Caught Stealing

 

This review may contain spoilers!

Caught Stealing follows Hank, a young bartender and former baseball prodigy, who gets asked by his neighbour, Russ, to watch his cat. Unbeknownst to Hank, Russ is caught up in some pretty intense criminal dealings, and those criminals come calling - seeking a small fortune.

This is the sort of film that really knows how to make you root for an underdog, which Hank certainly is. This young guy hasn't got an incredible life or anything, but he does have some small element of community about him and a girlfriend who cares for him a great deal. More than this, Hank is generally decent; he has a good nature by default and only leans into more morally grey behaviour when the situation demands it. Watching Hank get broken apart by forces he neither expected nor could control is miserable; you keep expecting some guardian angel moment that never comes. Hank just loses, and as we learn his backstory, it becomes clear that he has carried loss and guilt for much of his life. The final act is the more satisfying aspect of this film because our protagonist learns to show his teeth and fight back. He outsmarts and outmaneuvers those who have been working against him in a moment that feels like him reclaiming his own life.

Probably the best aspect of Caught Stealing is the music, both in terms of score and soundtrack. The entire score is this grungy rock sound that grounds us in the setting and cast of characters; it also speaks to the feelings of hopelessness and rage. The whole soundtrack feels like the seedy twang of a rock dive bar; this film felt tough, and it was not afraid to drive that home.

Matt Smith, who played Russ, is an absolutely wild scene-stealer in this; Smith is unrecognisable as the whiny gun-toting banker for the mob. Nikita Kukushkin, who played Pavel, is entirely unhinged in this performance; Kukushkin feels like the sort of enforcer who could do very real damage to the other performers. Bad Bunny, who played Colorado, is actually a seriously intimidating gangster presence in this; this antagonist might very well be Bad Bunny's first decent acting performance. Carol Kane, who played Bubbe, took a small role and really made it shine in the moment; Kane knows how to carry comedy and nuggets of wisdom in equal measure.

However, the best performance came from Zoё Kravitz, who played Yvonne. This character just feels so entirely real, in a cast of characters who feel wild and crazy; this is someone who is so entirely grounded. Kravitz's Yvonne is a hard-working nurse who celebrates saving life with lewd displays and boozy bashes. She's extremely devoted to Hank, and the chemistry she gives off with him is electric. Kravitz really knows how to charge a scene with romantic tension that has you entirely captivated. I found the way she plays agony at watching Hank destroy himself to be quite impressive; she does not want to be the caretaker. In fact, Kravitz's role is to yearn to say "I love you" and to feel it reciprocated in equal measure. She does the legwork on showing this element and demonstrating the divide between them as a result. This is one of the most tragic figures in the film, and I felt it really showed how deep Kravitz can go into a character, even with limited screen time.

I haven't watched as much Darren Aronofsky as I would like, but something I think he always falls into the trap of is the way he captures tragedy and misery. Aronofsky is a filmmaker who tells stories that lean towards the tragic, following a tortured protagonist who gets punished before they get any opportunity to turn things around. I thought Caught Stealing was a film that liked to put characters through hardship or violent execution, less out of purpose and more for the shock value of a character going through the worst possible situation every time. For this reason, I also found it quite tough when this film tried to play to comedy; it is not a funny script. The character of Russ was a neat gag, but that's how characters were treated, as punchlines. The Jewish gangster brothers didn't really feel like anything more than a novelty element to make Caught Stealing stand out. Alongside all of these novelty elements, the main antagonist of Detective Roman was about as bland as they could have gone. She felt so unimpressionable and a poor foil to pair against Hank.

One thing I had hoped to see from an Aronofsky film was a decent visual palette, but this never eventuated. Caught Stealing loves a simple wide lens, big enough to hold space at medium distance and fit two or three performers within it. There are fleeting moments of creativity stifled by inelegant framing and grey colour work. The editing also set an admittedly sluggish pace that could have livened up the brutality fest somewhat.

Austin Butler, who played Hank Thompson, is an up-and-comer whom I really don't understand the hype around; Butler lacks the range to step into the protagonist space convincingly. Griffin Dunne, who played Paul, is a cantankerous side character with little muster to give; Dunne has the beginnings of a scene brimming with conflict that just winds up feeling rather flat. George Abud, who played Duane, is an awkward comedy insert that never manages to land; the film keeps trying to push Abud as a comedy high point, and it always fizzles. Yuri Kolokolnikov, who played Aleksei, is a rather unimpressive henchman figure; I really found his presence in scenes to lack the bite or menace his co-stars had on display. Regina King, who played Detective Roman, is one of the blandest roles in the feature; King is just too stoic to really seize attention as the main antagonist. Liev Schreiber and Vincent D'Onofrio, who played Lipa and Shmully respectively, just feel like strange caricature performances presented to do something a little out of left field; Schreiber, in particular, gives no weight or energy to his performance.

