Creation Stories
Not very often do audiences receive a biopic as pointless and embarrassing as Creation Stories. Then again, the filmmaker could still benefit from a turkey like this. If they believe their biopic holds valuable nostalgia or fan service, ham-fisted qualities can be forgiven by movie goers, allowing the movie to even win Oscars. It worked for Bohemian Rhapsody.
Zola
Zola, to an extent, is experimental with its narrative. While it flows coherently, the film is very much still in tune with its source material – a series of tweets explaining a story that’s “strange yet true” – and presents itself as someone spinning you a wild yarn (intercut with tangents and outbursts).
Peter Rabbit 2
Following up on my horrible time watching (and trying to keep up with) The Boss Baby: Family Business, I prepared for Peter Rabbit 2 with trepidation considering I hadn’t seen its predecessor and I wasn’t sure what would be in store. But, to my surprise, Peter Rabbit 2 was breezy and amusing. Absolutely innocuous, but it’s a cute children’s film that maintains its momentum and sets up some great slapstick and sustains its heartfelt themes.
Werewolves Within
By: Jolie Featherstone A good ol’ monster movie meets dimy-lit-wood-panelled whodunnit, Josh Ruben’s Werewolves Within offers a modern take on the creature feature that is equal parts quirky and charming.
The Forever Purge
I find it strange that Blumhouse Productions would continue with The Purge series. Financial returns and core fanbase aside, The Purge had just about explored all of its themes, politics, and ideologies – and all of it was practically satirized in jet black manner with Blumhouse’s The Hunt. It’s almost expected that a new Purge movie would just be going through the motions, which is exactly what The Forever Purge does.
Summer of Soul (…or, When the Revolution Could Not be Televised)
Musician Ahmir Thompson (better known as “Questlove” from The Roots and Jimmy Fallon’s in-house band) perfectly applies his expertise and passion for multifaceted harmony to his filmmaking debut Summer of Soul (…or, When the Revolution Could Not be Televised), a concert documentary about the Harlem Cultural Festival of 1969 and its significance.
The Boss Baby: Family Business
Blame it on naivety or over-confidence, but I thought I was going to be okay watching The Boss Baby: Family Business without watching The Boss Baby. Somewhere within the first act, I surrendered and desperately looked online for a rundown of the first movie. However, even though I was brought up to speed and given an idea of how bizarre The Boss Baby was, I still wasn’t prepared for how relentlessly loud and strange this…
Long Weekend
Long Weekend is a good rom-com, but a victim of unfortunate timing. Without revealing too much, the film switches gears and invites another genre into the mix. It’s an interesting wrinkle in the story and writer/director Steve Basilone handles it well. But, it’s so comparable to last year’s crowd-pleaser Palm Springs that Long Weekend’s almost feels like old news upon arrival.