NickKroll – Credits Rolling

Devon (Sadie Sandler) never had friends growing up. Hoping to start fresh at college, she asks Celeste (Chloe East) to be her roommate. Celeste is everything that Devon is not: confident, cool and she doesn’t care what people think about her. But what starts as a ride or die friendship soon takes a dark turn.

I was initially on the fence about watching Roommates. It looked like your typical run of the mill Netflix comedy, not to mention it was produced by Adam Sandler and Happy Madison. However, as someone who has had their fair share of roommate drama in the past, I was curious to see what it was all about. I’m glad I did because it was better than I thought it was going to be though still not anything special.

This was actually my first time seeing Sandler act and while she wasn’t perfect, I thought she did a decent enough job as the lead. I could sympathize with her for wanting to make friends so badly she’ll do whatever it takes to fit in. I also felt for her when she started to realize that Celeste wasn’t who she thought she was. Similarly unfamiliar with East, I thought she was the standout. You could tell she was leaning into the antics and having fun during it.

The film boasts quite a colorful cast of characters and with them a great cast. Natasha Lyonne and Nick Kroll portrayed Devon’s parents Hannah and Brian. Aidan Langford starred as Alex, Devon’s brother. Carol Kane was Devon’s grandmother while Sarah Sherman was Dr. Schilling, the new dean of Walton University. Cameos by Megan Thee Stallion, Steve Buscemi and Janeane Garofalo were appreciated too. My favorites were Sarah Sherman and Megan Thee Stallion. They had some great scenes.

While I was able to relate to the roommate drama, I have to say that where the film lost me was the way in which is ended up coming together. I don’t want to spoil it and give too much away, but it did kind of fell apart in the third act. The choices seemed farfetched and like they were grasping at straws just for shock value. As a result, it took me out of the story.

Overall, Roommates was a fine film. It’s perfect for a Saturday night in. As I said before, I enjoyed it more than I thought I was going to, but ultimately it will be forgettable in the long run.

Rating: ♥️♥️.5

Welcome to Victory, an experimental living community, where the sun is always shining, the houses are vast and the lawns manicured. Young couple Alice (Florence Pugh) and Jack (Harry Styles) have the perfect life. When he goes off to work every day, she tends to the housework and prepares a nice dinner for him. But Victory isn’t as it seems and as the cracks start to show, Alice questions everything she thought she knew.

One of the most anticipated films of the year, Don’t Worry, Darling is the second film in Olivia Wilde’s directorial portfolio. Even after all the controversy, I knew I had to put that out of my head in order to focus on the bigger picture.

Everyone has been saying that Florence Pugh carried this movie on her back and they aren’t wrong. She is a force to be reckoned with. Her performance as Alice was absolutely captivating. You felt for her the whole way through. I can’t say the same about her male counterpart in Styles though. He was decent enough, but his fluctuating accent was distracting and it was as if he couldn’t keep up with Pugh.

The rest of the cast members were interesting enough though I wish we could have had more time with some of them. Frank (Chris Pine) was the most fleshed out. There was something charming yet sinister about him that I couldn’t put my finger on. I missed a lot from Bunny (Olivia Wilde) and her husband Dean (Nick Kroll) who are Alice and Jack’s neighbors. Addiotionally, Shelley (Gemma Chan), Frank’s wife clearly had more to tell.

I was one of those people who did not see the big twist coming. While not at all original, I did like the reveal. The explanation was too quick and that hindered the shock factor, but it didn’t take away from the movie for me. This is definitely one that left me thinking.

Rating: ♥♥♥.5