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Here's a look at the new movies I saw this week.
Arkansas (Amazon Prime)
Starring: Liam Hemsworth, Vince Vaughn, John Malkovich, Eden Brolin, and Clark Duke
Synopsis: Duke wrote and directed this crime tale, and he also co-stars. This film has a loaded cast and follows the kind of template you see in a Coen Brothers film as a pair of friends (Hemsworth and Duke) join the drug trade, things go awry and they get pulled deeper and deeper until it's too late. Vaughn does a great job in a different kind of role, and I quite enjoyed the supporting performance from Michael K. Williams. Malkovich is the ultimate professional who elevates whatever he's in, and that's true of this role, too. But a lot of the heavy lifting ends up falling on the shoulders of Hemsworth, who does OK. This story has some fun quirks and odd twists, too. It's not incredible, but it was a fun watch that worked in its format.
Rating: R for violence, language throughout, drug material and brief nudity.
Verdict: Two stars out of four.
Starring: Liam Hemsworth, Vince Vaughn, John Malkovich, Eden Brolin, and Clark Duke
Synopsis: Duke wrote and directed this crime tale, and he also co-stars. This film has a loaded cast and follows the kind of template you see in a Coen Brothers film as a pair of friends (Hemsworth and Duke) join the drug trade, things go awry and they get pulled deeper and deeper until it's too late. Vaughn does a great job in a different kind of role, and I quite enjoyed the supporting performance from Michael K. Williams. Malkovich is the ultimate professional who elevates whatever he's in, and that's true of this role, too. But a lot of the heavy lifting ends up falling on the shoulders of Hemsworth, who does OK. This story has some fun quirks and odd twists, too. It's not incredible, but it was a fun watch that worked in its format.
Rating: R for violence, language throughout, drug material and brief nudity.
Verdict: Two stars out of four.
Centigrade (VOD August 28)
Starring: Vincent Piazza and Genesis Rodriguez
Synopsis: A long drive in inclement weather, and you pull over to get some rest and let conditions clear. When you awake, you find you're trapped in the blizzard you didn't know what happening. That's the set up for "Centigrade," a new film from IFC that's due to be released on Friday. It's based on a true story and centers on a writer in Norway for a book tour who gets trapped in the vehicle with her husband. They are forced to try and survive in the ice and snow for days, with the wife (Rodriguez), in the latter stages of pregnancy. The couple has issues in their personal life and relationship, all of which come to a head as they're trapped together and trying to survive. This one features a couple decent performances, but the premise wears thin even at less than 90 minutes. I also had some questions about the story and where it's going. This was done as well as could be, but it's probably an acquired taste in terms of being a watch.
Rating: N/A
Verdict: Two stars out of four.
Starring: Vincent Piazza and Genesis Rodriguez
Synopsis: A long drive in inclement weather, and you pull over to get some rest and let conditions clear. When you awake, you find you're trapped in the blizzard you didn't know what happening. That's the set up for "Centigrade," a new film from IFC that's due to be released on Friday. It's based on a true story and centers on a writer in Norway for a book tour who gets trapped in the vehicle with her husband. They are forced to try and survive in the ice and snow for days, with the wife (Rodriguez), in the latter stages of pregnancy. The couple has issues in their personal life and relationship, all of which come to a head as they're trapped together and trying to survive. This one features a couple decent performances, but the premise wears thin even at less than 90 minutes. I also had some questions about the story and where it's going. This was done as well as could be, but it's probably an acquired taste in terms of being a watch.
Rating: N/A
Verdict: Two stars out of four.
Chemical Hearts (Amazon Prime)
Starring: Lili Reinhart, Austin Abrams and Sarah Jones
Synopsis: This film from writer/director Richard Tanne, based on the novel from Krystal Sutherland, follows some of the typical tropes of a doomed teen romance. It's a new original film released by Amazon Prime, and despite the conventions it's the performances of the leads that help elevate it and make it more compelling. Reinhart, who's best known for her starring role on The CW's "Riverdale," does a nice job in a complex part. There are some twists and turns along the way, but mostly it's the sweet on-screen chemistry with Abrams that helps make this an easy watch. At about 90 minutes it doesn't wear out its welcome, and though it's pretty easy to surmise there won't be a conventional happy ending, you still get a measure of closure from the circumstances of the story. Abrams is solid in the lead and I was drawn to the narrative, thanks to the characters and performances, as we moved to the conclusion of the film.
Rating: R for language, sexuality and teen drug use.
Verdict: Three stars out of four.
