Today marks the halfway point of the 2022 Sundance Film Festival, but we've still got plenty more movies to recap before it's all done. Here are my thoughts on everything I saw during day 4. Spoiler alert: one of them happens to be one of my absolute favorites of the festival. CHA CHA REAL SMOOTH Cha Cha Real Smooth is the type of Sundance movie that continually renews my love of the festival. Every couple of years, a movie like this comes along that really has it all--charm, humor, and heart. Right from the start it just felt so refreshing--new yet familiar. Cha Cha Real Smooth follows Andrew (Cooper Raiff) a fresh out of college 22 year-old who still isn't really sure what he wants to do with his life. He'd like to follow his college sweetheart to Spain but doesn't have the money. So he's stuck living with his mom (Leslie Mann) and his stepdad (Brad Garrett). But at least he's got his little brother, David, for company and can tag along with him to Bar Mitzvahs. At one such Bar Mitzvah, he meets Domino (Dakota Johnson) and her daughter Lola (newcomer Vanessa Burghardt), who is often bullied because she's autistic. Andrew helps get Lola out of her shell, which impresses Domino, and she asks if he'd consider becoming her babysitter. Andrew bonds with both mother and daughter and starts to mature as he sees more of what he wants out of life. Cha Cha Real Smooth is such a warm and friendly movie. It draws you in with how endearing it is and how hopeful Andrew is as a character. This is one where you really find yourself loving spending time with these characters and once it was over I wanted to watch it again. RATING: 8.5/10 MASTER A New England college campus serves as the setting for Master, a film where two black women are haunted by the school's past history with witchcraft. Jasmine (Zoe Renee) is one of the only black students in her class, and she can't help but feel ostracized by her peers. Especially when they all jeer and snicker over the fact that she got delegated to the dorm room that legend has it is haunted. Gail (Regina Hall) is the college's first black Master of Students and has worked hard for the accomplishment. She's concerned for Jasmine and feels a kinship with her since she, too, has been seeing some unsettling things around the campus. Master is compelling all throughout and boasts some really fantastic cinematography and some cool scares. Unfortunately, while it feels like it's building to something really great, it ends with a fizzle instead of a bang. In the end, it feels a bit unsatisfying where some of the character threads go and that it doesn't culminate into something a bit more haunting. RATING: 6.5/10 ALICE Keke Johnson gives a really strong performance as Alice, a slave who escaped her owner's plantation...only to discover she's actually living in the contemporary world of the 1970s. Based on a true story, I found this one to be fascinating--even if I wish they had delved a bit deeper into Alice's transition of grasping the reality of her situation, as well as those around her understanding the depths of what she went through. Alice would have benefited greatly from spending less time on the setup and more on Alice's adjustment emotionally and mentally to her circumstances. It does feel like some key scenes are missing here in connecting certain narrative dots which keeps it from being a stronger film overall. Still, the parts that worked, worked really well. I enjoyed the culture shock elements of Alice being thrown into a world so unknown to her and the ending is great. Plus I love its homage to black cinema of the 1970s. The score is fun and the production design is stellar. Solid film, even if it needed a bit more polishing. RATING: 6.5/10

We're in the home stretch now having officially passed the halfway point of the festival. Most of the big premieres are out of the way, but we've still got so much ground to cover. Yesterday was my most packed movie day so I've got lots to say on After Yang, Summering, You Won't Be Alone, and Hatching. AFTER YANG In a not-so-distant future, human-looking robots live in households and essentially are as close as family members--such was the case of Yang, a robot who unexpectedly malfunctions leaving his human little sister he helped raise devastated. In the process of trying to get Yang repaired, the father of the household, Jake (Colin Farrell), learns that Yang had some spyware installed and had actually been recording every single thing he experienced. As he goes through viewing Yang's memories, Jake literally sees what life was like through Yang's eyes. He is able to appreciate the quiet beauties of life that he often takes for granted. After Yang is a very beautiful, understated, and contemplative film. Its pace is often slow, but its message is very rewarding and stays with you. The visual representation of Yang's memories is absolutely incredible to behold and the direction here is impeccable. Also noteworthy is the musical score which is the loveliest I've heard in a long time. RATING: 8/10 SUMMERING Summering follows