A pretty turbulent and downtrodden crime story that leans on torture, novelty characters and grandiose displays of violence to stand out. I would give Caught Stealing a 6.5/10.

Eddington

 

This review may contain spoilers!

Eddington is set in the titular township during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. The film follows Joe Cross, an insecure and aggrieved sheriff who harbours deep resentment towards the mayor of Eddington. He uses the igniting tensions of the pandemic to try to secure a sense of control, manipulating the radical division into far extremes of the political spectrum.

I was really impressed with the way Ari Aster caught that snapshot of the United States as a boiling pot of tension, a place where conflicts were bubbling over and fears were extremely heightened. We track alongside the sheriff, Joe Cross. Joe is quite a conservative man; he refuses to wear a mask and openly combats against people who try to force the lockdown mandates on others. He has a turbulent home life; his mother-in-law, who lives with him, is deeply troubled, and his wife is erratic and often distant. This sheriff also harbours deep resentment towards the mayor of the town, believing himself to have been aggrieved by Ted at one point in his life. This is not your usual protagonist; he's an impotent and frustrated figure who yearns for a sense of control and power. Watching him fail to gain it time and again is a phenomenal setup to his eventual descent into darkness. I also enjoyed the witty cracks at the expense of the United States in the face of several key political ideologies or events. This was a tough element of humour to balance and capture, yet this is a film that manages it early on.

Ari Aster's strength is his incredible visuals. Eddington is so stark and washed out that the very town seems drained of life. Yet, these barren landscapes set the stage for some wonderfully framed standoffs that keep the tension palpable. The soundtrack for the film is a neat blend of tracks that ground us in the town of Eddington and a couple of lighter tracks played for comedy.

Deirdre O'Connell, who played Dawn Bodkin, is one of the most immersive performances in the feature; O'Connell's internet rabbithole-obsessed character is a scary reflection on how some older people are lured in by lies online. Pedro Pascal, who played Ted Garcia, is one of the strongest performances in this cast; Pascal is entirely charismatic as the mayor, but he knows how to engage in conflict in his own strategic manner. Clifton Collins Jr., who played Lodge, just disappears into this role; I think this homeless figure is one many can recognise, and it's shocking to me that Collins is inside all of that. William Belleau, who played Officer Butterfly Jimenez, is quite a brilliant contrast as an adept police officer in the face of the Eddington police crew; watching Belleau portray suspicion is one of my favourite aspects of the back half of this film. Rachel de la Torre, who played Paula, is a really fiery presence within this ensemble; de la Torre is quite combative in her delivery, which makes for some nice light conflict.

However, the best performance came from Joaquin Phoenix, who played Joe Cross. This is such an entirely repugnant and non-typical leading protagonist. I really enjoyed watching Phoenix flesh this role out and really show all the layers to Cross. This is a deeply insecure man, one who feels small in his home and within his relationship with his wife. At every turn, he tries to show a sort of weak-willed sense of control, tantrum-like outbursts as the town sheriff in a bid to win others over to his 'side'. Phoenix plays into a figure we can kind of recognise, someone who allows extreme media to manipulate him and who pushes back against lockdown mandates in a self-destructive manner. Joe Cross is an erratic, impulsive figure who seems entirely possible to play at times and yet Joaquin Phoenix is more than up to the task.

Eddington was an almost golden movie until that last half hour, where it decided to entirely jump the shark. The film descends deeper into the American social paranoias of the early 2020s, specifically a strange angle around ANTIFA being this shadowy, clandestine organisation hunting down local police authorities. The film has already pushed boundaries at this point, but this slips into the realm of incoherence. Characters start to be killed or survive life-threatening events without much rhyme or reason. There's a colossal shoot-out scene that just takes the bite out of Eddington; it feels like the movie lost sight of what it really wanted to say. The last few minutes present Joe Cross as a mentally and physically disabled mayor, a puppet of other figures, but even this concept is rather on the nose. The movie caps off by showing Joe's life as a disabled man to be almost perverse, which feels like a strange musing to end upon before we cut to the credits. It's this last half hour that makes me wonder if Ari Aster actually had anything to say at all. The film sort of sits in the middle and lashes out at both sides of the political spectrum, like an amateur comedy roast. But it's unclear what Eddington really intends, and maybe that is simply because Aster could not come to any meaningful conclusion.

The editing for this film is a bit tired and lingering. Eddington is a long movie, and you really feel that in how it is pieced together. I enjoyed the score when it was actually used, but there isn't enough there to comment upon. The music across this film has so much empty space between it that it felt like the concept of a score wasn't really accounted for.

