Review by Sean Boelman

Paul Verhoeven is inarguably one of the wildest filmmakers working today, with a filmography spanning from Showgirls to Starship Troopers. His newest movie, Benedetta, might sound like a regular old period drama on paper, but Verhoeven’s iconoclastic style shines through in a truly glorious manner.

The film follows a nun who begins suffering from religious and erotic visions which lead her into forming a sensuous relationship with one of her companions. The thing about Verhoeven’s movies is that their premise can often be boiled down into a few simple words, but end up feeling expansive and complex.

Like many of Verhoeven’s other films, the biggest thing that this has working in its favor is its sheer audacity. The movie has inspired protests throughout its festival run from religious groups attacking its supposed “blasphemy”, and while the reaction is overblown, it’s easy to understand why they are reacting this way. There is a lot of imagery that is incendiary… and quite hilarious.

Those expecting there to be a great deal of subtlety in the film’s exploration of its themes definitely aren’t familiar with Verhoeven and his work. He has never been particularly quiet in his movies about his frustrations with organized religion, and this one in particular really brings that to the forefront.

If there is something that is missing from the film it is character development. The romance at the center of the movie goes a long way in making things feel more grounded, especially during the more fantastical moments, but it doesn’t do a whole lot in making the character more compelling.

Virginie Efira does a solid job in her leading role. This is definitely the type of film that is very exaggerated in nature, and her performance is hammy enough to work in the role. Even more impressive, though, is Charlotte Rampling, who steals the show every single time she is on screen.

On a technical level, the movie is definitely very ambitious, and it pays off more often than it doesn’t. Even in some of the scenes that aren’t as visually polished, the amount of energy that Verhoeven puts into it is pretty admirable. The mix of the production design and spectacular fantasy works quite well.

Benedetta might not be a great film, but it’s a load of fun to watch in all of its insanity. It’s not for the easily offended, although it’s hard not to at least respect the gusto that Verhoeven showed in even attempting to make this, much less pull it off.

Benedetta is now in theaters and hits VOD on December 17.

Rating: 3.5/5

Review by Sean Boelman

Jeffrey Epstein has become the ultimate running punchline for every joke, and Dasha Nekrasova has made the ultimate gag with her feature debut The Scary of Sixty-First. Having no shortage of style to spare, this may not be a good film, but it’s a fun time to watch in all of its unabashed wackiness.

The movie follows two roommates whose lives are changed forever when they move into a new apartment harboring a dark secret. For much of the first half, this is pretty standard haunted house fare with a retro-inspired feel, but once it goes off the deep end in revealing its hand, that’s when it starts to feel unique, for better or worse.

One of the most frustrating things about the film is that it seems content with just being “that Jeffrey Epstein horror movie”. And don’t be fooled — it absolutely delivers on the insanity of that premise — but it would have been nice to see them do something interesting or worthwhile with it rather than just an exercise in style over substance.

The movie also struggles to settle on a good tone. It’s always unclear as to whether we are meant to be taking this seriously or if we should be laughing at it. The latter seems more likely to be the case, but that then poses the question of why we should be laughing at the situation of people who were real-life victims of abuse.

There is also the issue of character development in the film. Neither of the main duo is particularly likable. We are just thrown into this friendship and expected to believe that it has been around for years without being able to see why it worked the way it does. So when it starts to fall apart, it’s no wonder, because we never saw what was holding it together.

The acting in the movie isn’t very good either, but it does fit the vibe which the film is clearly emulating. This is meant to feel like a trashy horror flick from decades ago, and that it does, although the decisively modern twist of it being a Jeffrey Epstein ghost story creates a massive disparity that is pretty hard to overcome.

That said, the movie is enormously successful on a visual level. Nekrasova shows a lot of potential as a new director, and while her style largely consists of homages in this outing, her understanding of how to recreate this mood bodes well for her future. And the effects in the film hit that right balance between campy and unsettling to create that mood.

The Scary of Sixty-First is definitely a bizarre movie, but that is absolutely part of what makes it so watchable. It’s a recreation of a particular style, albeit with a modern twist, and with a premise that one just has to see to believe.

The Scary of Sixty-First is now in theaters and hits VOD on December 24.

