Dream Log

MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE - THE FINAL RECKONING

2025 | Dir. Christopher McQuarrie | 170 Minutes

4 out of 5

Long, surprisingly slow and dour, the concluding half of what is ostensibly the Mission: Impossible film franchise's grand finale does the espionage action series justice, but it's an exhausting affair when all is said and done. Going out of its way to revive specific plot points from previous installments, even goofily making use of flashbacks to the immediately preceding Dead Reckoning, it's a bit of a disservice to this feature that it relies more heavily on pre-established continuity than other M:I movies so much so that it never feels like its own picture. The stunts are as thrilling as ever courtesy of Tom Cruise's entertaining endless pursuit of delivering spectacle laced with ever-escalating peril, but the stakes of the plot are set so ludicrously high, the mind numbs at points in a bad way. Not the series' finest hour, far from its worst, satisfying enough as a conclusion if Cruise and co. have the wisdom to end it here.

FRIENDSHIP

2025 | Dir. Andrew DeYoung | 100 Minutes

4 out of 5

As unbearably uncomfortable as it is astoundingly funny. Tim Robinson's signature chaotic brand of anxiety-driven comedy is perfectly-suited for this tragic tale of a lonely man who makes every single wrong decision imaginable in the pursuit of forging and maintaining meaningful relationships. The narrative meanders unpredictably, but Robinson's ever-puzzled demeanor and baffling persona are consistently amusing.

THE SURFER

2025 | Dir. Lorcan Finnegan | 100 Minutes

3 out of 5

Captivating performance from Nic Cage aside, this one's a bit of a thematically meandering mess. Cage's trademark intensity keeps the picture's disorienting-by-design narrative engaging, though the experience is ultimately more hallucinatory aggravating than enlightening. The film's takedown of toxic masculinity just doesn't push things nearly far enough.

SINNERS

2025 | Dir. Ryan Coogler | 138 Minutes

5 out of 5

Ryan Coogler is a genius. This film functions beautifully on so many levels: as a breathtaking celebration of the transportational power of music (naturally with a genre-traversing soundtrack courtesy of constant collaborator Ludwig Göransson), as a stirring Prohibition-era drama centered on a set of Black world-weary gangster twins returning to the perilous cotton field hellscape of Jim Crow Mississippi, as a mercilessly gruesome vampire movie that sticks to all the rules according to folklore. Michael B. Jordan is perfect as both the lethally no-nonsense Smoke and the wild hot-headed Stack, and the supporting cast features superb performances from Li Jun Li, Delroy Lindo, Jayme Lawson, Hailee Steinfeld, Omar Benson Miller, Wunmi Mosaku, and Jack O’Connell. Above all, the picture's Miles Caton breakout star is absolutely compelling as the impressionable son of a preacher with guitar skills that are literally supernatural.

WARFARE

2025 | Dir. Ray Mendoza and Alex Garland | 96 Minutes

4 out of 5

Intense and harrowing, it's a no-frills head-first dive into the terror of the modern battlefield. The narrative is slight to say the least, the lead players operate more as ciphers than as fully-realized characters, but it captures an awful bloodbath of a single day in a senseless war in gut-wrenching visceral detail. The ensemble cast is all-around excellent, with D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai, Will Poulter, and Joseph Quinn standing out in particular.

Thunderbolts*

THUNDERBOLTS*

2025 | Dir. Jake Schreier | 127 Minutes

"I can't think of a worse group of people trying to work together."

On the verge of ending her employment under the ruthless politician Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, former Black Widow Yelena Belova accepts one last mission. The assignment leads Yelena into a trap set by Val intended to liquidate all of her covert operatives in a ploy to destroy all evidence of her nefarious activities. The survivors of Val's scheme reluctantly band together to confront her only to come face to face with an unimaginably powerful new threat.

Primarily serving as a culmination of storylines established in Black Widow and on The Falcon and Winter Soldier, Thunderbolts* does what good Marvel Studios films do best: deliver interesting action-packed (and if we're lucky, thought-provoking) spectacle while doing right by their characters by continuing their story arcs in emotionally gratifying ways. Thanks to a frequently sincere screenplay by Eric Pearson and Joanna Calo, the collection of prickly hired guns at the heart of the picture come across as the biggest underdogs within their cinematic multiverse as they gradually become worthy of taking on the mantle of Earth's Mightiest Heroes in spirit if not in ability. It's rewarding to see the late Black Widow's endearingly dorky but seriously deadly kid sister stepping up to take on a leadership role, consistently offering empathy to the deeply troubled Bob as she learns to face her own demons after years of burying her pain in booze and wanton violence. Taking a massive creative swing for a superhero movie - arguably one that significantly pays off - it's only fitting that the finale is a psychological struggle rather than the standard massive battle.

