Two years ago Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle proved it is never too late to jumpstart a dormant property into a bonafide franchise. The film acted as a 22 years-later sequel to 1995's Jumanji (based on the Chris Van Allsburg book,) while also completely reimagining the concept. Instead of a board game invading the real world, our players are sucked into the world of the game, but this time it's a video game world. The film was a huge success and naturally a sequel was immediately greenlit. Which brings us to Jumanji: The Next Level. Home for the holidays, Spencer (Alex Wolff) finds himself feeling anxiety in reuniting with his former Jumanji video game teammates. For basically the sake of the movie to happen, Spencer decides to play the game again which forces his friends to come and rescue him. Except this time things don't go as planned when Spencer's crotchety old Grandpa (Danny DeVito) and his former business partner (Danny Glover) get sucked in as well. With two old men that have no experience with video games cramping the other players' style, they discover they have an extra challenge as they have dead weight to carry with them from level to level. The hard part about making a sequel though to Welcome to the Jungle and trying to recapture its same magic, is that each of the main cast was tasked with portraying a persona completely contrary to what their physical self or game avatar represents. Dwayne Johnson had to play a geeky kid who was obsessed with video games, Jack Black played a social media obsessed girly girl, Kevin Hart played an athletic jock, and Karen Gillan played a shy wallflower. It was always going to be a stretch bringing this cast back playing these specific personas and so the filmmakers decided this go-round to shake it up...unfortunately with varying results. This time, the characters are chosen at random with the new additions of the prickly, feuding old men personalities being portrayed by Kevin Hart (doing his best Danny Glover impression) and Dwayne Johnson (somehow convincing SOMEONE he could pull off Danny DeVito.) The results are an incredibly mixed bag. Johnson is absolutely terrible with his DeVito, while Hart is surprisingly good channeling Glover. This time Jack Black switches it up by playing the macho athlete and unfortunately it's not nearly as much fun as his take on a shallow bubbly teenage girl from the first film. Karen Gillan and Joe Jonas also return and don't really get to do anything vastly different than their first go around. Awkwafina also joins the proceedings as a new video game character and seems to be having fun. Thankfully she has a much better DeVito impression when its called upon. BOTTOM LINE: Ultimately the sequel feels a bit thin. It certainly has a few really great sequences, but sadly never manages to be as fun, funny or exciting as its predecessor. RATING: 6/10

Lots to look forward to in 2020! Let's take a look at the movies I'm most interested in. (Sorry in advance for the Marvel bias, but I'm not really excited for their offerings this year so don't expect to find them on this list!) 15. A QUIET PLACE II I really loved 2018's The Quiet Place. It was like a golden age Shyamalan film. I don't think a sequel was necessary at all as the film was tied up perfectly already, but I'm open to seeing what Krasinski has up his sleeve a second time around. 14. SOUL Over the last several years Pixar, the studio that once churned out animated masterpiece after animated masterpiece has become quite a bit more hit or miss. One of their best films of the last decade was Inside Out and this new movie coming out this summer called Soul, looks to be a spiritual sibling of it (pun probably intended.) Instead of tackling with our inner feelings, this time Pixar takes on what makes a soul. Let's see if they strike gold twice. 13. JUNGLE CRUISE So again, Disney's track record with rides adapted to movies is definitely a mixed bag. On the one hand you've got the excellent Pirates of the Caribbean (though only the first one was anything to write home about,) to the terrifyingly bad Haunted Mansion. Or you've got a movie based on a whole theme park land: Tomorrowland, which was the definition of all over the place. So Jungle Cruise could certainly go either way. But it looks like a lot of fun and boasts two of the most charismatic people working today as its leads. 12. NO TIME TO DIE I've never been a huge Bond fan, though Casino Royale finally made me interested in the franchise. What has followed ever since then has varied from instantly forgettable to entertaining but ultimately forgettable. Will Daniel Craig finally recapture the magic of his first Bond film in time for his sendoff? Only time will tell! 11. GODZILLA V KONG While Godzilla movies are currently 0-2 for me and the recent Kong movie was entertaining but ridiculous why does this movie get a spot on my list? Well it's a big event to see these two epic cinema monsters battle and let's just see what they got. Expectations are currently very low. 10. GHOSTBUSTERS: AFTERLIFE I wasn't a huge fan (or necessarily hater) of 2016's Ghostbuster's reboot, and found it hugely unnecessary. I also don't think this film is necessary either, nor do I think this movie matches the tone of what Ghostbusters is. In fact, I think it'd be better if filmmakers stepped away from this franchise and realized that "You know what? Sometimes you can't catch lightning in a bottle twice." As a sequel, Afterlife looks to be almost a totally different genre than the Ghosbusters films. It's majorly channeling the likes of Stranger Things in its reverential reference to nostalgia. It might pay off. I'm not sure if the answer to 2016's film was to do a take with as straight a face as possible, but I'm willing to try to keep an open mind. 9. BILL & TED FACE THE MUSIC Am I so sick of unnecessary cash grab sequels that bank on our nostalgia? Yes. Will I miss the latest entry in the Keanussaince because of this? No. Look Bill & Ted is one of my definite '80s guilty pleasures so I'll be checking it out. How good it will be remains to be seen, but it's clear Reeves and Winter love these roles so at the very least we'll see the two having some fun again. 