2024 movies

My Thoughts on a Bunch of Indies 5/24 (GUY FRIENDS, EVIL DOES NOT EXIST, I SAW THE TV GLOW)

| Rachel's Reviews

If you’ve been following my reviews lately you know the big budget blockbusters have been letting me down. So maybe the smaller films will be more my jam? As a Sundance veteran I know indies can be as hit and miss as anything else but they often at the very least have more heart in them than the massive calculated to please everyone entertainment the big studios release. So here we go:

Make sure to check out Mars Express if you get the chance. I previously reviewed it last year as part of Animation is Film Festival but did a deep dive analysis along with Ghost in the Shell with my friend Stanford this week. It’s a bold piece of sci-fi crime noir animation that deserves to be seen!

I SAW THE TV GLOW


First up we have I Saw the TV Glow. This is a film I heard buzz about at Sundance but I shied away from it fearing it was too scary (I watch some scary movies but at Sundance it can be a risk when the film is brand new and sometimes I feel like taking that risk and other times I prefer to wait.) Anyway, it wasn’t scary at all and proved to be one of my favorite films of 2024.

Its story revolves around a kid named Owen who becomes attached to a television show called The Pink Opaque and he shares that experience with a slightly older girl at school named Maddy. That’s what I think director and writer Jane Schoenbrun nails in this film. Not only the power a piece of media can provide to our lives but the ritual of watching it and talking about it with others can be quite life-changing.

Owen’s Mother doesn’t allow him to watch the show which was something I connected with quite deeply as I had my fair share of sneak shows. Maddy leaves Owen a tape of the week’s episode each week and it gives him something to live for as a struggling teen. This profound connection to media really spoke to me. It is especially powerful when Owen watches the show as an adult and is so disappointed to see it doesn’t hold up well. It makes him question his entire childhood. Can’t we all relate to that?

Schoenbrun goes to some surreal places with it but it all worked for me and it becomes the kind of movie I immediately wanted to see again and talk about it with friends to see their takes. Justice Smith and Brigette Lundy-Paine are also excellent as Owen and Maddy respectively. The movie is perhaps a bit over-ambitious and confusing for its own good but I still loved it and highly recommend giving it a watch.

Smile Worthy

EVIL DOES NOT EXIST

Something cinephiles don’t want to admit is sometimes we aren’t on the same wavelength as a particular director and that’s okay. This has been my experience with Japanese director Ryusuke Hamaguchi. I didn’t get the high praise for his Oscar winning Drive My Car and his Asako I& II I found to be nothing special. I don’t mind a slow burn (I enjoyed last year’s toilet cleaner movie Perfect Days for example) but Hamaguchi fails to engage me with his characters and Evil Does Not Exist is no exception. As with all of his movies I’m in the vast minority on this but I can’t pretend to like something that I don’t.

Let’s start with the fact the title of the movie is a complete mystery to me. The only “evil” portrayed is a big bad corporation who wants to build a resort in the beautiful wildlife preserve. I was joking for a while that adda romance and this could be a Hallmark movie with its bad men of business plot. So if this is the evil then fine but it does exist so I don’t get the title.

The plot supposedly focuses on a widower Takumi and his daughter Hana and their love of the wilderness where they live. Unfortunately the film moves away from them for long stretches focusing on the 2 representatives from the company. So much of the film is council and board meetings about this land and that was not the least bit compelling or interesting.

Then in a last ditch effort to make something of the movie Hamaguchi gives a bizarre ending that makes no sense for the characters or the story. It was like he knew the previous hour and more had nothing so had to throw that in to leave people feeling like they’d seen something stimulating when they hadn’t. It certainly didn’t work for me and I left feeling like I’d wasted my time. I do not recommend Evil Does Not Exist.

Frown Worthy

GUY FRIENDS


In the world of cinema there are indie films like both the others in this post and then there are micro-indies made on a true shoestring budget- like under 50k. These mostly are terrible but every once in a while something creative comes along that’s worth watching. Such is the case with the new film Guy Friends from director Jonathan Smith. I actually enjoyed it enough I recorded an interview with him for Hallmarkies Podcast that will air next week.

The story follows Jaime (Kavita Jariwala) who after a bad breakup discovers all the guys that she’s friendzoned are suddenly in love with her. Even the taxi driver who she kids with each day professes his love. It’s a funny setup for a rom-com as she no longer can trust who may or may not actually be in love with her and what her male platonic friendships actually mean. Then she meets a woman named Sandy (Katie Muldowney) who may be her first actual platonic girlfriend. (I also really liked Justin Clark as Ted. He could be good in Hallmark movies!)

