Hunter Killer Review

Hunter Killer is a serviceable action thriller despite its sluggish pacing. This movie is about an untested American submarine captain who must team up with the Navy Seals to rescue the kidnapped Russian president. Gerard Butler gives a great performance. He brings a good sense of gravitas to his character even if he has played this role 100 times by now. Michael Nyqvist gives an excellent performance in his final role. Common and Linda Cardellini both give really good performances in supporting roles. Gary Oldman gives an okay performance, but plays his character way over the top. Donovan Marsh does a great job directing. The action scenes are well shot and thrilling to watch. This movies weakness is in the script. While the core characters and plot are good, there is just way too much filler here. It is almost halfway through the movie before the main plot gets going. At 121 minutes this movie has really bad pacing. The first half moves at almost a snail pace at times. Thankfully the second half does pick up and becomes much more enjoyable. Overall Hunter Killer will satisfy those looking for a decent action thriller, just be warned it takes a long time to get going.

6/10

The Nun Review

The Nun is a fun, horror, adventure film held back by an overuse of jump scares. This movie is about a nun and a priest who travel to an abbey where a nun mysteriously committed suicide. While there, they encounter the evil entity known as Valek. Taissa Farmiga gives a good performance. She makes her character likable and sells the terror well. Demian Bichir gives a great scenery-chewing performance. He plays the role with just the right blend of craziness and seriousness. Jonas Bloquet gives a fun supporting performance. However, his character is extremely underdeveloped. Corin Hardy did a great job directing. This movie is packed with a heavy sense of creepy atmosphere from scene one and it keeps it up throughout. The script is good with a fun simple story and some good scares, but it is not without its stupid moments. The cinematography is beautiful with plenty of gorgeous scenery shots. There are plenty of scares, but the constant jump moments can get annoying at times. At 96 minutes the pacing is fast only occasionally slowing down. Overall, The Nun is not perfect and is filled with plenty of forced jump scares. However, it is still a fun horror adventure especially for fans of the Conjuring films.

6/10

The Sisters Brothers Review

The Sisters Brothers is an entertaining and unique western. This movie is about an infamous duo of assassins known as the sister's brothers as they hunt down a gold prospector across 1850s Oregon. Joaquin Phoenix gives a great performance. I'm not normally a fan of his, but I thought he played a cold killer perfectly. John C. Reilly gives a good performance and proves he can be a serious actor while still delivering comedic moments. Jake Gyllenhaal gives a fantastic performance. His character takes some unique turns, but he sells it well. Riz Ahmed gives a decent performance in a simple role. His acting is perfectly fine, but nothing great compared to rest of cast. Jacques Audiard did a great job directing. The way he directs the shootouts is extremely cool to watch and I have never seen anything like it. The cinematography is beautiful with plenty of wide scenery shots that are stunning. The script is overall pretty good filled with developed characters and some comedic elements. As for pacing, this movie is definitely a slow burn. The first 2/3 moves at a pretty consistent pace, but then hits the brakes for most of its third act. However, though, despite its 121-minute runtime and slow pacing I was never bored. Overall The Sisters Brothers is a fun and unique western despite slow pacing.

8/10

Halloween (2018) Review

Halloween (2018) is a return to a simpler time for this franchise and is overall a lot of fun. This movie is about Laurie Strode confronting Michael Myers, a masked killer, who has haunted her thoughts since she narrowly escaped him 40 years ago. Jamie Lee Curtis gives a fantastic performance. She is by far the best part of this movie and brings a heavy sense of vulnerability and strength to the role. James Jude Courtney and Nick Castle do a great job bringing Michael Myers to life. Judy Greer gives a good performance though some of the writing with her character is a bit baffling. Haluk Bilginer gives an okay performance but his character is pointless. Andi Matichak gives a really good performance, but her subplot is one of the film’s worst aspects. Jefferson Hall and Virginia Gardner both give great performances in smaller roles. David Gordon Green did an excellent job directing bringing a heavy dose of atmosphere and tension. The script is pretty good, but definitely has some weaker aspects. Every attempt at humor is forced and falls flat. Also, the subplot with the granddaughter and her boyfriend is pointless and did not belong in this movie. The cinematography is great and builds a sense of paranoia. The music is fantastic. The classic theme returns and I loved hearing it on the big screen. At 106 minutes the pacing is fast only really slowing down in the second act. The highlight of this movie is the fantastic tense and thrilling third act. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. The kills are brutal but never gross. Overall Halloween (2018), while not perfect, was extremely fun and a fantastic return to form for the series.