8. HALLOWEEN KILLS I enjoyed 2018's Halloween sequel redux and while I don't think a sequel was needed as the last film concluded just fine (geez I'm starting to see a pattern here with this list...) I'm excited to see where these next movies go. 7. MULAN Few of the Disney live action remakes have actually been worthy enough to have a live action re-telling, and from the get-go it seemed pretty clear that Mulan was one of the rare exceptions that could have a really great live action story told. From the trailers it looks like that assumption was right on the money as this looks poised to be one of the best live action remakes Disney has done. 6. THE CONJURING III Patrick Wilson & Vera Farmiga are back for a third installment of The Conjuring. I liked the second film, though it pales a bit to the first. I'm sad James Wan isn't returning for this one so my expectations are a little down, but I'm always good to spend some cinematic quality time with Ed & Lorraine Warren. 5. MALIGNANT Instead of helming the third Conjuring film, James Wan is making this movie instead. I'm all for original horror films so I can't wait to see what he's cooking up. 4. LAST NIGHT IN SOHO With Scott Pilgrim vs the World and Baby Driver, Edgar Wright is one of my favorite directors working today. And now he's assembled a fantastic cast to do a horror film? Count me in!! 3. WONDER WOMAN 1984 Gal Gadot was utterly charming in the first Wonder Woman and it was one of the funnest blockbusters in years, just hope the sequel can be nearly as good as the first if not better. 2. DUNE Denis Villeneuve is one of the best directors working today and he's assembled an all-star cast for his adaptation of Dune. This big screen epic will no doubt be one of the most ambitious films of the year and I can't wait to see him pull it off (after all, if he can make Arrival work I think he can make anything work.) 1.TENET While I wasn't overly wowed by Dunkirk, I've loved every other Nolan film to this point and his movies are simply not to be missed. This looks to be the most ambitious film he's done since Interstellar or Inception and the bigger Nolan goes, the more excited I get. This is the can't miss film of 2020!

10. THE FAREWELL I wasn't able to catch this one at last year's Sundance Film Festival, but heard such glowing reviews that I regretted missing it all year. I expected much more of a full blown, light hearted comedy, akin to My Big Fat Greek Wedding, but what I got was so much more deeper and heartfelt. The Farewell takes its time and delights in showing the characters and their culture. It was not what the light and fluffy movie I expected, but instead was something that really stayed with me. 9. JOJO RABBIT I expected Jojo Rabbit to be quirky to the point of irritation (which, to be honest with you is pretty much how I'd describe the works of Wes Anderson,) but to my surprise I found it to be equally delightful and poignant. The film wouldn't work without its young star Roman Griffin Davis who gives such a winsome performance and just feels like a genuine kid, with genuine kid observations. Scarlett Johansson too gives one of her best performances as well and Thomasin McKenzie is solid as well. The one weak link to me was actually Taika Waititi himself whose Adolf Hitler could probably have been in less scenes so the audience didn't feel quite so much hit over the head like we needed to get the idea of what he was going for. 8. THE IRISHMAN The Irishman certainly requires patience of its audience, but gives back a reward for those that have it. While I think it could maybe have used a trim or so, once things really get going the intrigue keeps coming and coming like an unstoppable force. You really get invested in these characters and what's going to happen next. Everyone gives fantastic performances, but it's really fun to see Joe Pesci in particular shine again. The much talked about CGI in some scenes was flawless, while others felt distracting, but overall it was cool to see these same actors play characters that span a lifetime. 7. LITTLE WOMEN Look I'm a sucker for a gorgeous looking adaptation of a literary classic. I'll be honest, I was really skeptical of the need of another iteration of Little Women, since I happen to really enjoy the Winona Ryder & Christian Bale version. That said, Saoirse Ronan makes for a fantastic Jo and while Timothee Chalamet has a long way to go to reach the heartthrob status that Bale achieved as Laurie (sorry Chalamet fans, he still just looks like a gawky teen to me...) he brings something really different to the role that was refreshing. But the real standout that made this adaptation a game changer was Florence Pugh as Amy. This movie really humanizes her more than any other adaptation and almost makes the story just as much hers as it is Jo's, and as such validates the Amy and Laurie relationship. While there are certainly moments that may not appeal to purists (especially that revisionist ending,) I actually enjoyed some of the departures and respected Gerwig's decision to honor what may have been Louisa May Alcott's true wishes for her characters and their story. 6. 1917 From a filmmaking standpoint, 1917 is one of the most impressive movies I've seen this year. In fact, it's absolutely stunning. The cinematography is so incredible it is literally hard to take your eyes off the screen and as such it's a movie that begs to be seen in a theater. So much care went into all of these continuous shots, and in the editing as well to make the cuts so seamless. The story, while simple is also beautiful in showing the difference just one person can make in the grand scheme of things. 