Coming from the director of Barbarian, Zach Cregger is back with his second feature, Weapons. From the first trailer, Weapons was incredibly alluring in its mystery—seventeen elementary students go missing in the middle of the night, their arms spread out to the side, and they never return home. It’s eerie, dark, and atmospheric—qualities Cregger showcased brilliantly in Barbarian—which I loved.

And I know Cregger is going to knock the tone and overall atmosphere of his upcoming Resident Evil feature out of the park.

As much as I enjoyed these aspects of the film, along with the strong performances from both its leads and supporting cast, I couldn’t help but feel Weapons stumbled along the way. The first act is captivating—you’re quickly placed in the present, following the families and community of the missing children and the teacher who is ultimately held responsible for their disappearance.

I mean, I have to applaud the premise alone—Cregger, you got me.

Although the premise is terrifying, the film is marketed out to be a horror, but I…wouldn’t necessarily categorize it as such. Well, for me, I should correct. There are a jump scare or two, but nothing so terrifying that you’d need to sleep with the lights on. Instead, the eeriness comes from the circumstances themselves. And just when the more frightening moments do arrive—though I use that term lightly—the film shifts perspective.

I didn’t mind the perspective changes, but I did find the film’s pacing to be on the slower side. We follow a rotation of certain characters, some pivotal to the narrative, others leaving me scratching my head and wondering what their inclusion was meant to achieve.

For me personally, labeling this as one of the most thought-provoking horror films of the decade feels incredibly dishonest. The praise this film is getting online is genuinely baffling—and that’s coming from someone who liked the movie, but wasn’t blown away by it.

The film is more suspenseful than terrifying, and in many ways, more of a dark comedy than a thriller. Horror as a genre is subjective, of course, but based on the reviews, I expected the story to take wild turns like Barbarian. Instead, Weapons plays its narrative fairly straight. While it doesn’t dive deeply into the mystery of its villain, the viewer is still able to grasp what’s presented. I will say, the villain is uniquely fun, and unsettling, and one of the more enjoyable aspects of the film.

The third act is probably my favorite. If I’m honest, there were moments where I felt a bit bored in the second act, but the way the story culminates is both satisfying and darkly humorous.

Weapons is worth watching—not, in my opinion, something to write home about, but certainly worth a trip to the theater to form your own opinion.

Last night (last Thursday — I’m a slow writer, please) I watched Sinners, directed by Ryan Coogler and starring Michael B. Jordan and you guessed it— Michael B. Jordan. The film has amassed rave reviews from critics and pre-screener audiences alike. It’s been highlighted for its originality and the artistry of its music, so I was incredibly excited to sit down and watch.

Sinners takes place during the Jim Crow era, in Clarksdale, Mississippi. Twin brothers Stack (Michael B. Jordan) and Smoke (Michael B. Jordan) are returning soldiers, looking to open their first juke joint with the help of their community and family.

The film has a distinctive first and second half. The first half is, of course, setup — but beautifully done. The world feels lived-in and tangible, like you’ve been transported in your seat to another time. The set designs and costuming are equally as phenomenal; you can tell that Coogler and his team put an extensive amount of research, time, and love into this film.

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Michael B. Jordan does a fantastic job performing as both twins and handling their two contrasting stories. Ensemble performances by Miles Canton, Wunmi Mosaku, Hailee Steinfeld, Delroy Lindo, and Jayme Lawson not only heighten the world of this film but also enrich the characters of Smoke and Stack.

The music—dude—Sinners is ultimately a love letter not only to the blues but to all music. It’s what drives this film at its core, and it’s the aspect that makes Miles Canton the heart and soul of the story.

Miles Canton. What a voice.

There’s a scene in the film that Canton absolutely kills. It encompasses the legacy of Black music and culture, both past and present. I’d argue this is the definitive point where the second half of the film fully takes over.

And then..

the vampires.

I loved the callback to the classic vampire rules: they burn in the sunlight, garlic repels them, they hate silver, and—most importantly they need to be invited in. So many modern vampire adaptations (Twilight —team Edward!— Vampire Diaries, etc.) stray away from these traditions, so it was oddly refreshing to see the basics honored here.

