Francis Lawrence’s “Constantine” (2005), the first film adaptation from the “Hellblazer” comic book, has become not just a cult movie but a newly appreciated work that was mostly dismissed, even hated, by most critics upon release.

Long before Keanu Reeves was John Wick, he played John Constantine in a vehicle that typically fills comic book fanboys with instantaneous bouts of rage. Not that I blame them.

The “Hellblazer” series, put out by Vertigo/DC Comics, portrays Constantine as a blonde, British smart ass with the ability to journey back and forth between Earth and Hell.

Reeves plays him as a Yankee (a wise choice, considering his unfortunate accent in the otherwise extraordinary 1992 “Bram Stoker’s Dracula”) with dimension-hopping capabilities and an impressive knowledge of the occult. Otherwise, the tone of the character and film differ from the source material, in ways that don’t always work.

Reeves has a strong presence that fills the screen, as his uniquely handsome features, stressed hair and dark suit make him a great leading man for any movie, let alone a horror neo-noir. He makes the role his own but still unwisely underplays the humor.

He has some nice moments of cynical humor, but his performance (and the movie) would’ve been better had he been funnier.

Lawrence directs with a confidence and visual finesse that’s not always typical of first-time filmmakers. His debut has a look not dissimilar to “The Matrix” (1999), as the color is de-saturated but there are still many scenes of perverse beauty.

This is an effects-heavy film, loaded with CGI that is truly amazing.

Philippe Rousselot’s cinematography is gorgeous, somehow evoking film noir, presenting some scenes in washed-out tones, while others are rich in color and depth. Rousselot also shot John Boorman’s “The Emerald Forest” (1985), Philip Kaufman’s “Henry & June” (1990), and Robert Redford’s “A River Runs Through It” (1992).

I didn’t expect his work on “Constantine” to be so amazing to behold, but it absolutely is.

It takes its story seriously, adapting a no-joke approach to religion not unlike the semi-serious tone of Kevin Smith’s “Dogma” (1999), the rowdy comedy that presented its themes of Catholic guilt and redemption with total sincerity.

In fact, the two would make a great double feature.

FAST FACT: “Constantine” earned $75 million stateside in 2005, not enough to cover its $100 million budget. The film’s overseas haul – $154 million – helped immensely.

“Constantine” begins with a hilariously over-the-top exorcism sequence, establishing the sort of ghoulish fun the movie wants to have with its audience. However, instead of the dark humor proving consistent, it comes and goes, even as the spectacle never wavers.

Constantine’s encounters with Satan and Gabriel are written with clever irreverence and benefit greatly from the way Peter Stormare and Tilda Swinton gamely embody them and provide artfully weird turns. Rocker Gavin Rossdale registers strongly in a supporting role, suggesting a film career that could have flourished but didn’t expand beyond this movie.

Playing a cop with a strange connection to the story, Rachel Weisz is once again paired with Reeves, for the second time after their state-of-the-art B-thriller, “Chain Reaction” (1996). As in that movie, she musters only a sibling-like chemistry with her co-star and tags along when she should be helping carry the film.

Keanu Reeves isn’t “happy” with the Constantine 2 scripts currently in development, says co-star Peter Stormare, saying “Don’t turn it into big Marvel.” https://t.co/AOhFeAKsJq pic.twitter.com/ei8AWNZDzr

— IGN (@IGN) May 30, 2025

Reeves, on the other hand, has instant credibility in this world and looks so cool as Constantine, he’s fun to watch, even though he’s still miscast and some of his line readings are wrong-headed, wooden and ill-considered.

Far worse is Shia LaBeouf, whose breakout turn in “Holes” (2003) was followed by his irritating comic relief cabbie in this movie, which didn’t need him.

The awesome visuals are non-stop. As a depiction of ample spiritual warfare in a modern setting, this is a rich, beautifully made freak show. It’s so stunning to look at and madly audacious, it comes close to working.

The visions of heaven and hell it provides reminded me of the go-for-broke climactic scenes of “The Frighteners” (1996), another movie with a daredevil spirit and smirk on its face. “Constantine” strove for “Angel Heart” (1987) meets “Ghostbusters” (1984) and didn’t get there entirely.

Neither did the recent TV series version, which nailed the tone and requirements of the character, but suffered from inconsistent episodes.

Considering how unusual “Hellblazer” is as a comic book, it can’t be easy to get this right. As a film, “Constantine” holds up better than I remember, a comic book movie with guts and vision. The movie is always at full throttle, even when Reeves isn’t.

He’s both an asset and a stumbling block in his own movie.

For the record, it’s hard to say who would win in a fight, John Constantine or John Wick. After all, Wick has been through hell, but Constantine has been to hell, more than twice!

Now that “Constantine” has been revisited, embraced as a cult film, entered into the Keanu canon and redeemed by cinephiles, is it time to give “Johnny Mnemonic” (1995) another shot?

The post Reeves’ ‘Constantine’ – From Dud to Cult Favorite appeared first on Hollywood in Toto.

“Karate Kid: Legends” is two movies in one.

The first is a charming tale told in the saga’s primary colors. The second is a nostalgia blast rushing through the franchise’s bullet points.

Tom Cruise never ran THIS fast.

Together, they’re an appealing blend that frustrates as much as it entertains. Those new to the series may wonder what the fuss is all about. 

Beijing-based Kung Fu teacher Mr. Han (Jackie Chan) says goodbye to his star pupil, Li Fong (Ben Wang) as the story opens. Li’s mother (Ming-Na Wen) whisks the lad off to New York City, where she hopes he’ll stop fighting and embrace a more peaceful life.

Because the Big Apple is all about peace, love and understanding.

Li quickly has a meet-cute moment with Mia (Sadie Stanley), the daughter of a gruff pizza shop owner (Joshua Jackson).  Li just as swiftly draws the ire of a local bully named Connor (Aramis Knight). He’s Mia’s ex, of course, and a karate superstar.

Naturally.

You know exactly where the story is going, but Wang makes the formula all his own. Stanley is equally strong, and her pappy’s bond with Li adds a “Rocky”-style edge to the franchise.

Is a crossover sequel on the horizon?

It’s only a matter of time before Li enters a local karate championship to dethrone Connor. That means he’ll need the wisdom of not only his former teacher but a California guru who trained under Mr. Miyagi (the late Pat Morita makes an appearance via archival footage).

Yeah, that’s Ralph Macchio as Daniel LaRusso, the original “Karate Kid.” The scene that brings Mr. Han and Daniel together felt like it was written seconds before director Jonathan Entwistle cried, “And … action.”

What a waste.

Daniel’s late entrance should be welcome, and the actor appears both comfortable and proud of his franchise ties. Yet his arrival is so rushed that it derails the momentum built by Wang and friends. 

