Tag: Nick Robinson

SNACK SHACK (2024)

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Written & Directed By: Adam Rehmeier

Cinematography: Jean-Philippe Bernier

Editor: Justin Krohn

Cast: Conor Sherry, Gabriel LaBelle, Mika Abdalla, Nick Robinson, David Costabile, Gillian Vigman, June Gentry, April Clark 

Nebraska City, 1991, two best friends get the chance to run the swimming pool snack shack, that later comes to be the perfect scenario for transgression, fun, personal discovery, and romance.

This film was kind of a quiet victory as it slowly rolled out and released a lot of people praised this film so I took my time before watching it and I have to say it’s heartwarming and a good film.

Even though it’s familiar, it doesn’t talk down to its audience and while being rebellious it still feels a bit suburban where it feels perfect for teens, even though set in 1991 as it gives them respect and hints of a little bit of nostalgia for the audience watching it.

Casting Nick Robinson in this film was a mini-stroke of genius for audience members who remember him starring in another coming-of-age summer film called KINGS OF SUMMER here it feels like he is passing the torch to the actors here.

This film has mostly what you would expect a romantic triangle and a love story best friends who might be growing apart, rebellious against strict parents who mean the best for their children, but also seem like strict disciplinarians for no reason smoking, drinking gambling, and scoring 

Though I do applaud the characters for being so financial and business-minded at such an early age and being go-getters, but also go a little wild, not only for the profits but even the ideas.

The film and the characters have a certain charm that carries the film to the finish line and goes over the audience. It seems a little more random even though you know that they’ll probably come the way in which they are handled seems a bit looser.

The film isn’t as plot-structured.  as a lot of these summer coming-of-age films usually are and there’s no real villain or deadline or person that they’re fighting against. It’s just the lazy hazy days of summer where one day everything seems to be normal and slow and then the next day full of excitement, then something shattering the next. There doesn’t seem to be an ultimate plan.

Though the film has many female characters, there’s only one female man, and it would’ve been nice if maybe there were some others to provide either commentary support or temptation, even if the main female is quite fetching so that you can understand why the boys are quite head over heels for her. Luckily they give her enough personality to be a character who could stand on her though rarely give her a chance played by the impressive Mika Abdalla.

It took me quite a while to recognize Gabriel LaBelle as the character of Mike. He played in another coming-of-age film MEET THE FABELMANS starring as a younger version of Steven Spielberg who directed the film. So once again he is in another coming-of-age story as one of the leads. Quite impressive and strong character. 

What is also impressive is that the film is written and directed by Adam Rehmeier, whose previous films have been riskier and, shockingly, he goes here for more of a family film vibe that while it has its vices never out of place or even racy. It’s nice to see his range as this is an enjoyable independent film just as his previous film KIDS IN AMERICA was enjoyable but a lot more hard-core and punk rock and its rebellion.

Won’t say believe the hype that it is a sweet surprise of the easy-going nostalgic coming-of-age cinema. 

Grade: B

DAMSEL (2024)

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Directed By: Juan Carlos Fresnadillo

Written By: Dan Mazeau

Cinematography: Larry Fong 

Editor: John Gilbert 

Cast: Millie Bobby Brown, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Robin Wright, Angela Bassett, Ray Winstone, Brooke Carter, Nick Robinson, Milo Twomey, Nicole Joseph

A young woman, Elodie, meets a handsome prince and they fall in love. At their wedding it is revealed that the prince had more sinister reasons for courting her: she is to be sacrificed to a dragon that has been terrorizing the kingdom. Elodie now has to fight for her survival.

This movie would’ve been better off as maybe an episode of a sci-fi, fantasy anthology tale or rather Maybe as a side story on a lord of the Rings type series than a feature film.

It’s pretty simple, cut and dry, and feels like it’s extended for no real reason that adds anything to the overall project tone, or story. 

As it is a tale of female empowerment with a pretty stacked cast, other than Millie Bobby Brown have very little to do but play standard cliché rules that are beneath their talents, especially Angela Bassett in a thankless minute, but pivotal support supporting role. Who seems here because she is in a lot of projects more than what the role actually offers.

This film has this kind of prestigious, framing around itself for something that comes off as a basic bedtime story or nursery rhyme. 

