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Review by Sean Boelman
Rashida Jones and Hidetoshi Nishijima in "Sunny," premiering July 10, 2024 on Apple TV+.
Produced by A24, the new Apple TV+ series Sunny has all the makings of prestige television: a killer premise, a strong cast, and a creator whose last work was acclaimed. However, despite having all of these pieces in place, Sunny’s success is quite mixed, with some excellent moments but others that fall entirely flat.
Based on the novel The Dark Manual by Colin O’Sullivan, Sunny follows a woman whose life is upended after her husband and young son disappear in a mysterious plane crash, leaving her a domesticated robot. As she unravels the truth behind her family’s disappearance, she uncovers some unexpected dark secrets. Perhaps the biggest issue with Sunny is that it isn’t able to strike an effective balance between its dramatic and comedic elements. On the one hand, it’s a serious noir about a grieving widow, but on the other, it’s an odd-couple comedy following a human and her new robot sidekick. The result of these clashing tones is a wandering, aimless feel that is difficult to get invested in. The biggest strength of the series is its cast, particularly Rashida Jones in the lead. We know Jones has the comedic chops to pull off the humor in a way that doesn’t feel forced, but what was more surprising was how well she navigated the emotional beats. However, the real emotional core of the show is Hidetoshi Nishijima (Drive My Car), whose supporting turn steals the scene every time he shows up. 
Rashida Jones in "Sunny," premiering July 10, 2024 on Apple TV+.
Sunny is at its best when it takes ambitious stylistic swings, as these sequences allow the series to go in unique, genuinely interesting directions. For example, the show’s ninth episode is structured like a Japanese game show. This is not only the most narratively and aesthetically appealing half-hour of the series but also where it gets the opportunity to present the audience with some of its most intriguing questions. If the rest of the show had been able to match this bizarre energy, it would have been great.
Unfortunately, the rest of what we see is a rather bland neo-noir exploring the same themes we’ve seen in the genre dozens of times before. Sunny follows the grief storyline formula very closely, and while the characters are sympathetic, it very seldom actually moves the audience. The show also attempts to spice things up with commentary on AI, but as is the case with much of the media on this topic, the satire feels frustratingly timid and inert. Visually, Sunny is disappointing, considering the potential of its premise and setting. Apart from strong design for the eponymous robot and a sleekly stylized title sequence that kicks each episode off with a kinetic bang, the series doesn’t feel very distinctive. This only reaffirms the fact that the show’s lack of identity is its greatest flaw. It’s easy to see the potential that Sunny had, but this darkly comedic neo-noir doesn’t have enough laughs or tension to work in either genre. Although strong performances and a few ambitious swings are enough to keep viewers from losing interest entirely, there are much better entries into this genre to spend your time on. Sunny streams on Apple TV+ beginning July 10 with two episodes, with new episodes streaming subsequent Wednesdays. All ten episodes reviewed. Rating: 3/5
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Review by Joseph Fayed  Don't you hate it when your work follows you home? A Sacrifice is a mystery thriller that follows an extreme example of that. This German-American production is action-packed, but its investigation into a new-age cult loses its footing in the latter half when it becomes nothing more than your typical search-and-rescue mission story. Ben Monroe (Eric Bana) is an American social psychologist on assignment in Germany. Ben investigates a series of unusual deaths that appear to be linked to a new-age cult. Aided by Nina (Sylvia Hoeks), he tries to get closer to the root cause. In the meantime, his teenage daughter Mazzy (Sadie Sink) arrives to spend time with her dad. Mazzy's parents have separated, and while father and daughter haven't been able to deal with that yet, that soon becomes the least of their worries. Martin (Jonas Dassler) befriends Mazzie, and as the two hit it off, it appears Martin may be one of the missing links to Ben's case. Ben's investigation and Martin's own agenda create life-or-death consequences for everyone involved. Lines such as "We are what we create" echo throughout the film and the psychology behind it. It is clear how this was the intended premise behind the film, which in turn was adapted from the novel Tokyo by Nicholas Hogg. Changing the setting and characters' names doesn't make it stand out from any other "foreigner in Europe" stories. Changing those details also doesn't show how this enigmatic cult came to be. The lack of depth and understanding of this cult, which acts as the primary antagonist here, is jarring because how vague the film is trying to be isn't executed very well due to the lack of suspense or mystery that leads to the conclusion.  If an academic perspective on cults is too boring for you, then you may appreciate the second act pivot towards kidnapping, murder, and suicide. One positive note is that the film never becomes dull, even if the story behind it is poorly told. There is never too long of a gap where something messed up doesn't happen to one of our four leads. Most of the plot points can be seen coming from a mile away, which makes their reveal unintentionally hilarious. For example, Nina receives a phone call with crucial information she must keep secret. Before that scene, her personality was extremely dry in all of her scenes, so it was funny to see a turnaround to make her more relevant somehow.
