Director: Ethan Coen
Writers: Ethan Coen, Tricia Cooke
Stars: Margaret Qualley, Aubrey Plaza, Chris Evans

Synopsis: A dark comedy about small-town private investigator Honey O’Donahue, who delves into a series of strange deaths tied to a mysterious church.

There is a prestige and guarantee of quality when a film has the name ‘Coen’ attached. The Coen Brothers have made a plethora of cultural driving, envelope pushing cinematic masterpieces and if you are reading this it really doesn’t need any introduction. No Country for Old Men is often cited as one of, if not, the best film of the 21st century so far. So when I tell you that Honey Don’t!, a comedy noir made by one of the guys that essentially mastered the genre is one of the sloppiest and worst movies of 2025 you may have to suspend your belief a little bit. But it is 100% true, Honey Don’t! is an irredeemable mess of a film and I cannot in good faith recommend it to you.

Honey Don’t! follows private investigator Honey O’Donahue (Margaret Qualley) as she investigates a string of strange deaths that are somehow linked to a religious cult led by leader Drew Delvin (Chris Evans). A lot of elements of No Country for Old Men is pulled into Honey Don’t!, the central protagonist is walking into the lions den whether they know it or not. However, No Country for Old Men had Anton Chigurh, and the closest thing to that in this movie is delegated to a side character that holds much more intrigue than whatever is presented here.

What’s difficult about these mystery crime thrillers is the ‘central mystery’. The goal of subverting your viewer’s expectations reign supreme and creating an experience that is wholly one of one. Unfortunately, Honey Don’t! swings too hard for subversion that it lands with a whimper rather than a bang. Rather, the drive is on gender politics and homosexuality – which has a lot of potential in and of itself – but only ever graces surface level ideas and never seeks to dig deeper than a “I have a vagina, and I vote” bumper sticker.

Honey Don’t! has a bizarre oversaturation of sex and nudity. Which does have a place in the story being told but it’s never done in service of the overall film, but rather comes off as some fetishized fantasy brought to film. Yeah, if you want to watch Chris Evans have a ton of sex or watch Margaret Qualley and Aubrey Plaza go at it – have fun! But it’s a major missed opportunity, the movie is not freaky enough to satiate the level of debauchery, and the sex is too much for a plot as vanilla as this.

‘Continuity errors’ in films can be such a lame criticism, but in this case it is a major eye sore. Multiple instances where hair and outfits were different shot by shot, a bloodied arm looking through a book without any form of violence occurring previously, nothing seems to work in conjunction with each other – a shotty job on all fronts. It seems this movie was phoned in by the creatives up top and the actors roll with what they’re given. And each of the actors in the film are fine actors, but it’s unfortunate they’re given this material.

But the worst aspect has to come from its oversaturation of ideas. It’s as if every idea is trying to cram through a door all at once and in that nothing comes through. Ideas of abuse, body ownership, sexual desires, sexual manipulation, conservative isolation, religious fanaticism all squeezed in without any tact or nuance. The vehicle in which they decided to explore those themes had the potential, and anyone’s excitement for this movie is not unwarranted. There is something under all of the gristle that could’ve hit much harder, but unfortunately we’ll never see that film.

By the time the credits roll on Honey Don’t!, you’re already forgetting what had happened right before you watched it. This movie is 89 minutes of messy nonsense, and all you are left with is a terrible twist and an excuse to spend an ungodly amount on an ICEE. Even with its immense sex scenes, you can’t watch this on FX or AMC in a few years, there is no real avenue to see this unless you specifically seek it out. I still have immense reverence for Ethan Coen as a filmmaker and I’ll still go see whatever he puts out, but this is a gargantuan miss. Here’s hoping the next one is better (much better, hopefully).

