Category Archives: Reviews

Movie Reviews

‘The Climb’ Review

Leave a reply

“The Climb” stars Michael Angelo Covino and Kyle Marvin as two lifelong friends, and glimpses into their lives over several year. Covino and Marvin also wrote the script, as Covino directs and Gayle Rankin, Talia Balsam, George Wendt, and Judith Godrèche also star.

I hadn’t heard much about this film until recently (it premiered at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival, and May 2019 seems like a lifetime ago), but my friend described it as “’Sideways’ with bikes.” A decent endorsement (“Sideways” is one of the better films of the 2000s), and upon seeing “The Climb” I can attest that this blend of exaggerated farce and intimate human interactions, while not as good as “Sideways,” is part of the Two Best Friends Argue Over Women & Wine Cinematic Universe.

Michael Angelo Covino and Kyle Marvin are real-life best friends, and that connection is felt on-screen. Both of their characters go through waves of being the rock in the relationship, and even when one should hate the other their mutual admiration shines through. Covino is a bit better and more believable with his comedic timing than Marvin, but thanks to the script the two penned together there are a lot of deadpan chuckles to go around.

More impressive than the performances is the cinematography by Zach Kuperstein. The film is told in vignettes, each lasting about 10 minutes or so, and they are almost exclusively done in one long take. Sometimes the scenes feature characters moving through a house or riding bikes along twisting roads, which makes it all the more impressive from a technical perspective, but it also makes you appreciate the work being done by the actors, too. Much like in “Birdman” the pressure is on them to get their lines right, or risk having to start a 10-minute-long scene over from scratch. It helps create a sense of authenticity to the story and each scene, and as a fan of oners I never felt like it reached the levels of simply being a gimmick.

There are a few abstract and fourth wall-breaking moments that may be awkward for some viewers, and the simple storytelling may not gel for everyone. But just like “Nomadland” I think sometimes simple direction is the best way to handle a film, and “The Climb” gets enough laughs and heart out of its two characters to be worth the trip.

Critics Rating: 8/10

‘Rebecca’ Review

Leave a reply

Someone needs to get to the suits in Hollywood and tell them that not every classic film needs to be reimagined.

“Rebecca” is based on the 1938 book of the same name, which was famously adapted by Alfred Hitchcock in 1940 (his only Best Picture winner). The plot follows a newlywed couple (Armie Hammer and Lily James) that is haunted by the memory of the husband’s deceased wife. Kristin Scott Thomas, Tom Goodman-Hill, Keeley Hawes, Sam Riley, and Ann Dowd also star, while Ben Wheatley directs.

Remaking classic films is nothing new, Hollywood has been doing it for years (such as “True Grit,” “Ben-Hur,” and “A Star Is Born,” which gets dusted off every 20 years), and it’s very rare they are actually worth revisiting (“A Star Is Born” is ironically probably one of the few films that perfectly balances paying homage to the source material while also adding its own style). While “Rebecca” is not a straight-up remake of Hitchcock’s film, it is based on the same book and thus follows the same beats, and while I have not seen the 1940 original, this 2020 version simply never justifies its own existence.

Armie Hammer has had an odd but quietly successful career thus far, coming onto the scene in 2010 with his dual performance in “The Social Network.” After being the titular role in the notorious box office bomb “Lone Ranger,” he has done small supporting roles in things like “Sorry to Bother You” and earned award talks for “Call Me by Your Name.” An American, Hammer makes attempts to carry a British accent here (the film is set in Europe and the rest of the cast is naturally British) and about halfway through the runtime decides to just drop it (seriously, there are lines of dialogue that are flat-out Californian dialect). He tries to have a sense of mystery about his character, but it never really comes off much better than what “Fifty Shades of Grey” tried to do with Christian Grey.

Lily James is always dorky and charming, and here she is fine. She is supposed to go through this gradual change as the film progresses, with one character saying she has lost her innocence, but that is never organically portrayed on-screen. She also suddenly becomes an expert in law and medical science and anything else the plot needs from her, and it’s just lazy writing.