Emma Stone, who played Louise Cross, is a remarkably absent presence in this film; Stone didn't really do anything within this role to greatly contribute to the overall experience of the film. Micheal Ward, who played Michael Cooke, is a deputy figure who never defines himself very much; I expected a lot more emotion out of Ward in that final act, but he didn't deliver. Cameron Mann, who played Brian Frazee, is an odd role at the best of times; his entire false outrage shtick wears thin after a couple of scenes. Matt Gomez Hidaka, who played Eric Garcia, is quite nondescript as one of the teen ensemble cast; I was disappointed that he and Pascal didn't flesh out their relationship more. Luke Grimes, who played Guy Tooley, doesn't really land as the comedic piece of the sheriff department; Grimes is pushed for laughs because his character is simple, but it just comes off as a bit obvious. Amélie Hoeferle, who played Sarah, was one of the more over-the-top performances when it came to delivery; her role was also reduced down to a love interest character most of the time. Austin Butler, who played Vernon Jefferson Peak, arrives in this film but never really justifies his own presence; Butler's strange evangelical role in the face of paedophilic abuse at the end of the film just comes off as bizarre and poorly imagined.

A film with a lot of potential, but just completely jettisons anything worthy it had in the last half hour. I would give Eddington a 5.5/10

Nobody 2

 This review may contain spoilers!

Nobody 2 is a direct sequel to Nobody (2021) and follows Hutch Mansell as he continues to try and pay back the debt he accrued when he torched the assets of the Russian mob. Once again struggling to walk the line between family man and hitman, Hutch elects to take his family on a trip to his favourite childhood vacation spot. However, it is only a matter of time before Hutch's violent nature lands him and his family in danger once again.

What this sequel got right from a very early point was capturing the thing that is most interesting about Hutch's character. Hutch is a figure who seems to have a loose moral code and a sense of justice to boot; both of these qualities fuel the thing he does best: beating the crap out of others. Hutch is a vigilante figure intent on 'doing the right thing' but often allowing this consuming rage to dictate violence as his method of response. This is a film that often posits that Hutch cannot escape his violent side, which is akin to his very nature. A fascinating internal conflict for our protagonist to have.

The strength of Nobody 2 is the stunt work; from start to finish, the thing that is unshakeable is how brilliant the action looks. I found this film had a real desire to get creative with the bouts of violence scattered throughout, which made you immediately tune in a little more during the fight sequences.

Christopher Lloyd, who played David Mansell, struggles with his delivery at times but manages a decent comedic performance; I enjoyed how uncouth and ready for action Lloyd was. Colin Hanks, who played Sheriff Abel, was probably the most interesting antagonist this film had; Hanks had a mean edge to him and a blind ambition to get to the top of his boss's good graces. Gage Munroe, who played Brady Mansell, was a lot more interesting with his own storyline in this feature; Munroe gets to explore a teenager lashing out with violence in the name of justice, the same way his father is. 

However, the best performance came from Bob Odenkirk, who played Hutch Mansell. Odenkirk is a pretty safe hand on the wheel with this character; he understands the balance between comedy and gritty action hero. Hutch is a lot more openly brutal this time around; in fact, he just can't contain his violent streak. I enjoyed seeing how Odenkirk grappled with Hutch's violent sense of justice, particularly when he tried to put a lid on it across the film. Odenkirk just sells the everyday suburban Dad figure so well that the contrast to the surprise action hero tends to work. He also understands how to pull elements of comedy out of a scene, whether that's finding the comedic throughline or just plain solid line delivery. Odenkirk is so sincere in his work, and that makes him a genuine protagonist you want to see come out on top.

Nobody 2 is akin to watching a star pupil suddenly have a bad week and rush their latest assignment. You expect and hope for good things, but there's no denying that many corners were cut, and a significant amount of thought just isn't there. This sequel throws Hutch back into the same grinding day-to-day pattern, with a renewed focus on him being a hitman/mercenary figure. Yet, this is presented with a lot of exposition and a strangely familiar sensation to the opening act of the first Nobody. Hutch still can't get it right with his family; he's still trying to prove himself in their eyes, and the inciting incident is still something bad that happens to Sammy. This is a sequel that just does not know how to grow from itself. The idea of a family vacation winds up landing as more of a novelty element, so we can have Hutch fight in a water park in the final act. There is a whole local conflict between two crime bosses that Hutch gets tangled in, but this crime story is remarkably underbaked. The main antagonist of Lendina enters the feature quite late and is played crazy for the sheer randomness of it, and not for effect. This film also tries to indicate that Hutch's wife, Becca, has a mysterious, cool past and skill set. This doesn't really track from the first film and feels more like a plot thread to hook the leading actress back than something done to serve the plot. The film ends with all the fighting being resolved, but Hutch is still in debt, and the circumstances of his life haven't really been resolved. Overall, the movie fails to really move the Mansell family along at all.

