JulieHagerty – Credits Rolling

I don’t think I’ve ever given a movie one heart before, but I guess there’s a first time for everything.

The Outlaws, Netflix’s newest comedy/thriller offering, follows Owen Browning (Adam Devine), a straight-laced banker who is getting ready to marry the love of his life Piper (Nina Dobrev). It’s all going according to plan when his bank is held up by the infamous Ghost Bandits. Putting two and two together, Owen starts to believe it may be his future in laws (Pierce Brosnan and Ellen Barkin) who just so happened to arrive in town for the wedding.

I wanted so badly to like this film. It boasts an incredible cast and the trailer looked funny though I should have known better. How many times have I been duped before by big names just to get traction? The only shining lights for me here were Brosnan and Barkin who, while I still don’t have a clue why they’d star in something like this, did what they could to carry things along. In addition, Richard Kind and Julie Hagerty, who starred as Owen’s parents, had some great one liners and managed to steal the scenes they were in.

Devine, on the other hand, was so incredibly annoying that I had to force myself not to mute him. The high pitched screams and his mannerisms were way too over the top that it simply did not work. I can’t help but wonder if the film would have been better without him in it. And I wish I could say that Dobrev was a saving grace too, but she was kind of sidelined throughout. Even with the likes of Michael Rooker as Agent Oldham and Poorna Jagannathan as fellow bad guy Rehan, it was a lost cause.

In addition to the mismatched cast and over the top shenanigans, the movie itself was just not funny. A few of the so called jokes may have got me to chuckle, but only halfheartedly. As for the thriller element? There was none. Right from the get go you know what’s going to happen. Sometimes that’s a good thing though it wasn’t the case here.

I truly feel like The Outlaws is one of the worst movies that I have ever seen. It wasn’t funny, it was way too predictable and the cast made no sense whatsoever. Although I kept it on in hopes that it’d get better, I should have listened to my gut instinct and either switched it off halfway through or never given it a shot in the first place. I know that Netflix are notorious for the questionable quality they put out sometimes – I’m starting to think they should make some better decisions.

Rating: ♥️

Real life couple Alison Brie and Dave Franco join forces to bring audiences an unconventional romance in Somebody I Used to Know. Ally, who produces a superficial reality TV show, finds herself at a crossroads when she gets the news that they may not be picked up for another season. On a visit in her hometown, she runs into former flame Sean (Jay Ellis) and the two spend a magical night together reminiscing about their past. As if she wasn’t confused enough, Ally really doesn’t know what to think when she finds out that Sean is actually engaged to Cassidy (Kiersey Clemons).

I don’t know why Brie isn’t in more mainstream movies. Whenever I see her pop up, I am reminded of her charm and charisma and the fact that she can sell any type of role. While I do see why people found Ally to be an unlikable character, I have to take the opposite stance. It’s clear that Ally is going through something life changing – she doesn’t know if the job that she dedicated so much time to is even hers anymore and that prompts her to question everything she ever thought she knew about herself. You can’t blame her for holding on to the one thing that reminds her of who she used to be, even if that person is engaged to be married.

This movie does not end up in the way that you think it will. In fact, the journey to the end destination is actually not as predicable as one may think it is. For starters, I love how we as an audience are introduced to Cassidy and how, just like Ally, we are instantly rooting for her to find happiness. She’s spunky and she knows what she wants. Not to mention the fact that although she sees right through Ally’s ploys, she still gets a kick out of her and the two develop something of a friendship. I also really appreciated how the movie focused a lot on self love; Ally having put her career over Sean back in the day and Cassidy wanting to continue with her band in the present.

With a delightful supporting cast of characters including but not limited to Danny Pudi, Olga Merediz, Haley Joel Osment and Julie Hagerty and set in a beautiful Somebody I Used To Know was absolutely perfect to watch for Valentine’s Day.

Rating: ♥️♥️♥️.5