Nolan’s Three-Hour Biopic Opus ‘Oppenheimer’ is Not Da Bomb

July 19, 2023 by Matt Oakes Posted in Out in Theaters Tagged Casey Affleck, Christopher Nolan, Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt, Florence Pugh, Josh Hartnett, Kenneth Branagh, Matt Damon, Out in Theaters, Rami Malek, Reviews, Robert Downey Jr. 2 Comments

Christopher Nolan, the revered father figure of Film Twitter Bros the world over, has made his Mank (or his JFK, depending on who you ask.) Much like David Fincher’s polarizing and 10-time Oscar-nominated biopic, Oppenheimer offers a sprawling and contemplative portrayal of technology that reshaped the world, all while navigating the invasive presence of McCarthyism in America. It presents a sprawling, intricately layered narrative reminiscent of a Russian Nesting Doll, with stories within stories and a dynamic interplay of multiple timelines, including both colorized and black-and-white sequences, complemented by an ensemble cast of A-list actors. Those who caught early screening have already flocked to Twitter to lob terms like “masterpiece” and “best of the century” at Nolan’s three-hour biopic about the Father of the Atom Bomb but, much like Mank, Oppenheimer sees a celebrated filmmaker delivers a work seemingly tailored for awards recognition, though very clearly near and dear to him, yet ultimately fails to ignite the explosive impact it promises. Read More

Only Tom Cruise Can Stop Dastardly A.I. in ‘MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – DEAD RECKONING PART ONE’

July 5, 2023 by Matt Oakes Posted in Out in Theaters Tagged Christopher McQuarrie, Hayley Atwell., Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One, Out in Theaters, Reviews, tom cruise 10 Comments

A lesser Mission Impossible movie is still better than 90% of the dreck that passes for big budget blockbusters these days. Unfortunately, though, Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One is lesser Mission Impossible. A handful of the choices made by writer-director Christopher McQuarrie in his third effort behind the camera for this franchise just didn’t quite work for me. The array of villains are undercooked and ill-conceived, particularly the introduction of a sinister mystery man from Ethan’s past who falls mostly flat by virtue of his story feeling either one-dimensional or incomplete; the attempt to capitalize on AI (2023’s buzziest buzzword) as the ultimate baddie didn’t quite feel in step with the franchise; a decision to remove a particular character (in a weirdly blatant attempt to “make room” for another younger version) irked me; as did the bifurcation of this film into two halves, leaving this particular installment hanging as if Tom Cruise himself dangling from a precarious cliff face. A lot of complaints, I know, but there’s also plenty to love here. Read More

‘THE FLASH’ Speeds Past Expectations, Strikes Lightning in the DCEU

June 8, 2023 by Matt Oakes Posted in Out in Theaters Tagged Andy Muschietti, Christina Hodson, Ezra Miller, Michael Keaton, Michael Shannon, Reviews, Sasha Calle, The Flash 3 Comments

In a time- and universe-bending world where superheroes have become a constant fixture on our screens, their welcome wearing thinner by the appearance, The Flash emerges as a super enjoyable surprise. A “solo” venture that sees the DC Extended Universe taking their crack at the whole multiverse thing that has been so popularized in superhero films of the past “phase”, The Flash actually focuses on dynamic storytelling and character complexity to impressive results. Despite a runtime that confidently skates past the two and a half hour mark, director Andy Muschietti (Mama, It) and screenwriter Christina Hodson (Bumblebee, Birds of Prey) have crafted a tale that zips by in an exhilarating flash of character, nostalgia, and good old-fashion storytelling. Read More

Chilling ‘THE BOOGEYMAN’ Rekindles Fear of the Dark

May 30, 2023 by Matt Oakes Posted in Out in Theaters Tagged Bryan Woods, Chris Messina, David Dastmalchian, Horror, Mark Heyman, Out in Theaters, Reviews, Rob Savage, Scott Beck, Sophie Thatcher, The Boogeyman, Vivien Lyra Blair 1 Comment

A family reeling from the sudden death of their wife and mother. A creature that feeds on grief and weakness. Crippling fear of the dark. These are well-worn horror movie tropes through and through but they are executed to impressive effect by filmmaker Rob Savage in his first traditional feature, The Boogeyman. Savage takes these overcooked conventions and tosses them in a wicked blender of terror and tension to make for a wicked fright fest that could well fling you out of your seat. Read More

‘FAST X’ Accelerates the Tired Franchise Into a Wall of Absurdity

May 17, 2023 by Matt Oakes Posted in Out in Theaters Tagged Charlize Theron, Chris "Ludacris" Bridges, Fast X, Helen Mirren, Jason Momoa, Jason Statham, John Cena, Jordana Brewster, Louis Leterrier, Michelle Rodriguez, Nathalie Emmanuel, Out in Theaters, Reviews, Scott Eastwood, Sung Kang, Tyrese Gibson, Vin Diesel 1 Comment