The hurried third act delivers the nostalgia we crave, but it’s not as sharply written as the rest of the film. The hokey franchise tropes are even worse.

Kudos to Wang for navigating the transition as well as he does, but even the obligatory training scenes feel uninspired. How can this slight lad outduel Connor, a force of nature without a hint of humanity?

Wax on, wax off? Hardly.

 

 

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by Sony Pics at Home (@sonypicsathome)

“Legends” rejects the moral ambiguities that powered Netflix’s “Cobra Kai,” the successful “Kid” offshoot. The film’s villain is as one-dimensional as a WWE heel, and young Li is always captured in the best light possible.

That’s fine, but it suggests a missed opportunity. Formula storytelling works best with a few wrinkles added for good measure.

To its credit, “Legends” boasts first-rate karate battles. Some are so acrobatic it robs the film of its authenticity, but it’s a risk the filmmakers were willing to make.

Smart.

FAST FACT: The original “Karate Kid” earned $91 million in 1984. The 2010 reboot starring Jackie Chan and Jaden Smith brought in $176 million stateside.

The film’s flaws can’t overwhelm the tried-and-true formula or a cast dedicated to the underdog narrative. 

“Karate Kid: Legends” would have fared better if it skipped the Mr. Han/Daniel LaRusso connections entirely. Make it part of the “Karate Kid” shared universe, or some other branding effort, and let the story play out on its own.

Wang deserves a film to call his own.

HiT or Miss: “Karate Kid: Legends” offers breezy fun and a dash of nostalgia, but the story never gets the room it needs to breathe.

The post ‘Karate Kid: Legends’ Offers Uneasy Blend of Franchise Favorites appeared first on Hollywood in Toto.

Danny and Michael Philippou’s “Bring Her Back” is their first film since “Talk to Me” (2022) and exactly the follow up that someone can get away with when they’re left alone and have the goodwill of their first film.

This is a truly nasty piece of work, a take-no-prisoners horror movie, which makes me sound like I’m recommending it.

I’m not.

Billy Barratt and Sora Wong play Andy and Piper, a brother and sister who are forced to move into foster care after their father dies. They are brought to a home located deep in the woods, owned by a cheerful, quirky and doting mother figure named Laura (Sally Hawkins).

Laura seems too good to be true, though we are shown time and time again that there’s something horrific about her that Andy and Piper are initially unaware of.

The story is an obvious contemporary update of Hansel and Gretel, though referencing Hans Christian Anderson may suggest this is a fantasy or fable (or akin to Oz Perkins’ great 2020 “Gretel and Hansel”), which it isn’t.

It begins with fuzzy, ghastly footage from an old videocassette tape, and the imagery makes the cursed video from “The Ring” look like “Sesame Street” in comparison.

The freak-show qualities of the plot eventually drown out the humanity. I was ready to tap out early on but stuck with it because of Hawkins’ stunning performance, which finally succumbs to Horror Movie 101 in the last stretch.

RELATED: THIS ’80s DOC CAPTURES REAGAN-ERA SHOCKERS

I believed that Laura is behaving like a monster because she cannot handle living in a world without her daughter and will never get over her death. On the other hand, the supernatural material is harder to swallow, let alone fully grasp, as that grainy video footage is the only explanation we’re provided to justify one unpleasant spectacle after another.

How rough does this get? For starters, mutilation, cannibalism and child abuse. Most horror movies are violent, but this one goes out of its way to shock in ways to I found distancing and, frankly, desperate for attention.

The reason to see this is Hawkins’ performance, which has layers and innovations that the screenplay doesn’t always address.

Back for seconds with Danny & Michael Philippou for new horror BRING HER BACK starring the legendary Sally Hawkins. https://t.co/2zqhoBhB9b

— A24 (@A24) April 30, 2024

The filmmaking is skillful, particularly in the cinematography and use of sound. Despite how well this was made, I would never watch it again and can’t think of a single person I’d recommend it to.

When a film frequently resorts to depicting child abuse, it’d better have a damn good reason to lean into something so horrible. Little kids being pummeled is the least of the atrocities depicted here.

The subtext is what grief does to us, especially in isolation. I can appreciate that but “Psycho” (1960), arguably the greatest movie ever made about isolation and escalating madness, didn’t need to resort to being this sick just to get a reaction from audiences (even Alfred Hitchcock had lines he wouldn’t cross).

Fans of hardcore, envelope-pushing horror might be thrilled that A24 is putting something this gruesome in mainstream theaters. Cinephiles likely know that there are better films that tackle this material without having to resort to gross-out imagery and repulsive content to shake up an audience.

FAST FACT: “Talk to Me” earned $91 million at the global box office in 2022. The film’s budget? A reported $4.5 million.

If you’re among those who need their horror film extra spicy and unsafe, I recommend Francois Ozon’s French horror film “See the Sea” (1997) and Nicolas Pesce’s Portuguese, nightmare-inducing “The Eyes of My Mother” (2016); the former film is around 50-minutes long, while the latter is in black and white and runs 77-minutes.

Those brisk running times underline how effective one can be with less time to waste. Both films shook me to my core and are among the most extreme, if well made, horror films I can think of.

I saw “Bring Her Back” with a friend of mine who loves genre films as much as I do, though she noted that I was visibly shaken and unhappy when the film ended. I asked her if she liked the movie and she offered an interesting response: “When I hear the words Horror Movie, this is the kind of film, and the kind of experience, I think of.”

It’s a good point and genre fans may celebrate how firmly the directors wallow in the muck for this outing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by A24 (@a24)

The thing about the most disturbing works from David Cronenberg or Takashi Miike, for example, is that the horrific imagery illustrates the ideas, themes and potential for violence in the characters. The screenplay for “Bring Her Back” is too half-baked and routine to justify how repellent this is.

The brothers Phillippou are talented and ambitious filmmakers, and I hope their next movie is closer to the tonally balanced and darkly funny “Talk to Me” and not an attempt to go further than “Bring Her Back” in making audiences reach for a vomit bag.

In fact, if A24 had been a hair cleverer in their marketing for this movie, they would provided “Bring Her Back” Vomit Bags with each ticket purchased. If it sounds like I’m trying to keep you from seeing this, then take this review as a warning.

For everyone else, who thought “Final Destination: Bloodlines” was a horror movie for wimps, here’s something with a lot more kick that’s majorly sick.

One and a Half Stars

The post ‘Bring Her Back’ Is Repulsive, Not Revolutionary appeared first on Hollywood in Toto.

Rob Reiner brought two Stephen King stories to iconic life.

The director’s “Stand By Me” and “Misery” captured very different sides of the horror maestro. The films are widely considered among the best King adaptions to date.

Now, it’s Mike Flanagan’s turn.

