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Review by Jonathan Berk  Writer and director Macon Blair's follow-up to his 2017 film I Don't Feel at Home in This World Anymore is finally getting a release. The Toxic Avenger almost didn’t see the light of day due to concerns over its violence and boundary-pushing content. This remake of a beloved Troma classic, which even spawned an animated series in the early '90s, demonstrates Blair's mastery of dark comedy and his love for the genre. Fortunately for fans of both Blair and Toxie, you're in for quite a disgusting treat. The film introduces us to Winston Gooze (Peter Dinklage), a down-on-his-luck janitor and dedicated single father to his step-son (Jacob Tremblay). After a devastating toxic accident at the pharmaceutical company where he works, Winston is mutated into a grotesque yet powerful new hero: The Toxic Avenger. With his community and family under threat from greedy corporate forces, Toxie must embrace his monstrous form to serve up some long-overdue, and very radioactive, justice. The film looks really fantastic. The design of Toxie feels unique to this iteration but takes clear inspiration from the original. The practical effects are outstanding and make the world of the film feel organic. Luisa Guerreiro is in the Toxic Avenger suit, and using a suit instead of CGI was the perfect choice. The movie feels surreal because the content shouldn’t be possible, yet it is clearly tangible. When CGI is used for some of the visuals, it isn't the best and makes the practical elements feel all the more essential.  Dinklage is a powerhouse performer. He immediately makes Gooze an empathetic character without leaning into any specific traits. Pairing him with Tremblay adds to that dynamic, bringing a lot of pathos to what could have been just a gorefest. There is something about the overall performance and script that elevates this material. Blair balances the tones perfectly, providing plenty of humor and gross-out moments.
The rest of the cast adds to the overall quality of the production. Elijah Wood, Kevin Bacon, Julia Davis, and Taylour Paige each bring something memorable to the film. The entire cast seems to be having a blast from scene to scene. Bacon even seems to channel Gary Oldman from Léon: The Professional in a couple of scenes. Wood's character manages a band that also acts as mercenaries for Bacon. The band has a real ICP vibe going on, making them the perfect fodder for evil henchmen. There's a scene with them late in the film that is probably the best set piece overall. Toxie really gets to demonstrate his knack for violence in those moments, which also allows Blair to get creative with the filmmaking. It’s a great scene that should make fans of the original fans of the new one as well. While there was likely never an expectation that this movie would appeal to the masses, The Toxic Avenger works in ways that may appeal to more than initially expected. The writing is good, which leads to some genuinely funny and a few heartfelt moments. Fans of gore and '80s and '90s Troma films will get their fill. The film is refreshing in many ways and makes for a fun watch. The Toxic Avenger will be in theaters on August 29. Rating: 3.5/5
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Review by Jonathan Berk  Director Solomon Gray’s film We’re Not Safe Here (2025) has moments that showcase a strong eye for striking compositions and innovative ways of displaying themes visually. The core monologing that is a character telling a story (that is also delivering the film’s story) is compellingly written and delivered well by Hayley McFarland as Rachel. Unfortunately, it’s not enough to make the movie worth recommending, as it leans heavily on poorly structured scares and is riddled with odd story beats that don’t quite add up, often leaving its audience completely unsatisfied. The problems with the story are apparent pretty early on, as the movie initially introduces us to Sharmita Bhattacharya’s character, Neeta, and her co-worker Sarah, played by Caisey Cole. They are discussing Rachel’s odd absence and her situation. Not long after, Rachel calls Neeta and asks her to come over to talk. The dialogue in these exchanges feels disjointed, ultimately appearing a bit clunky as it tries to lay out the plot structure. The story that Rachel will spend most of the movie insisting she has to tell, with Neeta encouraging her to do so, begins to reveal what the film is about: a trauma that Rachel experienced as a child. However, now, it has apparently started to impact her…with no clear reason as to why …and it has been shared with Neeta, who becomes consumed by the tale. There is an element of the story that implies it could be about creative blocks and self-doubt. Neeta is an artist who apparently is such a fan of her own work that it is displayed literally all over her house. Nonetheless, her recent piece has her stuck to the point that she stabs the canvas. Rachel is a big fan of Neeta’s work and offers some artistic insight to one of the displayed pieces. While this comes back in some ways throughout the film, it mostly feels like an afterthought. Unfortunately, a majority of the story choices feel like afterthoughts.  Rachel’s character is easily the most perplexing, as her motivations continually seem to shift. The film struggles to decide who the true protagonist is, and it sloppily weaves between Neeta, Rachel, reality, and dreams. Rachel reveals to Neeta that she’s been experiencing blackouts - but this seems like a lame way to introduce dream sequences into the film. Most of the scares that happen are in these altered states, and thus feel impactful to the plot - but they essentially undercut the stakes.
