Tag: movies

“Eternity” review

In the age of endless sequels and franchise installments, Eternity, directed and co-written by David Freyne, feels like a breath of fresh air. Not only is it a breath of fresh air, but it’s a good breath of fresh air. Mixing in a nice balance of romance and comedy, solid performances, stellar cinematography, and a thoughtful script, the result is one of the best rom-coms of the year that is sure to tug at your heartstrings.

Eternity opens with an elderly couple, Larry and Joan, on their way to a gender reveal party. While there, Larry chokes on pretzels and dies. After his death, Larry finds himself on a train to an unknown location. When he arrives, he meets his afterlife coordinator, Anna, who informs him that he is dead and is now at a hub, and that he must decide within ten days where he wants to spend his eternity. The caveat is that while each eternity is unique, it is final and escaping it would result in being thrown into a void. Larry decides to wait for Joan, as she has terminal cancer and it is only a matter of time before she passes. Joan eventually passes and reunites with Larry at the hub, while also spotting her first love, Luke, who died in the Korean War many years ago. Joan now faces a decision between Luke and Larry on who she wants to spend her eternity with.

From left to right: Elizabeth Olsen as Joan, Miles Teller as Larry, and Callum Turner as Luke

The film’s concept is creative, and it finds just the right balance of drama, romance, and comedy. The jokes land for the most part, and the drama, especially towards the end, makes you feel something. I ended up becoming attached to these characters and caring about what was going to happen next. Of course, this is helped greatly by a solid cast, highlighted by the trio of Elizabeth Olsen as Joan, Miles Teller as Larry, and Callum Turner as Luke. Teller does an especially good job by essentially playing an elderly man in a younger man’s body, and he keeps it believable.

One aspect of the film that I enjoyed is how thoughtful the screenplay is in regard to how Joan tackles her decision and the decision she ultimately makes by the end. It gives the experience more emotional weight compared to many of the other entries in the rom-com genre.

Another aspect of the film that is unexpectedly noteworthy is the cinematography by Ruairi O’Brien. This is a very good-looking film in many ways, and the use of color in particular is impressive. The opening scene with the elderly Larry and Joan uses a duller color palette, aligning with the reality of a couple close to the end of their lives. When Larry arrives at the hub, the colors are more vibrant but not overly so. The most colorfully vibrant scenes are the ones in eternity, as it’s supposed to represent eternal bliss. It’s small details like this that add to the overall experience of the film.

All in all, Eternity is a solid experience filled with laughs and emotion, backed by a stellar cast and superb visuals. Despite a predictable ending, I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it by the end. If this is what eternity actually looks like, then count me in.

Rating: 4/5

December 4, 2025
“Christy” review

Going into the screening of this film at the 34th annual Philadelphia Film Festival, I didn’t know much about Christy Martin or her story. I didn’t really watch any of the trailers either. I did know that Sydney Sweeney was starring and that the film had gained some traction at various film festivals, so that piqued my interest. While it is another one of those safe, cliched biopics, Christy does a good enough job of honoring Martin’s career and story, with a standout performance from Sweeney.

Sydney Sweeney as Christy Martin

This is a sports biopic, so naturally it follows the template of many of the other biopics that have come before it. We are introduced to a young Christy in 1989, who has a passion for boxing but is unsure if she wants to pursue it as a full-time career. Her parents are skeptical as well, not only about boxing but about who she is as a person. Christy is in a relationship with a girl named Rosie, and her parents (her mom especially), do not approve. Eventually, she gets a break when boxing promoter Larry Carrier offers her her first professional fight. It’s around this time when she meets her trainer Jim Martin, who she eventually marries. Her career takes off from there, though it’s not without struggles, both on and off the ring.

To be completely honest, this movie wouldn’t have worked nearly as well without a strong cast, especially Sydney Sweeney in the title role. She gives a career-best performance here, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see her in the Oscar race coming up in a few months. This role demanded an intense, committed performance, and that’s exactly what we got. Ben Foster as Jim Martin also deserves recognition, as his presence on screen is intense and unsettling, particularly towards the end of the film.