King’s go-to auteur directed “Doctor Sleep” along with the Netflix original “Gerald’s Game.” Their third collaboration, “The Life of Chuck,” is their most ambitious pairing by far. 

The darn-near-impossible-to-describe tale follows a doomed man’s significant moments, which veer from darkly comic to bliss. “Chuck” echoes that description. The film barely holds together, but it’s impossible to deny how it nails life’s remarkable rhythms.

“The Life of Chuck” unfolds in three chapters in reverse order.

The first follows a high school teacher named Marty (Chiwetel Ejiofor) scrambling to make sense of curious, nation-wide events. The Internet goes down in the film’s opening moments, and friends and strangers alike struggle to consider what’s next.

Is this the end of the world, or just a doom-scrolling time out? Some reactions prove bleakly comic, but the bigger picture is far from funny.

More importantly … why does the grinning face of a man named Charles “Chuck” Krantz (Tom Hiddleston) keep appearing wherever Marty goes?

The first act brings endless questions and no obvious answers. It’s clever but quickly redundant, and the film stalls as its mysteries linger like an ache that won’t heal.

RELATED: STEPHEN KING: CANCEL THE OSCARS

Part two offers a more coherent narrative, helping us string some pieces together. We finally meet Chuck, a thoughtful gent who gets lost in the moment when he hears a street drummer’s tune. Turns out Chuck is a dancer at heart, and the ensuing sequence is both bloated and beautiful.

He’s joined by a heartbroken stranger (Annalise Basso). Together, they summon something magical, even if their partnership leaves the story’s Big Questions unanswered.

“Who is this gentleman, and why should we care about his ‘Life?'”

The final chapter digs into Chuck’s formative years, introducing his no-nonsense grandpa (Mark Hamill, excellent) and spry grandma (yes, that’s Sloane from “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off,” Mia Sara).

“The Life of Chuck” began as a novella in King’s “If It Bleeds” collection. Under Flanagan’s care, the story offers a slow boil drama with a kiss of sci-fi fear. Performances are stellar across the board, especially Hamill’s turn as a grandpa tasked with raising an inquisitive child.

Hamill shoulders more than that narrative burden. He’s also tied to the film’s fantasy twist, and he handles both with grace.

Hiddleston gets less screen time than we expect, but he too establishes a character whose presence hangs over every frame. 

Nick Offerman’s soothing voice narrates the story and holds the disparate sections together. We finally connect some of the curious story threads, but the tapestry doesn’t hang together quite like it should, even after the final “reveal.”

This “Life” feels magical yet unfulfilled despite Flanagan’s masterful sense of tonal shifts.

The director’s strength as the author’s tag-team partner? Finding the humanity within King’s warped world. That’s especially true throughout “The Life of Chuck.” The main character suffers more than his share of indignities, but his ability to soldier on while finding joy in the most unsuspecting places is palpable.

Few recent films feel as jubilant as “Chuck’s” best moments, more than enough reason to recommend this scattershot “Life.”

HiT or Miss: “The Life of Chuck” is a bold, invigorating trip through Stephen King’s imagination, but not every nook and cranny is worth a look.

The post ‘Life of Chuck’ Is Craziest Stephen King Adapation Ever appeared first on Hollywood in Toto.

Director Bong Joon Ho delivered a distinctly original film earlier this year amidst a crush of remakes, reboots and reimaginings.

How did audiences thank the Oscar-winner? They avoided his sci-fi comedy “Mickey 17” at all costs. Fresh ideas are always welcome, but crowds sniffed out this stinker from a mile away.

Now, “Mickey 17” is streaming on Max, giving those who skipped it in theaters the chance to give it a try.

Don’t bother.

A game Robert Pattinson stars as Mickey Barnes, a lost soul who signs up for a gig with a shady corporation. He agrees to be a human lab rat, submitting himself to deadly experiments while scientists dutifully note his body’s reactions.

Remember, kids, always read the fine print.

Mickey dies again, and again, while the corporation “prints” a new Mickey to replace the old one. His memories and life experiences have been captured on a digital brick, allowing scientists to insert his personality into each printed body.

Mickey 1 sounds like Mickey 2, 3 and 4. You get the idea.

What happens when a presumably doomed Mickey clone, call him Mickey 17, doesn’t die as planned?

It’s a wonderful sci-fi premise, making us consider mortality, the limits of the human soul and more. If life is so easily taken away, what does that say about the human condition? What about the people who so casually snuff it out?

A smart storyteller could run with this theme in many sly directions. “Mickey 17,” based on Edward Ashton’s 2022 novel “Mickey7,” chooses the very worst option.

He really should have read the “terms and conditions.” #Mickey17 – only in theaters January 31, 2025. pic.twitter.com/l65qYsO7zM

— Mickey 17 (@Mickey17Movie) October 9, 2024

We’re introduced to a Trumpian villain played by an over-the-top Mark Ruffalo. Note to the erstwhile Hulk – leave the “over-the-top” gigs to Jim Carrey and Nicolas Cage. They don’t suit you.

Ruffalo’s Kenneth Marshall is a failed politician who runs the corporation with his supportive partner (Toni Collette). They have a legion of red-hatted fans and dream of a genetically pure human colony.

Subtle.

Poor Mickey deserves our sympathy, but he inexplicably attracts a lover in Nasha (Naomi Ackie in pure GirlBossTM mode). Her character makes no sense, but she’s in fine company.

The story stumbles after the first, mesmerizing half hour, and it never comes close to recovering. Bong’s sense of comic chaos doesn’t yield a single laugh from this point on, and his screenplay takes a weird, hard R-rated turn.

Characters curse like vintage Andrew “Dice” Clay at Madison Square Garden. That not only suffocates the film’s satirical spirit but gives this futuristic yarn a decidedly 2025 feel.

Terrible idea.

At one point, Nasha screams obscenities at the one-dimensional Marshall. It’s the cinematic equivalent of that Hillary Clinton supporter raging over Donald Trump’s 2016 victory.

“Mickey 17” literally stalls mid-film, unsure what to do next. Enter a race of worm-like creatures on the planet Marshall hopes to populate. They’re CGI marvels, no doubt, but the film treats them like the indigenous population in “Avatar.” 

They must be protected at all costs, and Marshall’s goons quickly label them as the “enemy.” Maybe “Mickey 17” isn’t as original as we thought.

It helps that the Na’vi have human form in the “Avatar” franchise. These creepy critters aren’t even as cute as the main character in Bong’s other sci-fi dud, “Okja.”

The film’s many attempts at social commentary fail, and the corporate swipes are similarly stale. The “Alien” franchise did it far better a generation ago.

Set ideology aside. “Mickey 17” is desperate, dull and chaotic to the core. Pattinson’s performance deserves praise, but he’s adrift in a swirl of screeching characters and flop-sweat plot twists.

