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Reviews for June 20th, 2025



      Jamie (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) takes his 12-year-old son, Spike (Alfie Williams), from their home on an island to the British mainland to teach him how to fight zombies 28 years after the zombie apocalypse began in 28 Years Later. Spike tries to search for Dr. Ian Kelson (Ralph Fiennes) who can help to diagnose and treat his sick mother, Ayla (Jodie Comer). Director Danny Boyle and screenwriter Alex Garland have made a visually stylish, gritty, suspenseful and poignant horror thriller. The beginning feels a bit rough with too much reliance on nauseating shaky cam, a fast pace and choppy editing, but once Spike embarks on the journey to save his mother, the pace slows down and camerawork becomes less nauseating while the narrative becomes increasingly engrossing, compelling and even surprising. There are even some awe-inspiring and poetic shots of nature. To be fair, the very graphic, gory kills juxtaposed with the tender, heartfelt moments lead to some tonal whiplash and unevenness. Fortunately, the raw and convincingly moving performances by Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor Johnson, newcomer Alfie Williams and Ralph Fiennes elevate the film well above mediocrity, so even when tedium begins to set in, the film doesn't become dull or boring. At a running time of 1 hour and 55 minutes, 28 Years Later opens in theaters nationwide via Columbia Pictures.

Number of times I checked my watch: 1







      animal. is a documentary about the carnivore diet. Director Josh Feldman interviews doctors from around the world who recommend the diet and talk about the nutritional value of meat, fish, poultry and monounsaturated fats. One of the doctors, DR. Anthony Chaffee, even goes on to explain how vegetables are trying to poison and kill human beings---if that sounds like hyperbole, it probably is because another doctor explains that plants are merely trying to defend themselves from being picked by releasing toxins since its goal is to reproduce. That chapter could've easily been the topic of a separate documentary. There's not enough footage of cooks preparing healthy meals from the carnivore diet--a scene with a burger with an egg on top of it goes by too quickly without enough explanation as to what kind of meat the audience is looking at. A doctor states that every cut of meat has different nutritional value, but doesn't elaborate beyond that which would've been more illuminating. Feldman introduces each expert with staged shots of them in slow mo that makes the doc look unintentionally like a mockumentary---those shots are somewhat amusing, but distracting and an odd way to add levity. Are there no doctors who are at least somewhat opposed to the carnivore diet? Without their voices included, animal. remains too one-sided and preaches to the choir. It's stylishly edited, eye-opening and captivating, but often repetitive and not fair or balanced enough while ultimately biting off more than it could chew. At a running time of 1 hour and 29 minutes, animal. opens at Village East by Angelika via H20 Studios.

Number of times I checked my watch: 2





 

       Sam (Rebel Wilson) attends the wedding of her best friend, Betsy (Anna Camp), as her maid of honor when a team of mercenaries lead by Kurt (Stephen Dorff) arrive to terrorize the guests in Bride Hard. Little does Betsy know that Sam secretly works as a spy with a special set of skills. Director Simon West and screenwriter Shaina Steinberg have made a lazy, witless and painfully unfunny misfire that falls flat as a comedy, an action thriller and even as mindless entertainment. The prologue rushes through the clunky exposition while introducing Sam excusing herself from dinner with her friends to secretly battle some bad guys during a mission. There's not a single laugh during the first 10 minutes and only a few amusing scenes once Sam arrives at Betsy's wedding where she meets Virginia (Anna Chlumsky), Betsy's mean-spirited sister-in-law. The plot involving mercenaries looking for a stash of gold hidden in a safe feels just as dull, uninspired and forgettable as the villain. The action sequences are poorly choreographed and directed while the dialogue tries hard, but fails to be funny and witty. It doesn't help that Rebel Wilson lacks comedic timing either. Sherry Cola and Da'Vine Joy Randolph are wasted in supporting roles that under-utilize their comedic talents. At a running time of 1 hour and 45 minutes, which feels more like 3 hours, Bride Hard opens in theaters nationwide via Magenta Light Studios.  