5. JOKER An awful lot of fuss was made over Joker this past fall both by people who despised the movie (some without having seen it,) and by others who proclaimed it to be a comic book masterpiece. While I think that perhaps the reactions on both sides was a little overblown, the film is definitely on the good side especially because of Joaquin Phoenix's magnetic performance. Following up Ledger's iconic performance is no walk in the park (I mean...just ask Jared Leto,) but Phoenix proves here that he was just the man for a job and makes the role entirely his own. In a movie landscape so oversaturated with comic book movies, I really appreciated how fresh this one felt. 4. ONCE UPON A TIME IN... HOLLYWOOD Okay is it possible to put a movie in your top ten just for the last 15 minutes or so? Asking for a friend. Just kidding, I enjoyed the movie as a whole before the ending, but the ending really made it come alive in defining what the movie was. Hollywood does kind of feel quite a bit meandering for much of its runtime in what the film is actually going to be about, but that said Leonardo DiCaprio seems to be having the time of his life playing Rick Dalton. He and Brad Pitt make such a natural pair in how they play off each other, it's a wonder that they've never co-starred together before this. The cinematography is also excellent, and several moments really have that iconic cinema feel. 3. MARRIAGE STORY Long time readers will know that some of my favorite movies are ones that examine really realistic relationships. In Marriage Story, it's all about the aftermath of one and how the two go about to legally dissolve it. Things here get really ugly, and as a child of divorce this film really resonated with me a lot and during many moments was very hard to watch. Both Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson are giving career best performances here and do an incredible job of letting you see each characters side and motivations. Neither of them are the bad guys here as they each share some of the blame in the actions that led to the relationships breaking point and the aftermath that followed. Its final message that's simultaneously sad and hopeful is that life moves on and this too shall pass. 2. MIDSOMMAR Ari Aster totally swung hard with his sophomore effort following his masterpiece Hereditary and somehow managed to create another wildly unforgettable and iconic horror film. While Hereditary is undoubtedly scarier, Midsommar fills you with a sense of dread that you just cannot shake. I legitimately felt a pit in my stomach that did not even go away for hours after viewing it. It takes a lot for a movie to physically affect me, so the fact that Midsommar was able to I must tip my hat to Aster once again. Aster creates a living nightmare that hardly ever happens to take place at night. Horror movies almost all rely on the rule that the scares come at night, but Aster removes that crutch and aims for something higher in his bright, sunny pastoral Swedish commune setting. But perhaps the best thing about Midsommar is Florence Pugh, who gives a truly Oscar worthy performance and really captures pure grief in her performance. Unfortunately the Academy Awards doesn't care too much about amazing horror performances...just ask Toni Collette. 1. PARASITE I just love this movie so much. This movie takes you on a ride. You cannot label or pigeonhole it to be any one genre of movie, because it honestly takes turns being all of them. If there's one thing I truly admire in a movie it's the ability to surprise when so many movies these days are so formulaic. Parasite kept me on the edge of my seat with every twist and turn because I just couldn't wait to see what happened next. That said, its unpredictability is far from the only thing the movie has going for it. Its deeper meaning and commentary on class is incredibly poignant and never more relevant. HONORABLE MENTIONS: FORD V FERRARI, UNCUT GEMS, CRAWL, SHAZAM, BOOKSMART THE LIGHTHOUSE, BOMBSHELL, AD ASTRA, DR. SLEEP, READY OR NOT, A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD,

It's that time of year again when the Sundance Film Festival rolls around! Lots of titles have caught my eye, but here are the ten I'm most excited about seeing and will do my best to try and catch! 10. Tesla Sundance Summary: Brilliant, brooding inventor Nikola Tesla (Ethan Hawke) fights an uphill battle to bring his revolutionary electrical system to fruition. Increasingly displeased by the greed of fellow inventor Thomas Edison (Kyle MacLachlan), Tesla forges his own virtuous but arduous path toward creating the innovative alternate-current motor. His European nature is at odds with budding American industrialism, and the landscape of intellectual property is treacherous—and Tesla slowly becomes jailed in his overactive mind. His associate Anne Morgan (Eve Hewson) analyzes and presents his story as it unfolds, offering a distinctly modern voice in this scientific period drama. Sundance Film Festival veteran Ethan Hawke returns in this informative and engaging historical piece directed by Michael Almereyda (A Hero of Our Time, Marjorie Prime). With Tesla's controversies, legal battles, entrepreneurial clashes, and romantic interests, Almereyda weaves together a portrait of a man struggling against the interests of his time. The profundity of his electrical mind is unearthed through this rediscovery of the development of electricity in the United States, ultimately posing existential questions about invention, industry, greed, love, and lightning. Why I'm interested: I think Nikola Tesla is a fascinating historical figure and if anyone can bring him to life properly it's Ethan Hawke. Over the last few years Hawke has been really consistent in picking his roles, so I have no doubt this one will be great too. 9. The Night House Sundance Summary: Reeling from the unexpected death of her husband, Beth (Rebecca Hall) is left alone in the lakeside home he built for her. She tries as best she can to keep together—but then the dreams come. Disturbing visions of a presence in the house call to her, beckoning with a ghostly allure. But the harsh light of day washes away any proof of a haunting. Against the advice of her friends, she begins digging into his belongings, yearning for answers. What she finds are secrets both strange and terrible and a mystery she’s determined to resolve. Returning to the Sundance Film Festival with his latest descent into psychological horror, genre innovator David Bruckner’s new vision teems with superior craftsmanship and ghastly precision, proving him an integral voice in his field. Grounded by an absolutely impeccable performance from the peerless Rebecca Hall, who carries each frame with a weight and nuance that feels effortless, The Night House offers a stunningly effective take on the traditional ghost story, one that lingers with chilling grace. Why I'm interested: If there's one thing I've learned about Sundance over the last decade, it's that you can count on them to have discovered one really great horror film each festival. All of the Midnight Selections this year look great and I would easily include them all on the list, but my gut tells me this one has the greatest chance of being this year's Hereditary.. or at the very least The Lodge. 