After taking some time to dip his toes into the world of superheroes with 2018's Aquaman, James Wan once again returns to his horror roots with Malignant. Originally slated to come out last year, the studio had been quite tight-lipped about even revealing any kind of synopsis. So I was quite surprised when the trailer came out and revealed what I thought to be far too much. Luckily I was wrong and the best parts of the film were not revealed in the marketing. I found that Malignant was a total ride that I was totally here for. That's not to say I wasn't skeptical of the film's purposefully schlocky B-movie tone...I really wasn't getting what James Wan was going for until it all clicked. There reached a certain point in this movie where I was just all in for whatever Wan decided to show us next. Malignant tells the story of Madison (Annabelle Wallis), a pregnant woman grieving the loss of her husband after an unknown killer enters her home and murders him shortly after a domestic dispute between the couple. Problem is, the cops can't find any evidence he was ever there as there was no forced entry. But shortly after the incident, Madison starts having waking dreams with a front-row view into the killer's world as she witnesses him commit a series of murders. It's up to her, along with help from her sister Sydney (Maddie Lake), to look back into her mysterious past to find the connection between her and the killer, before Madison becomes more and more implicated in his crimes. Malignant isn't so much scary as it is thrilling and it features one of the best action sequences of the whole year. Watching this movie was like riding a very intense roller coaster in the best possible way. Once it's over and you step off, you can't help but want to ride it all over again. My only complaint is I wish we could have used more practical effects along the way (as seen done much better with the backwards ghost in Anything for Jackson). While the action scenes toward the end are undoubtedly amazing, they also come off looking more like a video game than real life. All in all, while the film is definitely a nod to 80's B-movie horror, coming out now it just feels so fresh compared to mainstream horror that I can't help but love it in all of its bonkers glory. RATING: 8.5/10

Director Julia Ducournau follows up her audacious debut Raw, with Titane, no doubt trying to top the sheer lunacy in her first film by doubling down on it in her second. If I were to describe the plot to you, you'd ask me if I was on drugs. Honestly, knowing as little as possible is the way to go with this film though, so I'll try not to say too much. To boil it down to its simplest and most vague terms, Titane follows Alexia (Agathe Rousselle) a jaded woman who desperately must escape her life and the things she's done. She unexpectedly finds a new life and makes a connection that means more to her than she realizes. Titane begins with a bang and feels like nonstop lunacy for the first half-hour or so. Then it slows down and almost becomes a different film entirely. I think I eventually kind of admired the movie it became and I was certainly engaged all throughout, but it still also feels like the type of film that keeps its viewers at arm's length. Perhaps this is because of how cold our protagonist is, but it affects the whole film. I came out admiring the film on one level and really not liking it on another (honestly there is so much nightmare fuel in here to haunt my dreams for years to come...). There are a lot of poignant moments and real character development here. Ultimately I do believe there's an audience for Titane, I'm just not sure it is for me, and it's certainly not for everyone else either. Titane is definitely worth seeing...it just might make you scratch your head for quite a bit afterward. RATING: 6/10

It's been quite a long time that the world had to wait for Daniel Craig's swan song as James Bond in No Time to Die, but it's finally in theaters now for audiences to cherish one final adventure with Craig's 007. After two years of delays, the question can finally be answered of whether or not No Time to Die was everything the fans wanted it to be as the grand finale for Craig's Bond. In short, was it worth the wait? When Daniel Craig debuted as James Bond in 2006's Casino Royale, he completely revitalized a franchise that I honestly never had any interest in. I remember feeling great excitement at the possibility of where the series could go from there with him as a lead. Unfortunately, none of his subsequent films really got close to matching that same feeling I had from Casino Royale (though Skyfall came close). It's not that I didn't enjoy the other films or feel entertained by them, they just never reached those same heights again. Neither, sadly, does No Time to Die, though it definitely has its moments. No Time to Die picks up where Spectre left off (and unfortunately with such a gap between films, it's hard to remember exactly where that was). But all you need to know is Bond is happily in love with Madeleine Swan (Léa Seydoux) and ready to give it all up and be with her....until it appears she's betrayed him and he vows never to speak to her again. Years later and retired, he gets pulled into one last job where once again their paths will cross. There's a lot of great action to spare in No Time to Die, but the film's main problem is it's a bit bloated overall. The film easily could have shaved off a good 30 minutes or so and have been all the better for it. This is particularly frustrating when while the film feels way too long, it still manages to waste Ana de Armas by using her exclusively for one sequence. And I must also add that Rami Malek's villain just doesn't work here for me. His connection to James feels convoluted and his motivations feel far-fetched. He just wasn't intimidating to me at all. Still as a closer to Craig's stint as Bond, No Time to Die works and really actually does feel like one of the stronger films he's done even though it has its flaws. While his ending isn't completely satisfying, they definitely gave all the closure they needed to. While a lot of the films during his tenure were a bit uneven, Daniel Craig was a fantastic James Bond and we were lucky to have him. RATING: 7/10

