I had the great honor to speak with the incredible Ted Danson, Mary Steenburgen, & Mike Schur about the second season of the fun, lighthearted mystery...
10. Sorry, Baby- “Sorry, Baby” begins with the audience knowing something bad happened to Agnes (earnestly played by filmmaker Eva Victor). As the story unfolds, it is as if we are flies on a wall, witnessing one of the most aching and profoundly authentic depictions of the aftermath of sexual assault. “Sorry, Baby” is a compelling and honest dark comedy about significant trauma.
9. Twinless- This movie is about two grieving men, who bond in a support group for those who have lost their twins. They form a brotherly friendship, but it is soon revealed that all is not what it seems. That sounds more eerie than it needs to be. However, you never know where this story is headed. “Twinless” is a smart screenplay with the right balance of dark humor, and features Dylan O’ Brien’s best performance to date. This story cleverly explores the pain of grief and loneliness.
8. KPop Demon Hunters- The best animated feature of the year is also one of the best films of the year (with one of the best soundtracks of the year)! “KPop Demon Hunters” is a visually and musically captivating, creative tale about friendship, self-acceptance, and overcoming shame. The film features incredible voice acting (and singing) with a stunning representation of the Korean culture. Believe the hype with this one!
7. The Ugly Stepsister- It’s a twisted take on the classic Cinderella story I didn’t know I needed. “The Ugly Stepsister” is a comedic, body horror about the “physical perfection” pressured on young women looking for a husband. While the film can be gruesome at times, it is an unforgettable watch that brings a whole new and unexpected meaning to “happily ever after”.
6. Eternity- Set in an afterlife where souls have one week to decide where to spend eternity. Joan is faced with the impossible choice between the man she spent her life with or her first love, who died young in war and has waited 67 years for her to arrive. This is a charming, original, and surprisingly moving romantic comedy with a thought-provoking message about what “eternal love” truly means.
5. F1- What I expected to be a loud, long, and hallow joy ride, turned into a swift, exhilarating, and gripping race! “F1” brings excitement and heart with some ’90s nostalgia to this true cinematic experience. Fantastic casting all around, including an incredible breakthrough performance by Damson Idris.
4. Sinners- I was pleasantly surprised to discover “Sinners” was a bluesy, bloody horror. This film goes beyond a typical “vampire movie”. Ryan Coogler masterfully layers his frightening story with interracial conflicts, cultural history, a powerful soundtrack, and riveting thrills. Michael B. Jordan gives TWO award-worthy performances along with the seamless ensemble cast.
3. Weapons- I can see why there was a bidding war over the “Weapons” spec script. I can’t remember the last time I was truly scared while watching a scary movie in theaters. I had a sense of panic and struggled to fall asleep that night. Zach Cregger is known for his wild horror, “The Barbarian”, but this time around, Cregger elevates his storytelling with a unique and sharp-witted screenplay. The film is wisely crafted with effective jump scares and an appropriate amount comic relief.
2. Materialists- It’s a refreshing spin on the rom-com genre. Lucy is an ambitious young New York City matchmaker, who finds herself torn between the perfect match and her imperfect ex. The plot raises a lot of questions about dating in the modern world today. Primarily, what is it that you are not willing to compromise. It is deep and there is an ongoing discussion about the “math” of dating and how it can become a business transaction. How much does “love” truly factor in the equation? “Materialists” is an authentic perspective on dating, brilliantly told through Celine Song’s detail and insightful mind.
1. Superman- In the current state of superhero movie fatigue, it is rare that one could still blow me away. James Gunn has revitalized the genre, especially for DC, and given us a Superman (with a sense of humor) we can truly look up to. He has resuscitated the tired story and given life to this tale with a contemporary take told by a stellar cast, including a scene stealing dog. This Superman leads with kindness, so much so that in the heat of battle he will stop to save a squirrel. His desire to be accepted by society, while still staying true to his innate virtue, pulls at your heart and inspires hope.
The Rest of the Best:
11. Jay Kelly
12. Together
13. Predator: Badlands
14. My Dead Friend Zoe
15. One Battle After Another
16. Dead Man’s Wire
17. It Was Just an Accident
18. The Perfect Neighbor
19. Baltimorons
20. Bob Trevino Likes It
Top 5 Worst Film of 2024
5. Wolf Man – Shockingly boring and pointless.
4. The Fantastic Four: First Steps – Waste of a perfectly good cast, AGAIN! But oh, the CGI on that baby is unforgiveable.