8. The Assistant Sundance Summary: The Assistant, Kitty Green’s follow-up to her acclaimed Casting JonBenet, premiered at the 2019 Telluride Film Festival and impressed audiences with its tightly framed, quietly devastating, and intense portrayal of oppression in a workplace. Jane (Julia Garner) is a junior assistant to a prominent entertainment executive, a man whose face we never get to see, though whose character is clearly inspired by the #MeToo testimonies surrounding Harvey Weinstein. There is nothing glamorous or rewarding about her job, yet she’s often reminded that any young aspiring film producer would kill to take her place. Over the course of 24 hours we witness as Garner’s superbly understated Jane faces a multitude of degradations and hostilities (from both men and women), which she continues to bear stoically. She quietly goes about her mundane tasks with an attitude of someone who is used to this type of treatment. Just when we think that nothing can be done about her growing discomfort in this land of self-importance, Jane takes action—and what follows is a fascinating depiction of the mechanics that lead to abuse of power. Why I'm interested: This is a perspective in the Harvey Weinstein #metoo era whose story I'm really interested in being told. How did the people (particularly women) who helped him take advantage live with themselves every day just so they could get a foot in the industry? 7. Possessor Sundance Summary: Tasya Vos is a corporate agent who uses brain-implant technology to inhabit other people’s bodies, driving them to commit assassinations for the benefit of the company. While she has a special gift for the work, her experiences on these jobs have caused a dramatic change in her, and in her own life she struggles to suppress violent memories and urges. As her mental strain intensifies, she begins to lose control, and soon she finds herself trapped in the mind of a man whose identity threatens to obliterate her own. Writer/director Brandon Cronenberg’s splendid mindfuck cinema pushes this pulpy thriller—his second feature film—to startling new heights. Cronenberg scripts an efficient mystery that is colored rich and grotesque in the depths of his imagination. While Possessor dazzles with impeccable design and ambitious world building, the film remains grounded by the haunting lead performances of Andrea Riseborough, Christopher Abbott, and Jennifer Jason Leigh. If you are willing to accept the assignment, this violent shocker will be impossible to shake. Why I'm interested: For starters, the plot sounds wild and fantastic. If done right, this could be one of the most exciting films of the festival. Plus I'm really intrigued to see Brandon Cronenberg's (son of David Cronenberg) directorial debut. 6. Nine Days Sundance Summary: What if being born is not the beginning but the goal? In a house distant from the reality we know, a reclusive man named Will interviews prospective candidates—personifications of human souls—for the privilege he once had: to be born. Five contenders emerge. During the course of nine days, Will tests each of them, but he can choose only one. The victor will be rewarded with a coveted opportunity to become a newborn in the real world, while the others will cease to exist—nine days is everything they’ll ever experience. Supernatural, metaphysical, and packed with the deepest, most human emotions, this spiritual child of Charlie Kaufman and Michel Gondry will hit you in the head and the heart. Propelled by an extraordinary performance from Winston Duke as Will and buoyed by a stunning supporting cast of highly accomplished actors, Nine Days marks not only the feature debut but the cinematic birth of writer-director Edson Oda, a singular, visionary artist. Why I'm interested: The concept of this film is so fascinating to me. We've seen a lot of movies set in the afterlife, but not many with what happens before humans make their way to earth. Plus anything that gets compared to a Charlie Kaufman and Michel Gondry collaboration immediately has my attention! 5. Downhill Sundance Summary: Billie (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), Pete (Will Ferrell), and their sons are on a balcony during an idyllic family ski vacation in the Alps when an avalanche suddenly strikes. While they all emerge physically unharmed, Pete’s actions during the avalanche reveal a side of him that leaves his family in a state of shock. The aftermath of this moment permeates the remainder of the trip, and the harder Pete tries to avoid the truth and gloss things over, the more Billie and her sons are forced to re-evaluate their lives and, more specifically, how they feel about Pete—as a husband, father, and man. Inspired by the 2014 film Force Majeure by Swedish filmmaker Ruben Östlund, Downhill is fiercely observational of modern masculinity and human frailty. Co-directors and writers Nat Faxon and Jim Rash make Billie the heart of this relationship drama, and Louis-Dreyfus delivers a brilliant performance that captivates and delights in every searing, cringe-inducing scene. As wickedly funny as it is mercilessly truthful, Downhill is the story of a natural catastrophe that prompts a metaphorical landslide within a family. Why I'm interested: I've actually (shh don't tell anyone) never seen Force Majeure, so I'm not nearly as outraged at this remake as all of Film Twitter... BUT I do love the pairing of Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Will Ferrell and hope that he channels more of the