From a production standpoint, the film looks great. Seriously, the cinematography by Laurie Rose, especially in the early scenes set in the French Riviera, are gorgeous and lit perfectly. The attention to detail by the production design crew is to be commended, and it at least keeps you mildly intrigued when the plot consistently does not.

“Rebecca” is luscious on the outside but hallow on the inside, and despite being an easily-accessible Netflix movie is not worth a watch. There is no true conflict until the final 20 minutes, and there is simply nothing here that we have not seen done before, and done better. In the film, Hammer never wants to talk about his wife Rebecca, and I don’t want to ever think about her again, either.

Critics Rating: 4/10

‘Honest Thief’ Review

Leave a reply

Even in a year as weird as 2020, there’s something comforting about still having a “Liam Neeson with a gun” movie.

“Honest Thief” stars Liam Neeson in the titular role as a former bank robber who wants to trade the $9 million he stole over the years for a reduced sentence after meeting a woman (Kate Walsh). Robert Patrick, Anthony Ramos, Jeffrey Donovan, and Jai Courtney also star, while Mark Williams (who co-created the show “Ozark”) directs.

In 2017, Liam Neeson announced he was done with the action genre, claiming he was “sixty-[bleeping]-five” and the genre had worn out its welcome with him. Since then, he has starred in “The Commuter,” “Widows,” “Cold Pursuit,” and now “Honest Thief,” all of which feature our favorite Irishman running around with a gun. It is what it is, can’t fault Neeson for wanting to pocket as much money as he can, and sometimes these films have a decent enjoyment factor (“Run All Night” is one of the better cop thrillers in recent memory). “Honest Thief” has all the ingredients of a successful romp, from corrupt FBI agents to a wrongfully accused Neeson on the run, but it lacks the energy or true intrigue to set itself apart from any other thriller you can find in the Walmart bin.

I usually like these Liam Neeson movies well-enough, most of the time they get a 5 or 6 from me. So I didn’t go into this expecting anything special or new. Neeson is doing his half-hearted attempt to downplay his Irish accent (he’s a former Marine, implying he has been an American for at least several decades), and he gives a dedicated-enough performance. There isn’t much nuance or character development for anyone here (the film is 93 minutes without credits so there isn’t much extra room to flesh characters out), but he gets the job done.

The set-up of the film is probably the most entertaining part, with Neeson wanting to turn himself in and two corrupt FBI agents (Jai Courtney and Anthony Ramos) deciding to take the money for themselves and frame Neeson. That part is cool, but once Neeson goes on the run with his girlfriend (a serviceable Kate Walsh) things become pretty boilerplate. The climax slightly redeems itself, but not in any sort of revolutionary way.

I liked the way the film was shot, it’s pretty simple and clean, and there are a few good shots of around the Boston area. But whenever there are special effects (including one explosion) things look *very* direct-to-DVD quality, and some of the logic of characters is non-existent.

“Honest Thief” is a very harmless PG-13 thriller, and if you come across it on TV one day then sure, check it out. It is slated to play in theaters, and like “The War with Grandpa” I wouldn’t praise this as the savior of cinema or worth you venturing out into the real world to see, but if these Neeson shooters are your cup of guilty pleasure tea, then you should get your fix.

Critics Rating: 5/10

‘The Father’ Review

Leave a reply

It’s a shame the Academy Awards aren’t being held until April 25 next year, because that’s just longer it is until Anthony Hopkins can start polishing his second Oscar.

“The Father” stars Sir Anthony Hopkins as an aging man with dementia, and Olivia Coleman as his daughter. Florian Zeller directs and co-writes a script based off his play of the same name.

