Power Ballad

 

This review may contain spoilers!

Power Ballad follows Rick, a singer for a wedding band, whose path crosses with a former boy band member, Danny Wilson. After performing together, the pair start jamming together over an evening, and Danny winds up stealing a song Rick has written. The rest of the film is Rick's efforts to get Danny to admit the original author of the song.

This is the sort of movie that if you bear with, you will really be rewarded. When I started with Power Ballad, I thought this might be a comedy about older musicians grumbling about the good old days. But the character of Rick is a great way, a very authentic figure who is entirely passionate about music, but more importantly, he loves his wife and daughter completely. This is someone who chose love in his life over the ambition of music a couple of times. When he collides with Danny Wilson, you get this electric performance that really highlights how impressive our two leads are. They both want different things; Rick feels the lost potential of his life from his label dropping him, while Danny is stressed from the pressure of trying to produce a hit that will enable him to keep the lifestyle he has achieved. When the pair separate, we see Danny's desperation at realising his music isn't taking off. He takes Rick's song, and we follow an incredulous and distraught Rick, who cannot reconcile that the young man he met would take this action against him. Rick's manic obsession sends him into a spiral, which he eventually turns into confrontation. Watching Rick and Sandy embark on a caper to LA to confront Danny is a real moment of hilarity in this feature. Power Ballad often succeeds at being quite witty out of circumstance, landing some very fun sequences. The climactic moment of the film, in which Rick finally confronts Danny, is a powerful piece of acting; these are two people in a deeply flawed situation. Danny knows how wretched his choice is, but can't let go of the decision he has made. Rick, however, hasn't confronted Danny to extort money from him. He simply tells Danny the true meaning of his song, that it's not a romantic song but a dedication to his feelings about his daughter. It flips how you see this film; it's about finding the heart of the song and holding it true. I loved the emotional connection we come to understand about the song, something that is only empowered by the way Rick's daughter believes in him and even discovers the original recording of the song. By the end of the film, we see that Rick has accepted the outcome of the song dispute; he plays it with sincerity and true meaning, while Danny never finds a moment of authenticity. Danny chooses to perform knowing that there is a falsehood at the centre of his performance. It's a really beautiful film about where true musical art comes from and the corrupting influence of fame and wealth.

I cannot stress just how incredible the soundtrack for this feature is. Rudd performs most of the soundtrack, and it is a real display of talent. He and the band cover a range of hits that really evoke the sort of band that you would dish out good money for. Yet, those moments in which Rudd and Jonas collide are something. 'I Wish' is a particularly key turning point in the feature. However, it is all renditions of 'How To Write A Song Without You' that really blew me away. Rudd's final performance of that track is the beating heart of Power Ballad. I could hear him sing it over and over again.

Peter McDonald, who played Sandy, is a real high point of comedy across the film; Rudd and McDonald's unconventional friendship is a key point of levity. Beth Fallon, who played Aja, has some fun moments of playing the cantankerous teen; yet it's the moments she connected with her onscreen Dad that really raised the film up. Marcella Plunkett, who played Rachel, has some really decent chemistry with Rudd; the pair seem completely head over heels for one another. Nick Jonas, who played Danny Wilson, is a very charismatic and likeable figure at first; but I loved how Jonas played the moral desperation his character excuses his actions upon. Jack Reynor, who played Mac, is quite a simple approach to the major music manager; his more cutthroat manner as things went along added a decent conflict. 

However, the best performance came from Paul Rudd, who played Rick. This is a guy who really still believes in the craft of music; he likes to gripe over new music while declaring his love for the highs of the 70s and 80s. Rudd's ability to actually throw himself into performance here is a nice treat; he really shows a lot of talent with the musical performances. He is someone who can really embody an everyman vibe, you see the easy nature he walks down a street and connects with others in a way you can relate to. Rudd also lends himself nicely to the moments of humour; he's a bit of a veteran there. The way Rick descends into obsessive fixation over proving the song is his is a good moment of conflict. But it is the way Rudd presents the love his character feels that won me over. This is a character who loves his wife and daughter more than anything; he chooses them over his music at every turn. Paul Rudd will tug on your heartstrings here and gives an absolutely inspired performance.