Eric Bana has entered the mid-50s Liam Neeson dad era of his career. Australia must be so proud. His performance here is simply okay, but you definitely can tell which parts of the script he was comfortable acting. It's not the B-movie action flick jargon, but to his credit, he also doesn't overact his way through those scenes. Sadie Sink plays a bitchy teenager, and Sylvia Hoeks saves her energy until it is needed. Both were unremarkable but passable in their roles. Jonas Dassler is the one who got to display the most range because of how his character is written. He has a certain sad boy aura that European cinema tends to admire, so I expect him to appear in some Mubi original in the future if the right director/writer is willing to give him a chance. A Sacrifice is pretty mindless. Everything will be laid out in front of you, except for the whole cult aspect. But when you see glimpses of how bizarre a cult like that truly is, then at least you will be slightly more sympathetic towards our protagonists. Getting in and out of a cult is not as cut and dry as the film will make you believe, but I'm certain this fictional take on one will inspire the next wave of middle-aged dads to rescue their daughters in Western European countries. A Sacrifice hits theaters on June 28. Rating: 2/5
Review by Sean Boelman
Anthology horror is a notoriously hit-or-miss subgenre, but it has an incredibly passionate fanbase nonetheless. It’s clear that the Korean anthology horror flick Tastes of Horror is aimed at a younger audience with its tech-forward take on the horror genre. While it doesn’t live up to the heights of the cyber-horror genre revitalized by properties like Black Mirror, Tastes of Horror has enough strong moments that it’s worth a watch for cinephiles who enjoy the macabre.
Tastes of Horror features six segments adapted from a webtoon series directed by five of Korea's most acclaimed horror directors. Anyone familiar with the anthology horror genre knows the drill: there’s some good and some bad. This one's success feels even more scattered than most. From the first segment of Tastes of Horror, “Ding Dong Challenge,” viewers might be worried that it will get off to a rough start. The riff on The Ring for the TikTok era is as generic as it sounds, and while it’s never insufferable, it’s also not very entertaining. Thankfully, the anthology eventually picks up, but this opener does not set the pace well. Other segments of the film verge on confusing. “Four Legged Beast” feels like it doesn’t do enough — almost like it was destroyed in the editing room, with a final cut that feels rushed and doesn’t make much sense. “Rehabilitation” shows potential as a high-concept sci-fi horror, but it attempts to go too far into the world-building for what the runtime allows. 
“Jackpot” is a lackluster mix of both of those tendencies. Its story is incredibly generic — a dull entry into the supernatural horror subgenre — yet it attempts to throw in an unnecessary number of twists and turns to subvert the audience’s expectations. This is the segment that is most likely to have viewers checking their watches.
However, where Tastes of Horror stands out from other anthology films is that its worst parts aren’t egregiously bad — just forgettable; and its best moments are anything but. “Residents-Only Gym,” while simple in premise and not entirely logical, contains some of the most effectively executed scares in any horror movie this year so far. And the mukbang body horror short “Gluttony” may not be scary, but it’s one hell of an unsettling note to end the collection on. The commonality in all six segments — both the good and the bad ones — is impressive effects work. Admittedly, each short feels like it is built around one or two genuinely eerie images that the filmmakers wanted to pull off. However, those moments are so viscerally gruesome and impactful that horror fans will be satiated. Tastes of Horror doesn’t defy expectations when it comes to the anthology horror genre — there are some strengths and some weaknesses. However, thanks to a focus on impressive visual effects and more than a few genuinely disturbing moments, Tastes of Horror is mostly a success. It probably won’t break out beyond its target audience that already appreciates anthology horror, but there are far worse horror movies to suffer. Tastes of Horror is now available on VOD. Rating: 3/5 Review by Cole Groth  The corny tagline of Arena Wars, "The only way to live… is to kill," nicely summarizes what to expect from this low-budget action/thriller: a fun concept, cheap effects, and a weak script. It won't check any boxes as a film with genuine merit, but it deserves praise for being a fun time. In the dystopian world of Arena Wars, convicted criminals are offered a strange chance at redemption: a seven-tiered fight to the death. On each level, a trained killer, each more potent than the last. Most criminals are slaughtered almost immediately, meaning that ratings are down from the sickos who watch this type of program. It's up to our wrongly convicted hero, played by John Wells, to save the ratings, stand out above the bunch, and fight for his freedom. Violence and chaos ensue. The acting is a strange high point in the film. Most of it is pretty corny like you'd expect from the script, but many of the actors seemingly had a fun time behind the scenes, which radiates through the screen as the central group of fighters led their way through the Arena Wars. Most of the characters are douchey, but they're anchored by our lead, who brings a layer of sensitivity necessary to keep this film from not taking itself seriously enough.  Outside of bloody chaos and cheap thrills, Brandon Slagle's screenplay tries to elevate the premise through commentary on corporate greed and violence in the media. Unsurprisingly, it doesn't work very well. The dialogue is weak all across the board and entirely too on the nose. This film was meant for the action and not the story. Just because a movie has a low budget shouldn't mean that the script has to be so weak, though, so it can't be excused.