It tries to be a thriller and keep us in anticipation, with the excitement of how she will survive, as well as giving a backstory to why she finds herself in her current situation while learning the power of resilience and not falling victim to all that glitters and those your talk to worship.

Though in the end, it feels like a movie that be more of a time waster, or a seat, filler if it had been released theatrically, as it is more of a seat filler. A film intended to do big business on opening weekend due to the spectacle and previews as well as star and knowingly, less and less money as word-of-mouth spreads.

I can’t fault the production as it is a typical big budget, sci-fi, fantasy, special effects, action movie, only here made small and put in medieval times, but more marketed as a special effect fantasy with not much of a story or plot of why and how we got there . as is put in place as more of a placeholder for the action scenes, which is what really takes over.

The film doesn’t offer much for the actors other than to react and a big game of pretend. it might hold some interest overall it plays itself out fairly early even for a film that is almost 2 hours.

Grade: D

SHADOW IN THE CLOUD (2021)

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Directed By: Roseanne Liang
Written By: Max Landis & Roseanne Liang 
Cinematography: Kit Fraser
Editor: Tom Eagles 

Cast: Chloe Grace Moretz, Nick Robinson, Beulah Koale, Taylor John Smith, Callum Mulvey, Benedict Wall

On a stormy night during World War II, a female pilot with top-secret cargo talks her way on board a bomber plane about to take-off. The crass all-male crew reluctantly agrees, but their suspicions about her identity and the mysterious cargo quickly grow. Just then a shadow appears in the clouds – was it the incoming Japanese fleet? Or caused by some other sinister stowaway?

This film had a very notorious beginning as one of disgraced Screenwriter Max Landis’s big-budget scripts being turned into a production. 

Though after much rewriting supposedly the film was eventually made. Though one wonders if the script was so pro-female before it was rewritten or maybe if he did write it that way as a kind of public apology against the charges he has been accused of. 

It also might also be an homage to the TWILIGHT ZONE movie which his father was infamously sort of even though he didn’t direct that segment of the film and also kind of a remake of the AMAZING STORIES episode THE MISSION directed by Steven Spielberg.

Either way, the film takes the premise of the classic Twilight zone episode terror at 20,000 feet and changes the situation to that of a fighter plane running a mission with an extra female passenger In the gunner galley who sees the gremlin at first. While the others think she has gone crazy, but also during this, they are being attacked by enemy planes and she is trying to keep a top-secret cargo mission from others.

So the film Is loaded and at first, it seems like this going to be a claustrophobic thriller mainly taking place with her in the gunner pit but then eventually it opens up to the whole plane. So that while it is still contained there is more to work with. 

The film stays entertaining though some of the twists are totally unbelievable and reminds you how much a production this is. Which also helps you to accept the more far fetched elements.

Especially one action Sequence where Chloe Grace Moretz is hanging out of the plane trying to retrieve her package and fight off the gremlin. This then adds the intrigue of a fighter place attacking At the same time and an explosion that has to be seen to be believed. As it is an impressive action sequence but totally laughable thinking about the physics of it and how it is played. 

The film offers a little bit of everything there is intrigue, action, war sequences, thriller a little bit of drama, and even a showcase of sexism from most of the males involved in this mission with her and how in the end she more than proves herself capable and above them. Being the bravest, strongest and most resourceful.

In the end, though they help at times as resources this is really Moretz’s action film to take hold of. As she is the hero and they are more the damsels in distress who help out a little.

It isn’t as pumped up as a similar world war II film OVERLORD but It’s a fun action film that uses history and injects something supernatural. So that they have to deal with these otherworldly elements with whatever resources they have that aren’t that advanced.

If anything this movie is an entertaining b-movie and a perfectly fun time waster. 

Grade: C

NATIVE SON (2019)

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Directed By: Rashid Johnson
Written By: Suzan Lori-Parks
Based on the Novel By: Richard Wright
Cinematography: Matthew Libatique
Editor: Brad Turner 

Cast: Ashton Sanders, Kiki Layne, Margaret Qualley, Nick Robinson, Bill Camp, Elizabeth Marvel, David Alan Grier, Sanaa Lathan, Lamar Johnson 


A young African-American living in Chicago enters into a seductive new world of money and power after he is hired as a chauffeur for an affluent businessman. Continue reading “NATIVE SON (2019)” →