November Films Ranked Worst To First

Well if the scene shown above did not wreck you, nothing will...

13 November films I have sat through in the theaters, and I am here to rank them for you. November brings us a couple Oscar contenders!! These November films bring us...Death...it hangs over many of these films. Which I struggled with personally lately...which made these films feel heavy on my heart...

So off I go......

13

.

IF I HAD LEGS I'D KICK YOU

Written and directed by Mary Bronstein. This film follows Linda, wonderfully played by Rose Byrne, as she navigates her child's illness; her missing husband; a missing person, and an awful therapist.

Yes Byrne is really fantastic as Linda. However I had trouble caring for her. I just found her to be frustrating and unlikable.Then Bronstein threw in some strange mystical storyline , it was all just a lot. The film did not resonate with me at all.

12

DIE MY LOVE

Death

Directed by Lynne Ramsay, the film follows the struggle within the relationship between Grace, Jennifer Lawrence; and Jackson , Robert Pattinson. The film focuses on Grace as she spirals with postpartum depression. The story needed to be tighter. It was all over the place and often, me, the viewer, gets lost on what is real and what is hallucinations without anything connecting, or relevance to the plot. It is messy. Great Oscar worthy performances from Jennifer Lawrence and Sissy Spacek (as Graces mom). That was the only bright spot.

11

RENTAL FAMILY

DEATH

I reaaaallly looked forward to this film. Then..it was disappointing. So sad.

Directed by Hikari, the film follows an American actor in Japan, Phillip played by Brendan Fraser, who takes jobs pretending to play stand-in roles for strangers. Pretending to be a husband, or a father, and so on. This film was so flat. Emotionless while wanting us to be emotional watching it. Poorly acted, poorly written, and boring.

10

ETERNITY

DEATH

Directed by David Freyne. Often funny, with quick visual jokes, about a couple who land at a sort of weigh station, where after you die you decide from this point what land you want to spend eternity in. The problem is Joan (Elizabeth Olsen) has two husbands at this station. She must decide on spending eternity with husband 1, Luke ( Callum Turner) a war hero; or husband 2 , Larry (Miles Teller) the man she spent over 50 years with. It's just a pretty good movie. that falls apart with some stiff acting and poor chemistry between the leads...which makes me think Olsen was miscast, I mean she has no chemistry with either husband. Worth a look when it's available for home viewing.

9

THE RUNNING MAN

Death

The running man is a top rated TV show in the future where the contestant must stay alive for 30 days to win a boat load of money, however he is being hunted by people who want to win money for killing him.

Well acted by Glen Powell and a very funny Michael Cera. Josh Brolin plays a great sleazy bad guy. The disappointment is the choppy, and ridiculous never ending script.

8

SARAH'S OIL

Based on the true story of Sarah Rector. Sara, at 11 years old, is left a parcel of land on Indian territory. Sarah, believes that there is oil on her land...and this is where the story begins. Well acted by Naya Desir Johnson as the brilliant Sarah and Zachary Levi as her helper Bert Smith. This is a pretty good film. With an Umbrella of love and community.

7

NUREMBERG

DEATH

NUREMBERG gives an insightful view of the trial and the lead up to the trial and what happens afterwards. Fantastic performances by Russell Crowe; Rami Malek; and John Slattery. Worth a look at home. This would be higher up on my list, but, I see this often, Hollywood cant help but take a story and try to connect it to modern day politics. You know, I can make this decision on my own, I do not need it shoved in my face at the end ruining an interesting film. it was not needed.

6

ZOOTOPIA 2

Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde are back, and ready to solve another mystery. Not as good as the first film but still very entertaining.

5

HAMNET

Death

Directed by Chloe Zhao, Hamnet tells the story of what led William Shakespeare to write his masterpiece Hamlet. This movie is highlighted by the best performance of the year, which is Paul Mescal as William Shakespeare. I mean, his performance is perfection. Let me not forget to mention Jessie Buckley as William's wife Agnes. This film is sad and not an easy watch. I wished it edited a little out from the beginning and gave us a little more in the back end, letting us see the reaction of Hamlet, giving some hope for them as a couple. Still...a really interesting film, not just about the Shakespeare family but also the time and place.

4  

WAKE UP DEAD MAN: A KNIVES OUT MYSTERY

Death

Yes I got to see a screening in the theater of this before it hits Netflix next week!

Benoit Blanc is back!!!!!!!

Great performances...The reveal however is a bit flat. No spoilers so I will stop there.