As far as the action goes, it's about what you'd expect — not great. It's mostly fun from its premise, but since the budget is so limited, the full vision of Slagle isn't matched. Most of the fighting consists of characters on a small stage engaging in hand-to-hand against a boring masked killer. That said, this maximizes its minimal budget, leading some of the action to work. The in-universe Arena Wars is a fascinating premise, and it would be pretty interesting to explore with a larger budget. Given the clearly low budget, it's a little tricky to wage the same type of criticism on this film as you would on any other strange sci-fi film. Despite some bad line delivery, strange editing decisions, and a somewhat ugly look, this is pretty fun because of how ambitious it is. If you're a fan of ridiculous and campy sci-fi/horror, this is actually a somewhat worthwhile watch. You wouldn't expect the ending to be nearly as positive as it is, but it ties the film together very well and leaves everything off on a satisfying note. Arena Wars is a test of whether you can forget about most of the technical stuff in a movie if it's fun. This suffers in a lot of places, including writing, visual effects, and editing, but it's the type of corny action fun that works if you're not looking for something serious. Arena Wars is now on VOD. Rating: 2.5/5 Review by Jonathan Berk  Isabel Deroy-Olson and Lily Gladstone star in “Fancy Dance,” in select theaters June 21 and streaming on Apple TV+ June 28. Some movies hold a mirror up to our lives, and we will see ourselves in it. Those are often powerful moments that make an audience member feel seen. However, it is often more impactful when a movie opens a window and allows us to see a world we are less familiar with. Those worlds can be fantastical and fictitious, but sometimes they feel like we're looking in our backyard, and we somehow never quite noticed a specific detail right in front of us the entire time. Director Erica Tremblay's Fancy Dance is the latter, offering a view of a world often overlooked by American society that deserves a closer look. The film follows Lily Gladstone's character, Jax, after her sister's disappearance as she struggles to take care of her niece, played by Isabel Deroy-Olson. The system seems determined to separate her family, and out of desperation to find her sister and keep her family together, the two hit the road to the Grand Nation Powwow in Oklahoma City. Gladstone continues to demonstrate her onscreen power in another emotionally quiet but powerful performance. Her performance is an iceberg with a cool and collected outward demeanor, but her eyes reveal the many complex emotions underneath. Her performances convey so much going on in her head while keeping her composure to those around her. If the story calls for an outburst of that emotion, she is also up for that, but she clearly has a grasp of the power of film acting. The subtlety she brings to her characters and the stories continues to impress. This particular film allows her to flex her skills to great effect. Deroy-Olson's debut and style mesh quite well with Gladstone. She's much younger, and her character, Roki, is a little naive. Her optimism and youthfulness make her naivety forgivable and are used to really drive the point of the film home. All Deroy-Olson's character wants to do is make it to the Powwow, where she believes her mom will be, and they'll participate in the family dance ceremony. It's far more than a MacGuffin as it sets the stage for the various systemic problems related to living on the reservation.  Isabel Deroy-Olson and Lily Gladstone star in “Fancy Dance,” in select theaters June 21 and streaming on Apple TV+ June 28. The characters in the film feel forced to use less than ethical means to get by. In the opening sequence, Jax and Roki embrace nature and collect supplies. They come across an older man fishing, and Jax tries to distract him while Roki raids his tackle box. As they leave the woods, we see them steal the truck and take it to a shop where they sell what they've collected and stolen to get by. This scene initially plays with tone and is a bit of silly fun at first, but later, as other events unfold, it takes new meaning.
Jax's life is not easy, and it was apparently even more challenging for her sister. Interactions with other characters, especially the sisters' father, played excellently by Shea Whigham, and his new wife, played by Audrey Wasilewski, show the challenges put up against them. As the film progresses and Jax and Roki decide to head to the Powwow despite the warnings about it, it becomes clear that there isn't a great outcome for Jax in the world she's living in. Fancy Dance is beautiful and sorrowful and is another showcase for Gladstone. Tremblay has given audiences a movie that is heartfelt and informative. Hopeful and devastating. Movies like this embody Roger Ebert's words, allowing audiences to live in someone else's shoes. An opportunity to see problems through a lens we otherwise would have no access to knowing. Fancy Dance is in theaters on June 21 and streaming on Apple TV+ on June 28. Rating: 4/5 |