As someone who has almost exclusively had girl not guy friends I liked the premise of the movie and what it had to say about friendship. It clearly has Woody Allen as an inspiration and New York especially Central Park becomes a character in the story.

It obviously has huge constraints as far as practically no budget (around $5k!) but the cast is likable and I’m a sucker for a friendship story. I am sure Guy Friends will only be playing in a few theaters but I enjoyed it and would recommend it if you can find it.

Smile Worthy

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Current Mini Reviews (SIGHT, FURIOSA, HUNDREDS OF BEAVERS, GARFIELD)

| Rachel's Reviews

If you have been following me on social media you know I’ve been having a bit of a rough time with it when it comes to the big releases. There’s been a lot of disappointment for me at the cinemas this year and the latest batch is no exception. I’m still waiting for that 2024 blockbuster that I unabashedly love but until then I have 4 new movies to talk about. Let’s do this:


Garfield: The Movie

In some ways Garfield: The Movie is a tough movie to review because I thought it was just okay. I liked the animation especially the action. It wasn’t on a Puss N Boots: The Last Wish level but it had a flair and movement to it that was pleasing to watch.  I also liked the way his eyes had a 2D look to them with the cgi fur. It looked fantastic. There were enough laughs to be entertaining and the action kept things moving.

That said, the film feels totally generic and unmemorable. In this exciting time for animation can I really give a pass to a ‘just okay’ animated film? I’m also not a die-hard Garfield fan so some elements that might be important to fans are probably lost on me. The voice acting is all predictable but perfectly fine. The messaging about chosen families is always welcome and kids will have a decent time watching this. It’s certainly far better than something like Boss Baby or Trolls.

In the end, Garfield: The Movie is probably one you can wait and rent but I enjoyed the animation just enough to give it a mild recommendation.

Smile Worthy


Hundreds of Beavers

For a movie that embraces slapstick antics much more consistently and effectively than Garfield check out Hundreds of Beavers. While this probably would have worked better as a short or featurette it is refreshingly unique and creative and I had a good time watching it.

Director Mike Cheslik has fashioned an homage to silent movie comedians like Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin along with a dose of Looney Tunes but live action. It’s hard to describe but that’s what makes it very creative.

The film has a supposed plot about farmer out for revenge on the beavers that ate the supports for his house but it’s really just an excuse for over-the-top antics by humans and men dressed in beaver outfits.

It’s bizarre but if you are in the mood for something different I’d say give it a try.

Smile Worthy


Sight

It might not be a surprise given my taste for Hallmark movies that I enjoy an inspirational true story on film. Even if it is obviously trying to push my emotional buttons often that button-pushing works on me and I enjoy the film. This year has actually been a pretty good year for inspirational movies with Arthur the King and Ordinary Angels both being wins. Now we have the latest from Angel Studios entitled Sight and it’s another solid little inspirational true story. It also is barely a faith-based film so it avoids most of the pitfalls of that genre (as was the case with Ordinary Angels)

Sight tells the story of Dr Ming Wang who defied the odds to become a doctor in America from his native China and developed a new eye surgery using amniotic contacts to help restore sight to tons of needy patients including a little girl who was purposefully blinded by her stepmother in India.

The cast is uniformly strong in Sight with Terry Chen playing a border-line obsessed doctor Wang who is determined to figure out these problems. We then get a series of flashbacks to younger versions of Wang and these sections include Donald Heng as his father and I had the chance to interview Donald a few years ago. I was very happy to see him getting such a large role. You can listen to the interview here. Greg Kinear also stands out as Wang’s supportive doctor colleague.

There’s nothing game-changing about Sight but it is a solid inspirational true story and sometimes it’s nice to go to the movies and learn about a good person. I left inspired and you will too.

Smile Worthy

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga

One of the biggest surprises out of 2015 was the action spectacle that was Mad Max: Fury Road. Believe it or not I had actually not seen any of the other Mad Max movies (and I still haven’t!) but I loved this visceral mixture of escape picture and war movie that we got in that film. Each scene was a carefully constructed battle scene full of memorable sequences and characters.

