Director: Jared Isaac Writer:Jared Isaac Stars: Mark McKenna, Lukita Maxwell, Louise Barnes
Synopsis:In a magical lake town, one couple and four best friends spend the final month before college chasing an endless summer.
Recently, and soon enough, millions of teenagers all around the world are graduating high school. This sudden breath of fresh air is hitting them and every aspect of their lives is changing. It’s a sense that all of life’s trivialities have suddenly been solved and there is a weight off their shoulders. Yet, there’s also this huge black cloud of “the future” just waiting to burst. This is the feeling captured in the film An Autumn Summer.
While there is a story and plot, An Autumn Summer functions mostly as a mood piece. The characters don’t say everything they’re thinking. We who have been through this transitional period know exactly what they’re thinking from the looks on their faces. When it does come down to it and we come to know that these four who are so close are going to be split apart, the mood shifts and that black cloud they didn’t want to speak of moves ever nearer. Their easy camaraderie and deep affection shifts from playfulness to a desperate need to hold on.
Jared Isaac’s script is impactful that way. In his hands, summer is a magic bubble. The final month of summer is the hardest. Creating time, making memories, and holding onto magic before the gossamer thread of that time slips away. Isaac, when directing his script, makes us feel every word, touch, and moment like a gentle, but perpetual wave lapping at our feet in the surf as the tide recedes.
Isaac, with the help of cinematographer Brandon Somerhalder, makes us feel the breeze from the lake or smell the flowers and grass with their visuals. It’s a lush vista of water, green forests, and welcoming sandy beaches. The interiors also feel as if we’re home even if we’ve never been there before. It looks, as the characters feel, like we’ve been transported somewhere unearthly and magical. Then, editor Daniela Ovi’s montages make the magic feel lived in and grounded like it could be a memory from any one of us.
That is where the film loses ground, though. Each of the characters are unique and they have their own stories to tell, but it all feels like the film is floating without much concrete detail to go on. It feels as if everyone is putting on an affectation. This can be explained away as a coping mechanism for the big change that is hitting them all at once, but it’s hard to get too attached to these characters. They don’t feel like they exist in our world even if they’re meant to. With that in mind, the film languishes in disconnected days of summer fun in between the bigger elements of the plot. A lot of it could feel irritatingly solipsistic and like we were invited to a party, but completely ignored if it weren’t for the four main actors.
All of the actors playing teens in this film are excellent and have a comfort with each other that is palpable and feels very real. Though, Lukita Maxwell stands out amongst them. As Cody, she has more of the heavy emotional lifting because it’s obvious from the first scenes that she’s grappling with something more than separation. Cody and Kevin (Mark McKenna) are dating and going to different schools, so then it’s up to the two of them to decide to try to continue dating or to move beyond that relationship and into something else. Maxwell pulls off a great feat of introspection and angst. She’s able to bring a much needed dose of reality to this gauzy summer film.
An Autumn Summer is frustratingly magical. It’s easy to sink into its warmth and memory, but can be trying when you want answers or details that are never forthcoming. That is the blessing and the curse of characters who know each other so well. There’s a short hand, but anyone watching feels left out. The film can be forgiven its faults as it conjures the feeling of when summer had promise and the fear of summer’s end in equal loving measure.
On this episode, Megan is joined by ISF writer Josh Martin to discuss Travis Knight’s latest film Masters of the Universe! The film famously was in production hell for years, but it’s finally here and boy there is lots to discuss. Some good, some bad and whole lot of in-between.
Review:Masters of the Universe
Director: Travis Knight Writers: Chris Butler, Aaron Nee, Adam Nee, David Callaham Stars: Nicholas Galitzine, Camila Mendes, Jared Leto, Idris Elba
Director: Steven Spielberg Writers: David Koepp, Steven Spielberg Stars: Emily Blunt, Josh O’Connor, Colin Firth
Synopsis: If you found out we weren’t alone, if someone showed you, proved it to you, would that frighten you?
Disclosure Day, the latest film from the great Steven Spielberg, is nothing like you’d expect. Which, in today’s age of spectacle filmmaking, feels like an act of cinematic bravery. Tricking you in the first act into thinking this is going to be an invasion thriller, the movie instead becomes an existential crisis—not for an individual, a group, or a community, but for the entire human race —which can be profound.
The experience is unlike anything Mr. Spielberg and his scribe-disciple, David Koepp, have done in quite a long time. Marking the fifth time Koepp has written a script for Hollywood’s great mythmaker, the movie plays with its themes patiently and pointedly, focusing more on bringing people together than tearing them apart; relying on the magic of filmmaking and the human heart.
Yes, roll your eyes, but Disclosure Day is almost hopelessly optimistic, taking real chances as it jumps back and forth with edge and tone, not to mention science-fiction subgenres that work against each other. Yet, all of this is held together by Oscar nominee Emily Blunt’s performance in a role more challenging than it appears, as she has to be the heart, soul, dramatic heft, and comic relief.
The story follows Margaret Fairchild (Emily Blunt), a bubbly and phony meteorologist who loves to shake what God gave her while predicting hail for the greater Kansas City metro area. Restless and unable to be content with her place in the world, she has her boyfriend, Jackson (Thunderbolts*’ Wyatt Russell), film her audition tape for the weekend newscaster desk position.
Meanwhile, the night before, government cybersecurity whistleblower Daniel Kellner (The Mastermind’s Josh O’Connor) arranges an exchange of classified pictures and digital files he stole from federal agents, who have abducted his girlfriend, Jane (Flora and Son’s Eve Hewson), to recover the top-secret information.
Leading the way is Noah Scanlon (Colin Firth), head of an ultra-secret corporate entity known as Wardex, which is keeping this information from being disclosed to the world. Due to some clever thinking, Daniel escapes with Jane and goes on the run, with help from Hugo Wakefield (Running Man’s Colman Domingo), who leads a resistance movement determined to bring Wardex’s crimes to light.
What happens next? Well, after a red cardinal lands on Margaret’s kitchen table, the popular on-air personality can suddenly read minds and speak a handful of languages. Then, on air, and before she can tell Taylor Swift and the Cowtown community about tomorrow’s warm front coming their way, she blacks out and begins speaking in tongues, in a language only one other person can understand.
Reportedly, Mr. Spielberg came up with the story for Disclosure Day almost a decade ago. Some may see the film as loosely evoking the “Dark Forest” theory, particularly in the way it uses nature, including animals from the woods, as a mysterious form of communication. However, Spielberg’s film is ultimately less interested in cosmic paranoia than in unity, turning a familiar science-fiction fear into something more hopeful.
Of course, pushing up against that hope is fear and concern over weaponization. The movie spends too much time obsessed with Firth’s ability to chase his enemies with a technology that will remain nameless, going to that well far too many times. Then there is the storytelling get-out-of-jail-free card that studios like Marvel love to use, like opening a portal to avoid writing themselves into a corner.
Here, unexplained powers are used in almost any situation. Yet, in one particular scene that at first bothered me, I later found it completely refreshing and unexpected, which is rare in today’s big-budget genre landscape. The story is layered, almost intimate, and approaches a Spielberg summer blockbuster with tender care that only the Bearded wonder could get away with.
That’s not to say the film does not have its clear faults, including a second act that runs far too long and a tendency to overplay its hand when it comes to the telekinetic subplot(s). Then there is the contrived moment where O’Connor’s Kellner hands the most important weapon over to someone who clearly should not be trusted, a choice made only to force the object back into the third act.
In the end, Disclosure Day’shopeful, genre-bending swings outweigh the tonal shifts, second-act issues, and the convenient telekinetic detours used to keep the story moving. The difference here is that these devices are used to evoke empathy, which is used just as much to set up the audience for a resonant, satisfying experience that ultimately seeks connection rather than provocation. In the cynical age we live in, Spielberg reminds us that his greatest special effect can be: hope.
You can watch Disclosure Day exclusively in theaters starting June 12th!