Jack O’Connell plays the head honcho of the vampires, and he’s magnificent in the role. He’s charming but admittedly too charming, so the hairs on the back of your neck begin to rise.

The backstory of his character is told within his dialogue, and the way the character tries to juxtapose his lineage with that of African Americans to manipulate the twins into joining his army is really interesting. I’d even argue it’s a clever way for Coogler to tackle a deeper theme without making it too on the nose. O’Connell’s character is mentioned to have Irish heritage, and there’s one scene where even I, along with the characters, was dancing in my seat.

I’m afraid he might’ve gotten me.

Despite all my praise for the film, I do think the latter half didn’t hold up as well as the first. The film followed the same play-by-play we often see with vampire movies, much like From Dusk Till Dawn— when our characters lock in for battle.

Characters make dumb choices, like turning their backs on vampires and inviting unwelcome visitors in. The ending was action-packed and fun, but also lowkey messy and rushed. But a part of me is just being greedy, if I could watch a 24-hour cut of this film. I would.

Sinners tries to be a lot of things at once, but it struggles to fully deliver under such a limited timeframe. See? I’m being greedy again. Ryan, PLEASE, there’s gotta be an extended cut, man.

I remember thinking, right before the end credits: I don’t know how to feel about this. I felt like I was turned every which way, and maybe that’s the feeling Coogler wanted the audience to have. But personally, I wish the film had more time to flesh out certain aspects.

Like, there are still moments I believe they could’ve absolutely expanded on, even in a reasonable runtime—I’m looking at you, Native American scene.

I wanted to be nosy.

The post-credit scene, at least, gave me more of a sense of closure. It was slower, which was nice, especially after the wild ride the last twenty minutes put you through.

Overall, I give the film a solid 4 stars out of 5. If you haven’t seen it yet, do yourself a favor and go watch it in theaters. The crowd amplified my particular screening, and this film is literally made for the big screen. And if you have, did you like it or were you left feeling a bit overwhelmed?

Support original work and artists in this industry. And be on the lookout for Miles Canton, I’m telling you, he is a damn star.

The British limited series Adolescence, starring newcomer Owen Cooper, is a masterclass into the prepubescent male psyche. The show is filmed continuously in one-take across all four episodes—which at first admittedly, I believed was a gimmick. I mean we see this all the time now. But in this case, I argue it did its job in serving the narrative and it allowed for the show to feel like you've been dropped into a really, really bad Tuesday morning.

Aside from the outstanding cast, and crew—because god, I can only imagine the stress behind the scenes. The show lifts the curtain on the disturbing and increasingly relevant issue: young boys indulging in red pill/ incel content and thinking. Now if you are living under a rock, or possibly over the age of 35, and are unaware of what these terms mean.

The “red pill” is slang for a political ideology that's often misogynistic, homophobic, and racist. Meanwhile, "incels" (short for involuntary celibates) are typically young men who are unable to attract women romantically or sexually and have a hostile view towards women.

Incels usually start becoming radicalized around the ages of 16 —25. However, Adolescence uniquely delves into a younger audience of boys. In the digital age, social media plays a massive role in shaping young minds, and the series doesn’t shy away from its impact. One of the most striking moments in the show is its reference to Andrew Tate. A controversial figure arrested in 2022 on accusations of luring women to Romania and sexually exploiting them.

Social media has had a large impact on young boys. A study by Netsanity stated, “Boys will compare themselves to other boys on social media or even men that they see on TV and in print ads. Today, boys as young as 6-8 are already developing issues with their body image because of things that they have seen through social media, television, and even from offline experiences.”

This struggle is embodied in the character Jamie (Owen Cooper), who desperately craves validation from both his father and his psychologist, played by Erin Doherty—neither of whom provides it.