Despite the many little hiccups that make the film feel poorly constructed, McFarland’s delivery of the main story through long, extended monologues and the story itself are compelling. Those moments can often be the parts in a horror film that drag it down and make it feel interminable. In this case, they are the factors that keep the audience locked in. The reaction shots of Neeta during the story, however, often remind us that there really isn’t anything happening, and the connection to Rachel’s recent withdrawal from her friends and her job doesn’t really get addressed with this story from her childhood. The horrors she experienced imply a fairly quick turnaround that doesn’t make sense for her to have lived with it for so long, and to only have it just now provide an impact on her life.. The film’s finale confirms this reading of the story, undercutting the entire setup. We’re Not Safe Here seems to be directed at the audience. If you’re watching this, then you’ve probably made some bad choices. There is probably enough about the film to allow some horror fans to defend it - but ultimately, it feels more like a demonstration of Gray’s visual style rather than his ability to tell a compelling and comprehensible story. We’re Not Safe Here is on VOD and digital on August 22. Rating: 1.5/5 Review by Adam Donato  Spike Lee is one of the landmark filmmakers in the history of the industry. His personality is iconic and everyone knows what he likes: Denzel Washington and New York. So when given the opportunity to remake the Japanese classic High and Low, he chose to bring his interests to the adaptation. Washington is a music mogul in modern day New York. The film will get a limited theatrical release before getting dumped on AppleTV+, but since it got buzz at Cannes, maybe this track can get hot quickly. Spike hasn’t directed a movie since 2020, will coming back to his roots spell success for him? As a remake of a beloved Japanese classic, there’s things that this adaptation does better and worse than the original. It’s hard not to think about the contrasts throughout the film so subsequent viewings should be more appealing. Highest 2 Lowest is shorter than High and Low, but High and Low feels much more tight. The main character is given much more power, agency, and focus for the whole duration of this film. It’s clear Spike not only wanted to shape this story to his own personal interests, but he also added more themes and infused a level of silliness that’s not to be found in the original. While remakes are usually frowned upon, this feels like a prime example of the type of movie to remake as it’s been over sixty years since the original and setting it in New York instead of Japan changes so much about the film. The general stories are the same, but these are two unique experiences.  Denzel Washington is the man. If someone wants to say that he’s just playing himself then that’s just fine considering he’s the coolest person on the planet. He’s just one of the all time greats with an unmatched it factor. His character is just given so much opportunity to flourish and Washington nails it at every turn. The performance reminds me of his last major role, which was Gladiator II. The levity that he’s able to bring is so infectious. He does look slow in the action scenes. There’s a shot of his character jumping over a subway turnstile and it’s comically obvious they got a stunt double for that. Still, Washington delivers his best performance in years here as he commands your attention for the entire runtime of this film.
This film is about New York. Full on New York propaganda. It literally opens with pristine shots of the glorious New York City skyline. There's multiple important sequences that are built around the New York subway experience. The Yankees and Knicks are embedded in the identity of this film. Spike Lee really wears his heart for his home on his chest with this one. New York literally feels like its own character. Watching this movie is like listening to Empire State of Mind. Obnoxiously romanticizing the most main character city on the planet. It’s quite sweet. Spike Lee has really swung and missed with the past with remakes, but he’s seemed to figure out the formula or at least found a story that translates well to American culture. Fans of Spike will be all in on this one. It justifies its existence and gives the original a run for its money. May even garner some awards attention this year. Hopefully word of mouth gets around soon enough while it’s still in theaters. Be sure to check it out before it’s too late. Highest 2 Lowest will be in theaters on August 15. Rating: 5/5 Review by Adam Donato  The first Nobody movie was a pleasant surprise in a dark time for cinema. The movie theater industry was still trying to recover from the pandemic and notable movies were sparse. The film made almost twice its budget domestically alone. That does inspire confidence when greenlighting a sequel, but does this concept have more juice left in it? This time around, Hutch takes his family on a vacation, but just can’t seem to stay out of trouble. Can Nobody 2 lure in any rage filled fathers looking to soak up the last of summer with the kids going back to school this week? Bob Odenkirk carries a lot of street cred and deservedly so, especially for his work on