Ben Foster as Jim Martin

Many of the truly good biopics are the ones that resonate emotionally and sometimes even personally. This is one of those that works on both levels. It’s emotionally resonant in a sense that Christy had to overcome a lot to get to where she ended up being. It’s a classic underdog story that everyone knows and loves but holds some more weight due to her experiences that many can relate to. This includes things such as sexuality and domestic violence, which are slowly unveiled over the course of the film. The film’s pacing does get bogged down a bit when it strays away from the ring though, but it luckily stays on track just enough to not feel like a slog.

Ultimately, the most important thing that Christy accomplishes is that it feels like it’s a solid tribute to Christy Martin. Not only does it tell the story of her career, but it also shows what was going on outside of her career and how those experiences shaped her, which is arguably just as important. While many might consider it to be on the safe side, even I would describe it as “solid yet unspectacular”, there is a limit on how much one can do with a sports biopic. Christy is yet another good addition to a large catalogue of them at this point.

Rating: 3.5/5

October 25, 2025
“What the Hell Happened” review

This past Saturday, October 18th, I was planning on attending the screening of Case 137 at the 34th annual Philadelphia Film Festival. Something came up at the last minute and I couldn’t go, so I quickly decided to attend the screening of What the Hell Happened later that night instead. Nothing against Case 137, but boy am I glad it worked out that way. What the Hell Happened is a wonderful tribute to friendship, love, resilience, and the rollercoaster known as life.

What the Hell Happened, directed by couple Matt Wilkins and Eliza Fox, follows a group of five friends: Tim, Doug, Anthony, Daniel, and co-director Eliza. Wilkins also serves as an unofficial sixth character, as his narration and occasional appearances help guide the material. The 98 minute documentary begins in the year 1992 in Iowa City and follows their lives over the course of three decades. In a sense it takes the audience on a journey through time, as we see advances in technology such as better cameras, which results in better video quality. It’s an interesting concept that hasn’t been done many times, at least not on this scale. In the beginning, we’re quickly introduced to these five completely different young adults. Tim, 22, has a B.A. in math but is living in a trailer and working at McDonalds. Doug, 21, has a B.S. in chemistry but ideally wants to be a comedian. Anthony, 23, works as a dishwasher but has bigger goals on his mind. Daniel, 17, who also happens to be Wilkins’ cousin, is the youngest of the group and is an unemployed high school dropout. And of course there’s Eliza, who’s a 22 year old mom that’s unsure about her place in the world.

What really struck me about this documentary is how raw, vulnerable, and relatable it is. A big part of that is how smartly structured it is. The film is separated into five acts, with the first act titled “Angst” and taking place in 1992. It concludes with act five, titled “Bruises”, which basically takes place in the present day and shows where the five friends are currently and how their life choices have affected them today. I was surprised by how moved I was by many of their journeys. In particular I was moved by Doug who, without going into too much detail, faces a serious health issue after years of smoking. We all, in some form or another, can relate to a situation like this, and it makes us care just as much as the filmmakers do. It’s the beauty of the power that film can have.

A reoccurring motif I noticed in the film was that of a river. Throughout the film, the river is constantly changing at the start of each act. I believe it serves as a reminder that no matter how good or bad things are, life goes on and things change, and it’s up to us to keep up or get left behind. While life may be rough right now, there is always hope on the horizon because nothing stays the same forever.

If there’s one criticism I have of this film is that I wish more was explored of their lives between the 90s and present day. More footage of what was going on in their lives in the 2000s and 2010s would’ve painted a more complete picture, but perhaps this was by design. I read somewhere that the first cut was six hours long, and it took multiple attempts to trim it down to 98 minutes. There’s a limit on how much one can include in a documentary, and what we got was one of the most heartfelt and enjoyable viewing experiences I’ve had this year.