Grade: D

Director: Michael Angelo Covino
Writers: Michael Angelo Covino, Kyle Marvin
Stars: Dakota Johnson, Adria Arjona, Kyle Marvin, Michael Angelo Covino

Synopsis: After Ashley (Arjona) asks for a divorce, good-natured Carey (Marvin) runs to his friends, Julie (Johnson) and Paul (Covino), for support. He’s shocked to discover that the secret to their happiness is an open marriage, that is until Carey crosses the line and throws all of their relationships into chaos.

While the funnyman duo of Michael Angelo Covino and Kyle Marvin are experiencing what most might call a “big break” with their NEON-backed comedy of marital errors, Splitsville, it should be noted that these two jokesters have been at it – both the filmmaking game and, on screen, one another’s throats – for a while. In 2019, they premiered their debut effort The Climb at the Cannes Film Festival to critical acclaim, though the film was relatively underseen due to its November 2020 release from Sony Pictures Classic. And that’s a shame, not just for the writing-producing-starring team, but for anyone who has even a semblance of anticipation for Splitsville: Not only would Covino and Marvin’s first film make for one hell of a double feature with their new one, but the latter certainly owes a lot to the former. 

That’s not say that The Climb isn’t a resounding success with its own merits; quite the contrary is true, in fact, and should you have 95 minutes free before making your way to the theater for what amounts to Covino and Marvin’s second installment in what could theoretically be a series called “Scenes From a Few Unfortunate Marriages,” you could do worse than throwing it on. ($3.99 on most rental platforms, FWIW.) But the twosome’s debut – an increasingly-uncomfortable story of friendship in which Mike tells Kyle that he has been sleeping with his fiancé, and chaos ensues – feels, in hindsight, a lot like a practice run for what Splitsville would become, one in which everyone is more thoroughly entertained. 

In their new jaunt – written, starring, and produced by both (Covino directs) – Marvin stars as Carey, a man whose wife, Ashley (Adria Arjona), abruptly asks for a divorce whilst the couple is en route to their best friends’ beach house. In response to the startling request, Carey ejects himself from the driver’s seat of their car into the wilderness, only to magically land at the home of Paul (Covino) and Julie (Dakota Johnson), said best friends who await his arrival having already been visited by the newly-free Ashley. As Carey’s nightmare night rolls on – and like The Climb, this story is divided into chapters with titles like “Termination Event” and “Disclosure of Facts,” to name a few – his pals inform him that they’ve kept their relationship afloat thanks to an open relationship, one that permits feelings-less sex with other people, just as long as the other person knows nothing about the trysts. 

Carey, stunned by the notion that these two seemingly successful, attractive adults would ever partake in sexual acts with a partner who wasn’t the other, quickly falls into bed with Julie, and though their evening together adheres to the bylaws of Julie and Paul’s arrangement, Paul is incensed at the news. Nevermind that he’s a bit of a prick, a workaholic, and a neglectful husband; his wife and best friend hooking up was never supposed to be on the table. It’s this idea where Covino and Marvin have the most fun, exploring the boundaries of all kinds of relationships and pushing them as far as they are willing to stretch before snapping entirely and offering up a romantic comedy far more incisive and brutally honest than the one they had crafted within their premise alone. 

This unique creative partnership thrives when crafting efficient, ridiculous humor that could feasibly exist in the real world, so it should be no surprise that Splitsville is both hilarious and absurd with neither quality outshining the other. It’s the sort of comedy that teeters on being of a style that would be at home in a dry sketch setting – they could call themselves “Please Do Destroy” if that opportunity came to pass – though despite the Looney Tunes-esque physical comedy that the two regularly display and the quippy nature of their characters’ on-screen interactions, it never feels all that rehearsed nor fleshed out to the point of obsoletism. Ongoing gags in this film involve The Fray and the act of reading articles (or just the headline) but saying you read an entire book on a subject; quick one-liners see the cast confusing ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis) with the ALDS (American League Division Series) and watching Lorenzo’s Oil in a room full of someone’s ex-lovers. It’s a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it affair, which could easily come off as cocky if the writers behind these jokes weren’t self-aware enough to acknowledge the stupidity that festers within their creations. Covino and Marvin’s works look and sound inane because they set out precisely to illustrate inanity, not for it to unintentionally seep through the seams and stain the production outright.