Now we have a prequel to Fury Road and it centers on Charlize Theron’s character Furiosa and unfortunately I left feeling pretty torn over the experience. While the movie is full of incredible sequences and spectacle it all feels like warmed over versions of what we got with Fury Road. The experience of watching Furiosa reminded me of watching the Disney live action remakes. It hits all the beats of the film we love with loads of Easter eggs and nods to Fury Road but nothing really stands on its own. Chris Hemsworth’s villain Dementus has some fun scenery chewing moments but the frequent presence of Immortan Joe just reminded me of what was better in Fury Road.

The biggest problem with Furiosa is how bloated and repetitive it becomes. We are supposed to be getting to know Furiosa but we don’t even meet the adult Anya Taylor-Joy version of her for over an hour into the movie. Before that she’s a basic child in peril character we see get moved around and swapped by the various tribal groups. There was almost nothing in the first half of the movie’s story that is compelling or interesting so it all comes down to the action and spectacle. And again while this is impressive it’s not anything new we haven’t already seen done better in Fury Road. So what’s the point?

In the end, it all just felt really long and drawn out and George Miller failed to make me care about this version of Furiosa or what was happening in the various battles. Fans of the franchise will enjoy the spectacle and seeing more mayhem but on a story, character and new action perspective I left underwhelmed.

Frown Worthy

So there you have it! Happy moviegoing

Make sure you check out the patreon for perks, exclusive reviews and to be part of our monthly events and watch alongs. Find out more here. 

Current Mini Reviews (THE IDEA OF YOU, BACK TO BLACK, MOTHER OF THE BRIDE)

| Rachel's Reviews

Hey everyone! I hope you are doing well. I have some movies to catch you up on and they are all oddly romances (which you’d think that means I love them but I actually only recommend one so go figure.) Anyway, here’s some movie thoughts:

MOTHER OF THE BRIDE- NETFLIX

I was actually pretty intrigued when I saw the poster an trailer for Mother of the Bride. I knew there was  good chance it would be another middling rom-com from Netflix but the Father of the Bride franchise is so good I hoped this would be a fresh take on that formula. Unfortunately it ended up being generic at best and not part of the Father of the Bride franchise at all. So, it in the end was disappointing.

The cast in Mother of the Bride is great with Brooke Shields and Benjamin Bratt taking the leading roles. This is a second chance love story where the former beaus meet again when their children (Miranda Cosgrove and Sean Teale) decide to get married. This could be a nice setup for a rom-com full of family shenanigans but everything feels so played out and bland that it left me underwhelmed. The jokes aren’t funny and the chemistry isn’t there so it just doesn’t work.

5 out of 10

Frown Worthy

THE IDEA OF YOU- AMAZON PRIME

Next up we have another romantic comedy, The Idea of You, that is going to Amazon Prime although I was lucky enough to see it in the theater. This film stars Anne Hathaway and Nicholas Galitzine (who I adored in Red White and Royal Blue last year.)and while it not as good as RWARB, it is a solid entertaining little romantic comedy.

Hathaway stuns as Solene who makes an impression on the much younger boy band member Hayes Campbell at Coachella with her daughter and the two begin a sexy yet tender relationship. The chemistry is there despite the age difference and there’s lots of pretty people in pretty places falling in love, which is enough for me these days!

The only real problem with the movie is Hayes is written rather inconsistently. One minute he’s a has-been that a teen girl wants nothing to do with and the next he’s being paparazzi stalked at every turn. The movie couldn’t quite decide. I do, however, like the ending which pushes the characters to a real and meaningful relationship. It’s an enjoyable love story I wish more got to see in the theater like I did.

6 out of 10

Smile Worthy

BACK TO BLACK- IN THEATERS

Finally we have Back to Black. It’s the latest music biopic about musician Amy Winehouse, which is honestly extremely disappointing. I’m not above enjoying a predictable musician biopic but my main problem with this movie is it tells us so little about Winehouse as a musician. We learn almost nothing about her process or how she comes up with the melodies/lyrics. We don’t get a handle for why she even likes to sing or what she gains from the experience. It is all about her traumatic and tumultuous love affair with her husband Blake. I’m sure this relationship was very important to her but shouldn’t we learn something here about her music?

Marisa Abela gives it her all as Amy and Jack O’Connell is charming as Blake but nothing else stands out or feels beyond a TV movie level of quality (but lacking the fun and camp of a TV movie.) It’s unfortunately a tedious and predictable take on an iconic singer forgetting to actually tell her story. Unfortunately, i’s definitely one of the worst movies of the year.

3 out of 10

Frown Worthy

Make sure you check out the patreon for perks, exclusive reviews and to be part of our monthly events and watch alongs. Find out more here. 