Thunderbolts* features several inspired action sequences, made all the more entertaining by the prickly nature of Yelena, Ava, and Walker. The lethal meet-cute in the secret facility sports some excitingly dynamic fight choreography. The car chase in the desert is tense and genuinely funny with Bucky making an awesome dramatic entrance to top it off. Watching the team futilely attempt to subdue the super-powered Sentry is simply heartbreaking, though they more than redeem themselves demonstrating true heroism protecting the people of Manhattan from the devastation of the Void. The way the film depicts the Void as an emotional state, an entity, and a shadowy realm that traps individuals in the worst moments of their lives is clever if under-explained, but it works reasonably well as a storytelling device.

Reprising the role of Yelena, Florence Pugh absolutely carries this picture with a thoroughly engaging performance, bringing thrilling stunts, laughs, and heartache with aplomb. David Harbour lays on thick the Russian accent and broad comedy in his return as Yelena's super soldier surrogate dad Alexei, but he impressively dials back the silliness to really sell several poignant moments with Yelena. Making her second appearance as Ava Starr following 2018's Ant-Man and the Wasp, Hannah John-Kamen is captivating as a hyper-competent foil to Pugh's Yelena, though it would have been nice for her to have more screen time. Wyatt Russell's off-brand Captain America John Walker makes his silver screen debut bringing along all of the character's baggage from The Falcon and Winter Soldier, the rough-around-the-edges charisma inherited from his father Kurt serving him well, adding a considerable amount of likability to such an incredibly flawed character. As the most veteran superhero of the gang, Sebastian Stan's Bucky is excellent as the no-nonsense counterbalance to this group of dummies. Lewis Pullman is perfectly cast as the soft-spoken and unassuming Robert Reynolds, making his performance as the sinister Void even more terrifying. Playing a much bigger part than in her previous MCU appearances as smug master manipulator Val, Julia Louis-Dreyfus is a lot of fun to watch, and certain plot developments allow her to show off her range as a performer. In addition, Geraldine Viswanathan is incredibly amusing Val's conflicted assistant Mel.

Thunderbolts* is as much about the formation of a world-saving team comprised of sad misfits as it is about the challenges of processing shame and past trauma. An all-around solid cast lead by Florence Pugh and some fascinating creative choices make it one of the more unique MCU films. Though considerably gruffer than the more well-established heroes of the Marvel canon, this picture makes a strong argument to root for this group of reprobates.

MID-CREDITS STINGER

Seeing his team featured on boxes of Wheaties at the supermarket, Alexei fails to convince a shopper to buy a box.

POST-CREDITS STINGER

While Alexei proposes an unappealing solution to the gang's legal battle with Sam Wilson over the name of their team, the crew witnesses an extra-dimensional ship with the number "4" on its hull approach Earth.

FRAGMENTS

- This variant of the Marvel Studios logo as it and the fanfare are swallowed by the Void is a neat touch

- Cool redesign for Taskmaster, but Olga Kurylenko's Antonia Dreykov really gets the short shrift

- Very amusing to see Bunk and Frank Sobotka from The Wire (Wendell Edward Pierce and Chris Bauer) in an MCU film

- The oddest creative choice of the script to me is for the characters to associate the "Thunderbolts" team name to Yelena's childhood soccer team instead of regular MCU antagonist Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross as it is in the comics, but the ultimate reveal that the asterisk in the Thunderbolts* title is in reference to the team's official branding as the New Avengers is simply masterful

- I very much love how the opening notes to Son Lux's theme music for Thunderbolts* mirror the opening notes of Alan Silvestri's iconic theme music for The Avengers

SUPPLEMENTAL STUFF

Video: Marvel Studios' Thunderbolts* | Red Guardian Limo Service

007 CONNECTIONS

- David Harbour (Gregg Beam in Quantum of Solace)

- Olga Kurylenko (Camille Montes in Quantum of Solace)

Wicked

WICKED

2024 | Dir. Jon M. Chu | 162 Minutes

"Everyone deserves the chance to fly."

In the Land of Oz, by chance the outcast Elphaba Thropp finds herself enrolled in Shiz University. Following their contentious first meeting, vain popular girl Galinda Upland gains a measure of compassion and gradually befriends Elphaba. When destiny calls, Elphaba learns hard truths about her world and must decide between fulfilling the expectations of others or doing what she believes is right.