Is it as good as the first Knives Out? No

Is it as good as the 2nd Knives Out Glass Onion? Yes!

3

SENTIMENTAL VALUE

Death

Not an easy watch. Directed by Joachim Trier, Value touches on so many subjects. Mental illness in a family and how it gets a passed down just by being around it. Broken relationships within a family. Trust within a family. Then throw in the inside of the making of a film within a film.

There is a lot to unpack here, but the performances by Renate Reinsve: Elle Fanning; and Stellan Skarsgard, will keep you watching. It is a slow interesting watch about a broken family.

2

CHRISTY

Yes the film that lost a ton of money is my second favorite film of the month and could be in my top ten of the year. Marketed wrong, like Rocky is a love story with some boxing. Christy is a story about manipulation and abuse with some boxing.  

The true story of Christy Martin and her rise as the first famous female boxer, and the manager who abuses her.

Fantastic performances by Sydney Sweeney and Ben Foster. This film had me tearing up at the end. Do not let the press stop you from seeing this. One of the best of the year.

1

WICKED FOR GOOD

DEATH

Yes Jon Cho made mistakes:

-Splitting this stage play in two. Les Miz was shown on the screen as  one long musical and it was fine.

-Adding more songs to this 2nd part. However I love Girl In The Bubble.

-Michelle Yeoh...who cannot sing as Madame Morrible

-Keala Settle in the film but not singing!!??

--editing problems like the Tinman being in 2 places at once.

Still with all these issues, Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo are wonderful in this darker back end of the musical. I still think Wicked is the best piece of entertainment ever written...For Good. Maybe not the best movie..but..how can you not watch both pieces of this film together and not love this story.

I put Wicked For Good in front of Christie this month just because of the rewatchable factor. I could watch this over and over. Christie...not so much.

Well there you have it. November the month of sad deaths, 9 out of the 13 films I saw. 

It is hard.

December will bring Avatar Fire and Ash, 3.5 hours YIKES

As always thank you for your time from the sad shadows.

October Films Ranked From Worst To Best

 Well...I am running late posting October, I have been distracted ..So stop complaining..here they are. 14...yes you read that right..ranking 14 films I watched in the theater in October. Many are already available to stream!!

So...here it goes

14

SPRINGSTEEN DELIVER ME FROM NOWHERE

This film kinda just sits there. Directed by Scott Cooper. Starring Jeremy Allen White as Bruce.

It's an odd film marketed as a music bio, but in reality it is a film about mental health that drags on. 

Cooper and Walter Zanes were the writers and often the lines these actors spit out are eye rolling.

There is a relationship with a woman named Faye (Odessa Young), which adds nothing to the movie, and it seems like a filler. Costaring Jeremy Strong as Jon Landau and Paul Walter Hauser as Mike Batlan, they are serviceable. Still, sadly, the film is flat. Even the making of Nebraska is boring.

13

TRON ARES

Stop just stop trying to make Tron work. It is not as bad as what most say. Acting is okay. The look is amazing especially on the big screen. I just kept thinking there were rewrites everywhere in this film, where connecting the dots felt difficult. 

12

HOUSE OF DYNAMITE

A film directed by Kathryn Bigelow, who also did Zero Dark Thirty so I was excited about watching this film about a nuclear attack on the United States. This film is divisive, it splits people who love it or hate it with no in between. I think she made an awful editing choice. She decides to show the story in many parts so we see the perspective of each individual involved. So we see the whole story in the first 20 minutes, after that, I didn't care, I KNEW WHAT HAPPENED!!! I hung in thinking something will be extended but no, it ruined the movie. I have it higher up on this list because of the many A list actors did well, but again let down by a bad editing decision.

11

BLUE MOON

Blue Moon tells the true story of Lorenz Hart's, who was the writer of many musicals and songs such as Blue Moon. The film takes place on one night, the night of the debut of Oklahoma.

Directed by Richard Linklater and with an outstanding performance by Ethan Hawke as Lorenz.

It was a good movie but often uncomfortable, I mean watching a desperate man trying to still be relevant.

Plus, the whole time I thought, this should not have been a film, it should have been on a stage. So, not bad, but...not great.

10

ANNIVERSARY

I went in blind to see this movie. I knew nothing. Directed by Jan Komasa and written by Komasa and Lori Rosene Gambino. The story follows the fracturing of a family caused by the new addition to the family Elizabeth who writes a book called THE CHANGE. The Change becomes a movement of a one party system restricting all who disagree.