‘IF’ Oddly Lacks Imagination and I Promise I’m a Nice Person (REVIEW)

| Rachel's Reviews

There are some movies that I admit I feel bad for disliking. They are such obvious passion projects and made with so much love that disliking them makes me feel like a bully stealing a little kids lunch rather than the film lover I am. Nevertheless, I have to be honest with my response and unfortunately I didn’t care for John Krasinski’s new original fable IF about the world of imaginary friends. I sincerely admire the swing of trying to tell an original family story and can tell it is made with love but the script needs serious work. It just doesn’t come together the way I’m sure they hoped for.

The main problem with IF is Krasinksi seems to have assumed that having magical creatures as characters would by necessity make the screenplay inherently magical but that isn’t the case. The movie really has very little charm or whimsy within the story. Most of the time spent with young Bea and the various creatures is running around New York checking up on various people. There’s no real foe for them to fight against or mission they are trying to accomplish. This screenplay screamed for some kind of ticking clock that they were fighting against that would give the story propulsion and meaning.

Also while charming as ever Ryan Reynolds is given no real story for his character but to be present and to hug Bea when she’s feeling sad. His character should have had something to do because she already had her Dad played by Krasinski (the best scenes are with him and Bea played by Cailey Fleming) and a Grandma character played by Fiona Shaw. A movie only needs so many characters to give hugs and comforting words of wisdom. Also the ending reveal for Reynolds character feels hard to believe.

The design of the imaginary friends are cute and the voice acting is all excellent but I couldn’t help but think about Lyle Lyle Crocodile from 2022 which has a similar story but was much better executed.  Both movies are about a pre-teen going through a tough time that inherits a magical creature and they have adventures. The difference is Lyle had a goal of singing on Broadway and there were songs and things for the characters to do. I am sure that movie benefited from being based on a children’s book so the story had been massaged and vetted over the years before coming to the big screen.

Lyle is also a movie made with young kids in mind. IF, on the other hand, feels like it was made for adults waxing nostalgic about being a kid. For a cast with some of the funniest minds working today it’s remarkably jokeless and serious. Adults may connect with its message and themes but I don’t see kids taking much from it outside of momentary enjoyment of cute creatures. It’s not silly or fun for kids. In the end, it just doesn’t work.

4 out of 10

Frown Worthy

Make sure you check out the patreon for perks, exclusive reviews and to be part of our monthly events and watch alongs. Find out more here. 

‘Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes’ or 300 Years and That’s the Story They Picked…(Review)

| Rachel's Reviews

I know people think critics are at our computers relishing every chance we get to tear into popular films. We are like the evil mad scientists of the arts world. Alas I must be a weirdo because I much prefer championing films, especially small underdogs, rather than tearing them down.

That said. I will always be honest. No matter how beloved a film or franchise may be I will tell my readers what I actually think- good or bad. Unfortunately today is on the negative side. I saw Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes which is a sequel to previous trilogy in the series. For the record, I enjoyed the Andy Serkis led trilogy especially Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (it has one of my all time favorite movie scenes when Gary Oldman’s character is able to turn on his ipad and see photos of his kids. Devastating.) The last in the trilogy, War for the Planet of the Apes, was a little overwrought and heavy-handed but the characters were compelling enough for me to stay invested.

Such was not the case with the new Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes. I cannot overstate how uninterested I was in the story for this one. It’s not really that it was slow (which it is) but the nice bird monkey fighting with the fascist monkey was the opposite of compelling. I obviously won’t spoil anything but suffice it to say they did not make me care about what was happening with this old human electrical plant or the rants of the fascist monkey. It was so boring.

The other problem is (aside from a cameo) Andy Serkis isn’t in this film and you can tell. He is a master at creating emotion and a full performance in motion capture. These actors portraying the apes aren’t nearly so gifted. It’s similar to the problems of  2019’s The Lion King with animals coming off as flat, bland and emotion-free as possible. Unfortunately the human characters are even worse with Freya Allan being completely bland in the lead role of Mae. It would be one thing if she is supposed to be a feral type human creature but she’s vocal and has a personality- just not much of one.

I seem to be in the minority on Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, and far be it for me to deny people the joys of watching animals fight over a power plant. However, I certainly didn’t get it. Honestly I’d prefer the Tim Burton version of this story. At least that is bad in more interesting ways (and it’s bad.) I couldn’t wait for it to be over.