I wasn't sure about Power Ballad when the feature first started. The first act is full of older men trotting around gigs and bemoaning the state of modern music. It felt a bit hazy and out of touch. There were also moments in the film where the dialogue was clunky and the jokes pretty overt. Reynor and Jonas navigating a Trump joke in this film was one of the more ham-fisted moments, regardless of which side of the political aisle you fall upon.

This isn't always the nicest-looking film; it struggles to remain lit well, and the shots aren't always the most interesting. This is a feature that just holds what it needs to in frame and doesn't move for style very often. The editing also lends itself to a slow pace and has some awkward instances of cutting between shots.

Rory Keenan, who played Binzer, is a gruff point of conflict that the film doesn't really need; Keenan's hard edge and threats of removal from the band get a bit worn out. Havana Rose Liu, who played Marcia, really doesn't have a lot of substance to her role; there should've been more interplay between her and Jonas.

Sometimes it's not about who wrote the song. Sometimes it's just why the song was written. I would give Power Ballad a 9/10.

Backrooms

 

This review may contain spoilers!

Backrooms follows Clark, a furniture outlet store owner who discovers a secret entrance into a mysterious liminal space within his store. This unusual space goes on infinitely and holds dark secrets within. Backrooms is directed by Kane Parsons, who developed the Backrooms internet mythology into a famous YouTube web series.

Everything that really works for this horror feature is all on display in that first half. The Backrooms starts off incredibly strong, with some very desolate and desperate characters searching for more than what they are. Clark is a miserable furniture store owner who holds a lot of contempt for the wife who left him and who can't reconcile that he hasn't achieved his dreams. He tries to avail himself through therapy, where the mask of his inner rage occasionally slips. But having no other outlet, Clark desperately staggers through a life spent propping up a failing business. His discovery of this other place, these backrooms, is an absolutely thrilling tilt in the story. Clark's wonder is our own, as he goes further and grows in fascination, the audience becomes more tense. You can't help but wait for that other shoe to drop, for some darker presence to lash out at him. Clark's obsession sees him continuing to risk the backrooms, drawn further and further into this mysterious other place. He risks the lives of his employees and himself; everything is consumed by this newfound purpose. By the end of the feature, we see Clark as a wretched figure, unable to grow from his own narcissism and living in the backrooms to feel a sense of control in this space.

This is a film that is completely dedicated to its design. The way this feature is shot is really powerful. Kane Parsons manages to capture everyday spaces and pieces of urban architecture and make them compelling moments in a frame. I loved the claustrophobia generated in the practical set of the backrooms; that whole environment transported me. The score is a real unsettling piece of ambience; it sinks into you slowly and draws forth a feeling of unease.

Renate Reinsve, who played Mary, is quite good at portraying a stoic, professional therapist; Reinsve's final confrontation with Ejiofor contrasted with their therapy sessions are some excellent examples of great acting.

However, the best performance came from Chiwetel Ejiofor, who played Clark. Ejiofor is really fantastic at finding a character and bringing them right down to Earth. Clark isn't always the most likable figure, nor is he reprehensible at first. This is a deeply flawed individual, with a lot of rage and hurt. He is alone in life and completely dejected over the idea that this is the quality of his life. It's a figure sculpted to be tragic; he can fix himself, but he refuses to do so. Watching Ejiofor play to the wonder and fear of the backrooms was quite thrilling. Yet, it's Clark's final scenes where Ejiofor gets to unmask the darkness at Clark's centre that is most unsettling. It's a difficult character journey to watch, to see Ejiofor grow rotten, but it is masterfully played.