It felt long and hard to watch. I am not a violent person but so often I thought about shooting that person and hide the body lol. It is a frustrating political watch, that is well acted by Diane Lane; Kyle Chandler; and Phoebe Dynevor.

9

REGRETTING YOU

Based on a Colleen Hoover novel. Boy I wanted to like this more. Sadly, poorly acted and poorly written, and sadly the two most interesting characters die in the first 10 minutes.

8 

A LITTLE PRAYER

This is a small film highlighting the great actors that Jane Levy (so underrated) and David Strathairn (also underrated) are. The question is, what is a man supposed to do when he finds out his son is cheating on his wife, and the dad kinda likes the wife more than his son. It is a very soft sweet yet sad film. Worth a look when it pops up on a streaming channel.

7

A GOOD FORTUNE

It is a modern day Trading Places done by an angel, Gabriel, played wonderfully by Keanu Reeves.

This was going to be higher on my list but the last 10 minutes became odd and heavy handed, to a point of rolling my eyes. It came across as patronizing and unfortunately...ruins the film.

Worth a look on streaming, Keanu is very funny.

6

ROOFMAN

A true story about Jeffrey Manchester. He robbed fast food restaurants by going through the roofs of the establishments. He gets arrested; escapes; and hides in a Toys R Us for months. I mean look at the poster, the movie looks fun, I did not think so. Jeff (great performance by Channing Tatum) ends up in a relationship with Leigh (Kirsten Dunst). I think the Director Derek Cianfrance thought I would find it charming, I mean she had a child. No!!! Why is he getting into a relationship while hiding from the police? He is selfish, he only thinks about himself. For me that was the umbrella over this film, not fun and quirky.

Interesting story to see and shocking that he pulled this off, s, it's worth a watch.

5

BALTIMORONS

Directed by Jay Duplass., and highlighted by fantastic performances and lovely chemistry between Michael Strassner as Cliff and Liz Larsen as Didi. It is a simple story that takes place on Christmas Eve, Cliff, a recovering alcoholic, needs emergency dental work, he meets Didi the dentist. They stay together all Christmas Eve. A touch of Before Sunrise is thrown in, and it is funny, awkward, and sweet all at the same time. You will love them, Cliff is naive and sweet and Didi is hard. Available for streaming.

4

TRUTH & TREASON

Directed and written by Matt Whitaker, and starring Ewan Horrocks as Helmuth Hubener. This is a true story following this young teenager in Germany who understands the evil the Hitler brings, and does not conform and fights back. This film is really good. Why not number 1? I kept thinking, why is this being made with English speaking actors and not German with subtitles? It felt odd. However, it cost 3 million to make and it doubled that in revenue, so Angel Studios must have made the right call.

Look for this film which is still in some theaters, or stream it, it is so good. All heroes don't wear capes.

3

BONE LAKE

I mean look at the poster. This film was marketed as a horror film. As you know, I do not do horror films. This is not a horror film. This is a violent thriller.

Diego and Sage rent a place for a romantic vacation. However another couple show up and are also booked at the same place. This is the premise, no spoilers. Very exciting, and you will be like me screaming...just leave just leave.

2

BUGONIA

Yorgos Lanthimos is back with Emma Stone again and Jesse Plemons again. This film, like other Yorgos films, is batshit crazy. The premise: Michelle( Stone) is an executive who gets kidnapped by Teddy who believes that she is an alien. No spoilers I will leave it right there. Its bonkers. With a very strange ending.

Wanted to also note..a very good performance by a newcomer Stavros Halkias as Casey, This may be too strange for many but I was all in.

1

FRANKENSTEIN

Directed by Guillermo Del Toro, and starring in an Oscar nomination worthy performance by Oscar Isaac as Dr Frankenstein and Jacob Elordi as the monster.

It's different from all the other versions of this story and did I mention..how fantastic it looked on the big screen. I hope it transfers well onto the small screen. Please note this version is bloody and often violently gross...so you know.

Well...there you are, 14 films. November movies are coming in fast. Along with a little film called Wicked For Good.

Because I knew you, I have been changed for good...rings hard for me...going into November.

Again from the shadows as always thanks for your time.

September Movies Ranked Best To Worst

 September sent me to the theater 6 times. The theaters were dead all month...in fact I had a couple screenings all by myself...which is worrisome. However Taylor Swift will help the theater cause in October for sure.

So here are my six....to be honest...I really did not see any terrible films in September. I am finding a recurring problem more and more, it is almost the theme of the year for me, films do not know how to finish. I feel somehow film makers are trying to impress the boring, over analytical critics and not the paying public. What is wrong with giving the public what they want. Just saying......

