Review by Sean Boelman

Skateboarding company Illegal Civ is known for the things that they do with their skateboarding videos, and so it is only natural that they would evolve into feature filmmaking. And even though North Hollywood is a lot more conventional than one would hope, it’s still an entertaining entry into the coming-of-age genre.

The film follows a teenager who, having recently graduated high school, is torn between going to college or pursuing his dream of becoming a professional skater. It’s a film that desperately wants to be hip and cool, yet lacks the bite to pull it off, borrowing a lot of beats from other, more interesting skate films.

Turning in it a nice, lean ninety-three minutes, the film is consistently pretty entertaining. Granted, since the overall arc is so familiar, it’s never the most involving film, but there are enough cool skate scenes and light humor to keep the pace sailing along. It’s basically exactly what one would expect from this team and cast.

Ultimately, the thing that is perhaps the biggest letdown about this film is that it doesn’t have anything original to say. The messages about growing up and living up to unfair expectations set by one’s family aren’t especially deep, and they certainly aren’t unique, as this is the same ground covered by nearly every coming-of-age arc.

The protagonist is a compelling character, but the thing that this film lacks are interesting supporting players. The protagonist’s sidekicks are both stock characters, preventing his relationship with them from serving as the emotional crux of the story. There isn’t even a gnarly antagonist to differentiate this film from others.

Without a doubt, the most impressive thing about this film is the cast. Ryder McLaughlin does a good job in his leading role, bringing a lot of charisma to the character. It is nice to see Miranda Cosgrove working again, even if it is as a love interest. And Vince Vaughn is a highlight in a role that allows him to showcase his dramatic abilities he has recently been focusing on along with his comedic chops.

As a whole, the film looks fine, even if it does play it safer than expected. Mikey Alfred is undeniably a competent filmmaker, but given his background in other mediums, one would think that his style would be a lot more dynamic. Instead, what we get is a film that is shot in a straightforward way, with the skating doing most of the heavy lifting.

North Hollywood is a film that fans of Illegal Civ will likely want to see, but there are much better skating coming-of-age films (Skate Kitchen immediately comes to mind). Still, it’s fun enough to be worth a watch, even if it will soon be forgotten.

North Hollywood is now available on VOD.

​Rating: 3.5/5

Review by Sean Boelman

There is something alluring about watching cinema that has been banned in their home country, especially when the reasons that led it to being censored are political. The Iranian film There Is No Evil would be pretty magnificent anyway, but the fact that its creation was an act of protest in and of itself makes it all the more impressive.

The movie is an anthology featuring four stories of people who are faced ethical dilemmas all centered around the death penalty. Yet even though the film deals with this subject matter that is extremely difficult, it isn’t the type of movie that is unbearably bleak to watch. Instead, filmmaker Mohammad Rasoulof takes a more somber and meditative approach.

In terms of exploring its themes, the film is mostly very effective. Admittedly, there are a few portions of the movie that would definitely benefit from a more intimate understanding of Iranian politics, but a majority of the film appeals to the audience on a much more universal and humanistic scale.

Of the four segments, the first two are absolutely riveting and the back half is just strong. Ultimately, a lot of the movie’s hardest-hitting moments, both emotionally and politically, come early on and Rasoulof’s script struggles to keep up with the high standard that these beats are able to set.

One of the significant limitations of the anthology film style is that character development is made more difficult by the shorter amount of time the audience spends following each individual story. And while all of the players are compelling to some extent, it is lacking that intimacy to make it feel fully urgent.

The ensemble that Rasoulof assembled for his movie is excellent. There is not one weak link in the cast whatsoever. Mohammad Seddighimehr is probably the biggest highlight of all of the actors, giving a performance that is entirely nuanced and empathetic and having great chemistry with his co-stars.