It's hard to tell a good story from beginning to end, especially one overladen with pre-existing lore and expectation. What do you take with you? What will your average movie-going audience relate to? Seeing Osgood Perkins' producing credit tacked onto this was probably warning enough that this would walk off the beaten path at some point. At the halfway point of the feature, we lose sight of Clark, leaving his story behind for his therapist, Mary. This is a character we've gotten glancing pieces of throughout the film. Mary has her own horrific backstory, and we get it randomly littered throughout. It's unusual in delivery and often interrupts the pacing rather than adding to the flow of the narrative. The film doesn't care if Mary works as the new protagonist; she is unceremoniously dumped with a baton to lead the feature. She then proceeds to get to the backrooms in quite a clunky way, all while the audience is left trying to puzzle out the time disparity that has taken place. Clark's descent into madness is well performed by Ejiofor, but it is a massive character leap. His madness feels sudden, not really earned by the story. This is a common issue with Backrooms; it surges forward in pacing all the time. The fact that the final half descends into a creature feature is a disappointment. It renders what was a great piece of horror into a pretty simplistic run-of-the-mill scare that we see from the big studios all the time. The monster, just being a raging, yet pathetic version of Clark's inner demons, felt quite heavy-handed. The clandestine corporation that lurked throughout the feature was like a brick to the structure of the film. A shadowy corporation just sucked the air out of the personal journey of these characters. Ending the film on Mary being interviewed by Phil was the perfect off-note to cut to the credits on.

The pirate Clark monster we get in the final act is a complete shambolic mess. It's only particularly frightening when things descend into jump scares. I cannot begin to describe how hilarious and average the design of this thing is. It kills the potential of Backrooms almost exclusively.

Mark Duplass, who played Phil, really kills the ending of the feature; Duplass' tired interview completely collapses any sensation of excitement remaining. Finn Bennett and Lukita Maxwell, who played Bobby and Kat respectively, don't ever really get to develop into more than two-dimensional characters; these young performers are merely here for a fatality.

Maybe we just leave this one in the back. I would give Backrooms a 4.5/10

Star Wars: The Mandalorian And Grogu

 

This review may contain spoilers!

Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu is the film spinoff from The Mandalorian Disney+ TV show. In this feature, Din Djarin and Grogu embark on a mission to capture ex-Imperial warlords for the New Republic.

Back when The Mandalorian came out, it managed to do something new for Star Wars, providing that wilder spaghetti western feel and really immersing the viewer in the world of Star Wars once again. I think that's what I like most about a Mando and Grogu adventure: the stakes are always high for our characters, but this isn't about the fate of the galaxy balancing on a knife's edge. This is about a couple of smaller figures doing some good within the galaxy. The Mandalorian and Grogu manages to take the material back to its bounty hunter roots, racing our protagonists through some incredible action set pieces as they bring the dregs of the Empire to justice. It's adventurous, filled with good humour and has a central bond that families are going to find very sweet. As a Star Wars fan who has tried his best to consume every little piece of Star Wars media there is, I was also delighted at some of the little details scattered throughout this. There's something a lot more grounded about following Mando around; the stakes are higher because he doesn't have a laser sword and the Force. He's just as likely to die as the bad guy shooting back at him. There is a moment in this film in which Grogu must step up for Din, while the Mandalorian flits between life and death. It's a great moment in the story that shows how Grogu has grown as a character and has even learned from Mando to survive himself.

Jon Favreau and the creative team behind The Mandalorian have grown quite adept at making a very strong visual out of this character and the way he moves through the galaxy. If anything, this film returns us to the showy framing, the grittier action and moments of full-scale awe that the third season lacked somewhat. The special effects only serve to bolster this, with whole alien cultures looking brilliant, paired with droids and alien weapons blasting at one another. I loved that the puppet and effects of Grogu have also grown to be a bit more expressive across this journey; Grogu felt extremely defined in this. However, the best quality of this film is the score. Ludwig Göransson already shook up the game when he first began on The Mandalorian, but what he achieves here is something next level. Rotta the Hutt's character theme is out of this world.

Sigourney Weaver, who played Colonel Ward, is a very dry-humoured figure of authority here; Weaver seems at home helming a Republic X-Wing and barking orders. Jeremy Allen White, who voiced Rotta the Hutt, is a very charismatic and sympathetic take on a Hutt; I enjoyed Allen White's capture of a young character who wanted to step out from his father's dark shadow. Jonny Coyne, who played Lord Janu, is quite good as a seedy antagonist; the way Coyne is always readily spinning the next shady deal in a scene makes him interesting. Martin Scorsese, who voiced Hugo Durant, absolutely stole the show early on for me; Scorsese as this fast-talking street vendor peddling food and information was a real treat.

