Month: May 2025

Fear Street: Prom Queen

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Prom is a rite of passage for every high school student even when said high school is in Shadyside. For one night only they will try to take their minds off of the curse that has fallen on their town for a good night. Lori Granger (India Fowler) is an outsider who has been nominated for Prom Queen. It’s clear that none of the It Girls, lead by Tiffany Falconer (Fina Strazza), want Lori to be competing against them. When they start disappearing one by one, it becomes clear that a killer is on the loose and none of them are safe.

The first three Fear Street films came out in the summer of 2021 and became instant hits. This trilogy singlehandedly got me into the horror genre. I was so excited for this new instalment. Unfortunately it did not exactly live up to my expectations though there were some things I still appreciated.

Fowler did just fine as our final girl though I wasn’t completely sold on her performance. The same can be said about the other younger talent. Strazza was probably my favorite because she was so mean, she could very well give Regina George a run for her money. It would have been nice to see more of Christy, portrayed by Ariana Greenblatt, and I would have appreciated more backstory of the other girls. The adult cast were much more enjoyable. Nancy (Katherine Waterston) and Dan Falconer (Chris Klein) were hilarious as Tiffany’s overbearing parents and I thought Vice Principal Dolores Brekenridge (Lili Taylor) and Principal Wayland (Darrin Baker) were quite the pair.

Though a lot of the kills were predictable, they were still really well executed. I was unsure at the beginning because we didn’t see the first one happen on screen, but luckily it was ramped up by a thousand percent thereafter. I also have to say that I did not see the reveal coming whatsoever. It genuinely caught me off guard.

Fear Street: Prom Queen may not have been the outing I had anticipated it would be. I guess that what happens when you get your hopes up too high. At least the kills were good and the soundtrack perfectly encapsulated the eighties. I am looking forward to more of the Fear Street books being adapted.

Rating: ♥️♥️.5

Fountain Of Youth

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From director Guy Ritchie comes a new swashbuckling adventure. Luke (John Krasinski) and Charlotte Purdue (Natalie Portman) are estranged siblings who team up to find the mythical Fountain of Youth. Together with their team of misfits, they travel all over the globe finding clues that will help them in their quest.

If Indiana Jones and National Treasure had a baby, it would be this. It was a total throwback to the action films of yesteryear and I was so here for it. It wasn’t perfect by any means, but it was a blast from beginning to end and I just couldn’t wait to see what was going to happen next.

Krasinski did a great job as our protagonist. I’ve heard some people say that he was miscast though I don’t agree. Not only was he hilarious, it was obvious that he was enjoying himself to the fullest. I felt similarly about Portman. I liked their banter and thought that they easily passed as brother and sister.

The supporting cast were equally as fun. Laz Alonso and Carmen Ejogo were Patrick Murphy and Deb McCall respectively; the team wouldn’t have been complete without them. Domhnall Gleeson was Owen Carver, the reason why the team decided to go and search for the Fountain of Youth in the first place, and Benjamin Chivers was Thomas, Charlotte’s son who comes along on the journey. With every adventure there are always some obstacles that get in the way. These come in the form of Eiza Gonzalez as Esme, a protector of the Fountain, and Arian Moayed as Jamal Abbas, a police officer who tries to keep up with everyone.

Where the film lacks is in its script. It’s corny and doesn’t quite pack the punch that it otherwise could have. It makes up for all that with the action sequences and there are plenty! I particularly fancied the scene that took place on the sunken ship. I just thought it was so well done.

Overall, Fountain of Youth is exactly the type of action adventure film that I love. It doesn’t take itself too seriously and instead just totally leans into itself. It’s fun, over the top and it is a great way to spend a Friday night in. I would 100% be on board for a sequel.

Rating: ♥️♥️♥️.5

Lilo and Stitch

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Lilo and Stitch follows the story of a young girl named Lilo (Maia Kealoha) who lives with her sister Nani (Sydney Elizabeth Agudong). Following the death of their parents, Nani has stepped into the motherly role trying to keep it all together while Lilo is more lonely than ever. When an alien crash lands on earth and the two meet, a friendship forms.

The 2002 animated version of the film is one of my all time favorites. Now that Disney has given it the live action treatment, I’ll admit I was hesitant it would be a let down like so many of the others have been. In the end I was pleasantly surprised and couldn’t believe how wonderful it truly was.

Let’s get the obvious out of the way: Stitch is the CUTEST. From the moment those first photos of him dropped, I knew I was just going to fall in love with him. Reprising his role once more, Chris Sanders jumps right back in the game bringing the destructible yet lovable alien to life. The relationship that forms between Stitch and Lilo is just as special in this version and I loved seeing all their adventures together play out on the big screen.

