Month: October 2023

Pain Hustlers

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From director David Yates of various Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts films comes Pain Hustlers. The story follows down on her luck mom Liza Drake (Emily Blunt) who is dreaming of a better life for herself and her daughter Phoebe (Chloe Coleman). Thanks to a chance encounter with one Pete Brenner (Chris Evans), she lands a job at the failing pharmaceutical company where he works. As drastic changes begin to occur, she can’t help but wonder if it’s been for better or for worse.

I was looking forward to this one. A film helmed by two of the biggest stars of today? Sign me right up! Unfortunately that’s about all it had going for it. So where did it all go wrong?

First and foremost, this is not the first time we’ve seen the subject tackled. This year alone we’ve had various takes on similar drug crises. This take unfortunately doesn’t add much to what we already know. There’s nothing wrong with that per se, but it doesn’t shed the light on anything new and therefore doesn’t stand out from the crowd.

The performances here are enjoyable enough. Blunt is believable as the scrappy mom who will do whatever she can to provide for her daughter. I wanted to root for her even when she continued to make questionable choices, though she certainly made it hard. Evans, on the other hand, has been playing similar variations of the same character for a while now and it’s beginning to feel tired. The two did have a good chemistry though that made their scenes work. The supporting cast in Catherine O’Hara as Liza’s mother, Andy Garcia as Dr. Neel and Brian D’Arcy James as Dr. Lydell were fine enough.

I truly believe if Pain Hustlers came out at a different point in time, it would have had more of an impact. The story is an important one, but it’s something we’ve seen many times before which didn’t help. I wanted so badly to like it, but my expectations simply weren’t met. I hate to say that it felt like a slog to get through, but I’d be lying if I didn’t.

Rating: ♥️♥️.5

Trolls Band Together

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The lovable singing Trolls are back for a brand new adventure! This time around, we get to learn about Branch (Justin Timberlake) and his past. When Poppy (Anna Kendrick) learns that he was one a part of the famous boy band group BroZone, she can hardly contain her excitement. John Dory (Eric André), Floyd (Troye Sivan), Spruce (Daveed Diggs), Clay (Kid Cudi) and Branch were IT back in the day until an argument tore them apart and they disbanded. Now, Floyd has been kidnapped and it is up to Branch and Poppy to reunite the brothers before it’s too late.

When I first discovered Trolls, I instantly fell for them. The first film was a breath of fresh air and I loved the way in which music was incorporated into their story. While I felt World Tour was a bit disappointing, I was still looking forward to Band Together.One doesn’t go into these films expecting much, but they are guaranteed to be a fun time. There isn’t much by means of a plot, but that’s okay.

What makes these movies so enjoyable for me is the musical performances. Whether it may be a cover or an original song, they always have me tapping my feet along to the beat or dancing in my seat. It’s helpful knowing that Kendrick and Timberlake can belt a tune and that they vibe so well with one another. This time around came an even bigger treat: the long awaited N*SYNC reunion fans have been dreaming about for the past twenty years. It really was well worth the wait and the boy band joke that came along with it were perfect.

Trolls Band Together may not have been as great as the original 2016 film, but I did prefer it to World Tour. It’s a fun time with some great musical numbers that put a smile on my face. I only hope we’ll see more of Poppy, Branch and the gang for more adventures to come.

Rating: ♥️♥️♥️

Totally Killer

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Thirty five years ago, the Sweet Sixteen Killer murdered three teenagers. Now he’s back and ready to claim his next victim. Jamie (Kiernan Shipka) is willing to do whatever it takes to stop him even if that means accidentally traveling back in time to 1987. Determined to prevent these attacks from happening, Jamie teams up with her teenage mom, Pam (Olivia Holt), and her group of friends.

Spooky season is my favorite season of all and this movie was the perfect way to get into the spirit. Ever since I watched Scream a couple years ago, I have become somewhat of a fan of slasher films. They’re not too scary and I think the unique ways in which the characters are killed are always unique. This time around was no exception. It was reminiscent of Scream mixed in with the Back to the Future and proved to be a lot of fun.