3 out of 10

Frown Worthy

 

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Current Mini Reviews (Challengers, Hard Miles, My Divorce Party)

| Rachel's Reviews

It’s always nice in months like April when releases slow down a bit and us critics can catch up on some smaller films and indies that we might miss in the busyness of the summer season. Today I have 3  recent films to report on and will let you know how they succeed in telling their unique stories.

Challengers

Challengers is the new film from Luca Guadagnino and it’s one of those movies that’s hard for me to write about because I think it is just ok. I liked it as a sports movie and competitive rivalry narrative than I did as an erotic thriller. In fact, it was not the spicy movie the trailers had led me to expect. Most of the sensuality in the film stays squarely on a pg13 level with the R rated elements coming from a locker-room scene and language more than the sensuality. Of course, this is fine but I just felt the trailers had led me to expect an escapist romance and that’s not really what you get.

That said the 3 actors Zendaya, Josh O’Connor and Mike Faist have terrific chemistry and the competitive side of it is compelling- how each member of their friendship group tries to one up each other and it’s hard to determine who is in control over the course of the movie.

The movie would be much better if it was trimmed down from 131 minutes to 90 minutes. It screams of a tighter edit as many scenes are repetitive and we start to care less about the characters. The score is memorable by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, however, it can be overwhelming at times. I don’t know anything about tennis but the games all looked convincing to me and I was drawn into the matches. It’s just the tit-for-tat of the romance that could have been more exciting. It’s probably one you could wait and rent if it sounds interesting to you.

6 out of 10

Smile Worthy

Hard Miles

Hard Miles is another athlete movie coming out this week which is worth checking out. I’m a sucker for an inspirational true sports story and there is a nice one at the core of this film. I wish it was a little sweeter and cuddlier but that’s not the kind of movie they were trying to make.

Matthew Modine plays Greg Townsend a social worker at a juvenile detention center who decides to take some of his teens on a bike ride from Denver to the Grand Canyon. This helps them believe in themselves and come together as a group.

The adult cast is very strong in Hard Miles with Modine capturing a flawed but determined leader. Sean Astin and Cynthia Kaye McWilliams are fine supporting players. By the end we want these boys to succeed and make something of their lives and its gratifying to see them climb every mountain on those bikes.

The only downside to the movie is that it feels too long and in particular takes forever for the cycling to start. Some of the acting from the boys wasn’t on the level of the older actors. However, it’s definitely worth seeing for the performances and gritty true story.

7 out of 10

Smile Worthy

My Divorce Party

The last few years we’ve gotten a number of films about female friendship and for the most part I’ve enjoyed them. Last year I particularly enjoyed Joy Ride which I found surprisingly sweet along with the raunchy humor. Even this year we already have the disappointing Drive-Away Dolls which was all about female friendship.

The latest entry is My Divorce Party which is written and directed by Heidi Weitzer and stars Desiree Staples in the lead role. Staples plays Xan a woman who is sick of her marriage and decides she wants to burn all her assets in a divorce party with her friends so that her ex-husband will not have access to it. Her friends gather with her over the weekend for the Divorce Party and talk her off the ledge, convincing her there is life after divorce.

A movie like this depends so much on the cast and this one is strong with the likes of Rumer Willis and Laith Ashley.  It’s also filmed with energy and color that makes it pleasing to watch. Obviously a film like this is on a small budget but I had a good time with it. Not every joke lands but enough do that it works as a comedy. Most importantly the friends group felt real and authentic. There is a particularly funny gag about an eagle statue I won’t spoil but trust me- it works.

My Divorce Party would be a great movie to watch with your girlfriends and reminisce about the good and bad times that you’ve been through together. It’s worth checking out.

7 out of 10

Smile worthy

(I interviewed Desire and Heidi for Hallmarkies Podcast and it was super fun. Look for it coming out next week here)

So there you have it. 3 new movies to check out. Let me know what you think if you get to see any of them.

If you enjoy my writing please support me on patreon and you will get some great perks along the way!  I cannot do it all on my own. Please take a look at the patreon here.

Current Mini Reviews (UNGENTLEMANLY WARFARE, SPY X FAMILY CODE, MUSICA)

| Rachel's Reviews

This time of year is always an interesting time for movieogers. It’s a bit too early for summer blockbusters (even though that’s getting earlier and earlier each year) and past the point for Oscar season. Instead it ends up a mishmash of genres and ideas and sometimes some of them end up being some of my favorite movies of the year. Today I have 3 movies to talk about and it ended up being 3 films I enjoyed.