Directors: John Lasseter, Joe Ranft Writers:Dan Fogelman, John Lasseter, Joe Ranft Stars: Owen Wilson, Bonnie Hunt, Paul Newman
Synopsis: On the way to the biggest race of his life, a hotshot rookie race car gets stranded in a rundown town and learns that winning isn’t everything in life.
I can’t remember exactly how old I was when I first watched Cars. At the time of its 2006 release, I was turning two years old and likely hadn’t yet taken my first trip to Radiator Springs. In fact, I can’t remember the first time I watched this confusing Pixar Classic at all; I do know, however, that I’ve seen it enough times in the 20 years since then that my family has essentially prescribed it to my person as a personality trait.
Of course, I’m not a kid anymore (even if I still own and play my GameCube copy of Cars – an equally thrilling experience), but this is a movie that I still find myself going back to more than any other cornerstone of Pixar’s storied catalogue. You could (rightfully) call this bias, but Cars is still my favorite Pixar movie and, even if I know it isn’t the best one, I’m happy to re-review this thing two decades down the line and spill my guts in digital print. There’s something about Cars, especially in the context of the time in which it was released, that sets it apart from Pixar’s other earlier works. It has all the trademark story beats, with a heavy swing of emotion in the third act taking special center stage. But the small-town feeling of the aforementioned Radiator Springs, filled with memorable personalities and homey visuals, is what I believe does the ultimate trick.
It’s a common point of criticism to note that there’s no specific reason for these characters to be cars in the wider context of this narrative, but I’m not sure I can imagine a story about a hotshot airhead finding his heart in a small town working better than one in which he literally cannot leave it. Lightning McQueen is physically trapped in Radiator Springs and – again, literally – has to slow down to find the finer things. It’s on the nose, sure, but as a rip-roaring kiddo worried about how fast I could turn the corner in my kitchen without slipping on the hardwood floor, this is the first movie that I remember having the same effect on me as it does on its main character. My mind goes back to Lightning’s hillside drive with Sally, where things literally grind to a slow-motion stop as this city boy (Sarge’s words) experiences that beauty for the first time.
It also helps that the movie looks great; neon lights and spinning signs define the rare sort of project that has a trademark feel, even this long after its release. Cars could be recognized in swathes of paint and landscape portraits and, similarly, the racing sequences remain absolutely breathtaking. The voice cast goes a long way in hammering home that effect on both ends of the spectrum of momentum, too.
Owen Wilson is brilliant and vocalizes Lightning’s slow-down in his own right, but Paul Newman’s Doc Hudson is truly an all-time outing in any one of Pixar’s movies. The flashback to Doc’s days as a racer, over which Newman tragically whispers the reason he quit in the first place, is Cars’ beating heart. And when that heart starts racing, “Float like a Cadillac, sting like a Beemer” should still have you doing backflips in your seat.
Is it contrived, and a little hokey? Absolutely, but it’s also entirely self-serious and wonderfully committed to the message that it’s selling to an audience of children that, like myself, hadn’t sat still for a moment prior to that ‘Real Gone’ drop on the opening scene. Cars remains a weird, almost unimaginable turn of events for Pixar, even 20 years later; but it also remains my favorite of the bunch and, in the eyes of many, a crucial part of the company’s historic early run. If you somehow weren’t won over by the credits, John Mayer’s ‘Route 66’ cover should be the nail in the coffin for any well-meaning viewer. I’ll always settle for a slow-down with Cars.
Director: John Carney Writers: John Carney, Peter McDonald Stars: Paul Rudd, Nick Jonas, Peter McDonald
Synopsis: Rick, a washed-up wedding singer, and Danny, a fading boy band star, bond over music and a late-night jam session. When Danny turns Rick’s song into a hit, Rick sets out to reclaim the recognition he believes he deserves.
Sometimes, a film comes along where you gladly overlook its flaws because you become swept up in its enjoyable, even rousing, nature. That’s the best way to sum up Power Ballad; a joyous, heart-swelling crowd-pleaser. From writer-director John Carney, the film is effective, almost devastatingly so, when it comes to poignancy. This is a trait in most of Carney’s work that has struck a chord, over and over again.
This all culminates in a moment that tugs at your heartstrings in a way that may depend heavily on the stage of life you’re currently in. What cannot be argued, however, is that Power Ballad features two very strong performances at its center, exploring both sides of the price of fame, ambition, and recognition. That is especially true when it comes to its star, Paul Rudd, who finds the earnestness in pity.
Rudd is a performer who specializes in man-child roles that often come full circle, revealing what is truly important in life. That comes full circle in his latest, which is by no means revolutionary. Yet, when done well, Power Ballad is that type of movie; offering an experience that, for me, is the type of movie made for a lazy Sunday afternoon. The kind that makes you appreciate what you have or long for what you don’t.
The story follows Rick Power (Rudd), the lead singer of a wedding band based in Dublin, Ireland. An American who found himself migrating to the Land of Saints and Scholars when he met Rachel (Marcella Plunkett), started a family, and had a daughter, Aja (Beth Fallon), now a jaded teenager. Rick gave up his dream of headlining Madison Square Garden with his ’90s rock band, Octagon, and is now relegated to the scrap heap of history.
Now plying his trade by celebrating the nuptials for those across the Emerald Isle with The Bride and Groove, alongside his best mates, including his goofball pal Sandy (The Penguins’ Peter McDonald). While performing at a castle wedding, they meet Danny Wilson (Midway’sNick Jonas), a guest working on a solo album after a successful career with a famous boy band. The bride begs Rick to let Danny perform, impressing the group with his ability.
However, what Rick doesn’t realize is that the young pop star is equally taken with his talent. After the wedding, the two share a drink and a smoke, trading stories, swapping melodies, and smoothing out the rough edges of unfinished songs, including a ballad he wrote years ago, “How to Write a Song (Without You).” They part ways the next morning, with Danny leaving behind a prized guitar, but taking something far more valuable in return.
Power Ballad has its detractors, many of whom point to the film’s and much of Carney’s work’s reliance on sentimentality. However, the script, written by Carney and McDonald, explores different facets of reinvention, ambition, and, in Rick Power’s case, legacy. More broadly, the film is funny, soulful, and joyous, placing its two lead characters in unfamiliar territory: one chasing fame and success, the other seeking fulfillment.
What makes Carney and McDonald’s script so satisfying, and distinct from others like it, is that both men ultimately discover that fame and success mean little without fulfillment. The film does rely on coincidences and remarkably understanding characters to move the story along and reach its third-act revelation, but the finale is so wondrous and emotionally fulfilling that you almost forgive whatever contrivances the script employs to get there.
Whatever you think of Power Ballad, it is rare to find a film that is both smart and sweet without falling face-first into the easy trap of cynicism. Nick Jonas is electric, but he also finds nuance in a character who could have easily been one-note. Rudd is wonderful here, bringing warmth to a man living with regret without ever resorting to playing him as a sad sack, instead finding the bittersweet beauty of contentment. Rudd and Jonas shine throughout, with a wondrous finale delivering an emotional payoff that earns its encore.
You can watch Power Ballad exclusively in theaters on June 5th!
Director: Michael Tiddes Writers:Marlon Wayans, Shawn Wayans, Keenen Ivory Wayans, Rick Alvarez, Craig Wayans Stars: Marlon Wayans, Shawn Wayans, Anna Faris, Regina Hall
Synopsis:Twenty-six years after outrunning a suspiciously familiar masked killer, the Core Four are back in the killer’s crosshairs and no horror movie IP is safe.
It may seem silly to say it at face value, but it’s truly a high-wire balancing act to make a truly great comedy, let alone a spoof movie. Not only does there need to exist a clever inversion of whatever genre of film it’s spoofing, but it must accomplish such a joke about a joke per few seconds of fame, and classics like Airplane and The Naked Gun films manage to capture this so effortlessly. Considering the absolute hot streak the horror genre has been on within the past decade and the multitude of changes it’s gone through, it’s a wonder why a new Scary Movie from the Wayans brothers wasn’t on the table sooner. Fret not, however, because for all intents and purposes the new Scary Movie acts as the Wayans’ excuse to reference and joke nearly every film, cultural moment, and historical event that has happened since the franchise was taken from them in the early 2000s for better and for worse (mostly worse!).