Usually I will give the background of a film in my third paragraph, but I just have to start talking about Anthony Hopkins’ performance right away, because wow. A true tour-de-force, Hopkins manages to perfectly portray an individual suffering from memory loss, putting us in the shoes of one as well. His emotions jump from giddy one second to enraged the next, and at times it is not clear if he is faking his memory loss in the moment or actually forgotten how he simply arrived to the middle of a sentence. It is a masterful performance from one of our finest actors, who (outside “The Two Popes” last year) has not done much “serious” acting in recent years. I don’t want to get ahead of myself and bet the house before the end of the year, but it would take an all-time performance to steal Best Actor away from Anthony Hopkins.

Olivia Coleman (who won Best Actress for “The Favouite”) plays Hopkins’ adult daughter, who acts as his main caretaker. Stricken with grief, and seemingly some guilt, for not being able to fully manage her aging father alone, Coleman has us relate to her character in the most brutal of ways.

Florian Zeller’s subtle direction and particular square framing of scenes keep some of the dramatics and intimacies of a stage play, but the apartment that most of the film takes place in feels wide and lived in. Zeller holds the camera on an actor for almost an entire conversation, leaving no room for them to breathe, resulting in raw emotion. In an early scene, Coleman tells Hopkins that she is moving from London to Paris and we see his eyes get progressively saddened as he realizes what that means for him (“and what of me?!”).

The film is told in such a way that it simultaneously makes you feel the frustration of a child trying to cope with or understand a parent with dementia, as well as what it is like to be the one who is suddenly living in a new world seemingly every day. It almost plays out like a horror film at times, because just like Hopkins we are unsure what is real and if the events are happening right now or five years ago.

“The Father” may be simple in its title but it is extremely meticulous in its execution. Gentle but devastating performances across the board make this something special. I have to warn you, as someone with a grandmother who has dealing with dementia for a while now, I have to say this one will hit home for anyone in a situation like this. But that is part of its brilliance and sheer, unfiltered reality. I truly am haunted and blown away right now.

Critics Rating: 9/10

‘The Trial of the Chicago 7’ Review

Leave a reply

If people worry about Disney creating every blockbuster film, they better at least get used to Netflix owning every Oscar contender, too.

“The Trial of the Chicago 7” tells the tale of the group of protesters who in 1968 were charged with inciting a riot at the Democratic National Convention. The second directorial effort from screenwriter Aaron Sorkin, it features an ensemble cast, including Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Sacha Baron Cohen, Daniel Flaherty, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Frank Langella, John Carroll Lynch, Eddie Redmayne, Noah Robbins, Mark Rylance, Alex Sharp, and Jeremy Strong.

Like “Greyhound” and “The Lovebirds,” this was originally supposed to be a theatrical release before the pandemic hit, but was sold from Paramount to Netflix (for a cool $56 million). I love Aaron Sorkin, despite a lukewarm reaction to his directorial debut “Molly’s Game,” and always look forward to his films. “Trial of the Chicago 7” had a long road to the (small) screen, starting off as a Steven Spielberg project in 2006. It bounced around, with Ben Stiller and Paul Greengrass briefly attached, before Sorkin took it on as his second directorial effort, and it marks a step up from his first outing.

In large ensemble pieces like this it can sometimes be tough to have a stand out, but this film manages to have several. Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays Richard Schultz, the young lawyer tasked with new AG John Mitchell to get the group convicted. He sympathizes with the group of radical lefties despite finding their tactics and goals immature, and is really the only character with any sort of development and layers. He owns the best sequence of the film (that I won’t spoil), and was my favorite character.

Fresh off an Emmy win, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II plays Bobby Seal, the eighth member of the group who was lumped into the trial because he is a Black Panther. Abdul-Mateen displays growing but controlled rage as a black man who was essentially only on trial for his skin, and all too often his situation reminds us of one black men still sometimes face. The real standout in my eyes, though, is prankster Sacha Baron Cohen as hippie Abbie Hoffman. Wearing Hoffman’s thick Bahston accent, Cohen is charming and just a freebird, and while we have seen him in serious roles before, this is a more nuanced performance from him. If this film gets any acting nominations, it’ll be for Cohen and Abdul-Manteen.