​Rating: 3/5

Review by Sean Boelman

Its title quite obviously a pun on the famous play by Arthur Miller, the new comedy Death of a Telemarketer is unlikely to have as much of a lasting impact on the literary world as its namesake. However, thanks to a fully-committed cast, it manages to be a passable watch even if it isn’t all that funny.

The film follows a telemarketer who, desperate to pay off a debt, crosses some boundaries and finds himself at the mercy of one of the people who he tried to scam. It’s a concept that is certainly intriguing, but a solid premise alone is not enough to make an entire movie work, and that is where Khaled Ridgeway’s film struggles.

After the first twenty minutes of the movie set up the conflict and the audience gets thrown into the action, it becomes clear midway through the second act that Ridgeway is working on little more than a strong idea. He has this story that seems like untapped comedic gold, but simply doesn’t know what to do with it, resulting in a film that feels like a bunch of filler.

It’s hard not to immediately think of another, much better telemarketing movie: Boots Riley’s Sorry to Bother You. Much like Ridgeway, Riley was working with a creative and ingenious premise, but what made that film stand out was that he transformed it into something more with a political message. Ridgeway’s movie doesn’t seem to say much of anything, other than the fact that we don’t know what’s going on in the life of the person on the other end of the phone.

The characters in the film are all heavily archetypal. There’s the arrogant overachiever who finds himself threatened by a naturally talented newcomer (who is an underdeveloped secondary antagonist himself). And the villain is an exaggeratedly angry fella whose meanness can be traced back to a wrong that was committed against him by someone not too dissimilar to the protagonist.

Much of this movie’s success hinges on the talent of the cast. Lamorne Morris is a ton of fun to watch in pretty much everything he is in, and he eats it up here. He’s great in this quick-witted, fast-talking salesman role. And while Jackie Earle Haley isn’t doing the best of what he can do here, it’s still an enjoyable performance.

There’s not a ton of flashiness in the film’s style due to the fact that it is predominantly set in a single location. But what Ridgeway fails to do is use this confined setting to his advantage. Although it’s clear that he definitely chose to go more of the dark comedy route, this could have been an effective farcical thriller had he instead focused more on building suspense and claustrophobia.

Death of a Telemarketer doesn’t earn the right to give itself a name based on one of the all-time greatest works of literature. But that doesn’t mean it’s a bad movie — in fact, it’s a decently fun hour and a half, if only because of the talented cast.

Death of a Telemarketer is now on VOD.

Rating: 3/5

Review by Camden Ferrell

Encounter is the sophomore feature from writer and director Michael Pierce, whose first movie, Beast, earned him a BAFTA Award. His newest movie had its premiere at the 2021 Telluride Film Festival and assembles a talented cast. Despite its interesting and mysterious premise, it reveals its hand too early and can often suffer from less than stellar execution.
 
Malik is a military veteran and a father of two young boys. One day, he decides to take his kids on the run from the military as he attempts to protect his children from a looming alien parasitic invasion. This is an interesting premise that mixes elements of family drama and sci-fi thrills, and it has a lot of promise to be a unique spin on a body snatchers story.
 
The script, written by Pearce and Joe Barton, is decent, but it makes some significant mistakes in structuring its story that ends up being one of the film’s biggest pitfalls. One of the main draws of the film’s opening act is its mystery and suspense. However, the film doesn’t seem to see this is a valuable asset, and it unfortunately reveals its hand far too soon. Aside from that major flaw though, there are a handful of meaningful moments dispersed throughout that let the actors shine occasionally. 

The acting is above average, but it is somewhat underwhelming considering the talent featured. The movie is led by Riz Ahmed, who most recently was nominated for an Oscar for his amazing role in Sound of Metal. His work is almost always exquisite, which makes his performance here feel disappointing in comparison. He is accompanied by young actors, Lucian-River Chauhan and Aditya Geddada who are both fairly talented but don’t have a whole lot to do in this movie. The film also features Octavia Spencer in a supporting role, but like Ahmed, it feels like she isn’t on the top of her game either.
 
Without giving too much away about its plot, the movie stumbles in terms of execution. It sometimes doesn’t know how best to handle its premise and construct its narrative. It can also drag a fair amount for a movie under two hours. It also doesn’t do a whole lot of world building which could have helped further develop a movie such as this.
 