The making of this film is an absolute miracle, much less the fact that it turned out so well. Art made in secret rarely has such an overwhelming beauty to it, and yet Rasoulof’s film is consistently gorgeous. His style is very quiet and unpretentious, which feels perfect for this type of production.

There Is No Evil is both a spectacular work of art and a daring political statement. Even though it does lose some of its momentum heading into its final two stories, it is strong enough as a whole to be unmissable.

There Is No Evil is now playing in theaters and virtual cinemas. A list of participating locations can be found here.

​Rating: 4.5/5

Review by Camden Ferrell

While the opening of Georgetown doesn’t claim the story about to be seen is true, it is inspired by actual shocking events. Based on the article The Worst Marriage in Georgetown by Franklin Foer, this film premiered at the 2019 Tribeca Film Festival. It also serves as the feature directorial debut of acclaimed actor Christoph Waltz, who elects the be credited as C. Waltz as a director. Despite an interesting true story, the movie doesn’t seem to care enough about its narrative to make an engaging film even with the great actors at its disposal.
 
Ulrich Mott is an overly ambitious social climber who marries a significantly older widow in D.C. Using his new marriage and her connections, he starts operating in higher circles and becoming more acquainted with the political players in the city. However, after his wife’s death, he becomes the main suspect as they believe there was foul play. Again, it’s base on a true story that is quite interesting, and it had all the makings of a great movie.
 
Unfortunately, despite the great story, the screenplay doesn’t do it justice. David Auburn’s script lacks any kind of engaging dialogue or meaningful exchanges. It’s sluggish and meanders, and it doesn’t every really explore the most interesting aspects of the story. It’s not a great foundation on which the film must be built, and it toes the line between forgettable and misguided.
 
Even though the script isn’t promising, the actors do what they can with the material. Christoph Waltz leads the film as Ulrich, and he gives a somewhat decent pathological performance as he lies his way to the top. Annette Bening co-stars as the suspicious daughter of Ulrich’s wife, and she also does decently, considering how little her character had to work with.

Waltz’s direction seems uninspired more than anything. His scenes and execution lack motivation and personality, and it is a bland product as a result. He doesn’t seem particularly interested in the story or its characters, and it plays off like a television movie.
 
The movie is told non-linearly. Usually, that’s a welcome change of pace for movies like this, but this movie misuses it. It’s not confusing, but like most things in the movie, it’s plain and doesn’t click. Some of the context and backstory for the character’s is unnecessary, and it fails to do the most important thing in a movie like this: make us feel sympathetic for an unlikeable character.
 
The movie isn’t aggressively bad, it just lacks an artistic voice that is passionate about this story. There are a few good musical cues, but other than that, the movie seems to lose interesting in itself far too early. It’s a waste of great acting potential, and it is a forgettable debut for Waltz as a director.
 
Georgetown is a film that lacks the excitement of its source material. Great actors and a solid premise are wasted on bland execution and a final product that is quite forgettable.
 
Georgetown is in select theaters May 14 and on VOD May 18.
 
Rating: 2.5/5

Review by Camden Ferrell

The Killing of Two Lovers premiered at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival. The film comes from writer/director Robert Machoian. Calculated in its slow pace and occasionally brutal in its realism, this is a quaint story of a man trying to hold his life and family together.
 
David is currently living back home with his dad while on a trial separation from his wife, Nikki. They both agree to see other people, but David struggles with this as he tries to maintain his family, including four children. This is a simple story of a marriage falling apart. It’s nothing new, but this is a relatable story that has the potential for a lot of emotional exploration.
 
Machoian’s script is minimal, and it works more times than not. There are some moments that don’t make too much narrative sense and disrupt the flow of the movie. However, he revels in the film’s silence and lets his actors breathe a lot as a result. It leads to some great moments, and even though it’s flawed, the script feels like it fits his vision very well.
 