In preparation for Halloween Kills, I went and watched every film in the Halloween franchise. Naturally, I had to rank them afterward. So from worst to best, let's take a look back at the adventures of Michael Myers from his most cringe-worthy appearances to his most chilling. HALLOWEEN RESURRECTION The Good: Laurie Strode...for like 5 minutes before they unceremoniously kill her off. The Bad: Literally everything else. This doesn't really feel like a Halloween movie at all...which is probably because it was just a generic horror script turned into one. The plot is bad. The characters are extremely unlikeable. Worst of all....it's incredibly boring. I nodded off more than a few times. HALLOWEEN: THE CURSE OF MICHAEL MYERS The Good: Um...Paul Rudd I guess? The Bad: All the crazy cult stuff. The plot is insanely convoluted. Seriously, whose idea was it to make Myers' evil tied to an evil cult?? Also killing off Jamie-- also unceremoniously-- is also not great (what is it with this series killing off good characters badly?) HALLOWEEN 5: THE REVENGE OF MICHAEL MYERS The Good: Jamie & Loomis. The Bad: Unlikable Tina as a final girl after Rachel is...you guessed it...unceremoniously killed off. The Nicolas Cage Michael Myers mask (seriously what is up with it??) Comic relief cops. HALLOWEEN (ROB ZOMBIE) The Good: Learning more about Michael's backstory. The Bad: Learning more about Michael's backstory. Sometimes I just want evil people to be evil and not to know why they're evil. Also, I just don't love Zombie's trashy grungy style. HALLOWEEN II (ROB ZOMBIE) The Good: I went back and forth between ranking this one ahead of or behind its sequel, and ultimately I do appreciate that it's doing more of its own thing and exploring a realistic scenario of how someone would actually deal with the aftermath of these events and how it would affect them personally. The Bad: All of the freaking visions of his dead mom and a white horse. I just can't. Aside from that, even though Laurie's trauma is certainly believable...goodness she is an unlikeable version of this character to be around. She's insufferable...maybe that's the point, but it's not a good time. HALLOWEEN KILLS The Good: I like this timeline, I like this cast. The Bad: Just feels like filler until we get to the finale. Sidelining Laurie was a mistake and all of the stuff with the mob is just...stupid. Seriously you can't tell the difference between a guy whose mugshot has probably been known in the town for 40 years and a guy who is probably 2 feet shorter than him, round & bald? I can only suspend so much disbelief. HALLOWEEN 4: THE RETURN OF MICHAEL MYERS The Good: Jamie & Loomis. As a type of Halloween Lite, this formula works. The Bad: I don't love writing off Laurie's character because Jamie Lee Curtis didn't return. I also didn't love their shock ending which was immediately retconned in the next film. Also once again Michael's mask is comically bad here. HALLOWEEN III: SEASON OF THE WITCH The Good: This is a fun, goofy 80s horror movie. The Bad: This is not really a Halloween movie at all despite the fact that it is! It's not even taking place in the same universe. HALLOWEEN H20 The Good: Jamie Lee Curtis is back as Laurie thus retconning some of the sillier installments (and creating alternate timelines for the franchise). She's got some great moments here and finally gets to finish Michael off in a way that was completely satisfying (until Halloween Resurrection ruined it and retconned it. Sigh.) The Bad: My biggest complaint here is the pacing. There's a lot of setup here and then by the time things really start to get going the movie is over. HALLOWEEN 2018 The Good: Retconning the sibling reveal from Halloween II. Feels like a fresh return to form and going back to the franchise's roots after Resurrection & the Rob Zombie reboots. Great to see Laurie return and her granddaughter Allyson feels like she's channeling Jamie Lee Curtis's girl next door vibes from the original. The Bad: Yeah it gets a little Home Alone-y toward the end and some people felt the humor attempts were out of place, but I didn't have a problem with it. HALLOWEEN II The Good: This one's tone feels closest to the original and watched back to back provides even more context to what a horrifying day that first Halloween was. I like the hospital setting here and evading Michael in this one felt truly thrilling and full of tension. The Bad: The sibling reveal. Was it needed? Was it convoluted? Opinions vary, but I didn't love it. For some, it added lore, for me it just wasn't needed. HALLOWEEN The Good: Nothing beats the OG. This is a slasher masterpiece and such an important milestone for the horror genre. The tension, the music...everything here is working together in the best possible way to create a nightmare so iconic and unforgettable. There's a reason it was oft imitated but never successfully duplicated. It has that certain je ne sais quoi that cannot be manufactured: lightning in a bottle. The Bad: Did you really think I was gonna talk smack about this horror classic? Be real. Time will tell where Halloween Ends ranks on the list, let's just hope it lands higher than Halloween Kills.