Encounter has its charms and intrigue, but it’s mostly brought down by a questionably constructed narrative and not quiet memorable performances from its talented cast. Some sci-fi fans might find things to enjoy in the film’s aesthetic and inspirations, but most viewers might find it to have too many lulls.
 
Encounter is in select theaters December 3 and on Amazon Prime December 10.
 
Rating: 3/5

Review by Sean Boelman

Adapting the Diary of a Wimpy Kid book series into films was always going to be a difficult task, as the perpetual middle school misadventures of Greg Heffley would be hindered by the actors aging out of their roles, but this new Disney+ adaptation avoids that by utilizing the animated medium. And while it does have some shortcomings, the charming nature of the source material shines through.

The movie follows an imaginative kid who struggles to fit in with his peers during the first year of middle school. The film follows the story of the first book in the series, although it only hits on the main beats of the arc, cutting out a lot of the subplots. But it was these small one-off jokes which were omitted from the adaptation that won most of the young fans over.

One of the most frustrating things about this adaptation is that it doesn’t seem to understand its protagonist. The books were about a selfish kid learning to care for the other people in his life who were important to him, but in this movie, he’s a genuinely terrible person. There are so few redeeming qualities to the character in this film that he becomes unlikable.

The filmmakers made the interesting choice of making this adaptation under an hour in length. On one hand, since the movie is so short, the laughs come very consistently, but it also ends up being quite rushed. This feels more like the pilot to a television series than a cohesive feature film, and ultimately, it would be pretty well-suited to a feature format.

That said, there is still a very positive message in the movie about the power of friendship. Young kids, in particular, should definitely be reminded of why it is important to be kind. That said, given the abbreviated nature of the story, there’s not a whole lot of room in the film for these themes to be explored in depth.

There aren’t any recognizable names in the voice cast, but the actors do a good job of bringing many of these characters to life. The way in which they embody these people is somewhat uncanny at times. This is especially the case when it comes to the side characters, like Fregley and Rowley.

The animation of the film feels like a 3D animated version of the illustrations from the books, and that is perfectly fitting for what this is. The playful nature of the books was really a highlight, and the movie’s visual style is full of brightness and color in a way that gives it the energy it needs to win audiences over.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid is an enjoyable enough adaptation, and while the popularity of this title has waned in the years since the books’ initial release, it will definitely be a delight for kids to watch. It’s very short, but that’s both a blessing and a limitation.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid is now streaming on Disney+.

Rating: 3/5

Review by Dan Skip Allen

West Side Story is the latest film by Steven Spielberg, one of the greatest directors of all time. It's another film in a long line of reboots of classic films from the bygone era of cinema. The only difference is the original won the Academy Award for Best Picture in 1961. So why reboot it you ask? When Speilberg says he wants to do it, you don't argue and 20th Century let him go because it's Speilberg.

Without sounding redundant, West Side Story is about a group of caucasian teens in New York City who have a beef with a bunch of Puerto Rican teens. They think that the Puerto Ricans are trying to take over their section of New York. What accentuates the situation is that Tony (Ansel Elgort) from the Jets is infatuated by Maria (Rachel Zegler) whose brother is the leader of the Sharks, the rival gang who's fighting for territory in the neighborhood.
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There are a few differences between the original and the new version of West Side Story though. One of them is that the store owner in the new film is played by Rita Moreno and in the original, he was played by a man. And in the original, Rita Moreno played Anita which is played by Ariana DeBose in the new film. Also, there is a similar feel and tone to the music in the new version of West Side Story because Leonard Bernstein created the music for the original, and Gustavo Dudamel mirrored a lot of what Bernstein did in the new version. It is a great score by everyone involved.

Some of the things this new film does right that the original didn't was the set production and production value as a whole. The New York streets came to life in this version and that helped make this story more realistic as well. Every little detail was thought of from the people on the streets walking by or driving their cars to the little details like laundry hanging from windows, trash cans, fruits, and vegetables on shop corners. Even store signs and so forth were all very authentic to the time and place this film is supposed to take place in. The clothes and housewares are also spot on. Spielberg spared no expense on the details of this version of West Side Story.