Rating: 4/5

October 22, 2025
“The Fantastic Four: First Steps” review

It’s no secret that Marvel Studios has been on a steady decline since the release of Avengers: Endgame in 2019. Since then, they have tried to incorporate many new characters into their universe, with mixed results. Here we have their first attempt at introducing the Fantastic Four. While there have been a few F4 movies before, they have all been mediocre to downright bad, and none have been able to crack the code, until now. Thanks to director Matt Shakman’s tight direction and an excellent cast, Marvel has produced by far the best F4 movie to date.

Similar to what James Gunn did with Superman, The Fantastic Four: First Steps decides not to rehash the same origin story we’ve seen multiple times already. Instead, we are quickly caught up to speed with a few short scenes, which lays the groundwork for where the superhero team is at now. Set in the 1960s, the plot follows Reed Richards, Sue Storm, Ben Grimm, and Johnny Storm as the known and beloved Fantastic Four. After Reed and Sue announce that Sue is pregnant, many people, including themselves, wonder if the child will also have special powers. In the meantime, a being known as the Silver Surfer visits Earth to warn of a cosmic entity called Galactus, who is targeting Earth for destruction. Without going into too much detail to avoid spoilers, this is the main conflict that sets the tone for the rest of the movie.

One of things I admire about this movie, among other things, is how smooth the pacing is. Oftentimes, comic book movies tend to be bloated and feel like a slog to get through, but not this one. Much of the credit for that goes to director Matt Shakman’s tight, well-paced direction and a well-written script. We’re introduced to the characters briefly, and we’re given enough time to get familiar with them before the main conflict is introduced. The movie is also incredibly self-contained. What I mean by that is that it feels like its actual own movie with a story to tell, instead of trying to do too much or set up other events and storylines down the road. Of course, at the end of the day this is a Marvel movie and there is a post-credits scene that does set up future events, but at least it’s just a post-credit scene. This all feels like such a breath of fresh air in the crowded comic book movie genre.

Of course, this movie wouldn’t have worked nearly as well without its stellar cast, particularly Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic and Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm/Invisible Woman. These two are a step-up from past iterations of these characters. That’s also true for Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm/Human Torch and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm/The Thing. The cast also have good chemistry with one another, which not only adds to the believability of them as a superhero team, but also simply makes the interactions between the characters fun to watch. But it is Pascal and Kirby that really stand out, and their performances are some of the best in a Marvel movie in a long time.

Overall, The Fantastic Four: First Steps is the movie Fantastic Four fans have been waiting a long time for. Shakman’s tight, well-paced direction and a stellar cast elevate it above many of Marvel’s recent entries, and it actually feels like its own movie without trying too much to set up other events. It’s been a while since you could say that about a superhero entry.

Rating: 4/5

October 22, 2025
“I Know What You Did Last Summer” (2025) review

I must admit, I admired the original I Know What You Did Last Summer. It had that late 90s charm to it while also being effectively creepy. The sequel, I Still Know What You Did Last Summer, wasn’t quite as good but still worked well enough. And we don’t talk about the third movie. Almost 30 years later and there’s a new installment in the franchise, with the same exact title as the original. It’s following the trend of “legacy sequels” that have been releasing in the horror genre over the past decade or so. So, does this movie represent a return to form for the franchise? Sadly, the answer is no.

I Know What You Did Last Summer, directed by Jennifer Kaytin Robinson, follows a group of five young adult friends – Danica, Ava, Milo, Teddy, and Stevie – on July 4th weekend. While hanging out on the side of a road to catch a view of the fireworks, Teddy’s antics cause a pickup truck to swerve and crash. Frantically deciding whether to call the police or disappear and act like it never happened, the friends choose the latter. The film fast forwards a year later when Danica receives an ominous note at her bridal shower containing the words “I know what you did last summer”, setting the stage for the ensuing murder spree by a person dressed in fisherman gear. It’s a very similar premise to the original, with minor differences here and there.