We’ll take “Fast & Furious” Part XXI over this fresh drivel any day.

The post Why Anti-Trump ‘Mickey 17’ Deserved Its Box Office Fate appeared first on Hollywood in Toto.

Director Joe Charbanic’s “The Watcher” (2000) is among the many post-“Seven” (1995) serial killer thrillers that appear by the dozen every year.

It’s still the only one where you’ll see Keanu Reeves playing a murderer and James Spader as the FBI agent obsessed with catching him.

Charbanic’s sole directing credit isn’t a total disaster and certainly holds our interest, but there’s little here that distinguishes it from every other subpar “Seven” rip-off.

Spader is a law-enforcer-on-the-edge (is there any other kind in these movies?), on the trail of a sadistic murderer named Griffin (Reeves) who strangles his female victims with piano wire. Marisa Tomei plays Spader’s sympathetic police shrink, who later becomes his love interest and, of course, a prey for Griffin.

The stories around “The Watcher” are so much more interesting than the film itself. If you watch the movie and know nothing about its troubled history, you’re likely to forget it, move on and barely recall watching it weeks later.

On the other hand, if you know what Reeves went through, the movie plays like a juicy piece of evidence, Exhibit A in a major crime scene.

I first heard of the film when a full-page ad of it was posted in either Variety or The Hollywood Reporter. The artwork portrayed Reeves, looking like he just stepped off the set of “The Matrix,” running for his life.

The title of the film, listed as “In Production,” was “Driven.” This was in late 1999. A year later, the film was released under the title of “The Watcher” and had a tellingly odd touch on its promotional materials: despite Reeves being the film’s obvious chief draw, his name came third on the bill, below co-stars Spader and Tomei.

The star’s name also appeared in unusually small print.

Word began to spread, prior to opening day, that Reeves only appeared in the film because he was “contractually obligated.” Apparently, he didn’t want what happened to Kim Basinger on “Boxing Helena” (in which she was sued for backing out of the 1993 film) to be his fate.

A year later, Reeves was doing an interview for The Guardian. The reporter brought up “The Watcher,” and Reeves let his guard down. Reeves revealed that, because it had been a year, he could now discuss the film.

Turns out, not only did he not want to do “The Watcher,” and was unhappy that his cameo role was extended, but a friend of Reeves forged his name on the contract. Rather than fight it, and potentially face the negative press and financial fall-out that Basinger suffered, he agreed to appear in the movie.

This news might have created a bigger stir, had it not first appeared in the press on September 11, 2001.

“The Watcher” was the # 1 movie in America for two weeks, which said more about Reeves’ box office power than the film itself, which made a medium amount of coin in a slow September.

There’s an odd bit in the film’s opening scene, where Reeves does a sort of dance around his victim, while Rob Zombie music pummels the soundtrack. It may have been intended as a tribute to “The Matrix” but it looks like a weird outtake that somehow made the final cut.

There’s a well-staged chase scene, punctuated by impressive non-CGI fireballs- a contrast to the CGI-heavy and utterly phony fireballs during the climax.

RELATED: FIVE REAONS ‘JOHN WICK’ SERIES CAN’T BE STOPPED

Spader is unquestionably good at playing men on the very edge, and he brings authority to a film that badly needs it. Still, the chief problem isn’t the old-hat screenplay but Reeves, who is utterly wrong for his role. Reeves has the kind of smile that can be either charming or menacing, but he never makes us believe in the danger of his character.

“The Watcher” is one of those bad movies I revisit every 10 years or so. Why? I’m curious if time has been kind to it and if there’s still a perverse fascination in watching Reeves in a performance he was essentially forced to give.

No to the first question but a big yes to the latter.

There are enough moments, particularly when it’s just Spader and Reeves, that indicate this might have worked, but the promising bits are surrounded by scenes punctuated by bad choices (such as laughable dialogue, too much grainy slow motion and an awful score by Marco Beltrami).

Considering how truly scary Reeves was in Sam Raimi’s “The Gift” (2000), his woeful miscasting in “The Watcher” fully underscores the limitations of his performance. Reeves can deliver, but the material, director and circumstances must be in his corner.

The only reward to Reeves’ suffering through the making and aftermath of “The Watcher” is that only his most devoted fans will remember how silly and awkward he looked strangling his victims with piano wire.

The post This Keanu Reeves Casting Decision (Still) Makes Zero Sense appeared first on Hollywood in Toto.

James Wong’s “Final Destination” is now 25-years old, a six-film franchise (so far) and a celebrated horror series that fans have grown up with.

The odd twist is that, whereas most horror franchises have an iconic figure as the central antagonist, Wong’s 2000 film has a concept, an unseen threat, who does all the slashing.

The murders come across less like acts of homicide than someone dying of being a severe klutz.

The plot: a group of high schoolers gather at an airport to catch a red-eye flight. Only one of them, Alex Browning, played by Devon Sawa, seems aware of a feeling of danger in the air. Warning signs come from sounds and moments of de ja vu.

Finally, once Alex and his classmates (which include Seann William Scott and Ali Larter) board the plane, we witness the plane take off and almost immediately burst into flames … which turns out to be a premonition. Alex saw the whole thing as a vision, freaks out and is forced off the plane, along with a cluster of classmates.

The tragedy that suddenly occurs not only proves the premonition to be true but makes the remaining teens slowly realize that they’re in the path of Death’s Design, that the end will be coming for them soon.

The opening sequence, reportedly a pitch for an “X-Files” episode that never materialized, feels like the best of “The Twilight Zone.” More specifically, it feels like a companion piece to a terrific, Kevin Reynolds-directed1985 episode of “Amazing Stories” (1985-1987) called “You Gotta Believe Me.”

That installment featured Charles Durning as an elderly man who walks out of his retirement home over to a nearby airport, where he frantically warns passengers that the plane they’re about to board is doomed.

RELATED: HOW TONY FODD PUMPED LIFE INTO ‘DEAD’ REMAKE

The first act of “Final Destination” makes for a powerful first 30 minutes. The rest of the film is always captivating but so silly. The same goes for the sequels, which all begin with riveting, violent set pieces that work so well, that they carry the rest of the violent slapstick and redundant set pieces of teens dying from a major case of the “oopsies.”

Until the new and wonderful “Final Destination: Bloodlines,” the sixth sequel that deserves its surprise box office success, all of the prior installments suffered from starting strong, then flatlining long before the cast of characters did.

“Final Destination: Bloodlines” is easily the best in the franchise so far, though fans of the series have their favorite spinoff and justly celebrate the single recurring touch – the casting of Tony Todd as a mysterious, all-knowing morgue attendant named Bludworth.