When I first saw the trailer for Lamb a few months back I instantly saw the potential of this oddball horror film from A24. The premise was a bizarre one: an Icelandic farming couple with no children find themselves as unlikely parents one day when they come upon a truly unique creature; a half lamb half-human child. The trailer was both offbeat and ominous. The movie itself? Incredibly boring. The movie never becomes more than its wacky concept and never chooses to reflect what kind of horror implications such a scenario could have. Instead, we just get to watch all the characters play house. Lamb goes nowhere with its crazy plot. Every time you think it will go somewhere, it chooses not to. It's a very frustrating film to watch. I'm not sure what Noomi Rapace saw in this film, but she is very reliable in a film that doesn't really deserve her reliability. I suppose there's an audience somewhere for this film (very much in the arthouse crowd), but I imagine it's quite sparse. RATING: 3/10

Okay, here's some quick thoughts on all the movies I saw on day 3 of the Sundance Film Festival 2021. MASS Two sets of parents both affected by the same tragedy, (one's son killed the other's during a school shooting), meet face to face for the first time to hash out their shared trauma. This is a simple premise that really plays out essentially in one long conversation, but the execution is so perfect and all the performances are top notch. This is such a powerful movie because these conversations are so raw, real, devastating and incredibly important. All performances were great, but Ann Dowd in particular blew me away. RATING: 9/10 THE SPARKS BROTHERS Edgar Wright directs this documentary about the two brothers who formed the band Sparks. You can tell this is a big passion project for him and his enthusiasm for the band is contagious. The documentary is a lot of fun, but I can't help but feel this was more made for huge fans than people who are uninitiated. Wright clearly was very attached to the material I think he may have had a hard time knowing what to trim as it feels very long. RATING: 7/10 EIGHT FOR SILVER In the late 1800's, a town realizes they might all be cursed after terrible things start happening to its residents. Eight for Silver is one of my favorite horror films to come out of this years festival (along with In the Earth), as it gives us such a fresh twist on a certain sub-genre of horror. It's best to go into this and let the movie reveal itself to you, but it's a lot of fun and very well done. The cinematography and practical affects in particular are the real standouts here. RATING: 8/10 COMING HOME IN THE DARK A family's life is changed forever while on vacation when they're confronted by two strangers with dark ulterior motives. This felt like a spiritual sequel to Killing Ground, a similar film that came out a few years ago also in the Midnight section...but unfortunately it isn't nearly as good. Though the film does have a bit of a twist that helps elevate it from being another Funny Games ripoff, but its ending isn't satisfying enough to take this journey. RATING: 6/10 IN THE SAME BREATH This documentary takes a look at the beginnings of Covid-19 in Wuhan, China, and the efforts the Chinese government took to cover it up. While still in the middle of this pandemic, it was fascinating to see where it all began and how things went so wrong. I think this was such a brave film to make and a very important one. Still I can't help but think there were so many things that could have been covered, I almost would have preferred this as a series than a one time documentary. RATING: 8.5/10