Like many horror movies that are part of franchises these days, the film brings back legacy characters from previous installments, namely ex- husband and wife Ray Bronson and Julie James, played by Freddie Prinze Jr. and Jennifer Love Hewitt, respectively. Although it’s a welcome sight to see these characters back, it feels more like nostalgia bait, as they’re not given much to do other than offer small pieces of advice here and there. The inclusion of these legacy characters opens up the possibility of exploring themes such as trauma and its lasting effects, but the film only briefly touches on it.

When talking about horror movies, the main question that tends to be asked is, is the movie scary? Well, not really. Granted, the original wasn’t known to be an all-time scare fest, but at least at the time it had an original plot, and it had its moments, whether it was jump scares or tension built through suspense. In this movie, there’s just not much there, not even any of the usual cheap jump scares. It’s also not very interesting past the initial setup when Danica receives the ominous note. It’s often too chatty, especially towards the end, which is where the film ultimately falls apart. From characters making questionable choices, to a weird plot twist involving the killer reveal that feels out of place, the movie fails to stick its landing.

In the end, I walked away from this movie feeling disappointed and wondering why it was even made. It doesn’t bring anything new to the table, and I think that’s partly why it’s so uninteresting and pointless. Other horror franchises like Halloween, Scream, and Final Destination breathed new life into their respective franchises with recent entries, so why couldn’t this one follow in their steps? Maybe some things should stay buried in the past after all.

Rating: 2/5

October 22, 2025
“Superman”(2025) review

A hopeful start to the DCU

Out with the old, in with the new. The first official release of James Gunn and Peter Safran’s new DC Cinematic Universe has arrived. Moving away from Zack Snyder’s darker vision, many will be wondering, does Superman stick its landing? Other than a few bumps, it mostly does.

What’s important to note right away is that this is not an origin story. Gunn smartly decided not to rehash Superman’s same old origin, instead quickly catching the viewer up with a few lines of text in the first scene, while also explaining where the hero is currently. The story follows Superman a few years into being, well, Superman, and his popularity has never been higher. However, there are a few conflicts going on. There is a war escalating between two foreign countries (sound familiar?), and we learn that somehow the villainous Lex Luthor is involved. Lex, played very well by Nicholas Hoult, has it out for Superman and is determined to bring him down by any means necessary. It’s a basic premise that has more layers than meets the eye.

Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor

Where the film shines most is when it comes to its casting. The two leads, David Corenswet and Rachel Brosnahan, as Clark Kent/Superman and Lois Lane, respectively, knock it out of the park. Corenswet embodies the look and qualities of the title character, which leans more into the classic Christopher Reeve version that we all know and love. Brosnahan brings her own take to Lois Lane that feels fresh but also stays true to the character. It also helps that they have excellent chemistry, and many of the film’s best parts are when these two share the screen. I really wish we got more interaction between them, but unfortunately the film has to make room for other characters, and this is where things get a bit messy. It is established early on that there are other “metahumans” in this world, namely Green Lantern, Hawkgirl, and Mr. Terrific. Naturally, all three must be given some time to shine, and they do, but the issue is that it takes away the focus on Superman. This is his movie after all, and it would have been better if these characters were saved for the sequel instead. It’s not that these characters are in it a lot, but they are in it just enough to make the movie feel unfocused at times.

Another issue with this film is that it is ultimately sort of forgettable. There are some cool action scenes, but none that are memorable or stand out. Some of the film’s more interesting dynamics, like Lois and Clark’s relationship, don’t get enough spotlight. There are some interesting themes and ideas that are explored, notably the idea of Superman being an immigrant and trying to fit in. It’s a timely subject matter, but in the end it doesn’t get explored enough. Perhaps this is all just the nature of a popcorn action flick, where there’s more flash than substance.

All in all, Superman is a superhero film that, despite a few bumps along the way, delivers a solid start to Gunn and Safran’s DC regime. For many, it’s a welcome departure from the previous few movies featuring Superman and falls more in line with his classic interpretation. While I wished the movie was more focused and memorable, I left the theater hopeful and eager to see more of this universe.

Rating: 3.5/5

October 22, 2025