If “Final Destination” fans are revisiting the entire series in preparation for the new film, I have a suggestion for a double feature that extends outside of the series. In fact, a horror film released earlier this year is not only strikingly similar to “Final Destination” but, like its recent sequel, surprises for being so sharp and fully realized.

The superior model is “The Monkey,” Osgood Perkins’ morbid comedy that leans into “Final Destination” territory, but with a more thoughtful meditation on loss and what comes after.

Theo James stars as twin brothers Hal and Bill, who grew up aware of a toy windup monkey that, if activated, could kill an intended victim. How the toy monkey does it is where the “Final Destination” comparison comes in.

The monkey is the evil totem who summons an invisible force that creates “accidents.” Upon inspection, the deaths created by the monkey appear to be random, messy and attributed to human error.

Nothing Theo James has done before prepared me for how strong his work is here. Yet, James is better playing the “good” twin than the other one. Another slight problem is that the third-act confrontation feels inevitable.

However, the concluding moments somehow manage to serve up optimism, wonder and savage gore.

Perkins’ film, a superior follow-up to “Longlegs” (2024) and his best film so far, is hilarious, gross and engrossing. It begins with the premise of Stephen King’s 1980 short story of a windup monkey and childhood toy embodying childhood trauma and provides the possibility of embracing life, even as death is a certainty.

Perkins makes this personal and harsh but also leans into the comic possibilities of the scenario and concludes in a manner more hopeful than expected.

In his first work post-“Longlegs,” Perkins once again demonstrates how vivid and frightening his work can be (there are some big jolts) but the shocks here are often countered by gallows humor.

Perkins avoids the specificity of the period setting, even feeling mid-1980s at times, despite the eventual contemporary period depicted. “The Monkey” never leans into nostalgia or the period signposts but focuses on guilt and grief carried over from childhood.

Then there’s “Final Destination,” with its young cast, about teens who, if they don’t survive Death’s Design, won’t have anything to be nostalgic about.

The post The Unofficial ‘Final Destination’ Film That Trumps Them All appeared first on Hollywood in Toto.

Few character actors deserve a close-up more than Neal McDonough. 

The scene-stealer from “Justified,” “Tulsa King,” “Band of Brothers” and more gets the juicy lead he deserves in “The Last Rodeo.”

The drama wouldn’t be the same without his stoic presence, a pose befitting an aging cowboy fighting for his grandson’s life.

Joe Wainwright (McDonough) knows how long eight seconds can feel. He once ruled the rodeo circuit before an accident ended his bull riding career – and nearly his life. He has the ugly scars to prove it along with an obvious limp.

He’s still eager to see his feisty grandson Cody (Graham Harvey) follow in his footsteps, much to the chagrin of the boy’s mamma (Sarah Jones). The lad suffers a fainting spell one day, and a few medical tests later we learn he has a brain tumor that must be removed immediately.

The surgery will cost far more than the family can afford, although we’re not lectured about the current state of health care. Audiences can bring their own baggage to the story.

A desperate Joe enrolls in a bull-riding tournament hoping to snag the cash prize. It seems like an insurmountable task, especially since the 50-something Joe can barely ride a mechanical bull.

He sees no other way to raise the cash needed to keep Cody alive.

Story formulas rarely get this straightforward, but the devil is in the heartland details. “The Last Rodeo” has a firm grasp on the sport and the culture at large. This isn’t a slick Hollywood tale talking down at Red State USA.

 

 

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by The Last Rodeo movie (@thelastrodeomovie)

McDonough, a co-writer on the project, crafts a sincere story filled with flawed heroes and muddy shades of gray. Should a grandfather want his son to embrace bull riding in the first place? Why is Joe risking his health when his daughter needs him now more than ever?

The odds couldn’t be stacked much higher against him.

The film belongs to McDonough, who ditches his usual screen menace to play a man on a mission. He brings an intensity to the role that’s been his hallmark for decades. This time, we’re allowed to root for a McDonough character, not hiss at his villainy.

It’s Joe’s old trainer who helps elevate the story beyond convention.

Fellow “Justified” alum Mykelti Williamson co-stars as Charlie, an old friend and trainer willing to risk plenty to make sure Joe gets his shot at the title. The actors exude a natural camaraderie that makes even the quietest scenes hum. 

The story would work better under tighter time constraints, but director Jon Avnet (“Fried Green Tomatoes”) luxuriates in the gentle moments between bull riding rounds. The director stages the latter with a feverish, you-are-there intensity.

Other flaws nag but don’t gnaw away at the film’s quiet pleasures.

“The Last Rodeo” never squares how Joe’s shambolic state could yield a rodeo circuit comeback. The screenplay also overplays its hand when it comes to the challenges he faces along the way. It’s great to see another character actor of note – Christopher McDonald – charm his way with the officials on Joe’s behalf.

It’s another to set up a barroom brawl at the worst possible time for narrative convenience.

The film casts some real-life bull riders including Daylon Swearingen, in supporting roles. They may appear green but they supply a whiff of authenticity.

It’s what McDonough always delivers, no matter the size of the role.

HiT or Miss: “The Last Rodeo” could use an edit or two, but the story’s powerful roots and another sterling turn from Neal McDonough make it worth your while.

The post ‘The Last Rodeo’ Lassoes Very Best of Neal McDonough appeared first on Hollywood in Toto.

“Detroiters” alum Tim Robinson is an acquired taste. If that doesn’t describe you, “Friendship” may be the biggest endurance test since “The Surfer.”

Robinson’s big-screen closeup follows a misfit who thinks he’s found a new best friend. When that bond crumbles, he responds … poorly. Except the film isn’t invested in its own story.

That’s just one of the problems plaguing this cringe masterpiece. That’s not a compliment.

Robinson stars as Craig Waterman, a socially awkward soul who somehow has a beautiful, well-adjusted wife (Kate Mara) and teen son (Jack Dylan Grazer). Already, we greet the story with arms folded against our chest.

This doesn’t make sense. Just wait.

Craig’s humdrum life perks up when he meets Austin (Paul Rudd, great in a thankless role). The charismatic neighbor invites Craig on a local adventure, and the two bond along the way.

Craig is smitten. Austin even plays in a rock band! (Rudd isn’t ‘slappin’ da bass,’ alas)

Except Craig lacks the emotional maturity to sustain a friendship, to put it mildly. Austin cuts Craig off after one brutal attempt to incorporate him into his friend group.

A stunned Craig can’t process the separation. Yet writer/director Andrew DeYoung isn’t interested in seeing that premise through. “Friendship” exists to let Robinson revel in his meltdown brand of humor.

He gets plenty of opportunities to do just that.

Craig can’t connect with his co-workers, says inappropriate things around his boss and fumbles basic social interactions. It’s not presented as being on the spectrum or suffering from emotional trauma.

It’s Robinson’s shtick. Your mileage will absolutely vary.

