JoeMama's Movie Reviews

Until Dawn Starring Ella Rubin, Michael Cimino, Odessa A'zion, J-young Yoo Directed by David F. Sandberg Back in 2015, a horror game called "Until Dawn" came on Playstation, and I had to wait an excruciatingly long time before I was able to play it because I didn't own the PlayStation. After purchasing the system the first game I bought was "Until Dawn," and I played the heck out of it. I loved the concept - a horror movie where I made the decisions that either led to the deaths or survival of the characters - led by stellar performances by Hayden Panettiere, future Oscar-winner Rami Malek, Peter Stormare and others. It was an exciting (and sometimes frustrating, such as one play-through where everyone survived until the last moments and I accidentally got one killed because I didn't do a quicktime fast enough...not that that moment has dwelled in my mind or anything) game, so when word a movie was being made, I was apprehensive. We already have a movie ...

Marshmallow Starring Kue Lawrence, Kai Cech, Max Malas, Winston Vengapally Directed by Daniel DelPurgatorio The 80s were big on summer camp slashers, the big three being "Friday the 13th," "The Burning" and "Sleepaway Camp" that made children terrified to go to summer camp in real life with fears of a masked killer stalking them. That particular subgenre seemed to disappear by the 2020s, but now Daniel DelPurgatorio and writer Andy Greskoviak made summer camps terrifying again with their uniquely-named "Marshmallow," a movie that seems to follow the traditional tropes of the 80s before throwing an absolute curveball in the final act that is both inspiring and a little frustrating in its execution, but a welcome relief nonetheless. Morgan (Kue Lawrence) is a young boy who's sheltered and quiet, the kid everyone picks on in school. He's haunted by nightmares of drowning and is afraid to get in water, so when his parents sign him up for summ...

Nickel Boys Starring Ethan Herisse, Brandon Wilson, Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Hamish Linklater Directed by RaMell Ross The term "Oscar bait" is a term used to describe movies that are made to get nominated or win Academy Awards. More often than not, they're not even included in the proceedings because of their blatant soulless endeavor (such as "Amsterdam," "The Son," "Hillbilly Elegy" and "Cats"). Others (like "Bohemian Rhapsody," "Green Book" and "The Darkest Hour") end up winning some awards and aren't as soulless as those that didn't make the list. One tried and true Oscar bait deals with slavery and the struggle of the Black community in American history, which seems from the outside what "Nickel Boys" was supposed to be - another soulless Oscar bait film focusing on the trails of the Black community. However, that's the farthest thing from the truth, as the film itself is a haun...

  The Amateur Starring Rami Malek, Laurence Fishburne, Rachel Brosnahan, Caitriona Balfe Directed by James Hawes Jason Bourne. John Wick. James Bond. Charlie Heller. One of these names doesn't fit with the others, and it's obvious who that is. "The Amateur" is amateurish in every possible way, centering on a CIA cryptographer who wants to learn a basic set of skills to avenge the death of his wife, and in the process provides an extremely dull, boring, lifeless outing that doesn't even allow me to muster up any intellectual misgivings because, honestly, I don't care to. Charlie Heller (Rami Malek) is a CIA cryptographer who is madly in love with his wife Sarah (Rachel Brosnahan) and has an intellectual mind for technology and electronics that is seemingly unparalleled. However, when Sarah is taken hostage during a terrorist attack in London and killed, he blackmails his superiors to get him training to be a CIA vigilante as he desires to kill those who killed ...

Sinners Starring Michael B. Jordan, Miles Caton, Hailee Steinfeld, Wunmi Mosaku Directed by Ryan Coogler There has been a lot of hype behind "Sinners" after its release, calling it one of the best films of the year, Ryan Coogler's magnum opus, and Michael B. Jordan's finest work to date. To add to the praise was a near-100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and garnering an A score on Cinemascore, the first horror movie to accomplish that ever, and among the pantheon of great horror films, that's as a rousing endorsement as anything. So going into it my expectations were nearly through the barn roof, and while it failed a bit to meet that unreasonable expectation, the film deserves all the praise it's been receiving and more, if not for one particular scene in the movie that will be studied in film school classes for decades to come, not to mention the performances, cinematography, and...alright, pretty much everything. In the height of the Jim Crow Law-era south, tw...

Death of a Unicorn Starring Paul Rudd, Jenna Ortega, Will Poulter, Tea Leoni Directed by Alex Scharfman Unicorns have existed throughout history in stories, artwork, and verbal history passed down from generation to generation, and it's even mentioned in the Bible (the Hebrew word for "re'em" that's nowadays translated as "oxen" actually means "unicorn" or "horned animal"), yet no one has ever found one in the wild. A horse-like creature with a horn in its head isn't something unheard of, as rhinoceros and narwhals have that same appendage, but it's the myth behind unicorns that is more dubious: that their blood can cure all disease and they're magical. If anything, they're just another breed of animal not yet discovered, which does take away from the wonder of it all, but it doesn't stop us from living the dream. First-time director Alex Scharfman delivers this concept in "Death of a Unicorn" that not on...

