Six days have passed since the chilling finale of writer-director Parker Finn’s Smile, and Joel (Kyle Gallner) is frantically trying to escape the sinister forces closing in on him. After investigating a string of interconnected victims, each of whom killed themselves in gruesome fashion, he knows the only way out of the loop is by passing the curse on—by killing someone in front of a witness. Thanks to his police access, he’s found the perfect lowlifes deserving of such a fate and is ready to dole out karmic justice, moral consequences be damned. Things don’t exactly go as planned and the curse instead lands in the lap of low-rent drug dealer Lewis, played with fiery, cracked-out intensity by Lukas Gage. He wastes no time handing the curse off to client and pop-superstar Skye Riley (Naomi Scott) on the precipice of greatness. Soon, she’s haunted by diabolical smiling faces – as well as the public. Her big comeback tour, meant to mark her recovery from addiction and personal tragedy, derails as she unravels under the grin of her supernatural oppressor. The recovering pop star’s descent into madness is exacerbated by the expectations of her fans, the relentless pressure from her team to continue performing, and the watchdog gaze of the media—all of whom seem to be waiting for her to slip up and fall apart. And they don’t even know about the whole demonic possession thing. Read More
‘CHARLIE’S ANGELS’ Reboot Delivers Fluffy Girl-Powered Fun and Peak Kristen Stewart
Who knew that Kristen Stewart could have this much fun? Whether she’s whipping her body around the dance floor or head butting Tinder dates in the kisser, K-Stew is straight lit. She’s scorching hot. As on fire as a Flaming Doctor Pepper. And it’s good to bask in the heat. The Twilight alum has spent the last decade reshaping public perception of her acting chops, starring in dramatic and critically-acclaimed Films with a capital F. Most notably through her partnership with Olivier Assayas in Clouds of Sils Maria and Personal Shopper, Stewart has become an actress of high repute and though she’s yet to land herself any kind of Oscar nomination, her star has risen from blockbuster starlet with a Razzie nom to respectable leading lady whose projects are worth seeking out through her association alone. For what seems like the first time in probably ever, the many sides and talents of Stewart come to a head in Charlie’s Angels, a cutesy and shallow fun time that would allow the actress the chance to let her hair down had she not cropped it short. Even so, Stewart is here to shake it off and actually have some fun. And boy what a show she puts on. Read More
Disney’s Lifeless ’ALADDIN’ Remake is the Opposite of Art
As far as I’m concerned, Aladdin is the worst movie of the year. There is not one ounce of artistic value in this soiled remake ostensibly from director Guy Ritchie (The Man From U.N.C.L.E.), not one element that was not a clunky and borderline offensive down step from the original 1992 animated film, no attempt to refurbish the material and put any semblance of fresh spin on it. This is “filmmaking” as black magic – the result of someone burying the original Aladdin V/H/S in a Pet Sematary, its shambling resurrected corpse showing up on marquees pretending to be a real movie. Read More