The most disappointing thing for me was that this movie just didn't look good; it was often obvious how shots were set to capture a pyrotechnic or a squib shot. The editing also set a rather dull pace that didn't support the speed of the stunt choreography. I found the soundtrack of the film to often be played for an easy joke or a cheap moment. 'The Power of Love' by Celine Dion really added nothing to the final act.

Connie Nielsen, who played Becca Mansell, really played a character who seemed like she was waiting for her big moment all film; I just found Nielsen's big swing into the limelight in this feature to be very artificial. John Ortiz, who played Wyatt Martin, was completely miscast as a local crime boss; Ortiz, being a single father crime boss was a peculiar blend of a character that lacked impact on the story. RZA, who played Harry Mansell, had this strange spiritual element this time around that didn't gel with everything else going on; RZA was just hankering for a fight scene with a katana, and he got it. Sharon Stone, who played Lendina, is in this to play an over-the-top, crazy crime boss with vague motives; Stone is really overselling it in every scene she has. Paisley Cadorath, who played Sammy Mansell, is used more to kick the story off, but without any of the engagement with her actual role; Cadorath sits in the background of scenes a lot and doesn't get her time to shine. Colin Salmon, who played The Barber, is used in a rather boring way this time around; Salmon is merely leaned on for exposition and fed nothing exciting to deliver within that. Lucius Hoyos, who played Max Martin, is a pretty stereotypical teenage bully character; he's in this film a surprising amount, but doesn't really lend anything to it.

A family vacation film done for the novelty, and lacking a decent plot. I would give Nobody 2 a 6/10.

Weapons

 

This review may contain spoilers!

Weapons is a horror film in which 17 children run out of their houses at 2:17am one night and disappear, leaving behind only one student and their teacher from that class. The town is divided over who the culprit is, while many circulate closer and closer to the darkness at the centre of this mystery.

I really admired just how creative and original Zach Cregger is with the script for Weapons. It has lots of elements and points of inspiration from other works, but it remains remarkably its own thing. This film tells a multi-layered POV story, delivering us tidbits of everything from the eyes of different characters. I loved being across this small American town, wondering where the clues that would provide some answers were going to emerge. I also liked that as the film drew us deeper down the line of perspectives, we got a greater sense of how depraved this little town can be. The teacher who lost her students has been demonised; she's an alcoholic, and she wants her students to be found. The Dad missing his son is preying on the most likely suspect, the police officer tries to cover up an assault, and the homeless man discovers some of the more surprising elements. This is a film that just invites you further in and will have fun keeping you guessing. I loved how the opening two acts are a boiling pot of tension, fright, and mystery that makes you guess at the answer to the disappearance of the children. When you understand the backstory to the missing children, there are some serious dark elements there. Unravelling the evil behind the disappearance and what steps were taken for the children to disappear is unnerving and unlike your typical horror antagonist plot. I love this film so much because it has dynamic characters, a town that feels lived in, and it managed to be a horror that wasn't afraid to be comedic or thrilling.

I really enjoyed Zach Cregger's pallid style; there's this washed-out grey that sets our landscape as a tragic, morose place. I think it must be difficult to capture horror in a manner that feels fresh, but there are entire sequences that just surprised me so much in their ingenuity. The editing set a very consistent pace, hitting key story beats and moving the tension of a scene along quite well. The score wasn't certainly eerie, and the soundtrack was a neat blend of tracks, with the opening use of 'Beware of Darkness' by George Harrison a surprising and effective moment.

Scarlett Sher, who voiced the Narrator, is an eerie start and end to this feature; she has this chilling quality that comes both from her age and her delivery. Cary Christopher, who played Alex, is incredibly versatile for his young age; Christopher is as much of a leading presence in this film as his adult co-stars. Josh Brolin, who played Archer, really has a protagonist with a serious, mean edge; Brolin is marred by grief and a drive to fix the wrongs that have been visited upon his family. Benedict Wong, who played Marcus, is such a genuinely kind role; I really think the work Wong put into making Marcus such a reasonable, good character makes his fate all the more tragic. Austin Abrams, who played James, is such a wildly comedic and entertaining standout role; Abrams is an almost manic, irrational character who gets into some absurdly scary and funny scenarios. Alden Ehrenreich, who played Paul, is a character with paper-thin resilience; Ehrenreich's police officer is entirely insecure and prone to destructive behaviour. Amy Madigan, who played Gladys, breathes some real menace into a rather erratic character; it is clear Madigan is one of the performers having the most fun with the script. Toby Huss, who played Captain Ed, was a quietly entertaining character performance; Huss navigated scenes with deference and good humour alike.