Adapted from the first act of Stephen Schwartz's celebrated Broadway production, which in turn is based on Gregory Maguire's 1995 novel reinterpreting L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, director Jon M. Chu delivers a visually dazzling showcase of song and dance with spectacular choreography and fun set pieces. Primarily serving as a revisionist origin story for a classic villain, Wicked is at its best when it focuses on its core relationship, the unlikely but genuine friendship between misunderstood Elphaba, who learns to embrace her agency, and the conceited Galinda, who learns humility and empathy. The narrative also has much to say regarding prejudice, discrimination, and disinformation, with a considerable amount of focus on the mistreatment of not just Elphaba but also the intelligent animal inhabitants of Oz. However, the pacing of the film suffers from an overabundance of exposition and lore to unpack. While the picture concludes on a triumphant high, with so many plot threads left unresolved it isn't quite satisfying as stand-alone feature when all is sung and done.

The songs by Stephen Schwartz are all-around phenomenal, many of which are immediately unforgettable, and they are performed by an immensely talented cast with superb cinematic direction for this film adaptation. The "Dancing Through Life" sequence is the perfect example of the picture's incredible scale, taking place in a massive dynamic magical library set populated with excellent dancers. On a smaller, more personal scale, the "Popular" number is a great spotlight for the picture's leading ladies, perfectly matching the clever and funny energy of the catchy song. The epic sequence capping off the film featuring the exceptionally memorable "Defying Gravity" is truly exhilarating, a fittingly moving and inspirational showstopper accentuated with impressive visual effects.

Cynthia Erivo is magnificent as Elphaba, a role that fully utilizes her incredible voice, but even more impressively, allows her to demonstrate her screen acting talent as she capably carries the emotional weight of Elphaba's story. Frequently hilarious and believably earnest, Ariana Grande embodies Galinda to perfection. Playing the part of Fiyero, Jonathan Bailey is suitably charming and convincingly magnetic. The supporting cast also features an Michelle Yeoh exuding an air of authority as the deceptively regal Shiz University headmistress Madame Morrible, and Jeff Goldblum more or less just being Jeff Goldblum in the role of the master con artist Oz.

A crowd-pleasing ride overall, Wicked is an entertaining and emotionally engaging movie musical featuring iconic visuals and memorable songs. Elevated by a universally appealing tale of self-discovery at its heart, the narrative also offers a timely and timeless cautionary look at the evils of scapegoating and propaganda. Unfortunately, the film falls short of perfection in no small part due to its extended runtime bloated with expository material that does not pay off in this first installment of an ambitious duology.

FRAGMENTS

- The ad campaign for the film strategically neglects to mention it is the first installment of a two-picture adaptation, though the actual title card featured in the opening reads: Wicked ~Part 1~

- Peter Dinklage playing Dr. Dillamond further demonstrates his frequent typecasting as persecuted intellectuals

- The way John Powell's score builds as Elphaba takes flight during the finale reminds me so much of Hans Zimmer's theme for Superman from Man of Steel

007 CONNECTIONS

- Michelle Yeoh (Wai Lin in Tomorrow Never Dies)

MCU CONNECTIONS

- Jeff Goldblum (Grandmaster in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 and Thor: Ragnarok)

- Michelle Yeoh (Aleta Ogord in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 and Jiang Nan in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings)

- Peter Dinklage (Eitri in Avengers: Infinity War)

The Substance

THE SUBSTANCE

2024 | Dir. Coralie Fargeat | 141 Minutes

"Remember you are one."

Unceremoniously let go by the producer of her television show, aging celebrity Elisabeth Sparkle uses a mysterious drug to create a younger version of herself to begin her career anew. However, the youthful copy callously saps away at Elisabeth at an alarming rate.

Writer/director Coralie Fargeat's The Substance is an instant horror classic. The film is a stylish, surreal, provocative, and intensely furious satire unfolding in an aggressively heightened world taking one woman's feelings of inadequacy, in large part imparted upon her by unrealistic societal beauty standards, to birth a superficially enticing self-destructive monster. When one considers the very last instruction card enclosed within the package of the titular substance printed in bold capitalized letters, a reminder to the user that they and their counterpart "are one," the most direct reading of the increasingly antagonistic push-and-pull relationship between Elisabeth and Sue is Elisabeth expressing the hate she has for herself, an internal conflict that's externalized and transmuted into a visceral interpersonal struggle. Sue stealing time away from Elisabeth is in reality Elisabeth refusing to accept the current natural state of her aging body and a life away from the spotlight. It's telling that despite her reactive desperation to put an end to Sue when her body deteriorates to an unrecognizable state, Elisabeth is ultimately unable to let go of the Sue aspect of herself.

The hilariously sharp dialogue and frantically rapid pace of The Substance, along with outlandish creature effects of its final act, take the already excellent dramatic conflict over-the-top. On a technical level, the picture is absolutely phenomenal. The masterful editing by Fargeat, Jérôme Eltabet, Valentin Feron combined with the pulsating electronic score by Raffertie create a tense and breathless audio visual experience with propulsive energy. The practical make-up effects by Pop FX are brilliantly inventive, culminating in the bloody finale with one of the most convincingly rendered fascinatingly disgusting movie monsters in cinema history.

