JoeMama's Movie Reviews

Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery Starring Daniel Craig, Josh O'Connor, Glenn Close, Josh Brolin Directed by Rian Johnson I think we can all agree that Rian Johnson is a masterclass writer and director of the "Knives Out" franchise (his work in "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" might be more debatable), and "Wake Up Dead Man" is possibly his best work to date. He effortlessly spins the current narrative into a worthwhile murder mystery that, by all intents and purposes, seems impossible. Therein lies the mystery, and seeing it unravel is as captivating as it is awe-inspiring, seeing Daniel Craig return as the lovable, Southern detective Benoit Blanc is only icing on this tasty, multi-layered cake. Reverend Jud Duplenticy (Josh O'Connor) is sent to a small church upstate after getting into a fistfight with a deacon at his old church, as he keeps running from a dark past that led him to the cloth. This church is run with a vengeful hand by the Monsigno...

Worst2First:  My Top Ten Romantic Christmas Films Tis the season for love and romance, and Hollywood has no shortage of films to enjoy with that special someone. Be it straight up drama, romantic comedy, or even the offbeat love story, there's something for every couple this holiday season. Here are my personal top ten favorite romantic Christmas films. There will be no spoilers. #10   Surviving Christmas Proving you can find love no matter how big of a jerk you are, "Surviving Christmas" features Ben Affleck playing a wealthy, lonely advertising executive with no one to spend Christmas with, so he pays the family of his former childhood home to spend the holidays with them and do whatever he wants. When their daughter (played by Christina Applegate) arrives, she refuses to go along with the arrangement and finds Drew obnoxious, but as the holidays progress they find common ground and possibly even love. Streaming on Paramount+ #9 The Holiday In a little spin of  The Prin...

Keeper Starring Tatiana Maslany, Rossif Sutherland, Birkett Turton, Eden Weiss Directed by Osgood Perkins Osgood Perkins is a master director of horror, giving delights like "Longlegs," "I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House," "The Monkey" and "The Blackcoat's Daughter," so getting two horror movies from him in one year seemed like a treat. In February he directed the Stephen King classic "The Monkey" which forced him to step out of his more well-established slow-burn horrors and give a "Final Destination" type goofy horror comedy, but got to return to his roots in November with "Keeper." While he maintains his slow burn style, ultimately the movie runs a bit longer clouded by repetitive scenes that dragged the movie along before it's rushed, seemingly unfinished conclusion.  Liz (Tatiana Maslaney) and Malcolm (Rossif Sutherland) have been dating for a month before he invites her to his secluded cabin...

Sisu: Road to Revenge Starring Jorma Tommila, Stephen Lang, Richard Brake Directed by Jalmari Helander "Sisu" is one of those little miracle movies, something hardly anyone heard of, featuring a cast no one knew, about a simple premise - John Wick set in World War II, a silent assassin who murders Nazis with gusto and gore. The modest film became a huge hit, and it seemed like a simple one-and-done, but now we're gifted with a sequel. While many movies don't necessarily need one, "Road to Revenge" serves as a great addition to the now-franchise, reminding viewers of "Mad Max: Fury Road" as our voiceless hero makes a trek to transfer his home to his new home country while being chased by a relentless madman who killed his family. World War II has ended, and Finland ceded Karelia to the Soviet Union. Finnish ex-commando Aatami Korpi (Jorma Tommila) crosses the border into Karelia to dismantle the home he built with his family, who were murdered by Ig...

Wicked: For Good Starring Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum Directed by John M. Chu Without a doubt, the biggest movie of 2024 was "Wicked," the film based on the hit Broadway play and novel that told a different story from the classic L. Frank Baum novel  The Wizard of Oz . Until that point, we all believed the Wicked Witch was evil, and Glinda was good, and there was no middle ground - then  Wicked  turned it all on its head and showed two flawed characters who were both good and bad, allowing their situations to dictate their futures. With the first film, we got a visual masterpiece featuring two Oscar-worthy (hopefully this year will rectify that error) performances and songs that resonated with audiences in ways never seen before. It was a phenomenon and anticipation was through the roof for its finale. While the songs aren't as memorable, and honestly there's parts of the movie that felt rushed, it was a magical end for the duology. Fi...

Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere Starring Jeremy Allen White, Jeremy Strong, Odessa Young, Paul Walter Hauser Directed by Scott Cooper Around this time in 2024, "A Complete Unknown" shattered the musical biopic subgenre and elevated it to greater heights. Timothee Chalamet's performance of Bob Dylan was prolific, and earned the movie numerous Oscar nominations and grossed over $140 million worldwide. Up to that point, the musical biopic subgenre was lackluster to say the least, with only a few notable exceptions. Now, it seems that they want lightning to strike twice with "Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere," but sadly sometimes lightning just doesn't do that, and while the film is fine, it's muddied by the tropes of the subgenre before it course corrects to form a powerful study in depression, but by then it's entirely too late. In 1981, Bruce Springsteen (Jeremy Allen White) is a star in his own right, having produced a top ten song in "...