’s more focused on deep discussions about theology and belief. The film peaks when Grant is monologuing about his cause. He’s so eloquent and charming. This adds a layer of uncertainty to the creepiness the missionaries are experiencing. Grant is quite funny as well, which helps keep this dark concept feeling light. He’s like a delightful, British Jigsaw. The main characters become more interesting as they gain more agency, but the majority of the film is carried by Grant’s performance.  The film is all about religion as Grant’s character wrestles with the validity of religion and puts the missionary's faith to the test. In a horror landscape filled with Terrifier sequels, it’s nice to watch a horror film that encourages the audience to think. The themes are very engaging and it’s very interesting seeing the different perspectives the characters have about the concepts at play. While it is a film that heavily questions religion, the film isn’t insulting enough to completely alienate religious audiences. It’s an interesting subversion of cultural norms in this story as usually older generations maintain their religious faith, while young people seem to abandon religion. Here, we explore the opposite.
Thatcher and East are both good in the film. Missionaries are a group that’s easy to shut your door on, but the two actresses bring relatability to the role and make you sympathize with them. Their best scenes are when the two of them are alone talking about their thoughts and beliefs. The film quickly and clearly sets up how the two are similar, but different in certain ways, which sets the table for the concepts at play quite nicely. Heretic is a fun and thoughtful horror film that is sure to keep you guessing. The film plays with larger than life themes, but delivers them in digestible ways and finds a way to wrangle it into a satisfying conclusion. The slash ‘em up, gore fest horror fans may not be satisfied with this one, but if you enjoy engaging dialogue and debate, then Heretic is the horror film for you. Be sure to check this one out in theaters soon. Heretic is in theaters everywhere on November 8. Rating: 4/5 Review by Adam Donato  Gru (Steve Carell) and Gru Jr. in Despicable Me 4, directed by Chris Renaud. As the first half of 2024 comes to a close, the film that reigns supreme at the box office is Inside Out 2. It seems the most reliable films at the box office this year are animated franchise sequels, as Kung Fu Panda 4 is also one of the highest-grossing movies of the year. Another fourth film in an animated franchise kicks off the second half of the year in Despicable Me 4. It's funny how it used to be taboo to include the number four in your title. Most franchises opt to slap a colon and a second title so as to not alienate new fans who might find the task of catching up on three movies too daunting to see a fourth film. Despicable Me 4 wears the number like a badge of honor. That doesn't even include the two Minions spinoffs, which also feature Gru's story. It doesn't seem as though audiences are getting sick of the villain-turned-dad as Despicable Me 4 is primed to own the month of July as long as Inside Out 2 fever wains. Outside of the baby, Despicable Me 4 is indistinguishable from the prior two installments. Unfortunately, the minions are iconic characters. They're universal. Literally. It feels like the last Minions movie also had superhero versions of the mutants. Who cares? They're cute, and the rest of the movie is pretty light. Fans of the franchise will certainly be satisfied with this entry, but the ceiling is so low, and the floor is so high. Watch this movie in a theater full of kids and say it doesn't fully succeed in entertaining its target audience. Adults also enjoy it due to the relatability of the family and the broad humor of the silly minions. It's surefire fun for the whole family. The villain of the film, Maxime, is voiced by Will Ferrell. His character sports a voice reminiscent of his performance in Zoolander. Maxime has backstory beef with Gru, which is better than him being some random bad guy. He's pretty funny, but it's not Will Ferrell's best voice-acting work. The character just isn't given enough focus, as the middle of the movie has Gru doing some side quest with the girl next door. There are too many subplots going on and so many characters to keep up with, and it must all be wrapped up in 95 minutes. Maxime has a love interest in the film, voiced by Sofia Vergara, and she has nothing to do. Why make up this character, get a good comedic actress to voice her, and not give her anything to do?  The Minions subplot has nothing to do with the film's main plotline. It's an entirely separate mission from what Gru and the family have going on. This does give Steve Coogan more of a role to shine. His character is turning the minions into Mega Minions. The most memorable thing about his character is that his name is a butt joke. This is the level of humor we're working with here. There were just as many adults laughing during the movie as there were kids. It's got mass appeal.