While the entire cast gives good performances, it’s hard to deny how talented of a leading man Clayne Crawford is. He gives a wide range of emotions in his performance, and his acting reveals how well he understands the emotional difficulties and conflict of separation. It’s awfully resonant throughout, and there are a handful of gut-wrenching moments that highlight his talent. Avery Pizzuto, despite her minimal screen time, also gives a promising performance as David’s daughter. 

As mentioned before, its premise doesn’t break new ground, and it does sometimes feel limited in that regard. Machoian tries his best to give it a rural and more grounded spin, but it doesn’t do much to feel refreshing. Even though the quietness often works in the movie’s favor, it can feel too meditative for its own good at certain points throughout.
 
One of the most surprising aspects of this movie is its cinematography. It’s shot in a unique aspect ratio, and cinematographer Oscar Ignacio Jiménez has a keen eye for gorgeous shot composition. The camerawork is minimal, but it fits the nature of the movie perfectly, and it’s one of the most commendable parts of the movie.
 
Despite its pacing problems, the movie does succeed in capturing the challenges of separation and marriage. It’s a near-universal experience that will speak to countless people, and that kind of connection is priceless. It doesn’t say anything particularly new, but it does have passion in its creative voice.
 
The Killing of Two Lovers is a showcase for Crawford as a leading man and Machoian as a director. It may feel a little too familiar and slow, but it is an emotional story about one man trying to keep it together.
 
The Killing of Two Lovers is in select theaters and VOD May 14.
 
Rating: 3.5/5

Review by Camden Ferrell

From Danish writer/director and Oscar winner Anders Thomas Jensen, Riders of Justice is his newest film that tells a uniquely and darkly comical story of revenge. Carried by a strong cast and a well-developed narrative, this is an exciting and occasionally violent film that confirms the talents of those on and off screen.
 
Markus is a man who returns home to his teenage daughter, Mathilde, after his wife tragically dies. Mathilde and her mother were on a train when it had an accident where her mother died. Markus and Mathilde cope with this loss when Otto, a statistics specialist, comes to tell them the crash wasn’t an accident. Now, Markus joins his new accomplice and his colleagues on a journey of revenge. The movie has all the makings of a great revenge thriller, and it does have some unique elements to keep it fresh.
 
The screenplay is fairly strong from start to finish. It’s not an especially profound examination of grief, but it does subtly show the healing process for everyone involved. Aside from it being a revenge film, it’s also a film about rebuilding after tragedy and coping with immense loss. It serves as a great foundation for the actors to build on in their own unique ways.
 
Mads Mikkelsen leads the film as Markus, and he adds yet another great performance to his résumé. He plays the character stoically, and he is able to lose his temper and composure as needed for maximum effect. The supporting cast featuring Nikolaj Lie Kaas, Lars Brygmann, and Nicolas Bro is strong, and even if they aren’t as memorable as Mikkelsen, they elevate the scenes in which they participate. 

​The movie can feel a little long at nearly two hours, but it’s mostly justified. There are a few scenes that don’t feel completely necessary and bloat the run time, but it’s a forgivable flaw in the film. The pacing is pretty consistent throughout, and there is a fair amount of wonderfully executed scenes.
 
As someone studying statistics, I really enjoyed how they incorporated that field of study into the film. It gave certain parts of the movie the same feeling as a mystery movie as they try and figure out who may have caused the train accident. It’s one of the aspects that make this revenge film stand out from others.
 
In addition to being engaging, the film also finds time to be quite hilarious. It balances it really well with the emotionally intense and violent moments. The style of humor is often quite dark, but it fits perfectly with the tone of the rest of the movie. The film also features some great action sequences that truly make this an enjoyable viewing experience.
 
Riders of Justice, the newest collaboration between Jensen and Mikkelsen, is witty, darkly funny, and well-developed. It simultaneously tells a story of revenge and grief with a new perspective that is quite refreshing.
 
Riders of Justice is in select theaters May 14 and in theaters and on VOD everywhere May 21.
 
Rating: 4/5