four young girls during their last weekend of summer before they inevitably part ways once Junior High starts. I'll be honest to admit that Stand By Me is one of my cinematic blindspots, so I can't speak to the similarities with Summering, though I know that both of these plots revolve around kids finding a dead body. So I'm not sure how it was handled in Stand By Me, but the way these young girls react here is pretty much incomprehensible and their logic is impossible to make sense of...even if they are kids. But sadly, that's not the only problem Summering has. For one thing, it can't totally decide what kind of movie it wants to be. One moment it wants to be a whimsical fantasy, the next it wants to be horror, then it tries its hand at a coming of age adventure. Summering would work far better if it just committed to one genre instead of trying to do them all at once. Also, for a film about friendship, it really needed to focus way more on the relationships between all the characters. The few moments where it does (especially the mother/daughter moments) do work, but there's just not enough to earn what the movie is trying to sell. Half of the time these girls don't really feel like they're friends at all and individually the characters are not nearly as fleshed out as they should be. I had really high hopes for this one as coming-of-age stories for girls are not nearly as prevalent in film as they should be, but this one was unfortunately a disappointment and a huge missed opportunity. I did really like Eden Grace Redfield as Mari though, she was adorably precious. I think I would have much preferred a movie just focused on her and her relationship with her mom played by the always reliable Megan Mullally. Overall, Summering just can't overcome its weak script and sadly lackluster direction (James Ponsoldt, I was rooting for you!) despite these child actresses giving it their all. RATING: 4.5/10 YOU WON'T BE ALONE About a week or two before Sundance, a trailer was released for You Won't Be Alone and it was absolutely phenomenal--portraying the film as the best folk horror movie since The Witch. Unfortunately, that trailer and the marketing for the film are going to do a lot of misleading to what this film is actually like. While it is rooted in horror being based on the life of a witch, there is very little horror to the film at all, apart from a lot of gore. It's actually more of a drama and an understanding of what it is like to be a human (which to me was much more effectively done in After Yang). While I think it's beautifully shot, and the lore here is really interesting--its constant pondering narration wore on me. I think there are a lot of really cool ideas here, but the movie felt an hour longer than it was and could really have benefited from a much tighter and more concise edit. Performances are strong all around and everyone brings the story to life, making it a mostly compelling watch. Still, a lot of parts drag on and I felt my patience getting low. It's hard to let go of expectations sometimes and I was seriously sad it wasn't scary in any way, still, I would have accepted it more for what it was had it been a bit more streamlined. RATING: 6.5/10 HATCHING Tinja is a young girl struggling to achieve the perfection her lifestyle influencer mother often demands in Hatching. One day, she finds a mysterious egg out in the forest, and seeing it has no mother, brings it home to care for it. She soon discovers something terrifying inside, yet still feels a duty to continue to nourish it no matter how grotesque it may be. I won't say more than that, as it's best to go in not knowing a lot (there's a trailer out that I advise skipping since it shows too much). Hatching is one of the most uniquely strange horror movies of the festival, and yet I also found it endlessly watchable. Similar to The Babadook, this film goes the "horror as a metaphor" route, where you know the horror all means something deeper. But there are some genuinely creepy moments here and the film consistently builds up the tension nicely. Plus the body horror element in this is quite simply, fantastic. Seriously, a lot of chilling imagery that will stay with me for a long while. Unlike Summering, the coming of age meets horror works totally perfectly here because they really went all in. RATING: 7/10