One thing the Despicable Me movies have always been known for is the music in their films. Pharrell Williams, who has a LEGO biopic coming out later this year, always brings it with good original songs for these movies. Double Life is a fun bop that sets the stage at the beginning of the film. The soundtrack usually has characters singing popular throwback hits. At the end of the day, it's a funny twist on a good song. Illumination goes back to the well, extending the franchise to a fourth film. Recent news came out saying they're taking The Simpsons model by not aging up their characters. With how sure of a success this film is destined to be at the box office, one may wonder if there will ever be a movie one day named Despicable Me 8. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. It's working enough. Despicable Me 4 is mildly entertaining and entirely unspecial. Despicable Me 4 hits theaters on July 3. Rating: 3/5 Review by Adam Donato  A Family Affair. Nicole Kidman as Brooke Harwood, Zac Efron as Chris Cole, and Joey King as Zara Ford. Credit: Tina Rowden / Netflix © 2023. Netflix loves shitting out these standard rom-coms. Just change the stars and the setting for a brand-spanking new movie. It's not just Netflix, as competing streaming services like to utilize the same formula. Just recently, Amazon released The Idea of You, a romantic comedy where Anne Hathaway plays a mother who falls in love with a boy band member when she takes her daughter to a music festival. It's hard not to think of that movie when A Family Affair is about a mother who falls in love with a movie star for whom her daughter works. Hollywood is unoriginal; what else is new? Director Richard LaGravenese returns to the director's chair after a year off. The director mostly does romance pictures outside his biggest hit, Freedom Writers. With A Family Affair, this should be right in his romantic wheelhouse. Can he make this tired premise feel fresh? The stars occupying this formulaic content are pretty prolific. On the one hand, that legitimizes this movie, but it also is sad for stars of this caliber. Nicole Kidman is one of the greatest actresses of the 21st century. Sure, she starred in those Aquaman movies, but a Hallmark Netflix original romance? Sad! Her love interest is drooping to new lows as well, as Zac Efron plays the douchey boss turned MILF-lover. Although he's no stranger to the romance genre, this type of streaming schlock feels below him. The real protagonist of the film is played by Joey King. She stars as Kidman's daughter and Efron's assistant, who accidentally brings the two together and struggles with their flourishing relationship. King is no stranger to Netflix originals, as that's where she belongs. Kathy Bates is also here for some reason. The only actor elevated by this project's pedigree is the former social media personality Liza Koshy.  A Family Affair. Nicole Kidman as Brooke Harwood, Zac Efron as Chris Cole, and Joey King as Zara Ford. Credit: Tina Rowden / Netflix © 2023. Kidman is as solid in the film as she can be. She has decent chemistry with Efron, but her soiled connection with her daughter is not given the dramatic weight to feel like there are any real stakes. Efron's comedic chops are the highlight of the film. His character is very funny as an exaggeratedly rude and out-of-touch celebrity, but his energy drops entirely once his relationship with Kidman starts. It's as if he turned into a whole new person, which makes it harder to feel for King's struggle to cope with their relationship. King is comedic enough, but mostly just annoying to follow. Her conflict is so unreasonable and predictable. Bates is good for some solid scenes of advice. Koshy's skillset is much more suited for the stage as she's so animated and overly expressive. She has social media fans, but some find her content to be cringe and annoying. She has a dramatic scene with King that comes out of nowhere, and she feels like a different person.
