Derelict ‘ANT-MAN AND THE WASP: QUANTUMANIA’ Is Marvel’s Worst Yet

February 16, 2023 by Matt Oakes Posted in Out in Theaters Tagged Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, Bill Murray, David Dastmalchian, Evangeline Lilly, Jeff Loveness, Jonathan Majors, Kathryn Newton, Katy M. O'Brian, Michael Douglas, Michelle Pfeiffer, Paul Rudd, Peyton Reed, William Jackson Harper 1 Comment

Ever since Endgame, the Marvel machine has seen its meticulously-plotted designs start to come apart at the seams. The latest to grind its wheels forward in this shared universe is Peyton Reed’s Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania and let me tell you: it’s not good folks. It is very, very not good. Throughout 31 (!!!) films and a handful of other Disney+ tie-in shows and special presentation one-offs, the MCU has delivered its fair share of highs and lows but never before has it unleashed such an objectively terrible content clunker. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is Marvel’s worst yet, seriously putting into question this critic’s commitment to keeping up with this increasingly disjointed and time-consuming franchise. Read More

Shyamalan Does Apocalyptic Thriller as Morality Test in ‘KNOCK AT THE CABIN’

February 1, 2023 by Matt Oakes Posted in Out in Theaters Tagged Abby Quinn, Ben Aldridge, Dave Bautista, Jonathan Groff, Knock at the Cabin, Kristen Cui, M. Night Shyamalan, Michael Sherman, Nikki Amuka-Bird, Reviews, Rupert Grint, Steve Desmond Leave a comment

In M. Night Shyamalan’s latest science-fiction thriller Knock at the Cabin, the apocalypse is here. Or so says Leonard (Dave Bautista), and his companions Sabrina (Nikki Amuka-Bird), Adriane (Abby Quinn), and Redmond (Rupert Grint). They claim that in the next two days, a number of plagues will be unleashed upon the Earth. Floods, fires, and mass technological breakdowns will decimate all human life and cover the world in eternal darkness. It’s all very Old Testament; fire and brimstone and mass judgement from on high. Not unlike – what one character astutely points out – the scrawled prophecies of doomsday preachers on any city street corner in America. Read More

INFINITY POOL is a Hedonistic Descent into Vacation Goblin Mode

January 26, 2023 by Matt Oakes Posted in Out in Theaters Tagged Alexander Skarsård, Brandon Cronenberg, Cleopatra Coleman, Horror, Infinity Pool, Jalil Lespert, Mia Goth, Out in Theaters, Reviews 2 Comments

“Is this a dream?” Em (Cleopatra Coleman) asks. Back at their luxurious vacation resort in the far-flung fictional developing country La Tolqa, she can’t get over the most recent heinous encounter with local law enforcement involving her and her second-rate author husband James Foster (Alexander Skarsård). They have just killed a man, having struck him with their vehicle after a day of beach gayety. As is standard practice here, his punishment is as steep a price as they come. James is sentenced to die. However it isn’t actually James who is made to pay the ultimate price. He is wealthy and therefore inoculated from consequence. A clone will do just fine. Or as they are referred to in Brandon Cronenberg’s warped vacation thrillerInfinity Pool, a “double”. Read More

‘RYE LANE’ Is A Black, English, Gen-Z ‘Before’ Movie

January 24, 2023 by Matt Oakes Posted in Out in Theaters Tagged David Jonsson, Nathan Bryon, Olan Collardy, Raine Allen-Miller, Reviews, Rye Lane, Sundance 2023, Tom Melia, Vivian Oparah 1 Comment

Dom (David Jonsson, Industry) and Yas (Vivian Oparah) both just got out of serious relationships. Outside their mutual friend’s avant garde art show, a provocative display of close-up photographs of extremely wet mouths, Dom is weeping in a toilet stall. Yas overhears his anguish and later saddles up to chat him up about art, relationships, and life. They vibe and embark on an unexpected day of big city adventures and new flames. Read More

‘MISSING’ Effectively Uses In-Screen Gimmick for Taut Family Thriller

January 13, 2023 by Matt Oakes Posted in Out in Theaters Tagged Aneesh Chaganty, Daniel Henney, Joaquim de Almeida, Ken Leung, Missing, Nia Long, Nicholas D. Johnson, Storm Reid, Will Merrick 1 Comment

All good mysteries are constructed like mazes. There’s sudden left turns, dead ends, and only one real way out. The astute viewer ought to be able to follow the clues and connect the dots, usually to at least a few inevitable red herrings before arriving at the real whodunnit. With 2018’s Searching and sequel Missing, the young combo of Nicholas D. Johnson, Will Merrick, and Aneesh Chaganty have perfected a pretty neat new way to create movie mazes. Read More