The cast is filled with relative nobodies except for Elgort, Zegler, Moreno, and Brian Darcy James as Officer Krupke and Corry Stoll as Police Lt. Shrank. The kids in the cast, actually adults, do a solid job on the singing and dancing. The choreography is on point throughout the film. The songs are great as well from the original film, like "America", "Tonight", and "Maria".

The new version of West Side Story is very good. It pulls a lot from the original but it has its charm and feel that sets it apart from the original like the set production and production value. The new songs are catchy as well. The acting is fine from all involved, not great but also not bad either. The score is amazing even though it's very similar to what we already saw. There are a lot of new aspects to the score that makes it one of the best of the year.

West Side Story hits theaters on December 10.

Rating: 4/5

Review by Camden Ferrell

Nightmare Alley is the newest movie from director Guillermo del Toro. His most recent film, The Shape of Water, received an Oscar for Best Picture and also earned del Toro an Oscar for Best Director. Even though his newest feature has some great ambiance, visuals, and a phenomenal leading performance, the story and execution drag too much to stand with his best works.
 
Stan is a man who joins a carnival and discovers a unique talent for reading and manipulating people. With his newfound gift, he meets new people and engages in new endeavors that are as perilous as they are alluring. This is based on William Lindsay Gresham’s novel of the same name, and it’s an interesting premise that could seemingly work well with del Toro’s distinct style.
 
One of the first things that’s noticeable is the remarkable cinematography and composition. Dan Laustsen once again serves as director of photography for del Toro, and his work is as strong as ever. The film has a really profound use of lighting especially in its first half, and it creates an immersive atmosphere in which the story can unfold.

Another one of the most distinguishable aspects of the film is its star-studded cast. It stars the likes of Willem Dafoe, Rooney Mara, Cate Blanchett, and Toni Collette. However, the true stand out is Bradley Cooper who leads the film as Stan. He is utterly phenomenal in this movie, and it may be one of the best performances of his career. Unfortunately, the rest of the cast doesn’t do much to make their appearances memorable, and they pale in comparison to Cooper’s great work.
 
The film’s script is mostly decent, but it is still riddle with problems. Written by del Toro and Kim Morgan, the script does a great job of building up its world and introducing characters, but it doesn’t do well beyond that. Many characters feel underwritten and underdeveloped, and its plot doesn’t explore its premise to its fullest potential. There are also some plot points that don’t flow well together and throw off the overall rhythm of the entire film.
 
One of the biggest disappointments of the film is how del Toro’s execution is inconsistent and drags the film down. He’s usually a fantastic director which is why it’s surprising for this film to meander so much especially in its middle sections. While the first hour is great, the rest of the film lacks the creativity and imagination for which del Toro is renowned.
 
Nightmare Alley might be too indulgent for general audiences, but fans of del Toro and noir might find something to enjoy even though it may not live up to his standards. Despite some of its flaws, it’s a visually beautiful film that features an astonishingly great performance from Cooper.
 
Nightmare Alley is in theaters December 17.
 
Rating: 3.5/5

Reviewed by Adam Donato

Review by Dan Skip Allen

Paolo Sorrentino has had a very eclectic career. His film Youth in 2015 wowed audiences and critics alike and showed what he could do as a director. He had a flair for the odd and different. He then moved into the realm of TV with The Young Pope starring Jude Law and other shows. Now he's back doing feature films again, including his latest, The Hand of God.

The Hand of God follows a family in Naples, Italy in the 1980s. They live, they love, they argue, and they enjoy getting together for various occasions. The film primarily focuses on one member of that family: a young teenage boy (Filippo Scotti) who is learning about life, women and he loves his soccer/football team, Napoli. He experiences a tragedy and it changes him irrevocably, mentally, and spiritually. 

This film has two distinct halves to it. The first part is a dramedy where the various members of the family interact at a gathering. They drink, sing, dance, eat and juggle, of all things. And the second half is a character study of a teenage boy who is dealing with a lot. He has to start to learn how to navigate this world on his own. The reason he's on his own is the tragedy right in the middle of this film. That's where the split in the tones comes in as well. It's like it's two different films in one.