Drop Starring Meghann Fahy, Brandon Sklenar, Violett Beane, Jacob Robinson Directed by Christopher Landon There's times where I wonder why so many people like certain movies, one of which is 2020's "The Invisible Man" which is critically hailed as a fantastic horror film, but personally it was one with so many plot holes I wondered how it got so much acclaim. Elisabeth Moss was excellent and the story of a battered woman being gaslit into believing she's crazy is a tough theme to tackle and they did do that well, but when it came to the overall way it told the story it had a lot to be desired in my mind, as one point it seemed too simple while other times it was overly complicated and exaggerated. "Drop" is another film - one that's gotten critical acclaim but I don't see why. Like "The Invisible Man" it deals with spousal battery but this time its the peripheral story, with the main thrust being a first date going terribly wrong. While...

The Friend Starring Naomi Watts, Sarah Pidgeon, Carla Gugino, Bill Murray Directed by Scott McGehee & David Siegel Suicide is never an easy topic to discuss, but it's something millions of people think about - and follow through with - all the time. Many see it as the ultimate selfish act, ending your pain but leaving those you love the pain of not understanding what happened and why, but nothing is ever that cut-and-dry. I've seen memes out there (not the funny ones) that talk about suicide and its implications on those left behind, and one of them is truly moving - it says "don't kill yourself, your dog will wonder where you went." While many might see that as darkly humorous considering dogs aren't people, for anyone who's owned a dog - or loves animals in general - this is a major wake-up call for anyone contemplating ending things. Dogs are man's best friend, and they don't understand what happens when you don't come home (there's ...

Warfare Starring D'Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai, Will Poulter, Cosmo Jarvis, Joseph Quinn Directed by Ray Mendoza & Alex Garland War movies have existed for decades, and usually glorify war and include some super-human hero who single-handedly takes down all the bad guys with rippling muscles and a carefree attitude that glorifies war as something exciting and action-packed. And for decades Hollywood has done a disservice to what war is really about, because it's nowhere near as glamorized or single-person heroic as the movies make it seem, with "Warfare" being one that buries you in the trenches with the men involved, telling the true story of a group of SEALS who were trapped in a home in Ramadi, Iraq, in 2006. It's a film that - for anyone who actually went to war - will bring back memories and possible PTSD due to its realistic nature, and is an unflinching look at the terrors of war. It's equal parts war movie and horror movie, and shot and performed in such a ...

A Working Man Starring Jason Statham, David Harbour, Michael Pena, Jason Flemyng Directed by David Ayers There's actors that stay within their wheelhouse and hardly ever stray from it. Jason Statham is one such actor, a man known as much for his British accent and bald head as he is for starring in films where he's kicking butt and not caring about names. To see him act in a romantic comedy or a musical biopic would be akin to finding a sober Irishman on St. Patrick's Day, and that's not what audiences want - they want him doing what he does best. This elevates even the most subpar films (like last year's "The Beekeeper") to films that are enjoyable to watch not for any sense of realism or plot, but to see how many different ways Statham dispatches bad guys, and "A Working Man" is no different. After serving in the Royal Marines, Levon Cade (Jason Statham) is a simple working man who works at a construction site under the leadership of kindly Joe...

The Woman in the Yard Starring Danielle Deadwyler, Okwui Okpokwasili, Peyton Jackson, Estella Kahiha Directed by Jaume Collet-Serra "The Woman in the Yard" was one of the movies I was really excited to see, but when the reviews started coming out in a very negative way, my excitement began to diminish, showing that while I say I don't pay attention to critics, deep down I kinda do. Maybe it was that tempered excitement that saved the film for me, because after watching it I actually found myself intrigued by it, with a lot of questions at the end that weren't easily answered but ones I didn't need answered - a film that I yearn to discuss after its ending, and one that's stuck with me despite its flaws. Dealing with the tragic passing of her husband David (Russell Hornsby), Ramona (Danielle Deadwyler) lives in an isolated Georgia farmhouse with her teenage son Taylor (Peyton Jackson) and young daughter Annie (Estella Kahiha). She's been depressed since the...

A Minecraft Movie Starring Jason Momoa, Jack Black, Sebastian Hansen, Emma Myers Directed by Jared Hess I've never played Minecraft and I know little about it, so obviously this movie isn't for me (I'm also not a child, which is also the audience the movie goes for), so I already went into the film with very low expectations. I expected a CGI world where block creatures exist and humans find themselves trapped in it looking for a way out, and basically that's what I got. Yet even with my tempered expectations, there wasn't any moments in the movie that made me doubt my...well, doubt...that this could be something spectacular. Maybe I'm just not creative enough to see it. Steve (Jack Black) was a lonely child who enjoyed building things and wanted to work in the mine, but couldn't because he was still a kid - but when he grew up, he worked in the mine and found two pieces of a glowing puzzle that, when put together, opened a portal to another world that he ca...

Opus Starring Ayo Edebiri, John Malkovich, Juliette Lewis, Murray Bartlett Directed by Mark Anthony Green An opus is " a separate composition or set of compositions by a particular composer, usually ordered by date of publication," and that sterile definition really defines what "Opus" is as a whole - a composition by a particular composer ordered by date of publication, meaning it's a film directed by a man that follows the pattern to the final conclusion. Some opuses are magnificent, others are forgettable, and still others are terribly awful, and "Opus" falls in the middle, if not for the saving grace of one iconic John Malkovich. Ariel Ecton (Ayo Edebiri) is an up-and-coming music journalist who works for the overbearing Stan Sullivan (Murray Bartlett) who doesn't seem to give Ariel the chance she deserves. The music world has been overshadowed in recent years by the looming presence of Alfred Moretti (John Malkovich) who's the most success...