Number of times I checked my watch: 4







      Aliens abduct Elio (voice of Yonas Kibreab), an 11-year-old boy who lives with his aunt, Olga (voice Zoe Saldaña), and mistake him for the leader of Earth in Elio. He agrees to help them by trying to convince the nefarious Lord Grigon (voice of Brad Garrett) to leave them alone. Glordon (voice of Remy Edgerly), Grigon's son, becomes his new best friend. Co-directors Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, and Adrian Molina along with co-writers Julia Cho, Mark Hammer, and Mike Jones have made an exhilarating, tender and heartwarming animated sci-fi adventure with a profound and inspirational message for anyone who's ever felt lonely, alienated, unloved or different from others. Sure, the dialogue gets preachy, cheesy and on-the-nose at times with everything spoon-fed to the audience, but that's a forgivable flaw. It's like walking through a garden filled with many flowers and being given a bouquet of flowers as you walk instead of picking the flowers yourself. Most of the flowers are flowers of joy, love and hope, but there are also some flowers of sadness, loneliness and frustration. Elio has a conventional narrative that doesn't have any big surprises. However, there are small surprises and brief scenes that ground the film in humanism, a truly special effect, especially during the scenes with Elio and Gordon.

      Beyond the emotional depth and life wisdom, there's just the right amount of comic relief, exciting action scenes and breathtaking, colorful CGI animation. Elio ultimately offers a fun, wise and heartfelt journey for both older and younger audiences. At a running time of 1 hour and 39 minutes, Elio opens in theaters nationwide via Walt Disney Pictures.

Number of times I checked my watch: 1





 

       Buddy (Bryan Cranston) moves his wife, Macy (Allison Janney), and teenage sons,  Derrick (Jack Champion) and Lester (Benjamin Evan Ainsworth), from Ohio to New Jersey to run a local community theater in Everything's Going to Be Great. The screenplay by Steven Rogers is a clunky, overstuffed, unfunny and tonally uneven mess that bites off more than it could chew. Tragedy befalls the family when one of them dies and, soon enough, they move in with Macy's brother, Walter (Chris Cooper). The film doesn't seem interested in exploring grief in any profound or poignant way. The attempts at humor fall flat with very little wit and more awkward or cringe-inducing scenes instead, i.e. when Lester catches his mother having sex with Kyle (Simon Rex) at the theater. None of the characters truly come to life despite the fine ensemble cast which allows no one to shine or, more importantly, to rise above the weak screenplay. At a running time of 1 hour and 35 minutes, Everything's Going to Be Great opens in select theaters nationwide via Lionsgate.  

Number of times I checked my watch: 4





 

       Ruth (Kathleen Chalfant), an elderly woman suffering from dementia, moves into an assisted living facility in Familiar Touch. The screenplay writer/director Sarah Friedland keeps the plot thin and exposition at a bare minimum which manages to be both a strength and a weakness. On the one hand, that minimalism keeps the film focused on Ruth's perspective as her concerned and loving son, Steve (H. Jon Benjamin), wants her to live at an assisted living facility. She's reluctant to go there, though, and is in denial about her dementia. The minimalism also allows the tender and nuanced performance of Kathleen Chalfant to shine. On the other hand, it makes Ruth an underwritten character that's sorely missing more backstory about her life before dementia. All that the audience knows is that she has a son and worked as a cookbook writer. The pace moves at a very slow pace that takes a while to get used to and there's barely any narrative momentum, so Friedland trusts the audience's patience a lot, perhaps too much. Familiar Touch is fundamentally a slice-of-life character study that's often tedious and monotonous, only mildly engaging and, ultimately, less than the sum of its parts. That said, Chalfant's radiant, genuinely moving performance rises well above the underwhelming screenplay. At a running time of 1 hour and 31 minutes, Familiar Touch opens at Film Forum via Music Box Films.  

Number of times I checked my watch: 3







      At a running time of 1 hour and 29 minutes, Found Footage: The Making of the Patterson Project, by writer/director Max Tzannes and co-writer David San Miguel, is a dull, unfunny and uninspired horror mockumentary. It opens at The Kent Theater and on VOD on June 24th, 2025 via Vertical.