Spy x Family Code: White

It’s always a tricky thing going into an anime film without having seen the series the movie is based on. However, some of the franchises are more stand-alone than others. Spy x Family Code: White is one of the more accessible entries (My Hero Academia is the gold standard in that department.) It’s a lot of energy for nearly 2 hours but overall I found it to be pretty cute.

It’s basically about a fake family that are living undercover executing a mission called Operation Strix. Through various contrivances they end up on the run from military antagonists who are upset when the little girl Anya eats an important piece of microfilm.

I highly doubt Spy x Family will win over anti-anime skeptics because it is big and loud and doesn’t take much of a second to breathe. That said it’s also funny and especially the last act the action is visceral and exciting. I enjoyed it but I can see that it won’t be for everyone. I could have done without all the toilet humor. That’s something you usually don’t see in anime but I suppose they were trying to entertain the little kids.

If you are looking for chases, races and some energetic animation you’ll have a good time with Spy x Family Code: White.

6 out of 10

Smile Worthy


The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare

I must admit I am not the biggest fan of director Guy Ritchie. Often his stylistic choices get in the way of decent stories and entertaining performances. I particularly haven’t liked his period piece work in films like his Sherlock Holmes movies and his King Arthur movie. No thanks. It is for these reasons I was skeptical going into The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare. It’s a period piece in WWII and I anticipated Ritchie’s annoying use of shaky cam and slow motion to make a good story hard to watch.

Well, to my surprise the director held back on those signature touches I don’t care for and actually produced an entertaining and engaging film. While one should not look to this film for historical accuracy it was a good, campy fun time at the cinema.

Loosely based on a true story of an underground operation organized by Winston Churchill that had the mission to stop the supply boats for the German U-boats, which were stopping American ships from getting to Europe to assist England with the war.

I really enjoyed the crew Ritchie assembles for this operation with huge charisma from the likes of Henry Golding, Henry Cavill, Alan Ritchson and Alex Pettyfer. Elza Gonzalez is fine as the femme fatale used to tempt the German officers but her scenes at times stopped the fun action which was the highlight of the film.

There isn’t much attempt to be realistic with our band of merry men wiping out Germans like they were playing at target practice but if that doesn’t bother you it’s an entertaining action romp. I liked it way more than I expected.

7.5 out of 10

Smile Worthy

Musica

And now for the new release you probably haven’t heard of but should absolutely watch it’s called Musica. If this isn’t in my top 10 of the year than we have had an amazing year of film. I absolutely loved this creative, whimsical, romantic look into a creative’s mind and heart.

Written, directed and starring Rudy Mancuso he takes you into his experience with synesthesia which is a neurological condition where you are highly aware of your senses. In the case of Rudy everything around him is a rhythm or a music. I am sure this is a highly cinematic version of this condition but it makes for some enchanting scenes of the world coming alive around Rudy through music.

Meanwhile Rudy is trying to figure out his job, his Brazilian culture and his relationship with a woman named Isabella played by Camilla Mendes (they met while filming and are currently dating which explains their endearing chemistry.)

Musica is hopeful, positive and a burst of creativity and at only 91 minutes it doesn’t outstay its welcome. I wish I had seen it at SXSW because it is not getting a theatrical release. Still, I hope you watch it on Amazon prime as it is a truly special experience. I am so excited because I am intervivewing Rudy on Wednesday. Keep an eye on Hallmarkies Podcast for that interview.

9 out of 10

Smile Worthy

So there you have it. What have you been watching? If you’ve seen any of these films let me know what you think. 

If you enjoy my writing please support me on patreon and you will get some great perks along the way!  I cannot do it all on my own. Please take a look at the patreon here.

Giant Movie Review Catch Up (CIVIL WAR, ONE LIFE,SOMEONE LIKE YOU ETC)

| Rachel's Reviews

Hey everyone! I hope you are all doing well. I haven’t updated in a bit because I’ve been sick and busy with taxes and other responsibilities. (Also one of these films I really struggled with my thoughts on it so have been procrastinating but I will do my best.)

First up I had a 4 movie day at the Megaplex on April 2nd so I was able to catch up on some of the movies I’d missed while at SXSW and when I was sick. I did a video review on these 4

In summary Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire is an overstuffed mess, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire is a boring entry in the disappointing franchise with very little Godzilla! Challengers is a good sports/competition movie but not as sexy as the trailers are making it seem. Felt a little repetitive after a while but I’m not a sports/tennis person. Lastly, Luca is an underrated delight and I loved getting to see it again on the big screen (I was fortunate to see it once before at Animation is Film Festival.)

