THE ROOM NEXT DOOR (2024)

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Written & Directed By: Pedro Almodovar 

Based on the Novel “WHAT ARE YOU GOING THROUGH” By: Sigrid Nunez 

Cinematography: Edu Grau 

Editor: Teresa Font 

Cast: Tilda Swinton, Julianne Moore, John Turturro, Alessandro Nivola, Juan Diego Botto, Alex Hogh Andersen, Victoria Luengo, Esther McGregor

Ingrid and Martha were close friends in their youth, when they worked together at the same magazine. After years of being out of touch, they meet again in an extreme but strangely sweet situation.

This isn’t a bad film. In fact, it’s almost frustrating that it isn’t, because there’s so much to admire here, and yet so little that I actually connected with.

Every frame is beautiful. The colors, compositions, interiors, costumes, and carefully chosen shots often look like paintings. There’s a rhythm to it, too, almost like a beautifully directed stage production. But after a while, It started feeling less like one was watching a movie and more like I was visiting a very expensive museum exhibit And while appreciated, just wasn’t necessarily having a good time.

The biggest problem for me is that the dialogue often feels written rather than spoken. The characters seem to deliver information rather than reveal emotion. It’s almost like reading a very wordy novel where the author tells you everything, leaving you to create the images and feelings yourself. Except this is a movie Qqand Pedro Almodóvar is giving us all those images already.

There are moments of genuine beauty and meaning, but emotionally, the film feels strangely cold. Almost like a modern 1950s melodrama that forgot to turn up the melodrama.

And that’s particularly disappointing because Almodóvar is one of my favorite filmmakers. He has always had this wonderful ability to make chaos feel ordinary, make the mundane feel fascinating, and turn emotional extremes into something colorful, funny, messy, and alive.

Here, everything feels much more controlled.

Almost too controlled.

The film eventually becomes monotonous, like listening to someone tell you a story when you keep waiting for them to finally get to the point and then realizing you’re not particularly interested in the point.

I also couldn’t shake the feeling that this was partly an appreciation piece for its two magnificent leading actresses. If you’re already a fan of them, there’s plenty here to admire. And honestly, they deserve to be celebrated. But the movie sometimes feels more devoted to their presence than interested in giving us something emotionally involving around them.

It’s gorgeous. It’s sophisticated. It’s carefully constructed. There’s absolutely nothing technically wrong with it And maybe that’s the problem.

I kept waiting for the movie to surprise me, move me, shake me or at least make me feel something beyond “That’s a lovely shot.”

It almost feels like watching a Vogue fashion spread: beautifully designed, impeccably photographed, sophisticated enough to discuss over cocktails, but after a while you’re wondering where the actual story went.

Ultimately, The film feels like a film to study, admire, dissect, and appreciate more than one to simply enjoy And maybe that’s exactly what Almodóvar intended.

But for me, it was like going on a date with someone who has plenty of qualities you admire. They’re intelligent, beautiful, interesting, accomplished, and probably wonderful to other people. There just isn’t any chemistry. So you wish them well And if everyone else wants to rave about them, I won’t argue.

Though by the end if you can afford it. You want to know who the interior designer and costume designer were. As those are immaculate. 

Grade: B- 

GIRLS LIKE GIRLS (2026)

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Directed By: Hayley Kiyoko  

Written By: Hayley Kiyoko and Stephanie Scott 

Story by: Chloe Okuno and Hayley Kiyoko 

Cinematography: Sonia Tsypin 

Editor: Christine Armstrong and Sabine Hoffman 

Cast: Maya Da Costa, Myra Molloy, Zach Braff, Levon Hawke, Alozie LaRose, Sierra Sidwell, Hunter Dillon, Sophia Carriere, Alexa Mareka 

Coley, 17, from rural Oregon, navigates intimacy after her mother’s passing. Meeting Sonya sparks new feelings, but self-doubt hinders their connection. Sonya, unfamiliar with dating girls, is uncertain. They learn to embrace emotions.