Day 6 has come and gone, which means it's time for some more recaps. Yesterday featured quite the triple feature of female-driven films with Resurrection, Sharp Stick, and Palm Trees and Power Lines. Here are my thoughts on each of them. RESURRECTION On the surface, Resurrection seems all too simple. One day a mysterious man (Tim Roth) from Margaret's (Rebecca Hall) past shows up to threaten the life she's built for her and her daughter. Rebecca Hall has been on a Sundance roll with her directorial debut Passing debuting at the festival last year, as well as starring in The Night House and Christine in recent years. She doesn't let down her streak here--in fact, she may give the best performance of them all in Resurrection, as a woman shaken to the core from the trauma of her past. The film is so dark and incredibly messed up, you can't take your eyes off the screen and what Rebecca Hall is doing in every scene. She gets some help too though from Tim Roth, who turns in an incredibly sinister supporting role as David, the man hell-bent on terrorizing her. Resurrection walks the finest line between thriller and horror, and it does so with ease. I love that you're never really sure what is real and who you're supposed to believe. You can't help but feel unsettled all throughout, but especially after Hall delivers one of the most chilling monologues in recent memory. This is one that I can foresee needing multiple viewings in being able to unpack everything that's going on, especially with that ending that leaves your jaw on the floor. RATING: 8/10 SHARP STICK Sarah Jo (Kristine Forseth) is a shy, naive 26-year-old virgin determined to learn everything there is to know about sex. And who better to teach her than her employer, the married father Josh (Jon Bernthal) of the child she babysits. The two quickly enter into an affair, and she becomes absolutely obsessed with her spiritual awakening. Josh encourages her to find a favorite porn star, that way she can study what she likes and dislikes and can get a real education. That's really all there is to know about Sharp Stick without spoiling what happens in the relationship. Kristine Forseth plays Sarah Jo's wide-eyed innocence well, even if she can't really sell the character's actions taken in the latter part of the film. Jon Bernthal as always was great, and the film definitely suffers when he isn't around (which is a big problem for the film's second half). I understood what the film was going for with where the relationship went, and while it was certainly true to life--the character arc it gives Sarah Jo just doesn't feel satisfying. In the end, the film kinda just goes off the rails and can't quite achieve a meaningful conclusion, or really an idea of what the point was. RATING: 5.5/10 PALM TREES AND POWER LINES A young and impressionable 17-year-old girl named Lea (Lily McInerny) embarks on a relationship with a 34-year old man (Jonathan Tucker) in Palm Trees and Power Lines, a drama that all too often makes its audience feel sick to their stomachs. The film is an impressive--albeit incredibly hard to watch--portrayal of grooming. I honestly felt more queasiness watching this film than any of the horror offerings this year, and the feeling did not leave me very soon after. This movie is incredibly well made, with really effective and believable performances by all. The subtleties of manipulation and isolation are all on display, and honestly, it's chilling to watch Lea be seduced by the promise of love and affection. You want to just climb into the screen and save her from this horrible situation. In the end, I felt very frustrated with the film, though it's certainly stayed with me. Overall, I would have been able to stomach this movie a lot more with a different ending, though I can see the importance of why it ended how it did. Still, it's a hard film to like...even if I can respect what it's trying to do. RATING: 7/10

The 2022 Sundance Film Festival is finally winding down and we only have a couple of movies left to review. Yesterday brought us our final horror film of the festival Piggy and a portrayal of female friendship in Am I Ok? Check out my thoughts below on each and come back tomorrow for more reviews. PIGGY Sara (Laura Galán) is an overweight teenager who is constantly being bullied by a group of mean girls in her neighborhood. They've nicknamed her Piggy and are determined to make her life a living hell every chance they get. One day, their tormenting goes too far and they nearly drown her. A strange man witnesses the event and decides to take swift and violent action against the clique and spares Sara. Sara is then left with the choice of speaking up to save the girls or protecting the man who saved her from their anguish. Piggy is a no-frills, brutal horror that works really well...until its ending which totally undercuts the rest of the film. It's a great look at the horrors of bullying because Sara was more endangered by them than the murderous psycho. You truly feel Sara's fear and anger which makes the ending feels too conventional and unearned after what transpired before. To go into specifics would ruin the film, but had the ending gone a different way it could have reached Midsommar cult status, but instead will probably be forgotten with how safe it plays it. RATING: 6/10 AM I OK? Am I Ok? centers on the friendship of Lucy and Jane, two women who think they know everything there is to know about one another. However, everything changes when Jane gets offered a promotion overseas in London, meanwhile Lucy finally earns the courage to tell her a secret she's been keeping: she's unsure of her sexuality and thinks she might not be straight. Am I Ok? benefits from two really great performances by Dakota Johnson and Sonoya Mizuno, as well as a refreshing tone that keeps the proceedings feeling light, yet also real and relatable. It never gets bogged down and explores Lucy's late coming of age in a way that feels honest and authentic. At its heart, it's a celebration of friendship and self-discovery and for the most part, it really works. The only part that doesn't feel genuine is the conflict that eventually arises between the two women that just feels manufactured for the sake of needing some sort of drama before the finale. But honestly, movies like this feel like a rarity these days and even if sometimes Am I Ok? leans too much into predictability, it still was pretty delightful on the whole. RATING: 7/10

