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Review by Steve Barton II  Heist films have existed in the medium of film since the beginning with 1903’s The Great Train Robbery, which allegedly drove a widespread panic in theaters due to audiences experiencing this new technology. Since then, countless bank robbery and heist movies have been produced and they all follow a similar structure. A crew of unlikely characters are brought together by one leader who sees an unexpected opportunity to rob a bank and/or rich person, but their plan is thwarted by a third party or circumstance and it ends with the thief learning a lesson about life. LifeHack brings this premise into the modern age and gives audiences a fresh look at the over-saturated genre. LifeHack follows Kyle (Georgie Farmer), a teen who has completely grown up in the internet/computer age and discovers a group of friends who are all extremely intelligent when it comes to computers and hacking. When Kyle sees the opportunity to commit a multi-million dollar cryptocurrency heist from tech mogul Don Heard (who serves as an Elon Musk stand-in), he gets his talented team together to commit massive bitcoin robbery without leaving their bedrooms. While the technological advances in heist styles makes LifeHack unique among the other heist films, that’s not the only reason why it’s important and one of a kind. The story plays out completely through computer screens with video calls and first person shots through Kyle’s perspective. We’ve seen this style of film with Unfriended, Host and Searching, but LifeHack is one of the first times it’s used outside of the horror/thriller genre. From this perspective, the audience is forced to feel much more immersed into the story and the pressure and tension that Kyle and his friends feel in these intense moments. The audience is also able to learn more about Kyle and other characters without forcing a bunch of expositional dialogue with seeing Kyle emotional over his poor relationship with his father and what motivates him to commit such a dangerous crime. In our modern age, video calls and Discord chats are common ways of communication and the dialogue between the teens adds the overall authentic and realistic tone of it all.  LifeHack’s visual style is its best feature, but the cast of young adults are also incredible. Each actor brings their own style and flair to the group and no one feels like a caricature of a stereotypical “hacker” that we’ve seen in the popular media for the last 30+ years. The rest of the group consists of Yasmin Finney as Alex, Roman Hayeck-Gren as Sid and James Scholz as Petey and their chemistry as internet buddies speaks to both their performances and the writing and direction from the newcomer Ronan Corrigan. For a first time director to think of this creative framing for his project is inspiring and encouraging to see what he thinks of next. While the story may not be the most original and plays out a bit predictably, the experience of the odd perspective and fun characters are the major selling points for LifeHack.
In the end, LifeHack is a creative endeavor in an otherwise basic and bland genre. While the story isn’t breaking new ground, its main focus is showing how we can make these familiar story elements new and intriguing with a new framing. Some audience members that didn’t care for this style when Unfriended or Missing did it, may not be won over here, but it’s worth it if you hate the rich and like a modern Robin Hood story. Ronan Corrigan shows promise with his feature endeavors in the oceans of film and we should all be seated for the next one. If a modern twist on the heist movie grand design with technology mixed with internet "street smarts", LifeHack has you covered from every angle of your computer screen. LifeHack breaks its way into theaters starting May 15th! Rating: 3.5/5
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Review by Steve Barton II  The Punisher (aka Frank Castle) began as a comic book character in February of 1974 appearing in The Amazing Spider-Man #129 as an adversarial assassin against Spider-Man. Punisher will be making his overdue return to the big screen in this summer’s blockbuster, Spider-Man: Brand New Day since 2008 with Punisher: War Zone. While it has been 18 years since Frank Castle blessed a theater screen, he broke his way into our homes during the second season of the Netflix Daredevil series. With Jon Bernthal under the skull insignia for this iteration of the character, Punisher has more depth to this character than ever. In The Punisher: One Last Kill, we pick up after the events of Daredevil: Born Again’s first season, where Frank was imprisoned by Wilson Fisk for being a vigilante. Afterward, he returns to Little Sicily where he sees riots and gangs have infiltrated the neighborhood without someone to help the regular citizens. Frank has put the Punisher mantle down and is trying to live a normal life, but the ghosts from his past still haunt him and it’s driving him to the brink of suicide. As he’s right on the edge of giving up, his past pulls him back in once more. As many comic connoisseurs may agree, the experience of watching The Punisher: One Last Kill felt similar to reading a graphic single issue story that we all love. It is a good feeling to have a contained plot that feels complete by the end, it does feel rushed in this time constraint. With the story being told, they could’ve made this feature length and flesh out the side characters and Frank’s battle with his PTSD. While you may not have all of the necessary context to fully enjoy this special if you haven’t fully caught up on all the shows MCTVU, fans of the Punisher with a base knowledge can pick this on Disney+ and still feel fulfilled in the end.  The major reason this television special works is the performance from Jon Bernthal as Frank Castle. Tackling Frank’s PTSD isn’t breaking new ground, but the lengths Bernthal goes to feels raw and leaves you with a visceral sadness and sympathy for this broken man. Between his deep growls of anger and whimpers of sadness and pain as he begs Karen Page (Deborah Ann Woll) to not be a ghost in his broken mind. Anyone who has dealt with mental health issues and been suicidal will see how Frank is feeling and could be therapeutic and/or emotionally draining due to how authentic it is. Even in the general public among the masses, the past and all its pain always have a way of sneaking up and ruining everything.