Say what you will about the many flaws to find within the first two Wayans-helmed films of the franchise, but those films did have a certain charm to them, especially within their wackiest of moments that this new film can’t really capture. Jokes in the film tend to work whenever it just plays to a simple visual gag within its constant barrage of skits and less so in its attempts to joke about real-life events that are already outdated or mean-spirited attempts at taking jabs at the youth of today that come across as certified “how do you do, fellow kids” moments. Not every joke is a complete whiff, but the experience of watching Scary Movie is nearly as exhausting as the absolute worst the spoof genre has to offer.
The Scary Movie’s never really had much of a cohesive storyline per se, with the focus obviously being on the parodies themselves, and the same remains true here, as any story the film has is a mix of the narratives mainly following Scream (2022) in particular, with a dash of Scream VI and Halloween 2018 on top. The film’s main purpose is to act as a referendum on the recent string of reboots/legacy sequels that have been more popular in the genre recently, as a new Ghostface is targeting our characters from both old and new generations.
The main cast of the original Scary Movie films all return including Shorty (Marlon Wayans) who’s now a crypto-pilled Twitch streamer, Ray (Shawn Wayans) the gay guy who they constantly like to make jokes about how he’s gay, and, of course, Cindy Campbell (Anna Faris) and Brenda Meeks (Regina Hall) who are both outfitted as Laurie Strode from Halloween and Ma from Ma, respectively. Sara (Olivia Rose Keegan) and Tuesday (Savannah Lee Nassif) are Cindy’s daughters, and Cameron Scott Roberts plays Sara’s incredibly suspicious boyfriend as new blood blends with the old, and no horror movie (or movie in general) is safe from a parody.
Look, there is a certain fun to the fact that most Scary Movies, including the originals, are just a collection of quick sketch ideas that fill up 80 minutes, but Scary Movie completely forgets why the cohesion between parody and jokes even worked within the franchise in the first place. The originals understood that within the parody, there also existed clever ways to tie each parody together that further added to either a separate joke or strengthened the take on the specific set of movies they were tackling. Here, there are so many references to movies and media that aren’t even horror-related that it’s hard to even latch onto a clever gag when one passes, since piles of “jokes” wanting you to laugh at something because you’re familiar with it exist in its place. Yes, Scary Movies have never been about “plot,” but there was a specific cadence to what was chosen to be parodied. When you’re just throwing another reference at the wall, it isn’t the same in the slightest, and it makes the misses a lot more noticeable.
This topic only deepens what is probably the biggest problem with the film, in that it somewhat exists in the same space as the later Scary Movie films or the worst of Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer movies that nearly killed the spoof genre by not understanding the difference between a reference and an actual joke. At least even when they were painfully unfunny or egregiously outdated, the first two films told jokes; here, whether it’s M3GAN, Weapons, Get Out, or The Substance, the reference to the “remember that!” The media is the only type of humor the movie can provide. More often than not, when the movie actually utilizes a cute setup for a visual gag or implements a cameo in a fun way, like its opening parodying Scream VI, it’s actually funny! The Wayans, instead, however, opt for an “edgy” brand of humor to our modern culture that’s supposed to be scathing or offensive to Gen Z and touch, and either come across as incredibly outdated (they/them jokes in the big 26’?) or obvious, like COVID jokes that are SNL-level at best.
It’s a shame that after getting their franchise back after it was essentially snatched from their hands, the Wayans brothers could barely register a modern spoof that’s better than the absolute worst of the franchise, which mistakes references for humor and touching upon every cultural moment within the past 10 years is a good substitute for actually telling jokes. It has its moments of clever bits, in particular its ending reveals, and Faris and Hall, as always, are comedic gold, but watching the new Scary Movie is basically the equivalent of viewing an extended YouTube skit that haphazardly strings together references from movies you may or may not remember, which makes for about a 20% hit ratio in the funny department.
This week on the InSession Film Podcast, inspired by the release of Disclosure Day, we do a Steven Spielberg movie draft as we discuss his best movies! Also, with Sunrise on the Reaping coming out later this year, we have a small Hunger Games retrospective after JD caught up with the books and we discuss the great Clint Eastwood after he retired at the age of 96.
– Hunger Games Retrospective (5:30) This might seem a bit random, but as noted above, JD finally caught up with the the books and we wanted to discuss the them in relation to the movies. The Hunger Games not only hold up extremely well, but in the world we live in today they hit even harder. It’s also an incredible example of why we have an Oscar for Best Casting now because there are some inspired picks among the cast.
– Clint Eastwood (55:39) At the ripe age of 96, Clint Eastwood has officially retired from making movies. An absolute legend in cinema and we wanted to take a few minutes to discuss his legacy. Opinions vary on him from movie to movie, but that’s exactly what makes him so captivating. Outside of Unforgiven and Letters from Iwo Jima, it feels like every other film in his filmography will swing back and forth depending on who you ask. JD is especially a big fan.
– Steven Spielberg Draft (1:08:45) We’ve talked a bunch over the years about Steven Spielberg, including our dedicated movies series a few years ago, so we thought it would be fun to do a draft this time around. As usual, we went ten rounds in this draft, talking about Spielberg’s best films and what makes his legacy so unique. We had a ton of fun with this one. Who do you think won this draft between JD and Megan?
If you want to help support us, there are several ways you can help us and we’d absolutely appreciate it. Every penny goes directly back into supporting the show and we are truly honored and grateful. Thanks for your support and for listening to the InSession Film Podcast!
On this episode of Chasing the Gold, Shadan is joined by Ben Miller to discuss the current state of the Oscars in a post-Cannes world! Now that we’ve seen the prestigious Cannes Film Festival play out, we can speculate with more insight on how things may shake out when it’s all said and done. Obviously, there is a ton to see yet, but we wanted to talk further about where we stand now after the festival.
Check out this week’s show and let us know what you think in the comment section. Thanks for listening and for supporting the InSession Film Podcast!
Cannes might have solidified the awards statuses of All of a Sudden and Fjord, but that’s only two films of the two dozen or so in the running. We still seem to be throwing darts at some big films coming in the next few months. The Odyssey is the one I am keeping the closest eye on, as the Nolan devotees can only do so much if the film gets middling reviews. I am less enthusiastic about Wild Horse Nine than most everyone else I know, with the same going for The Social Reckoning. One thing I do know…Sandra Hüller will probably be a presence on the campaign trail for one of her four awards-potential projects.
We probably will have to wait until September until we can officially start kicking things out of the way. Here is where I see the race as of June 2026.
Best Picture:
Digger
The Odyssey
Dune: Part Three
Project Hail Mary
Josephine
Fjord
All of a Sudden
Saturn Return
A Long Winter
Werwulf
The Adventures of Cliff Booth
Being Heumann
Wild Horse Nine
Paper Tiger
The Social Reckoning
Best Director:
Christopher Nolan, The Odyssey
Alejandro G. Inarritu, Digger
Beth de Arujo, Josephine
Cristian Mungiu, Fjord
Ryusuke Hamaguchi, All of a Sudden
Denis Villenueve, Dune, Part Three
Greg Kwedar, Saturn Return
Christopher Lord and Phil Miller, Project Hail Mary
Robert Eggers, Werwulf
David Fincher, The Adventures of Cliff Booth
Best Actor:
Tom Cruise, Digger
Sebastian Stan, Fjord
Ryan Gosling, Project Hail Mary
Charles Melton, Saturn Return
Dominic Sessa, Tony
Brad Pitt, The Adventures of Cliff Booth
John Malkovich, Wild Horse Nine
Rami Malek, The Man I Love
Adam Driver, Paper Tiger
Matt Damon, The Odyssey
Best Actress:
Renate Reinsve, Fjord
Virginia Efira, All of a Sudden
Cynthia Erivo, Prima Facie
Ruth Madeley, Being Heumann
Mason Reeves, Josephine
Rachel Brosnahan, Saturn Return
Mikey Madison, The Social Reckoning
Scarlett Johansson, Paper Tiger
Inde Navarrette, Obsession
Sophie Okendo, Clarissa
Best Supporting Actor:
Jeremy Strong, The Social Reckoning
John Goodman, Digger
Mark Ruffalo, Being Heumann
Will Poulter, Saturn Return
Channing Tatum, Josephine
Antonio Banderas, Tony
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, The Adventures of Cliff Booth
Director: Jonathan Zuck Writers:Dick Grunert, Ryan R. Johnson, James Kondelik Stars: Alice Eve, Eric Michael Cole, Jim Klock
Synopsis: A newlywed couple joins friends on a Mediterranean yacht excursion, only to find themselves caught between a predatory shark and a psychopathic killer in their midst-transforming a sun-drenched escape into a fight for survival.