Starring: Lili Reinhart, Austin Abrams and Sarah Jones
Synopsis: This film from writer/director Richard Tanne, based on the novel from Krystal Sutherland, follows some of the typical tropes of a doomed teen romance. It's a new original film released by Amazon Prime, and despite the conventions it's the performances of the leads that help elevate it and make it more compelling. Reinhart, who's best known for her starring role on The CW's "Riverdale," does a nice job in a complex part. There are some twists and turns along the way, but mostly it's the sweet on-screen chemistry with Abrams that helps make this an easy watch. At about 90 minutes it doesn't wear out its welcome, and though it's pretty easy to surmise there won't be a conventional happy ending, you still get a measure of closure from the circumstances of the story. Abrams is solid in the lead and I was drawn to the narrative, thanks to the characters and performances, as we moved to the conclusion of the film.
Rating: R for language, sexuality and teen drug use.
Verdict: Three stars out of four.
Drunk Parents (Netflix)
Starring: Alec Baldwin, Selma Hayek, Treat Williams, Joe Manganiello, and Jim Gaffigan
Synopsis: There is a lot of talent in this cast, which focuses on a parents (Baldwin and Hayek) who drop their daughter off at college and return home where things are falling apart. While they maintained appearances as long as necessary, they are broke and facing losing it all. During the course of a wild seven days, the wheels come off the bus entirely and hilarity ensues, or at least that's what is supposed to happen. Instead, everything from the story to the character development and humor fails to materialize. There isn't much in the way of laughs, and this film drags incredibly despite a reasonably short run time. This is a total miss.
Rating: R for language throughout and crude sexual references.
Verdict: One star out of four.
Starring: Alec Baldwin, Selma Hayek, Treat Williams, Joe Manganiello, and Jim Gaffigan
Synopsis: There is a lot of talent in this cast, which focuses on a parents (Baldwin and Hayek) who drop their daughter off at college and return home where things are falling apart. While they maintained appearances as long as necessary, they are broke and facing losing it all. During the course of a wild seven days, the wheels come off the bus entirely and hilarity ensues, or at least that's what is supposed to happen. Instead, everything from the story to the character development and humor fails to materialize. There isn't much in the way of laughs, and this film drags incredibly despite a reasonably short run time. This is a total miss.
Rating: R for language throughout and crude sexual references.
Verdict: One star out of four.
The Lost Husband (Netflix)
Starring: Josh Duhamel, Leslie Bibb, and Nora Dunn
Synopsis: Vicky Wright adapts the Katherine Center novel here surrounding a woman and mother (Bibb) who is down on her luck. Her husband died and she went broke, losing her house. Now she's moved in with her aunt (Dunn), who is trying to teach her the farming trade in hopes she'll take over the family home and business. It's there she meets a lonely farmhand (Duhamel), who is trying to get over losses of his own. Can these two lonely souls find a way forward together? If you've seen any movie of this kind (usually found year round focusing on different seasons on Hallmark), then you know the answer to that question. A film like this isn't about the surprising plot turns, it's about entertainment and enjoying the ride with these characters. Duhamel and Bibb do a nice job in the lead roles, and I was also pleasantly surprised this one turns out to be as much about Bibb's character finding a family and a place in the world as about a romance that will fix things. It's an easy watch, but it feels a little long for the kind of story it's telling, while at the same time ending sort of abruptly. It's not perfect, but it's a light date movie.
Rating: PG-13 for some suggestive references.
Verdict: Two stars out of four.
Starring: Josh Duhamel, Leslie Bibb, and Nora Dunn
Synopsis: Vicky Wright adapts the Katherine Center novel here surrounding a woman and mother (Bibb) who is down on her luck. Her husband died and she went broke, losing her house. Now she's moved in with her aunt (Dunn), who is trying to teach her the farming trade in hopes she'll take over the family home and business. It's there she meets a lonely farmhand (Duhamel), who is trying to get over losses of his own. Can these two lonely souls find a way forward together? If you've seen any movie of this kind (usually found year round focusing on different seasons on Hallmark), then you know the answer to that question. A film like this isn't about the surprising plot turns, it's about entertainment and enjoying the ride with these characters. Duhamel and Bibb do a nice job in the lead roles, and I was also pleasantly surprised this one turns out to be as much about Bibb's character finding a family and a place in the world as about a romance that will fix things. It's an easy watch, but it feels a little long for the kind of story it's telling, while at the same time ending sort of abruptly. It's not perfect, but it's a light date movie.
Rating: PG-13 for some suggestive references.
Verdict: Two stars out of four.
The Sleepover (Netflix)
Starring: Sadie Stanley, Maxwell Simkins, Cree Cicchino, Lucas Jay, Malin Akerman, Ken Marino, and Joe Manganiello
Synopsis: This new Netflix film is a family tale about a simple suburban family that quickly has their world turned upside down when the parents are kidnapped because Mom turns out to have a criminal past. Soon the kids and their friends go on a wild journey to find, and save, their parents. The adults do pretty well here, with Akerman strong in a lead role and Marino providing the comedy. The kids do fine as well. This is a pretty simple and straightforward story, but it has some humor. It's ideal for families, but will probably be a little dry for adults. Still it feels like a summer family film on par with something like "Spy Kids."
