JoeMama's Movie Reviews

Worst2First:  My Most Anticipated Films of Fall 2024 The months of September, October and November are filled with films that run the gambit: there's Oscar-bait films, horror (since Halloween is soon approaching), as well as sequels and continuations of long-running franchises, and 2024 doesn't appear to be any different.  Here are the ten films I'm most excited to see in the fall months of 2024… #10 Speak No Evil September 13 What better time to release a horror movie than on Friday the 13th? "Speak No Evil" is the American remake of the 2022 Danish film of the same name, and centers on a couple who meets another couple at their isolated resort villa. Things aren't quite as they seem as the hosts become eccentric and acting weirdly, leading to moments of true terror. James McAvoy has proven himself more than capable of playing a cold, terrifying villain (or villains, if you've seen "Split"), and this looks like a role he was made for. The on...

Coup! Starring Peter Sarsgaard, Billy Magnussen, Sarah Gadon, Skye Marshall Directed by Austin Stark & Joseph Schuman I'm always up for a good skewering of the upper class, with movies like "Triangle of Sadness" holding special places in my heart for such a tale. "Coup!" is one such tale along those lines, featuring lowly servants who rise against their wealthy uncaring oppressor and prove that they're worthy of being more than just someone else's servant. For a while in the movie I was drawn to the characters and their cute little tete-a-tete battle of wills and dominance, but then it all unravels completely in the end, leaving a sour taste in my mouth and wondering what the directors and writers were thinking in the first place. During the Spanish Flu in 1918, writer Jay (Billy Magnussen) is a wealthy socialite living on an island mansion with his wife Julie (Sarah Gadon), their two young daughters, and a few servants (or "staff" as he in...

The Crow Starring Bill Skarsgard, FKA Twigs, Danny Huston, Josette Simon Directed by Rupert Sanders When "The Crow" was announced, there was immediate backlash as anything even closely resembling the 1994 film that resulted in the tragic untimely death of its star Brandon Lee could ever be made, or remade, as some people thought it to be. It already had ill-will upon itself, by a director who couldn't read the room, and a production company that only saw dollar signs even though there were throngs of angry protests about it. The result is a film already dead, but unlike its titular character, had no chance to rise from the depths. Eric (Bill Skarsgard) is a troubled young man with a terrible upbringing who's staying at a rehabilitation institution where he meets Shelly (FKA Twigs), a woman on the run from her past and also running from Vincent Roeg (Danny Huston), a demonic crime lord who wants to find and kill her. The two have instant chemistry together, and when Ro...

Didi Starring Izaac Wang, Shirley Chen, Chang Li Hua, Joan Chen Directed by Sean Wang Coming-of-age films are a dime a dozen, but fortunately there's more good ones than bad. "Didi" is one of the good ones, even though it's reminiscent of other films like "Eighth Grade," "Mid90s" and "Minari" (all equally amazing in their own right). It's a film that could fall into the trap of following the note-for-note rhythm of such films, but with a dedicated cast and a semi-autobiographical story from writer/director Sean Wang about growing up in California in 2008, it doesn't feel overly exhausted but rather a breath of fresh air. Chris Wang (Izaac Wang) - lovingly called Didi by his mother Chungsing (Joan Chen) - is enjoying the summer before entering freshman year with his few friends who run around town making videos of themselves acting stupid. He talks back to his older sister Vivian (Shirley Chen), treats his mother with contempt, and...

Blink Twice Starring Naomi Ackie, Channing Tatum, Alia Shawkat, Christian Slater Directed by Zoe Kravitz I'm a sucker for a good mystery movie, and the trailers for "Blink Twice" seem to give that to me - a bunch of wealthy, good-looking people jet off to a private island and all seems happy and copacetic until one girl goes missing, but other than her friend no one else even knows she existed in the first place. This sets the ball rolling, but it starts so far into the movie I already was beginning to lose interest, and when the not-so-obvious turn of events happen, it comes off more as a egotistical way from writer/director Zoe Kravitz rather than something that could end up empowering - like a wink and a nod to the audience that's supposed to be in on the events, but are just tired from the tropes and generic storytelling that happened beforehand.   Frida (Naomi Ackie) and her best friend Jess (Alia Shawkat) work as cocktail waitresses during a party held by the p...