Though there are a couple of days left of the Sundance 2022 Film Festival to screen all the award winners, I most likely won't be seeing anything new for the rest of the fest. It's been a really great year, but before I do my wrap-up of the festival as a whole, I still have one more review to cover! Yesterday I got to see the latest from Aubrey Plaza that literally had my name on it. EMILY THE CRIMINAL Aubrey Plaza is no stranger to Sundance having appeared in many films to debut at the festival over the last several years. But it is here where she gives a career-best performance in Emily the Criminal, a taut crime thriller that keeps your eyes constantly glued to the screen. Right from the first scene, Plaza's eyes draw us into her world and the hopelessness of her situation. Emily is saddled with thousands of dollars of student debt, as well as a felony on her record. It is impossible for her to get a job due to background checks and thus freedom from debt is seemingly unobtainable. One day she happens upon an opportunity that promises to make her a lot of money--the only catch? Breaking the law. Emily quickly gets pulled into this underworld as she sees the potential to make big money very fast. But it's a dangerous world and the stakes are high. Emily the Criminal doesn't feel like a revelation by any means but seeing this side of credit card fraud is totally fascinating and you can't help but feel caught up with Emily in all the action. Director John Patton Ford never eases the tension and feels comfortably in control of the film the whole time. As such, he imbues the film with endless anxiety for a character that on paper maybe we shouldn't care about, but that Plaza easily makes us worry about. RATING: 7/10

Sundance 2022 is officially a wrap and I have to say, this was a pretty solid year. I pretty much got to see everything I was wanting to see, though I heard great things about Good Luck To You, Leo Grand as well as Living. Both were picked up for distribution, so I look forward to seeing them both when they hit theaters and/or streaming. But, in case you were wondering what my absolute favorites were that I saw this year, I compiled my top ten right here of this year's fest. 10. PALM TREES AND POWER LINES Okay so, this was probably the hardest film of the whole festival to watch, and I'll be totally honest...it was not an enjoyable experience by any stretch of the imagination. This film about an underage girl and her much older suitor who grooms her is not the type of movie anyone will find to be an entertaining breezy experience. I felt sick to my stomach the entire time I was watching, and even afterward I couldn't shake the queasiness. But after viewing the film, it stayed with me and haunted me. It is so heavy, yet powerful. Palm Trees and Power Lines might not be a pleasant film, but it is a necessary one that acts as a really good cautionary tale of how one might be manipulated with the promise of love and security. You can find my full recap of my thoughts on Palm Trees and Power Lines HERE 9. AM I OK? Dakota Johnson had such a strong showing this year at Sundance in two of the most acclaimed films of the festival. Here, she plays Lucy a woman in her 30's who is finally coming to terms with her sexuality just as her best friend Jane is moving overseas to London. I felt her struggles seemed completely real and she played her character with honesty and depth. While not everything in the friendship felt believable (particularly their conflicts with one another), I still appreciated what ultimately this film was going for and its celebration of female friendship. Also, while many films at the festival this year were pretty serious in tone, I really enjoyed how lighthearted this was. You can find my full recap of Am I Ok? HERE 8. DUAL Dual definitely wasn't for everyone as it was a bit of an acquired taste, but I loved the deadpan dark humor surrounding this completely absurd scenario. This will likely be a love or hate it film once it reaches a wider audience, but I totally dug all of it from its wacky premise to its wry dialogue. Karen Gillan carries the film on her shoulders with her pitch-perfect delivery, though I must admit I definitely would have loved more Aaron Paul as well who plays her fight coach. More thoughts on Dual in my full recap HERE 7. HATCHING Horror comes in many different varieties, and the type that