Unsurprisingly there were some changes made to the story. Sometimes these can be good and sometimes they are just unnecessary, but I understand that they are needed. I actually thought the upgrades worked. Having the focus more on the sisterly bond between Lilo and Nani was a smart move; it added so much more heart to the film and really made me feel emotional. I also liked how the character of Cobra Bubbles was essentially split in two characters with Bubbles (Courtney B. Vance) as the secret agent and Tia Carrere as social worker Mrs. Kekoa. The inclusion of Amy Hill as Tutu was a welcome one and I liked how Jumba (Zach Galifianakis) and Pleakley (Billy Magnussen) were portrayed.

Lilo and Stitch is hands down one of, if not the best, Disney live action remakes yet. It stayed true to the original while also bringing the story into today’s day and age. With a talented cast and the adorable Stitch, Disney has a new hit on its hands.

Rating: ♥️♥️♥️♥️.5

Thunderbolts*

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After many delays, Thunderbolts* has finally hit the big screen. When a group of antiheroes find themselves as targets, they band together to embark on a dangerous mission.

Florence Pugh captured audiences from her very first appearance as Yelena. Her deadpan, dry humour made her edgy even when you knew there were many more layers underneath. She is the driving force of this film and rightfully so. The rest of the team consisting of Sebastian Stan as Bucky, David Harbour as Alexei, Wyatt Russell as John Walker, Hannah John-Kamen as Ava and Lewis Pullman as Bob were so completely mismatched yet perfect together. On the surface it seemed like they had nothing in common, but that couldn’t be further from the truth.

After relying heavily on CGI and silly gimmicks, this is a more stripped back version of an origin story. While we had been previously introduced to these characters, we didn’t really know much about them. Here we got to learn about what makes them tick as well as the darkest corners of their minds. Though there are plenty of action sequences and some comedic moments, the film also focuses on themes of loss, grief, addiction and mental health. I don’t think I’ve seen these depicted in a superhero film before and as someone who has dealt with some of the above, I really found myself relating to what the characters were going through.

It’s no secret that Marvel has been struggling as of lately. Ever since Endgame, there have been a slew of less than mediocre instalments that I can barely even remember now. The excitement I used to feel before going into these films became like a chore. That was until now. Thunderbolts* was everything I never knew I needed and I can’t help but wonder…is Marvel back? I guess only time will tell.

Rating: ♥️♥️♥️♥️

Another Simple Favor

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Taking place five years after the events of the first film, Another Simple Favor reunites Stephanie Smothers (Anna Kendrick) and Emily Nelson (Blake Lively) for a new mystery. When Emily asks Stephanie to be her maid of honor, Stephanie reluctantly agrees. She’s whisked away to Capri for the celebrations, but when one of the guests is murdered, Stephanie starts to worry that she won’t make it home in one piece.

I was a big fan of the first film. It was quippy, smart and sexy and the cast were phenomenal. This may be the sequel that nobody asked for (I feel like everything was wrapped up well before), but I still found myself looking forward to revisiting this world.

Kendrick and Lively reprise their roles effortlessly. It was like no time had passed at all. They have such a playful and organic chemistry that I could literally watch them for hours. The hijinks that ensued this time around were even more insane and yet it somehow still worked. Another returning face was Henry Goulding’s Sean, Emily’s ex husband and Stephanie’s former paramour. Clearly struggling with what happened in the past, he’s turned to drink. While you can’t help but feel bad for him, he also has some of the best lines in the whole film. There are some new players this time around: Allison Janey is Emily’s offbeat aunt Linda, Alex Newell is Stephanie’s bubbly assistant Vicky and Michele Morrone is Emily’s new beau the elusive Dante Versano. They each fit in perfectly.

Some may say that there’s too much going on this time around. There’s more twists, more turns and not all of them make sense, but that’s okay. As long as you allow yourself to lean into it, I think it is much more enjoyable. There’s a lot of really fun callbacks to the original as well which I appreciated. I also need to give a shoutout to the outfits that were worn by the cast. Absolutely beautiful.

If it wasn’t for Paul Feig, I probably wouldn’t have even bothered with Another Simple Favor. At least having him at the helm meant that we’d be in safe hands. Set against the beautiful backdrop of Capri with brilliant lead performances by our two leading ladies and the over the top story it seemed like it could all fall apart. Luckily that was far from being the case.

Rating: ♥️♥️♥️.5