It’s because of this discernment that both Arjona and Johnson are allowed to play off of their more traditionally-funny counterparts, creating better comedy than either of the two actors have been able to before. Arjona was electric in Richard Linklater’s Hit Man, delivering many of the film’s best comedic moments, but that film hinged on the sensuousness of its co-leads (she starred alongside Glen Powell) more than it ever allowed their senses of humor to take charge; as Marvin’s counterpart here, Arjona eschews the label of the complicated romantic interest for something altogether more fascinating and cleverly performed. Johnson is a bit of a different case, that of a movie star who had previously only ever turned in pure comedy as the lead in Sony/Marvel’s Madame Web, and that project was unintentionally funny, no matter how many people try to convince you of it being authentic “camp.”  She has the most to do over the entirety of Splitsville, and the complications in Julie’s own relationship with both men make not just for dramatic tension in a film that might otherwise lack it in a concrete sense, but for insightful commentary on the lives of married folks, especially whether or not divorce is the better option in the long run.

Splitsville may feature one too many dick shots – both on camera and from a fist, knee, or inanimate object – and go more cinematically intentional with its comedy than The Climb ever did to feel like a true parallel move for Covino and Marvin, but that’s by design for the duo. Where their first film was a subtle introduction to the brand of hilarity on which they’d quickly make their names, Splitsville represents an aggressively deadpan stride forward: The kind of film you can tell two stellar comics have been itching to realize for some time. Here’s hoping it won’t take another six years to see what they come up with next.

NEON will release Splitsville in select theaters on Friday, August 22.

Grade: B+

Director: M. J. Bassett
Writer: Tasha Huo
Stars: Matilda Lutz, Wallis Day, Robert Sheehan

Synopsis: An adaptation of the comic book, Red Sonja, a vengeful warrior known as a “She-Devil with a sword”.

This year has been packed with superhero films, with Marvel bringing three new additions to the MCU and DC rebooting yet again with Superman, making it easy for something like Red Sonja to fall through the cracks. It doesn’t help that the film got a sprinkling of screenings, and a single day in theaters. But unlike Superman, and even The Fantastic Four: First Steps, M. J. Bassett does a lot more with a lot less. Red Sonja is a film that deserves to be seen on a big screen; from its mighty lead performance to its impressive practical effects, it’s a return to what makes these stories captivating. A lead that is as fiery as the color of her bold hair, Red Sonja is a fantasy lover’s dream with plenty of sword and sorcery to keep you hooked.

For those unfamiliar with the titular character, she’s been around since 1973 when she was first published by Marvel Comics, created by Roy Thomas and Barry Windsor-Smith based on the works of Robert E. Howard. But it wasn’t until Dynamite Comics got the rights to her that she really got a chance to shine; famously, Gail Simone penned a reboot of the character in 2013, which is often referred to as the character’s origin. In 1985, Brigette Nielsen portrayed the fierce red-headed warrior in a film that was met with mixed reviews but has since found a niche audience. It’s safe to say that there was more than enough lore to tap into for a new take on the character, and Bassett alongside writer Tasha Huo were the ones up to the task. Their final product is an action-packed fantasy epic that was never truly given the chance it deserved.

Deep in a mystical forest filled with creatures that resemble prehistoric beasts with a fantasy twist, we are first introduced to Sonja (Matilda Lutz). She travels through the sea of green on her horse, with whom she shares a special bond—they even have a unique way of communicating with one another. Her gentle connection with the earth and the beings that inhabit it makes her a protector of the forest, though she still seeks her tribe and her people. As a child, she grew up in her homeland of Hyrkania, worshiping the forest goddess Ashera. After it was attacked by barbarians, she found herself growing up alone, yet always searching for those who were taken from her. It goes without saying that her protective instincts are triggered when hunters enter the forest and remove the large antlers from a family of forest creatures.