8/10

The Hate U Give Review

The Hate U Give is a great drama filled with fantastic acting and a heavy dose of political commentary. This movie is about a girl named Starr who witnesses the shooting of her best friend at the hands of a police officer. As tensions rise, Starr must stand up for her friend. Amandla Stenberg gives a fantastic and powerful performance. This is an extremely difficult role to play correctly and I thought she was perfect. Russel Hornsby gives an excellent performance as Starr’s dad. The relationship between Hornsby and Stenberg is powerful and believable. Common gives a great performance in a crucial supporting role. His key monologue is one of the film’s best scenes. Anthony Mackie and K.J. Apa both give really good performances in smaller roles. George Tillman Jr. did a great job directing. He wisely increases the tension as the film progresses culminating in a scene that had me holding my breath. The script is fantastic with well written and likable main characters. The cinematography is cool and unique utilizing very different colors depending on the scene. At 133 minutes this movie moves at a surprisingly fast pace rarely slowing down at all once it gets going. As for flaws, there were a few scenes early in the first act that felt very out of place. Overall The Hate U Give is a fantastic drama with some powerful and emotional moments.

8/10

First Man Review

First Man is a great biopic despite its extremely slow pacing. This movie is about Neil Armstrong and the legendary space mission that led him to be the first man on the moon. Ryan Gossling gives a fantastic performance. While it may not be what people expect, his quiet subdued performance is very powerful at times. Claire Foy gives a really good performance. The scenes with her were not among my favorites, but she had a few standout moments. Corey Stoll, Kyle Chandler, and Jason Clarke all gave great performances in crucial supporting roles. Damien Chazelle did a fantastic job directing. The space sequences are easily the films best as they are equally tense and breathtaking. The script is very strong, though quite minimalistic. There are many sequences with no dialogue at all. While these more artsy moments will not work for everyone, I found a few of them to be impressive and emotional. The visual effects are amazing. All of the space sequences are visually incredible. The cinematography utilizes shaky camera work to simulate a documentary style film. While that will not work for everyone, I overall liked the choice. At 138 minutes this movie moves at a snail's pace. While I was never bored at all, there are many slow scenes with very little happening. Overall First Man was a great Neil Armstrong biopic, if you do not mind the extremely slow pacing.

8/10

Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween Review

Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween is not quite as good as its predecessor, but still remains a fun fast paced Halloween film for kids. This movie is about two boys who face an onslaught of monsters led by a talking dummy. After all of Halloween comes to life the boys must race against the clock to save the town. Jeremy Ray Taylor gives a good performance. Madison Iseman gives a great performance. Her dynamic with Taylor feels like a real brother-sister relationship. Caleel Harris gives a good performance as Taylor’s best friend. The two of them have a fun and believable dynamic. Jack Black does a great job voicing Slappy, the talking dummy. Black also reprises his live-action role in a much smaller capacity and steals the film in his few scenes. Ken Jeong is also a lot of fun as the crazy neighbor in a small supporting role. Ari Sandel’s directing is competent, albeit, unspectacular. The script is simple, but is filled with plenty of light scares and laughs for the kids. There are also a couple of jokes that only adults will get that are quite funny. The visual effects are fine, albeit, extremely cartoony so they're not too scary for kids. At a short 90 minutes, this movie moves at an extremely fast pace almost never slowing down. Overall Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween is not perfect, but is a fun film for families looking for a lighter film this Halloween season.