type of nuanced performance he gave in Stranger Than Fiction. But probably the biggest reason I'm excited for this is because it is Nat Faxon and Jim Rash bringing this to screen. Their last was one of my all-time Sundance favorites The Way Way Back. 4. Promising Young Woman Sundance Summary: Suspiciously unambitious Cassie (Carey Mulligan) leads a quiet existence as a barista who lives in her parents’ house since dropping out of medical school. She and her friendly boss, Gail (Laverne Cox), gab away days at the cafe. The way she spends her evenings, however, reveals a boiling vendetta. Men who cross her path are in serious danger, as beautiful and brutal Cassie seeks to heal from past trauma by doling out scathing lessons. When Ryan (Bo Burnham), a former classmate, re-enters her life, so does the possibility of healing—until new details about the death of her best friend infuriate Cassie and inspire her most potent confrontation yet. Killing Eve’s Emerald Fennell brings her debut feature to the Sundance Film Festival after premiering Careful How You Go in the Shorts Program in 2018. Her signature bite, wit, and re-imagined femme fatales make Promising Young Woman a daring but dark inspiration. Fennell and her team paint a perversely heroic portrait and a eulogy to the loss of potential that occurs when male cruelty claims yet another promising young woman. Why I'm interested: The trailer for this looks great and I'm excited for Carey Mulligan to play something really different than the roles she normally takes on. This movie looks dark and full of twists and turns. I'm excited for the ride! 3. Scare Me Sundance Summary: Fred (Josh Ruben), a frustrated copywriter, checks in to a winter cabin to start his first novel. While jogging in the nearby woods, he meets Fanny (Aya Cash), a successful and smug young horror author who fuels his insecurities. During a power outage, Fanny challenges Fred to tell a scary story. As a storm sets in, they pass the time spinning spooky tales fueled by the tensions between them, and Fred is forced to confront his ultimate fear: Fanny is the better storyteller. The stakes are raised when they’re visited by a horror fan (Chris Redd) who delivers levity (and a pizza) to the proceedings. Writer-director Josh Ruben’s debut feature is a metafictional horror comedy about the pleasures and perils of storytelling and the genre’s power to exorcise social demons. Scare Me is a clever and chilling hybrid of humor and horror that subverts the cabin-in-the-woods trope. Propelled by Cash and Ruben’s comedic chemistry, Scare Me ventures into darker territory, drawing dread and pathos from the gender hostilities driving Fanny and Fred’s game of ghost stories. Why I'm interested: I think this premise is full of potential. I'll be interested to see if it leans more into the comedy or the horror, but I think there's a lot of places this movie could go and as a horror fan I couldn't be more excited. 2. Save Yourselves Sundance Summary: Jack (John Reynolds) and Su (Sunita Mani) are a hip Brooklyn couple who, like many of their friends, find themselves dependent on technology and unable to put down their phones. Fearing their mindless scrolling may impact their connection with each other, they seize the chance to head to an isolated cabin in the woods, vowing to unplug from the outside world for a week. Sheltered from texts and push notifications, they are blissfully unaware when aliens attack the earth. As strange events unfold, the couple must figure out a way back to civilization—or what’s left of it. Writer-directors Eleanor Wilson and Alex Huston Fischer (Snowy Bing Bongs) have crafted a zany sci-fi comedy as hilarious as it is thrilling, taking a millennial worst-case scenario and lighting it on fire. Reynolds’s and Mani’s engaging performances bring to life razor-sharp writing that affectionately satirizes modern life and love. Ultimately, Save Yourselves! is an ode to an internet-savvy generation that has never known connection without autocorrection. Why I'm interested: The plot of this movie sounds hilarious. (Seeing a pattern? Every movie on this list I'm basically drawn to its story.) I love the idea of two oblivious millennials being totally cut off to an apocalyptic threat and having no idea what to do once it catches up to them. 1. Palm Springs Sundance Summary: Stuck in Palm Springs for her younger sister Tala’s destination wedding, family black sheep and reluctant maid of honor Sarah meets carefree Nyles, the date of a vapid bridesmaid. After Nyles bails Sarah out of giving a wedding toast, she quickly realizes that he is actually not a sentimental fool at all and feels drawn to his offbeat nihilism. After their impromptu tryst is thwarted by a surreal, unexpected interruption, Sarah joins Nyles in embracing the idea that nothing really matters, and they begin wreaking spirited havoc on the wedding celebration. Director Max Barbakow’s ambitious and playful dramatic feature debut, Palm Springs is a lighthearted romp peppered with thoughtful realizations about the nature of love and loneliness. Cristin Milioti gives a winsome and soulful performance as Sarah, matching Andy Samberg’s impressive comedic chops as the jaded Nyles step for step. A terrific ensemble cast, including Peter Gallagher and Academy Award winner J.K. Simmons alongside rising stars Camila Mendes and Meredith Hagner, deliver memorable supporting turns as the colorful guests at the seemingly endless wedding. Why I'm interested: I'm a sucker for romantic comedies done right. They're a dying breed, so if I can find one that exists and is actually good I gotta find a way to see it. My all-time favorite movie (500) Days of Summer was a Sundance rom-com after all! This one happens to have a really fun premise and a great cast. Andy Samberg is a goofball, but shows some real tenderness too in Brooklyn 99 so I think he's more than ready to play a leading man. Cristin Miliotti was fantastic and totally wasted in How I Met Your Mother so it would be great for her talents to finally break through! Plus JK Simmons is great in anything. Sign me up!! Well that's a wrap. Look for my review round ups to trickle in soon!!