From the start, Bassett shows us that Sonja is a woman of her word—she doesn’t let anyone take from the forest without there being hell to pay. She soon finds herself outside a stronghold, surrounded by henchmen and women of all kinds. More importantly, she witnesses even more animals being abused. And while Sonja is kind-hearted, she is equally savage when provoked. However, she is eventually overpowered and enslaved by Emperor Dragan the Magnificent (Robert Sheehan) after being defeated by the blade of Annisia (Wallis Day). Thrown into a gladiator-style arena, Sonja is forced to train alongside other unfortunate contestants.

Osin the Untouched (Luka Pasqualino), the formidable Hawk (Michael Bisping), and his sly partner Petra (Rhona Mitra). During her training is where Bassett’s style shines; impressive action sequences shine with her mixture of slo-mo that highlights the physical power of her actors. And while Sonja is training alongside her new pseudo-colleagues is where we get to know more about her as a skilled fighter. Donning her iconic chainmail bikini, which offers no sort of protection, just gives the audience something to hoot and holler for. Bassett places numerous challenges in front of Sonja, having her face off with death and live up to her She-Devil moniker.

I can’t think of someone better to bring Red Sonja to the screen than Bassett; she has a distinct eye for these kinds of films. Low-budget fantasy can be tricky to nail because so much of it revolves around being able to immerse your audience in a magical world. Bassett does so with ease, making the most out of practical makeup on characters like General Karlak (Martyn Ford) and using CGI when needed to create buildings with flowing magic. She doesn’t let the action overshadow Sonja’s journey for freedom or avenging the forest, allowing her to be a fully fleshed-out character. The film has a rather straightforward script, and often Sonja’s journey feels reminiscent of Furiosa from the Mad Max franchise, two fierce and complicated women who were brutalized by their overlords. Huo injects plenty of humor into the narrative, and even some blushworthy romance that yearns for a sequel.

Bringing the titular character to life, Lutz brings her all to Sonja; if you’ve seen her in Revenge, then you know how resilient and savage Lutz can be. But she’s equally passionate in her portrayal of a wayward woman looking for her people. Not only does she look the part, but she is the part, making it hard to envision anyone but her playing the role. Lutz goes through many phases of Sonja in this film, from a free spirit in the forest to a blood-soaked avenger; she evolves into each one with ease. The film has an impressive supporting cast as well, but Day and Sheehan, as Sonja’s main foes, are what elevate this beyond its comic book genre. Day plays Annisia as an alluringly tormented warrior; even when you don’t want to feel badly for her, her performance makes you empathize with her. Paired with the twisted Dragan, Sheehan is often over the top, but it works. He gives this former slave boy an erratic yet genius mindset that leads to some gnarly battles.

It’s a shame that this is ending up going under many moviegoers’ radar, and it’s not totally their fault either. Bassett, her cast, and crew have created a fantasy epic that shows you where each dollar is spent. Lutz gives one of the best action performances of the year, and it’s basically being relegated to our television screens rather than in a theater. It’s unclear who, or what, or why its distributor is only doing select dual screenings with Bassett’s other film Solomon Kane, a one-day screening on August 13th from Fathom Events, and sporadic screenings here and there. The film teases the potential of a sequel that doesn’t feel likely to occur, which is a shame considering Bassett has more than enough to work with. Visually the film falters in some of its grander moments, like panning over CGI buildings. But its limited budget still manages to rival the VFX from big budget blockbusters released this year. Its release on digital will allow a wider audience to revel in its early 2000s grandeur.