Shark films occupy a fascinating corner of cinema. For every genre-defining masterpiece like Jaws, there have been countless imitators hoping to capture the same magic. Some have succeeded surprisingly well. Films such as The Shallows and Deep Blue Sea understood that audiences come for the sharks but stay for the tension. Others have embraced outright absurdity, with everything from Sharknado to giant prehistoric predators leaping through blockbuster spectacles. Yet for every memorable shark movie, dozens disappear without a trace, lost somewhere in the murky depths between suspense and silliness. Thankfully, Chum falls into the more entertaining category. It embraces its ridiculous premise with enough enthusiasm to make for a surprisingly enjoyable film.
The setup is wonderfully chaotic from the start. It wastes no time in action and drama, letting audiences know exactly what this film is about. What should be a dream wedding in the sun-drenched beauty of Malta quickly spirals into a nightmare when a deadly shark begins circling the celebrations. If that wasn’t enough trouble, a mysterious fisherman with his own sinister agenda enters the picture, turning a survival story into something far more unpredictable. Suddenly, the wedding guests find themselves trapped between a hungry predator in the water and a dangerous human threat on land. It’s a premise that sounds like several different films stitched together, and in many ways, that’s exactly what makes Chum entertaining.
Visually, the film benefits enormously from its setting. Malta provides a beautiful backdrop that contrasts nicely with the increasingly bloody events unfolding throughout the story. The crystal-clear waters and picturesque scenery create a false sense of security that the film gleefully destroys whenever possible. The music is very important and used extremely well in building the suspense in this film, as well as creating the overall party and easy vibe the characters are feeling before dread and despair set in.
Alice Eve brings welcome credibility to the production, delivering a committed performance even when the script occasionally veers into familiar genre territory. She’s joined by a solid ensemble that helps bring this story to life – convincingly. Nobody plays the material as a joke, but neither does anyone take it so seriously that the fun disappears.
One of Chum’s more enjoyable qualities is its willingness to add extra layers to what could have been a straightforward shark attack movie. The inclusion of the fisherman subplot introduces an additional threat that keeps the narrative moving whenever the shark isn’t actively causing problems. This dual-threat approach gives the film a slightly different flavor from many of its aquatic horror contemporaries.
That said, the screenplay occasionally struggles to juggle all of its moving parts. The shark, the fisherman, the wedding drama, and the relationship tensions don’t always fit together seamlessly. There are moments where the film feels torn between being a creature feature, a survival thriller, and a relationship drama.
The shark effects themselves are a mixed bag. At times, the creature looks genuinely intimidating, particularly when glimpsed beneath the water’s surface. At other moments, budget limitations become more noticeable. Thankfully, the film’s overall aesthetic allows for this without it being cheesy or cheap. Just watch out for some pieces of dialogue and how they’re executed; it can be pretty basic, but that’s what we love B-movies for.
What works particularly well is the pacing. At just 87 minutes, Chum isn’t as dull as dishwater. The film moves quickly from one crisis to the next, keeping audiences entertained without getting bogged down in unnecessary exposition. The body count steadily rises and not just in the form of added side characters you know are there to be shark bait.
It’s messy in places, occasionally predictable, and sometimes held back by its budget, but it’s also entertaining, self-aware, and surprisingly suspenseful. In a crowded sea of shark movies, Chum manages to avoid sinking entirely and instead offers a fun, blood-soaked diversion that knows how to have a good time. A must-watch for shark-thriller fans!
Director: Ol Parker Writers:Brett Goldstein, Joe Kelly Stars: Jennifer Lopez, Brett Goldstein, Betty Gilpin
Synopsis: Jackie, President and CEO of Air Cruz, runs a tight ship in her business, including a rigid anti-fraternization policy for all her employees. When a new sexy lawyer begins working for her, that policy becomes very tested.
Netflix’sOffice Romance is a throwback to the golden age of ’90s rom-coms. With two charming, good-looking leads, chemistry that practically burns up the screen, and just enough raunchy humor, it offers the kind of crowd-pleasing romance that should appeal to a wide range of audiences, something the streaming giant specializes in.
The appeal here, and what elevates the movie, is that Office Romance was written by Ted Lasso’s Brett Goldstein, who brings his signature brand of winning comedy, making this fairly straightforward, low-risk romantic comedy worth taking a chance on. Combined with the megastar wattage of Jennifer Lopez, you have a movie that’s endearing instead of cheesy.
Then there are dashes of gross-out humor, including a childbirth scene shot with guerrilla-style camerawork, that gets right in the middle of the action; a gag that may either win audiences over or send them running for the exits. Either way, the new streaming film will charm the audience it was made for, with Goldstein bringing some unexpected wit and humor that the genre is known for.
The story follows Jackie Cruz (Lopez), the chief executive officer of the airline Air Cruz, which is trying to expand into the Dallas/Fort Worth market. Securing gates at a major airport is like finding shelf space in a big-box store, where you need to punch, scratch, and elbow your way into obtaining them, but it’s even harder to keep them.
When a rival airline sues Jackie and her father, “Captain” Jack (Edward James Olmos), who founded the company, in an effort to slow their momentum, Jackie turns to her top lawyer, Peter Vance (Get Out’s Bradley Whitford). However, after Peter ends up in the hospital from choking on a breakfast burrito, they call in his replacement, Daniel (Brett Goldstein), to handle the deposition.
Daniel is immediately taken aback by Jackie’s immense beauty, fumbling his words, and the only legal shop talk he can come up with is complimenting Ms. Cruz’s fancy shoes. However, after he clears his head, he handles the legal proceeding with ease, impressing Jackie, who shakes his hand and begins to give Mr. Blanchflower an unexpected, uh, standing ovation.
That’s the setup, and now the regrettable pun of here’s the carrot, that is really as complex as Office Romance becomes, putting much of the focus on the chemistry between the leads, and folding in an inane plot of will they or won’t they blow their cover of being involved in strictly forbidden workplace trysts. You really cannot take your eyes off them, becoming more with each passing scene.
Director Ol Parker (Ticket to Paradise) never falls into the trap of self-importance or pretentiousness. If anything, you wish the script from Brett Goldstein and Joe Kelly (Saturday Night Live) put more effort into the plot, instead of relying on corporate governance issues as a key component of the story. It’s a predictable development that audiences will see coming from a mile away.
Office Romance is nothing special, losing steam by the end of the film, but for fans of the genre and Lopez, the “classic” ending feels almost like an homage to the rom-coms of Meg Ryan, Julia Roberts, and Sandra Bullock. Sure, the plot is basic, and some irreverent comedy bits and subplots seem out of place. Yet, if we choose to find them refreshing, the combination of Goldstein’s warm and anything-but-cynical writing makes this film rise above the formulaic premise for the audience the movie is intended for.
You can stream Office Romance exclusively on Netflix starting June 5th!
On this episode, JD and Megan discuss Boots Riley’s latest film I Love Boosters! As you might expect, it’s weird, funny and completely brazen in its satire. Perhaps won’t be for everyone, but you have to love the ambitious swings Riley makes in his movies.