You Don’t Want To Miss ‘M3GAN’ The Doll’s Killer Debut

January 5, 2023 by Matt Oakes Posted in Out in Theaters Tagged Akela Cooper, Allison Williams, Gerard Johnstone, James Wan, M3gan, Megan, Reviews, Violet McGraw 1 Comment

Megan, stylized as M3gan, stands for Model 3 Generative Android. She’s artificial intelligence in a four-foot silicon body. Blonde wig, gobs of eyeliner, and haute couture doll clothes complete the look. Following the death of both her parents, Cady (Violet McGraw) is sent to live with her aunt Gemma (the always reliable Allison Williams). Though she’s a brilliant robotics engineer at one of the world’s foremost toy company, Gemma isn’t quite parenting material. In a bid to create the next-gen of must-have toys, she creates Megan. It just so happens that Megan, in addition to drawing, singing, dancing, and boggling the mind of anyone who sees her, can also provide the kind of emotional support that Gemma’s ailing niece needs but she’s not able to give. The little girl and her doll bond like no little girl and girl have bonded before. But it’s not all fun and games when the sentient toy begins to challenge her programming, going rogue and “improving” Cady’s life by all means necessary. Those means, more often than not, involve murder. Read More

Top Ten Movies of 2022

December 29, 2022 by Matt Oakes Posted in Lists 2 Comments

It’s been another game-changing year for movies. And not necessarily in the best ways. With pandemic aftermath continuing to shape the industry and the release of both major blockbusters and independent films, the wall between the big and small screen has continued to evaporate. As the global box office continued to struggle to recover, the biggest releases are overwhelming taking the biggest piece of the pie. The box office for films in the US and Canada is expected to finish the year at just $7.35 billion, a 35% drop off compared to the pre-pandemic year of 2019, due in part to a lack of films released though in theater performance remained a major issue. While adult-oriented fare like dramas struggled to not flop, the top 10 films of 2022 accounted for more than half of the industry’s total box office, compared to 30-40% in previous years.

The Top Ten Best TV Shows of 2022

December 27, 2022 by Matt Oakes Posted in Lists, Most Popular 5 Comments

2022 might not have been a banner year for movies but boy did it rip on the small screen. One of the best years that I can recall in terms of what was offered on television, whittling my favorites down to just a list of ten was an extremely difficult task. Choosing just ten meant I had to jettison shows I genuinely adored like Apple TV+’s Irish dark comedy Bad Sisters, AMC’s seductive Interview with the Vampire retelling, Netflix’s epic fourth season of Stranger Things, and the second season of HBO’s hysterical Righteous Gemstones. In a lesser year, all likely would have earned a slot here. Read More

Soggy ‘AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER’ A Gateway Drug for the Return of 3D

December 13, 2022 by Matt Oakes Posted in Out in Theaters Tagged Amanda Silver, Avatar: The Way of Water, Out in Theaters, Reviews, Rick Jaffa, Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, Trinity Jo-Li Bliss, Zoe Saldana 1 Comment

After thirteen years, countless production delays, and allegedly tectonic technological leaps forward, Avatar: The Way of Water is finally here. And it’s… fine. This long-awaited but not-that-anticipated sequel to the highest grossing movie of all time reintroduces audiences to the world of Pandora and the Na’vi people who occupy its lands and oceans. The second film in a planned total of five films, The Way of Water features some groundbreaking tech advances but for a three-plus hour movie, the plotting is notably sparse, the characters are weak, and it feels very much like a middle chapter. Read More

Brendan Fraser Offers the Performance of His Career in Devastating ‘THE WHALE’

December 12, 2022 by Matt Oakes Posted in Most Popular, Out in Theaters Tagged Brendan Fraser, Darren Aronofsky, Hong Chau, Movie Reviews, Reviews, Sadie Sink, Samuel D. Hunter, The Whale, Ty Simpkins 1 Comment

Darren Aronofsky makes movies about people killing themselves. Sometimes unwittingly (Requiem for a Dream). Sometimes intentionally (The Wrestler). Sometimes in a fit of obsession (Black Swan). Sometimes as an act of salvation (π). In his heartbreaking weepy, The Whale, a show-stopping Brendan Fraser plays a morbidly obese man actively killing himself with calories. Aronofsky is no stranger to the slo-mo suicide drama and The Whale counts amongst his most heart-wrenching tragedies yet. Be prepared to ugly cry.