FREELANCE (2023)

Directed By: Pierre Morel

Written By: Jabob Lentz

Cinematograohy: Thierry Arbogast

Editor: Chris Tonick

Cast: John Cena, Alison Brie, Juan Pablo Raba, Christian Slater, Marton Csokas, Alice Eve, Sebastian Eslava 

An ex-special forces operative takes a job to provide security for a journalist as she interviews a dictator, but when a military coup breaks out in the middle of the interview, they are forced to escape into the jungle.

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A one and done entertaining enough to keep your interest, but never a desire to return or see it again 

All the ingredients are there for a typical run of the meal action comedy starring John Cena and the lovely Alison Brie who still looks ravishing with each role. 

One of the many problems here is, though they don’t have any real chemistry with one another, which helps power these films as the mismatched bodyguard and subject who don’t necessarily end up, romantically with one another, but have such polar opposite personalities that they are usually arguing with one another, but have great banter 

The action scenes try to be exciting, but they come across very basic but entertaining the most surprising thing about the film was that Cristian Slater has a supporting role that is smaller than it should be. Coming from action movie director veteran Pierre Morel (TAKEN, PEPPERMINT) One would expect something a bit better. Even if just visually. 

I wish I could say that there’s something that sets up this movie to be something different than your basic action film that has a male and female that don’t get along, but learn to respect each other and work together.

The only difference might be that their relationship doesn’t go where you expected to. Other than that, this is pretty much a paint by numbers, action comedy that is possibly enough to be entertaining, but doesn’t offer too much originality, especially with John Cena and the lead who does what the script calls for and while he does have the comedic chops and the action sensibility And the charisma the film, just please you don’t really feel anything.

It’s entertaining enough to pass away the 90 minutes in. Again Alison Brie as always is quite sexy in this movie though doesn’t really get to do much of the action .

In the film is more noteworthy for its comedic scenes rather than its action scenes. As that might be the film, saving Grace as other than that it’s brutally violent with a not necessarily memorable villain, 

I want fries, but can’t tell if it’s the visuals or the budget the direction but things just seem to be a bit off. I won’t let it overcome. It’s weaknesses

it plays simple enough for its audience. As a good time waster. 

Grade: C 

TRIGGER WARNING (2024)

Directed By: Molly Surya

Written By: Josh Olson, John Brancato, and Halley Gross

Cinematography: Zoe White 

Editor: Chris Tonick and Robert Grigsby Wilson

Cast: Jessica Alba, Mark Webber, Anthony Michael Hall, Jake Weary, Tone Bell, Alejandro De Hoyos, Gabriel Basso, Kaiwi Lyman, Nadia Molcho, Peter Monro

A devoted daughter is attempting to figure out the cause of her father’s passing.


I am guessing this was supposed to be Jessica Alba’s comeback film To the big screen after being out of the film world for a while and running her Honest brand. 

This definitely was not the right project as it seems like a Netflix movie that even one of their bigger stars Jennifer Lopez would turn down that is how disappointing this movie is. I’m wondering if they had the script and tried to sell it to Alba as her return to movies but not tell her that probably Jennifer Lopez turned it down as well as another list of stars I mean Netflix as an action movie starring character actor Allison Janney. That is way more entertaining than this will ever be.

Jessica Alba, who is a great beauty even deserves better than this film. The audience doesn’t even deserve this film. The film is that poor. 

In watching the film. I know it takes place in a small town so I know it can’t be too impressive when it comes to the action plotting or visuals but this should still definitely be better.

The action sequences are not that impressive or expressive action and are far short of what one would hope for. 

The film is basically unoriginal and doesn’t seem to have any intentional humor. It also has no mystery. You pretty much know how it’s gonna go and offer no surprises in the way that it happens, except that you expect everyone in this film the characters to be a lot smarter. 

Which unfortunately is the quality one has come to expect when it comes to Netflix’s star vehicles.

This is a film, where a character you can tell is gonna be a jerk as he has a stylish mullet. that is derivative and bland that this film is.

What is shocking is that the film is co-written by some noted screenwriters Josh Olson and John Brancato. As well as Halley Gross who has quite a few screenwriting elements under her belt. So I wonder if each tried to make it better by laying on their expertise and somehow it all got simplified. 

It’s a good thing. This film didn’t go to the big screen. It would definitely be a disappointment even more than it is here. There is nothing in this film that feels worthy of being on the big screen.

Even while it was fighting for either a bad or worse. as you watch a film with a crap charisma villain, and the characters get to take down a terrorist for extra measure.

This also could’ve ended much quicker. It needs to be so long and also feel that way.

by the end, the only question I had was why do they use the name ghost always for terrorists or assassins? I know maybe it gives a certain visual or maybe informs the audience of their mysterious nature and how easily they can disappear but I think it’s time for Screenwriter to come up with a better name or alias for these types of characters. That was the most interesting aspect of this movie and it was still derivative.

Grade: F