Number of times I checked my watch: 3





 

      Sun-nyeo (Ra Mi-ran), Yak-sun (Kim Hee-won), Ki-dong (Yoo Ah-in), Ji-sung (Ahn Jae-hong), Wan-seo (Lee Jae-in) each attain superpowers after receiving an organ transplant from a mysterious donor Hi-Five. They must defeat Young-chun (Shin Goo) who wants to steal their superpowers. TWriter/director Kang Hyeong-cheol has made a mildly engaging and amusing, but shallow, unimaginative and often silly superhero satire that's not funny, clever or thrilling enough. The premise sounds interesting because each of superheros has their own unique superpowers based on the new organ that they received, i.e. Ji-sung received a new lung, so he can blow a strong wind like Superman when he exhales. The screenplay rushes through the exposition as it introduces the superheroes one by one when they discover the superpowers and join forces. Despite a promising and exciting first hour, the second hour takes a bit of nosedive as the superheroes battle their villain and the often dull action kicks in. The most wildly entertaining and funny scene is an action sequence through the streets of the city while a lively, well-chosen song blazes on the soundtrack. If only the rest of the film were as zany and entertaining. At 2 hours Hi-Five, opens in select theaters via Well Go USA.

Number of times I checked my watch: 3







      Warren (Guy Pearce), a long-time prisoner, mentors a younger inmate, Mel (Vincent Miller), who just arrived from a juvenile detention center in Inside. Many other prisoners want Mel's roommate, Mark (Cosmo Jarvis), a vicious killer, dead, so Warren convinces Mel to kill him. Writer/director Charles Williams has made a gritty, bleak and intense prison drama that's only enlivened by the strong performances of Guy Pearce, Vincent Miller and Cosmo Jarvis. The screenplay itself feels a little too pedestrian, and uninspired with on-the-nose dialogue. It's also somewhat monotonous without enough comic relief or other form of levity, and the characters are mostly forgettable. The blandly titled Inside would be the inferior B-movie in a double feature with A Prophet or The Shawshank Redemption. At a running time of 1 hour and 43 minutes, Inside opens in select theaters via Quiver Distribution.

Number of times I checked my watch: 2





 

       Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore is a captivating, heartfelt and illuminating warts-and-all documentary biopic about Marlee Matlin, a deaf actress best known for CODA and Children of a Lesser God which won her an Oscar. Director Shoshannah Stern, who's also deaf, interviews Marlee Matlin and manages to capture her warmth, candidness, intelligence,  emotional maturity, perseverance and courage. Matlin has been through a lot including drug abuse, but she has also learned a lot and isn't afraid to look at her traumas head-on through introspection. Stern is lucky to have such an introspective subject because a lot of what Matlin opens up about so candidly makes the film transcendence. You'll learn about her accomplishments (and failures, too) that she has done for the deaf community, and you'll also get a sense of what her mind is like as a deaf person---it's not quiet at all like some people believe, but always racing thoughts.

       Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore isn't a dry, hagiographic doc; it's very thorough and revealing. Ultimately, it humanizes Matlin so that you see her in a way that's relatable and even inspirational. She doesn't let her handicap get in the way of her determination to speak her mind or to follow her dreams. She's a complete human being who's infallible, vulnerable and sensitive, just like you and I. At a running time of 1 hour and 36 minutes, Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore opens at IFC Center via Kino Lorber.  

Number of times I checked my watch: 1





 

       Row of Life is a heartfelt, well-edited and thrilling documentary about Angela Madsen who attempted to beat the odds in 2020 by rowing alone on a small boat from Los Angeles to Honolulu. Director Soraya Simi interviews her wife while focusing mostly on Angela's career as a rower, her brave journey through the dangerous waters of the Pacific Ocean. The film feels cinematic through its stylish cinematography and editing along with its fast pace and the suspense that derives from whether or not Angela will complete the journey. What's missing, though, is more of a backstory on Angela beyond her experiences as a rower which would've made this a more illuminating documentary biopic. The less you know about Angela the better because her story is fascinating and takes a few unexpected turns. At a running time of 1 hour and 22 minutes Row of Lifer opens at DCTV's Firehouse Cinema.  

Number of times I checked my watch: 2