Red Sonja marks yet another soon-to-be cult classic from Bassett, giving Lutz the spotlight to show off not only her physical abilities as an actor but also her complex approach to characters. With a solid cast, practical effects, and high-stakes action, Red Sonja is one of the best comic book films of the year.

Grade: B+

Director: Yu Yang
Writer: Yu Yang
Stars: Yanting Lü, Mo Han, Hao Chen

Synopsis: After a catastrophic event leaves their bodies destroyed, Ne Zha and Ao Bing are granted a fragile second chance at life. As tensions rise between the dragon clans and celestial forces, the two must undergo a series of perilous trials that will test their bond, challenge their identities, and decide the fate of both mortals and immortals.

Following the mega success of the first film, Ne Zha 2 finally dropped in theaters earlier this year and has since become the highest-grossing film of the year at 2.2 billion, smashing all kinds of records and becoming the most successful animated film of all time. To take such a mantle from films such as Inside Out 2 and Frozen 2 is a massive feat in itself, but while watching Ne Zha 2, it’s clear to see why it was able to take off like no other film has this year, as it’s a stone-cold stunner on basically every front. Not only does this sequel greatly improve from the more cutesy and crude elements of the original, but it also elevates everything that worked so well about it to the next level. From swift and elegantly choreographed hand-to-hand fight scenes to full-out war sequences on the scale of The Lord of the Rings, it’s utterly unbelievable to witness the majestic prowess mixed with the rich Chinese mythology and lore on display. While the sequel has a fair share of hiccups in minor tone clashes and confusion within large amounts of exposition and story, Ne Zha 2 is an animated spectacle like no other and is the best of its medium this year.

Ne Zha 2 continues the story right after the first film, following the demon child Ne Zha (born of the demon orb), son of Lady Yin and Li Jing, and Ao Bing (born of the spirit pearl), son of the Dragon King. After Ne Zha and Ao Bing became allies and broke the curse set upon Ne Zha, the two lost their bodies in the heat of battle and must now work with master Tayai to find a life-saving elixir to form a new body for Ao Bing. To save the lives of both Celestial and Dragon clans and themselves, the two must undergo four trials to become worthy of being immortal. Despite the admittedly heavy amounts of lore and story components put upon the viewer, writer and director Yu Yang does such a great job at not only conveying the simple aspects to understand, but also immerses you into the rich world of this film so well that it ends up a natural progression from the first film. A large reason why this works is because the core of this story remains intact: Ne Zha’s found brotherly bond with Ao Bing and his own care for his parents, Lady Yin and Li Jing, parents who still cared for him even when he was cursed as a demon. The development between the original and sequel truly led to some heavy emotional moments that are earned in every sense of the word, giving the film’s final stretch an extra dose of emotional punch.

Tonally, the film still maintains a balance between its goofy and juvenile cartoony jokes and more serious, thematically bold elements. In the first film, these elements meshed together a lot less well than they do in the sequel, which manages to set aside fart jokes and let more moments of characters talking through something sit, giving it so much more nuance to its mystical elements. The jokes are still largely hit or miss, but a lot more of them hit on this go around.

The animation of Ne Zha 2 is on a level most would think is unreal in the medium. It truly is an epic spectacle in every sense of the word, where every finite detail of battles, new worlds, and character design is meticulously developed and honed on an unbelievably beautiful level. The scale of every sequence is always something to behold, as the film always showcases a new and exciting marvel of animation with virtually every fleeting moment that never gets tiring to watch on a massive screen. The fight scenes, whether through exhilarating hand-to-hand Kung Fu or wide in scope war sequences, are truly relentless, but never tiring. The storyboarding and camera work on display are unique and thrilling, managing to raise the movie’s scale to another level with every passing moment, and as the quality between fights rises, so do the stakes of what our leads are fighting for. 

Ne Zha 2 is not only leaps and bounds above the quality of its predecessor, it’s also the best animated film of the year. Soaking itself within the beautiful chaos of its mythology, its lore, while also crafting animation at breathtaking scale and levels, this sequel truly is a spectacle like no other you’ll see this year, and it’s a stunning achievement for the medium of animated films.

