NOVOCAINE
2025 | Dir. Dan Berk and Robert Olsen | 110 Minutes
4 out of 5
An entertaining bloody action comedy carried by a charming performance from Jack Quaid. There isn't too much to its premise, the plot twists are rather telegraphed, but the set pieces are fun and inventively brutal, and the supporting cast featuring Amber Midthunder and Jacob Batalon is very likeable. Ray Nicholson stands out as the cruel and sadistic antagonist, a character cut from the same cloth as his father Jack's most memorable roles in a major way.
MICKEY 17
2025 | Dir. Bong Joon Ho | 137 Minutes
3 out of 5
A fascinating sci-fi premise that loses momentum a bit too quickly. The characters are as broad as the social commentary, there's nothing here Bong Joon Ho hasn't said more eloquently before, and the scope is surprisingly limited. Robert Pattinson's versatility keeps the picture from being a slog though.
MY DEAD FRIEND ZOE
2025 | Dir. Kyle Hausmann-Stokes | 102 Minutes
4 out of 5
Poignant and cleverly written, it's a grounded tribute to war veterans processing grief and trauma that's genuinely moving and understated enough to avoid being saccharine. Sonequa Martin-Green delivers an impressively versatile performance, and the devoted friendship between her and Natalie Morales' freewheeling titular Zoe rings authentic. Could have used more Morgan Freeman. The late film reveal absolutely destroyed me.
Poignant and cleverly written, it's a grounded tribute to war veterans processing grief and trauma that's genuinely moving and understated enough to avoid being saccharine. Sonequa Martin-Green delivers an impressively versatile performance, and the devoted friendship between her and Natalie Morales' freewheeling titular Zoe rings authentic. Could have used more Morgan Freeman. The late film reveal absolutely destroyed me.
LEGENDS OF THE CONDOR HEROES: THE GALLANTS
2025 | Dir. Tsui Hark | 147 Minutes
3 out of 5
A flawed adaptation of a small portion of Jin Yong's Legends of the Condor Heroes, Tsui Hark doesn't bother providing proper exposition for those unfamiliar with the source material, nor does he faithfully adapt the handful of chapters from the book that this picture ostensibly covers, opting to occasionally flash back to key moments leading up to this particular segment of the story while taking questionable creative liberties. The pacing is all over the place, the heavily CGI-augmented action is entertaining enough until the weightlessness eventually robs it of all impact, and the feature ultimately culminates in a final battle newly fabricated for the film that fails to provide it with an adequate ending. Xiao Zhan and Sabrina Zhuang Dafei share good chemistry in the lead roles as one of the most famous couples in wuxia fiction, though Zhang Wenxin delivers the most impressive performance in the greatly expanded role of the feisty Mongolian princess, while Tony Leung Ka-Fai is convincingly formidable as pathologically conceited Western Venom Ouyang Feng despite looking quite ridiculous especially after his faulty final power-up.
THE MONKEY
2025 | Dir. Osgood Perkins | 98 Minutes
4 out of 5
Pitch black hilarious featuring inventively over-the-top kills, it's a merciless horror comedy that makes light of inevitable mortality and the random indiscriminate nature of death. The pacing is solid until it slows to a frustrating slog just before the finale, and any catharsis to be had in the end is undercut by cruel humor, but it's a fun thrill ride overall. Theo James and Tatiana Maslany's amusing performances are spot-on, clearly understanding the assignment.