However, the best performance came from Julia Garner, who played Justine. This character is openly quite compassionate and displays a real sense of care for the children she teaches. I enjoyed seeing how combative she was, and how the town turning against her hadn't completely decimated her resolve. She is fiery and unwilling to be beaten around by more domineering figures. Garner also made sure that Justine was inquisitive, a curious individual who often let her curiosity be her own undoing. I enjoyed that this character was morally grey as well, prone to alcohol and bad choices of bedfellows. This is one of my very favourite roles from Garner so far; she really leads this feature brilliantly.

This is such a standout film due to its complete creative outlook; it really shoots for the moon and has fun with that. However, Weapons also doesn't make sense in a few places. It leaves a lot of questions open-ended, and not in a particularly well-reasoned way. This could range from something small like the cloudy assault rifle in Archer's dream sequence, right through to how the police weren't able to identify what seemed a very obvious antagonist in the first place. Weapons has a lot of plot holes; it doesn't suffer egregiously from them, but it does leave you feeling like sections of this were incomplete or needed more development. I also found the antagonist, Gladys, to be well-performed but not very well-written when she's in a scene that doesn't involve Alex. Her character really oversells herself to a point that it feels quite cartoonish. Gladys has some menace to her, but those moments where she dons the wig and becomes this wildly eccentric woman about town really fail to make me enjoy her as a horror antagonist.

Whitmer Thomas and Callie Schuterra, who played Alex's Dad and Alex's Mom respectively, never get developed enough to be interesting parental figures; these two are here to be props to the horror more than anything.

Weapons is that kind of original, bonkers horror film that is making going to the cinema a real point of excitement right now. I would give Weapons a 7.5/10.

Freakier Friday

This review may contain spoilers!

Freakier Friday is the sequel to Freaky Friday (2003) and once again follows the Coleman family through a body-swapping comedy. Anna is now a single mother to a rebellious teenager who loves her helicopter grandmother, Tess. When Anna meets Eric, a new love, it appears her family is set to grow. But with her conflict with her Mum, and her daughter fighting with Eric's, it will take another body swap curse to teach this dysfunctional family a lesson.

I think this is a film that desperately wanted to be made because those involved in the first wanted to have fun. And it shows, there are a lot of moments where the scene is being played for humour that have the most commitment of any scene in the film. I really enjoyed it when this film finally got on with the body swap curse and all the antics that could be had were explored. I really think this film knew what it was doing and gave itself a little bit more permission to be quite nutty this time around. The entire storyline with Jake and his interest in Tess being brought back up really stole the show.

I also quite enjoyed the soundtrack for this feature. Freakier Friday has some very fresh pop music that keeps the mood peppy and the energy levels high. It was an absolutely electric moment to hear 'Take Me Away' played once more, but this time as a big screen viewing for myself.

Lindsay Lohan, who played Anna Coleman, might be in her best form since she returned to acting; Lohan really dives into the comedy and also shoulders the responsibility of being the central protagonist quite well. Mark Harmon, who played Ryan, really has something quite special with this character; Harmon manages to pull off these deep emotional dialogue deliveries that really strike home. Chad Michael Murray, who played Jake, is a true comedic delight in this; he absolutely runs away with the gag from the first film that he's into older women. 

However, the best performance came from Jamie Lee Curtis, who played Tess Coleman. I have no doubt in my mind that Lee Curtis was the most excited to be back. She really runs at this script headfirst and commits to the intent of every scene. I enjoyed how her character is still quite capable of serving herself without communicating with her daughter, as can be seen with her being a sort of 'helicopter grandmother' throughout the film. But once Lee Curtis gets to be Lily? Then the gloves really come off. This is a comedic performance with no holds barred. Lee Curtis goes for it if the dialogue is funny or if a major physical slapstick moment needs to be played out. You have a sense of delight because Jamie Lee Curtis is clearly having the time of her life.

Freakier Friday is kind of what I expected the original Freaky Friday to be like. I saw the first film only a couple of months ago, and I expected a simplistic comedy with minimal care for the plot and a heap of overacting. I was delighted by the surprisingly resonant story and the incredible performances, particularly the chemistry between Lee Curtis and Lohan. This time around, it feels like there wasn't as much effort to deliver a quality story. The plot is basically the same thing. A blended family situation is on the horizon, and the family is fighting, bodies are swapped, and now that everyone has walked in one another's shoes, the conflict is resolved. It often feels like the story is sluggishly paced and the same narrative beats are being ticked off, rather than delivered with much heart. There's also this weird style to the writing that comes off as an older person trying to keep up with the kids. Moments of slang, jokes about safe spaces and gentle parenting, right down to how social media is used, come across as quite dated and yanked me out of the film quite a bit.