Synopsis: A young mother and son’s walk on Wimbledon Common ends with a shocking murder in plain sight.
Netflix has spent years building an impressive catalogue of true-crime documentaries, and audiences continue to show an almost endless appetite for them. Part of the appeal lies in our natural curiosity; we’re fascinated by mysteries, investigations, and the search for justice. Yet, the more recent entries in the genre do more than simply recount shocking events. They explore the people at the heart of the story and examine the lasting consequences of tragedy. Good examples of this are Kidnapped: Elizabeth Smart and The Perfect Neighbor, both of which are available to watch on Netflix. The Murder of Rachel Nickell is one of the more thoughtful and emotionally affecting true-crime documentaries I’ve seen, where, after 34 years, the grief and tragedy feel new.
In July 1992, Rachel Nickell was brutally murdered while walking across Wimbledon Common with her two-year-old son. She was stabbed 49 times and left with her son, Alex, clinging onto her body. This story shocked the nation, and the search for justice became almost as controversial as the crime itself, with police focusing on and charging an innocent suspect who was later acquitted. The case remained unsolved for years before advances in forensic science allowed investigators to revisit the evidence. In 2008, Robert Napper, already being held in a secure psychiatric hospital for separate murders, admitted responsibility for Rachel’s killing, finally bringing a measure of closure to a case that had exposed serious flaws in the original investigation.
While many viewers may already be familiar with the broad outlines of the case, the documentary does well in gently explaining what happened, whilst making Rachel’s loving and caring personality shine through. We hear from news reporters, detective sergeants, child and adolescent psychiatrists, and most importantly her partner, and father of their child, Andre. His grief feels tangible, but so does the resilience. As the documentary develops, you do want to hear from Alex and towards the end, that craving is satisfied. His views, experience, and truth give this documentary an edge and honesty.
The film is determined to place Rachel at the center of the narrative. There are home videos, photos, and family members and loved ones provide moving reflections that add emotional depth to the story. True-crime documentaries often risk becoming stories about killers, police investigations, or courtroom drama. Here, Rachel is presented first and foremost as a person: a daughter, a partner, a mother, and someone whose life was abruptly and senselessly taken away. That decision gives the documentary a sense of purpose beyond simply revisiting a notorious crime.
The investigation itself remains deeply compelling. The film carefully unpacks the challenges detectives face and the consequences of decisions made under intense public scrutiny. As the case unfolds, viewers are reminded that solving crimes is rarely as straightforward as television dramas suggest. Mistakes, assumptions, and pressure can all shape outcomes with lasting repercussions. One of the most difficult aspects was interviewing young Alex, as he was a witness, but they needed to protect him. There is footage from the interview which is very compelling, emotional, and distressing to watch. These sections will definitely make you question your morals and what you would do as a parent, an investigator and as the psychiatrist.
Visually, the production is polished without feeling overly stylized. Archival footage, interviews, and carefully chosen imagery are blended effectively. The pacing is deliberate, allowing viewers time to absorb the emotional weight of the story without losing momentum.
There are moments when the documentary could have explored certain aspects in greater detail. Some viewers may wish for a deeper examination of the wider social and media landscape surrounding the case, particularly how public perception influenced events as they unfolded. And the constant threat of violence towards women from the 1990’s to now. The Murder of Rachel Nickell is a sensitive, compelling, and often heartbreaking piece of filmmaking. While it contains all the elements that draw viewers to true crime, it never forgets the human story at its core. In a genre that can sometimes prioritize mystery over meaning, this documentary chooses empathy instead, and is all the more powerful because of it. The Murder of Rachel Nickell serves as a reminder that behind every headline lies a family forever changed. It asks audiences to look beyond the crime itself and consider the lives affected by it.
This week on the InSession Film Podcast, inspired by the release of Masters of the Universe, we talk about our top 5 secret identity movies! We also dive into the incredible box office for Backrooms and Obsession. And we briefly discuss the news that Taylor Swift is doing an original song for Toy Story 5.
– Backrooms / Obsession Box Office (5:32) It was arguably the most significant box office weekend we’ve seen since Barbenheimer a few years ago with Backrooms and Obsession continuing to dominate in what felt like a Hollywood-taking-notice kind of way. Will the studios take away the wrong lessons from it? Probably. But we felt it was necessary to dive into it and talk about what may come out of all of this.
– Taylor Swift 47:27) One of the biggest news to drop this week outside of the box office results was the report that Taylor Swift will be writing an original song for Toy Story 5 that will be dropping later this week. Could this be how she wins an Oscar? Perhaps, but either way expect the discourse to be a clown show.
– Top 5 Secret Identity Movies (1:03:01) With Masters of the Universe coming out this weekend, we thought it would be fun to talk about our favorite secret identity movies. This is a list we’ve never done before and there are surprisingly many different angles to this topic. As a result, it did narrow our criteria slightly, but we still came to the table with some great films and we had a blast breaking down our picks. With that said, what would be your Top 5 secret identity movies?
If you want to help support us, there are several ways you can help us and we’d absolutely appreciate it. Every penny goes directly back into supporting the show and we are truly honored and grateful. Thanks for your support and for listening to the InSession Film Podcast!
Director: Rajat Kapoor Writer:Rajat Kapoor Stars: Vinay Pathak, Koel Purie, Neil Bhoopalam
Synopsis: A seemingly perfect anniversary party at an old mansion turns into a deadly game of secrets when the most hated guest, Sohrab Handa, is found murdered. As the night unfolds, friendships crack, loyalties shift.
The “whodunit” genre is one that is filled with incredibly memorable and dense mysteries, ranging from classics like Rear Window, Se7en and Clue to recent releases like the Knives Out trilogy and A Haunting in Venice, and sprawling across different film regions of the world. Oftentimes, it is the most entertaining, keeping the audience guessing as to who may have been involved in a high-profile murder and who might have finally done the deed. Many a time, “whodunit” murder mysteries also carry a somewhat theatrical flair to them, as characters are often in confined locations where the crime took place, and have to talk amongst themselves to figure out the truth, especially as tensions begin to escalate. It would only make sense then, that someone who is a theater actor/director would take a crack at the genre, which is where Rajat Kapoor enters with his film, Everybody Loves Sohrab Handa.
The plot is simple: on a weekend celebrating their 10th wedding anniversary, Raman and Jayanti Chawla (Neil Bhoopalam and Palomi Ghosh) invite a group of their friends and colleagues to a mansion on the outskirts of town to join in on the festivities. The most prominent of these guests is Raman’s business partner Sohrab Handa (Vinay Pathak), who is far from the nicest person in the bunch, as he often berates and insults everyone around him and acts superior to the rest of the crowd. That night, after the celebration has died down, Handa is found dead, seemingly murdered. As the police arrive and the guests are confined to the mansion while questioning begins, it becomes clear that every single person present had something against Handa, and enough reason to want to kill him if the opportunity arose.
Taking place over the duration of a single day, Everybody Loves Sohrab Handa often feels like an Agatha Christie play brought to life. Kapoor’s background in the theater medium allows him to present an extensive amount of dialogue-driven moments where characters are limited to only a few rooms of the mansion in total, while ramping up the tension as everyone begins to point fingers at one another to see who would have the most compelling reason to kill Handa. This approach from Kapoor leads to some incredibly strong performances, particularly from Pathak, who is most known by audiences as a terrific comedic actor. Here, playing the unlikeable and disrespectful titular character, he gets to display his more dramatic and serious chops considerably, leading to one of his best performances in years. Kapoor, starring as Chandra, a psychologist who is slowly beginning to understand how fundamentally flawed and messy everyone seems to be, from people like Madhavan (Ranvir Shorey) and his girlfriend Nazia (Kankana Chakraborty) who seem to be seeing each other under suspicious circumstances, to Kumar (Danish Hussain), a news anchor who seems to escalate everything to get views and rile his audiences up, and of course Handa, who continually deteriorates with every scene.
