Author: Rachel's Reviews

Tribeca 2026: Young Washington

| Rachel's Reviews

I’ve always been a big fan of historical films. Even when they are a little fast and lose with the truth (Braveheart I’m talking to you) often they inspire me to do the actual research on the historical figures and that’s a fun experience to take part in. I particularly love American history especially in places I’ve been to and lived in. The latest example that is premiering at Tribeca Film Festival is Young Washington about the formative early years of our first president George Washington. Not only did this movie inspire me to learn more about Washington but I found it thoroughly entertaining as a piece of blockbuster filmmaking.

To be honest, I have actually seen Young Washington 3 times already because I ended up doing 3 interviews which will be coming closer to the wide release on Hallmarkies Podcast. I also was so inspired by the movie that I wanted to learn more and read Ron Chernow’s captivating book (ad) called Washington: A Life. I highly recommend this book and the movie too!

Young Washington is directed by Jon Erwin and starts with Washington as a child after the death of his father when he was 11 and follows him through the French and Indian war, the disaster at Fort Necessity and Washington’s courageous stand with the Virginia Regiment in 1758. This was all done extremely effectively in the film. It’s particularly impressive with the small budget ($20-$35 million is what I read) I was especially impressed with the Fort Necessity sequence which was as captivating as it was devastating.

The cast Erwin has assembled is also excellent. William Franklyn-Miller is endearing and easy to relate with as Washington and he is surrounded by talent such as Mary-Louise Parker as his mother, Kelsey Grammar as Thomas Fairfax and Andy Serkis as Edward Braddock. The movie does expand on the truth with the romance Washington had with Sally Fairfax who in real life was the wife of one of his friends but it’s a small part of the film so not a big problem.

After reading Chernow’s book I am even more impressed with the historical accuracy of many of the scenes in Young Washington. Like I said, they don’t expand upon much and it also doesn’t feel like American propaganda. Afterall, we are seeing Washington at his greatest failure, literally surrendering because of partly his failure of leadership. His other weaknesses are mainly foibles of youth in the film but if anything that makes him easier to relate with than if he was portrayed as some paragon of virtue.

This summer we have the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence and I can’t think of a better way to celebrate such an event than watching Young Washington. Hopefully you’ll be as entertained by it as I was and it will also inspire you to learn more about Washington and other Founding Fathers. At the very least it’s a rousing reminder that even our greatest heroes start out as young men and women brimming with potential.

Covering festivals is not easy and small sites like Rachel’s Reviews need help to provide such extensive coverage of film and theatre. Make sure you check out the patreon for perks, exclusive reviews and to be part of our monthly events and watch-alongs. If you value honest criticism, check it out. Find out more here.

Tribeca 2026: Act One

| Rachel's Reviews


One of the most ever-present questions about human nature is that of nature vs nurture. How much of who we are is innate to our beings and how much is pushed out of us by those that teach, parent and nurture us? Nobody knows for sure but at the very least teachers and others in authority can have power to draw us to different choices and convince us to go against our nature. This power has been explored in many films most recently in the Oscar winning film Whiplash. Now director Sophia Takal has taken Whiplash into the world of acting in her tight little thriller Act One.

Instead of drumming, in Act One we have acting as our talent of choice and young Hannah dreams of becoming a great actress. She wants to be a serious actress, and her mother is less than supportive of what she see’s as a silly career choice. Instead Hannah turns to an acting coach named Melanie who takes method acting to a whole new level. Melanie’s teaching is especially manipulative because she can defend anything as the cost of getting into character. Anyone who doesn’t participate fully is not as committed to the roles and the transformative experience of becoming a character. Of course this is a ridiculous reason to participate in toxic even criminal behavior but then again Hannah is young and inexperienced (even more so than Andrew in Whiplash who was at least in college.)

The main strength of this film is in Takal’s script. We can all relate to the draw of perfecting ones art and the intoxicating appeal of just the right kind of praise. Controlling people often know what to say to get insecure people to make one small step down the road of dedication to their cult. This is made even more powerful when fellow drama class member becomes Hannah’s sexual partner and Melanie uses that vulnerability to gain more power over her students.

Oddly enough in a movie about acting the performances in Act One are probably the weakest aspect. Ella Beatty plays Hannah and she captures the mousy nature of the character but Ari Graynor was less convincing as Melanie. The rest of the performances are more amateur in feel but as the movie is about amateur actors I suppose it fits well enough.