Check out my appearance on Baconsale and hear in my own words exactly what I thought of Harley Quinn's solo adventure in Birds of Prey.

In any other crowded film release year, a movie like Love and Monsters would fall by the wayside and not really garner any word of mouth. In 2020 however, when there are no other movies out, Love & Monsters comes along and inexplicably receives a 91% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and decent buzz on twitter. So is the movie a true gem to come out of this year, or an average film that just got lucky? The always likable young adult actor Dylan O'Brien stars as Joel, a young man who has spent the last seven years surviving the apocalypse with a group of strangers. All of his fellow survivors have all found love and happily found their match within the bunker, and Joel can't help but feel a bit lonely. A romantic at heart, Joel can't help but wonder how different his life had been had this apocalypse not abruptly ended his last relationship, with who considered the love of his life, Aimee (Jessica Henwick.) He knows Aimee is still alive and in another bunker about 80 miles away, in fact they've even spoken and exchanged a few laughs. Convinced that their separation is the only thing standing in the way of their happy ending, Joel sets out to win her back. The only problem is that apocalypse has basically changed all animal life, making the smallest animals and insects now gigantic monsters. Love and Monsters is your run of the mill YA fantasy adventure film. It's not particularly tense (though there are certainly some good sequences here,) nor is it particularly funny. You get the sense that the film was created around sequences rather than actual plot and that doesn't make it particularly compelling. The film meanders along and Joel eventually meets up with a couple survivors showing him that it is possible to live on the land. They don't add much and you forget about them as soon as they're not on the screen anymore. Unfortunately, that sentiment is pretty much true for the rest of the film as well. The end sequence actually attempts some meta poignancy amid the pandemic, and the ending does feel timely. But ultimately it all feels a bit too little, too late. While I'm happy to have new movies and anything is welcome right now, it still doesn't change the fact that this one just felt too formulaic for me. RATING: 6/10

After a few delays, Christopher Nolan's Tenet finally debuted in theaters today in hopes of saving cinema. While other big budget releases keep getting pushed back indefinitely, Warner Brothers decided to put it all on whether or not people would flock to the cinemas for their biggest tentpole release of the year. It's hard not to yearn for an alternate reality where this film came out in a regular July amidst all the other blockbusters so we could be comparing it to everything else, instead of perhaps being upset that maybe it isn't the end all be all savior of cinema that some were hoping for. The film had quite a lot to live up to, and for some it couldn't be exactly what they wanted, but I on the other hand, absolutely adored it. A man simply known to the audience as the Protagonist (John David Washington,) is recruited by a secret organization to help save the world. An evil man named Sator (Kenneth Branagh) has the key to destroy humanity and in order to stop him, the Protagonist must get close with Sator through his wife Kat (Elizabeth Debicki) all while learning to understand the new reality of tenet and what that means. John David Washington, though not given much in terms of character, is still quite excellent here. Robert Pattinson gives a strong yet understated performance and Elizabeth Debicki is terrific as always and I felt the movie could have used even more of her as she was one of the best parts. Kenneth Branagh is totally committed here, I'm just not so certain how much I bought it. Ultimately, he may have been miscast, as he's never quite the threat that he's sold to be. Now let's get one thing straight, Tenet is a flawed film and it is not among the top tier Nolan masterpieces... but it is absolutely thrilling to behold. Tenet can never reach the heights of Inception or Interstellar because it lacks the heart. We never get that moment for the Protagonist like we do in Inception when Cobb shows Ariadne his elevator of memories featuring Mal; or in Interstellar where Cooper watches two decades worth of videos from his children as he sobs that loss. Instead, the protagonist here is simply a vehicle the audience uses to discover the world of Tenet. We don't really get to know him at all, we just get to experience the story through him. Perhaps this is intentional as our hero literally doesn't even have a name; perhaps he isn't meant to be attached to, but it's disappointing all the same. That said, Tenet works in spite of this lack of characterization (unlike Dunkirk before it, which suffered from the exact same problem) because of how cool it all is. The visuals are jaw droppingly spectacular and Christopher Nolan sure knows how to direct an action sequence. Some of the action here may be the best of his career and that's truly saying a lot. So while this may not be a perfect film, I still can't help but marvel at the creative mind of Christopher Nolan. I truly feel lucky as a lover of cinema to take in whatever he shares with us next. RATING: 8.5/10