The show highlights how this simple neglect, combined with rising depression among youth, makes preadolescent boys particularly vulnerable to radicalization. According to the Department of Health and Human Services, about 3 million teens ages 12 to 17 had had at least one major depressive episode in 2015. About 30% of girls and 20% of boys – 6.3 million teens – have had an anxiety disorder, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. Furthermore, experts agree that this is likely on the low end since young people, especially boys, often don’t talk about depression and anxiety issues to parents or friends.

Again a study done in 2015. Before the global pandemic upended our lives, before we were confined to our homes, glued to our phones, and more susceptible to online influence. Now, Social media does have its good qualities. The sense of community is the biggest, but it can also isolate and make feelings of loneliness more intense and intensify harmful self-comparisons.

When these young boys find community online through these red pill influences and feel validated—these ideologies don’t just stay behind the screen—they spill into real life. I’ve witnessed it firsthand, whether online, through friends, or in the attitudes of their younger siblings. Adolescence serves as both a gripping drama but also as an urgent PSA, reminding us to be more mindful of a child’s social media access and presence. Left unchecked it can have damaging consequences to not only them but, for the people around them.

Nearly four years after The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) is back in the limelight with his own film, Captain America: Brave New World. Before the film’s release, the review embargos were lifted—and man, it was not looking good online. It received harsh criticism on Rotton Tomatoes and is now sitting at a critic score of 50% and an audience score of 79% as of me writing this. Regardless, I went into the theatre with an open mind, and sure it’s not perfect by any means but it’s a worthy film unlike some of the latest MCU slate—I’m looking at you Thor: Love and Thunder.

The film kicks off with Sam Wilson, fully cemented in his role as Captain America on a mission. He’s ordered to retrieve a package, but in true Captain America fashion, he opts to save the hostages first. Anthony Mackie is Captain America through and through, he’s an incredible actor even when given some clunky dialogue. He’s charismatic, and grounded, and there’s one particular scene where I think he shines exceptionally—but I’ll save that for later.

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When we finally run into Seth Voelker played by the phenomenal Giancarlo Esposito, I couldn’t help but feel how underutilized this character was. This entire sequence is a little clunky, and I think they really needed to refine the fighting choreography— though the rest of fight scenes in the movie are better choreographed.

Then we meet President Ross who is now played by Harrison Ford, and it reminded me why I love to see him on screen. He commands every scene he’s in and when he and Anthony Mackie share it, it’s pure movie magic. In the first half of the film, President Ross asks Sam Wilson to restart the Avengers.

That all gets put on the back burner when Isiah Bradley (Carl Lumbly) and several others are mind-controlled into attacking President Ross. This is after President Ross reveals the Celestial island—the massive Tiamut from Eternals(2021), now treated as a global treaty site and the source of adamantium. This is a retcon of the Eternals and a clear setup for future X-Men films.

The rest of the film follows Sam and Joaquin Torres (Danny Ramirez) as they try to uncover who’s behind this attack so Sam can get Isiah out of jail. When we finally do learn the culprit behind all this—Samuel Sterns (Tim Blake Nelson)—his whole motive is….well, como se dice boring, and the plot becomes a bit convoluted.

So if my memory serves me right, Ross needs Samuel Sterns to keep pumping out these white pills—his medication that keeps him alive so he can watch the cherry blossoms with his daughter. Meanwhile, Samuel Sterns wants to see Ross fall from grace and does so by stealing Japan's adamantium and returning it, and making it look like President Ross was scheming to steal all the adamantium from Celestial Island for the United States. Right? Sure. I don’t know— I took a bathroom break during the film, give me a break here.

Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) makes a cameo and offers some advice to Sam, which I thought was a great look into Sam’s psyche. At the scene, Sam feels weak and admits he should’ve taken the super serum like Steve. And Bucky helps him understand that even with the super serum, Steve wasn’t able to save everyone— and that’s what being a superhero is all about.

Then comes the twist—those pills from earlier? They’re how Samuel Sterns has been injecting doses of gamma radiation into Ross over the years. And then we meet Red Hulk.

