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Review by Paris Jade  After becoming recently widowed, Brenda (Queen Latifah) takes her family on a road trip across the country to move in with her mother. While on the road in the New Mexico desert, they suddenly become targets of a well-known killer and must fight to survive. Led by Queen Latifah and Ludacris, End of the Road is an exciting new thriller coming to Netflix. The acting in this film is not very top-tier. It's all carried by Latifah and Ludacris. Anytime they are on screen, they deliver pure entertainment. However, other actors just aren't all that entertaining and believable in their characters. If Latifah and Ludacris weren't cast, this honestly would not be as good of a film. I'd say the only other actor who has some star potential is Shaun Dixon, who plays Latifah's son Cam. His acting was great, and he can move on to bigger roles. Maybe the acting felt awkward at some portions due to the script itself. Some pieces of dialogue just felt off and unnatural and most likely affected the feel of the film.  The plot itself was actually very entertaining: it's a bit slow in the beginning as it sets up the reason why they are going on the trip, but once you get past that point, it is a very thrilling experience. If it weren't for the awkward bits of dialogue, I guarantee your eyes would be glued to the screen, wondering what's going to happen next. This thriller isn't much of a mystery, but it does have the vibe of "never let them know your next move," especially when it comes to the actions taken by Brenda. She is hands down the film's best character and shows off how badass a mother can be. She goes to great lengths to protect her family and stops at nothing to ensure they are safe from the killer. Ludacris plays a more comedic character until things become serious and the stakes of their lives at risk come into play. The film's ending is a great payoff and worth every second of the frustration you might feel during certain suspenseful scenes.
If you want to see a thriller about family and all means of protecting it, then End of the Road is the film for you. It's entertaining the whole way through, and you'll be on the edge of your seat. It's got comedy, suspense, family, and heart. All things that can make a film good. It's an average watch for the casual Netflix viewer, and it won't disappoint. See End of the Road on Netflix, September 9. Rating: 3.5/5
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Review by Paris Jade  Regina Hall and Sterling K. Brown star in a new satirical comedy: Honk For Jesus. Save Your Soul. After they go through a huge scandal, Trinitie Childs (Hall) helps her husband, Lee-Curtis Childs (Brown), bring their once thriving church back to life. Director Adamma Ebo takes a documentary-style approach to the film, making the characters feel more like real people. This movie was a bit weird in pacing, and it was honestly a little boring. Ebo based the film on a short she had created, and it should have stayed that way. I don't think you are supposed to attach yourself to these characters as they are all bad people. When it comes to satire, it's difficult to find a good middle ground where you make terrible characters yet still enjoy them and be entertained. However, here they are all just a bit too much. They are not very entertaining or funny — just sort of bland. You need to have a very particular sense of humor to find this film even remotely funny. A casual moviegoer might not understand it and take the plot seriously, and some scenes might even make you uncomfortable, especially when they involve Lee-Curtis Childs being on screen. Back to the pacing of the film, it felt very odd. Some things happened very fast, while other moments dragged on for way too long. The entire scene based on the short film is the most entertaining part, which again makes you think: should this have been made into feature length?  Even though the film isn't very enjoyable, the performances given by Hall and Brown can be praised. They absolutely deliver when it comes to their characters, and they did a spectacular job. The supporting cast also made themselves memorable, specifically Nicole Beharie and Conphidance. They were definitely the best part of the film and had the best bits of comedy. Their characters, the Sumpters, ran a church competing with the Childs. Anytime they were on camera, they made sure to advertise their brand new church while still putting up a supportive front for the Childs' church. Anytime I actually laughed, it was always something to do with them. I'd love to see this duo again in another film where they may have the starring roles.
If you're the type of person with a dark sort of satirical sense of humor, you might enjoy Honk For Jesus. Save Your Soul. The characters have a lot of cult-like behavior due to their religion which plays a big part in why the film is satirical and enjoyable to see. However, I feel bad for any hardcore Christians that decide to see this film blindly. They'll be in for quite a shock, which might be a bit more entertaining to witness than the film itself. See Honk For Jesus. Save Your Soul in theaters and on Peacock September 2. Rating: 2/5 Review by Paris Jade  Kevin Hart and Mark Wahlberg bring you Netflix’s latest comedy film: Me Time. Sonny (Kevin Hart) is a stay-at-home father whose life revolves around his children. After years of spending time with them, he finally gets time alone while his wife, Maya (Regina Hall), goes on a trip with their kids. He reconnects with his childhood friend Huck (Mark Wahlberg) for a crazy and unforgettable weekend birthday bash. A comedy starring Kevin Hart and Mark Wahlberg just seems right. Nothing could go wrong with it, and nothing did. It was absolutely entertaining the whole way through. It was hilarious, and the antics continued to grow as the movie went along. The plot itself is very simple. It’s not hard to grasp at all. The setup felt like it took just a little too long, as a good portion of the movie felt like you were watching Sonny be a good father. However, the fun begins when Maya and the kids go on their trip. There are several jaw-dropping, hilarious moments in the film that you will never see coming, which make it all even better.  One specific actress absolutely stole the show in the mere 20 minutes that she was in. Ilia Isorelýs Paulino’s character Thelma was incredibly hilarious, and the actress herself stole my attention anytime she was in a scene. She had the best lines and reactions to Sonny and Huck. She deserves praise for her performance, and everyone should be on the lookout for this up-and-coming actress. An honest shame she isn’t in the film for longer. Other than that, the performances given by our main stars were great, as if anyone would ever doubt their deliveries. Hart and Wahlberg are talented at what they do, and I expect nothing less than greatness from them. They will have you laughing for several minutes of the movie.
