Sporting an unstoppable slew of passive-aggressive, allegedly improvised, humour and a refreshing spin on man-child comedies, Dad & Step-Dad is one of the funniest films ever made. Don’t believe me? How about if I told you I’ve watched Dad & Step-Dad four times, and have doubled over with hearty laughs with each viewing? How about if I told you I’m worried that my fifth viewing will put me in the hospital?
Versatile, academy award nominated filmmaker Richard Linklater (The Before… series, Boyhood, Apollo 10 1/2: A Space Age Childhood) and rising star Glen Powell (reuniting with Linklater after 2016’s Everybody Wants Some!!) have combined their charm to make Hit Man, a strange caper loosely adapted from the double life of college professor Gary Johnson (played by Powell).
Mixing humour into a documentary about a serious subject can be a dicey move. American Cats: The Good, the Bad, and the Cuddly, the second runner-up for the Hot Docs Rogers Audience Award pulls off this challenge despite some close calls.
After watching kids have a ball with subversive superhero fodder like Megamind, The Bad Guys, and the Despicable Me franchise, older audiences finally get to have their fun with Villains Inc. But instead of assuming that adults want another frenetic flick with balls-to-the-wall violence and a four-to-twelve-letter colourful dialect (ala Kick-Ass and its sequel), Villains Inc. works within a more patient element with organic wit while outrageous characters build charismatic rhythms.
The scandal at the centre of Britain’s dark comedy Wicked Little Letters – mail addressed from an anonymous source that uses risqué language – seems petty in comparison to the waves of crime procedurals at-home audiences educate themselves on weekly. But as naïve as the crime may appear to be, the controversy spoke to the times and ignited much needed awareness around inequality.
Daniel’s Gotta Die is one of my favourite comedies of the year so far. It sports a terrific cast and inspired direction, and fearless dark humour. Since this exotic ensemble comedy has many working parts, I was interested in finding out more details about how the production came together so well.
Amateur Cree filmmaker Cody Lightning shoots for the sky with Hey, Viktor!, an unexpected mockumentary that pulls its influences from the most unlikeliest of places.
Nearly 20 years after its initial release, a different rendition of Mean Girls – the cult teen flick penned by and co-starring Saturday Night Live alum Tina Fey – tries to make as much of an impact as its predecessor did.
Happy Madison apologists who have gone up to bat for Grandma’s Boy can rejoice – director Nicholaus Goossen has returned with a new cult flick in the making.