Rating: TV-PG
Verdict: Two stars out of four.
Starring: Sadie Stanley, Maxwell Simkins, Cree Cicchino, Lucas Jay, Malin Akerman, Ken Marino, and Joe Manganiello
Synopsis: This new Netflix film is a family tale about a simple suburban family that quickly has their world turned upside down when the parents are kidnapped because Mom turns out to have a criminal past. Soon the kids and their friends go on a wild journey to find, and save, their parents. The adults do pretty well here, with Akerman strong in a lead role and Marino providing the comedy. The kids do fine as well. This is a pretty simple and straightforward story, but it has some humor. It's ideal for families, but will probably be a little dry for adults. Still it feels like a summer family film on par with something like "Spy Kids."
Rating: TV-PG
Verdict: Two stars out of four.
Summerland (VOD)
Starring: Gemma Arterton, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Penelope Wilton, and Lucas Bond
Synopsis: During the height of World War II, a writer who tends to keep to herself (Arterton) is tasked with taking in a child (Bond) from London displaced by the war. His mother is working and his father is in the service, so Frank (Bond) is sent to live and go to school in the quiet seaside town. At first Alice (Arterton) balks at the responsibility, but as she thinks on her life and the love that got away (Mbatha-Raw), she begins to form a bond with the boy. Soon, she learns the truth of his connection to her in a way that makes the relationship even deeper. This is a love story, both in terms of the lost love of an adult and the bond between a parent and child. Arterton does a nice job in the lead role, and this ends up being a more layered and sweeter story than it first appears. It's not incredible, but it's engaging and moves at a decent pace.
Rating: PG for thematic content, some suggestive comments, language, and smoking.
Verdict: Two stars out of four.
Starring: Gemma Arterton, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Penelope Wilton, and Lucas Bond
Synopsis: During the height of World War II, a writer who tends to keep to herself (Arterton) is tasked with taking in a child (Bond) from London displaced by the war. His mother is working and his father is in the service, so Frank (Bond) is sent to live and go to school in the quiet seaside town. At first Alice (Arterton) balks at the responsibility, but as she thinks on her life and the love that got away (Mbatha-Raw), she begins to form a bond with the boy. Soon, she learns the truth of his connection to her in a way that makes the relationship even deeper. This is a love story, both in terms of the lost love of an adult and the bond between a parent and child. Arterton does a nice job in the lead role, and this ends up being a more layered and sweeter story than it first appears. It's not incredible, but it's engaging and moves at a decent pace.
Rating: PG for thematic content, some suggestive comments, language, and smoking.
Verdict: Two stars out of four.
Unhinged (In Theaters)
Starring: Russell Crowe, Caren Pistorius, Gabriel Bateman, and Jimmi Simpson
Synopsis: This feels like the kind of movie that wouldn't have gotten a big theatrical release were an Academy Award winner like Russell Crowe not attached and starring. It's a pretty stock revenge film, and ultra violent without a lot of time spent on character development. The film starts with an angry and disgruntled Man (Crowe), literally we never get a character name, not that it matters, who heads into his old house to beat his ex-wife and her boyfriend to death. Then he sets the house on fire. That pretty much tells you where this is going. The next day a single mother and her son (Pistorius and Bateman) are running late and end up behind him in a traffic jam. She has the misfortune of violating his preferred road etiquette and becomes his next target. Rage and violence ensue. This film clocks in at about 90 minutes, but it's an intense 90 minutes. And to me, it wasn't worth the investment. While I was thrilled to see a new movie in theaters for the first time since March, I look forward to seeing better movies in the future.
Rating: R for strong violent content, and language throughout.
Verdict: One star out of four.
Starring: Russell Crowe, Caren Pistorius, Gabriel Bateman, and Jimmi Simpson
Synopsis: This feels like the kind of movie that wouldn't have gotten a big theatrical release were an Academy Award winner like Russell Crowe not attached and starring. It's a pretty stock revenge film, and ultra violent without a lot of time spent on character development. The film starts with an angry and disgruntled Man (Crowe), literally we never get a character name, not that it matters, who heads into his old house to beat his ex-wife and her boyfriend to death. Then he sets the house on fire. That pretty much tells you where this is going. The next day a single mother and her son (Pistorius and Bateman) are running late and end up behind him in a traffic jam. She has the misfortune of violating his preferred road etiquette and becomes his next target. Rage and violence ensue. This film clocks in at about 90 minutes, but it's an intense 90 minutes. And to me, it wasn't worth the investment. While I was thrilled to see a new movie in theaters for the first time since March, I look forward to seeing better movies in the future.
Rating: R for strong violent content, and language throughout.
Verdict: One star out of four.
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