Me Time is your classic, simple, semi-raunchy comedy. If you like these types of films, you’ll find yourself enjoying it. However, it’s not something for the family, so maybe don’t sit your kids down for movie night with this one. It’s not my first choice when choosing a good comedy movie, but if you are looking for something new and are a casual Netflix user, go ahead and watch this. I guarantee you’ll laugh a few times with Me Time. Watch Me Time only on Netflix, out August 26. Rating: 3.5/5 Review by Paris Jade  Pool cleaner by day, vampire hunter by night — Jamie Foxx returns to the big screen in this action comedy, Day Shift. Bud (Foxx) has a week to come up with the money to pay for his daughter's braces and school tuition. The very start of the film immediately grabs your attention, beginning with an extended action sequence of Bud fighting a vampire. It's an intense fight scene with bits and pieces of humor that keeps you engaged. As the story continues, you meet our antagonist and supporting cast. As Bud fights vampires and does his own busts, he's joined by Seth (Dave Franco), who has never been on the "field" and is terrified every minute. Franco truly steals the show and has excellent comedic timing. His chemistry with Foxx makes them a great duo, and their time together in the film is truly enjoyable. As for the other cast members, Snoop Dogg, as always, is a legendary person to watch on screen, and you can't help but love whatever character he plays in any film he is in. He brings his Snoop flair and makes the movie just a little bit better. A character you don't really see until the end of the film is Heather (Natasha Liu Bordizzo), who steals a bit of the spotlight in any scene she is in. Even with the few scenes she had in the film, I can't wait to see what she does next. You can tell she'll be an up-and-coming actress to look for.  The main issue with this film is its main antagonist Audrey (Karla Souza). She seems to be your stereotypical Latina who, for some reason, says one random Spanish word in every sentence. She's almost like a low-budget Sofia Vergara without the accent. The editors also decided to put weird flashing subtitles anytime she spoke Spanish. If it was supposed to be comical or not, it just looks plain stupid, and they should have gone with something more normal-looking. The action sequences are the best part of this film, as the plot itself and the dialogue gradually get worse the further you get into the film. The ending ends just fine like any other action film can, with a good resolution for our main characters. The fight scenes are really what hold the movie together. Without them, this Day Shift would be quite bad, especially with how long it lasts. At least you can keep yourself entertained with that.
See Day Shift on Netflix on August 12. Rating: 3.5/5 Review by Paris Jade  What do you get when you match a man who has trouble keeping a girlfriend with a girl with multiple personalities? Starring Tyler Johnson and Bonnie Piesse, My Perfect Girlfriend answers that question with some of the most awkward acting you've ever seen. The film starts with narration from Conrad's best friend Will, played by Keston John. This is where the awkwardness immediately begins. Will is barely in this movie, and for some reason, the creators decided to have him narrate the love story of Conrad and Molly even though he only gets one or two interactions with the couple. Bonnie Piesse does a great job of playing multiple characters and is a good actress; however, Tyler Johnson feels way too awkward when it comes to playing opposite Piesse. It sometimes seemed like it was just the character, but a lot of it felt way too forced and made Johnson seem like a bad actor, and you can't really feel the chemistry between the two leads.  Other than the awkward interactions, the actual story itself is a cute one. As unnecessary as Will's narration feels, it brings you right into the story and immediately grabs your attention, primarily because you're questioning why there is narration in the first place. It throws you off, but after that, you start to get into the actual story. It seems this film does an okay job at its representation of people with dissociative identity disorder. They use the correct terminology and treat it normally in the movie instead of treating it like it's a terrible thing, and any person with it can be a killer like many Hollywood tries to depict. Showing how the real disorder could be and how Conrad deals with his partner having it was well executed, and hopefully, people with DID can appreciate it.
My Perfect Girlfriend isn't for everyone, but I believe the casual moviegoer could enjoy it if they like a simple romance with a bit of a twist. If it weren't for the lack of chemistry between the actors, you could genuinely see this as a real couple. They go through real issues and feel like real people, and at times you do feel like you could be watching an actual couple's journey through their relationship. They both go through mental struggles and learn to find their way around them. It's a cute film and will probably make you smile, but it's not a must-see. If you have the time and feel like seeing a nice romance, give it a gander. My Perfect Girlfriend is now in theaters and hits VOD on August 9. Rating: 3/5 |