Grade: A-

Director: Ayan Mukerji
Writer: Shridhar Raghavan
Stars: Hrithik Roshan, N.T. Rama Rao Jr, Kiara Advani

Synopsis: Things get complicated when Kabir Dhaliwal, a secret agent, is accused of betraying his nation, and his former batchmate Vikram is assigned the task of finding him.

If you thought Siddharth Anand’s War contained lots of homoerotic tension, watch out, because Ayan Mukerji’s War 2 has even more of it. The highly-anticipated sequel to the hit 2019 film, and sixth installment overall in the YRF Spy Universe, is light on the gay subtext that made Anand’s film stand out in contemporary Bollywood cinema, until its post-intermission half, where Hrithik Roshan’s Kabir fights off against N.T. Rama Rao Jr’s Vikram inside a secluded cave in the Arctic. With nothing to lose, the two wield phallic-shaped ice picks as weapons to kill one another instead of admitting that they’re actually in love. 

Don’t believe me? Mild spoilers: there’s a moment where Vikram gains the upper hand and impales Kabir in the shoulder…until Vikram does exactly the same thing so he can be as close as possible to his enemy? Friend? Lover? You decide! Some may think I’m reaching, but the first movie was dubbed “Gayer than Top Gun” amongst critics when it released, and Anand himself has not been shy on the fact that, yes, it does contain some homoeroticism. Just look at comments he made on the matter when discussing Hrithik Roshan’s now-famous entry in the film, where Tiger Shroff’s Khalid looks at him in pure admiration as he walks out of a helicopter: 

“If Khalid looks at him with awe, you as the audience will look at him with awe. […] He’s looking at him like a fan would. The fact that Hrithik looks the way he does is also why you feel the homoeroticism. Even the men who are looking at him going, ‘Oh my god, how good looking is he?’ You can’t help but look at him with lust.”

While I wasn’t a big fan of Anand’s War, the scene I most remember is the scene Anand is describing, which made everyone have the exact same reaction the filmmaker is talking about. You can’t help but look at him with the same desire Khalid has, and, at this very moment, could think Roshan is the hottest actor, from any country, who’s ever graced a screen. For the sequel, Ayan Mukerji, who previously helmed Brahmāstra: Part One – Shiva dials up everything Anand built in the first installment, making almost every setpiece bigger, louder and gayer, which could be a feature, a bug, or both for anyone looking for 173 minutes of pure entertainment on the big screen. Narratively, there’s not much that makes sense, and the leaps in logic Mukerji takes with screenwriter Shridhar Raghavan are incredibly baffling. 

It’s hard to discuss the plot of War 2 without divulging some elements the filmmakers certainly want kept secret. However, the movie does undoubtedly deliver on the Hrithik vs. NTR (who is in his first Bollywood feature) confrontation that the trailers have advertised. The gist is that Khalid, who has been undercover in attempting to find the people behind a secretive organization that plans to destroy the very fabric of India, is accused of betraying his country when a misunderstood exchange between him and his mentor, Colonel Sunil Luthra (Ashutosh Rana) is sent to the colonel’s daughter, Kavya (Kira Advani), who believes he has done something unconscionable when Kabir has always followed his advice ever since he became an agent: “Death before dishonour, service before self, India first.”

From there, the newly appointed RAW chief Vikrant Kaul (Anil Kapoor) tasks Vikram to find Kabir and bring him to headquarters, where the truth will be revealed once and for all. It’s a rudimentary synopsis we’ve all seen before, but done relatively efficiently for the movie’s first half. In fact, Mukerji seems more seasoned than Anand in crafting efficient action of tangible spectacle, particularly when staging a Tollywood-like introduction to NTR’s character. The (very) loud background music blares in the IMAX cinema, as Vikram blows up an entire ship in the most scientifically improbable, yet effortlessly badass fashion. 