However, the best performance came from Pedro Pascal, who played The Mandalorian/Din Djarin. This is a role that Pascal has woven between voicing and playing for some time, and it has become a staple in the Star Wars fandom for good reason. Pascal's Mando is a cool and collected figure, with a tremendous sense of justice. The way he breezes through a scene capable of leaning into intimidation or a quip is solid. However, it is the emotional bond worked between Mando and Grogu that Pascal does the best. The way he talks to Grogu is filled with love, the sort of love a parent would hold for their child. The part in this film where we get Pascal full of rage, eyeballing some Hutt crime lords, marks a high point in the film. However, this incredible performance isn't possible without the combined efforts of Brendan Wayne and Lateef Crowder, who do the majority of the physical performance for the Mandalorian.

Films that spin out of shows are always a bit complicated; sometimes, they don't even manage to spin away from the material well. In fact, continuing from that format is often a challenge from such a piece of media, as is wrapping up the events of the show. The Mandalorian and Grogu doesn't really have this problem; the issue here is that this is a film that does not always feel especially cinematic. The story is structured in a way that it feels like three episodes of the TV show smashed together. This creates quite a segmented low-stakes approach that doesn't always translate well to the big screen. In fact, this film really is so contained that it adds nothing major to the wider Star Wars canon, nor even to the journey of Din and Grogu. This is a fun adventure, but a very safe one made for all kinds of audiences who might have shown up for the ride. There are also a few too many moments where the feature lulls and the characters trek around doing very little. The whole sequence where Mando is at his home, having his ship worked on while farewelling Rotta, is a massive dip in the pacing, as an example. Overall, it's a fine film, but it's not the sort of thing Star Wars needs to continue growing as a franchise.

Steve Blum, who voiced Zeb Orrelios, is a nice touch for fans of Star Wars: Rebels, but has little to offer here; Blum's gruff bluster often falls into the backdrop of a scene. Hemky Madera, who played Commander Barro, was quite a dull antagonist for the film to start on; his tough edge often felt a bit two-dimensional. Stephen McKinley Henderson, who voiced Gatori, is quite a late character addition to the film; this swamp-dweller with a heart of gold just felt awkwardly jammed into the film. Shirley Henderson, who voiced The Anzelians, was a set of four that got a bit unbearable at times; a nice piece of comedy that just did not know when to pack it in.

If you've loved the sprawling nature of live-action and animated Star Wars, then you will have a great time with this film. I would give Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu a 7/10.

Mother Mary

 

This review may contain spoilers!

Mother Mary follows a pop star who has become disillusioned with her identity, and returns to her jilted former stylist to requisition a dress. 

I really love what this film started with, what it laid out for the audience. Mary is an absolute powerhouse performer, evoking Madonna or Lady Gaga in sound and style. But the tone of this feature is set by Sam, the former fashion designer friend who has survived the division of their friendship, ending some years ago. There is a comfort in them reuniting; they are larger-than-life figures who are admittedly quite grounded when you pair them together. History is in the room with them, you see it in the gentlest of moments, like when Sam asks after Mary's Mum. Watching Sam glide through the 'barn' (her own private design space) and try to pick Mary apart is riveting. Mary, being such a reserved, closed-door person while following Sam around like a lost puppy, is a good contrast to the scale of the performances we see her deliver. The wound that is this broken friendship is the best part of the script. I wish the film had known when to leave it grounded.

The visual work in Mother Mary is absolutely gorgeous; the performances she does on stage are so electric to watch. But it is those intimate moments in the barn that really count for something, lingering close-ups and the majestic way fabricwork is caught. The colour palette at work here is often a stylistic treat. However, it is the soundtrack that I must rave about the most. Charli XCX, Jack Antonoff and FKA Twigs are the names attached behind it, but it is Hathaway's incredible voice that brings to life one of the best assortments of music I've heard in a 2026 film.

Anne Hathaway, who played Mother Mary, is absolutely stunning in the title role; her musical performances command the screen and contrast nicely with her more withdrawn sense of self, which we come to know. Hunter Schafer, who played Hilda, really commands the screen when she has it; Schafer's turn as this high-functioning assistant to Coel works perfectly.