3. Anemone – Nepotism at its worst. Can’t believe Daniel Day-Lewis came out of retirement for this one.
2. Black Phone 2 – A sequel was clearly not necessary, but this movie was just an insult to the incredible original film. I’m still so disappointed.
1. Ella McCay – What in the world was this movie? Was the script not finished? Did the editor’s quit midway through? I’m not sure what happened here, but it was bad. VERY bad.
Lucy Hale continues to slay in the horror genre, this time
adding a hilarious romantic comedy element to her new whodunit thriller, “F
Marry Kill”.
Directed by Laura Murphy, the story follows Hale as Eva, a true crime junkie obsessed with the latest serial killer that’s targeting women on dating apps. After wasting 8 years with an egotistical boyfriend, she finally decides to put herself back out into the dating world. With encouragement from all her friends except for her happily married best friend, Kelly (Virginia Gardner), she takes a stab at the dating apps. Though hesitant, she succeeds in finding three seemingly nice potential suitors (Brendan Morgan, Samer Salem, and Jedidiah Goodacre). But as the news unveils alarming evidence about the infamous serial killer, Eva begins to suspect the new men in her life. This leads her to question which one of her three dates is an f-boy, marriage material, or a killer.
While the plot may sound ridiculous, it is surprisingly creative and laugh out loud funny. Hale leads the cast with a crass yet charmingly captivating performance. While her character is an overthinker and makes some obviously idiotic choices, she is relatable and hilarious. This is easily one of her most entertaining roles to date. The supporting cast around her kills it with their comedic timing, elevating the already witty script.
Fans of a good murder mystery can appreciate the clever storytelling.
Albeit a little formulaic, there is still some originality sprinkled in with its
topical references about social media and dating app, along with the film’s humorous
path and clues leading up to a killer reveal.
After a plethora of remakes and heavy award season dramas, “F Mary Kill” offers mischievous fun with a stellar cast. The film is a re-watchable comedic murder mystery that makes it the perfect watch for a friend’s night out.
Ryan Gosling takes on his most thrilling role yet in Universal Pictures newest comedy, The Fall Guy. It’s best not to take this film too seriously, it’s based on the 1981 television series and pays tribute to stunt work, taking full advantage of any opportunity for high-flying tricks. To say this film is action-packed would be an understatement.
Gosling plays Colt Seavers, a retired stuntman, who quit the industry after a severe injury. He is pulled back into the job with the hopes of rekindling a romance with his ex-girlfriend, Jody, who is now the director of a blockbuster film. The only problem is the star of the movie is missing and Colt must find him before Jody’s film is canned.
At first, “The Fall Guy” throws a lot at you at once. It takes a minute to find the groove of the film, but once the film finds its footing, audiences are in for a non-stop, electrifying, good time filled with humor thanks to the witty dialogue by writers, Drew Pearce and Glen A. Larson. Through all the explosions and fight sequences, there’s a gripping story about the typically unrecognized hard work of stuntmen and women. We’re shown how they are repeatedly put into life-threatening situations for a quick “magical” shot that’s pivotal to a movie. But director David Leitch takes this premise one step further by adding a romantic comedy element that only elevates the story.
Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt dazzle on-screen. The two of them surprisingly convey enough heart to charm audiences even while they make you burst out laughing from their several comedic scenes. “The Fall Guy” is an exciting moviegoing experience, providing jaw-dropping action, loveable leads, killer soundtrack, and ridiculous chaotic fun. Making it the perfect popcorn flick.
“Solène, a 40-year-old single mom, begins an unexpected romance with 24-year-old Hayes Campbell, the lead singer of August Moon, the hottest boy band on the planet.”
I got a chance to speak with incredibly talented filmmaker, Michael Showalter about his new romantic comedy that digs deep and pulls at your heartstrings.
I highly recommend everyone watch “The Idea of You” when it streams on Prime Video on May 2, 2024.
“When the love of Maddie’s life gets engaged to her best friend, she puts her feelings aside to be a bridesmaid at their wedding in Ireland.” Netflix continues to revive the romcom genre! “Irish Wish” is the feel-good love story we all need this spring.
I had the honor of speaking with Lindsay Lohan, Ayesha Curry, and Ed Speleers about the film, when they started putting themselves first, wedding compromises, what makes them feel confident, and more!
