JoeMama's Movie Reviews

Challengers Starring Zendaya, Josh O'Connor, Mike Faist, Darnell Appling Directed by Luca Guadagnino Director Luca Guadagnino is best known for directing films that feature obsession, and obsession taken to the extreme. "Call Me By Your Name" is a young man's obsession with an older man, who's summer fling ends with a melancholy longing. His remake of "Suspiria" is a young woman's obsession with being the best ballerina dancer set amongst a near-literal pack of wolves. "Bones and All" is a young couple's obsession with their cannibalistic natures. Now with "Challengers" we get more than one obsession: first there's the obsession of tennis, but there's a deeper obsession that lies underneath everything - and that obsession is never really actuated in the sense that we know everyone's motives, objectives and plans, but just enough to know that there's something more crawling underneath the surface of their action...

The First Omen Starring Nell Tiger Free, Ralph Ineson, Sonia Braga, Nicole Sorace Directed by Arkasha Stevenson "The Omen" is one of cinema's most prolific, memorable, and expertly done horror films, a movie that's withstood the test of time and still is as terrifying now as it was back in 1976. The story about the Antichrist named Damien in the form of a child being adopted by a powerful American political figure was done with precision, care, and excellence, with numerous scenes etched inside the minds of people who've watched it (who could forget "It's all for you," or how many times now have we carefully watched how men moving a pane of glass in front of us). Since then, there's been three sequels (of very diminishing value), a remake (which doesn't need to even be uttered), and now a prequel, "The First Omen." Suffice it to say I was highly skeptical that the prequel could live up to the original, and in all fairness that's...

The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare Starring Henry Cavill, Eiza Gonzalez, Alen Ritchson, Henry Golding Directed by Guy Ritchie World War I was known as The Great War, as no one ever experienced such a war on that grand scale. Then came World War II, and that war was one that changed the course of history - especially when it comes to cinema. There's very few movies centering around World War I ("1917," "War Horse," "The White Ribbon" to name some), but when it comes to World War II, there's an abundance of films about it. Some focus on the atrocities the Nazis committed against the Jews ("Schindler's List," "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas"), while others focused on the war itself ("Flags of Our Fathers," "Defiance"), and others that are fictionalized stories centering around the war ("Inglourious Basterds"). "The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare" is one that sits in the center - a r...

Abigail Starring Melissa Barrera, Dan Stevens, Alisha Weir, Kathryn Newton Directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin & Tyler Gillett Sometimes you go into a movie based on the trailer expecting exactly what the trailer delivers, and that's "Abigail" to a T. A group of kidnappers abduct a young girl in hopes of getting money from her wealthy father, and learn that said girl is a ballerina vampire, and blood and carnage ensues. By-the-numbers, rote, simplistic, and stereotypical are words to describe "Abigail," but you don't really mind because the duo known as Radio Silence delivered what they promised: a fun, light B-rated romp with a fantastic cast, copious amounts of blood, and a star-making role for the young Alisha Weir as the title character. One night a group of kidnappers abduct young ballerina Abigail (Alisha Weir) and take her to their safe house. Once there, their boss instructs them to use no real names, no back stories, and no cell phones so no one w...

Civil War Starring Kirsten Dunst, Wagner Moura, Cailee Spaeny, Stephen McKinley Henderson Directed by Alex Garland "Civil War" is one of those films that almost demands you go into it expecting to find some highly political edge that'll echo the obvious tears and rifts in our own America today, where the two-party system is becoming more and more divisive and people are on their last nerve. You expect it to be an action-packed spectacle about a feuding America where the lines are cut-and-dry, and you'll easily choose one side over another. You'd expect it to be a film where everything is laid out plainly, with exposition to keep you in the know from the get-go. You'd be wrong on all counts, and that's the main beauty of this Alex Garland quiet masterpiece. In the near future America is divided between the loyalist states who remain loyal to the seemingly dictatorial President (Nick Offerman), and the seceded states including the Western Forces, Florida All...

Late Night with the Devil Starring David Dastmalchian, Laura Gordon, Ian Bliss, Ingrid Torelli Directed by Colin Cairnes & Cameron Cairnes Talk shows have devolved over the decades, where now they're watered-down, safe spaces for celebrities to come and promote their latest projects, or singers come to sing their latest hits. Back in the 70s, however, talk shows were a completely different entity entirely. Guests smoked, product placement was rampant, hosts were seedy charlatans, and they were more variety shows than straight-up interviews. Gimmicks and flights of fancy littered the late night landscape, and nothing was as important as Sweeps Week to keep them on the air - except, of course, for Johnny Carson, the undisputed king of late night talk show hosts. It's under this strain that "Late Night With the Devil" showcases its incredible slow-burn format - a film shot perfectly like it came out of the 70s, and keeping your eyes glued to the screen from the start...

Monkey Man Starring Dev Patel, Sharlto Copley, Pitobash, Vipin Sharma Directed by Dev Patel Passion projects in cinema are a rare breed, as more often than not films are made by greedy corporations who want to capitalize on an already known property and churn movie after movie knowing the masses will flock to them because of name recognition, not caring about the heart of the story they tell. That may be a jaded view of cinema, but after seeing the amount of movies I have, you pick up on these things. "Monkey Man," for its flaws, is no such thing. It's a pure passion project directed, written, produced and starring Dev Patel, famous for roles in "Slumdog Millionaire," "The Green Knight," and his Oscar-nominated turn in "Lion." Once destined for a Netflix original, the film was picked up by Jordan Peele's production company and given the big screen treatment, and we're all better for it - while this might be a sort of by-the-books acti...

Snack Shack Starring Conor Sherry, Gabriel LaBelle, Mika Adballa, Nick Robinson Directed by Adam Carter Rehmeier The coming-of-age subgenre. Is there any other subgenre that brings back those nostalgic feelings of your first summer job, hanging out all the time with your best friend, doing rowdy things that'd make your parents blush, and falling in love for the first time? Well, that's the point. That's exactly what the coming-of-age subgenre is, and it's rare that it delivers something completely new and exciting - something that'll last long through the decades and become one of those fond memories itself. "Snack Shack" is not one such film. It's by the books, generic, and its tone goes all over the place, along with the pacing. AJ (Conor Sherry) and Moose (Gabriel LaBelle) are best friends living in Nebraska City in the summer of 1991, and want to get rich - so they brew their own beer. That fizzles out, and AJ's parents make him get a summer jo...

Wicked Little Letters Starring Olivia Colman, Jessie Buckley, Anjana Vasan, Malachi Kirby Directed by Thea Sharrock In Littlehampton, England in 1920, there was a scandal running among the town. A series of lewd letters were written to several women in the town, most notably the religiously pious Edith Swan. The loud, shrewd, outspoken Rose Gooding was charged with writing the letters, although she maintained her innocence. When the true culprit was caught, it sent the town into a tizzy and for such a seemingly benign event became historical memory. The Studio Canal film "Wicked Little Letters" sheds light on this moment in history, a film that also touches on lack of female representation in the 1920s delivered by amazing performances and a truly laugh-out-loud story. Edith Swan (Olivia Colman) is a middle-aged spinster living in Littlehampton in 1920 with her father Edward (Timothy Spall) and mother Victoria (Gemma Jones) and she lives a very devout Christian life - she rea...