The film has no real sense of style to speak of, which is nothing new for your stock-standard American comedy. The camera is a blockish element that captures exactly what needs to be obviously captured and no further. The editing is also very simple and downright a bit too obvious in places; when scenes were cut to hide Jacinto's poor accent work felt like a real blunder. The score is present but unremarkable, providing nothing to lift the quality of the movie.

Julia Butters, who played Harper Coleman, is far too neutral a figure in this film; Butters just didn't feel confident in her part. Sophia Hammons, who played Lily Reyes, often plays her character as a bit of an over-the-top, snobby role; Hammons really leans into the obvious and doesn't have much depth to her performance. Manny Jacinto, who played Eric Reyes, is entirely charming but struggles with the British accent he has to do; Jacinto's fake British accent is one of the worst on-screen accents I have seen this year. Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, who played Ella, is apparently playing a pop star in this, but she struggles to capture the viewer's attention; Ramakrishnan all but disappears in her big concert scene, which just makes this role seem superfluous to the requirements. X Mayo, who played Principal Waldman, really doesn't feel much like a principal figure at all; she tends to sell the comedy too hard that I never really found much funny in her performance. Vanessa Bayer, who played Madame Jen, gives quite an uncomfortable performance that borders on melodrama; I feel Bayer was intended as a comedic insert, but that falls pretty flat. Stephen Tobolowsky. who played Mr Elton Bates, is a holdover legacy character that just isn't as fun this time around; the classic old teacher who rants at kids for being on their phones doesn't really feel effective.

Like most legacy comedy sequels, Freakier Friday seems to only exist as a hollow echo of the original film. I would give Freakier Friday a 4.5/10.

The Life of Chuck

 

This review may contain spoilers!

The Life of Chuck is an adaptation of a Stephen King short story of the same name. In this film, we see a world that is fast coming to an end, with the only consistent thread being an ad thanking Charles Krantz. As the movie draws us into Chuck's life, we come to understand the world carried within the single life of an individual.

I was entirely blown away by this feature; it imparts a theme that struck a chord with me. The film opens in a sort of end-of-days setting; the entire world, the very universe, is coming to an end. Within these end of days, we get a macabre look at what things we rely on that we lose, a neat criticism upon our technological dependencies that weirdly doesn't feel like it's punching down. At the same time, it's a look at human connection and a push on how we face disaster and loss. The way people in this film face such tremendous despair with such raw emotion shared with others, while still remaining joyful or even hopeful, is staggering. It's a very beautiful framework for the world, for how humanity can be innately. Yet within this incredible tableau is an oddity: Charles 'Chuck' Krantz. Advertisements for a man are everywhere; no one knows him, but the audience has the extended privilege of learning all about him. Chuck is a remarkably ordinary individual; it's the point that he feels so recognisable. This is a man who will endure and has endured something terrible, but the film isn't about the end or even really hardship. This film about Chuck manages to capture the feeling of dreams never pursued, what it can be to want to dance or perform art, but give your life to something safer. This is a film about facing death, recovering from the death of others and even accepting that death walks the journey of life. But overall, this is a film that tells you to look at yourself and recognise the vastness of all the experiences you have captured and carried with you. It's a beautiful thing to carry so much as an individual, and this film celebrates this perspective brilliantly.

I really found this quite a gorgeous film to watch, especially in those intimate moments of dialogue scattered throughout. How conversations were held is very well staged here to make each interaction rather dynamic. Yet, I also found this film had a nice colour palette that ranged across different moments in the film. Even simple special effects, such as the stars winking out, hit with intentional impact. I found the score extremely moving and poignant. This was a film where a sense of music gliding us along was really required. The soundtrack is also perfect for grounding us in the setting, and the final track 'The Parting Glass' by Gregory Alan Isakov, makes this whole film come together like poetry.