Frank Langella portrays the judge overseeing the trial, Julius Hoffman, and he is so frustrating to watch. He refuses to let Abdul-Mateen wait to have a lawyer present, he doesn’t allow testimony, and he makes it impossible for the group to get a step ahead. The fact that by all accounts it was an accurate portrayal of Hoffman makes it all the more infuriating. Rising star Kelvin Harrison Jr. plays Black Panther leader Fred Hampton (soon to be seen in “Judas and the Black Messiah” played by Daniel Kaluuya) and he has a presence despite the limited scenes, and Eddie Redmayne is solid, even though he has the most inconsistent American accent ever.

As a director, Sorkin has a much bigger scale here than in “Molly’s Game.” Despite being shot in 2019, the riot sequences have great, intense build-up, and it is crazy how similar the political and social climate of 1969 and 2020 are, between race issues and police brutality. Sorkin could have fleshed out more of the characters besides Gordin-Levitt and trimmed some scenes down, but this is much better-paced than “Molly’s Game” (editor Alan Baumgarten cuts it together very well, jumping between the riot and the trial).

“The Trial of the Chicago 7” isn’t the snappiest Sorkin script, but it is his most honest in quite some time, possibly even since his Oscar-winning “Social Network” (which just turned 10, happy birthday to the GOAT). The cast all turn in solid performances (including one fun extended cameo), and there are some classic Sorkin lines. Being a Netflix film, this will be instantly available to everyone and in a year of uncertainty and theater closures, it is comforting that we will have a semi-normal awards season after all.

Critics Rating: 8/10

‘Nomandland’ Review

Leave a reply

Sometimes the best way is the simplest way.

“Nomadland” stars Frances McDormand as a woman who lives out of her van, traveling the Midwest. Chloé Zhao writes, directs, and edits.

Subtle and minimalistic filmmaking has always been hit or miss for me. I love Tom McCarthy’s nearly non-presence in “Spotlight,” but Jeff Nichols’ removed touch with “Loving” didn’t work in a film with such high stakes. With “Nomadlamd,” Chloé Zhao has delicately created what feels at times almost too real, like a documentary, and an everyday slice of rural Americana.

Zhao captures life in small towns and camaraderie among nodmads in such an honest way, and knows when to hold a close-up or cut to a wide shot. Her direction is barely noticeable, instead letting her actors (most of which are real people, not professionals) fill the world. The film is also cut wonderfully by Zhao, with the first hour especially flying by.

McDormand is so sympathetic, witty, and innocent here, from making honking sounds while pretending to drive an RV to not getting angry at someone who accidentally hurts her. Her character has had some personal struggles in the past (this is set in 2012, right after a lot of mining towns were hit hard), but seems to go on without much care; just keep livin’, baby. There are moments of brief pain or frustration, but McDormand displays them at the proper restraint as only our weird queen can. 

The score by Ludovico Einaudi is mostly piano, and it’s so wonderfully melancholic. Partnered with some of cinematographer Joshua James Richards’ beautiful shots of crashing waves or purple mountains, and it’s almost enough to put you in a trance.

“Nomadland” is one of those “not really much is happening” movies, so if for whatever reason you heard the plot summary, “Frances McDormand travels the country in a van” and were hoping this would turn into “The Revenant,” you’ll be disappointed. But for those who want a humanistic character study that feels genuine and takes place in a world you’ve seen before (or maybe even live in now), seek this one out.

Critics Rating: 9/10

‘Mulan’ Review

Leave a reply

Eventually Disney is going to run out of animated films to remake and be forced to come up with an original idea, but that day is not today.

“Mulan” is the live-action remake of the 1998 animated film of the same name, based on “The Ballad of Mulan” legend. The film stars Liu Yifei in the title role, as a young woman in rural China who pretends to be a man in order to take her father’s place in the Imperial Army. Donnie Yen, Jason Scott Lee, Yoson An, Gong Li, and Jet Li appear in supporting roles as Niki Caro directs.