A key element of this film is the beautiful game, football, and arguably the greatest player to ever play the game, Diego Maradona. Maradona was at the height of his abilities and fame in the '80s. When he was available for transfer, everybody wanted him. He ended up at Napoli, the home team of those who live in the city and surrounding areas of Naples. That's the main kid in the film. He and his brother were very happy Napoli got Maradona. as well as the rest of the townsfolk.

Sorrentino has a distinct style while filming this movie. It has an up-close, in-your-face style. The scenes look very realistic and up-to-date even though it takes place in the '80s. The colors from dresses and backdrops like walls and street lights pop off the screen. The cinematography and camera work are amazing. There are some absolutely beautiful scenes. The water and cityscape scenes are breathtaking. This is some of the best cinematography of the year. It helped make the film better in every way possible.

The coming of age moments in the film are very surprising at times. The main character goes through some growing pains. The tragedy in the middle of the film hits him hard. He has some anger issues and sexual urges. The tender age he's at is one that most boys his age rebel and act out. He's a little lost though and it takes a while for him to find himself. Football isn't as important as it once was for him. He realizes what really matters in the world. I think a lot of youths this age have similar moments without the tragedy of course.

The Hand of God is a pretty prophetic title. The meaning is what God decides to do regarding our lives means a lot. We're all given our own hand in life and that is at the core of this film. The fact that God decides our fate is a huge part of how and why this film works. We never know what our lot in life is going to be. And sometimes bad things happen and, God if you will, wants to see how we handle what we've been given to do in life. Some people handle it better than others. This film stands on this principle and it works in the end result. The result was a very good film.

The Hand of God is a very good film and has a lead actor, amongst a fantastic Italian cast, that holds his own and makes us, the viewers, go along with him on his journey of self-discovery. The film's cinematography and camera work are breathtaking. It's a great way to get into this film at the start. Along with that is the score which is very good as well. It had some nice somber moments as well as some bigger moments. This film should be considered for the Academy Award for Best International Film next year at the Oscars.

The Hand of God hits theaters on December 1 and Netflix on December 15.

Rating: 4.5/5

Review by Dan Skip Allen

Flee is one of those rare films that checks a lot of awards season boxes. It's a documentary, an animated film, and a foreign film. The thing is this film could be checking the biggest box when it gets nominated for Best Picture at next year's Academy Awards. It's worthy of many other nominations in many other categories as well.

Flee tells the story of a man who is giving an interview to another man, a documentarian, about his family's harrowing journey of escape from war-torn Afghanistan following the exodus of the Soviet Union from the country in the late '80s and early '90s. The escape involved separating the family and going to and from a few different countries including a period in Russia. 

These people go through quite an ordeal, from being almost drowned in a boat to being under constant scrutiny from the Russian police and also being captured at one point and sent back to Russia. This film was very good at describing these scenes very vividly. That aspect of the film worked very well. The Danish subtitles were fine as well. They didn't move too fast. They were easy to read.
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The animation style leaves something to be desired. Even though this is an animated film doesn't mean it's very good. The story and narrative of the film extend toward the overall animation. I feel they wanted to get the documentary aspects correct and that made the animation not as important. It's not anything groundbreaking like Pixar or Disney animation, but it's serviceable regarding the overall context of the film. ​

As far as documentaries go, this is a great one because of all the different styles involved in making the film. The director, Jonas Poher Rasmussen, used some archival footage and photos to help show the people and places in the film. Amin, the main character, decided to be a bit deliberate in telling his story so the editing of him talking about his family's story was very effective to fit this into the ninety minute run time. It could have gone longer.

Flee premiered at the 2021 Sundance virtual film festival this past January. It was widely beloved by critics who saw it back then. That led NEON, the studio that brought Parasite to an Academy Award for Best Picture win in 2019, to pay the exorbitant amount of one million dollars for the North American distribution rights to the film. They are doing a great job of spreading the word of what an amazing film this is.

These types of harrowing tales of survival are the kind of stories that need to be brought to the big screen. Executive Producers Riz Ahmed and producer Nikolaj Coster Waldau, among many others, got behind this film and they knew what they had. Even though this is the Danish submission for the Best International Feature, it is shared by many countries and many languages are spoken in it as well. It is a film the whole world can get behind. And they should. It's one of the best of the year.

Flee hits theaters on December 3.

Rating: 5/5