JoeMama's Movie Reviews

Michael Starring Jaafar Jackson, Colman Domingo, Nia Long, Miles Teller Directed by Antoine Fuqua Musical biopics. No two other words strike as much fear in the hearts of moviegoers than that, as the cinematic landscape is littered with the remains of musical biopics that are essentially zombies - not alive, but still moving. Very few times are there ones of note ("Straight Outta Compton" and "A Complete Unknown" being two of the best), while the others leave sour notes in the minds of audience members. Yet, in 2026, we saw the biggest musical biopic of all time, because it centered around who is arguably the best voice in music in history: Michael Jackson. Everyone knows his life, his struggles, his failings and, most importantly, his music, so we wondered if there was something more to his story that could be flushed out with his own biopic. "Training Day" and "The Equalizer" director Antoine Fuqua seemed perfect to bring the story to the big s...

You, Me & Tuscany Starring Halle Bailey, Rege-Jean Page, Lornzo de Moor, Mario Calvani Directed by Kat Coiro There was an episode of "American Dad!" where Roger the alien was put on trial under one of his personas for committing a crime, but it seemed he was going to get off because he was so charming to the jury - but Stan saw through it and forced the jury to convict him anyway. What's this have to do with "You, Me & Tuscany?" Two things: 1) I'd rather watch that episode again than see this again, and 2) it has a lot to do with the overall theme of this movie. Could you get away with telling a monumental lie simply due to the fact that you're just so darn cute and charming? Should one lie dictate your entire life? Will this movie revolutionize the tiresome rom-com?  Anna (Halle Bailey) is a woman with no purpose - she works as a housesitter but gets fired because she impersonates the homeowners because she's been stuck in her life since her...

The Plague Starring Everett Blunck, Kayo Martin, Kenny Rasmussen, Joel Edgerton Directed by Charlie Polinger Sometimes you hear about a movie and think it's going to be something, but when you watch it you find it's something entirely different. Rarely does it help the movie, and with "The Plague," it definitely didn't for me. The trailer, word of mouth, and all of that seemed to point to a body horror movie and an intense psychological thriller, but instead it's a dark coming-of-age tale that has a hint of body horror but really just personifies what it feels like to be an outcast in the most formative time of your life. If you go into the movie expecting to see this type of movie, then you'll have a favorable outlook on it - for me, I was bored, waiting for the body horror or psychological thriller to take hold until it ended, and I was left wanting. Yet, if I knew what it was going in, I would've appreciated it so much more. Ben (Everett Blunck) is ...

The Drama Starring Zendaya, Robert Pattinson, Alana Haim, Mamoudou Athie Directed by Kristoffer Borgli How well do you really know someone? Do you know their complete history, their ins-and-outs of what they've been through in their life that led them to this moment? What if you found out a deep, dark secret about your partner days before getting married? Would you still go through with it, or understand that the event is in the past and who they are now isn't who they were then - or are they? A24 tackles the romantic comedy subgenre with "The Drama," and in true A24 fashion it totally abandons the comedy part and instead centers on two flawed characters whose past comes back to haunt them in an unending unsettling film that raises important questions that aren't easy to answer. The day Charlie Thompson (Robert Pattinson) meets Emma Harwood (Zendaya) in a local coffee shop is the best day of Charlie's life - he pretends to have read the book Emma is reading in...

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie Starring Chris Pratt, Anya Taylor-Joy, Charlie Day, Jack Black Directed by Aaron Horvath & Michal Jelenic Back in 2017, "The Greatest Showman" starring Hugh Jackman received a beating from the critics, giving the film just a 56% on Rotten Tomatoes. Audiences, however, chose not to listen to the critics and wanted to decide for themselves, and the results were historic: an 86% audience rating, an Oscar nomination, over $428 million worldwide, and a soundtrack that still thumps to this day. "The Greatest Showman" proved that critics aren't always right, and that rings true again for "The Super Mario Galaxy Movie" - a film lambasted by critics but hailed by audiences, that does have its faults but it's so filled with nostalgia and lovely animation that in the end it doesn't really matter. As Bowser (Jack Black) remains miniaturized and under the watchful eyes of Mario (Chris Pratt), Luigi (Charlie Day), Princess Pe...

They Will Kill You Starring Zazie Beetz, Patricia Arquette, Myha'la, Tom Felton Directed by Kirill Sokolov What happens when you throw in "Kill Bill," "Hotel Artemis," "Ready or Not," Quentin Tarantino and Sam Raimi into a blender? You get "They Will Kill You," a film that obviously takes license from the aforementioned films and directors but concocts its own story. While the screenplay itself will never earn an Academy Award, a film such as this doesn't need one to validate its existence. It's just a fun, bloody, action-filled movie with a commanding lead performance from Zazie Beetz and a welcome return for Patricia Arquette in a role like she's never played before. After getting out of prison, Asia Reaves (Zazie Beetz) applies to be a maid for a local apartment complex known as the Virgil, run by the superintendent Lily Woodhouse (Patricia Arquette). The first night there Asia wakes up to find a group of people in her room thr...