Review by Cole Groth

Kyra Sedgwick’s directorial debut Space Oddity is precisely what you’d expect. No boundaries will be pushed in this romantic dramedy, but there’s a lot of comfort in the simplicity of a movie like this. Starring Kyle Allen, Kevin Bacon, and Alexandra Shipp, this film plays it too safe and ends up being a somewhat forgettable experience.

This movie tells the story of Alex Mcallister (Allen), a young man planning to visit Mars. He’s joined a mission to leave the planet and is preparing to leave his family behind. His mom (Carrie Preston) and dad (Bacon) are having trouble as they prepare to live on their own, while his sister (Madeline Brewer) is increasingly frustrated at Alex’s decisions. One of the last ends for Alex to tie up is his insurance policy. His agent, Daisy (Shipp), grows attached to him, and the two navigate a romance as Alex plans on leaving.

One of the things that immediately stands out in Space Oddity is how professional it looks. It’s nice to watch a rom-com with great cinematography, editing, and acting. Most of the crew behind this — including cinematographer Alar Kivilo, editor Stefanis Visser, and musicians Travis Bacon and Scott Hedrick — should be commended for their work. Elevating a simple story to look and sound powerful is challenging, and this excellent crew does it.

In another year and with better marketing, I could see this being a solid hit on a streamer or even something that could succeed in the theatrical scene. Sedgwick has had an impressive career in front of the screen, and if she were given a more solid script, I could see her making an incredible sophomore movie.

However, professionalism only goes so far when the core problem is a mediocre script. There are many great moments, but writer Rebecca Banner has created a weak conflict between Alex and his journey to Mars.  Fortunately, Banner does an excellent job tackling nihilism, proving that although the script could’ve been polished more, she’s still a talented writer. A great premise is found within this, but the second and third acts are weak and cheapen the experience.

While the script might not be amazing, the cast certainly is. Kyle Allen and Alexandra Shipp are an excellent pairing on screen and have plenty of charisma, which is very important because this is, after all, a film about romance. Kevin Bacon is, as usual, great as Alex’s troubled father. Madeline Brewer and Carrie Preston are also unexpectedly brilliant, with their emotional climaxes being very powerful to watch.

Space Oddity ends up being a bit lost in the wide variety of other coming-of-age romantic dramedies released each year, and while it won’t do enough to stand out to most viewers, this is worth a watch for fans of the genre. Kyra Sedgwick has an emotional eye for directing and brings out great performances against a somewhat weak script. With another rewrite, this would stand out as an excellent film, but this is a pretty good film with excellent production.

Space Oddity releases in theaters and VOD starting March 31.

Rating: 3.5/5

Review by Camden Ferrell

The musical contributions of Donna Summer and Kiss are known across the world by people of all generations. Aside from their fame, both Summer and Kiss were signed to Casablanca Records which was founded by Neil Bogart in 1973. Bogart is a name that might not be as widely known as that of his clients, but he was an influential figure in music, nonetheless. Spinning Gold tells the story of Bogart and his tumultuous journey to success. Directed by his son, Timothy Scott Bogart, there are a handful of fantastic moments in this movie that are ultimately dragged down by poor pacing, uneven storytelling, and undaring artistic choices.
 
In this movie, we follow the life and career of Neil Bogart who has worn many hats as evidenced by his name changes throughout life. It’s 1973, and he founded Casablanca records while discovering artists like Donna Summer and Kiss. The problem is that nobody is buying their music, and Casablanca is struggling to stay afloat. Through lots of trials, tribulations, and insane bets, we see Bogart seek musical immortality through his company. This is an interesting story that features some major music icons, and it has all the makings of a hit biopic if it was executed properly.
 
The most noticeable flaw from the start is how unbalanced the storytelling is. Scenes don’t flow together, and at best, it finds its rhythm albeit monotonous. It seems evocative of every other musical biopic of the last ten years while missing out on the fundamentals of screenwriting that made them work in the first place. The dialogue is imitative of better films in the music genre, and it doesn’t do much beyond giving a superficial telling of events.

It’s unclear if this was intended to be an awards-caliber performance from its lead actor, but he certainly is giving it his all as if it was. The film is led by Jeremy Jordan in his biggest film role to date, and I have to give him props for putting his soul into this role. It’s always honorable for an actor to give everything to a role, but it doesn’t always work out. He plays Bogart so intensely, and it could often benefit from more subtlety. It’s also clear that the supporting cast is operating on different frequencies which means Jordan’s performance is lost in a sea of different performances. The only performance that is even worth mentioning is the small supporting role from Dan Fogler which is actually quite funny.
 
Despite the problems the movie clearly has, there are good things happening. The camerawork (which is only bogged down by bad CGI) is dynamic, and creative in the way it tells its story. There are some highly coordinated movements that are smooth, exciting, and fun to look at. This camerawork combines great music, bold set pieces, and sharp editing to create some electric moments throughout. It’s not enough to combat the movie’s bloated length, but it means you won’t leave the theater totally disappointed.
 
Spinning Gold tells the story of Casablanca records using the same musical biopic formula seen many times before to mixed effect. Obviously, it has great music, but it’s slow, uneven, and not nearly stimulating enough considering the subject matter. Fans of the cast and Casablanca artists might enjoy it more than others, but for the average viewer, this can wait for VOD.
 
Spinning Gold is in theaters March 31.
 
Rating: 2.5/5

Review by Sean Boelman

French absurdist filmmaker Quentin Dupieux is one of the most idiosyncratic filmmakers working today, with his films being the very definition of “love it or hate it.” His latest venture, Smoking Causes Coughing, is as short and snappy as always, taking full advantage of its wacky, creative concept.