However, the best performance came from Michaela Coel, who played Sam Anselm. This is a role that feels imperious when we first meet her; she is a master of her dominion. Coel presents a woman with an eye for style and turning fashion into art. The way she performs voice-over and dialogue alike, as if she were delivering Shakespeare, is a powerful thing. She holds a lot of hurt, bitterness, derision and bile over what was lost and the feeling of being discarded. Sam is a character who yearned for Mary, who probably loved her friend and felt the loss of that immensely. Watching Coel lead and command across the film is a surprising but rewarding piece of performance. I watched Coel and Hathaway craft something raw and genuine; they collided with one another in this spectacular way.

I really came into this film not being sure what to expect from A24 here; elements of horror had been advertised leading up to Mother Mary's release. The thing that became apparent was that this was a film that wanted to play around in the strange; it just spent a long time struggling to get there. The pacing for this film was decidedly slow, with characters dialoguing and stumbling through slow scene work to negotiate a damaged relationship. But there's a moment in the movie that describes this film quite well. One of the characters notes that they are getting lost in metaphors, which is something this film glaringly suffers from. As Mary and Sam continue talking into the night, we learn that Sam had a vision of a ghost leaving her body. It's an odd moment that clashes with what we've been watching. Mary then hijacks the movie with a long metaphor about being chased by a ghost, an encounter with a psychic, and an intense accident at a concert. We muddy into self-mutilation and performing rituals. But the film does end in a manner that reminds us this is all there to just represent something, and if you weren't following along? Too bad, now here's Hathaway with a closing banger performance. The movie struggles with knowing how to end. Mary strips herself bare and performs, but it doesn't even capture the set-up painted earlier in the film. Sam's assistant gives this exorbitant monologue about Sam and Mary's dynamic that doesn't feel especially right coming from that character. It's a journey in disappointment, but it's one of the nicest-looking journeys in disappointment you are likely to watch this year.

It's clear that the music and performers are where the budget went because the special effects for the 'ghost' could have been a lot better. The formless red blob is an odd one, simple enough to evoke imagery of a dress, but often quite obvious in its presentation. The moments where it has to move or be pulled are often the points where it fails in appearance.

FKA twigs, who played Imogen, really struggles to act every time I've watched her in anything; her rabid turn as the psychic was almost laughable. 

Two powerhouse performances and one killer soundtrack get absolutely drowned in this overly complicated script. I would give Mother Mary a 4.5/10.

Obsession

 

This review may contain spoilers!

Obsession follows Bear, a mopey young guy who lives by himself and is holding a secret crush on his friend, Nikki. When his attempt to confess his feelings doesn't go to plan, Bear makes a wish on a One Wish Willow that Nikki would fall in love with him. The only problem? It works.

I was really impressed with what Obsession had to say for itself; it was an unhinged story that felt oddly relevant. This is an absolutely wild new take on supernatural horror. The idea of a wish becoming a point of horror is fascinating. The character of Bear is admittedly pretty tragic when we first meet him. He's not especially self-confident, he's living alone in his deceased grandma's house, and his cat dies within the opening minutes. Life isn't great for this young man, though it's not all bad either. Bear has this secretive crush on his friend, Nikki, who could not be less interested in Bear, from what we see. Bear never shows a lot of strength of character; he isn't honest with Nikki about the way he feels. Instead, he makes the choice to wish away her choice and for her to fall in love with him. Bear doesn't realise the wish would result in something real. How could he? But from here, we never really see the Nikki we know again for a very long time. Nikki's entire sense of self is ripped from her. She might look like the character we met at the start of the film, but her free will has gone, replaced with an all-encompassing sense of love for Bear. Bear is everything for her; her entire sense of being revolves around being with Bear and keeping Bear happy and in love. This film really explores the confines of toxic relationships and codependency, putting both leads through some significant extremes. However, the main driving force boils down to Bear still asking Nikki if being with him is really so bad; he still doesn't understand what his desire has stolen from Nikki. Even at the end, when Bear goes to kill himself to break the wish, he doesn't have the courage to free Nikki. He is regretful, but his sense of remorse comes from how the wish is affecting him. This film does a great job of showing how someone exerts their wants over another person, quashing that person's voice in the process. It's a modern horror that feels completely creative, exhilarating, and highly stressful to watch.