Still, like I said, the script is where this film shines as I was enthralled to see what was going to happen to Hannah next and if she would get out of this maddening spiral. Act One is playing June 10, 12, 13th at the festival and worthy of your time.

Covering festivals is not easy and small sites like Rachel’s Reviews need help to provide such extensive coverage of film and theatre. Make sure you check out the patreon for perks, exclusive reviews and to be part of our monthly events and watch-alongs. If you value honest criticism, check it out. Find out more here.

Tribeca 2026: Doc Meets World

| Rachel's Reviews

Growing up I didn’t have many television shows I watched regularly. My parents aren’t media people, and we often didn’t have a TV or cable membership. This is probably why I’ve always been more of a movie person than a television. However, the comedy Boy Meets World is an exception. Starting in 1993 the show aired for 7 seasons and in the 2nd season the characters began high school which was the same year that I was a freshman. Then they started college in 1998 which was the same year I started college. You get the idea- I grew up with this show!

Like most media from childhood, I have a lot of nostalgia tied up into Boy Meets World and the new documentary at Tribeca Film Festival Doc Meets World dives into those emotions but it tries to dig deeper particularly into the lives of 3 of the show’s stars: Danielle Fishel, Will Friedle, and Rider Strong. It uses a tour for their podcast Pod Meets World as the narrative device to explore teen stardom, friendship, fandom and more.

It’s unfortunate the show’s star Ben Savage did not participate in the documentary or the podcast. It leaves the documentary feeling empty of a very important perspective on the show and forces others to guess how he may or may not be responding. Things can also get in the weeds with the tour, and the mechanizations of running a podcast, which are both about as exciting as you’d expect.

Still if you are a fan of Boy Meets World you’ll enjoy this documentary. It’s pleasant to catch up with Fishel, Friedle and Strong and in a world where so many child stars end up as troubled adults it’s nice to see that basically everyone from this show turned out well. I don’t think non-fans will be entertained but that’s ok. It’s made for the fans and as one of them I’m glad I saw it.

Covering festivals is not easy and small sites like Rachel’s Reviews need help to provide such extensive coverage of film and theatre. Make sure you check out the patreon for perks, exclusive reviews and to be part of our monthly events and watch-alongs. If you value honest criticism, check it out. Find out more here.

 

Tribeca 2026: Next Life

| Rachel's Reviews

Of all the high concept movie plots out there one that I keep being drawn to time and again is one of alternate timelines. In the world of physics it’s called The Many-Worlds Theory. The idea is that in each decision there are multiple outcomes that are possible and that the universe splits off into those different realities. At the very least it is fascinating to think about how little decisions impact our lives in some times big ways.

Naturally this concept works really well in the romance genre most famously with the 1998 film Sliding Doors. In this film Gwyneth Paltrow has 2 realities- one where she makes a subway and catches her cheating boyfriend and one where she does not. It’s a delightful film I recommend if you haven’t seen it.

Now the latest in this genre, Next Life, is premiering at the Tribeca Film Festival. This film stars Emilia Clarke as Ivy a singer who’s 2 realities revolve around her having a meet cute where she spills coffee on a jazz musician Diego (Edgar Ramirez) on the subway. The reality with no meet cute she ends up with her ex-fiance Noah played by Jack Farthing but her and Noah do connect eventually in both timelines (it’s meant to be!)

This film is written and directed by Drake Doremus and he tries to speak to weightier themes than the premise might suggest. It’s actually an exploration on life and if we are destined for certain fates or not. Clarke is very likable in the role and she manages to have decent chemistry with both Farthing and Ramirez. Doremus could have learned from Sliding Doors and given Ivy different hairstyles for each reality because it can get confusing which version of the character we are seeing from scene to scene.

It also sometimes gets heavier than it needs to be and Ivy can start to feel unlikable particularly in the Noah sections. Still, I overall enjoyed myself with the music playing throughout adding another fun component (it would be a good soundtrack to listen to.)

Next Life is the kind of movie you could go to with friends and then have a good discussion after but yet it still manages to be a pleasant time. One might say in the reality where I saw the movie I’m glad I did!

Covering festivals is not easy and small sites like Rachel’s Reviews need help to provide such extensive coverage of film and theatre. Make sure you check out the patreon for perks, exclusive reviews and to be part of our monthly events and watch-alongs. If you value honest criticism, check it out. Find out more here.