Shipka seems to have made a name for herself in this genre, but she does it well. She was the perfect heroine here donning the hat of a leader and stepping up to change the future. The fact that she was so incredibly 2023 in the past was funny; the movie being self aware in this sense could have gotten annoying, but instead had me laughing with each and every joke. The casting choices were expertly chosen as well, especially as each teen looked so much like their adult counterpart.

Having the film set in the 80s was a brilliant choice. It gave the dark atmosphere a pop of color. The throwbacks to fashion and song choices were perfect and really helped set the tone. The horror elements could have been elevated even further though it all came together at the end of the day.

I expected Totally Killer to be a C-list film that I’d just have playing in the background. Instead, it was some of the most fun I’ve had while watching a film in a while. While it didn’t necessarily break the slasher film mode, it was different enough to stand apart from the pack.

Rating: ♥️♥️♥️.5

Fair Play

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Emily (Phoebe Dynevor) and Luke (Alden Ehrenreich) are madly in love and newly engaged. They also work together at the same cutthroat financial hedge fund and are hiding their relationship from their coworkers. When one of them gets promoted and becomes the others’ boss, the power dynamics shift into something sinister.

Chloe Domont, a new up and coming director, is certainly one to watch. Not only did she pen a brilliant script, she seems to have such a grasp on how this industry works. The battle of the sexes has been going on for many years and this is no exception. The way that a woman is treated in such a company is the complete opposite than that of a man. The realistic depiction that unfolded on screen was so on the nose that it kind of took my breath away.

While the film wouldn’t be complete without the magnetic chemistry between the two leads, it is Dynevor who steals the show. Not only does she carry the plot along perfectly, but she does so by conveying emotion with every look and action. As the storyline progresses, she adjusts and completely sells it. I’d only seen her in Bridgerton before, but now I feel she should be casted in everything. Ehrenreich, on the other hand, was a fine match for her, but it did seem like he took a backseat at times.

Though many have said the genre is that of an erotic thriller, I don’t necessarily agree. Yes, the physicality of it all is present, but only really at the beginning. As the pace picks up, there’s a change that is needed. I also didn’t find it too thrilling and instead more of a slow burn. Nothing wrong with that whatsoever, of course, as it helped increase the impending sense of doom that hung throughout, but it could be misleading.

Overall, Fair Play has a lot going for it. I might have expected more because it’s been receiving so much praise, but I wouldn’t be surprised if that was because all the financial stuff lost me. The drama and acting were more than enough to keep me entertained. I recommend everyone should check it out for that final act alone.

Rating: ♥️♥️♥️.5

After Everything

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In the fifth and final instalment of the After series, After Everything follows Hardin (Hero Fiennes-Tiffin) on his journey in finding himself. When Tessa (Josephine Langford) broke things off, Hardin turned back to his old ways. Knowing he can’t live like this forever, he travels to Portugal in search of a woman from his past, hoping to make amends with her so that he can finally move on and hopefully win back Tessa in the process.

I’m still salty they felt the need to make the last book into a two part movie – it wasn’t necessary whatsoever. Speaking as a huge fan of this franchise, I did not want to sit through something that only really had Hessa scenes in it for about ten minutes, but I knew I’d have to. It was the only way I’d be able to see them finally get their happily ever after.

It wasn’t pretty, I’ll be honest. This is my least favorite of the series. Don’t get me wrong, Hero has come such a long way since the first film. He led this one perfectly and he looked damn fine while doing so. But did I really need to see him hook up with that flight attendant even if it was a dream? Or to see him hang out with Natalie (Mimi Keene)? I just can’t think of Hardin with anyone other than Tessa. I also didn’t think we needed the rivarly between Hardin and Sebastian (Benjamin Mascolo). At least the backdrop of Lisbon was a treat.

At least I can say with certainty that it was well worth the wait. This story has always been about Tessa and Hardin. Their chemistry is electric and while I know their relationship has been extremely problematic, the love is there at the end of the day and I’m so pleased with how it all wrapped up. This series was there for me during a rather difficult part of my life and now I’m sad that it’s all over.

Rating: ♥️♥️.5