Hatching is happens to be one of my very favorites: schlocky entertaining body horror. But it also helps that Hatching has a great personal conflict at its core--young pre-teen Tinja constantly failing to achieve her mother's impossible standards of perfection. Hatching features great use of practical effects and a really creepy creature design. The tension is all here and the pacing never once detracts from it. Hatching is a perfect coming-of-age horror allegory. Full recap for Hatching can be found HERE. 6. EMILY THE CRIMINAL The Aubrey Plaza led crime thriller Emily the Criminal was the perfect film to close the festival out on a high. While it doesn't break the mold, it is solidly entertaining from start to finish. Plaza is so good in this role and gives her character depth that in the hands of a lesser actress might not have had nearly the same impact. I'll be interested in the reaction to this one when a wider audience gets to see it, as I think this tale focusing on the other side of credit card fraud was certainly one of the more accessible films of the festival. Full recap of Emily the Criminal HERE 5. RESURRECTION Rebecca Hall gives us yet another amazing, unforgettable performance that left me stunned in Resurrection. Like Dual, this portrayal of one woman's trauma from a past relationship is not going to be for everyone. But it was definitely for me! For a festival that had endless WTF moments, the ones here left me in awe the most. Resurrection straddles the line between drama, thriller, and horror so well that when it's over you're honestly not sure what it is you just watched. All you're sure of is that it is all kinds of messed up. Full recap of Resurrection HERE 4. AFTER YANG Though it has a futuristic, sci-fi plot After Yang is so grounded in the simplicities and beauty of everyday life. It's quiet and contemplative, and it's not trying to blow your mind with anything outrageous or out of this world, but rather the small things that make up our lives that we often take for granted. It reminded me a lot of one of my favorites from the 2020 festival, Nine Days. After Yang is an absolutely lovely film and the most uplifting film I saw at this year's fest. I also would love to be able to listen to its gorgeous piano score, like yesterday. Read my full recap on After Yang HERE 3. EMERGENCY Emergency is a film that successfully and impressively seems to have its cake and eats it too. For a film that deals with such a very serious situation, director Carey Williams is able to pull off a comedic element completely effortlessly. RJ Cyler and Donald Elise Watkins sell this friendship the film is built around and their rapport really invests you in their fate. But, as entertaining as Emergency was throughout, it wouldn't really work or come together the way it does without its very powerful ending. As a viewer, you are able to see their experience and understand the level of privilege they are denied when it comes to being given the benefit of the doubt. Living the characters' worst nightmares with them is truly impactful. Full recap of Emergency HERE 2. FRESH The more I've thought about Fresh through the course of the festival, the more I totally love it. The setup is absolutely perfect as is the chemistry between Sebastian Stan and Daisy Edgar-Jones. Both are completely committed here and the movie is all the better for it. While I still wish it had a bit stronger of a finale, I still totally respect how daring and unflinching it is all throughout. I did not see any of it coming and movies that surprise me always do well in my book. Full recap of Fresh HERE 1. CHA CHA REAL SMOOTH Cha Cha Real Smooth eked it out to be my favorite movie of 2022's Sundance Film Festival, and really it's no shock here. Cooper Raiff's sophomore feature about a recent college graduate trying to find his place in the world was like a (500) Days of Summer lite only with less whimsy and more reality. Both protagonists in each respective film are believers in true love and soulmates, and they have been ever since they were children. Right from the beginning, I knew what a treat as young Andrew's quest for love is shown as the first of many disappointments. Cooper Raiff plays Andrew with wide-eyed optimism, even if he's not where he wants to be right now with his life. Sparks fly for him when he meets Domino (Dakota Johnson), a young single mother with an autistic teenager. Cha Cha Real Smooth was so endearing, heartfelt, and poignant. It's the type of movie that made me fall in love with Sundance in the first place and the type of movie I can see myself telling people about all year long. Full recap of Cha Cha Real Smooth HERE Honestly, this was a really solid year as many of the other films I saw could have easily taken a spot on this list. But with this, my Sundance coverage of the 2022 season is officially over! But believe it or not, that's not all I have to write about Sundance. Come back later this week to see my ten-year retrospective of my favorite movies I've ever seen during my now decade of attendance.