The film is light and airy feeling like a perfect summer romance 

A nostalgic throwback that feels modern but yet would fit in the early 2000’s in which it’s set 

Wondering if it is autobiographical fantasy for the Writer- Director Hayley Kioko from her song and music video it seems a full length feature extension from. 

It works as a typical romantic film that just happens to be queer or a queer awakening film that lends itself more to a paperback romantic novel origins. As the film feels like, The type that this is adapted from by the writer director who also wrote the original novel.

The films easy to watch you can’t help but route for the main characters and their back stories are handled with care that seem to be heavy and emotion, but very light material wise all the two girls bond and are left in their own world. There is no bullying there doesn’t seem to be prejudice from any friends or family so really the only challenge throughout the film seems to be being emotionally available and open to one another and trust there’s nothing or no one in the outside world really challenging this romance.

As throughout the film, it seems like the main character played By Maya Da Costa seems to be the one who is facing the most challenge of letting go and growing up and living her life and not staying mentally in her sorrow.

It also doesn’t hurt that everything in this film is very pretty. So there’s nothing that’s ugly or mean spirited and there’s nothing bad to look at as most of the cast is beautiful as are the locations and the town that they’re staying in. The cast is lovingly diverse. It’s one of those dream towns where everyone seems cool with everything. No prejudice, no class struggles, no bigotry. So the film won’t offend anyone and one can see why some might be attracted to it.

There is a slightly romantic rival, and once they are with them instead of the scenes, seeming as romantic beautifully shot and intense, there’s a coldness in a practicality that feels cold and a little bit of disgust. 

It’s an assured debut by Director, Hayley Kioko, who keeps it light and sweet with a little bit of death and is quite assured behind the camera as an actress and musician. She seems to have learned and picked up the necessary skill and await what her next film will be here she shows she has the goods to continue along this path.

Happy this got a limited release theatrically though really the material feels more like a streaming or the type that these days would be more streaming original only because it’s a little more lightweight, which isn’t unexpected watching the trailer

The film is more likable than one might expect

Grade: C+

SHE’S THE HE (2026)

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Written, Edited & Directed By: Siobhan McCarthy 

Cinematography: Bethany Michalski

Cast: Nico Carney, Misha Osherovich, Malia Pyles, Suzanne Cryer, Tatiana Ringsby, Mark Indelicato, Emmett Preciado, Aparna Nancherla 

Before graduation, Ethan and Alex pose as trans women in a last ditch effort to quell gay rumors. It’s all a joke until Ethan realizes: she really is trans. The two must reckon with their changing friendship, coming out, and coming-of-age.

This is a Queer film where the leads are trans and, Non-Binary. Which there isn’t a problem because  there are such few films and representation for them. So at least here they get a chance to beat themselves or speak for themselves.

As the two leads who are non-binary and trans, are supposed to play their roles as straight boys trying to disguise themselves as trans to save themselves and to try and get one of their dream girls to fall in love with them go through that process one discovers that they might actually be trans themselves and is not pretending as much.

The film is mostly a comedy and plays out like one of those teen comedies from the 80s 90s or even 2000s or logic. It’s thrown out the door, but which sounds like a good plan works and goes as well as satirizing high school movies in general straight and queer.

What shocked me here was not the comedy which is a little like the recent film BOTTOMS but without as big of a budget, it was the heart and emotion that this film has it’s not played out throughout, but it is an essential part of the film, which is the film’s heartbeat which truly is what saves the film. As it helps cover up the low budget technical shortcomings and presentation. 

As, if this film had just been straight comedy, it would’ve worked, but it wouldn’t have felt necessarily as worth the story or the fountain as it gets you the audience at certain moments that prove to be universal and truly show the depth of the characters and the situations they find themselves in. While swimming in the Moore, universal broad comedy aspects of it all.

This is an unexpected delight that I think people

Should give a chance to, and maybe it will open up their ways of thinking to acceptance and support for the LGBTQ+ community and understand the challenges and fears that they go through.

It’s a film that can be both educational and fun for the audience other than language maybe should be aimed or show more teenagers as it’s appeal seems to be aimed at them a little more

Not to mention is definitely very quotable. 