Curry Barker is a new, upcoming director that I think everyone needs to keep their eyes on after this. Obsession is a tightly framed, intimate piece of horror cinema. The camera arrests your gaze on faces, which is where all of the work is. It is absolutely gripping the way this film won't let you look away. The editing also sets a relatively steady pace, cutting from a steady to a frantic pace depending upon the nature of a scene. The score from this film is more droning than I tend to like, but it really cuts to the quick on those moments of hopelessness and captivity throughout. The soundtrack is something I thought was quite coy; the way indie tracks are used to make you think of a traditional romance feature early on is a great touch.

Michael Johnston, who played Bear, couldn't have been a better pick for the protagonist of this feature; Johnston is perpetually quite anxious and awkward, which cuts right to the cowardly manner of Bear. Cooper Tomlinson, who played Ian, is quite funny as Bear's best friend; Tomlinson really commands a scene when he's in it. Megan Lawless, who played Sarah, is a character that took some time to develop at first; but I found that Lawless and Johnston had some incredible chemistry, which resulted in some sincere tragedy. Haley Fitzgerald and Darin Toonder, who played Viola and Harry respectively, are some of the absolute funniest roles in the film; every time Bear went back to the Crystal store, I thought the employees were the best part of those scenes.

However, the best performance came from Inde Navarrette, who played Nikki. This is a very charismatic, cool character from the get-go. Navarrette defines Nikki as someone entirely confident, who has this really strong sense of her own identity and is a bit fearless. She is very creative and quite outspoken, willing to move on from something that stifles her to pursue her dreams. And then the wish happens, and Navarrette gets to go all out. What ensues is a full-tilt descent into madness. Navarrette has Nikki as a lying, gushing, crying and frantic mess - presenting a person who has completely shattered apart and is reconstituting themselves into a new person that can fit Bear's wish. She has moments where she plays to a 'dream girlfriend' archetype that suddenly tilts towards something almost demonic or possessed. Those moments of complete unnatural being, of otherness, are where Navarrette really shines. This character just loses pieces of herself more and more. It is a tragic performance, only made worse by those last few moments heading into the credits. Navarrette has given a horror film royalty-level performance that should be remembered forever.

Obsession is an interesting piece of indie horror that deserves every piece of praise it gets. It does, however, do a lot of what many modern indie horrors do. Which is to say, it really does try to do a lot of perturbing things for the sake of doing some really unsettling stuff. There are moments in this film, like the shrine to the dead cat or the cat being cooked into the sandwich, that are there to freak the audience out, but it's not super clear what relevance they have to telling the story this film is telling. I also thought the actual way we stumble into the One Wish Willow as a plot device is a bit simple in its construction. Our main character vaguely knows Nikki likes crystals, goes to buy her jewellery and then finds this vintage product that grants wishes. It's really easy, a bit funny, but not the best set-up for the whole thing this film hinges upon.

A horror film that is well and truly worth being obsessed with. I would give Obsession a 7.5/10.

In The Grey

 

This review may contain spoilers!

In The Grey, a small island nation is invaded by a high-tier client lawyer and her team of mercenaries to recoup the billion-dollar debt owed by the man who owns it.

This film functions like an action-film machine; it moves on a tight schedule and has a relentless rhythm. Everything about the operation we watch unfold is entirely tactical; emotion doesn't ever really bleed into it, it's just unrelenting. This is a film that wants to dismantle an antagonist; the components of storytelling are just a means to get there. It's extremely impressive watching the matter-of-fact way this film dissects the dissolution of a despot. There's a sort of thrill to the cocky soldiers running drills, backroom deals being postured and the helter-skelter run to extraction. I loved nothing more than when Rachel stopped for a beer, and we got to see the highly efficient way her team responds to a militant show of force from the enemy combatants.

Henry Cavill, who played Sid, is pretty entertaining as this lumbering manipulator; Cavill as the disruptor mercenary with an easy sense of charisma is a neat bit of casting. Eiza González, who played Rachel, is one of the most captivating performances in this feature; González is just as much of a combatant as the others, she is just sparring with dialogue. Fisher Stevens, who played William Horowitz, is quite a fun turn as the adversary lawyer who is watching his client's world fall apart; Stevens presenting an character who is struggling with a loss of control is often the best part of the antagonist storyline.