Blind Spot 124: Sweet Charity

| Rachel's Reviews

Hi friends! Another month has come and gone which is crazy. I’ve been as busy as ever before with my new Friday Flicks show, which is something I’m very proud of and love. Don’t fear though I actually have quite a bit of writing planned for the next few weeks. My friend Allison asked me to help her apply for the Tribeca Film Festival and she was accepted. Almost all of that coverage will be written so expect to see reviews and other posts for that coming up soon.

In the meantime I still have blind spot for May to share with you. This month it is the musical Sweet Charity which I’ve never seen on stage or screen. It was fun to finally watch this film and overall I liked it- particularly for the Bob Fosse dance numbers. My favorite being “The Rhythm of Life” with Sammy Davis Jr selling it as a preacher named Big Daddy.

The story is nothing amazing and I was a little disappointed by the singing quality throughout but it’s still an entertaining musical with again some great dancing (and costumes.) I didn’t realize until the podcast that it was all based on a Fellini film Nights of Cabiria. That makes 2 Fellini films that went on to become musicals (with Nine being the other.)

While the film version of Sweet Charity isn’t a masterpiece it is definitely worth a watch and I’m glad I got to check it off my blind spot list! Next month I have the comedy Housesitter.

My patrons keep me honest and able to see and review as much as I do. Make sure you check out the patreon for perks, exclusive reviews and to be part of our monthly events and watch alongs. If you value honest criticism check it out. Find out more here.

Blind Spot 123: Cleopatra

| Rachel's Reviews

Hi friends! This month’s blind spot proved to be one of those movies that’s much more fun to talk about than to watch. It’s 1963’s Cleopatra. The film that almost bankrupted 20th Century Fox. Honestly I thought it would be better. I knew it was super long. That’s why I hadn’t watched it but I thought it would be more campy fun but it’s really not. I was shocked how many long processionals there are where nothing is happening. You could almost have it as a screensaver and get as much entertainment out of it.

That said, my friend Molly and I had a great time talking about it on the podcast. Just the story of the producer Walter Wanger is worth its own podcast episode. It’s available on all the podcast platforms so give it a listen.

Next month is the musical Sweet Charity so that should be really fun to check off of my blind spot list!

My patrons keep me honest and able to see and review as much as I do. Make sure you check out the patreon for perks, exclusive reviews and to be part of our monthly events and watch alongs. If you value honest criticism check it out. Find out more here.

Can a movie win me over on cuteness vibes? Yes ‘The Super Mario Galaxy Movie’ (Review)

| Rachel's Reviews

So back in 2023 I didn’t like the first The Super Mario Bros Movie. In my review I said “If you want to see a basic animated film for kids The Super Mario Bros Movie I suppose will suffice but if you are hoping for something fresh, exciting, creative or funny I’m afraid you’ll have to look elsewhere.”

Well, the last 3 years have worn down this critic because the new movie The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is all of those things I accused the original of being and it is not fresh or exciting and yet I liked it! (I do think it is creative and funny so maybe that’s where it won me over)

The truth is I don’t really remember the original film well nor did I have time to rewatch it. I recall it being more boring than the new film which honestly can be a little crowded in the story department (crowded and yet also quite basic in its storytelling.)

The thing is it’s also really cute… For whatever reason I found almost every scene to be charming with adorable characters I enjoyed spending time with. I liked that Mario and Luigi were together for most this movie where they weren’t in the original. I liked Yoshi and his cuteness. I thought Peach was a fun character and her sister Rosalina were delightful characters. The toadstools are adorable. Sometimes even us critics have basic responses to film, and that was the case here. I found it to be a charming adventure.

Of course there are problems. As I said, the story is crowded and yet also quite basic. There is no attempt to dazzle me with the animation like we have seen in so many recent animated films. Illumination is still as generic as you can get in that department but the way they interwove the animation from the video game was quite clever and surprising. I am sure there are loads of Easter eggs fans will get but even my non-gamer heart caught a lot of them.

I’m seeing a lot of critics going very hard on this film but I also wonder what kind of movie can you do for 2 male plumbers in a fantasy world. It’s not a concept that strikes me as ripe for storytelling. What they came up with is a generic adventure to save a princess but they filled it with lost of cuteness and enough laughs to entertain me.

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie gets a recommendation from this princess peach.