6

THE LONG WALK

This is a pretty good film, yet, a hard watch. Very much like the hunger games, you keep walking, if you go too slow you get shot, last one standing will receive a boatload of prizes.

 Note, you see them get shot. It is a bloody film. Still, the conversations between the walkers keep you interested, you learn a lot about each character. The highlight of the film..two performances:

Cooper Hoffman as Raymond and David Jonsson as Peter are both amazing, and they keep you watching and caring. Still the ending sucked...no spoiler, give the people what they want. 

Not a bad film, you could do worse, just hard to watch.

5

DEAD OF WINTER

First..awesome poster...maybe the best poster of the year.

A woman , going ice fishing, stumbles on a kidnapped child at a cabin in the snow.

Starring Emma Thompson and produced by Emma Thompson.

Very exciting. While watching, I thought this may be top ten. Then...the ending...so disappointing. Gosh..why? Just why?

4

THE THREESOME

Well you see that title and you think..sex and more sex. Nope.

Well we meet Olivia (Zoey Deutch); Connor ( Jonah Hauer King); and Jeny (Ruby Cruz). All three in the first 10 minutes have a threesome. The movie is about what happens afterwards. Well acted by all three leads., often funny and yet often sad. Again it just had trouble closing. Like...they had an idea and did not plan on an ending. Still....worth a watch at home.

3

SPLITSVILLE

Another film about relationships! 

Ashley (Adria Arjona) breaks up with her partner Carey (Kyle Marvin). Carey stays with his friends Julie (Dakota Johnson) and Paul ( Michael Angelo Covino). This is when the hi-jinx starts.

This film could be a TV series. I love the characters..highlighted by the very funny Marvin; and Johnson who is just a star at this point in her career. Also, there are a bunch of characters that come in and out of scenes that I found hilarious.

I now go back to the theme...the ending. The end result is not what I hoped for or expected and seemed forced. Ugh.

Still a great film to watch at home.

2

DOWNTON ABBEY THE GRAND FINALE

Well not much to say here. There was not really much of a storyline here, and what was a story seemed forced. What did work here was time, the passage of time, as we have now followed these characters for over a decade. Time brought happiness and sadness and hope. This film delivered exactly what fans wanted to see and expected. You can't fault that.

1

ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER

Many are calling this the best film in decades.

I have to say...I still think a children's family film is my number one at this point. However I may change that.

This film follows a group of revolutionaries for about 20 years. 

Positives:

Dicaprio as Bob

Penn as Colonial Lockjaw

Del Toro as Sensei

Outstanding Newcomer Chase Infiniti as Willa

Everyone of these actors will probably get an Oscar nomination

Negatives

I am a big fan of Paul Thomas Anderson films. I still had trouble getting past the revolutionaries and the actions of often leaving innocent people in the crossfire. Happily the film changes from that to a chase between bad guys with Willa and Bob's love as a father trying to get her.

Well the film is perfectly shot. Sometimes funny. sometimes aggravating, and well acted. 

Back to the theme...I cant say why I hated the ending without spoiling. I just want to note: Does it end? We are supposed to laugh or cheer a character on and maybe we should not.

Oh a couple last notes:

Teyana Taylor is getting a lot of love for her performance as Perfidia. I highly disagree. I think she is miscast and has zero chemistry with everyone on the screen. Stiff acting.

Regina Hall is fabulous here and is getting no love for her performance. Has Regina Hall ever given a bad performance. She is underrated

See it in the theater if you get a chance to. 

Oh October ...Roofman is coming...is that good or bad we shall see.

From the shadows as always thanks for your time.

August Films I Have Watched, Ranked Worst To Best!!

 Well, August was a much better month at the theater, than July, that is for sure!!

Remember, I post these short film reviews to help you decide which films, I feel, will be worth your time when they become available for streaming at home. Still, remember to support your local Cineplex.

Eleven films I took the time to watch in the theaters in August, and here they are ranked...,.

11

SKETCH

Oh boy this looked promising. A young girl, going through grief, whatever she sketches ends up becoming real.  This was really bad. People with children walked out. It is somewhat scary. Makes no sense. No reasoning. The storyline is boring. Skip this.

10

BAD GUYS 2

The first Bad Guys was very entertaining, it was very much like an old fashioned caper film. So I had hope. This was just not good. Made no sense, I felt like it was being made up as it went on, It wasn't even funny.

Skip it.