There's definitely an audience for films like A Family Affair. With an endless combination of hot actors and actresses, this formula is a perpetual goldmine. It's got a good sense of humor but fails to connect on an emotional level. Even with the high pedigree of actors at play, this one definitely belongs on a streaming service. Netflix makes some of the best movies of the year on a regular basis, but this is not trying to be one of those. It's the same movie but with different actors in a different setting. Nicole Kidman was nominated for an Oscar two years ago. Don't lose sight of that, despite what this movie may have you believe. A Family Affair streams on Netflix beginning June 28. Rating: 2/5 Review by Adam Donato  Actors don't make movies; they make a living. Recently, Russell Crowe was asked about Dakota Johnson's comments about Sony and her experiences working on a Marvel superhero movie. Crowe, who had a role in the poorly received Thor: Love and Thunder and is going to star opposite Aaron Taylor Johnson in Sony's Kraven the Hunter, said: "If you're expecting this to be some kind of life-changing event, I just think you're here for the wrong reasons." His career has persisted, but he has yet to be the focal point of a hit film since the 2000s. He's had box office success and critical success, but never both at the same time. Even in Les Miserables, he's known to be the weak link of that cast. It's ironic that there's a Gladiator sequel coming out later this year, and it's primed to be a greater success than Crowe's last five films combined. This week sees the release of Crowe's latest leading role, The Exorcism. One might ask, "Didn't the Russell Crowe exorcist movie come out last year?" This is not Deja vu. Just over a year ago, theaters were surprisingly packed for Crowe in The Pope's Exorcist. Just not domestic theaters, as the film only covered its $18 million budget in the states, but worldwide pulled in an extra $56 million. To The Exorcism's credit, the concept of this film is more compelling than that of The Pope's Exorcist. A disgraced actor stars in a horror film, and his estranged daughter notices he's either slipping into his old destructive ways or becoming possessed. With all the conversation about the value of method acting, this story may hit home for some people. Crowe is not very good in the film and fails to generate any scares with his performance.  The supporting cast includes some familiar faces. Sam Worthington, who won his way back into some fans' hearts with his performance in Avatar: The Way of Water, is one of Crowe's co-stars here. He's there, but his character is entirely forgettable. Ryan Simpkins is the older sibling of famous child actor Ty Simpkins, who appeared in Crowe's The Nice Guys. While everyone is begging for a sequel to that gem, we're stuck with multiple Crowe exorcist movies. Simpkins's character forms a relationship on set with an artist played by Chloe Bailey, Halle Bailey's sister. Their relationship is cute and allows Simpkins an outlet as she struggles with her father's problems.
The director is the son of the man who played the priest in The Exorcist. One would hope the experience would rub off on the son, but this film is far from the likes of The Exorcist. None of the scares are really effective in the way the film wants them to be. The narrative is easily predictable, and the character's internal struggle is not compelling. The Exorcism thinks it's really cute sucking up to cinephiles by taking place on a movie set and having references to superior films. It's not worth your time at the theater. The Exorcism completes the dookie of a doubleheader of exorcism films from Crowe in the last two years. With the release of A Quiet Place: Day One on the horizon, it's hard to see this entry finding an audience for itself at the domestic box office. Maybe it will translate overseas like its predecessor, and hopefully, some quality is mistakenly discovered. Save this one for streaming if you're going to watch it at all. These days, Crowe's reason for making a film seems to be the paycheck and more power to him. It's a rough industry, especially for action heroes past their prime, but when it's all said and done, nobody is going to remember The Exorcism. The Exorcism hits theaters on June 21. Rating: 2/5 Review by Adam Donato  Things with Disney are not at an all-time high at the moment. In the last five years for Pixar, all their films have been commercial failures, critically middling, or dumped on Disney+. Soul won Best Animated Feature, making it the eleventh time Pixar has taken home the award. One of those times was Inside Out, which was released almost exactly nine years ago. Since then, Pixar has done three sequels, which are by far the most successful films at the box office. So, who could blame them for going back to the well for something they know will have mass appeal? Inside Out 2 marks Pixar’s tenth sequel/prequel/spinoff, and most of them have been viewed as disappointments aside from the Toy Story trilogy. Can this sequel buck the trend, justify its existence, and live up to the first installment? The biggest compliment one could give the Inside Out movies is to say a way they’re better than the Toy Story movies. Andy works as a character because he’s such a blank slate audience insert. Riley is a much more fleshed-out character, and the goings on in her life are directly tied to the adventures of the gang of fantasy characters. She’s relatable enough to garner mass appeal but distinct enough in her specific interests from similar characters. Maybe that’s what helps the case for an Inside Out sequel. The concept of the franchise is obnoxiously universal. Who doesn’t have emotions? It would be nice to round out this character’s journey with a third film about her experience in high school, like a family-friendly version of Big Mouth.  The new emotions do make revisiting this world worthwhile. In fact, Anxiety is one of the more fleshed-out antagonists in recent Pixar memory. She’s a formidable threat who believes she’s doing what’s best for Riley. The whole new gang’s personality is fun, yet doubtful to become a household name that is quoted like Anger is. Ennui has nothing to do, which is on brand because her character seems to want nothing to do with what’s happening. Ayo Edebiri is one of the most exciting young talents in Hollywood and does a good job making Envy stand out. New voice actors for characters like Fear and Disgust, while under unfortunate circumstances, give solid performances that don’t feel like a significant step down from the original.