For the most part, I am not the biggest fan of Disney's live action remakes of their previously animated classics. Aside from 2015's Cinderella, I find them all to be uninspired cash grabs preying upon people's desire for nostalgia. Generally, they plagiarize their animated versions by trying to recreate the exact same results just with live action, instead of actually embracing the fact that the medium of a live action story can accomplish things in a different way than an animated story can. I've always felt that some of their stories in particular could lend themselves to a live action retelling better than others, and to me Mulan seemed to be the perfect candidate for such a retelling. Mulan's story has so much potential, so long as filmmakers really highlighted the action and focused less on what made the animated version work. I found myself in the minority when I heard people were disappointed about the filmmakers decision to drop the songs and Mushu. While great in the animated version, I really wanted to see if this iteration could do something different, stand on its own feet and be great on its own. As a young child, Mulan discovers a mystical power within herself called chi. Usually such a power belongs to males as it makes them cunning warriors, and Mulan is told to hide her power. Years later when her father is drafted into war, Mulan disguises herself as a man and sneaks into the army to take her fathers place and become a warrior. While far from being anything great, I appreciate that this movie mostly tried to do its own thing. There were nods here and there to the cartoon, and many scenes that echoed what came before, but things feel just different enough to feel fresh. Like I had hoped, the action is very prevalent with the movie attempting a Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon lite version. The big complaint here though from most is changing Mulan from a young woman who works hard and through perseverance becomes a mighty warrior to a woman who was basically just naturally gifted with fighting superpowers. Here the lesson becomes more akin to Elsa in Frozen and just embracing your inner power and gifts instead of hiding them, but it's unfortunate to lose her previous arc which was certainly much more relatable and a better lesson. Does it ruin the whole movie for me? No... it just turns it more into a superhero movie than I would have liked. So perhaps I set the bar really low since I wasn't a fan of any of the other live action remakes and I was just happy this one did something different, but Mulan is one of the better one (if only for that lush cinematography & solid production design.) But then again, considering the rest of the remakes that's really not saying very much. RATING: 6.5/10

A new adaptation of the gothic romance/mystery novel Rebecca is here starring Lily James and Armie Hammer. This film has been on my radar all year long because I absolutely love both James and Hammer and was intrigued to see their cinematic coupling. The story was previously and famously adapted by Alfred Hitchcock who cast Joane Fontaine and Laurence Olivier in the lead roles. It was his only film ever to win best picture. So how does it stack up against what came before? Ironically the film is almost a metaphor for its unnamed lead character herself, always being compared to the high standard of what came before, and always feeling inferior. Lily James plays our unnamed heroine, a woman who gets swept up in a passionate whirlwind romance with wealthy recent widower Maxim de Winter (Armie Hammer.) The two hastily decide to marry in order to prevent their separation and soon James' character becomes the new Mrs. de Winter and Lady over his large estate. The problem is, the presence of Maxim's first wife, Rebecca, is felt all throughout the house. Not only that, but all of the servants make it known to the new Mrs. de Winter how much they preferred Rebecca to her. In fact, they paint Rebecca as an ethereal being that nobody could live up to. As Mrs. de Winter explores the grounds she discovers the house holds a mystery of what precisely became of Rebecca. If there's one thing I can say for this version of Rebecca is that it is a beautiful movie with beautiful people in it. Truly, the cinematography is stunning, the costume design and production design are absolutely fabulous and Hammer & James make a truly beautiful couple. But at the same time, their couple and their characters in this movie don't really match what it's supposed to be in comparison with their novel counterparts, or the version that Hitchcock brought to life. Of course, they can interpret the text however they like...but it changes the nature of the story the way they're portrayed here. Lily James is anything but mousy, and movies can never paint her that way no matter how hard they try (I'm looking at you Yesterday,) so she doesn't really fit the character of someone who could literally never match up to someone so exquisite because well...James is exquisite. And her relationship with Maxim is supposed to be so much more manipulative and a lot less...well whatever it is shown as here. In the other iterations of this story their romance wasn't actually fueled by passion, but more that he wanted someone meek and malleable. So basically... what the story should be gets lost in translation here. What remains? Well it's not Rebecca, but it's sure pretty to look at. RATING: 6.5/10