Better Call Saul. Nobody was an ambitious swing from him. He did what many comedians are trying to do, cross over into other genres. The first Nobody film is a great deal of fun and Odenkirk kicks ass in it. Nobody 2 is a lot more of the same for him. His character isn’t given any major development in this continuation of the story. It’s clear he’s having fun with the over the top action sequences and that’s the real draw of the movie. Overall this feels like a paycheck for Odenkirk. The narrative is the same as it was before. He’s just a regular dad who wants to take care of his family, but becomes John Wick when he feels like he’s been provoked. The interesting angle of this sequel is the setting. The whole film takes place at this quaint family vacation spot, complete with carnival and water park. This leads to some funny action scenes, specifically one involving a waterslide. The film feels like an action parody of National Lampoon’s Vacation. What if Griswold beat the shit out of everyone who got in his way? The runtime checks in at just eighty nine minutes, which makes for a brisk experience. It’s like a feature length Looney Tunes movie for annoyed dads.  Christopher Lloyd, Connie Nielsen, and RZA return for the sequel. Nielsen is given more to do this time around. The only real attempt at an emotional arc in the film is Hutch trying to improve his relationship with his wife. Their dynamic is similar to that of a superhero’s secret identity relationship drama in all the worst ways. Lloyd and RZA feel like they’re here out of obligation and to collect a paycheck. John Ortiz and Colin Hanks are big swings and misses as new antagonists who run the shady police force of Plummerville. Sharon Stone on the other hand as the big bad guy pulling all the strings is certainly memorable. Her look, her line readings, and her dancing were all big standouts in the film. It’s unfortunate that she wasn’t more directly involved with the story sooner and given a more personal beef with Hutch.
Nobody 2 is a live action cartoon and a vacation movie parody. The fun setting of the film isn’t enough to make this sequel feel necessary. Nobody is a very good movie and should’ve been left alone. No harm done, just nothing to go out of your way to see. If you need to unload some violent testosterone in an unserious way, then check out Nobody 2 in theaters this week. Nobody 2 is in theaters on August 15. Rating: 2/5 Review by Adam Donato  While the straight to streaming avenue is still taking many movies hostage, the tide does seem to be turning. After the live action remake Lilo & Stitch got upgraded to theaters, Disney is doing the same with Freakier Friday. Even though Lindsay Lohan seemed like she was entering her prime after the first movie, Jamie Lee Curtis has experienced more success in the twenty years since. The pair is back together here for a legacy sequel and look excited to recapture the magic of the first movie. There’s a lack of female specific blockbuster films and Freakier Friday is meant to satisfy girls that grew up with the original as well as new fans. If this film can be a success, then that will bode well for the future of theatrical releases. It’s a weird place to be when you’re wanting the movie to succeed for the industry at large, but the movie itself is uninspiring. Freakier Friday is not much better than the likes of Disenchanted and Hocus Pocus 2, two Disney legacy sequels that got pushed to streaming. This sequel doubles the fun by having our two leads switch bodies with newcomers to the franchise Julia Butters and Sophia Hammons. Butters plays Lohan’s daughter, while Hammons is the daughter of Lohan’s new fiance. Old people in young people’s bodies and young people in old people’s bodies. So much body switching. One might say too much. Instead of simply focusing on the relationship between two characters, the sequel overcomplicates the situation and feels more like a retread than an addition. This leads to a much less satisfying conclusion than the previous film.  Lohan is not at her lowest point in her career, but she’s not necessarily thriving. She hasn’t had a hit in two decades and recently she’s been popular in the fake Netflix Hallmark ripoffs. Maybe she’s just not a good actress. She’s certainly not good here. This showing for her feels more like a mediocre swan song than a rebirth. Curtis on the other hand is not far removed from an Oscar win. While this may have been perceived as a legacy Oscar, Curtis has cemented herself in the annals of cinema history. Here she’s absolutely charming and adorable. She’s far and away the best part of this movie. Butters and Hammons are serviceable, but they’re not given much to do once the characters of Lohan and Curtis are switched into their bodies.
Fans of the original will enjoy this encore as a trip down memory lane. Probably inspire them to rewatch the original so they can catch all the references in the new one. It may be silly enough to satisfy new young fans for the franchise, but there’s not a lot here for uninitiated adults. Yet another cash grab. Unfortunately, it would be advantageous for the industry for Freakier Friday to succeed in theaters so be sure to soak up the last of the summer blockbuster fun in movie theaters this weekend. Freakier Friday is in theaters on August 8. Rating: 2/5 |