 

 

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by A24 (@a24)

One scene late in the movie hints at something profound, a chance to reveal why adult male friendships can be so tricky to navigate. Have we misjudged Craig all along?

The moment ends with violence, suggesting DeYoung cares about nothing except the next Robinson outburst.

“Friendship” circles material far better handled in the funnier, more insightful “I Love You, Man” (also starring Rudd). Adult men often struggle to form friendships, a problem that grows with age.

DeYoung’s screenplay acknowledges that truth without adding much to the cultural conversation. The film lacks anything resembling wisdom, leaving characters to respond to Craig’s outbursts.

The laughs are sporadic and awkward, fueled by Craig’s inability to function in adult settings. How did he woo Mara’s character? How is he still employed?

Rudd’s character starts strong but often makes little sense. He’s a talented TV personality with a wife and interesting hobbies. Why would he rush to bond with Craig in the first place?

A smarter screenplay would tease something bold and unexpected. Perhaps the two have more in common that we expect?

The premise suggests an escalating series of events capturing Craig’s desperate attempts to reconnect with Austin. Even that potential theme is tossed aside in favor of strained plot threads, like a key character’s disappearance.

A running gag regarding Austin’s TV-worthy image merits a chuckle, but it feels as desperate as a fart joke.

“Friendship” isn’t cookie-cutter by any measure, and its willingness to make us squirm feels important at the moment. It’s brave to defy convention in 2025.

That’s the best selling point for a movie that can’t offer more than that.

HiT or Miss: “Friendship” promises an uncompromising take on male bonding. Instead, we’re left with a comedy we can’t wait to end.

The post This Is One ‘Friendship’ You’ll Want to End appeared first on Hollywood in Toto.

The new Disney live-action remake of “Lilo & Stitch” mostly works, though it’s a lesser film than the emotionally richer original.

Like similar Disney remakes, it follows the original film scene-for-scene and recreates iconic imagery.

I’ve always loved Lilo’s story of finding a friend as wild and in need of a family unit as much as she does, but I’ve never cared for any of the alien stuff. Nevertheless, the set-up is mostly the same, as Stitch is an out-of-control creation by an extra-terrestrial scientist.

Stitch is revealed to be indestructible, too dangerous and scheduled for termination. Rather than put up with bureaucratic procedure, Stitch trashes the place and escapes to Earth.

The introduction of Lilo, her sister Nani and their tough predicament still feels real and hits all the right emotional notes.  Still, making this a live-action film creates strange tonal shifts- cutting back and forth from the goofy aliens to the flesh and blood humans worked when it was all a cartoon.

Now, when we cut from a CPS visit to Lilo and Nani’s home, to the intergalactic shenanigans, back to Nani at work, then back to the wacky alien bounty hunters, it feels jarring. It’s like switching channels to two very different movies.

The 2002 animated “Lilo and Stitch” was a big surprise and a nice course correction for Disney animated films. After the deeply troubled production of “Kingdom of the Sun” was salvaged into the hilarious compromise of “The Emperors’ ‘New Groove” (2000) and “Atlantis: The Lost Empire” (2001) was an all-out dud, the arrival of “Lilo & Stitch” was a great surprise.

It’s among the best animated films ever made at the Mouse House.

The original “Lilo & Stitch,” with its portrayal of two Hawaiian sisters struggling to make it as a family and working in modern-day Hawaii, is among the few films to portray contemporary Hawaiians that doesn’t succumb to stereotypes. It’s also one of the few recent Disney cartoons that makes me cry every time.

I didn’t shed any tears over the new “Lilo & Stitch,” though its best scenes work because I believed in the furry little blue alien.

Sometimes scenes play out in full, while others feel like the editor chopped away at moments that should have gone longer. If an extended cut ever emerges, I’d be interested to see it, as it feels like portions have been severely abbreviated to keep things moving.

Of the newcomers, Maia Kealoha is adorable as Lilo, but the film’s strongest breakout performance comes from Sydney Elizabeth Agudong as Nani.

It’s wonderful to see the multi-talented Tia Carrere gracing the screen in a well-written supporting role. However, while the film found a nice tribute to Carrere (who played the voice of Nani in the original film and animated series), they dropped the ball by bringing back the great Jason Scott Lee (who voiced Nani’s friend David in the original) and giving him a nothing role.

Cobra Bubbles is such a funny character and Courtney B. Vance is a wonderful actor, but Vance’s performance never comes close to being as funny as Ving Rhames original take on the character.

The new “Lilo & Stitch” oddly needed to give us a lot more of Scott Lee but gives us too much of Zach Galifianakis. Taking on the roles of alien characters who now mostly appear in human disguise, Galifianakis and screen partner Billy Magnussen are awful.

One of my favorite moments from the original isn’t here- when Lilo is mocked for her homemade doll named “Scrump,” which she abandons on the street, then runs back and embraces. I love that kid.

Lilo is a weird, real, sometimes irritating child. The dynamic of her living alone with her sister Nani, who is struggling to make it, is the best thing about both the original and the remake. I could do without the alien shenanigans and Elvis needle drops.

 

 

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by Walt Disney Studios (@disneystudios)

The special effects are excellent, as Stitch really does seem to inhabit real space. Seeing Stitch on a surfboard is something, as the geniuses at Industrial Light & Magic have made the character as photorealistic as possible.

Individual moments are truly touching, as Stitch as a special effect interacts well with the actors and vice versa. Most of the film has Stitch behaving like an out-of-control Gremlin but when the film wants to reflect how we’re all a work in progress, those moments connect as they should.

Rather than make a long list of all the Disney live-action remakes that haven’t worked, here’s a short list of the ones I like – “Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book” (1994), “Maleficent” (2014), “Cinderella” (2015), “The Jungle Book” (2016) and this one.

Two and a Half Stars

The post Live-Action ‘Lilo & Stitch’ Is No ‘Snow White’ appeared first on Hollywood in Toto.

Craig R. Baxley’s “I Come in Peace” is a wild, wonderful discovery for those who want their B-movies served with A-level thrills and entertainment value.

Is it too much to ask that a low-budget, knowingly trashy genre flick leapfrog over budgetary restrictions, dig its heels into the possibilities of the genre and wow us by working overtime to entertain? Actually, I might as well have been describing what James Cameron brought to “The Terminator” (1984). That film obviously inspired “I Come in Peace” (a knowing drive-in movie theater programmer should put them both on a double bill).

Dolph Lundgren and Brian Benben play a mismatched buddy cop duo who, in the near-ish future, take on a serial killer with a strange brand of mayhem. The long-haired, silver-eyed psychopath dispenses deadly flying saw discs, sucks brain matter from his victims and announces his arrival with, “I come in peace.”

It’s not unlike the Martians in “Mars Attacks!” (1996), who cheerfully say, “Do not run, we are your friends!” before they vaporize you.

