Now Playing

 

As we continue through October, we’re continuing to get a flurry of new releases, including plenty of streaming options befitting the Spooky Season. Below is a look at the new movies I saw this week. You can keep up with everything I’m watching by following me on Letterboxd @knighthawk7734.

The Apprentice (Theaters)
Starring: Sebastian Stan, Jeremy Strong, and Maria Bakalova
Synopsis: Sometimes we get biopics that help explore a subject who we know little about. Sometimes it’s meant to give us a window into who they are—or who they would become. The Apprentice—which focuses on a young Donald Trump (Stan) and Roy Cohn (Strong)—falls into the latter category. The film picks up the action in the 1970s as Trump is trying to make a name for himself and build a business—and a brand. That means both trying to please his father Fred (Martin Donovan) and trying to find a way to get ahead in spite of him. The film follows Trump’s life and career over about a decade. It shows his meeting and marriage to Ivana (Bakalova), and the eventual tensions and abuses that would lead to their split. And it shows Trump’s style in business and the risks he took to build an empire of his own. But mostly, it focuses on his relationship with Cohn, a powerhouse attorney with some shady practices and methods. At the outset, Trump is the novice who recruits Cohn to help get his business interests off the ground. It sets up a sort of mentorship relationship as Cohn pours into the young businessman, giving him insight into his point-of-view and his strategies.  Eventually Trump moves on and Cohn’s dealings catch up with him. But the lessons he learned carry forward into Trump’s infamous career. This film comes from writer/director Ali Abbasi, who worked on The Last of Us and gave us the searing 2022 film Holy Spider. He is clearly interested in exploring this relationship and through it seeing how Trump built the philosophy that would guide him in business and politics. You can see in these early exchanges some of the ideology that would become core to his approach to any conflict. The film touches on a lot of different ideas and topics—from Trump’s relationship to his father, to his personal life, and even the scandals that brought down Cohn—but it doesn’t spend enough time exploring any of these to feel like it makes much of a statement. In the end, it also doesn’t seem to tell us anything we don’t know about a subject that has spent much of the last few decades prominently in the public eye. Despite that, I enjoyed the performances of the leads. Stan is having a strong year and does a nice job of bringing a difficult character to life on screen. But I was more captivated by Strong, who is a force when on screen as Cohn. Their work back-and-forth together was the highlight of the film for me. Ultimately, The Apprentice will draw plenty who are curious about its subjects—especially during a contentious election cycle. It’s fine, and well crafted, but doesn’t live up to the potential or the seemingly lofty goals laid out by the narrative.
Rating: Rated R for sexual content, some graphic nudity, language, sexual assault, and drug use.
Verdict: Three stars out of five

Caddo Lake (Max)
Starring: Dylan O’Brien, Eliza Scanlan, Lauren Ambrose, and Eric Lange
Synopsis: A mysterious lake. An eight-year-old girl who has gone missing, prompting her step-sister’s frantic search. A man who can’t move forward because he’s haunted by the death of his mother. All these things come together in surprising and emotional ways in Caddo Lake, a new original film now streaming on Max. The film is produced by M. Night Shymalan and produces a twist that is worthy of the filmmaker. It was written and directed by Logan George and Celine Held, who worked on Shymalan’s series Servant for Apple TV+. The film is a slow build. The stories feel completely disconnected for a while, which may lead to some frustration. But this film ends up being worth the patience. The second part of the film, including a breathtaking Third Act, brings everything together in a beautiful and emotionally resonant way. O’Brien is solid, but it’s Scanlan that carries this film and the emotional heft of the last act. The final sequence of the film is beautifully crafted. This was a fun surprise—a film marketed as a Spooky Season offering that is really something more of a drama.
Rating: Rated PG-13 for some disturbing/bloody images, thematic elements and brief strong language.
Verdict: Three and a half stars out of five