The concept for the film has a lot of potential avenues to explore but stays very focused. The majority of the film takes place within a weekend and at one location. The film has very positive messages and is accessible to all ages. It doesn’t pack as big of a punch as the original film, but that may just be due to original bias. This isn’t our first time experiencing this world with these characters. There’s nothing offensive with the direction of the characters or any major missed opportunities with the story. One sequel pitfall Pixar seems to have learned from is avoiding repeating an arc for a character. Joy may not be great at sharing control of the console, but she has definitely retained the lesson that all emotions have their own value and purpose. Inside Out 2 will probably garner a nomination for Best Animated Feature, but it would be the worst film to win the award in over a decade. It will probably be one of the more successful films at the box office this year as the film can be enjoyed by anyone. The characters provide many laughs, and Riley’s struggles are compelling. Most Pixar sequels wish they were this good. Inside Out 2 hits theaters on June 14. Rating: 4/5 Review by Adam Donato  Ry Barrett as "Johnny" in Chris Nash's IN A VIOLENT NATURE. Courtesy of Pierce Derks. An IFC Films & Shudder Release. One of the directors featured in ABC's of Death 2, Chris Nash, directs his first feature, In a Violent Nature. The film follows an undead monster, literally! That's the bit. It's a slasher film from the perspective of the killer. Most scenes with unsuspecting human characters are seen from a distance through the bushes. This looks to be yet another high-profile horror release from Shudder, which specializes in horror films. The movie was shot three years ago and is just now receiving a release — but not a wide theatrical release, unfortunately. Will this gimmicky horror film by a first-time writer-director connect with mainstream audiences? The horror slasher genre has been done to death. Finding a new perspective to approach the genre is a breath of fresh air. In a Violent Nature strips the basic story down to only the necessary bits. Audiences already have seen the story of a group of twenty-somethings vacationing at a cabin in the woods so they can do drugs and have sex. So, only getting snippets from afar is narratively satisfying enough. Forget the annoying dialogue between the friends. In A Violent Nature opts to focus on the relentless pursuit of the monster. This keeps the tension high throughout the film. It also lends itself to some striking shots in the movie. There are several close-up shots of the killer's bloody hand that are extremely effective.  Ry Barrett as "Johnny" in IN A VIOLENT NATURE. Courtesy of Pierce Derks. An IFC Films & Shudder Release. What doesn't work about the film's gimmick is the pacing and length. There's more walking around in this movie than the Lord of the Rings trilogy. For the more impatient audiences, this indie horror will be considered way too slow. That being said, when the killer finally arrives near its prey, the kills are so bombastic and over the top that it feels like a satisfying conclusion to the wait. The film runs at just over ninety minutes, and it's clear they had to stretch out the runtime to make it feature-length. Honestly, this film would've worked better with even less dialogue, especially towards the end, as there's a conversation that drags out the ending to the point of losing momentum. The film still ends on a satisfying note, but getting through the bulk of the third act feels like the story is stretching itself. Going forward, it will be interesting to see if Nash can maintain this type of freshness.
The horror genre has seen surprising hits from all sorts of places this year. Shudder has slowly been asserting itself as one of the better studios when it comes to horror output. Hopefully, In A Violent Nature will generate enough buzz to escalate to a wide theatrical release. It takes a familiar setup and brings a fresh visual perspective. It's not unlike the recent indie Sasquatch Sunset in that it's a cooler idea than it is a film to watch. Both include a lot of walking but are impressive for what they're able to accomplish in a feature-length film. Ambition should be recognized and celebrated so In a Violent Nature is certainly worth a watch for horror fans. In a Violent Nature hits theaters on May 31. Rating: 4/5 |