9

THE ROSES

Not a fan of turning a marriage break up into a comedy. I found this not funny. The trailer that was played, that we saw for months, all takes place in the last 15 minutes, every part of the trailer. The movie feels slow. Mundane. Uninteresting.

8

FREAKIER FRIDAY

I cannot say its a bad movie. In fact a good part of the film I found entertaining. I just felt the movie blew up in the back half. The film became sooooo cringe, I kinda felt bad for Curtis and Lohan. Throw in...I did not care what happened to anyone, which is a bad sign.

7

BOB TREVINO LIKES IT

Written and Directed by Tracie Laymon. I was able to watch this film in the theater before it ended up on Hulu the following week. 

Lily Trevino has an awful father, one of the worst in cinematic history, she find someone on line named Bob Trevino, who has the same name as her father. They become friends. 

Oh boy, great performances by Barbara Ferreira as Lily and John Leguizamo as the other Bob. It is sweet and heartbreaking. Almost, too heartbreaking, the ending is crushing, and that is why Bob Trevino is not higher ranked for the month.

6

NOBODY 2

I loved the first Nobody. Is this as good? No. Is it bad? No, in fact it is very entertaining. Full of action and laughs. Good performances: Bob Odenkirk is always good; Colin Hanks and Sharon Stone are really good here as the bad guy/woman. Also, important to note, the film comes in at 90 minutes, Director Timo Tjahjanto makes sure the film does not overstay its welcome. Looking for an action film to watch at home? You can do no wrong by choosing this one. He just wants to spend time with his family!

5

HONEY DON'T

Ethan Coen brings us a kinda old fashion film noir. Does it work? Kinda. I loved all the characters:

Aubrey Plaza as cold as ice MG Falcone;  Chris Evans as the perverted Reverend Drew Devlin; and there real star Margaret Qualley as Honey. I just wished the story and the mystery and the outcome lived up to the level of all the performances. The film just lies there at the end. Still, I would love to see Qualley's character Honey in another film.

4

RELAY

A really good old fashioned tense thriller. 

Directed by David Mackenzie and written by Justin Piasecki. We follow Ash (The Fantastic Riz Ahmed) who acts as a broker or a go-between corporations and individuals trying to get out from under an issue, such as Sarah (Lily James). This film, was exciting and was becoming one of the best films I have watched all year. However there is a twist at the end that made no sense and I will leave it there. It was unnecessary. Still I put it at 4 because...it worked for a while, a long while. Watch it and see if you agree with me.

3

CAUGHT STEALING

Tarantino like. Great performances by all, led by Austin Butler and Zoe Kravitz. 

Ex-Baseball Player Hank Thompson finds himself thrown into a game of life and death by making the mistake of helping his neighbor.

Loved this movie. However,and a big HOWEVER, I had a lot of problems getting past a decision made by Darren Aronofsky and writer Charlie Hutson in the middle of this film. I hear I am not the only one.

I am saying every performance is perfect. I was all in. However....

2

AMERICANA

The lives of local outsiders  and outcasts collide in this slow burn of a small town westernish drama.

I do mean slow burn...

What is strange about the film is not the plot that makes it great it's the performances and the characters:

Sydney Sweeney in her best ever performance as Penny Jo a waitress with a stutter and a dream

Paul Walter Hauser  as Lefty Ledbetter. I good soul who happens to not be left-handed.

Halsey as Mandy Starr a mom trying to cut a deal for a better life

 

Director and writer Tony Tost throws a lot at us:

A little boy who thinks he is sitting bull

A Ghost Shirt

A strange cult

A bunch of dreamers

A very good film with a soft ending which may have been too sad and soft...

1 

SHE RIDES SHOTGUN

Directed by Nick Rowland written by Ben Collins; Jordan Harper;  and Luke Piotrowski.

What a great story.

A man gets out of prison and picks his daughter up from school and takes her away. Is he a bad guy?

Oh...who are the bad guys?

This is a run from the law/ bad guys movie that keeps you on the edge of your seat.

A fantastic performance by Ana Sophia Heger as the little girl Polly. If she does not get a nomination for this performance something is wrong!!

Taron Egerton is so dirty and great as the father Nathan.

Rob Yang and John Carroll Lynch with fantastic supporting roles.

Well anyway, father and daughter are running from the law and maybe some others....

Just exciting and tense...just wish for a better ending. It's almost like they did not know how to finish this film. 

Still one of my favorites of the summer.

So August was a bit better than July.  Here comes the Fall...and Downton!!!

As always from the shadows thanks for your time.