Review by Sean Boelman

Some of the scariest movies are set in a confined space because this allows the viewer to feel trapped right alongside the characters, and that is the main appeal of Sean King O’Grady’s masterclass in tension, We Need to Do Something. The film creeps under the viewer’s skin before delivering absolute insanity, making it one of the most effective genre pictures of the year.

The movie follows a family who is trapped together in a bathroom after a devastating storm, only to find out that there may be something more sinister happening. O’Grady does an excellent job of starting small and getting progressively bigger and bigger as the film goes on, though he still maintains the heavily independent vibe that is what makes it so effective.

For the first thirty minutes or so, the movie is a slow burn thriller built around the tension between the family members. But after that, things begin to go down in a way that makes this turn into something much more complex and absolutely terrifying. Viewers will have their mouths agape in shock for almost the entirety of the last hour.

Admittedly, the film is pretty overt with its themes that come into play in the final act, but this isn’t a genre that is known for its subtlety. It’s hard to describe exactly how without spoiling some of the surprises that the movie has in store, but the emotional crux of the film that comes into play in the back half is surprisingly resonant.

Much of the movie revolves around the family dynamic, and it works quite well. There are definitely some cliches in play, but the script by Max Booth III does a good job of deconstructing them in a way that isn’t entirely predictable. The ways in which the film plays with their motivations is very compelling.

The small cast is very good, especially given the fact that the movie is largely on their backs. The highlight of the cast is Pat Healy whose performance is exaggerated, but terrifyingly creepy. It’s nice to see the character actor getting a starring role. The other main players — Sierra McCormick, Vinessa Shaw, and John James Cronin — are also all pretty good as well.

That said, the single most impressive part of this film is O’Grady’s skill in making tension. The movie creates an intense feeling of claustrophobia in the viewer, and it’s part of what makes it so disturbing. The sound design is also phenomenal, expanding the world beyond the confines of the bathroom.

We Need to Do Something is an absolutely horrifying film, hooking the audience in with a slow burn before catching them entirely off guard. Sean King O’Grady is absolutely someone to keep an eye on in genre cinema.

We Need to Do Something hits theaters and VOD on September 3.

​Rating: 5/5

Review by Sean Boelman

There may not have ever been a show with as wide of an appeal as Only Murders in the Building, a true crime-inspired comedy starring Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez. Genuinely funny and featuring a surprisingly well-written mystery, this is sure to be the next series to set the internet ablaze.

The series follows three residents of a luxurious apartment building who start a podcast investigating the mysterious death of one of their neighbors. It’s definitely very of-the-moment in the way it pokes fun at the phenomenon that true crime podcasts have become, but the timelessness of the Martin/Short duo will allow it to outlive the trend upon which it is based. 

Each thirty minute episode follows our amateur detectives as they go down a new path, be it a red herring or a shocking twist that pushes it in an entirely different direction. The result is an unpredictable ride that will keep the viewer guessing, pulling the rug out from under them as soon as they think they have it all figured out.

It does take a bit of time for the show to find its footing as the first few episodes must set up the mystery and all of the players before we get to watch the trio of bumbling investigators find their way around a murder scene. However, once the series stops trying to hook viewers and instead sticks to being itself, it’s a lot of fun to watch.

The characterization in the series works very well, especially as one gets into the later episodes of the season. Although everyone (including the three leads) comes off a tad on the archetypal side in the first few times we see them after they are introduced, the characters soon quickly come into their own and feel lived in.

Of course, the comedic duo of Steve Martin and Martin Short is absolutely iconic, and they deliver on the same charm they always have. They are both lovably goofy in their roles. Selena Gomez adds a nice bit of modern flair to the mix as well. In the supporting cast, there are some amazing cameos best left unspoiled, but one major player who gives a particularly notable turn is Nathan Lane.

The series also does some exceptional things on a technical level. The production design and score are some of the best of the year so far. And there is one really ambitious episode shot primarily from the perspective of a deaf character in which the story is told without spoken dialogue.

Only Murders in the Building is a delightful new comedy, but no one would expect any less from the people involved. It’s sure to be a hit among audiences young and old, as there is plenty to enjoy all-around.

Only Murders in the Building streams on Hulu beginning August 31 with new episodes releasing subsequent Tuesdays. Eight out of ten episodes reviewed.

Rating: 4.5/5

Review by Dan Skip Allen

Films about Shakespeare's plays have been around for generations. Everybody from Lawrence Olivier to Mel Gibson has done them in the past. Isabella is a character in the Shakespeare play Measure for Measure. This film might be the strangest use of or adaption of a Shakespeare play in a movie in recent memory.

Muriel (Maria Villar) is trying out for the role of Isabella in the play Measure For Measure. While waiting to audition, she meets a woman named Luciana (Augustine Munez) On a walk, they get to know each other and Luciana helps Muriel to remember her lines. The entire time Muriel doesn't know that Luciana is auditioning for the same role.

Years later, while doing a different production of her own Muriel encounters Luciana once again and they get to talking about their experiences. They both bring up the whole situation involving auditioning for the role of Isabella and how Miguel (Pablo Sigal), the director of the new play The 12 Stones was involved in the casting of the process of Measure For Measure. It's a small world in these acting circles in Brazil.

The director of Isabella is Matías Piñeiro. He used this time-lapse technique to tell the story of these two women and their auditions for this play. By having one of the characters pregnant and the other with longer hair and different clothes, the viewer can tell these are the same characters in different periods. Otherwise, this film would be quite confusing, and even this technique only goes so far.