Tom Hiddleston, who played Charles 'Chuck' Krantz, was remarkable as the title character; Hiddleston is effortlessly charming, and his dance number is a highlight of the film. Karen Gillan, who played Felicia Gordon, was a figure who seemed like she was being drained of resolve; Gillan's connection to Ejiofor when she is seeking hope is such a beautiful scene. Mia Sara, who played Sarah Krantz, was wonderful as Chuck's kindly grandmother; Sara is the bright spark in the film that livens scenes she is in. Carl Lumbly, who played Sam Yarborough, is such an earnest figure holding remarkable wisdom; Lumbly lends a good deal of weight to his lines, which lets you sit and reflect upon them. Mark Hamill, who played Albie Krantz, is a tragic figure and a great mentor figure simultaneously; Hamill is placed as a storyteller and a man deeply troubled by his life experiences here. David Dastmalchian, who played Josh, is one of those early character conversations around the world ending; the scene shared between him and Ejiofor about Pornhub is one of those really iconic moments in the feature. Matthew Lillard, who played Gus, comes in to his scene entirely shellshocked but with a massive story to tell; Lillard takes us through this beautiful and powerful monologue that stole the show completely. Rahul Kohli, who played Bri, is a spot of comedic relief that lands well in the chaotic opening act; he really bounces dialogue off Gillan neatly. Annalise Basso, who played Janice Halliday, really captures the comedy elements of a recent break-up initially very well; I loved seeing her spark with life as she connected with Hiddleston's performance. Samantha Sloyan, who played Miss Rohrbacher, really comes in as this bold and confident force; I liked how Sloyan commanded the screen without trying to push into the limelight. Trinity Jo-Li Bliss, who played Cat McCoy, was quite a fun role; Bliss is entirely likable, and the way she livens scenes is a delight. Nick Offerman, who voiced The Narrator, brings some entirely hilarious delivery to this piece; Offerman contains such range that he could easily switch across the feature.

However, the best performance came from Chiwetel Ejiofor, who played Marty Anderson. This is our leading performance for the first act of the film, and it stays with me long after I left the theatre. Ejiofor gets to be our eyes for the end of the world, a school teacher with a penchant for science who watches the parents of his students crumble into hopeless cases before his eyes at parent-teacher interviews. Ejiofor is very grounded in this; he seems so easy to connect with and extraordinarily kind. He feels the weight of the end of the world as much as everyone else, yet he is still capable of delivering a beautiful, hopeful monologue about the life of the universe when folded into an Earth calendar year. His chemistry with Gillan is palpable; there's some distance there, but also this unspoken thing of wanting to fold into one another's arms. I loved Ejiofor leading us into this beautiful journey. What an introduction, what a guide.

The Life of Chuck is really hemmed in by the non-linear abstract elements it uses to frame the narrative. How the story opts to jump around can be quite muddling; the film as a whole can really be driving home a point while also losing focus on its main task. The film is called The Life of Chuck, but I struggled to access Chuck for the first half of the film, which is a very unique problem given how good the film is. I would have liked to connect with Chuck as a character a lot more than in the time he was a child.

The editing for this film can set a strange pace at times; the most common problem would probably be a shot lingering on for too long before actively cutting away.

Jacob Tremblay, who played Teen Charles 'Chuck' Krantz, doesn't really have much time to give this film anything of note; Tremblay holds the space to serve the character, but provides no real substance to the central character. Benjamin Pajak, who played Young Charles 'Chuck' Krantz, is quite awkward and gawky to watch; Pajak's performance shows a range that is still developing, but not enough to hold such a prominent position in the film. Q'orianka Kilcher, who played Virginia 'Ginny' Krantz, is glossed over so much in this that you don't really feel the emotional weight of her character; Kilcher and Hiddleston have no chemistry as a husband and wife duo. Violet McGraw, who played Iris, is another young performer who doesn't quite hit the mark; McGraw's character felt odd, and I didn't enjoy the scene she shared with Ejiofor. The Pocket Queen, who played Taylor Franck, is perhaps not so confident within the acting scene as she is doing a musical performance on the drums; this is a role that feels like she is here for the drum performance and less to contribute to the film as a character. Kate Siegel, who played Miss Richards, felt a bit thin in her struggling teacher role; Siegel delivered some poetry, but there was little impact in her words or performance. 

In times like these, I think I needed a little story like this one about Charles Krantz; thanks, Chuck. I would give The Life of Chuck an 8.5/10.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps

 

This review may contain spoilers!

The Fantastic Four: First Steps marks the 37th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and introduces Marvel's first family to the saga. Set on an alternative 1960s retro-futuristic Earth, the Fantastic Four are established and champions for their world. But when faced with a new threat, the world-devourer, Galactus, the team will be faced with their greatest challenge yet.