Skincare Starring Elizabeth Banks, Lewis Pullman, Michaela Jae Rodriguez, Luis Gerardo Mendez Directed by Austin Peters Being a guy I don't necessarily understand the importance of age-defying makeup, or why someone would want to use all those products to make themselves look like someone different, someone younger. The makeup industry is a multi-billion dollar business and women go crazy over them, so it's no surprise that the business itself is extremely cut-throat. You always have to stay on top, but for every established aesthetician there's a hot up-and-comer out to send them into retirement. But what happens when things get too dicey, and lives end up lost in the process? Hope Goldman (Elizabeth Banks) is the premiere celebrity aesthetician who is about to launch her own private line, and everything is going great for her - until Angel Vergara (Luis Gerardo Mendez) moves in across the street with his own line that's younger, hipper, and fresher. Soon Hope finds he...

Alien: Romulus Starring Cailee Spaeny, David Jonsson, Archie Renaux, Isabela Merced Directed by Fede Alvarez In space, no one can hear you scream. That tagline has been an icon in cinema for decades thanks to one of the first ever sci-fi horror films set in space, Ridley Scott's' "Alien" in 1979. The film revolutionized the genre and made a name out of its breakout star Sigourney Weaver, making her an epitome of the "final girl" trope that's withstood the test of time. James Cameron's "Aliens" further solidified Weaver's title and made the film more a sci-fi action film but both are hailed (rightfully) as two of the most iconic sci-fi horror films of all time. The rest of the "Alien" franchise...not so much (especially the much-maligned "Alien 3" and "Alien: Resurrection," as well as the abysmal, laughably bad PG-13 "Alien vs. Predator" films). Ridley Scott tried to go back to the roots with ...

It Ends With Us Starring Blake Lively, Justin Baldoni, Brandon Sklenar, Jenny Slate Directed by Justin Baldoni How to you romanticize domestic abuse? By casting three impeccably beautiful people in a film that serves more as an offbeat rom-com than a true life terror for the first 90 minutes, leaving the remaining forty minutes to showcase the battery and abuse that's incredibly not subtle and not at all powerful as you'd expect. It's a tonal Frankenstein monster of humor and horror that's not balanced at all by its two leads, who have as much chemistry as a sock and a shirt, making it feel like a watered-down "Fifty Shades of Grey" wannabe instead of anything resembling a heartfelt look at domestic abuse. Lily Bloom (Blake Lively) is living in Boston and about to open her own flower shop (of course) when she meets neurosurgeon Ryle Kincaid (Justin Baldoni) on a rooftop. Despite his obvious red flags she's attracted to him, all the moreso when she learns t...

A Family Affair Starring Joey King, Zac Efron, Nicole Kidman, Kathy Bates Directed by Richard LaGravenese The rom-com is one that rarely makes a lasting impact apart from the lovelorn couples who adore those types of things - and I'm not one of them. So going into "A Family Affair" I already had low expectations (and also exasperation as the movie is almost TWO HOURS LONG), so I guess I wasn't being fair to it or this review because all I thought of it was a higher budget, bigger star Hallmark vehicle with the same rigamarole you'd expect from any rom-com in history. Then I glanced at other reviews and found that my judgment is warranted, as everyone pretty much agreed this is just a run of the mill romantic comedy that'll soon, gratefully, be forgotten. Zara (Joey King) is a 24-year-old assistant to megastar Chris Cole (Zac Efron), and he treats her like trash. He keeps her on call 24/7, has him do all his chores, and even makes her write apology letters to h...

Kill Starring Lakshya, Raghav Juyal, Tanya Maniktala, Abhishek Chauhan Directed by Nikhil Nagesh Bhat Back in 2022, the Hindi film "RRR" revolutionized American cinema, giving audiences a Hindi film unlike any they've ever seen before. Filled with intense action, dazzling effects, a bromance never seen before, and even some singing and dancing (the song "Naatu Naatu" even won the Academy Award for Best Original Song), "RRR" was a spellbinding endeavor and a major hit for Hindi cinema. Since then they've tried to break out again with lackluster results, but "Kill" might be a sleeper hit for the Indian nation. In what seems like a mashup of "John Wick" and "Bullet Train," "Kill" is an intense, fast-paced action spectacle taking place on a train as one man is literally pit against forty in his quest to survive and save the other passengers. Amrit (Lakshya) is in love with Tulika (Tanya Maniktala), but she's ...