Grade: B- 

THE SUPER MARIO GALAXY MOVIE (2026)

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Directed By: Aaron Hogarth, Michael Jelenic, Pierre Leduc, Fabien Pollack 

Written By: Matthew Fogel 

Editor: Eric Osmond 

Cast: (Voices of) Anya Taylor-Joy, Chris Pratt, Charlie Day, Jack Black, Glen Powell, Donald Glover, Keegan-Michael Key, Brie Larson, Benny Safdie, Luis Guzman, Issa Rae, Kevin Michael Richardson 

Mario ventures into space, exploring cosmic worlds and tackling galactic challenges far from the familiar Mushroom Kingdom.

Did we need a sequel to the original movie? No, but considering it’s box office,  we knew there would be one eventually. Plus it’s a franchise just as there are so many SUPER MARIO BROTHERS. You knew this would probably come along which at least expand on the super Mario world in the first place and ads familiar faces with some new from the super Mario Brothers lore.

Though again this film feels so unnecessary. Almost like filler, that I am hoping it might be recruitment for kids who it’s obviously more aimed that and giving something to die hard Mario brothers fans the world over. 

As the first film felt like the film we all wanted back when the game was popular and when they came up with that disappointing live action movie this sequel just feels while quirky on autopilot as it’s not as much fun. The story is kind of hazy and just a reason to put these characters all back together. There’s nothing wrong with that, but I can’t say it’s as fun or entertaining unfortunately, kind of takes away from the first one or reminds you how much you liked the first one and why can’t this one be just as fun. 

The film stays cute though never quite necessary. Sometimes it’s actually even fun, but it does remind me of that BABE sequel; BABE: PIG IN THE CITY where babe doesn’t even really talk or if he does, he says very few words it seemed like with the first film the voice actors managed to make their characters be felt here. It just feels like they have less to say or at least less humor and more definitely dependent on actions and silly physical scenes more. not to mention the addition of just more characters and celebrity voices.

It’s better than when there would be an unenthusiastic straight to streaming your home video animated sequel as this is definitely big and grand. It just doesn’t feel as much fun or inventive as the first film maybe as it came along too fast and didn’t have time to really consider a storyline or wanted to keep it then just so we could stay with the characters and hope that would satiate the audience and the fans.

At least the score helps lift the overall tone. Even if it is mostly memorable music from the video games.

For the fans, I believe this song will be possibly enough, but if you’re not really in the super Mario Brothers, I feel like this will kind of be even more disappointing.

Grade: C

RUTHLESS (2023)

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Directed By: Art Camacho

Written By: Art Camacho, James Dean Simington, Javier Reyna and Koji Steven Sakai 

Cinematography: Brandon Ruiz 

Editor: Rylan Rafferty 

Cast: Dermot Mulroney, Jeff Fahey, Mauricio Mendoza, Melissa Diaz, Keisa Elwin, Tonantzin Esparza, Texas Battle, Manu Intiraymi 

A high school coach, whose teenage daughter was murdered, takes matters into his own hands by going after the men who kidnapped his student for their human trafficking operation.

it’s rare to see Dermot Mulroney play a leading role and it’s definitely a rarity for him to play in action hero leading role. At first being a vigilante and then it seems like seeking revenge and to tell you the truth this film feels like it was more written for Steven Seagal, only because Dermot Mulroney‘s character seems to have no sense of humor is always straight to the point and has a hankering for loving to break arms, wrists, rather than just go for the kill which becomes a kind of dark humor flight in this world

The rest of the story is paint by numbers and mostly predictable. It does offer a few little twist towards the end, but for the most part, you know what’s going to happen. This film also has to have a record for most people injured, but not killed in an action film b on-screen. 

This is the type of film that would’ve played on a Friday or Saturday night on HBO as an original action film for them, though it might’ve had a few more stars in the film other than Moroney and Jeff Fahey. Which might be why I have a particular weakness for the film as it’s kind of nostalgic for me at least. 

There are many scenes and this film that are over the top and a bit ridiculous that only add to making this a guilty pleasure. I didn’t say a guilty pleasure but definitely a guilty pleasure as it gets more silly as it seems to go along now Moroney is perfectly cast in the lead role and you just wish the script was there for him a bit more and support in store.

