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We’re into the middle of January, and we’re getting plenty of new releases. This week we had three big streaming releases along with a highly anticipated new theatrical release. Below are my thoughts on the movies I saw this week. If you want to keep up with everything I’m watching, follow me on Letterboxd @knighthawk7734.

Lift (Netflix)
Starring: Kevin Hart, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Vincent D’Onofrio, Billy Magnusson, Sam Worthington, and Jean Reno
Synopsis: This new film on Netflix was originally scheduled for August but got pushed to January. It comes from F. Gary Gray, a director who is no stranger to a good action film. This is a heist film, which tracks action all across Europe. Cyrus (Hart) leads an expert crew that Interpol has in its sights. But Abby (Mbatha-Raw) is instructed by her boss (Worthington) to offer them a deal instead. If Cyrus and his crew helps lead a takedown of an even bigger bad guy (Reno), their slate will be wiped clean. Complicating matters is the fact Abby and Cyrus had a brief affair, and Cyrus won’t take the job until she agrees to join the crew. It’s a fun set up and there are some fun locations and sequences in this film, which includes a heist on a plane. Hart and Mbatha-Raw have decent chemistry and offer decent performances. But while I was hoping for a little fun and excitement, this film is just OK. It checks all the boxes and it’s entertaining enough but it doesn’t feel memorable or special. It’s a decent little heist film but it’s not one that will stick with you much after the credits roll.
Rating: Rated PG-13 for violence and action, suggestive material and some language.
Verdict: Two and a half stars out of five

Mean Girls (Theater)
Starring: Angourie Rice, Renee Rapp, Auli’i Cravalho, Jaquel Spivey, Bebe Wood, Avantika, Jenna Fischer, and Tina Fey
Synopsis: Twenty years ago, Fey gave us Mean Girls. It was a wild and fun comedy—starring Rachel McAdams and Lindsay Lohan—that looked at high school differently. The film has remained in the cultural lexicon since and taken on a new life. It was re-born as a Broadway musical, which in turn led it to be re-born as a Musical on the big screen again. The story remains the same—Cady (Rice) is a new student who arrives in America after spending time with her mother (Fischer) in Africa. Turns out, high school is an even rougher landscape to navigate. She first connects with a couple unpopular kids (Cravalho and Spivey), but soon gets recruited by Regina George (Rapp) and the Plastics (Wood and Avantika). Can she navigate the world and keep her down-to-earth spirit? Can she do it all while singing? That’s the challenge here. Since this is a well-established film, we obviously know how this is going to go in terms of a story. The trick here is incorporating songs. I enjoyed Rice in the lead role, and Fey remains great. The supporting cast here is decent, as are the songs. It’s a fun take on the story and the world. I enjoyed the presentation, and the classic lines still work here. This is a fun time at the movies. It’s not exceptional, but if you’re a fan of the story it’s worth checking out and singing along.
Rating: Rated PG-13 for sexual material, strong language, and teen drinking.
Verdict: Three stars out of five

Role Play (Prime Video)
Starring: Kaley Cuoco, David Oyelowo, Bill Nighy, and Connie Nielsen
Synopsis: Emma (Cuoco) has been working a lot, so much so that romance with her husband Dave (Oyelowo) has slipped. So, they decide to take a night at a hotel for a little role play. While trying to “meet” at the bar, they are joined by another lonely soul (Nighy). They extract themselves and head up to their room. But it isn’t long before Emma manages to slip out. Turns out, the stranger at the bar was a fellow assassin who has drawn a bead on Emma. Emma isn’t who she pretends to be and is being hunted by her former mentor (Nielsen). She’s an assassin herself, and her worlds are about to collide. Can Emma keep Dave and her kids safe while protecting her family life? That’s the set up here. This is a fine mold for a film, albeit something we’ve seen before and recently. The problem here is the script and the story don’t hold up. It’s a tepid story that leads to an uneven viewing experience. I like the cast fine, but there’s not enough humor or drama in the story to get you invested. It sort of hits its marks and gets out. I had hoped for a fun little film, but this just didn’t work.
Rating: Rated R for violence and language.
Verdict: Two stars out of five

Self Reliance (Hulu)
Starring: Jake Johnson, Anna Kendrick, Christopher Lloyd, and Andy Samberg
Synopsis: This new film comes from Johnson, who served as the director and wrote the script in addition to staring. He’s Tommy, something of a loner who is recruited for a unique game opportunity. If he can survive 30 days, he wins $1 million dollars. He will be hunted, but as long as he’s with someone he’s safe. So, Tommy tries to convince his family to fill that role. The problem is, they don’t believe him. After placing an Internet ad, he finds another contestant (Kendrick). Can they make it through the 30 days and win the prize? This is a weird concept for a film. At first, it seems almost too weird. And you spend a bit of time trying to decide if this is all real. But Johnson really sells it. The film picks up when he’s paired with Kendrick. I enjoyed their sequences a lot. The ending is sufficiently weird but also interesting. Ultimately, it was a fun watch that felt like something unique. I enjoyed the leads, and I enjoyed it enough that it would be a recommendation from me.
Rating: Rated R for language throughout.
Verdict: Three stars out of five