Stars Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley are nothing short of perfect, particularly impressive as the narrative spirals into absolute chaotic and revolting weirdness. Alone without a single word of spoken dialogue in some scenes, Moore gives an exceptionally natural performance portraying a fading star refusing to give up her fame at any cost, remaining consistently engaging even as heavier and heavier prosthetics are applied to her as Elisabeth's body rapidly degenerates. Qualley also gives it her all in the physically demanding role of Sue, totally captivating whether she's mugging for the cameras or literally fighting for her borrowed life. Dennis Quaid is horrifyingly convincing as the blustering slimy television producer all-too-aptly named Harvey.

Incredibly daring and delightfully grotesque, The Substance is a cautionary tale body horror film with unforgettable inventively disgusting imagery. The picture stylishly and mercilessly confronts and subverts the absurdly high value society places on youth and surface-level beauty. Most provocatively, the most terrifying aspect of this feature is arguably its depiction of one woman's self-loathing mutating into full-blown self-destruction.

FRAGMENTS

- The brief introductory sequence elegantly showing without verbal explanation how the titular substance works on an egg is pure genius, as are the bookend sequences of Elisabeth's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame

- The moment the "Monstro Elisasue" title card appears is one of my favorite cinematic experiences of 2024

Nickel Boys

NICKEL BOYS
2025 | Dir. RaMell Ross | 140 Minutes

"In here and out there are the same, but in here no one has to act fake anymore."

In 1962, black teenager Elwood Curtis is wrongfully arrested in Florida as an accomplice to a criminal. Imprisoned at the Nickel Academy reform school, Elwood quickly befriends the pessimistic Turner while both boys witness and endure horrible abuse. Years later, an adult Elwood confronts his past as authorities discover unmarked graves at site of the defunct campus.

Director RaMell Ross' adaptation of Colson Whitehead's Pulitzer-winning novel is visually captivating, frequently distressing, and even occasionally suffocating, however appropriate. Filmed primarily from a first-person perspective without ever coming off like a cheap gimmick, Nickel Boys fully immerses its audience in the journey of its pair of main characters, from moments of peaceful serene stillness to intense sequences of pure anxiety. As horrific events gradually unfold at the reform school, the dramatic tension never feels manufactured and never truly lets up. Even as the narrative segues away from Elwood's time Nickel, these flash forward scenes exclusively address the left over trauma.

The work of cinematographer Jomo Fray is exceptionally inspired, both in how it brilliantly captures Elwood and Turner's respective points of views but also in how it conveys deeper meaning whenever the camera shifts out of first-person view. Replaying the moment Elwood meets Turner from Turner's perspective is a clever way to clue the audience in on the fact that the picture will also follow the story of a secondary main character. A dreadful moment when Elwood suffers horrific physical abuse, the perspective shifts to third-person to depict his mental dissociation in a way that's both incredibly artistic and incredibly harrowing. At first viewing, it may be somewhat curious how scenes interspersed through the picture featuring an adult Elwood are exclusively shot from behind his head and shoulders, but it's a particularly profound creative choice in hindsight considering the concluding revelation that the grown man is in actuality Turner, having taken on both Elwood's name and aspects of Elwood's idealistically headstrong perspective.

Leads Ethan Herisse and Brandon Wilson both deliver engaging, incredibly moving performances. As Elwood, Herisse is the ideal audience surrogate, an intelligent young man rallying against the injustices inflicted upon him, while Wilson is rather charming and convincingly cynical as Turner, a child world-weary beyond his years. The cast also features Daveed Diggs who is heartbreaking as the adult Elwood/Turner, Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor embodying love turned to helpless sorrow as Elwood's grandmother Hattie, and a believably detestable Hamish Linklater serving as the face of Nickel Academy's hateful draconian practices.

Nickel Boys is an emotionally devastating experience, one that is equally captivating and challenging. Through outstanding cinematography, the picture drops its audience directly into the perspective of its central characters as they are subjected to one of the most notorious forms of institutionalized oppression that thrived in Jim Crow-era America. The filmmakers present the narrative in a way that, ingeniously only possible through the medium of motion pictures, directly requests empathy from the viewer.

FRAGMENTS

- Just when I was starting to enjoy seeing Hamish Linklater since watching him play the morally conflicted lead on Mike Flanagan's Midnight Mass -- his performance is good in this film, but what an evil, evil character

- I simply do not understand why this film wasn't nominated for the Academy Award for Best Cinematography