In the end, The Punisher: One Last Kill is a solid coda for this last season of Daredevil: Born Again and a perfect starting point to jump into Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Frank Castle is a complicated character who many people can relate to from different walks of life and that’s what makes him so compelling. While some folks may appreciate the PTSD angle of the story, the people who came for the ultra-violent Punisher won’t leave disappointed either. Disney+ has slowly become more lenient on the violence for their original content, but they push the boundaries with almost every kill in this special! If you’re a fan of The Punisher and looking for a quick watch full of brutal action sequences and great acting from Jon Bernthal, look no further than The Punisher: One Last Kill. The Punisher: One Last Kill is available on Disney+ starting May 12th. Rating: 4/5 Review by Chadd Clubine  2026 is already shaping up to be a strong year for horror, but May in particular is looking like a standout month for the genre. Kicking things off with Hokum, nearly every week in May brings another major horror release, all leading up to Backrooms at the end of the month. Right in the middle of that lineup is Obsession, a new horror film that absolutely shouldn’t go unnoticed. With both critics and audiences praising it, this is quickly becoming one of the must-watch horror movies of the year. After seeing it, Obsession is destined to become a modern horror classic. Writer and director Curry Barker first built a following through YouTube, where his work has steadily gained attention over the years. If you aren’t familiar with his name yet, this film is going to change that. Even if Obsession wasn’t initially on your radar, the growing word of mouth surrounding it will be impossible to ignore for long. What Barker accomplishes here is genuinely extraordinary. The film is just as uncomfortable as it is terrifying, constantly keeping viewers on edge. Barker repeatedly subverts expectations in ways that not only enhance the horror, but also deepen the film’s thematic storytelling in a meaningful way. What makes the film even more impressive is Barker’s ability to craft a story that resonates from multiple perspectives. While the narrative does explore the male point of view, it never blindly validates it. Instead, Barker highlights the flaws and insecurities within that perspective, allowing audiences — especially female viewers — to connect with the story in their own ways. The online discourse surrounding the film already reflects just how many interpretations viewers are taking away from it. None of these characters are particularly likable, yet they all feel deeply human. Just when you find yourself relating to someone, the film forces you to reevaluate that connection through the disturbing choices these characters ultimately make.  Michael Johnston may be the film’s lead, but Inde Navarrette is undoubtedly its breakout star. Johnston delivers a layered performance as a deeply flawed character, grounding the film in a way that makes its story and themes truly work. Without his performance, the emotional core of the film would fall apart. However, Navarrette is the one who elevates the movie into something unforgettable. She taps into something completely unhinged and emotionally raw, reminiscent of the intensity Naomi Scott brought to Smile 2. Navarrette fully commits to the role, delivering a performance that deserves to be remembered as one of the year’s very best. She completely disappears into the character, and it’s hard to imagine this film not becoming a major turning point in her career. Unfortunately, like many standout horror performances, it’s unlikely to receive the serious awards recognition it deserves — a frustrating reality for the genre that still hasn’t fully changed. The film is just as darkly funny as it is horrifying. Much of the humor comes from sheer disbelief that the movie is willing to go as far as it does in certain scenes. The shocks are outrageous at times, yet they never feel cheap because the film fully earns them through its storytelling and character work. It can be frustrating watching Michael Johnston’s character make certain choices, but the way he continually forgives Inde Navarrette’s character adds another layer to the film’s themes and emotional complexity. Just when it feels like the story has reached a natural stopping point for these characters, the film pushes even further into darkness, culminating in a finale that lands on a haunting note and lingers long after the credits roll. Overall, Obsession fully lives up to the hype, delivering not only one of the strongest films of the year so far, but potentially a future horror classic. The performances are consistently strong across the board, with the entire cast bringing weight and authenticity to the material. Still, it’s Inde Navarrette who delivers the standout performance, anchoring the film in a way that will likely define her as one of the year’s best. Thematically, writer-director Curry Barker crafts a story that lingers well beyond its runtime. It’s the kind of film that doesn’t just end—it settles in, slowly revealing new layers the more you sit with it, leaving you reflecting on its ideas the more you think about it. Obsession releases in theaters May 15th! RATING: 4.5/5