However, the best performance came from Jake Gyllenhaal, who played Bronco. I never watched The Covenant, but I must say there's a very natural pairing with Gyllenhaal and a Guy Ritchie script. This is a mercenary figure who feels quietly imposing, like he could snap into a dangerous display of force at any moment. I greatly enjoyed how aloof Bronco was as a character; that quick-talking wit you expect from a Ritchie film is entirely carried by Gyllenhaal here. Comfortably, the funniest role, while also being the most dynamic mercenary. I enjoyed how calculating this character was; his dry sarcasm often hides a figure who is deceptively cunning. If that's not enough, any time Gyllenhaal and Cavill get to riff off one another is a treat.

Guy Ritchie's recent film run hasn't been the most impressive; often, that feels like he's not finding anything fresh in the same tried and true elements. Yes, the characters make dry-humoured jokes, there's a high-stakes heist, and the boys with bravado live up to their cockiness. But somewhere within all of that, we've lost the actual sense of character. I watched this film, and I know I'm supposed to be rooting for Sid, Bronco and Rachel. But it's honestly pretty hard to care. These are characters who serve the action and are stoic individuals rolling out a very tactical plan. You never really get to see their sense of emotion, nor how they connect to one another genuinely. This film is often very detached, and even the main plot is just watching our heroes still money from one rich guy from another bunch of rich guys. There's also a significant exposition problem in In The Grey that aggravated me to no end. If a gun isn't firing, this is a film that just will not shut up. Every character has a voice-over, monologue or phone call in which they are dissecting and explaining elements of the plan or what they are doing. This turned what could have been an intriguing or tense story into a top-heavy info dump.

I'm used to a Guy Ritchie feature being quite a stylistic trip to the cinema, but this is quite visually lacking. I found the camerawork here staggeringly obvious; there's quite a structured approach to how action and confrontation are captured that I didn't enjoy. The editing moves at a steady pace that never really switches up on itself enough to draw in the viewer. The score for this film is a significant disappointment, given that the film struggles to create a sense of mood; the music in the feature rarely makes you feel the danger of those high-stakes scenes.

Carlos Bardem, who played Manny Salazar, is one of the absolute worst onscreen antagonists I've watched all year; Bardem's turn as a billionaire crime lord was entirely unbelievable. Rosamund Pike, who played Bobby Sheen, is finding some horrible roles lately; Pike as this sweat-soaked financial executive is a completely miscast character. Kristofer Hivju, who played Axel Olsson, could have had an interesting role; sadly, Hivju is reduced to a bland henchman figure. Darrell D'Silva, who played Braxton, is a gruff figure who doesn't quite fit his role; D'Silva is a character who opens this feature but doesn't leave much of an impression. 

Guy Ritchie tries to flex his muscles here, but he winds up showing us all the tired, old tricks. I would give In The Grey a 4.5/10.

Mortal Kombat II

 

This review may contain spoilers!

Mortal Kombat II is an adaptation of the Mortal Kombat video game franchise and a sequel to Mortal Kombat (2021). In this feature, the champions of Earthrealm must defeat Shao Kahn and his allies in a tournament, lest he claim Earth in conquest.

The character of Johnny Cage is offered up to be the more 'everyday' human for audiences to relate to this time around. He is quite a charismatic, funny figure, and it can be entertaining to see him grow and join the fight to save Earthrealm. This feature also boasts some really impressive fight sequences; it takes what worked well in the first film and really builds upon it. Watching some points in which the film does a reasonable job of tipping its hat to the games with a line, cameo or visual moment is a nice improvement from the original.

This film might not wow anyone from a story perspective, but it is a massive visual step up from the 2021 film. The cinematography here frames with intention, evoking video game style and also moving at a pace with some extremely impressive fight sequences. The visual effects finally look decent; there are some scenes where things can be stretched thin, but for the most part, this is a real feast for the eyes. I loved how visual backgrounds were styled, paired with flying razor hats, CGI throwing daggers and roaring infernos. The score is also a lot more engaging; it kicks the adrenaline into overdrive and makes the action as intense as possible.