Someone Like You

Someone Like You | Rotten Tomatoes
Someone Like You is one of those movies that I didn’t love but  I do think there is an audience for this type of film. It’s what a lot of people think Hallmark movies are like but they actually rarely are (not many dramas on Hallmark.) It’s more along the lines of a Nicholas Sparks type movie which I know can be very popular. My friend Terry and I just did a ranking episode of all the Sparks movies and that was a lot of fun. This looks nice, with beautiful people and it tries to tug at the heartstrings with lots of death and walks by the water.

The thing I didn’t like about Someone Like You is I think it is too long. It really should clock in at the 80-90 minute mark and it goes to nearly 2 hours. Also, the way they treat egg donation as on the same level as a fully birthed adoption was really strange to me. I guess that’s the way some Christians view it but they were acting like she had found her actual parents by finding out who donated the genetic material that her Mom carried and birthed into her. The way they kept talking about egg adoption was just very unfamiliar to me and not how I view the process and kept catching me off guard.

All that said, if you are Christian and like Sparksian type narratives (this is by fellow cheese-provider Karen Kingsbury) give it a try. You’ll probably like it.

6 out of 10

Smile Worthy

Civil War

The new film by Alex Garland, Civil War, is the one I have really struggled on what my feelings with it are. Even as I am writing I’m not entirely sure whether I will go smile or frown worthy on it. I will try to figure it out as I write.

What’s interesting is Garland has made 2 previous films I did not like. Annihilation was ponderous with too many ideas and Men was one of the most unpleasant and heavy-handed movies of recent memory. Going into Civil War I was expecting an annoying and preachy movie that would be more of what I haven’t enjoyed in his previous films.

To my surprise instead I got a rather safe film that has engaging scenes but left me kind of hollow and empty in the end. The weirdest part is in an election year having almost no metaphors to our current politics within the civil war at the head of this movie. It might as well be in the Hunger Games for how dissimilar it is to our current situation.

That said there are some tense scenes with the journalists that are covering this dystopian fake war. All the acting is good especially a bone-chilling scene with Jesse Plemons. I said in my out of theater response that Civil War felt like one of the Olympus Has Fallen movies but with an A24 skin over it and I stand by that.

While I think that is an interesting choice, I don’t know if it is one I can really recommend. If Garland does make another movie maybe next time he can come somewhere in between this and Men and have the perfect film? Good luck to him

5 out of 10

Frown Worthy

One Life


One Life is what I like to call a Sunday movie. It’s the kind of wholesome feel-good movie I could watch with my parents on a Sunday and they’d love. I really enjoyed it and was able to watch it on VOD if you can’t get out to the theater (I was sick.)

The film tells the story of Nicholas Winton who between 1938-1939 saved thousands of children out of  the now Czech Republic from the Nazis. Anthony Hopkins plays an older Winton who was reunited with the now adult children he saved in an episode of That’s Life! in 1988.

Johnny Flynn puts in another dynamic performance (underrated actor!) as the young Winton and Helena Bonham Carter is wonderful as his Mother.

Surprisingly I actually knew about this story because it was part of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir Christmas presentation they did with Sir David Suchet which I was grateful to be  able to attend.

It’s nice when Hollywood occasionally makes a movie about an ordinary but good person and that’s the case with One Life. It’s a little dry in spots but I still thoroughly enjoyed it and would recommend it.

8 out of 10

Smile Worthy

Housekeeping for Beginners

Housekeeping for Beginners is one of those movies that the title can be a bit confusing. I knew nothing about the plot going into it and assumed from the title it was going to be a sweet family story. There’s an air of whimsy to the title but it actually is a very sad gut-wrenching family story. It’s well done but lays on the trauma narrative pretty thickly.

The film is directed and written by Goran Stolevski and was Macedonia’s submission for the 2023 Oscars. It tells the story of a woman who’s girlfriend dies and leaves her with 2 children to raise. There’s a young man that also lives with them and another man who becomes her fake (and also gay) husband to help take care of the children.

There’s lots of drama going on with all these people and personalities but I was mostly engaged. If you are in the mood for a totally different tear jerker than Someone Like You than you might appreciate it. I thought it was just ok.