From all the buzz I'd heard, Taika Waititi's new film Jojo Rabbit seems to have divided people from those who loved it to those who were offended by its irreverent take on such a serious subject like the holocaust. This isn't the first time comedies about the holocaust have been attempted (not that I'd classify Jojo as solely a comedy either as it's more of a dramedy,) but no matter when it is attempted people usually take a deep breath in hoping for the best. In the case of Jojo Rabbit, the film focuses on a young German boy named Jojo (Roman Griffin Davis) who is obsessed with Nazi propaganda and pride for his country during WWII. In fact, he even has an imaginary best friend Hitler played by Taika Waititi himself (most likely the source of most people's discomfort with the film.) His world is soon turned upside down when he discovers that his mother (Scarlett Johansson) is hiding a Jewish girl (Thomasin McKenzie) in the attic of his own home. After getting off to a rocky start, he soon discovers the humanity within her and has to take a look at the things he really believes. Not everything works in Jojo Rabbit. In fact the weak link here is undoubtedly Taika's Hitler who thankfully is used less as the film goes on. The use of him didn't offend me, but he also wasn't totally necessary to get the point across either. That said, there's a lot of great things this film has to offer. The film is really funny and also full of heart. The best part of it is undoubtedly the performance of its adorable lead Davis. He really is great in this part and sells everything this film is trying to do. My only regret is he's forced to utter the F word near the end of the film which makes it hard to recommend to everyone. Scarlett Johansson is also the best she's been in ages as his hopeful idealist mother trying to do the right thing. Thomasin McKenzie also does a solid job in her role and her scenes with Davis are the best part of the film. Overall Jojo Rabbit is a really good film that will make you laugh, smile and maybe even cry. RATING: 8/10

From the early buzz of Terminator Dark Fate people were deeming this The Force Awakens of the Terminator franchise. Since most people love that film (though I myself do not,) I figured that was a good sign and was cautiously optimistic that we’d finally have a really great Terminator film on our hands. As it turns out The Force Awakens was an incredibly apt comparison to make as that’s exactly what Dark Fate was. The problem is, it’s the worst parts of that comparison that ended up being accurate: it's a gender swap movie remake. Yawn. Terminator Dark Fate follows the recent trend of being a sequel that pretends the other less favorable sequels in the franchise don’t exist. Instead it acts as a direct sequel to the last good film (in this case Terminator 2) and ignores all the canon of everything after that. In this sequel we learn that Sarah Connor actually successfully did prevent judgement day, but can’t prevent a similar future. So once again, terminators are sent from the future to kill the hope of mankind...except this time it’s not John Connor but a teenager named Dani. Like The Force Awakens, one of the characters in the original film becomes the mentor to a new protagonist. In this case it’s Sarah Connor taking Dani and her protector from the future Grace under her wing. Also similar to TFA rebranding the empire to the first order and the rebellion to the resistance, Dark Fate also goes through its own unnecessary rebranding. In this reality Skynet no longer exists, instead it’s a company called legion. And terminator models have different names too. It’s all designed to take a hammer to the lore to shake it up for no reason than to remake the first two movies again. For me I really don’t enjoy seeing the really cool future that the first two Terminator movies set up completely destroyed. I’ve always been really interested in seeing the future that was teased in these movies. Unfortunately the one time the franchise tried that (in Terminator Salvation) they focused on the wrong character and the movie turned out really bland. At this point I’m not really sure what can salvage this franchise, but this wasn't the way to go. For one thing, I really don't understand the idea that it's empowering to give women the roles that were meant for men just as an act of good will. Just start writing better roles for women! Sarah Connor is actually a perfect example of a strong female character who was written that way without doing anyone any favors. She comes off as so much more organic than the female Kyle Reese and female John Connor this movie presents us with. For the positives, the action was fun and Arnold & Linda seemed to enjoy returning to their roles. I just wish the movie they were in was much better than it was. RATING: 5/10

Once again, Sundance has come to an end. This year I was lucky enough to see 22 films, and while there wasn't one I'd deem this years Hereditary, Sing Street, or Manchester by the Sea, Sundance once again still had quite a lot to offer. Here's Part 1 of my Roundup, in order of what I liked the best. CLEMENCY In Clemency, Alfre Woodard plays Bernadine Williams, a warden who has spent her career working on death row. After years of watching prisoners sent to death, the work is beginning to take its toll, particularly in the case of a man whose lawyer works relentlessly for a clemency appeal. Woodard delivers career best work here and the film ponders some really tough questions, and leaves viewers with the same burden Bernadine feels on her shoulders. This was my favorite film I saw during the festival. THE NIGHTINGALE The Nightingale follows the tragic tale of Clare, an Irish convict in Australia who loses her family in an unspeakable tragedy and sets out for revenge. Before the screening, volunteers were warning festival goers of the intense nature of the film and advised anyone who couldn't handle the graphic violence and trauma