Cuckoo Starring Hunter Schafer, Dan Stevens, Jan Bluthardt, Mila Lieu Directed by Tilman Singer 2024 has been a tremendous year for original horror. "I Saw the TV Glow," "Stopmotion," "Late Night With the Devil," "Out of Darkness," "In a Violent Nature," "MaXXXine" and "Longlegs" have given horror fans something to be excited about, and "Cuckoo" is a welcome addition to this often underappreciated genre. Utilizing its smaller budget to fullest effect, the film is a nonstop tense film that'll keep you gripped and your eyes glued to the screen as you try to uncover the mystery as our hapless heroine, grateful that - unlike most other films - it doesn't spoon-feed us the information but allows us to draw our own conclusions and even leave some events open ended without a clear resolution, or at least one that's not incredibly simplistic. Gretchen (Hunter Schafer) is a seventeen-year-old girl who re...

Borderlands Starring Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jack Black, Ariana Greenblatt Directed by Eli Roth I've never played Borderlands so I went into this movie with a complete lack of knowledge of the lore or characters or even the underlying theme of the game. I went in with extremely low expectations because I heard how bad the movie was, even though I tried to defend it earlier by saying no film with two acclaimed, Academy Award-winning actresses would be that awful. Not only did it meet my low expectations, but it somehow exceeded how low they were for it, as "Borderlands" ended up being a complete snoozefest, a generic action movie in every sense of the word, and wasted the talent of the prestigious actors starring in it. Lilth (Cate Blanchett) is a bounty hunter assigned by the powerful leader of Atlas to track down his kidnapped daughter Tina (Ariana Greenblatt) who was abducted by rogue agent Roland (Kevin Hart) on the planet called Pandora where everyone is searching...

The Long Game Starring Jay Hernandez, Dennis Quaid, Cheech Marin, Julian Works Directed by Julio Quintana When it comes to sports movies, golf is unique in that it seems the most tied to real life experiences. Whether it's the fact that, even though you're on a team, you're playing on your own; or if its the deep meditative state you find yourself in when preparing to hit the ball; or the lack of enthusiasm from the crowd who gives small applause instead of rousing cheers; or the time spent thinking about your next move as you approach the next hole, it seems that golf is ripe for life lessons. "The Long Game" is one such movie, a true-life golf film about an underdog team of students that no one believed in who overcame adversity to do what no one else thought possible for them to do. While it's stereotypical and formulaic, it's done with tremendous performances, lovely cinematography, and surprisingly I didn't find myself bored at any moment - which ...

Trap Starring Josh Hartnett, Ariel Donoghue, Saleka Shyamalan, Alison Pill Directed by M. Night Shyamalan Earlier this year, M. Night Shyamalan's daughter Ishana released "The Watchers" with her father serving as a producer, and I can only imagine what the dinner table was like. She would gush about thanking her dad for helping her make her film, while his other daughter Saleka whined that he doesn't support her music pursuits by having a movie that showcases her vocal talent, so he goes to his office and pens this story out just to feature her other daughter and calm her down. That's the only thing that makes sense, because to be honest a lot of this movie doesn't, but at least it gives Josh Hartnett a chance to spread his wings and give a tremendous, unforgettable performance. Cooper Adams (Josh Hartnett) takes his teenage daughter Riley (Ariel Donoghue) to a concert where her favorite singer of all time, Lady Raven (Saleka Shyamalan) is performing in front ...

 The Fabulous Four Starring Susan Sarandon, Bette Midler, Megan Mullally, Sheryl Lee Ralph Directed by Jocelyn Moorhouse To say there's no disparaging between older actors and actresses in Hollywood is a blatant lie. When you have the likes of Morgan Freeman, Tom Cruise, Clint Eastwood, Harrison Ford, Anthony Hopkins and the like still starring in major action films or awards-worthy period pieces while former leading ladies like Diane Keaton, Jane Fonda, Sally Field, Lily Tomlin and Candice Bergen are relegated to cheap, uninspired, unfunny "lifelong friends" films. These cheap dime-store movies like "80 for Brady," "Poms," "Book Club," and the somehow-greenlit "Book Club: The Next Chapter" barely make any money, and, what's worse, makes a laughingstock of some of cinema's most iconic leading ladies. 2024 itself has seen two of these disastrous subgenre films: "Summer Camp" (once again featuring Keaton, and this ti...