Out in theaters now is Uncharted, the movie adaptation of the popular video game series that revolves around the swashbuckling adventurer Nathan Drake. For years fans have pictured a rugged Nathan Fillion in the role, only to have to settle for the plucky Tom Holland, who is out to prove that he can play more than just Peter Parker. Whether or not he proves that here though is debatable and your mileage may vary on the results. Uncharted acts as an origin story to how Nathan Drake came to be who he will eventually become. Orphaned at a young age, his only solace in life is his artifact-loving brother Sam, who, after trying to steal one too many priceless items and not getting away with his theft, decides to make a run for it and leave his younger brother behind. Fifteen years later, he's approached by a man named Sully (Mark Wahlberg), who claims to have been friends with Sam. He tells Nathan that Sam has ghosted him, but if Nathan helps him with this treasure hunt that Sam was trying to solve, maybe he can find a way to be reunited with his brother again. Nathan accepts the call to adventure but soon learns that they aren't the only ones looking for the treasure, and they've got some very dangerous competition. To enjoy the ride of Uncharted, one must completely shut off their brain because this definitely one of the stupidest blockbusters in a while (I realize I'm typing this as Uncharted is coming off the heels of Moonfall...but nevertheless!) Still, as preposterous as it all is, I have to admit that I had fun with it. Honestly, archaeology adventure movies are such fun and a breath of fresh air sometimes that I am known to go easy on them. Tom Holland is playing another variation of Peter Parker again here (and by variation....there is no variation...it's the same character), just as Mark Wahlberg is being Mark Wahlberg. As such, I'm sure this film is bound to disappoint hardcore fans of the source material...though I myself found it harmless. Yes, the whole thing will come apart at the seams as you examine it and pull every thread. There are countless stupid moments every step of the way here...you can basically question every single decision of both the characters and filmmakers alike. Still, while I can't endorse this as a good movie by any means, I can still admit it's dumb fun...just not at its finest. Plus its ludicrous final action sequence is really one for the ages. RATING: A generous 6/10

Death on the Nile, Kenneth Branagh's much-delayed follow-up to the 2017 adaptation of Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express is finally out in theaters. Branagh once again returns to star as world-famous French detective Hercule Poirot during his holiday on a luxury cruise to Egypt. Poirot can't help but observe those around him and takes interest in one specific couple who seriously needs to get a room; Jacqueline de Bellefort and Simon Dolye (Emma Mackey and Armie Hammer.) Moments later, Poirot witnesses Jacqueline introduce Simon to her old friend Linnet (Gal Gadot), and immediately a new spark comes to life. Six weeks later, Poirot learns that Simon switched his affections completely to Linnet and the two are now married, leaving a jilted Jacqueline in their wake. The two plan a cruise on the Nile for their honeymoon but insist that Poirot comes along for protection. Being that this is a murder mystery, it's no spoiler to say someone winds up murdered and it's up to Poirot to analyze the clues and find the killer at hand. Agatha Christie's work was revolutionary, and her murder mystery novels are the blueprint for the genre today. Being a blueprint though, and having so many other movies imitate its style and storytelling...make for the original thing to feel a bit...predictable. There's not much surprise--I guessed the mystery about 20-30 minutes in, but it still makes for a pleasant enough ride. Poirot's meticulousness is fun and seeing him go through every possible angle of the case does have its entertainment, even if I didn't feel like it was much of a whodunnit. I can still appreciate the elegance of a good old-fashioned (literally) murder mystery. I appreciated the cast, even if half of them have been canceled in real life by Twitter for varying reasons of severity (admittedly, it was off-putting seeing Armie Hammer again, and this wasn't his strongest performance either). Some performances worked better for me than others Annette Bening in particular felt jarring, while an unrecognizable Russell Brand totally worked. Branagh really has fun with the role, and it makes the movie better for it. Emma Mackey is probably the standout of the cast and plays the jilted lover role well. You just don't know what she's capable of and having one loose cannon for this type of movie is necessary. Death on the Nile is nothing revolutionary, but honestly, it's an easy enough watch to mildly recommend. Still, there were some choices I really didn't love, such as the opening black and white sequence that essentially acts as an origin story for why Poirot has his famous mustache (seriously? we're spending time on this??), as well as the hinted side romance for Poirot with one of the passengers who is a blues singer that just feels tacked on. Also, can I just say, wow this movie is horny...and awkwardly so. While this is a perfect "recommend to your parent" movie, maybe just don't watch it with them. Again, it's even more awkward when one of the participants always happens to be Armie Hammer. Yikes. In the end, it's hard to be mad that Death on the Nile is full of tropes when it's based on the material that invented them. Even if you know exactly where it's going you'll have a fine time. Just don't expect it to be something that stays with you long-term, because it won't. RATING: 6/10