As one wouldn’t mind seeing a sequel to this chest, hopefully a little bit stronger in the writing as this film would’ve been more of a showcase if we had more regular or had as many action heroes from the past nowadays it’s more about actors so they are the new action heroes but they wanna show range and not in that position. They didn’t mind trying to stretch, but they knew what their job was and the roles they were most likely always going to get.

Can’t really say that any action sequences are that memorable they’re believable enough, even though in some you can see the Korea geography, and the waiting for the hit to be thrown and for some that will make it more realistic, and for others, they’ll seem too slow and unstylish as they don’t like to see the seems 

If you’re just looking for something that’s entertaining, it isn’t really gonna make you think and you’re just a really bad Dermot Mulroney fan. This is the movie for you.

Grade: C

LOU (2022)

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Directed By: Anna Foerster

Written By: Maggie Cohn And Jack Stanley 

Story By: Maggie Cohn 

Cinematography: Michael McDonough 

Editor: Matt Evans and Paul Tothill

Cast: Allison Janney, Jurnee Smollett, Ridley Asha Bateman, Logan Marshall-Green, Matt Craven, Daniel Bernhardt, Greyston Holt, RJ Metherstonhaugh 

As a massive storm rages, a young girl is kidnapped. With no other option, her mother teams up with the mysterious older woman next door to pursue the kidnapper. The journey through the wilderness will test the women’s limits and expose dark and shocking secrets from their pasts.

There’s a very specific subgenre of action movie that has become increasingly common over the last decade: the “serious, award-winning older actor decides to punch people for two hours” movie. Usually it’s Liam Neeson, sometimes it’s other veteran male stars looking for a late-career reinvention or at least a reliable paycheck. Lou is essentially the female version of that formula, with the always-great Allison Janney stepping into the role of grizzled action hero.

And honestly? On paper, that sounds great.

Watching Janney play against type. armed, dangerous, and trudging through a stormy wilderness to rescue a kidnapped child is the film’s biggest hook. There’s something genuinely fun about seeing an Oscar-winning dramatic actress suddenly become an unlikely action star. It’s refreshing. It’s different. It should work.

Unfortunately, LOU wastes most of that goodwill by being painfully generic.

The film tries to downplay the novelty of having an older female action lead, which is admirable in theory. it doesn’t want applause just for existing. But in doing so, it forgets to be memorable in any other way. The plot is so basic and familiar that you can predict nearly every beat before it happens. It feels assembled from leftover parts of better thrillers.

Worse, the movie seems to realize how routine it is and starts throwing in twist after twist to compensate. But instead of making things more exciting, those twists become increasingly absurd less “shocking revelation” and more “wait… what?” By the end, the film becomes almost laughably convoluted, trying so hard to surprise you that it stops making sense.

Which is frustrating, because the action itself is actually pretty solid. Director Anna Foerster stages several tense, rough-and-tumble sequences that work well. The stormy Pacific Northwest setting gives the movie an atmospheric edge, and when fists start flying or arrows start landing, the film briefly wakes up.

But those moments are too few.

Even the cast seems only partially invested. Jurnee Smollett does what she can, and Janney remains watchable because she’s Allison Janney and seemingly incapable of being bad, but much of the supporting cast looks like they’re simply fulfilling a contract. Everyone involved deserves better material.

That’s what makes Lou such a disappointment. It had a clever premise: an older woman as the hardened action lead, rewriting a familiar male fantasy. That alone should have made it stand out. Instead, it settles for being a serviceable streaming thriller competent enough to fill 100 minutes, forgettable enough to disappear from memory by the next day.

A missed opportunity. Not terrible. Just aggressively average.

