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 ...