There’s a real sense of play in the action sequences that Anand’s War sorely lacked, from a bravura, gravity-defying, plane fight that puts the entirety of The Fast and the Furious and Zack Snyder’s filmogrpahy to shame, and a boat chase that culminates in NTR’s jet-powered naval vassel cruising the Formula 1 track in Abu Dhabi alongside many racecars (can you do that, Sonny Hayes? I don’t think so!). Oh, and I haven’t mentioned the train sequence, whose pure sense of nonsensical energy, from shifting character motivations to gargantuan superheroics that even people who suspend their disbelief may question, will confound as much as it will enthrall you. 

Of course, the real show-stopper is that homoerotically-charged confrontation between Kabir and Vikram, which goes on for an eternity and has more twists and turns than a glut of anime titles you can think of. Suppose you were disappointed at the lack of subtext in its pre-interval half. In that case, the post-intermission section of War 2, which develops the rivalry between the two characters in more interesting angles than the first, delivers on what fans of the first have been waiting for. Hell, all of this unnecessary bloodshed and alpha male domination could be avoided entirely if they just kissed already. Mukerji can haphazardly include a female character who dips for a good chunk of the film’s 173-minute runtime if he wants, but everyone knows the real love story is between Kabir and Vikram, who fight so hard not to kiss in that never-ending confrontation that one wishes they would just stop it all and say what they truly feel towards each other. 

They kinda do, which makes this push-pull all the more hilarious. Impressively so, though, we buy into this messy conflict because NTR and Hrithik Roshan deliver impassioned portrayals, which the latter hasn’t done in ages. Roshan has been more concerned with promoting his HRX brand as much as possible than giving a damn, as he did in Koi…Mil Gaya or Karan Johar’s Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham… His turn as Kabir here is more meditative and sincere than his first go-around with the character, while NTR proves once again why he is the Man of Masses and will always live up to the mantle no matter what. 

It’s just a shame that War 2 begins to sag once it returns from its intermission. Its admittedly simple, but effective plot begins to overcomplicate itself until it has no idea where to go. As a result, it literally and figuratively jumps the shark with mass sequences in the hopes that the audience won’t notice how illogical the whole thing is. We do, and it takes many leaps for us to suspend our disbelief and immerse ourselves in the story, but we also don’t care, because what Mukerji does with the sequel to the worst YRF Spy Universe installment is enjoyable enough in the places that matter. Namely, wall-to-wall, exhilarating action, fun musical numbers, and a gay subtext that sets the film apart from the bevy of Bollywood blockbusters being released today. 

Look, all things considered, the homoeroticism was probably unintentional (or not), but it’s undoubtedly part of the charm – and fun – of a film like War 2. If you’re not prepared, perhaps this hugely galaxy-brained, but sincerely entertaining, motion picture may not be for you. But you’re missing out on some proper cinema if you don’t at least seek one of these films out. 

Grade: B-

Director: Kate Beecroft
Writer: Kate Beecroft
Stars: Tabatha Zimiga, Porshia Zimiga, Scoot McNairy, Jennifer Ehle

Synopsis: After the death of her husband, Tabatha- a young, tattooed, rebellious horse trainer- wrestles with financial insecurity and unresolved grief while providing refuge for a group of wayward teenagers on her broken-down ranch in the Badlands.

In 1960, Orson Welles gave a famous interview with the BBC where he claimed the majority of his success with Citizen Kane came from ignorance. First-time director Kate Beecroft and a largely non-professional cast deliver a similar success with the modern Western East of Wall.

That’s not to say the filmmakers don’t know what they are doing. Instead, they are uninhibited by studio conventions or expected story beats. If you saddle (no pun intended) a more experienced filmmaker with this story, those expected story elements like a shoehorned romance or overly-dramatic event would have brought this film down. Instead, what Beecroft does not know, doesn’t hurt her.