Grade: D+

PRIMATE (2026)

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Directed By: Johannes Roberts 

Written By: Johannes Roberts and Ernest Riera 

Cinematography: Stephen Murphy 

Editor: Peter Gvozdas

Cast: Tony Kotsur, Johnny Sequoyah, Jessica Alexander, Victoria Wyant, Gia Hunter, Benjamin Cheng, Charlie Mann, Tienne Simon 

Looking forward to a relaxing vacation with friends, Lucy returns to her cliffside home in Hawaii after her first year of college. After all, with her father away on business, they have the house all to themselves. However, their reunion takes a dark turn when Ben, the family’s beloved chimpanzee, begins to show strange aggression. As Ben becomes an unpredictable threat to humans, Lucy must find a way to escape the raging primate and survive the night. But what good is fighting back when pinned down by a brutal force of nature?

Out of all the monkey movies that I have seen, this might be a favor only because it is truly a guilty pleasure.

The film tries to put everything together like it makes sense but when you try to describe the plot to someone and what happens in the story, it just sounds so ridiculous even if it is rather simple.

This film is basically if they made a sequel to Stephen King’s CUJO only with a monkey, because it’s pretty much kind of the same story only more victims and ways in which to bring more victims, a kind of standoff of trying to survive, and then a final confrontation where winner takes all.

This is good if you really just wanna watch a horror movie that’s just brutal. As that is one of the most impressive aspects of the film are the special effects. Especially the Gore effects and it’s graphic violence. This is also a film that has plenty of jump scares, which actually helps this is one of those more classic horror film formulas. Which is meant to scare an unnerve, and it works for the most part.

It’s just not that smart, but luckily it gets to the point rather fast. This isn’t a film where we spend the first half getting to know the character is getting to know the monkey and then realize something must be wrong and then the second half is more of a thriller. Which realizes what it is and tries to get to the point. It’s pretty much a B-movie in glossy clothing. In other words, a low browse satisfactory popcorn movie thank you. Will most likely forget soon after.

The film doesn’t have any real stars, but it does put Academy Award-winning Tony Kotsur in a pivotal role for the film as he is probably the biggest name in the cast. Next to a rather odd uncredited actor here for a cameo mysteriously.

This is The first johannes Roberts film I have enjoyed since THE STRANGERS: PREY AT NIGHT and he has made a bunch of film since then.

Though with most of the victims at first seeming to be female, but then they try to even it up by adding males, which they set up early in the script. It does end up becoming equal as at first it would seem rather sexist that all the females would be in peril and be getting killed off and increasingly brutal ways.

The film even has its first scene which is a death scene that takes place actually later in time in the film, but yet is the opening scene meant to grab your attention. Why not just have him murder another random person for that opening scene and then keep the other attendants peril for when it naturally happens in the story it’s just a weird edit

If you are a horror fan, I would say check this film out, but definitely don’t pay for it. Watch it for free streaming. Where you can and you can pretty much put it on for the background. Though it wouldn’t hurt to pay attention. Even if you know where it is going. As it doesn’t break any new ground you’re just surprised at how violent it actually gets as it seemed more shocked, like a PG-13 extravaganza and ends up a hard one, but for violence mostly.

It stays entertaining throughout and is never boring

Grade: C 

BAXTER (1989)

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Directed By: Jerome Boivin

Written By: Jerome Boivin and Jacques Audiard 

Based On The Book “HELL HOUND” By: Ken Greenhall

Cinematography: Yves Angelo

Editor: Marie-Jose Chauvel

Cast: Lisa Delaware, Jean Mercure, Jacques Spiesser, Catherine Ferran, Jean-Paul Roussillon, Sabrina Leurgoin, Daniel Rialet, Evelyn Dipi

Told from a dogs perspective – the titular Baxter is moved from one owner to another, seemingly never being a good fit for anyone.

Have you ever watched a movie that is so good you have no desire to really ever watch it again yet you would still recommend it. Well, this is one of those movies for me. Kept me watching with fear and anticipation until the end. Leave it to the French.

I was hoping that the recently released film GOOD BOY, would be on the level of this film while I found that film disappointing this was better than I could’ve ever expected as it kind of feels like it’s own version of the film MAN BITES DOG, though not as disturbing, but disturbing in its own way. Though this film could be watched with films such as WHITE DOG and WHITE GOD. Why all these films have White in the title? You’ll have to watch them and see.

This movie is a very depressing indefinitely disturbing though it never shows any violence throughout more leaving it suggested until the third act. 