Where Everybody Loves Sohrab Handa also succeeds is in its sense of claustrophobia. Once the inspector, Afzal Qureshi (Saurabh Shukla), arrives to find the killer, Rafey Mahmood’s cinematography is often with close quarters of every character, while also providing some great moments that showcase the surroundings of the mansion, including a wonderfully candlelit moment in the evening, and even providing some clever POV sequences like an extended one-shot which lays out the whole scene and showcases all the characters. The production design is also effective in this regard, making every room feel lived in and every object tangible. There is an attention to detail captured by the camera and Kapoor’s direction that makes the situation far more immersive.
The dialogue is mostly crisp and allows for some great interactions as well, especially when exposing the emotional deterioration of each character, and providing a reason for the distrust between every guest. By the halfway mark, everyone has a reason to hate each other, let alone Handa, and help provide extensive motivations and suspicions to make the mystery more bizarre. And yet, the actual murder mystery angle of the story feels a bit undercooked. On a thematic and narrative level, Everybody Loves Sohrab Handa often introduces ideas like the reasoning behind why Handa may be how he is and the backgrounds of other characters building into the mystery, such as with Handa’s father Baba (M.K. Raina), with whom he seems to have a tumultuous relationship, and his quieter brother Arun (Chandrachoor Rai), who also seems to have troubles of his own, but it doesn’t develop many of those aspects past these shallow points. As a result, when the movie begins to explore a few things in later parts of the movie, they do not quite land as effectively as they could. Adding to that, many of the supporting characters do not get much development and screen time to flourish beyond an initial setup, such as with Shorey and Chakraborty’s storyline, which is addressed in bursts, but is relegated to the side after some time.
Towards the end of Everybody Loves Sohrab Handa, however, what also fizzles out is the final reveal, which almost feels like an afterthought and significantly underdeveloped. Save for one moment that only mildly hints at something deeper, the jump to the answers feels less earned. And yet for all its flaws, it never ceases to entertain and keep up a solid momentum. While nowhere near a perfect whodunit murder mystery, it is still a compellingly acted, well directed and lensed thriller that has some excellent moments of dialogue sprinkled in to make the performances shine. Everybody may not love the movie, but it is a fun enough watch.
Director: Marine Atlan Writers: Marine Atlan, Anne Brouillet, Wilhelm Jensen Stars: Colas Quignard, Suzanne Gerin, Mitia Capellier
Synopsis: A group of high school students sets off on a school trip to discover the ruins of Pompeii. They are seized by a sense of vertigo. They allow themselves to be overwhelmed by desire and anger, until they surrender completely.
Most schools offer field trips near the end of your high school tenure to take you out of the curriculum and to provide students with new experiences. Although we sometimes take these trips for granted when young, they stay with us one way or another. The memories you had during these hours, days, or weeks come back on future trips, and maybe they change how you think about yourself or others. For the kids in the senior class of Mrs. Mercier (Antonia Buresi) in Marine Atlan’s superb La Gradiva (screening in the Semaine de la Critique at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival), it is a trip to Naples that will change their lives and reinvigorate them in the future.
French cinematographer-turned-filmmaker Marine Atlan uses this trip through the ruins of Mount Vesuvius, with the haunting plaster casts of the eruption back in AD 79 in the background, to explore the end of adolescence and the shift towards adulthood, as these kids will, in months, distance themselves from each other and go their separate ways. The trip, in and by itself, is a guide to help dissipate or release these repressed emotions these kids have before the rest of their lives begin. It is a testament to young love and acceptance, one that will question them in their romantic endeavors and existential crises. A few days away from home will spark a light inside them, illuminating feelings and desires they have struggled to articulate to their loved ones or classmates.
They become aware of their own fleeting youth. Altaln capsules this fragile moment with tenderness and understanding. While La Gradiva follows a big class of students, all of whom have their moment to express themselves and show their personalities, Atlan focuses mostly on two of them: Toni (Colas Quignard) and Suzanne (Suzanne Gerin). We meet them lurking as Toni’s close friend, James (Mitia Capellier-Audat), is trying to hook up with Angela (Hadya Fofana) on the train to Naples. From this moment, we learn a thing or two about them. Toni and Suzanne have personal issues that affect them emotionally. While the former struggles to find himself, the latter feels out of place and sees herself as less than the rest.
How does this lead to James? Well, the two are insecure younglings who want to be and feel adored by someone who loves them for who they are. They are lonely souls who carry the weight of being outcasts, Toni being the only openly gay kid in his class, and Suzanne staying on the outskirts until she reaches college, preferring a solitary lifestyle rather than one in groups. One desires companionship while the other a sense of endearment. However, the two of them are searching for the same thing: a human connection. Their journeys are less about romance and more about the desire to belong somewhere and someone. The two end up together against their will, paired for one of the many activities on the trip, but fate has called them up.
They ignore each other at first, yet when they realize their pain is rooted in a similar place and tied to one another in various ways, they begin to forge a beautiful friendship. La Gradiva offers a portrait of the stage between innocence and adulthood; the former is lost to make way for the latter, encompassing the tricky situations in which teens are left to decide who they want to be but cannot figure out exactly how to do so. Teens at this stage cling to another lost teen for answers and to figure things out, but it leads to further disparity and uncertainty. This is a time all of us have gone through, or if you’re a younger reader, will go through, and it is one of the most difficult–going onto a new stage in life, leaving behind the past and venturing forth by yourself.
It is a release that is both liberating and painful. This period between senior year and college marks the end of something for every student. Friendships, relationships, and home countries are left behind for a while, and then great changes come, because this is where you can truly find and understand yourself. The teacher of this class, Ms. Mercier, tries hard to inspire the students with her lectures and talks about art, nature, and the rich history behind every corner and landmark of Pompeii. She delivers them with great passion and enthusiasm, preaching about the beauty and timelessness of the place they are visiting. But the students listen with the backs of their ears, not because they want to ignore her or feel indifferent about the topics, but because they have bigger worries, and the feeling of running out of time is crawling up their spines.
A group of high school students sets off on a school trip to discover the ruins of Pompeii. They are seized by a sense of vertigo. They allow themselves to be overwhelmed by desire and anger, until they surrender completely.
Ms. Mercier knows that no matter what words she uses or inspirational quotes she throws at them, they are not going to heed that wisdom and, with the little time they have, rely on each other to figure things out. You can see it in her eyes: Buresi’s performance is defined not by what we see but by what she conceals. She has already gone through this phase and knows what it entails. From the moment they arrive in Naples, Ms. Mercier recognizes that feeling of restlessness and unease for the future. It oozes from their pores and becomes instantly noticeable, no matter how well they act the part, like Toni and Suzanne, who fake appearing cheerful while being unable to express what they are feeling on the inside.
These scenes are gut-wrenching because of how genuine and realistic Atlan portrays the kids’ hidden (and unhidden) pain. You remember your own experiences and how it felt to go through those days of uncertainty and goodbyes. There was a sense of liberation, with a twist of melancholy. Those conflicting emotions linger for a long time. It shapes how teenagers see themselves and the future that awaits them. Atlan understands that growing up is not a break from childhood, but rather a gradual process. It is in Atlan’s portrayal of our fears and desires when young that La Gradiva is so entrancing and effective, offering a beautiful meditation on the bittersweet inevitability of growing up.
“For those seeking a sweetly unusual take on navigating grief, Iglesias’s debut is more than worth the watch. Its heartfelt approach to life’s most difficult aspects doesn’t judge how people grieve. Rather, it accepts the many ways grief shapes those who experience it with captivating performances and warm summer rays.”
Nadine Whitney was lucky to speak with Lucía Aleñar Iglesias about the moods she creates around grief and growing up during a Mallorca summer.
Nadine Whitney: Hi Lucía. The first thing I’d like to talk to you about is the title, because for people who are not Spanish speakers it is confusing, Forastera translates to ‘outsider’ or ‘stranger.’ Is that correct?
