JoeMama's Movie Reviews

Reminders of Him Starring Maika Monroe, Tyriq Withers, Lauren Graham, Bradley Whitford Directed by Vanessa Caswill Should one mistake dictate the rest of your life? This is the question haphazardly asked in the latest Colleen Hoover-written-to-film "Reminders of Him," where a woman who accidentally caused the death of her boyfriend spent years in prison only to get out and find that she can't get access to the child she had with him, and finds herself a pariah in her hometown because of said event. While this could've worked if the movie really focused on that, it instead tried to weave in a melodramatic romantic relationship where the two actors have as much chemistry as oil and water. Six years after accidentally causing the death of her boyfriend, Kenna Rowan (Maika Monroe) is let out of prison and returns to her hometown in Wyoming in hopes of connecting with the daughter she gave birth to while in prison who's now in the custody of her boyfriend ...

  Ready or Not 2: Here I Come Starring Samara Weaving, Kathryn Newton, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Shawn Hatosy Directed by Radio Silence 2019's surprise hit "Ready or Not" made a household name out of Samara Weaving, solidifying her legacy as a modern-day scream queen (with that exciting, unique shrill scream) and gave directing duo Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett (also known as Radio Silence) the clout needed to go on to direct the newer outings of the long-running "Scream" franchise, "Scream" and "Scream VI," along with the underrated "Abigail." Everyone thought the movie was a one-and-done, as Grace accomplished what she set out to do, but there was more story to be told. Some fans (including myself) were worried that they over-extended their reach with "Ready or Not 2," but they managed to prove the sequel's need to exist by expanding the world, introducing new foes, and a new ally for Grace - her long-estrange...

Undertone Starring Nina Kiri, Michele Duquet, Adam DiMarco, Keana Lyn Bastidas Directed by Ian Tuason 2010s and 2020s horror has elevated itself to include deep personal themes like psychological disorders, religious zeal, and personifying mental illnesses. "Hereditary," "Midsommar," "It Follows," "The Babadook" and several more epitomizes this new subgenre of horror, and "undertone" is one of the newest ones. Focusing on religion and the fears of motherhood, the movie gives a slow burn terrorizing tale of one woman who encounters the supernatural during her darkest time. Normally, movies are meant to be seen on the big screen, but "undertone" is different...it practically requires you to watch it on a laptop screen with your noise-cancellation headphones plugged in, because this is almost an entirely auditory horror experience that, while not wholly efficient, is enough to deliver some severe goosebumps and jumps. Evy (Nina K...

Project Hail Mary Starring Ryan Gosling, Sandra Huller, James Ortiz, Lionel Boyce Directed by Phil Lord & Christopher Miller The word "masterpiece" gets tossed around a lot lately, especially in regards to film. However, when it comes to "Project Hail Mary," I can say that this is, indeed, a masterpiece. From the performances to the themes; the cinematography and visuals; the story and the action all connect with perfection, leaving very little to critique apart from small nitpicking that could've just made it better. Waking up in a spaceship with amnesia, Dr. Ryland Grace (Ryan Gosling) begins piecing together in his mind the events that led him to his situation. A former scientist turned schoolteacher, he is approached by Eva Stratt (Sandra Huller) with important news: the planet is dying because the sun is slowly being eaten away by a string of Astrophage that is slowly siphoning the sun's energy, and in 30 years will leave the Earth a frozen wastelan...

War Machine Starring Alan Ritchson, Dennis Quaid, Stephan James, Jai Courtney Directed by Patrick Hughes After "Avengers Endgame" hit theaters, news came out that there were plans to make a movie based off Don Cheadle's character, James Rhodes, also known as War Machine. Yet as the years went on, the news died off and it seemed the movie wasn't going to be made after all. Then I find out they made "War Machine," but it wasn't sent to theaters, or even Disney+ that owns Marvel, but Netflix instead. Odd choice, I thought, but then I heard Alan Ritchson took over the role, which is even odder because...well...Don Cheadle is African American. Bold choice, I suppose, but who am I to judge? Then I started watching the movie and immediately realized this was no War Machine, but a lame, albeit action-packed, Netflix original that was probably written by AI after given prompts to write a war movie mixing "Terminator," "Predator," "War of ...

Slanted Starring Shirley Chen, Mckenna Grace, Fang Du, Amelie Zilber Directed by Amy Wang The term "satire" uses humor, irony, exaggeration or ridicule to expose and criticize human vices, follies, abuses or shortcomings, with its goal to provoke thought, hold authority accountable, or inspire change. Typically, satire is so subtle that you don't notice it really happening and it burrows into your skin and stays there. However, when it's literally hit on your head repeatedly for 102 minutes, it looses its strength and leaves you both with a headache and a desire to never deal with it again. Thus is "Slanted," a somewhat body horror somewhat comedy movie that takes the worst of "Mean Girls," "The Substance" and "Carrie" and throws them into a blender, crafting something so dull and lifeless if it was Frankenstein's creature it'd stay on the gurney because not even the greatest strike of lightning could bring it to life. A...