My patrons keep me honest and able to see and review as much as I do. Make sure you check out the patreon for perks, exclusive reviews and to be part of our monthly events and watch alongs. If you value honest criticism check it out. Find out more here.

Blind Spot 122: First Blood (Rambo’s first movie)

| Rachel's Reviews

I just wanted to share a quick post with this month’s Blind Spot pick. It was 1982’s First Blood which is our introduction to the character of John Rambo. This was honestly much better than I was anticipating and I had a great time talking about it with my friend Ryan who filled in for Manda in March.

I didn’t expect to be moved by Rambo’s story but I was. It’s also not as violent as the sequels became known for. It’s a survival story of veteran Rambo being hunted by Brian Dennehy’s Teasle.

I was quite touched when Rambo says “I can’t get it out of my head. A dream of seven years. Everyday I have this. And sometimes I wake up and I don’t know where I am. I don’t talk to anybody. Sometimes a day – a week. I can’t put it out of my mind.”

If you haven’t seen this first Rambo movie, First Blood, I highly recommend it. It’s one of the bigger surprises I’ve had with Blind Spot for some time. A really good movie and I think our discussion was insightful. Would love your thoughts.

April we have the very long Cleopatra which should be an adventure to watch. I’m excited.

My patrons keep me honest and able to see and review as much as I do. Make sure you check out the patreon for perks, exclusive reviews and to be part of our monthly events and watch alongs. If you value honest criticism check it out. Find out more here.

Ranking all 15 movies I saw at SXSW virtual film festival

| Rachel's Reviews

Hi friends! I hope you are having a great weekend and enjoying spring weather wherever you might be. So I have had quite the March 2026. As many of you know I had been substituting over at KSL Movie Show since last July. It would have been my dream to be hired as a regular for the show and I sincerely think I would have done a great job for them but they decided to go elsewhere. This was completely devastating and I’m still getting over it to be honest. Well, this news came the week before I was going to go to Austin for SXSW Film Festival. Not that the job paid much anyways but it didn’t seem like the responsible thing to take a trip (as minimal as it was going to be) during such an uncertain time.

(I have since started my own show for my weekly reviews and I’m super proud of it. It is also available on all the podcast apps)

With this change I had to pivot to a virtual experience for the festival and considering the circumstances I’m proud of myself for still watching 15 movies. I’m not sure how many I watched last year when attending but 15 is pretty good and took some hustle on my part! The downside is I ended up with a lot of similar films- particularly young female slasher movies and the repetition can be deadening after a while. That said I only outright disliked one of the 15 films so that’s nice. If you get to see any of these films let me know what you think:

  1. Love Language- This rom-com starring Chloë Grace Moretz tells the story of a young woman who starts writing couples vows after her own failed engagement. It kind of reminded me of a darker version of The Wedding Singer where this bitter person is still surrounded by weddings. She’s a pretty unlikable character but everything around her is so charming and Anthony Ramos and Manny Jacinto are so swoony I really enjoyed the love story. Definitely my kind of film.
  2. Sparks- this is an interesting little indie about a group of teens who may have a time travelling pond in their town. Cleo played by Elsie Fisher dreams of going back to the 1960s to be with Jean-Luc Godard and see the filming of his movie Breathless. This is unpredictable and sweet coming of age story that avoids a lot of the pitfalls in that genre I don’t enjoy.
  3. Basic- this film follows Ashley Park’s character as she is plagued with insecurities over her boyfriend played by Taylor John Smith. He is loyal to her but she doesn’t believe it could be real. She is particularly sensitive about his ex-girlfriend (Leighton Meester) who she judges and stalks at a comedy club. This movie is about the labels we put on each other, how social media exacerbates those labels and how if we can’t love ourselves why should anyone else? I liked it a little more before she met Meester’s character but still enjoyable.
  4. Pretty Lethal- this was the last of my campy female slasher movies of the festival so it is possible it might have been higher than it was after seeing 5 of them in 10 days. Still if bloody gruesome killer ballerinas sounds like your jam than you should give this movie a shot. It’s not trying to be realistic or gritty but that’s part of the fun of it. I especially liked the way it used stereotypically ballet items to kill and maim like nutcrackers and ballet shoes. Grisly but creative. It stars Maddie Ziegler and Lana Condor with Uma Thurman running the ballet.
  5. Mike & Alice & Nick & Alice- this film starts off with an incredible high with Ben Schwartz singing ‘Why Should I Worry’ from Oliver and Company, which was so exciting and unexpected. Unfortunately it is my favorite part of the movie although the rest of it is still fun. Like Sparks this also involves a time machine and Vince Vaughn playing 2 versions of himself as a gangster. James Marsden is charismatic in it and Eiza González is gorgeous. It’s a fun time and a shame it went straight to streaming.
  6. Forbidden Fruits- next up in our female slasher movies we have Forbidden Fruits about a group of teenage girls who form a coven of witches in the local mall. Each of these girls is named after a fruit like Apple, Cherry and Fig. It’s all very bloody with some of the gnarliest kills I’ve seen in a while but if that’s your jam you’ll love this film. It’s campy and I can see it becoming a midnight movie favorite in coming years. It reminded me a lot of Heathers.
  7. They Will Kill You- continuing on female slashers we have this film. It stars Zazie Beetz as a woman coming into a devil cult to try and save her sister. The first half of this movie I was really digging. It is unpredictable and creative. I genuinely did not know what was going to happen to this woman around every turn. The problem is once the antagonists reveal they are immortal the stakes in the fighting are nonexistent. Things become very repetitive and  the ending with the giant pig devil was a little much. Still fun enough for what it is
  8. Are we Still Married?- next up we have a short I had the privilige to watch and interview the director/creator Kit Steinkellner (see above.) It’s more a proof of concept than an actual short but I liked the idea and it was neat to talk to someone at this early stage of the project. The short is about a woman who’s husband has been turned by a bat into a vampire but she doesn’t know if she should let him back in the house or not. It stars Justin Milligan and Taylor Misiak and it has potential to go somewhere either series or feature film if they wanted to.
  9. Los Lobos Native Sons- I don’t follow music unless it is on Broadway that much these days so I’d never heard of Los Lobos who originated out of Southern California. It follows their story and has a lot o great music. It would make a terrific companion to American Pachuco which premiered at Sundance this year.
  10. The Ascent- this film tells the inspiring true story of bilateral-amputee climber who has a dream to climb Mt Kilimanjaro with only knees instead of full legs. I like that they don’t portray Mandy Horvath, the climber, as a perfect person. She feels like a real complex person rather than an inspirational story. One feels badly as they look into how she lost her legs and the mystery is intriguing.
  11. Ready or Not 2: Here I Come- I watched both of the Ready or Not movies this week to get ready for it. It does pick up where the last one leaves off and has most of the same antics from the first film. The main difference is her sister is a character now and ends up being involved. It’s fun enough with some gruesome kills and entertaining supporting performances from people like David Cronenberg and Sarah Michelle Gellar.  The problem is it also feels like a rinse and repeat of the first movie which left me uninspired. Just Ok.
  12. Summer of 94- I vaguely recall hearing about soccer and the World Cup back in 1994. It had come to the United States for the first time and the team had a bit of an underdog run. This documentary tells that story and it is entertaining. I’m sure it will be picked up for 30 for 30 or some other sports documentary program. It’s pretty basic but if you’re a sports fan you’ll enjoy this one.
  13. Quince- I admit with this film I might have been at my tipping point for female slashers. It’s not a bad film but the pacing was slow building up to a big bloody finale. It will definitely have its audience and I like the way it tells a story from a Mexican perspective an culture. The teen girls are good but it felt almost too derivative of movies like Carrie and Heathers but if it sounds like your thing you might enjoy it.
  14. Your Attention Please- this is a solid documentary about the quest to achieve online safety for teens and children. A grieving mother Kristin Bride is leading the charge and everything is as difficult to find any progress as you’d expect. I often find these kind of issues documentaries I’d rather read a quick article on the topic than a repetitive film like this but it’s fine and informative.
  15. The Snake- this is the only film from the festival I outright disliked. It stars Susan Kent as a woman who is unhinged and a burden for all around her including her Mother who is deranged herself. I get movies can have unlikable heroines but they shouldn’t be as annoying as this childish woman is. More often than not I was on the side of the mother which I don’t think the filmmakers intended. If she was in her 20s that would be one thing but seeing a 40 year old behave this way is off-putting.

So there you have it. Everything I saw at SXSW 2026. What about you? Did you get to attend the festival? Have you seen any of these movies? Let me know!

My patrons keep me honest and able to see and review as much as I do. Make sure you check out the patreon for perks, exclusive reviews and to be part of our monthly events and watch alongs. If you value honest criticism check it out. Find out more here.