The film has things to say about doing the things you want to do or should do and not regretting them. Not looking back on past mistakes and such. These two women have this in common. How they deal with things is very interesting, to say the least. That said, the result was not very clear in the film. 

The director used color motives as well to describe various moments of emotions in the film. The colors are meant to represent the various moods the characters are in during the various stages of the film. All of the various techniques are a lot to take in for a viewer of this film.

Isabella was quite confusing and all over the place as far as a narrative film. It was hard to determine the timeline these characters were in. It took me a while to figure this aspect of the film out. The style of the film was okay, not great. The message was lost in all the artsy stuff Piniero was trying to accomplish. The subtitles were moving so fast it was hard to keep up with the dialogue at times. This film was a mess from the beginning. These actors deserved better!

​Isabella is now in theaters.

Rating: 2/5

Review by Sean Boelman

While it’s a bit unfortunate that the film is coming out as summer is coming to a close and everyone is already done with their vacations, the new comedy Vacation Friends is a treat. Predictable but full of laughs thanks to the chemistry between its stars, it’s the type of mindlessly fun studio comedy that has been missing from this year. 

The movie follows a couple who, after going on a wild bender in Mexico with two strangers, later have their supposedly serene wedding crashed by their hard-partying new friends. From a narrative standpoint, the film is predictable and hits a lot of familiar beats, but there is enough solidly-written comedy for it to work.

The first act of the movie, which is basically an increasingly insane series of alcohol and drug-fueled antics, is funny enough for what it is, although there have been plenty of films to do this better. The remaining two-thirds are much more refreshing, essentially functioning as a reverse fish-out-of-water comedy in which the people who are out of their element are the ones that are comfortable.

There are definitely some jokes in the movie that lean on the sophomoric side. One recurring gag, in particular, is especially immature and ends up being used as a device to push the plot along. However, the best moments in the film are those which bank on the pairing of Lil Rel Howery and John Cena, who have a great contrast with each other.

The thing that is surprising about the movie is that it doesn’t feature much in the way of physical and slapstick comedy. One would think that with the size difference between the two male leads, this would have been a prominent element, but the focus here is on raunchy visual gags and quippy remarks.

Cena and Howery are both at the top of their game, giving performances that are charming and very funny. But often, their female counterparts threaten to steal the show. Although they aren’t given much of a substantial role within the narrative, Meredith Hagner and Yvonne Orji ground the film compared to the stars’ very showy turns.

Admittedly, the character development isn’t the movie’s strongest suit, as all four of the leads stick pretty close to their archetypes. The protagonist likes to play by the rules but needs to loosen up, his wife-to-be has a repressed desire to embrace her inner crazy, and their foils have already achieved self-actualization through their ability to enjoy life.

Vacation Friends isn’t especially original in the realm of comedy films, but it delivers on its promise for hilarious escapism. John Cena and Lil Rel Howery make for a great comedic duo, and hopefully we’ll get to see more of them together in the future.

Vacation Friends is now streaming on Hulu.

Rating: 3.5/5

Review by Camden Ferrell

He’s All That is the most recent gender-swapped comedy, being a loose remake of the film She’s All That. This movie is from director Mark Waters, most known for his work on the teen comedy classic Mean Girls. This is a movie that at times feels tailor-made for the Tik Tok-era kids who will inevitably watch it, but it lacks any substance or redeemable qualities whatsoever.
 
Padgett is a beauty influencer who seemingly has her life figured out. However, after she has an embarrassing live fallout with her popstar boyfriend, her life gets shaken up. In order to redeem herself, she takes on a bet to take the most unpopular boy at school, Cameron, and turn him into a Prom King. This is a premise that is very similar to the movie on which this is based, so it’s nothing revolutionary, but it still has potential.
 
The original movie was mixed upon release but has found a comfortable niche since then. Even though this remake comes from the same writer, R. Lee Fleming Jr., it seems like this will not be met well by any audience. It lacks originality, and it is full of bland and static dialogue that ranges from dull to cringingly embarrassing. The characters have no development, and the script gives me no reason to be invested in the trials and tribulations of these high schoolers. It has so little to say, and it never justifies its existence.

The acting in this movie is forgettable at best. The movie is led by Tik Tok star Addison Rae in her first live-action film role. She is half-decent in some of the scenes based around her character’s actions as an influencer, probably because she is one herself. However, elsewhere, she is flat and isn’t able to demonstrate any kind of acting range. It’s a monotone performance that only has the slightest glimmers of chemistry with her co-star Tanner Buchanan. While he tries his best to play the mysterious and dreamy loner, it doesn’t work, and the rest of the cast follows suit in this mediocrity.
 
It’s a shame to see Waters make a movie as unoriginal as this one. Unlike Mean Girls, which has impressively remained a staple of pop culture, this is a movie that’s doomed to the depths of obscurity fairly soon. Rae’s following will probably keep it relevant for a short time, but I can’t imagine anything as shallow and unfunny as this movie persisting in the zeitgeist. The movie lacks any self-awareness and doesn’t elicit a single laugh or ounce of amusement.
 
He’s All That is a miserable teen-comedy that is equal parts cringe and monotony. It’s bland, unoriginal, and painfully devoid of laughs. Addison Rae’s leading performance is far from enjoyable, and the whole movie makes for a rather unpleasant 90 minutes.
 
He’s All That is available on Netflix August 27.

Rating: 0.5/5