The “Mulan” remake had its share of bumps and blockades before finally reaching audiences, including several delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic and lead actress Liu Yifei (a Chinese-born American citizen) supporting the police and Chinese government in the Hong Kong protests. Those on top of the announcement that this remake would be more in-line with the Mulan legend and not the original film (which meant no songs or talking dragons), angered and confused Disney fans. The cherry on top is this is the most expensive film ever directed by a woman (clocking in at $200 million) and won’t even get a theatrical release in the United States (it is a premium $30 rental on Disney+), so this is just a production full of question marks. And is it worth all the trouble and hype? I mean, no.

As Fa Mulan, Yifei is fine. She keeps the quiet demeanor that would be required of a woman impersonating a male soldier, however there is nothing really captivating or special about her screen presence. I really couldn’t give very many adjectives to describe her character, or any characters here for that matter, and that is just one of the many areas where this film falls flat both on its own and compared to the original. The rest of the cast is solid, even though some lines (and seemingly all of Jet Li’s dialogue?) have awkward post-dubbing.

With $200 million to play with, Niki Caro has constructed a film that mostly looks great, with huge sets and sprawling battle sequences. From what I read about the production and what it looks like on-screen, much of the shoot was practical effects, so when we see dozens upon dozens of soldiers sprinting into armed conflict, that is all happening and you feel the adrenaline. Caro and cinematographer Mandy Walker play with the camera, spinning it as bodies fall or weaving it between sparring men, and it certainly makes this one of the better-looking of the Disney live-action remakes.

The score by Harry Gregson-Williams is probably the standout here, having some nice epic moments but mostly nuanced (taking many beats from the original’s “Reflection” song). The original “Mulan” earned an Oscar nomination for Best Original Score (back when they separated comedy and dramatic music) and this could very well follow suit.

The film’s biggest issues come from both what it left out from the original and what it replaced those things with. The original film featured great songs (who doesn’t love “I’ll Make a Man Out of You” or “True to Your Heart?”) and a scene-stealing Eddie Murphy voicing Mulan’s loyal dragon Mushu. This film opted to stay closer to the original story, so it makes sense that talking mythical creatures and soldiers breaking out into song wouldn’t fit the tone; ok fine. However they added a magical witch assisting the bad guys army (which aren’t even Huns led by Shan Yu, another seemingly needless change) and Mulan is followed by a phoenix, a sign of her ancestors watching over her. Neither of those are based in reality either, so it begs the question: who were these changes made for? Also now Mulan’s specialness and skills come from her relationship with Qi (ch’i), which is literally this film’s version of The Force from “Star Wars;” it’s just lazy.

The 2020 “Mulan” remake is solid enough on its own merit. It has fine acting and impressive set pieces, but I just don’t know who this film is really for. Fans of the original won’t like the creative liberties Caro and the screenwriters have taken, modern children likely won’t get too immersed in a PG-13 battle epic, and history buffs like me can’t even watch it from that lens. It is just another film-by-committee blockbuster that seems to be plaguing the industry, and since it is so instantly forgettable (I saw it under an hour ago and only remember highlights), it is certainly not worth the $30 Disney is charging on-top of the Disney+ monthly rate. In December the film will be made available “for free” to all subscribers, and maybe then this is worth checking out just to cross it off you Disney remake bingo board; but until then, Mulan can pack it up, go home, she’s through.

Critics Rating: 5/10

‘Bill & Ted Face the Music’ Review

Leave a reply

A most excellent sequel, indeed!

“Bill & Ted Face the Music” is the longtime coming threequel to the original “Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure” from 1989. Alex Winter and Keanu Reeves reprise their titular roles, as the duo must write a song to save the universe and reality as we know it. Kristen Schaal, Samara Weaving, Brigette Lundy-Paine, and Holland Taylor join the cast, while Dean Parisot directs.