Karl Urban, who played Johnny Cage, was a satisfying new addition to the series; Urban has a very natural, comedic charisma that enhances his character. Damon Herriman, who played Quan Chi, was extremely eerie as this unnatural sorcerer; Herriman's ability to play to the fantasy setting and the unusual, conflicting elements around him really set his performance apart. Hiroyuki Sanada, who played Hanzo Hasashi, decided that he was just here to impress this time around; Sanada plays into the tougher side of Scorpion, which works a lot better for him. CJ Bloomfield, who played Baraka, gives an immense creature performance; Bloomfield and Urban also have a great comedic dynamic with one another.

However, the best performance came from Josh Lawson, who played Kano. I cannot even begin to describe it, but Lawson has just found his way to a very natural fit with Kano. This rough-edged scoundrel is not necessarily someone to be trusted. Lawson presents an uncouth figure who cusses out allies and enemies alike. This film struggles to be funny, but Lawson sure doesn't. If there's a moment in which I actually found myself laughing the hardest, it was when Lawson was onscreen. Yes, we needed a little necromancy to get there, but thank goodness Kano is back. Josh Lawson was my favourite part of the first film, and he continues to deliver.

There's one thing that just seems to be true of Mortal Kombat films: there's not a lot of plot going on. A big part of this seems to stem from the fact that this is just adapting a fighting video game; the story is paper-thin in the first place. Yet, despite that, we seem to get ridiculous exposition dumps every other scene, paired with interdimensional travel, lizard people, magic and Elder gods. There's really no way into the story of this film; it's all quite outlandish and really caters to the players of the game. If you're an audience member who hasn't played before, good luck. The punching looks neat at least. This film doesn't always seem very confident in itself either; it really struggles with conveying who leads the feature. The marketing would tell you that it's Johnny Cage, but he seems like a piece in the ensemble at times. There are whole moments where Liu Kang or Kitana could be leading the film, but they aren't brought forward to that role either. So the only thing really leading this feature is that we're waiting for the big, muscular bad guy to get killed by the end. This film often lowers the stakes; characters who died in the first film are being resurrected left, right and centre. We even take a big trek into Netherealm, an Underworld for Mortal Kombat. This makes the threat of death hanging over our heroes' heads all the less significant, one of the few elements that lends an edge to these films. I also wouldn't recommend trying to work out the rules to the tournament; the characters try to explain it, but the rules are also extremely inconsistent. The dialogue, being a mixture of one-liners, quips and throwbacks to the video game, makes this some of the weakest writing I have experienced all year.

Adeline Rudolph, who played Kitana, has a lot of potential but never really manages to grasp it; Rudolph winds up being the exposition spout McNamee was in the original film. Martyn Ford, who played Shao Kahn, is a very generic antagonist role; this hulking threat is all presence but no substance. Tati Gabrielle, who played Jade, just doesn't have the chemistry with Rudolph to play their friendship and betrayal; Gabrielle is often too stoic in her scenes. Jessica McNamee, who played Sonya Blade, is surprisingly more boring than the original film; McNamee is easily the most bland fighter of the feature. Mehcad Brooks, who played Jax Briggs, struggles to make much of an impression this time around; Brooks is pushed to the background a lot more. Ludi Lin, who played Liu Kang, is quite an important character with an actor who can't play to that; Lin just doesn't have the bold presence to make himself known. Tadanobu Asano, who played Lord Raiden, is an extremely expressionless performance; Asano just doesn't feel big enough to be an 'Elder God'. Chin Han, who played Shang Tsung, is one of the more forgettable antagonists; he often seems like the surplus element in his scenes. Joe Taslim, who played Bi-Han, had quite a generic performance this time around; Taslim was reduced to a final fight scene with no real motive or purpose. Max Huang, who played Kung Lao, was a bit of a forced character return; he just doesn't feel like a big enough draw to play up his big fight sequence. Lewis Tan, who played Cole Young, has been demoted from protagonist for a very clear reason; Tan often struggles to play naturally in a scene. Ana Thu Nguyen, who played Queen Sindel, is in such a twisted role that makes little sense; this character is all over the place, and it's not very clear why. Sophia Xu and Desmond Chiam, who played Young Kitana and King Jerrod respectively, give a relatively simplistic intro to the film; this is a father/daughter intro that we've seen a thousand times before.

Sometimes, a really bad film begets a really bad sequel. I would give Mortal Kombat II a 4.5/10.