Hoping to cash in on the horror legacy sequel trend comes Texas Chainsaw Massacre, a direct sequel to the original 1974 classic horror film The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. The film proudly walks in the footsteps of Halloween (2018) and Scream (2022) to the point where you almost question if it's a parody. Like those films, Texas Chainsaw Massacre takes its iconic villain, in this case--Leatherface, and brings him into a modern-day setting, making the story revolve around a new youthful cast, but also doesn't forget to add its final girl as a "legacy character" so the audience can see one more showdown between the two. Sounds like an easy enough formula not to screw up, right? One would think so, but it's actually quite surprising to see how dedicated director David Blue Garcia seems to be in making this film fail on every level. Problems rear their heads early on with a cast of characters too obnoxious even for horror movie standards. A group of idealistic young influencers purchases the deed to a remote town in Texas with the vision of creating a modern social media utopia. If that sounds convoluted, it's because it is. In one of the buildings they thought to be abandoned, they find an older woman in poor health squatting on the premises. They call the cops to kick her out of the building and take control of their purchased real estate, but the woman continues to argue that the place is hers. Out of a shadow lurks the figure of a giant, hulking man. A man whose mother has been wronged and who will have his revenge. Of course, what the kids don't know, is that this is Leatherface and soon they will all be fighting for their lives. I've seen a lot of people defend this film already with comments like "It's a horror film! What do you expect??" essentially putting the blame on people who wanted a better movie. Takes like that are a disservice to the genre in acting like all horror is subpar mediocrity. You need look no further than to the original film in this franchise to see how good horror can be. There is a true eeriness to the original right from the get-go when the kids pick up the hitchhiker. It's not just Leatherface we're afraid of, it's his whole family and the potential of stumbling onto that kind of crazy somewhere in the rural united states. Instead, filmmakers drop the backwoods family entirely and were more interested in turning Leatherface into a Jason Voorhees type. Suddenly he has almost supernatural abilities in how invulnerable he is. When in reality Leatherface here has gotta be in his 70s with a bad knee at this point. As previously mentioned, Texas Chainsaw Massacre tries to do the whole legacy sequel character thing that Halloween 2018 revolves around, by building up the inevitable return of the final girl Sally from the original (here played by Olwen Fouéré). The handling of which could not be done more poorly. Almost as poorly as revealing our current lead character was the victim of a school shooting, for no other reason than as a shortcut in the name of character development. The film could probably overcome all of that though if it weren't for the biggest issue that plagues the film. Texas Chainsaw Massacre's biggest problem is that it is completely and utterly devoid of any dread or tension. Each and every sequence that is orchestrated feel so dull and so expected to end up at their eventual outcome. There's nothing it can do to surprise you...that is until the very last shot. And then...well, it's just downright comical. RATING: 2/10

Streaming today on HBO Max is Kimi, Steven Soderbergh's latest thriller starring Zoë Kravitz. Kravitz plays Angela, an agoraphobic who is having a major setback thanks in part to the pandemic. She works remotely at home for the huge corporation that created the online artificial intelligent virtual assistant named Kimi (think Siri or Alexa). It's Angela's job to provide a human element to the program by reviewing any recordings that Kimi herself can't quite decipher. One day she reviews a recording in which she suspects foul play might be involved, but no one at her job seems to take it seriously and soon she begins to question if there's a bigger conspiracy at hand. Kimi is a little slow to start, but once it gets going it's a taut little thriller that packs a lot of tension. It is very much a film of its time and setting it during the pandemic, as well as making the lead suffer from agoraphobia, really makes you as a viewer feel the danger Angela feels when she finally has to leave her comfortable bubble. Kravitz turns in solid work and essentially has to carry the whole film on her shoulders. It's kind of a one-woman show here and the film wouldn't work with a lesser performance. Still, it's not as strong as it could be, and the script is the culprit. As I mentioned before, Kimi takes a little bit to get going. If it got started sooner and then spent some more time unraveling the mystery the intrigue would be built on a much firmer foundation. Conversely, the ending feels way more abrupt. We are led to an admittedly great punchline of dialogue and then quickly shooed into a clumsy, out-of-place type epilogue scene. It doesn't quite feel like the payoff we've earned with the tension we've endured. If you want answers to plot threads, don't plan on getting them. Still, for what it is--a modern-day Rear Window type tale about Siri & the pandemic--Kimi is a good time RATING: 7/10