The film follows a band of five superheroes who, after declining success owing to a loss of group cohesion, is sent on a mandatory retreat to encourage them to get back in their rhythm. It’s both a perfect throwback and a film that feels incredibly timely — a balance that many filmmakers attempt, but few are able to pull off.

The most obvious point of comparison for the film is like a more demented, adult version of Power Rangers. It’s the type of bizarre, creative comedy that only the mind of Quentin Dupieux could dream up. However, the level of detail he puts into this one is extraordinary, and every single one of the actors — several of which are French A-listers — are fully committed to the bit.

Since this film is paying homage to a genre not exactly known for its technical prowess, its execution is understandably goofy-looking. However, Dupieux absolutely nails the recreation of this style he is going for, with impressively campy creature design and some pretty amazing use of puppetry.

However, at a certain point, the film begins to shift into an anthology structure. On their retreat, the central characters bond by sharing stories around a campfire. Of course, being that this is a film by Dupieux — the stories are random, bizarre, and hilarious — but they all add up to the film’s impressive and thoughtful environmentalist message.

Dupieux has a very particular style of absurd humor, and it’s on full display here. However, Smoking Causes Coughing is more broadly funny than some of the filmmaker’s other films, likely owing to its many references to pop culture. It’s also his goriest film since Rubber, but as one would expect, the exaggerated violence is used to hilarious effect. 

The character development in the film is a bit more shallow than most Dupieux films, but then again, that seems to be the point. The characters are archetypes used to teach a message — much in the way that the superheroes in tokusatsu franchises were archetypes that taught children important values like honesty, courage, and fairness.

Smoking Causes Coughing is another amazing film in Dupieux’s library, and has the potential to be a breakout hit on the level of Rubber. It’s hilarious, insightful, and delightfully twisted in the way that the filmmaker’s fans have come to expect.

Smoking Causes Coughing hits theaters and VOD on March 31.

Rating: 5/5

Review by Tatiana Miranda

Based on the book of the same name by M.O. Walsh, The Big Door Prize poses questions for both its characters and the audience about their potential and asks how far they'll go in order to fulfill it. The ten-episode first season opens on high school history teacher Dusty as he celebrates his 40th birthday with his wife, Cass, and teenage daughter, Trina. What seems to be an ordinary day in their small town of Deerfield is quickly derailed by a mysterious machine that appeared in the general store overnight. On the front of the machine are the words "Morpho. Discover Your Life Potential." Deerfield's inhabitants quickly spread the news of the machine and its magical ability to assign you your potential with just $2 and your handprint and social security number. ​

Soon, everyone in Deerfield has used the Morpho, with some residents gaining specific roles such as "Male Model" or "Tattoo Artist." Others have more ambiguous potentials, including "Royalty" and "Hero." Characters like Dusty question the validity of the machine, but more so the effect the results have on the townspeople. For some, their "potential" pushes them to quit their job or get a divorce. For Cass, Dusty's wife and daughter of the mayor, her Morpho result pushes her to take action and gain confidence. 

Review by Sean Boelman

Schmigadoon! was a pleasant surprise when it came out — one of the greatest comedy shows on streaming thanks to its charming, endearing homage to Golden Age musicals with some hilarious comedy to boot. Fans were overjoyed to find out it was renewed for a second season, and that it would pay homage to a different era of classic musicals. While it doesn’t quite live up to expectations, season two of Schmigadoon! is still plenty of fun.

Although the first season left viewers with a pretty open ending, season two picks up with our everyday protagonists (Keegan-Michael Key and Cecily Strong) having returned to their normal lives. Discontent with the mundanity of domesticity, they decide to attempt to return to Schmigadoon, only to find a new city in its place, inspired by the musicals of the ‘70s and ‘80s.

Perhaps the biggest mistake that season two of Schmigadoon! makes is that it casts too wide of a net. Although even the most casual of musical theater fans will be delighted by all of the references — from Chicago to Cabaret and even Sweeney Todd — there are just too many things going on here. There are so many subplots that many of them feel underdeveloped and limited by the small number of episodes.

Indeed, this season is perhaps even more ambitious than the last, and while it’s still charming, it’s not quite as infectious. With a few more episodes to flesh out the supporting characters — and offer a few more songs in the process — this certainly could have stacked up against the masterwork that was season one, but as is, it feels like something is missing.

Still, some of the casting decisions made in this season are absolutely legendary. Casting Ariana DeBose as a stand-in for the Emcee from Cabaret and Jane Krakowski as what is essentially a gender-swapped version of Billy Flynn from Chicago are inspired choices that lead to some very fun moments — it’s just a shame that they aren’t used a bit more. 

The music also isn’t quite as good as the first season. Although the primary song, which welcomes our protagonists to the new setting of “Schmicago” is really catchy — largely thanks to the phenomenal voice of Titus Burgess — the rest of the songs simply aren’t as memorable. And given that the writers had such a wealth of material to work with and parody, just good is not good enough.

That being said, the film does thrive with its production design and choreography. Much like the first season, the sets here are exquisite, created to be a slightly surreal version of the world of these musicals we all know and love. And since there are so many more distinct influences this time around, there’s also a lot more variance in the designs.

Season two of Schmigadoon! isn’t quite as good as the predecessor, but it’s still an entertaining (and highly bingeable) series. Unlike a lot of sequels, this doesn’t suffer from a shortage of ideas — it just feels like their execution was somewhat rushed.

Schmigadoon! streams on Apple TV+ beginning April 5. All six episodes reviewed.

Rating: 4/5