Long-delayed sequels rarely work out, and even less with comedies. You have to look no further than “Zoolander,” “Anchorman,” or “Finding Dory;” at worst these are abysmal follow-ups with no justification for their existence, at best they’re amusing sequels to an IP from 10+ years earlier in hopes of grabbing some nostalgia dollars. However sometimes delayed reunions can play out in a film’s favor, like “Die Hard 4,” “Scream 4” or this year’s “Bad Boys for Life” (I wasn’t a huge fan but many were). And as someone who really enjoyed my recent watch of the original 1989 film (I haven’t seen 1991’s “Bogus Journey”), I’m pleased to say “Face the Music” brings the same dumb jokes and lovable positivity to the table.

Ever since their last team-up in 1991, Keanu Reeves and Alex Winters have taken different Hollywood paths. Reeves exploded into a star, leading blockbusters like “Speed” and “The Matrix,” while Winters slowly backed away from acting to pursue documentary filmmaking. You could never tell the pair had been apart for 29 years, much less that one of them hadn’t done any serious acting in years. The two still play their guitar-shredding “excellent!” surfer bro selves, and while they can say dumb things it is never overtly off-putting; it’s meant in good nature, and feels like something a human genuinely would say. At a few points Winters’ deliver seems off (he did take acting classes to fine-tune his craft before this), but Reeves often looks like a kid in a candy store returning to this role, and taking a break from killing men with pencils in the “John Wick” franchise.

The rest of the cast is a who’s who, mixing cameos from previous cast members (like Hal Landon Jr.) with new faces (like Kid Cudi). At points it feels like an actor’s directorial pet project that their friends decide to shoot a scene for, but the film uses everyone enough (mostly).

The plot is simple yet strangely convoluted, with Bill and Ted needing time find a reality-saving song from their future selves, their wives (Erinn Hayes and Jayma Mays) looking at possible futures for themselves, and Bill and Ted’s daughters (Samara Weaving and a perfectly-cast-as-Keanu’s-daughter Brigette Lundy-Paine) have to collect famous musicians from throughout history to play the song.

For what it is, there’s not much wrong with “Bill & Ted Face the Music” if you know what you’re getting into. If you never liked of the originals then this won’t be the one to convert you, but fans (especially those who grew up on this series and are now essentially revisiting an old friend) will be pleased, and fans of silly and light humor should get a kick, too.

Critics Rating: 8/10

‘Antebellum’ Review

Leave a reply

Sometimes there is just a world of difference between concept and execution.

“Antebellum” stars Janelle Monáe as a woman who must escape a slave plantation she is being held captive at. Eric Lange, Jena Malone, Jack Huston, Kiersey Clemons, and Gabourey Sidibe also star while Gerard Bush and Christopher Renz write and direct.

Like many other films, this was set to be theatrically released earlier this year but was later delayed and will now be a video-on-demand release. I was really looking forward to it after a short and moody trailer, which when partnered with producer Sean McKittrick, gave a “Get Out” vibe. And while “Antebellum” delivers on the creative premise the trailer set up, it leaves more to be developed when you peak behind the curtain.

Janelle Monáe is quietly one of the better actresses working today, delivering sensitive work in “Moonlight” and arguably the strongest performance of “Hidden Figures.” Here, Monáe gets to play both strong and confident, as well as subdued and terrified. There are a few moments of over-acting, but I would attribute that more to direction of the scene than Monáe’s acting abilities.

There are handful of other actors who show up for a few scenes, but none of them are really noteworthy outside Gabourey Sidibe. Sidibe plays Monáe’s loud-mouthed friend, and she is just such an annoying character (I have to imagine on purpose) that I really was put-off when she showed up.

Shot in Louisiana for about $15 million, the film looks pretty good, including a nice tracking shot around a Civil War-era plantation to open things up. The score by Nate Wonder and Roman Gianarthur is also solid, with a nice blend of anxious and haunting.