6.5/10

Bad Times at the El Royale Review

Bad Times at the El Royale is a great mystery thriller despite its long running time. This movie is about seven mysterious strangers who meet at the El Royale hotel in the 60s. Jeff Bridges gives his best performance in years. Newcomer Cynthia Ervio gives a really good performance and her scenes with Bridges are among the strongest in the film. Jon Hamm gives a decent performance, but I wish his character had a larger role. Caile Spaeny gives a good performance in a smaller role. Lewis Pullman delivers a complex star-making performance. Dakota Johnson gives a great performance. Her character is one of the most layered and interesting people in the film. However, the star of this movie by far is Chris Hemsworth. He steals every single scene he is in and all the film’s best moments involve him. Drew Goddard did a fantastic job directing. He definitely is taking inspiration from Tarantino but he makes it his own. The script, also written by Goddard, is a complex mystery filled with compelling characters. If it were not for a few moments that do not deliver on the full potential, the script would be flawless. As is though it's extremely well written. The cinematography, especially in the outside scenes, was beautiful to look at. The editing, while nothing stood out, was good as well. The music was fantastic and really helped build the unique atmosphere of this world. At 140 minutes the movie could easily lose 15 minutes to tighten up the pace just a little bit. Also, while necessary, the first hour does move quite slow. Overall I had a great time with Bad Times at the El Royale and recommend it especially for mystery fans.

8/10

Venom Review

Venom has issues but it gets the important things right to deliver an exciting and funny superhero film. This movie is about Eddie Brock, a reporter, who gets infected with a mysterious symbiote known as Venom that can take control of Eddie. Tom Hardy is giving a very unique cartoony performance here. For me though, it was great and worked with the style of this movie. He also did a great job voicing Venom. Riz Ahmed gives a good performance as the villain. He plays a stereotypical corporate villain, but it worked fine. Michelle Williams gives a decent performance as Eddie’s ex-girlfriend. Jenny Slate and Reid Scott both give great performances in their supporting roles. Ruben Fleischer did an excellent job directing. All of the action sequences are well shot and very exciting. The script overall is great, but it does take a little too long for the main plot to kick in. However, they absolutely nailed the Venom, Eddie Brock dynamic. The character development outside of Eddie and Venom is practically nonexistent though. There is also a surprising amount of humor in this movie. Thankfully almost all of it is funny with a couple of lines being fantastic. The visual effects are great. Venom and all the other symbiotes look fantastic. At 112 minutes the movie does take a bit too long to get to Venom but for the most part, flies by. Overall Venom has quite a few issues and will not work for everyone. For me though, I had a huge smile watching it and it is some of the most fun I have had with a film this year.

8.5/10

A Star is Born (2018) Review

A Star is Born is a very good movie with great acting, but it is not without its flaws though. This movie is about a famous musician named Jackson Maine who falls in love with a struggling artist named Ally. As Jackson helps launch her career into the spotlight, the personal side of their relationship struggles. Bradley Cooper gives a great performance. He does an excellent job making you love and hate his character simultaneously. Lady Gaga gives an incredible performance in her first leading role. Her relationship and dynamic with Cooper is easily the highlight of the movie. Sam Elliot and Dave Chappelle give great performances in supporting roles. Bradley Cooper did a very good job as a first-time director. However, a few of his choices during the musical scenes do not work.  The script is great overall, but way too long. There is a lot of filler in this movie. The editing is excellent with one edit in particular near the end that is one of the best I have seen in a long time. The cinematography is overall quite good though some of the shaky camera work during the concert scenes could be nauseating. As for the songs themselves, Bradley Cooper did a great job singing and Lady Gaga was fantastic. Shallows is a incredible song and will easily win the Oscar for best song. However, all the other music, while good, was extremely forgettable. At 135 minutes the pacing is pretty bad. The first twenty minutes were unfocused and poorly written. Once the script brings Cooper and Gaga together the movie picks up quite a bit. However, any time they are not on screen together the movie slows to a halt. Overall A Star is Born is a very good movie with great acting, but its poor pacing holds it back from greatness.

7.5/10

White Boy Rick Review

White Boy Rick is a well-made, compelling, true story film with great acting. This movie is about the true life story of teenage Richard Wershe Jr. who was an undercover informant for the police in the drug trade during the 80s. Newcomer Richie Merritt gives a fantastic performance in the lead role. Matthew McConaughey gives an excellent performance playing the dad. His relationship with Merritt felt like a real father-son dynamic. Jennifer Jason Leigh, Bel Powley, and RJ Cyler all give great performances in supporting roles. The rest of the cast all put in good performances. Yann Demange did a great job directing overall. The first half of the movie keeps up a sense of fun, fast paced energy. The second half things get a bit more standard but still good. The script is fantastic with plenty of character development while also telling a complete story without rushing it. The editing in the first half, especially, is unique and very strong. At 116 minutes the pacing is good overall, but the second half is slower than the first. Overall White Boy Rick was a great true story film filled with excellent performances.

8/10