The film hits the ground running by taking us into a refreshingly creative superhero world, something entirely new and unique to this Fantastic Four team. This is a world captured with retro-futuristic technology, but with a 1960s aesthetic tipping its hat to the time this hero team debuted in the comics. I was really impressed with the simple manner in which this world was delivered to us; technological leaps were caught simply in a home that is furnished with an antiquated style but adorned with handy gizmos. The costumes are a sharp contrast to the high-flying Fantasti-car and the modern monorail, which navigates the city. It's a world that tells us Marvel is still willing to keep playing, reimagining and offering us something fresh nearly forty films deep. But that's just where this film gets points for being creative; this is actually a Marvel feature with a significant amount of heart. At its very core, the Four are truly a family here, and that's what matters most. This is a film where our leads have some beautiful chemistry with one another; they feel entirely bonded. The film centres upon how these characters can save a new member of their family without sacrificing their commitment to save their world. The value of being able to show up and depend upon your family is pretty special, and I liked that the character storytelling shown throughout really uplifted that value. Watching The Fantastic Four: First Steps felt the most like watching a comic book leap right off the pages I have seen in a while. But right here, we have the Thing, who is entirely a big softie, a Johnny Storm who loves to tease, the most powerful member: Sue Storm and Reed grappling with the dark side of his logic-first manner of thinking. Not to mention Galactus and Silver Surfer being perfectly adapted for the big screen, with Galactus feeling like an entirely unmatchable threat.

This is a very aesthetically unique film to watch. The film is shot and styled around capturing the special effects world it had developed without shredding a moment of intimacy between the core cast. I was really blown away by the CGI in this; it was clear Marvel had been banking big on The Fantastic Four because the attention to detail was unreal. There are some obvious wins like the design of The Thing or the Silver Surfer, but it gets right down to some truly impressive design work like the space chase sequence or Galactus arriving upon Earth in the final act. The musical score Michael Giacchino has crafted here is bubbly and brilliant, entirely fresh and leaves me feeling quite reverent towards a superhero team I didn't feel this strongly about previously.

Vanessa Kirby, who played Sue Storm, is the backbone of the Fantastic Four team; Kirby's moments of fury and especially her moments of strength are some of the top scenes in the film. Ebon Moss-Bachrach, who played Ben Grimm, really is the gentle giant at the heart of this team; I liked the way Moss-Bachrach always brought out the kindness in Ben. Joseph Quinn, who played Johnny Storm, is often hilarious and has some great teasing dialogue between many of his co-stars; despite being the cockiest in the team, I enjoyed that Quinn always found a purpose to the boldness of his role. Ralph Ineson, who played Galactus, truly breathes life into this cosmic monolith; Ineson's voice radiates power, and his presence as this character holds your attention completely. Julia Garner, who played Shalla-Bal, is convincing as an otherworldly presence; the scene where Johnny makes her feel the guilt of her actions is emotionally painful to watch and played to perfection by Quinn and herself.

However, the best performance came from Pedro Pascal, who played Reed Richards. There is no denying that Reed has always been captured on-screen as the smartest member of the Fantastic Four team. But few films have found what Reed's moral centre looks like, not in the way Pascal cuts straight to it. From his first scene, this Reed is shown to be easily distracted and leading with a mind trying to solve a problem, but not necessarily leading with emotional intelligence. Yet, this same man is capable of a steady, gentle expression of love towards his wife and family, which extends entirely to his more soft-spoken manner across the feature. It's really interesting to watch Pascal lead this team confidently and with surety, and yet entirely without the bravado of past MCU heroes in his position. I entirely believed in Pedro's portrayal of raw intellect and moments of social awkwardness; he found his own flavour here. The really powerful moment that stemmed from an actor as great as Pascal taking on Reed is the moments in which his character sat with a dark solution to a problem in a rough contrast to the rest of the Fantastic Four family. Definitely the most well-realised portrayal of Reed to date and a hero I'm looking forward to seeing more of.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps has a fun but very tumultuous beginning. There is a quick introduction to our heroes via a talk show narration recap. This is a nice way to get the proverbial ball rolling and set us up with the key information, but I was disappointed that so much of the start was basically a headlining introduction of 'here's what to expect from the characters you came to see'. I think there were more creative ways to skate around the big origin story. I also found the entire world uniting to be teleported away from Galactus quite optimistic, if not entirely too cheesy. This film does tend towards a soft and lighter pitch, so it's an unsurprising if not unlikely narrative beat. I also didn't much care for a number of the side characters across this film, and the feature pushed these roles to the side with a lack of care that held the whole thing back.

Natasha Lyonne, who played Rachel Rozman, had this flirtatious connection with Moss-Bachrach's Ben that felt extremely underdeveloped; I enjoyed Lyonne having fun with her lines, but she seemed uncertain of her purpose in this piece. Paul Walter Hauser, who played Harvey Elder, seemed like a cheap comedy character tacked on for laughs; this was a performance that played things too big in every scene he was in. Sarah Niles, who played Lynne Nichols, was an entirely dull side character; an administrative role to the Four that was far too present across the feature. Mark Gatiss, who played Ted Gilbert, wore thin pretty fast as this talk show host; Gatiss's long stint of narration-style exposition was far less thrilling than the action being played out.

This is probably the best superhero film of 2025. I would give The Fantastic Four: First Steps an 8.5/10.