Throughout the film, you know where it is going but not how it will get there or what it will do when it does and you kind of hope that it might steer itself somewhere else as we get to know the next inheritors of the dog and can instantly spot their weaknesses and vulnerability. especially as he seems to more go after the innocent, lonely, weak and trusting. All those that used to be sacred in films of the past or even of the films time period in which it was made.

Fell through throughout was thankful it didn’t go some places that were expected. As one feels sorry for most of the characters 

they keep in mind as one get older films like this bother me. They aren’t exactly for me anymore, but they’re watching it. It definitely inspired a reaction and kept me watching which can be rare when it comes to certain films

The film disturbed me yet want to read. It’s original source material. A 1970s American horror. Novel. Not shocked that one of the Screenwriter was future award-winning filmmaker Jacques Audiard (DHEEPAN)

I thought the film would be more an ensemble episodic anthology movie, Sort of like the movie WEINER DOG with less quirky comedy. Which then again makes me wonder if Todd Solondz  was inspired by this movie even as this stays more in a certain community in the neighborhood.

The ending is disturbing and sad as it shows a kind of legacy that will continue in its own one. 

Writer-Director John Waters put this on his list of favorite films that will corrupt you when he had an all two brief movie review show of his own

Which ends up being true as by the end, you are scared and feel a bit guilty as a film is going to make you feel something with barely having a Music score to guide you. It’s not flashy stylistically it’s definitely challenging and seek to instigate as you are a fly on the wall throughout and is going to take you with it willingly or even if it has to drag you unwillingly 

Grade: A

THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA 2 (2026)

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Directed By:  David Frankel 

Written By: Aline Brosh McKenna

Based on characters created by: Lauren Weisberger

Cinematography: Florian Ballhaus 

Editor: Andrew Marcus 

Cast: Anne Hathaway, Meryl Streep, Stanley Gucci, Emily Blunt, Lucy Liu, Tracie Thoms, Justin Theroux, B.J. Novak, Simone Ashley, Kenneth Branagh, Tibor Feldman, Helen J. Chan, Caleb Hearon, Patrick Brammell, Rachel Bloom, 

Andy Sachs reunites with Miranda Priestly as they navigate their careers amid the decline of traditional magazine publishing.

This film from the get-go was a mix bag as I loved the book and I loved the first film and was partially looking forward to a sequel even though I partially believed it’s probably not going to be as good and then once I saw the trailer is that feeling became more and more apparent.

The film is not based on the book sequel REVENGE WEARS PRADA: THE DEVIL RETUENS 

So now that I have finally seen this film, I can honestly say it doesn’t hold a candle to the first film. It’s more like a nice try, but it’s not entirely all of the films fault as it’s nice to catch up with the characters and see what they’re doing the problem with this film is really how times have changed.

How when the first film came out, there were still magazines. It was still an industry, and the fashion industry still felt creative and of quality when it came to art photography, even though it’s all about sales in the end and showcasing they just seems to be a grand or presentation when it came to magazines and print, and at least there were articles and interviews that seem to make it more worthwhile whereas now everything is on the Internet, so kind of has a gloss to it, but it feels uninspired more shiny sort of like the materials at some clothes are made up how some of these days are more disposable then build to last and that is the fate of this magazine within a film and it feels like that is the state of this film. As well as where it almost feels like culture is going.

It’s very glossy, but it feels impersonal and very disposal. It’s not as much fun and ultimately becomes disappointing now maybe because the first film dealt with growth and learning from a young female character learning her way around the ropes and now we have this character more at middle age coming to terms with her life so that’s not as endearing to the audience, even if it is partially identified and though there are stakes, they don’t seem to be very high or dramatic. Again it’s almost like the Judd apatow movie. THIS IS 40 where we’re watching the trials and tribulations of the characters, but they are in such a verified error of the 1% and that it’s really hard to really feel anything or truly worry because you know they’ll land on their feet quite easily they just might not have the same high positions they wanted

While the film obviously has its moments it also never quite feels fun like the first filmed, especially as everybody just seems to be going through the motions. they might seem to be having fun to revisit these characters and come together, but they also still feel a bit on autopilot making them mainly bland, even though why they stood out in the first place was that they were colorful one can understand that for Anne Hathaway‘s character as she was growing up and morphing in the first film here she just feels very bland, but wisened.