Where the film flounders most is the screenplay, written by Bush and Renz. This marks the duo’s feature directorial debut as well as their first script (they have made a career in music videos), and while it is far from the worst freshman effort, the film’s biggest weaknesses lie at the feet of these two. I can’t really say what my issues are here without getting into spoilers, but I will say the film has a twist that really isn’t all too twisty, and then they make almost no attempt to flesh out exactly *how* something like that could happen. They also break things up into three distinctive acts, and they just don’t really mesh well. Bush and Renz clearly had a vision they wanted to put on screen, but seem to have struggled on how exactly to make them all work.

The film also offers social commentary about modern race relations, but I think it doesn’t get much beneath surface-level, nor does it use genre blending like “Get Out” to start a discussion. Plus, this was shot in May 2019 and intended to come out this past April, both before the resurgence of the race dialect and issues that have boiled to the surface in our country in recent months. I don’t exactly think “Antebellum” will start a discussion or hold a mirror up to society as much as just have people go “yup, racism is bad and slavery was an atrocity, agreed.”

“Antebellum” features quality production value and a strong central performance from Janelle Monáe, but the inability to really flesh out its premise or fully deliver on either thrills, horror, or uncomfortable truths make this one a bit of a disappointment, but maybe still worth checking out if you check your expectations at the door.

Critics Rating: 5/10

‘Unhinged’ Review

Leave a reply

Not much has been consistent about 2020, especially when it comes to movies, but you have to give “Unhinged” credit: through all the delays and theater closings it has remained determined to get itself seen.

“Unhinged” stars Caren Pistorius as a recently divorced mother who gets into an altercation with a stranger (Russell Crowe) at a red light, and has him begin to terrorize her life. Gabriel Bateman, Jimmi Simpson, and Austin P. McKenzie also star while Derrick Borte directs a screenplay by Carl Ellsworth.

While many films were getting pushed back in the early summer due to the uncertainty of theaters, “Unhinged” was actually moved up to July 1 in by new distributor Solstice Studios in order to take advantage of the open field. Like “Tenet” and others, the film was then delayed several times as the pandemic progressed, but finally seems like it will see the light of day this month (ironically its original release month anyways). So, after all the hype and delays, is the film worth the constant perseverance of Solstice or you risking going out to the theaters? I mean, no, nothing short of “Tenet” really seems like it would be at this point in time, but it is a fast-paced and entertaining B-grade pulp film that, as the expression goes, does exactly what it says on the tin.

Russell Crowe is a bit removed from his blockbuster and Academy Awards days, opting instead lately for more character and dialogue-driven films like “Boy Erased” and “The Nice Guys.” “Unhinged” certainly won’t win him any awards, but for what he had to do and be (that being a hulking, growling sociopath) Crowe gets the job done. His accent is a little inconsistent (not sure if he was going for Southern drawl and his Australian half broke through or what), but he has a commanding-enough screen presence and it’s a role that not every actor could have pulled off.

The rest of the cast is solid enough, with Jimmi Simpson doing his nice, soft-spoken he’s known for and Caren Pistorius conveying stressed and scared. For a kid actor, Gabriel Bateman isn’t bad, but he has a few line deliveries that are easy to mock.

But you don’t see a film like “Unhinged” for the acting or script. You see it for car crashes and over-the-top kills, and there it mostly delivers. I do think that much like “Spree,” this is a theater or group of friends movie, because there are a few moments that are so insane they’d only be heightened by a crowd atmosphere. Director Derrick Borte also deserves credit for creating a few tense sequences, including the initial confrontation between Pistorius and Crowe even though we know what is coming.

“Unhinged” is not perfect and you need to suspend disbelief at several points (unless the New Orleans PD is truly incompetent, Crowe should get apprehended a half-dozen times), but I think if you go in knowing what to expect then there is lots to enjoy here. Is it the most tense or well-shot film of its kind? No. But in 2020, especially when it comes to cinema, we have to be thankful for what we are given, and I think that if you are truly dying to get out to the theater again, or if this comes to a drive-in near you, then it is a great way to spend 93 minutes.

Critics Rating: 6/10