Death has been tamed in the realm of the Fast and the Furious, a universe where mortality is less of a concrete reality and more of a minor inconvenience. Explosions, vehicular disasters, bullets, and even cosmic escapades seem to have lost their lethal touch. Notably, Paul Walker’s Brian O’Conner, who we mourned back in 2013, has somehow cheated death’s finality to make posthumous cameos in four subsequent films. It’s an impressive work ethic that redefines the very essence of ‘life after death’. Why die when resurrection is but as plot contrivance away? Read More

Kinky ‘Sanctuary’ an Intoxicating Two-Hander That Dominates Audience

May 17, 2023 by Matt Oakes Posted in Out in Theaters Tagged Christopher Abbott, Margaret Qualley, Micah Bloomberg, Out in Theaters, Reviews, Sanctuary, Zachary Wigon 1 Comment

It all starts in a hotel room. Hal (Christopher Abbott) orders room service and waits. Enter Rebecca (Margaret Qualley), a whip-smart dominatrix. Qualley, who you may remember from her standout performances in Maid and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, first poses as a lawyer there to “gather information, verify it, and write up a report.” Although it’s all part of a CEO/powerbroker role play, meticulously scripted to the last detail, it’s actually not that far from the truth. This is Sanctuary, a kinky, mentalist dom-sub rom-com, and it’s the stage for Qualley and Abbott’s most intoxicating performances yet. Read More

‘EVIL DEAD RISE’ Splatters the Screen, Breathing Fresh Blood into Lovingly Demented Franchise

May 13, 2023 by Matt Oakes Posted in Out in Theaters Tagged Evil Dead Rise, Gabrielle Echols, Lee Cronin, Lily Sullivan, Morgan Davies, Nell Fisher, Out in Theaters, Reviews 5 Comments

In the realm of horror, few franchises are as steeped in blood-soaked lore as Sam Raimi’s Evil Dead. The latest entry, Evil Dead Rise, cleverly distills this iconic universe’s brutal charms while simultaneously stirring in a fresh batch of viscera. This isn’t just a rehashed resurrection; it’s a blood-thirsty demon rebirth, both reverential and innovative. Much like a vinyl record that keeps spinning, this franchise seemingly has an endless groove of gory goodness. Read More

It’s Grizzled Prospector vs. Nazis In Badass War Actioner ‘SISU’

April 24, 2023 by Matt Oakes Posted in Out in Theaters Tagged Aksel Hennie, Jack Doolan, Jalmari Helander, Jorma Tommila, Reviews, Sisu Leave a comment

There’s an entire genre of movies where a grizzled old-timer with a particular set of skills gets entangled with unsuspecting ruffians who mistakenly stick their noses in his business. Sisu, a Nordic import from writer-director Jalmari Helander, distributed in the U.S. by Lionsgate, is exactly that movie. Only a bit better than you’re used to. Helander’s down-and-dirty prospector vs. Nazi actioner has no interest in rewriting the bones of these familiar trappings so much as getting that formula almost perfectly right, in part by setting it in Nazi-occupied Finland in the closing moments of WWII. Focusing on over-the-top physicality and no-holds-barred brutality, Sisu is an ultra-violent exploitation B-movie that caters to its simple strengths at nearly every junction. Read More

Existential Dark Comedy ‘BEAU IS AFRAID’ is Unhinged, Overlong, Hysterical

April 19, 2023 by Matt Oakes Posted in Most Popular, Out in Theaters Tagged Amy Ryan, Ari Aster, Beau is Afraid, Joaquin Phoenix, Nathan Lane, Out in Theaters, Parker Posey, Reviews, Richard Kind Leave a comment

Reeling from the death of his iconoclast mother, an emotionally stunted, mentally ill man must traverse to her funeral in Ari Aster’s oft-indescribable dark comedy, Beau is Afraid. Aster frames the journey as if he were Homer himself, making for a melodramatic and depraved comedy of errors turned familial nightmare, stuffed to the brink of bursting with pure orchestrated chaos. Shocking, subversive, and very often hilariously funny, the genre-defying A24 feature stars Joaquin Phoenix as the titular Beau, a man for whom the pressures of the world are quite overwhelming. The film plays like What About Bob as remade by the director of Hereditary, but as an Oedipal fever dream. It’s a lot thematically. It’s a lot structurally. It’s a lot from a performance-perspective. It’s just a lot of movie. And most of it is pretty brilliant. Read More

Army Commercial ‘GUY RITCHIE’S THE COVENANT’ Fails to Explore Anything of Value

April 18, 2023 by Matt Oakes Posted in Out in Theaters Tagged Dar Salim, Guy Ritchie, Jake Gyllenhaal, Out in Theaters, Reviews, The Covenant Leave a comment

Guy Ritchie’s The Covenant, stylized as written, with the director’s name in the title, for reasons unknown, is the kind of movie that feels the needs to define what “covenant” means for its audience. This takes place not in the opening moments, but as a punctuation mark to the whole affair. As if the intended audiences is so unfamiliar with the dictionary that they don’t even understand the definition of a seventh-grade vocab word. And yet would still show up to see a movie called The Covenant. I’m sorry, Guy Ritchie’s The Covenant.* This fact becomes even more bewildering the more we dig into what this alleged “action-thriller” is actually about and what its apparent intention is. Read More