Check out the full interview and be sure watch “Irish Wish” when it streams on Netflix March 15!
As the leaves start to fall and the weather gets cooler, a wave of heavy dramas begins to preoccupy the box office. That’s right, it’s awards season! Us critics, usually get excited as this is equivalent to our football season. But it’s nice to get a break from all those intense storylines and be treated to a heartwarming romantic comedy. Especially, one with a charming cast and enchanting love triangle.
Director Sara Zandieh brings us this sweet story that follows Zoey Miller (Josephine Langford), a smart and somewhat cynical college student who believes finding “the one” involves science, not love. She thinks rom-coms like “Notting Hill” and “Say Anything” are idiotic and unrealistic. She even created an app that will statistically find your perfect match. But when the school’s soccer stud, Zach (Drew Starkey) gets amnesia and mistakes Zoey as his girlfriend, she unexpectedly gets caught in a love triangle between Zach and his cousin, Miles (Archie Renaux). Zoey and Miles share similar interests, but do Zoey and Zach share more chemistry?
“The Other Zoey” is almost nostalgic, referencing classic romantic comedies, while also bringing back that comfort and joy we’d feel from watching 90’s movies like “While You Were Sleeping”. It’s also nice to see stars like Andie MacDowell and Heather Graham in the rom-com setting again. The real gem is the spark that forms between Langford and Starkey. It’s hard to imagine her with anyone other than Hero Fiennes Tiffin (from the “After” series), but it’s nice to see her involved in a more wholesome relationship, even if she’s juggling two different guys.
From a distance this appears to be to be another well produced love story that could stream on Netflix, but if you take a deeper look, you will find the talented leads and quirky plot is worthy of a relaxing and fun trip to the theaters. Best of all, Zandieh provides a message about love that everyone can relate to. If we’ve only grown up around broken relationships, it’s hard not to think so critically about love. As a way to protect ourselves from heartache, we try to be logical and remove the romance part of a relationship when looking for our person. However, if you can let go of that control and lead with your heart, instead of your head, you’re more likely to FALL in love rather than FIND it.
“The Other Zoey” is a familiar but cute and entertaining tale of how opposites attract. Highly recommend everyone go see this delightful romantic comedy.
Rating: B+
THE OTHER ZOEY
Opens in Theaters October 20 & On Demand November 10.
“You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah” follows Stacey Friedman as she prepares for her bat mitzvah, but her plans comedically unravel and threaten to ruin the event. I got a chance to speak with the director, Sammi Cohen to discuss this new coming-of-age film. We talked about friendships, hardest part of being a teenage girl, and more!
Check out the interview and movie when it streams on Netflix August 25th! It is easily one of my favorite films of the year.
“Never Have I Ever” is a coming-of-age comedy about the complicated life of a modern-day first-generation Indian American teenage girl. The series stars Maitreyi Ramakrishnan as Devi, an overachieving high school student who has a short fuse that gets her into difficult situations. “Never Have I Ever” is created by executive producers, Mindy Kaling and Lang Fisher, with Fisher serving as the showrunner.
I got a chance to sit down with the stars of the show Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, Jaren Lewison, Darren Barnet, Poorna Jagannathan, Richa Moorjani, Lee Rodriguez & Ramona Young to discuss the 4th and final season. Watch the full interview and the final season when it premieres on Netflix on June 8th!
“Teen matchmaker Kitty Song Covey thinks she knows everything there is to know about love. But when she moves halfway across the world to reunite with her long-distance boyfriend, she’ll soon realize that relationships are a lot more complicated when it’s your own heart on the line.”
I spoke with the stars of the new Netflix series, “XO, Kitty”. We discussed where they would need to go to connect with one of their parents, the music that reminds them of their teen years, and what skill they feel they are best at.
Check out this fun chat and the show when it premieres on Netflix on May 18!
After Ally’s (Alison Brie) reality series gets cancelled, she makes a visit back to her hometown and runs into her ex. The two spend a wonderful day together and feelings come rushing back. Only problem is, her ex is about to get married. “Somebody I Used to Know” is an authentic romantic comedy that digs deeper than the cliche formula. The film is directed by Dave Franco and co-written by him and Alison Brie.
I got a chance to speak to them about the film, the part of their younger self they are happy is still with them today, what it takes to get them to open up, and more.
“Somebody I Used to Know” releases on Prime Video February 10.