Miranda Priestley as played by Meryl Streep is still an iconic character, but while she still continues to have her high maintenance, the film softens her and gives examples of how she has to handle herself in this more delicate culture. 

Luckily, the film isn’t all bad and it does try but again it just never feels quite inspired or creative as it could be just like how the offices in the first film felt a little more grand and permanent but by the time we get to the sequel, the offices feel small filled more with people that you’re not quite sure what they do in while being more modern it doesn’t quite feel built to last. It’s good enough for now, but no one will claim to miss it within a few years.

Happily, they never really lean into a romantic angle, even though they hint at it as it seems that all films with women over a certain age being single we must throw one a love interest, even if it kind of feels like it’s padding the movie down with filler and to give her some kind of life outside of the office

It never feels as grand as it should privileged sure but never as much as a spectacle. It has the same effect as when Glenn Close went from 101 DALMATIONS to 102 DALMATIONS  movies where it doesn’t have quite that same magic when it goes off the reservation and away from where it was based so much.

This is a sequel that never really needed to be made but for fans of the original, you’re going to want to see this film probably as completed, but don’t say you weren’t warned

Grade: C 

REUNION (2024)

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Directed By: Chris Nelson 

Written By: Willie Block and Jake Emanuel 

Cinematography: Dino Parks 

Editor: Rick Grayson 

Cast: Billy Magnussen, Lil Rel Howey, Jamie Chung, Nina Dobrev, Jillian Bell, Michael Hitchcock, Chace Crawford, Dianne Doan, Cassandra Blair, Shaun White 

Snowbound at their high school reunion, former classmates uncover a murder and scramble to identify the killer among them before they’re all iced out for good.

This film is OK a pretty good time waster though it’s comparison to the similarly themed and released television series from Apple TV THE AFTERPARTY is truly it’s downfall, which is a shame as if not for that this would’ve been a good comedy

So if you haven’t seen THE AFTER PARTY, this actually might be something you’ll enjoy but if you have, you’ll see how much more creative the show is with it story as well as similar characters in their development in African-American protagonist who looks more and more like the guilty party, the unexpected reveal of the killer and an Asian female love interest for one of the characters. 

What is film does have going for it is a good cast. That all deserve better, but strangely always seem cast in these types of films that goes straight to streaming have interesting premises but don’t quite live up to their potential and could easily be better and seem to lack a certain flare

I will admit I have a weakness when it comes to actress Jamie Chung. I remeber her from THE REAL WORLD reality television show and is one of the breakout successes of it but never given that respect or credit.  as I believe her to be one of the most beautiful actresses who seems to never get the right or that many good roles she should definitely be a star by now, but seems stuck in these clunky, comedies and roles where she has very little breakout potential, but is easily the most interesting or best thing in it. In films like this. BURNING PALMS, STONE COLD FOX and the television series LOVECRAFT COUNTY. Though at least she is constantly working 

She’ not alone most of the cast are recognizable and deserve better then this Billy Magnussen, Lil Rel Howey, Jillian Bell, and Nina Dobrev as most of them have been scene stealers and comedic relief in bigger films. They just never quite got their chance to shine in their own high-quality film.

It also doesn’t help that by the end once the killer is revealed it just feels like they just threw it out there because they were running out of time as they don’t really explain motive they give a blanket one, but after you’ve spent so much time with these characters, it would be nice if it ran a bit deeper than what we are given

The film is a perfectly fine time waster but it seems to just get by and never go for the juggler when it can. It never takes the opportunities it sets up. It never quite pushes the envelope or trusts itself to go further or be better so that it always just stay safe and in the mid range and you can feel the frustration watching it.

The cast seems to be having fun and enjoying each others company. As half of them are exec producers and producers of the film.

The one thing it does have going for it is that it does set out clues so you can’t say that the ending is made up and it does have a high rewatch ability factor even if it doesn’t quite succeed.

Grade: C