Lucía Aleñar Iglesias: I think that the direct translation is outsider, foreigner. But in Mallorca, the island where the film is set, the term has like a very specific connotation. The locals use it to refer to the Spaniards from the peninsula who traveled to Mallorca to to visit, and even the Spaniards that are not from the island that even live there are still forasteros; they’re still foreigners, which I always found interesting. My father’s side of the family is from there, so I spent most summers of my childhood visiting family there, and that term was one of those like first words that I learned. It stuck with me. I found it very interesting and it gave me lot to think about.
NW: Your answer leads into something I was going to ask you because the setting feels very lived in, very inhabited, like you personally spent a lot of time in that area. How much of this of the comes from your experience of being in Mallorca?
LAI: Well, the story is fiction, but I definitely felt very inspired by my years as a kid spending summers there. I think there was something like having the privilege of having this kind of relationship with a place that is constant but not permanent. A place that you go to for a couple months out of the year makes it kind of like a bubble of sorts; like sort of a parallel world for you or for me as a kid. It certainly was very inspiring too; in that it is one of the most idyllic places I’ve ever visited. I felt drawn to the idea of setting the very heavy or you know, dark subject matter in a place that is so breathtaking. How could you feel sad, overlooking the ocean? But sad things happen everywhere and all the time. So, it was like an interesting contrast visually that I was also really drawn to playing with in the film.
NW: I also felt the emotional resonance of staying with a grandparent or grandparents, because that’s something that I did throughout my childhood as well. That also creates a parallel world where you’re not so much being parented by them, just cared for by them. It’s a very different dynamic from the one you have with your parents. Is that something you’ve experienced with your own grandparents and relatives?
LAU: Totally, I think I think that exactly what you said. There’s a supervision element with grandparents, but there’s also a great freedom, and they’re there to sort of take care of you, and there’s less of direct parenting. Yes, the relationship and the dynamic are quite interesting. I was very interested in introducing Cata (Zoe Stein) before all of what happens in the film. Even in those first moments, like there’s an insolence to her. She’s got an attitude that maybe she wouldn’t have if her parents were around. As the movie progresses, and as she’s allowing herself to step into this character (a version of Catalina), to wear these clothes, and the like. I think it is the fact that this intergenerational relationship is a lot looser and freer is what gives her, and gives Tomeu, her grandfather, the permission to treat each other in a different way.
NW: There is yet very much a sense that Cata feels that she can step into being Catalina because she’s having similar experiences to her grandmother, for example, the parallel with octopus. Also, because her mother Pepa has a fraught relationship with her own father, Tomeu, she can a buffer between them. Cata is also avoiding grief because she stepped into caring for everyone else in family unit.
LAI: For Cata, there’s an element that I was very interested in by hinting towards that there’s a little bit of guilt for her too: in terms of not having spent enough time with this person, and not really knowing who they were, and not being the grandchild that you know would cook with her, and would spend time with her like her little sister Eva would. The apparent connection that she chases and is very curious about is to become empowered and becomes that sort of glue that you speak of. The middle person between the adults who are grieving very differently.
She gives herself a new responsibility, or a chance to like step into a different role, and I think at that age (17), particularly as a teenager, you’re sort of trying many hats on and like figuring yourself out. And although it seems quite strange, that’s the point. Although it’s quite strange, it’s still enticing for her.
NW: At the heart of the story is coming-of-age. Cata’s got a holiday boyfriend, Max, she’s sneaking off, and enjoying being an older teenager with. She does experience quite a lot of freedom up until the point where she loses Catalina. The film twins both the rituals of coming of age with the rituals of grieving,
LAI: I think something that happens too, through this, this particular way of grieving is that the grief and the “play pretend” is more stimulating for her imagination, and for her growth. She’s able to create space emotionally for herself that she can’t create with Max. Their romance is not as profound as what she’s able to, to kind of explore and foster the sort of tenderness that she’s encountering with her grandfather.
NW: Cata is becoming an adult, but an adult who already has defined roles in a family is a slippage into growing up immediately but it’s also pretend.
LAI: This sort of coming into a role is really interesting to me. Cata finds that in playing her grandmother there’s sort of a strict place for her. It’s a nice tension for the character, who is presented as this teenager with an attitude who’s a little bit insolent, definitely opaque in her emotions, and is able through playing this character that was more or less contained, let’s say, as her grandmother, opens up the family structure.
NW: It gives her the ability to mother her mother. Pepa is very, very stressed in general, and coming to deal with the death of her mother, she’s not sure what to do with herself
LAI: It’s very hard to synchronize those emotions with your entire family, for because grief is such a personal journey, right? It’s hard to kind of meet each other in the same place, and so it makes for a lot of conflict, but also, I think an opportunity for compassion. Both of which I was exploring in the film.
NW: I think you’ve done a wonderful job. Forastera is haunting piece, but it’s a warm piece. So, you have the darkness and the light: and you have Zoe Stein, who I have to say is extraordinary. I see that she was in the short film that became the feature. I was blown away by her work. It’s such a complex role, and her performance is astonishing.
LAI: She’s astoundingly good, and I feel very lucky to be able to make a first feature, but also to make it with someone that I’ve worked with before and that I have a shorthand with. And I don’t know, I feel very lucky to have that relationship with and to be exploring this character together once again.
Zoe’s just so good at expressing to the camera without giving anything away. She has just a magnetism and a presence that’s really, really wonderful. It’s just a talent that you either have or don’t. She’s a very hard worker. She led the film so, so well.
We worked very hard. I had an amazing team of talented artists that were able to help me get that haunted quality that we were trying to achieve. But the haunted quality is still very luminous, and I feel very lucky that the team understood that or was able to interpret that with me in this way. We were able to build this visual world with that in mind; there’s like an eeriness that is unsettling, but it’s also beautiful, I hope.
NW: If you were to be able to like to speak to any audience and say, “Here’s what I would like for you to take from the film.” What would you most like to have them concentrate on?
LAI: I think that this is a journey through grief that is at times haunted, but also playful, and that it’s hopefully full of empathy for the people in the film, and that it transmits that empathy to the people watching.
Director: Ildikó Enyedi Writer:Ildikó Enyedi Stars: Tony Leung Chiu-wai, Luna Wedler, Enzo Brumm, Léa Seydoux
Synopsis:At the heart of an old German university grows a majestic ginkgo tree, its lifespan measured in centuries. As the years pass, the distinguished plant bears witness to the private lives of those who seek shade under its boundless branches. Over time, each is transformed by the quiet, enduring, and mysterious power of nature.
One of the foundational aspects of being alive is the need for connection. Even individuals prone to introversion typically have at least a few close people they trust enough to be a part of their little community. What qualifies as connection is often extremely personal, and it is not always going to translate to an obvious, grand spectacle. DirectorIldikó Enyedi is seemingly fascinated by the unseen, and perhaps unknowable, forces that bring us together. In 2017’s Oscar-nominated On Body and Soul, two outsiders found themselves drawn to one another when they realized they were meeting each other every night in their dreams. Now, in her long-awaited follow-up, Silent Friend, she transitions out of the mystical space of dreams and into the awe-inspiring wonder of the natural world. With so much emphasis often put on technology as the grand uniter of the world, it is rewarding to be reminded that, even when we feel at our most alone, we are always connected to something larger than ourselves.
Our story begins in the present era, as we serpentine through the neural pathways of an infant whose parents are aiding the work of a curious researcher. This observer is Tony (Tony Leung Chiu-wai), a neuroscientist from Hong Kong who is visiting a historic German university in early 2020. As you may guess from the date, Tony gets stranded on campus during the pandemic lockdown, completely alone outside of a territorial groundskeeper (Sylvester Groth) who eyes Tony with almost comical suspicion at every turn—an odd development for a film so steeped in subtlety. Unable to continue his research into the brain activity of babies, Tony pivots to a most unlikely subject: a noble ginkgo tree that has slowly been making itself a prominent fixture in the space since it was planted in 1832. Tony believes that he can measure the organic waves emanating from the tree to glean something about the complex internal life within this mighty presence.
