Month: February 2025

The Gorge

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Levi (Miles Teller) and Drasa (Anya Taylor-Joy) are two highly trained operatives who are enlisted to guard an ominous gorge. Despite the rules telling them they are not allowed to communicate, a special bond still forms between them. When they discover the truth about what lies beneath, they must work together to stop the secrets from coming out.

I will watch anything that Taylor-Joy is in. Drasa was a sad character and you wanted to root for her from the beginning. The same could be said about Teller’s Levi. Having nobody close to him was the main reason why he was chosen for this mission. At first I wasn’t sure how this pair up would work, but I was pleasantly surprised. Though their relationship developed quickly, it really was the highlight for me.

Where the film sort of lost me along the way was with its many genres. Part sci-fi and part romance with some drama and even a little bit of comedy, at times it seemed like it didn’t really know what it wanted to be. As a result, I do think the second act suffered especially when our two heroes find themselves in the gorge. While I was impressed with the special effects and felt they looked very realistic, it did get a bit too convoluted for its own good. I’m all for layers, don’t get me wrong, but I don’t think it really added anything to the story and instead left me confused.

The Gorge an enjoyable enough flick perfect for a Sunday afternoon. With great performances by Teller and Taylor-Joy that illustrates a quite charming love story and an interesting enough premise, I was kept entertained throughout. If you’re a fan of Stranger Things, then this is right up your alley.

Rating: ♥️♥️♥️

Captain America: Brave New World

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Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) is adjusting to life as the new Captain America. When he finds himself at the centre of an international incident, he must work with Thaddeus Ross (Harrison Ford) to find out who is behind these attacks and put a stop to them once and for all.

Mackie was excellent. I’ve always liked Sam as a character and I think that he donned his new title effortlessly. He was never trying to be Steve Rogers; he just wanted to be himself. I loved his friendship with Joaquin Torres (Danny Ramirez). Their banter was playful and fun. It really had that sibling feeling to it. The introduction of Ruth Bat-Seraph (Shira Haas) was a welcome one and I’m looking forward to seeing more of her in the future.

Unfortunately some of the other characters were underused. I was so much looking forward to seeing Ford hulk out. To say I was disappointed with that part of his storyline is an understatement. I feel like he would have been a more interesting villain than Tim Blake Nelson as Samuel Sterns. I also wish we’d had more time with Carl Lumby who played Isaiah Bradley and Giancarlo Esposito who portrayed Sidewinder.

While the action sequences and special effects were decent, there were times throughout where I felt like the quality of the shots were grainy. Maybe that is what they were going for, but it was distracting. Additionally, the storyline itself was also a bit clunky. I didn’t really understand a lot of what was going on. I do think that watching The Incredible Hulk, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier and The Eternals beforehand is helpful.

Overall, I went into Captain America: Brave New World with very little expectations. There was just something about it that I wasn’t excited about. I’m glad this was the way I approached it because I was able to enjoy it more. That being said, I still wasn’t completely sold. It’s not the worst of Marvel’s offerings, but it certainly isn’t one of the best. I’m hoping the next two instalments of the year are better.

Rating: ♥️♥️.5

Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy

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Our beloved heroine is back for one last hurrah. After the loss of Mark (Colin Firth), Bridget (Renée Zellweger) finds herself navigating life as a widow and single mom. With the help of her friends and family, Bridget slowly starts to get back out there. She returns to work and even signs up for a dating site with some surprising results.

It has been nine years since we last saw these characters on screen. Everyone was back on board and I loved being able to dip back into Bridget’s world. Zellweger eased back into the titular role effortlessly. I’m glad that Firth was back, even if it was in a smaller scale. Hugh Grant stole the show as former flame Daniel Cleaver; he’s so cheeky, yet you can’t help but love him. Bridget’s friends played by Sally Phillips, Mark Lingwood and Shirley Henderson were along for the ride as well and just as supportive as ever.

Of course there were some newcomers too. Chiwetel Ejiofor as Mr. Wallaker starred as a teacher at the school Bridget’s children attend and Leo Woodall portrayed Roxster, a young man who happens upon Bridget and instantly becomes enamoured with her. The romance was A+ and at times I simply did not know who I wanted Bridget to end up with. One moment I was swooning over a shirtless Roxster and the next I wanted to geek out on science and play the piano with Mr. Wallaker.

What I loved the most about Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy, however, was that it was the perfect send off for these characters that we have grown to love over the past twenty years. In some ways, I feel like I grew up with Bridget and I’m sad to be saying goodbye. There were so many brilliant callbacks to the original (like the reindeer jumper and the scene in the snow) which were genius. I loved how I went from laughing out loud during one scene and then crying my eyes out in the next. I will miss this universe so much, but I am so glad that we had the chance to revisit it one last time.

Rating: ♥️♥️♥️♥️.5

Companion

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Ever since their meet-cute in the grocery store, Iris (Sophie Thatcher) and Josh (Jack Quaid) have been the perfect couple. When they go away to a billionaire’s lakeside mansion for the weekend, their idyllic getaway takes a dramatic turn.

Trying to describe this film without giving too much away is difficult! I truly believe it’s best to go into this one knowing as little as possible. I’m still wondering why the trailer decided to give away some of the story. Luckily that didn’t take away from my enjoyment of it.

There are only a few horror films I can handle, but this was one I needed to check out. The premise gripped me from the onset and I found I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the screen. As the events unfolded bit by bit, the audience was clued in to what was really going on. Once it all fell into place, the execution was brilliant.

Thatcher first hit my radar in Yellowjackets. She was as impressive then as she is now, if not more. She’s a star on the rise and I can’t wait to see what she does next. This role was practically made for her – the way in which she embodied Iris was truly remarkable. This isn’t the first time Quaid has played a similar character. It’s kind of his shtick, but he does it so well! The other members of the group included Patrick (Lucas Gage), Kat (Megan Suri), Eli (Harvey Guillén) and Sergey (Rupert Friend). Each played an important role in the story and had their chance to shine which I appreciated.

Companion is a film that is worth checking out. I thought I knew what I was getting myself into, but it ended up being so much better. Behind the dark comedy and the blood spill, the social critique going on behind the scenes is what hit me hard. Exploring themes of interpersonal relationships, toxicity and misogyny was especially topical.

Rating: ♥️♥️♥️♥️