 Jessica Rothe began to earn her title of “Scream Queen” with the hit horror\comedy Happy Death Day back in 2017. She has made her mark in other films like her co-starring role in Boy Kills World, her supporting role in La La Land and the star of a short lived MTV show Mary + Jane, but her horror work is where she thrives. While it has been 6 years since the last Happy Death Day movie, Jessica has still been thriving in the horror genre and she landed her new starring role in Affection. In Affection, Jessica plays Ellie/Sarah a woman who wakes up with no recollection of the husband and daughter that she wakes up to, but actually remembers an entirely different life with another husband and son. As she starts to recover from her condition, Ellie begins to discover different oddities about her newfound life; she uncovers the secrets behind it all. First off, major props on the feature film debut of writer/director BT Meza with a solid new addition to the horror/sci-fi genre. Affection is mainly centered around grief and how damaging obsession can be to a person’s mental faculties. The characters Meza wrote here are fleshed out and keep the story interesting with the incredible performances from Jessica Rothe, Joseph Cross and Julianna Layne. Seeing Joseph annually deal with grief in the Christmas classic Jack Frost, this was an interesting role for him to tackle so many years later. In the beginning, Ellie is freaking out about her sudden new reality in this farmhouse with strangers and Bruce (Cross) has a calming yet untrustworthy aura about him that leaves you uneasy immediately. Julianna is a very talented young actress and her reactions to the scary moments felt quite authentic, but Jessica Rothe is the star of Affection. Rothe acts almost animalistic when she wakes up in a stranger's home. Throughout the movie, she also has physical muscle spasms and seizures and makes them look so real and unsettling. Her almost possession-like movements could rival Linda Blair back in The Exorcist.  As Ellie starts to peel back the curtain and sees what’s happening, the visuals darken, the audio drops and prepares to force urine to exit your body. While speaking on the visual look of Affection, the practical effects and makeup team are the shining stars of this project. When the climax reveal comes, Ellie has some physical changes that will sear themselves permanently into your brain and disturb you to the core. While the story is a bit too predictable at times, the eerie visuals and the plot reveal at the climax do the heavy lifting.
In the end, Affection may have some familiar plot elements to other films in the genre, but it has a unique visual identity that is unforgettable. Affection shows the audience the importance of working through your grief, rather than trying to distract yourself or substitute the void. BT Meza created a creepy world puppeteered by a madman trying to create his utopia using people like avatars. Jessica Rothe has become a sci-fi/horror queen and she has rightfully earned such a title with performances like Affection. Don't order a bunch of food or popcorn before walking into your theater, because while the title may sound like it may, Affection does NOT care about your feelings. Affection is playing in select theaters starting May 8th! Rating: 3.5/5 Review by Steve Barton II  With the previous installment releasing to mixed reviews, Mortal Kombat 2 had to make some adjustments if they wanted to win back the soured fans and critics alike. Mortal Kombat as a video game series is one of the most successful fighting franchises in history, but the films are the opposite side of the coin. The first film had moderate success back in 1995 critically and financially, but Mortal Kombat: Annihilation was so horrible in every way that it ended the film franchise until 2021! The coronavirus pandemic unfortunately played a major role in the box office for the 2021 reboot of the franchise, but it was also released on HBO MAX. Fans and critics liked the gore and fan service, but that’s about it. After five grueling years, Mortal Kombat II picks up right after the last movie with Shao Kahn as the emperor of the Outworld challenging Earth’s best fighters to a tournament to defend their realm. To fill out their team, Sonya Blade and Raiden recruit the renowned martial artist and action star Johnny Cage. The filmmaking team behind Mortal Kombat II did the unthinkable and listened to the criticism from the first. Many people didn’t care for Lewis Tan’s character, Cole Young as the main character and his screen time was significantly reduced. Instead, they let Karl Urban eat up the screen and portray Johnny Cage in spectacular fashion! While the fan campaign behind The Miz from WWE was convincing, Karl Urban nails the sarcastic humor and tough guy persona from his experience as The Butcher and Judge Dredd for Johnny. The filmmakers also must’ve dug deeper into the lore of Mortal Kombat because they did tons of fan service from characters, settings, gnarly deaths and the familiar iconic tune that every fan knows. When the Mortal Kombat theme hits those theater speakers in Dolby Atmos, your heartbeat will start pumping to the beat and you’ll be ready to FIGHT!  With Mortal Kombat being such a fantastical world, they’re forced to create a lot of the world with digital effects and imagination. Major props to the entire cast for the fight choreography and miming the motions of blasting someone with a weapon or decapitating their opponents and making it look seamless when the effects are added in the end. With the invention of virtual production walls, it helps the performers put themselves in the fictional environment and gives the added authenticity that they desperately needed. The action is cut to the incredible soundtrack from Benjamin Wallfisch, adding to the engrossing tension and elevating the great sound design.
In the end, Mortal Kombat II improves on the first film in every way. Simon McQuoid listened to the fans and teamed up with Jermey Slater to create the world that fans have been itching to see since 1992. The technological advancements have made this mystical world identical to the games and the actors having fun bring these icons to life with their cheese-drenched dialogue and incredible costumes. If you enjoy gory action, silly dialogue and incredibly creative visuals and sound design, Mortal Kombat II awaits you on the big screen. Mortal Kombat II begins the fight in theaters starting May 8th! Rating: 3.5/5 |