Silent Friend is presumably one of only a handful of films in history that has a “Featured Plants” section in the closing credits, rightfully giving these plants the respect they deserve as pivotal characters in their own right. Enyedi gives us glimpses of the tree’s experience, from the stimulating fireworks of a hard rainfall to the unremarkable inevitability of someone losing their lunch over its roots after too much to drink. With such a long lifespan, this ginkgo tree has seen it all, and, as such, it acts as our shepherd to two other distinct time periods.
The oldest memory it shares is from 1908, when we meet Grete (Luna Wedler), who has just been admitted as the first female student at the university. Her story is the most overtly dramatic, especially in an introductory scene in which a panel of professors grills her on scientific procedures with a healthy dose of cutting sexism not even attempting to mask their disdain. The tightrope that Grete and Wedler have to walk to remain composed in the face of such an exasperating barrage is captivating to observe. In a movie with Tony Leung Chiu-wai, it is hard to emerge as the MVP, but Wedler certainly puts up a fight throughout her journey of persecution and self-discovery. Yet, even within this seemingly familiar arc, the movie does not take the most obvious roads, taking cues from the reserved nature of its central monolith.
We also spend time in 1972 with Hannes (Enzo Brumm), an aloof, young German student who appears eager to leave his simple farm life behind, even to the point of being dismissive of plant life altogether in one instance. Of course, this shifts a bit as he develops a friendship with Gundula (Marlene Burow), who has a passion for botany. Of the three stories, this one is the slowest to gain momentum, but it pulls its weight once Hannes begins to house-sit for Gundula and take care of a geranium on which she is experimenting. The movie shows such love and respect for plant life that you will find yourself wondering why you are holding your breath and gripping your seat as you await to see if any misfortune falls upon this flower.
The major barrier for many audience members will be the slow, luxurious pace of the movie that urges you to take time and truly observe every inch of the screen. The sentiment is lovely, yet even as someone who has bought into the narrative, you really start to wonder if the film necessarily needed to clock in at two-and-a-half hours. Enyedi and cinematographer Gergely Pálos combat the restlessness somewhat by keeping things visually interesting. While the modern time period has a crisp digital aesthetic, things get more hazy and imprecise in the ‘70s as the footage switches to 16mm, and, finally, black-and-white 35mm for Grete’s section in 1908. Each time period swirls together and fades in and out of one another in the editing process, lending credence to the belief that, even if we might feel isolated, we are all part of a larger story.
Silent Friend is an extremely thoughtful and ambitious narrative that eschews easy sentimentality in favor of something more meditative and cerebral. All the pieces are here for greatness, yet it comes up just short by playing things a little too emotionally cool and not completely earning its massive runtime. Plus, having Léa Seydoux in your film and confining her to a handful of expository Zoom calls with Tony Leung Chiu-wai feels like some sort of crime against the gods of cinema. Nevertheless, Ildikó Enyedi continues to earn our admiration for the way she approaches humanity and connection in ways that are not easily quantifiable. It is a work that lingers with you and makes you extra mindful that, even when no one else is in sight, life is all around you.
Director: Travis Knight Writers:Chris Butler, Aaron Nee, Adam Nee Stars: Nicholas Galitzine, Camila Mendes, Idris Elba
Synopsis: A young man on Earth discovers a fabulous secret legacy as the prince of an alien planet, and must recover a magic sword and return home to protect his kingdom.
When it comes to Masters of the Universe (or rather He-Man and the Masters of the Universe), Mattel’s premiere toy-line turned media franchise, the power hasn’t always been there. Despite some small successes on the small screen with few various animated series – including one starring his female counterpart She-Ra – the silver screen attempts at He-Man and friends have been fraught at best. Starting with the box-office failure of 1987’s Masters of the Universe starring Dolph Lundgren, the idea of another stab at bringing Eternia back to life via a complete reboot has been held hostage by development hell. Everyone from John Woo (yeah, that John Woo) to Netflix and Noah Centineo being involved with it getting so close off the ground, only for it never to materialize.
Luckily, director Travis Knight’s Masters of the Universe is a fun, engaging, yet surprisingly earnest ride from beginning to end. With Knight’s MOTU, along with Kubo and the Two Strings scribe Chris Butler, Knight balances a traditional fish-out-of-water story and high-octane action with ease. Butler’s script also echoes tonal elements of Thor: Ragnarok – in which the film uses situational humor to downplay or uplift serious moments. This works, but also doesn’t always succeed at times. But, this is too far in-between. Yet, the film surprisingly strikes a balance between this type of humor with genuine earnestness, most of which is due to reverence for the source material.
This is also extended into other areas with production designer Guy Hendrix Dyas (Maria) applying a faithful look to the world of Eternia. Dyas’ production designer also goes in line with what costume designer Richard Sale (Jurassic Park: Rebirth) is cooking, in which bright and pure colors are on full display. Additionally, this is also present in the cinematography with director of photography Fabian Wagner (Venom: The Last Dance) giving the film a glowing bright aesthetic. At times though, this does clash with some of the VFX work – with some of it not computing well. But, for the most part, visual effects supervisors Tim Burke (The Little Mermaid) and David Vickery (Jurassic Park: Rebirth) along with VFX companies Industrial Light & Magic, Double Negative, Rodeo FX, Cinesite, Untold Studios, and Host VFX manage to supply the film with an insane wealth of effects, balancing both digital and practical at the same time.
But, the one area that does an insane amount of heavy lifting is the score (and by extension – the soundtrack). Composer Daniel Pemberton – fresh off of the incredible Project Hail Mary – in collaboration with Queen guitarist Brian May combine ’80s synth with a heavy electric guitar presence. Thus, amplifying scenes that should be basic into a fun, jovial ear-worm. Now, in regards to the soundtrack, music supervisor Kier Lehman (Spider-Noir) included some major needle-drops. (Some of which, I refuse to spoil.) Others, were surprising in nature asking “How is this song in this movie?”
As for the cast, Nicholas Galitzine (Bottoms, The Sheep Detectives) leads with an interesting balance. Portraying both Prince Adam (or in this case, just Adam) and He-Man, he uses broad humor to breakdown and display the character’s personality. We see this especially with the fish-out-of-water aspect of the film, for which Galitzine excels at. Once he starts to turn into He-Man himself, Galitzine takes a very Superman-like approach, honoring the film’s main messaging. However, when it comes to the rest of the ensemble, most are game and feel right. Examples include Camila Mendes (Riverdale) – whose dynamic between her and Galitzine is fun, Idris Elba (Zootopia 2) – who as Duncan provides a combination of strength, humor, and heart, but most especially with Mendes’ Teela, and Alison Brie (Together) – whose Evil-Lyn straddles the line between menacing and somewhat sympathetic. But, a standout that is present (and one that I’m hesitant to include because of all the baggage this particular individual has) is Jared Leto (Tron: Ares). As Skeletor, Leto combines Shakespearean wit and gravitas with elements of camp. This not only recognizes the character’s flair for the dramatic, but also represents Leto’s Skeletor as being a formidable foe in the form of Galitzine’s He-Man. In other, more simpler words – he’s actually pretty good (God, everything about writing that felt wrong).
By embracing the absurdity of its source material and showing reverence and respect for the cartoon, Knight’s Masters of the Universe is a fun, yet surprisingly earnest ride. One that balances high-octane and hilarious humor. Not to mention, the VFX, score, cinematography, and production designer all help bring the world of Eternia to life. Finally, the cast led by Galitzine not only feels right, but in some cases, feels too right (looking at you, Leto). To quote He-Man himself: By the power of Grayskull, this film simply does…have the power.
On this episode, JD and Megan discuss Kane Parsons’ debut film and box office sensation Backrooms! It is A24’s biggest hit so far and perhaps a turning point in Hollywood. We have a lot of fun breaking this one down. JD’s son Sam also joins us to offer his thoughts as well.
Review:Backrooms
Director: Kane Parsons Writers: Will Soodik Stars: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Renate Reinsve, Mark Duplass