depicted in the film to stay away. Going in with that sort of warning, I must say I had a very certain set of expectations for what I was about to see. The Nightingale was in fact shockingly and heartbreakingly brutal. I must say, I even shed a few tears for our heroine. The film is excellent, though I had some frustrations with some of the pacing. The film could have probably lost a good half hour and been much stronger. THE HOLE IN THE GROUND In The Hole in the Ground, young mother Sarah and her son Chris have just moved to a new town with an odd next door neighbor...and a mysterious hole in the woods near their apartment. One evening Chris goes out to explore the area, but comes back not quite himself. Soon his mother suspects he may be an impostor. As a horror film, there's nothing really new that The Hole in the Ground has to offer, but it sure executes the familiarity of the genre quite well. The film plays like a best of hits album for the horror genre with minimal remix of the usual tropes, but it never comes off as tired. THE LODGE With lots of solid horror movies coming out of Sundance this year, The Lodge was the one that got the instant comparisons to last years big hit Hereditary. The story follows two young children trapped in a snowed-in cabin over the holidays with their soon to be step-mother. There's an eerie feeling that pervades this film and creates a slow burn of dread for the viewer. The scares never reach the level of Hereditary, but its finale is incredibly chilling all the same. I AM MOTHER I Am Mother takes place in a world where mankind has been erased from the planet, save for a robot tasked with raising a new generation of humanity. In the film, we view the robot known as Mother, as she attempts to raise a human girl. This film was absolutely fascinating and a great entry into the post apocalyptic film genre. I Am Mother pays homage to lots of other sci-fi greats, while still feeling wholly fresh and its own thing. The film could have been a bit tighter, but it was pretty fantastic and thrilling all the same. LATE NIGHT In Late Night, Mindy Kaling writes and stars in this film about a female writer named Molly hoping to get her big break in late night television all while butting heads with the tv show's veteran star Katherine Newbury. When Katherine discovers she's about to be replaced, she reluctantly turns to Molly to help revitalize her show. If you've ever watched The Mindy Project, you'll find more of the same work place humor here. I happen to love Mindy Kaling's work, so I was similarly charmed with Late Night, and found myself laughing quite a bit. The film is a little weightier than your usual comedy as it attempts to tackle gender and racial discrimination in the work place, as well living in the post "Me Too" world. SWEETHEART As the lone survivor of a sailing trip, Jenn finds her way to a small deserted little island. Everything seems fine during the day, but once night comes she discovers something very sinister in the shores near the island. If you've ever wondered what Cast Away meets Cloverfield would look like as a movie, look no further than Sweetheart. Sweetheart is a blast of a creature feature horror film all packed into about 82 minutes. It's never dull nor does it outstay its welcome as the pace keeps things moving constantly. The film is an absolute thrill ride and Kiersey Clemons does a lot of heavy lifting here, as she has to nearly carry the entire film on her back. I can't wait to see it again! AFTER THE WEDDING In After the Wedding, Michelle Williams plays Isabel, the manager of an orphanage who is brought to New York by a mysterious benefactor with a generous offer (Julianne Moore.) After the Wedding was the first feature film I saw at this year's festival and I just absolutely love the way it was told in withholding important information from the audience, even though it's clear the characters know more. There's this moment during the wedding when you just KNOW that something is going on that we are not yet privy to that the characters are all too familiar with, and the intense drama in the moment is almost unbearable for the audience. After the Wedding is a “life is complicated” drama that carefully (and impressively) never really veers into full blown melodrama when it easily could. EXTREMELY WICKED, SHOCKINGLY EVIL AND VILE Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile follows the life of well known serial killer Ted Bundy during the years he was in a relationship with his long-time girlfriend Liz. While the film isn't completely from her perspective, we see Ted more as she does... in a way that doesn't confirm truly who he is. Zac Efron gives a surprisingly nuanced performance as Bundy and is truly effective at channeling the serial killer. Lily Collins turns in a solid performance as well as Liz. The film is interesting throughout, but never fully reaches its potential. THEM THAT FOLLOW In Them That Follow, a preacher's daughter of a zealous religion must choose between her heart and duty. Their religion is a unique one in which its members believe in the sanctity of snakes in determining who among them is actually righteous. If you can hold a vicious snake without it attacking you, you are then deemed pure of heart. To most people such a concept is bizarre, but for the people of this film it is their honest way of worship. Them That Follow is a truly unique film portraying a window into a way of life I never really knew existed. I thought these people were fascinating and the heart of the story earnest and sincere. It's one of those films where you're not quite sure who to recommend it to, but yet you want to tell everyone about it anyway.