“I Come in Peace” is known overseas as “Dark Angel,” a title too prestigious for something this delightfully goofy. This above-average sci-fi B-movie is made up from spare parts of both “The Terminator” and “The Hidden” (1987), as well as dozens of late ’80s buddy cop action movies.

The acting is passable at best, though Lundgren’s bravado and showmanship go a long way to making this fun.
Lundgren’s film career is among the most unlikely, amusing and inspiring that I can think of: the Swedish karate champion, chemical engineer (he holds a MA from the University of Sydney) and recipient of Fulbright Scholarship from MIT was hired by Grace Jones to become her bodyguard.

Lundgren and Jones became an item. She got him a silent but memorable role in “A View to a Kill” (1985) which led, against all probable odds, to being cast as Rocky Balboa’s definitive foe.

After a sensational breakout role in “Rocky IV” (no matter how you feel about the film, Lundgren is tremendous in it), Lundgren played He-Man in “Masters of the Universe: The Motion Picture” (1987), strutted right into Stallone/Schwarzenegger territory with “Red Scorpion” (1989) and was even the first actor to play Frank Castle in “The Punisher” (1990).

Are you impressed yet?

Despite a steady gig playing the leads in sub-Chuck Norris/ Charles Bronson vehicles, Lundgren rarely got the credit he deserved for being a fresh new face the action genre. “The Expendables” (2010) was a career highlight, but so is “I Come in Peace.”

Benben, who later played the lead in the lively failure “Radioland Murders” (1994), is a little too convincing playing an annoying stuffed shirt. A handful of great character actors appear and liven up the expository scenes, including Sam Anderson and Michael J. Pollard.

Some misguided, dated choices and casual brutality will make this easy to skip for some. For everyone else, this gorgeously shot and scored (“Miami Vice” composer Jan Hammer doing his best Brad Fiedel) thriller with inventively staged action (check out those flying discs!) stands out.

In this holiday episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe discuss the 1990 sci-fi film “I Come in Peace ‘’ starring Dolph Lundgren, Brian Benben, Betsy Brantley and Matthias Hues. #icomeinpeace #darkangel #scifi #weirdhousecinema https://t.co/eMjkMRdROq pic.twitter.com/4D5fic6Rgn

— Stuff to Blow Your Mind (@BLOWtheMIND) December 10, 2023

The stunt work is amazing, as is the size of the car smash-ups and ‘splosion-fueled chases that rival what Cameron was doing at this point (minus his budget and CGI breakthroughs).

It’s no surprise that David Koepp ghost wrote the screenplay. It’s dopey enough to be embarrassed by, yet exciting and skillful enough to stand out in an era of unworthy trash littering video store shelves.

“I Come in Peace” is full of highs and lows (an awesome grand finale is handicapped by a forced, stupid fade-out), but it’s worthy of a triple feature with the likes of “Tango & Cash” (1989) and “Blind Fury” (1990).

If that sounds like a fun night at the movies, then you’re welcome.

The post ‘I Come in Peace’ – The B-Movie Classic Time Forgot appeared first on Hollywood in Toto.

Yes, we know Ethan Hunt will save the day. Always.

Now, the franchise knows it, too.

“Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning” is a possible saga capper and homage all in one. We’re treated to endless clips from past installments and odes to our hero’s unflappable nature.

Ethan, Ethan he’s our man. If he can’t do it, no one can! (Literally)

Sure, Tom Cruise’s iconic character doesn’t follow the rules and ignores his own government. That’s all in the past. Now, even the President of the United States is singing his praises.

That’s fine for an Oscar night clip montage, but it undercuts what makes the spy saga special. If only this were the eighth film’s only serious flaw.

“Final Reckoning,” the second of a two-part story, does a yeomanlike job of getting newbies up to speed in the opening moments. An AI program known as The Entity has spread across the globe, tapping into world governments and threatening to bring World War III along with it.

Tom Cruise’s Ethan Hunt is literally the only man on earth who can stop that from happening, although the details are fuzzy and not everyone is on the same page.

Yes, Ethan’s teammates are back for more spy games, but Luther (Ving Rhames) and Benji (Simon Pegg) aren’t as much fun as usual. There’s that whole WWIII looming over the story, after all.

Even the presence of Grace (Hayley Atwell, the new thief on the block) can’t spike the punch. It’s clear the “M:I” team is uncomfortable romantically pairing the 43-year-old actress with the 62-year-old Cruise).

And, yes, we get endless shots of Cruise running at full speed that border on parody at this point.

Readers just spotted a man that’s currently like running even on the tl rightnow pic.twitter.com/wJpEfyzMHU

— Agent. Ethan Hunt (MI: The Final Reckoning) (@IMFAgent_Hunt) May 1, 2025

That leaves the lip-smacking villain du jour, Esai Morales’ Gabriel, to chew up the scenery. Even his gung-ho turn isn’t as tasty as it should be. The stakes are too high, and every few minutes the screenplay downloads an enormous slab of exposition to explain what’s about to happen and why it’s impossible to pull off.

Unless your name is Ethan Hunt, of course. 

That template stained the previous installment, a new series tic that robs the saga of its spontaneity. It’s even worse this time around.

So is an extended sequence within an abandoned submarine vessel. Yes, director/co-writer Christopher McQuarrie’s technical prowess is on full display here and elsewhere, but the sequence goes on forever and ends on a stupefyingly silly note.

And yet some action sequences crackle as intended. The film’s bloated running time – two hours and 49 minutes – means there’s enough space for fistfights, knife fights and more. Cruise even does battle in his skivvies. 

At least he doesn’t end up in outer space like the shark-jumping ninth installment of the “Fast & Furious” saga.

 

 

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by Tom Cruise (@tomcruise)

The sequel save the very best for last. Cruise’s Hunt dangles from an old-school biplane for one epic battle. No, the superstar didn’t do the stunt work thousands of feet in the sky.

Heck, it’s unclear just how they pulled it off. You can plainly see it’s Cruise, though, and the illusion is picture-perfect.

The jaw-dropping sequence temporarily erases every flaw that came before it. It’s why the franchise matters in 2025. It isn’t about snappy dialogue, coherent storylines and intriguing new characters.

“The Final Reckoning” reminds us Cruise is the Last Movie Star, and he’s happy to put his safety on the line to prove it. Except movie stars work better when there’s a great story at their back.

He’d be better served using that star wattage on other films moving forward. Not even Ethan Hunt can save this sequel.

HiT or Miss: “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning” delivers the eye-popping stunts we crave, but the sequel’s self-referential approach does the film few favors.

The post ‘Mission: Impossible-Final Reckoning’ Ends on Sour Note appeared first on Hollywood in Toto.