6 out of 10

Smile Worthy

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SXSW MOVIE LOG PART 2 (OR HOW I GOT SICK IN TEXAS)

| Rachel's Reviews

Any regular traveler will tell you that some trips feel cursed or at best don’t turn out the way we have planned. This was basically my experience with the second half of my SXSW trip and in fact I’ve been hesitant to write about it at all because I didn’t want to appear ungrateful or rude. I think I made the best of things and I’m beyond appreciative of my friends and their support but it was a frustrating experience.

The main problem started a couple of days into the visit when I noticed myself dragging and starting to have the basic symptoms of hay fever. It’s weird because I’ve been to Texas twice before, including last year for the festival, without many problems but allergies can be weirdly random like that. I did take a covid test to make sure I wasn’t contagious and it was negative.

My trip was a long one at 9 days and as each day commenced I got more sickly with eventually my eye puffing up and getting swollen and red. I could get some momentary relief from medicine but then I felt tired and groggy which is not ideal for attending a film festival. It was just a big bummer and I wish things could have turned out differently but that’s life.

Even a week later I am still purging my body from the effects of the outbreak I experienced. This is why I haven’t reviewed the new Godzilla or Ghostbusters movies. I can only do so much and people don’t like when someone is sniffling in the theater.

Anyway, I say all of this to give context to the last part of my SXSW reviews. I’m not going to upload them to rottentomatoes because I felt like garbage and was sleepy and not at my best for the viewing experience. While I still think I got an overall feeling for the movies it’s not fair to those that worked so hard to give them a weakened watch.

All that said here goes:

Animated Shorts

Animated shorts at festivals like SXSW are always a bit of a mixed bag. While I enjoy supporting the animators they are often too arthouse and strange for my taste.  These 10 were no exception. My favorite was probably Bug Diner and Sweetmeats but I wasn’t in love with any of them. At least they were better than most of the Academy nominated shorts this year (especially the winner!)

5 out of 10

Frown Worthy

The Greatest Hits

I really like the premise for this new film but it may have just been my fatigued condition at the time but it didn’t really draw me in like I was hoping. It stars Lucy Boynton as a young woman who can time travel through songs to different spots in her relationships especially with her ex who died in a tragic accident. At first she is trying to save her love but then things get more complicated when she meets a new beau in the present and then must decide whether going back is still wise.

The music is obviously a big draw to this film and it is fun to see David Corenswet in a few scenes as he is going to be the new Superman going forward. It just felt like they didn’t do enough interesting things with the premise and the characters kept having the same conversations over and over again. I wasn’t as engaged as I thought I would be but I plan on giving it a rewatch when it comes to hulu and seeing how I feel well rested. We will see

5.5 out of 10

Frown Worthy

Thank You, Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story


Next up I got to see the first episode in a documentary series on hulu entitled Thank you, Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story. This is your standard musician biodoc but I enjoyed it and it was fun to have the whole band there and then doing a Q&A. I’d definitely watch the remaining episodes which I think is a good test. I hope the other entries go more into other members of the band and not just Jon. Even so, I had a good time with this documentary.

6 out of 10

Smile Worthy

How Music Got Free


Back in the late 90s I got super into the whole Napster/music thing. At the time I didn’t view it as serious. It was no different than borrowing an album from my friend which I did all the time. However it obviously had insane repercussions. This documentary, How Music Got Free, goes through the impact on the industry with interviews from the people involved.  It’s all quite interesting and one people around my age should enjoy.

The only major problem with this documentary is the narration was really corny and hurt the overall flow for the film. It made it all have a cheesy and cheap feel to it. Still, it was interesting enough to recommend.

6 out of 10

Smile Worthy


The last one is called The In Between and this has some things going for it. I like that it was made by 2 siblings after their bother died and chronicles the life of various citizens in Eagle Pass, Texas. The problem was most of vignettes felt pointless and I kept wanting them to get back to the siblings and how they were dealing with their grief. That was the most interesting and poignant aspect. Not watching random people play soccer or run a parade. I get you need some of that to establish tone and atmosphere but the ratio was off.

5 out of 10

Frown Worthy

So there you have it. Those are the films I saw at SXSW Film Festival. Make sure you check out part 1 where I was less sick for those films. I hope you all are avoiding most of the allergies this season and having a wonderful spring!

Thanks to the Chandlers and Whitmans for having me and helping me when I wasn’t feeling great. Sure love you all

If you enjoy my writing please support me on patreon and you will get some great perks along the way! Especially for things like festival coverage I cannot do it all on my own. Please take a look at the patreon here.