Major new releases are few and far between these days, but HBO Max is changing all that by distributing Robert Zemeckis' latest film, a new adaptation of the Roald Dahl classic The Witches. Many 90's kids feel a lot of nostalgia for the Anjelica Huston version that came out in 1990 and were skeptical that another iteration was necessary. It's a simple tale already well told, and Zemeckis has been much more miss than hit in the last twenty or so years. Still, he was able to lure Oscar winners Anne Hathaway and Octavia Spencer to the project so there had to be something noteworthy about it right? The Witches follow a boy (Jahzir Bruno) and his Grandma (Octavia Spencer) as they just so happen to stay in the same hotel as a group of witches who have gathered to hold a convention. The boy stumbles onto this meeting and soon discovers that the witches have a plan to turn every child in America into a mouse. The boy and his Grandma must team up to stop these witches before its too late. The first film is a really straightforward movie. This version takes every single thing that happened in the other movie and drags each sequence out to feel nearly twice as long. Every situation must have added manufactured suspense. The look of the film is cheery and pastel, and the soundtrack full of a lot of great Motown hits is fantastic. The film seems to want to say something by changing the setting to the southern United States in the 1960s, but really doesn't actually say anything. The usually reliable Octavia Spencer definitely gives off the sense here that she's going through the motions.The only one actually having fun is definitely Hathaway, though she's not helped much by the design of her character, The Grand High Witch's true form. The CGI is actually quite dreadful. Some of the worst I've seen in years (well...aside from Cats.) Not only does Hathaway just look...weird, so too do the mice. I definitely was missing the fun animatronic mice of the first movie. The Witches 2020 tries so hard to be more of everything, but somehow manages to be less in every way. As hard as Anne Hathaway and her charisma try (as well as her horrendously phony Euro accent) she just can't save this movie. RATING: 5/10

Other reviews haven't been too kind to Ron Howard's deep dive into the generational story of a family of hillbillies, aptly titled Hillbilly Elegy, but when I saw the promotional images of Glenn Close and Amy Adams in character I knew I had to check this one out either way. Close and Adams are two of the most talented actresses on the planet, so I was very intrigued to see their portrayals of characters who in reality couldn't be more different than either of them. As expected the two completely blew me away with their performances as they disappeared in these roles, trying to humanize some really terrible people. Maybe it was the low expectations, or maybe it was just me loving the performances, but I actually really enjoyed the film. Maybe enjoyed is the wrong word, but it was like watching a really entertaining disaster, and in times like these, watching someone else's problems was most welcome. The film follows JD (Gabriel Basso,) a bright young Yale student who comes from very humble beginnings. His mother Bev (Amy Adams) had him and his sister as a teenager and never was really able to get her life together ever since. Always jumping from man to man, never able to hold a steady job, and succumbing to drug addiction, Bev brings down anyone in her path. JD reflects on his past and his upbringing while participating in interviews for school that will shape his entire future. He's forced to confront his demons and unpack the baggage he's hiding away when his sister begs him to come back home and help their mother once again. Again, as I've already mentioned, the performances by Adams and Glenn Close who plays Bev's mother and JD's grandmother, "Mamaw," are absolutely incredible. The story is a simple one and while perhaps predictable, the issues and the scars feel real... which makes sense since it's based on somebody's real life. I'm personally not really sure where all the hate stems from on this one, because I don't feel like the movie made these people particularly likable; no one is calling them heroes. These are definitely people who inflicted trauma on each subsequent generation, and the feelings aren't overly sentimental...they're complicated. RATING: 7/10