The opening credit materializes over a beach and declares “Nicolas Cage is The Surfer.”

For a few seconds, we’re toyed with the idea of what that credit promises: Cage hanging ten and shredding waves (a return to his years as a Spicoli bud?). Or, at the very least, playing a lifeguard or the equivalent of The Dude?

Instead, director Lorcan Finnegan’s sun-soaked but dark-hearted Aussie neo-noir drama has Cage playing an American returning to the Australian shore of his youth.

Cage’s dreamer-turned-failure-of-a-dad (the credits only identify him as The Surfer) tries to bring his son to the beach where his life once held so much promise. The father and son are quickly harassed and threatened by those who declare the beach as a Locals Only destination.

Cage’s middle-aged Surfer is not only determined to return to the sparkling waves in the distance but is also planning to buy a property that overlooks the beach. A big obstacle in his way is the menacing head of a local cult that lives on the beach, played by Julian McMahon in an excellent performance.

Most of “The Surfer” consists of Cage stumbling around, beaten and dehydrated, begging to be heard and dealt with, only for him to be either physically or psychologically beaten down, again and again. If that doesn’t sound like fun, believe me, it’s not.

I like that Finnegan is presenting an eccentric vision and there is much appreciated dark humor and some unexpected touches in the third act (more on that later) but most of “The Surfer” is a tedious, unpleasant endurance test.

RELATED: ‘CITY OF ANGELS’ SHOWED NEW SIDE OF NICOLAS CAGE

Imagine “Straw Dogs” (1971) set on an Australian beach, or a low budget surf n’ sand variation on “Mad Max: Fury Road” (2015), with the antagonists coming across like members of Immortan Joe’s ride or die death cult.
The movie “The Surfer” reminded me of the most is Oliver Stone’s hilarious and horrifying “U-Turn” (1997), in which Sean Penn spends two hours walking around a small town, immersing himself in film noir conventions, while the environment chips away at him.

“U-Turn” is still impactful and has character vignettes and comedic interludes that are not only welcome but inventive. Here, watching Cage, his character battered and worn down for most of the running time, being assaulted and left for dead, again and again, is utterly redundant.

There’s a montage of Cage, at his most desperate and starved, eating the most disgusting things he can find. Watching Cage, who I’ve been a fan of since “Peggy Sue Got Married” (1986), drop down on all fours and slurp water from a dirty puddle made me want to bail on this altogether.

Thankfully, there’s a welcome narrative switch up in the late going, when I finally couldn’t get ahead of the screenplay. As much as the third act embraces psychedelic imagery and wacky brutality (yes, that’s a thing and this movie has lots of it), the wrap up isn’t enough to elevate what a chore this is to sit through.

Perhaps a cult following will materialize but seriously – Cage’s work, as always, is really something to behold here. He’s been in so many better movies, as well as neo noirs that are far more effective. Ridley Scott’s “Matchstick Men” (2003) comes to mind quickly, as does John Dahl’s “Red Rock West” (1993) and Brian De Palma’s “Snake Eyes” (1998).

RELATED: 19 PERFECT ‘RAISING ARIZONA’ QUOTES

Cage’s creative comeback is no joke (his “Sorcerer’s Apprentice”-era slump is long behind all of us) but “The Surfer” is more a worthy challenge for him, an admirably try-anything actor, than us, his fanbase who deserve better.

McMahon’s exceptional performance as a charismatic but loathsome figure and the beautiful cinematography are chief assets. Perhaps this might be a gas to watch with a rowdy midnight movie audience. That said, I wish I could have seen the reaction from the audience at last year’s Cannes Film Festival, when this off-putting patience tester premiered alongside the likes of “Anora,” “The Shrouds” and “Megalopolis” (what a weird year for Cannes!)

I’m being completely serious about this – if I have to sit through a movie in which Cage is pushed to the edge and battered down by an all-seeing and powerful cult, I’d rather rewatch “The Wicker Man” (2006).

One and a Half Stars

The post Nicolas Cage’s ‘The Surfer’ Is One Summer Bummer appeared first on Hollywood in Toto.

You might do a double take during “Clown in a Cornfield’s” prologue.

We watch a pair of randy teens prepare to “get it on” when a murderous clown interrupts their plans.

Is this 2025 or 1985?

“Clown in a Cornfield” offers some nods to slasher-film tropes, delivering a few yuks along the way. It’s not as committed to the bit as expected. That leaves a credible shocker with a likable lead and, of course, a killer clown.

Some formulas are bulletproof for a reason. Right, Art?

Young Quinn (Katie Douglas) and her widowed father Glen (Aaron Abrams) leave Philly behind for the modest charms of Kettle Springs, Miss. The small town lost its mojo after a fire gutted its signature business, The Baypen Corn Syrup Factory.

Life has been grim since the blaze, but local teens make do with hormone-friendly diversions.

Quinn quickly falls in with some fellow high schoolers, the teens some blame for the blaze. She bonds with handsome Cole (Carson MacCormac) and avoids the “Mean Girls” stare of bottle-blonde Janet (Cassandra Potenza).

Her new friends are obsessed with creating viral videos casting the factory’s mascot, a clown dubbed Frendo, as a Jason-style killer. It’s oh, so meta and delivers some droll jump scares.

The real scares will soon follow.

RELATED: BARRY WURST TAKES ON ‘CLOWN IN A CORNFIELD’

Director Eli Craig, who previously gave us the cult favorite “Tucker and Dale vs. Evil,” has a winner in Douglas. She’s scrappy and relateable, two key traits in any Final Girl candidate.

The actress’ bond with her pappy is equally strong. She resents some of his choices but has a big enough heart to understand life isn’t easy without her mother (and his wife).

The film’s “kills” are suitably grisly, and the film upends its own formula mid-movie. That makes the clown threat far more menacing, but it also makes sussing the big mystery a breeze.

The town’s mayor (an under-used Kevin Durand) is as obsessed with tradition as most locals, adding texture to the film’s small-town template. The old-school sheriff (Will Sasso, trading his comic brand for something more menacing) feels oppressive in ways that make Kettle Springs far from an oasis.

That kind of depth matters in a genre romp, even though it might not seem that way.

Credit Craig for creating a bond between the young stars. Sure, it’s Teen Formula 101, but horror movies do best when actors lean into their genre roles.

“Clown in a Cornfield” never goes full parody, and its winks to classic horror moments (including an homage to that “Friday the 13th” score) feel random. The film’s heart, however, is in the right place (an odd thing to say about a slasher flick, but we’re sticking to it).

And good luck finding a dull moment.

HiT or Miss: “Clown in a Cornfield” gets the genre job done thanks to a solid Final girl and, of course, our collective fear of all things clowny.

The post Take Two: ‘Clown in a Cornfield’ appeared first on Hollywood in Toto.