Mr. Crocket (Hulu)
Starring: Jerrika Hinton and Elvis Nolasco
Synopsis: At its best, children’s programming can be a mixed bag. But generally, you’re hoping for a little entertainment and maybe a little education. But what happens if the programming comes to life with dire consequences? That’s the premise of this new horror film dropped on Hulu just in time for the Spooky Season. This one is set in 1993 as a woman (Hinton) grieves the loss of her husband while trying to rein in an unruly child. She finds a video of a children’s program starring Mr. Crocket (Nolasco) that, at first, seems to be a godsend. Her son is hooked. But when Mr. Crocket comes out of the TV to steal her son, she’s forced to fight to get him back. That leads to a chaotic battle with some serious stakes. We’re in the season where we’re getting these kind of horror films. You’re typically looking for a simple story and some good scares or gore. You get that here, so it will likely be a success for some. I wasn’t taken with the story and I wasn’t particularly drawn into the plot. It felt like something of a miss for me despite some potential.
Rating: NA
Verdict: One and a half stars out of five

Piece By Piece (Theaters)
Starring: Pharell Williams, Morgan Neville, and Kendrick Lamar
Synopsis: We’ve seen biopics, we’ve seen documentaries, and we’ve seen Lego movies. But we’ve never seen them fused together like this. In Piece By Piece, filmmaker Neville tells the story of Williams, his life and career using Legos. The film chronicles the ups and downs, moving from childhood through the present, and showcasing the world as Williams’ sees it. There’s music and brightly colored sequences. Some of it is incredibly emotional as we dive into his story and perspective. It’s an incredibly creative approach to a biopic and documentary, and Neville does a great job as both director and interviewer. I enjoyed the ride here and learning more about Williams’ music and passion. This is worth seeking out.
Rating: Rated PG for language, some suggestive material and thematic elements.
Verdict: Three and a half stars out of five

Saturday Night (Theaters)
Starring: Gabriel LaBelle, Dylan O’Brien, Cory Michael Smith, Willem Dafoe, Matthew Rhys, Rachel Sennott, and Cooper Hoffman
Synopsis: Before Saturday Night Live was an institution, it was a cutting-edge idea. Before we knew Lorne Michaels as a genius content creator, he was a young artist with a vision for what a show could be. But the fight to get that vision on air, to become the staple it’s been the past 50 years, took work and courage. The first episode debuted on October 11, 1975. As Saturday Night Live is in the midst of its 50th season, the new film Saturday Night stands as a tribute to the work it took to get the show off the ground. The film comes from director Jason Reitman, who co-wrote the script with Gil Kenan, and follows the 90 minutes leading up to that debut episode. The film is shot nearly in real time. We follow Michaels (LaBelle) as he tries to manage the chaos around him from 10 to 11:30 p.m. to get the show to air. That includes figuring out the rundown, managing talent, production nightmares, and most importantly selling studio executive Dave Tebet (Dafoe), who has the power to pull the plug. Michaels works, and argues, with fellow producer Dick Ebersol (Hoffman) and tries to manage chaos with the cast—including Chevy Chase (Smith), Dan Aykroyd (O’Brien), and John Belushi (Matt Wood). His head writer (Tommy Dewey) is battling the censors, his guest host (Rhys) is battling everyone, and the clock keeps ticking. Will the show make it to air? Will it find its audience? Is this the end of the line for Michaels before it begins? We know what happened now. The show has been an institution for decades and Michaels is a legend in the business. But still, the chaotic energy and pressure—aided by the tight timeline—adds to the intensity of this film. The way it’s crafted and put together is beautifully chaotic, funny, and moving. I was taken with the performances, too. The cast is great—with many of them having moments to shine. But I was particularly taken with O’Brien’s take on Aykroyd and Smith’s take on Chase. The star here, though, is LaBelle, who has to quietly carry all the chaos going on around him. It’s a beautiful lead performance that brings you into the film and holds you there. I’ve long been a fan of Reitman and his approach to story. He does a beautiful job of bringing out the humor, the drama, and the intensity of this story. By the time the cold open happens, you’re pumped and ready to see these players soar. I loved the film, which is one of my favorites of the year so far.
Rating: Rated R for language throughout, sexual references, some drug use and brief graphic nudity.
Verdict: Four and a half stars out of five