It was a shock to me that he was only in the last ten minutes of the film. The marketing of the film really made him out to be a bigger player. But seeing Red Hulk throwing and smashing stuff was fun to see and a solid payoff. The CGI? I thought was solid in my opinion, except for one shot that everyone keeps harping on. The artists did incredible work on this film. Not sure why people are out here expecting Avatar-level CGI from comic book movies. But I digress.

The film ties up with Sam visiting Joaquin in the hospital. And this—this is where I think Anthony Mackie truly shines. Joaquin tells Sam that he’s always looked up to him, and Sam Wilson opens up about the pressure of being that role model and living up to the Captain America name. There is so much subtext about race in this scene—without being in your face about it because, you know, how people are these days.

It’s truly a profound scene between two incredible actors.

Overall the film was enjoyable I had fun. The actors did amazing with what they were given. I think the MCU needs to work on their writing and strengthen it. That being said, I love the grounded approach they took. And I love that the MCU is learning to grow with its audience because, for the love of god if I see another film like Thor: Love and Thunder on their roster, I’m throwing myself off a cliff. If there’s no hater for that film, I am dead.

I gave the film a 3 out of 5.

Over a century after its original release, Nosferatu is back in the spotlight. With Director Robert Eggers's stellar track record, The Witch and The Lighthouse, I was thrilled to witness another film of Eggers's undertaking. While I've never seen the original, my only familiarity with Nosferatu came from Count Orlok's cameo in Spongebob.

So—yeah, I went into this with zero expectations. Before diving into the girth of this review—no pun intended. It would be criminal to not mention the cinematography. Jain Blaschke, Eggers's go-to cinematographer, transforms every frame into a living painting. His work breathes life into this gothic world of 1838 Wisburg, Germany, and Transylvania, and the results are nothing short of mesmerizing.

From what I’ve gathered, Nosferatu (2024) follows the same beat-by-beat structure as the original Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror (1922). The story follows a young man summoned to a bloodthirsty vampire's lair while his wife becomes entangled in an ominous force that threatens their lives. While staying true to the essence of the original, Eggers takes creative liberties, most notably by highlighting Ellen Hutter's (Lily-Rose Depp) chilling and erotic experiences with Count Orlok.

Depp is a force to be reckoned with, commanding the screen with her disconcerting expressions and unparalleled range as an actress. She draws us into Ellen’s world of loneliness and her taboo desires with an unsettling authenticity. The rest of the cast is equally as impressive. Dracula's weird, adversely sexual stepbrother, Count Orlok, portrayed by Bill Skarsgård, is hypnotic. He's grotesque in this role and even has a fashionable mustache and hairpiece to go with it. Skarsgård's voice work and physicality guarantee an unforgettable portrayal. I need this man booked and busy in the video game and animation industry. He's that good!

Side note: I did not realize how thirsty some of you guys are over Count Orlok Because what do you mean you can BUY A CARDBOARD CUTOUT OF HIM?

JAIL!!!!

Anyway…here’s the link for it👀: Count Orlok's Cutout

Nicholas Hoult, as Thomas Hutter, deserves praise for conveying his terror through the screen. The supporting cast overall—Willem Dafoe, Ralph Ineson, and Aaron Taylor-Johnson, all deliver standout performances, making a phenomenal ensemble.

As for the technical aspects of the film, they are just as exceptional. Linda Muir's costume design is intricately detailed, and Craig Lathrop's production design is nothing short of mesmerizing. Damian Volpe, the sound artist for Nosferatu makes Count Orlok’s deep and guttural voice, boom throughout the castle and send chills shooting down your spine.

All in all. The story is solid but not without its flaws. The pacing lags in the middle, and a tighter runtime would have benefited the overall experience. That said, it remains visceral, unsettling, and freaky AS FUCK, making it a worthy contender in the gothic-horror genre.

Recap:

The good: The cast is phenomenal, and the production overall is top-tier.

The bad: Pacing issues, with some scenes dragging in the second act.

The ugly: Count Morlocks back (WHY WAS SHE FINGERING IT???).

Score: 3.5/5