Centering on a slightly fictionalized version of South Dakota horse trainer Tabatha Zimiga (playing herself), Tabatha lords over a group of wayward teenagers on her ranch. While dealing with the off-screen suicide of her partner and the mounting financial issues of her ranch, the emerging independence of her daughter, Porshia (again, playing herself) complicate matters further. Despite help from the teens and her drunken mother, Tracey (Jennifer Ehle), things look bleak for Tabatha and the ranch.

Enter Texas horse profiteer Roy Waters (a pitch-perfect Scoot McNairy), who recognizes Tabatha’s horse-training talent as well as her financial woes. While Roy offers to buy the ranch, while allowing everyone to stay on to train the horses. Accepting on an interim basis, Tabatha must come to terms with the reality of the situation, along with Porshia’s rebelliousness and her ever-expanding household.

Frankly, this isn’t about the narrative beats or plot mechanisms. This is all about setting the tone of authenticity for these people. Not only does Beecroft has a clear respect for these individuals, there isn’t an ounce of cynicism or judgement to be found in their portrayal. Each character is given the room and patience to evolve on screen, without the expectation of being anyone other than themselves. That’s the film’s greatest strength. This is not a story that needs these characters to act. The only two characters who do need to be playing a role, are the two actual actors.

And even those performances are shown as vessels rather than dramatic foil. Roy shows up as a too-good-to-be-true reversal of fortune for the family, but he doesn’t ever cross the line into evil or anything other than himself. You could easily imagine a film that feels the need to shoehorn in a romantic relationship between Roy and Tabatha, but that is not in any way what this film wants. Instead of pandering to convention, Beecroft and this community display a lifestyle, while not the most glamorous or with the most potential, is one of authentic truth and beauty. Even Tracey, who is presumably portraying a version of Tabatha’s mother, is too out there for a real person to play, so Ehle steps in and chews the scenery. Why would you let the real person be open to criticism, when a veteran like Ehle knows how to toe the line?

That’s not to say the film is perfect. The amateur actors are just that: amateurs. While they might not be the most refined in line delivery or acting conviction, when they perform on the ranch, it’s a totally different story. Porshia, specifically. rides a horse at full gallop with reckless abandon. A standout sequence includes Tabatha and Roy riding alongside Porshia as she breathtakingly speeds through a field. Austin Shelton’s understated by vibrant cinematography certainly helps the matter, while the South Dakota landscape does the rest.

Tabatha and Porshia, while being amateur actors, are not natural fits on screen in either looks or demeanor, but it doesn’t mean they aren’t exactly what the film needs them to be. Both project a strength and resilience along with a country aptitude you rarely see depicted on-screen. Other cast members also play versions of themselves, including the standout of Jesse Thorson as a semi-abandoned kid who Tabatha hopes to house. There is abundant tenderness and empathy each character has for the other that shines through in ever scene.

McNairy and Ehle, despite their veteran status, both know how to blend seamlessly into the ensemble. Ehle’s warmth and humor makes her immediately feel a part of the community, while she also has some of the film’s best monologues to deliver. McNairy is the closest thing the film has to a villain, but it’s actually not the case, either. He represents the idea of what could be considered gentrification of the ranch, but he is never anything less than transparent in his dealings. He is fair and decent, and McNairy exudes a charm that transcends any misgivings about the character.

Beecroft blends a mix of Aftersun sadness and recollection with Leave No Trace authenticity and respect. She shows the audience a modern West without taking a stand on what that actually means for the big picture. These people are trying to live their lives the best way they know how. They may never leave, but they shouldn’t feel bad about it, and neither should you. Beecroft might not have the experience, but she definitely knows what she is doing.

East of Wall is an immensely enriching experience to lovers of the modern western as well as those looking for a tender character drama. Filmmaking ignorance at it’s best.

Grade: B+