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As we wrap up October, we have plenty of options in the theater. But there is still a bigger onslaught coming! Below is a look at the new movies I saw this week. You can keep up with everything I’m watching by following my on Letterboxd @knighthawk7734

Ballad of a Small Player (Netflix)
Starring: Colin Farrell and Tilda Swinton
Synopsis: We’re deep into the Fall and deep into awards season. There are many releases dropping each week featuring big performances and with big dreams this award season. One of the biggest players has been Netflix, which has a host of big films dropping each week this Fall. The latest of those is Ballad of a Small Player, from director Edward Berger. The film dropped on the streaming site today, featuring an unexpected story of a man grappling with his demons. It stars Farrell and is sure to draw some buzz this awards season. In the film, we meet Lord Doyle (Farrell). He’s a degenerate gambler who is trying to change his luck in Macau. He’s escaped there because he sees it as the gambling capital of the world. But things aren’t going too well. Lord Doyle is deep in debt. He’s convinced he needs just one good run to turn it all around, but he’s facing some serious deadlines. That only gets worse when Blithe (Swinton). She holds the key toward a past that’s rapidly catching up to him. At his lowest, Lord Doyle meets Dao Ming (Fala Chen). She seems to understand him and offers to give him a chance to redeem himself. But can Lord Doyle choose the best possible path? This new film has some stunning visuals. Macau is a beautiful place, and Berger does a nice job of capturing the artificial and natural beauty of the place. It also captures the madcap nature of these casinos. It brings it to life in some fascinating ways. This is a story that takes place in the mind of a man who is losing his grip on reality. Berger does a beautiful job of shooting that and bringing you into Doyle’s mind. And Farrell gives a great performance in the role. He has a lot of wild swings, and it all keeps you rooted to his story. But sadly, a good lead performance and a great production can’t distract from the difficulties of the plot. There is a twist near the end that’s meant to turn things on their head. The twist felt telegraphed by the way the film is shot. And beyond that, the story is a bit too chaotic and a bit too roughed in to be overly compelling. There was a lot to like here. Berger has delivered some stylish and incredible dramas the past few years with Conclave and All Quiet on the Western Front. This is another film that has a strong look and a strong style, but the story simply isn’t as compelling as those previous works. It ultimately falls short of the potential. Ballad of a Small Player is now streaming on Netflix.
Rating: Rated R for language and suicide.
Verdict: Two and a half stars out of five

Bugonia (Theaters)
Starring: Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons
Synopsis: The Internet is a wonderful tool, but like any tool it has drawbacks. It’s a place where everyone—and every idea—has a voice. But in our increasingly isolated and polarized world where we have free access to all these ideas, sometimes the wrong ones take root. That’s when things can turn ugly. Although sometimes you find a kernel of truth. Those are some of the ideas wrapped up in Bugonia, a new film from Yorgos Lanthimos that opens nationwide today. On its surface it’s a simple enough story and exploration. But, soon enough, it devolves into a wild ride that goes to some surprising places. To begin, we meet Teddy (Jesse Plemons), who has had a hard life. He’s suffered—some of which we can tell and more of which we learn about through the film. It’s forced him to look for answers, which has led him to some dark places. Now, he’s recruited his cousin Don (Aidan Delbis) to help in a new mission. Don is a sweet, simple man who loves his cousin. And Teddy is leading him down a path that he hopes will save humanity from a current alien invasion. That requires capturing one, to force it to lead them to its ship, where Teddy wants to plead for the future of humanity. They snatch Michelle Fuller (Emma Stone). Teddy believes that she is an alien that can be their key to his plan. She’s also the CEO of the company that employs Teddy, and that created the drug that put his mother in a coma. Is this part of a plan? Is it revenge? Maybe a little of both? As Teddy and Don try to make headway, Michelle pleads her case. It leads to a challenging back-and-forth as Teddy tries to get to the truth. This film is based on the 2003 film Save The Green Planet! It is based on a script from Will Tracy, who wrote The Menu, and worked on Succession and The Regime. That accounts for the black comedy in this film that adds some fun twists to the action. It also moves at a good pace with a great look and some great tension. Lanthimos knows his way around a wild and quirky story. This film has that in spades, doing a great job building the world and the tension in the early going before unleashing a wild finish. Plemons and Stone—both veterans of Lanthimos productions—are great in the lead roles. Their back-and-forth is some of the best of the film. I appreciated Delbis, too. He’s the softest and most human of the three main leads, and the resolution of his story his particularly hard because of the beautiful performance. I was into the way this film was produced and the sharp dialogue and sequences. Then we hit the end sequence. It’s unexpected and a gory shift that works well enough. The final twist at the end is a lot of fun, too. Though it seems to undermine some of the explorations of themes that run through the middle of the film. In the end, this is a well-made film that is a wild ride. I enjoyed my time in this world, and I think those who are fans of Lanthimos will have a lot of fun, too. Bugonia is now playing nationwide.
Rating: Rated R for bloody violent content including a suicide, grisly images and language.
Verdict: Three and a half stars out of five

Hedda (Prime Video)
Starring: Tessa Thompson, Nina Hoss, Tom Bateman, Nicholas Pinnock, and Imogen Poots
Synopsis: This new film from Nia DaCosta is a take on the famous stage drama from Henrik Ibsen, Hedda Gabler. It brings the classic story to life in a new, modern, and stylish way. The action of the story takes place during one long, chaotic night at a party—and the morning that follows. It also introduces a new element to the story by flipping one of the main characters from male to female, adding a new twist to the sexuality of the story. It puts Hedda (Thompson) and Eileen (Hoss) on a collision course. It’s in their performances that the story probably works best. The traditional narrative has been altered in a few ways, including the ending sequence, that will be notable to those who know it well. The party atmosphere allows for a unique and stylish look, too. It’s the production, the style, and the tone that will probably stand out most for this production. Otherwise, the story is a little stiff and unsatisfying—probably in all its forms. Thompson is the star attraction here. It makes for a decent stream, especially for those who enjoy the source material and are looking for a new twist. The film is now streaming on Prime Video.
Rating: Rated R for sexual content, language, drug use and brief nudity.
Verdict: Three stars out of five

I Wish You All the Best (Theaters)
Starring: Corey Fogelmanis, Alexandra Daddario, and Cole Sprouse
Synopsis: The teen years can be rough. It’s a time when you’re asking questions and trying to find your place in the world. It’s even tougher if you don’t feel love and support as you’re trying to find yourself. That’s the theme of the new film, I Wish You All the Best, which opens in limited release on Friday, November 7. The film comes from writer/director Tommy Dorfman, who can identify with this journey. It’s based on the novel by Mason Deaver and focuses on Ben (Fogelmanis), who is in the midst of struggle. At the outset Ben, a high school aged teen, has come to a decision. Ben announces to their parents that they’re nonbinary. It isn’t a message that’s well received. Instead, Ben’s parents kick them out of the house as their lifestyle doesn’t conform to their parent’s worldview. Ben finds themself alone and seeking a place to belong. So, Ben turns to their sister, Hannah (Daddario). Hannah, now married to Thomas (Sprouse) with a newborn, has her own checkered history with her parents. She, too, was kicked out once upon a time, working hard to build a new life. Though she hasn’t seen Ben in years, she and Thomas welcome them. Hannah and Thomas provide a home and structure for Ben as they work to support them on their journey. But it isn’t easy, especially as Ben grapples with who they are and what they want for their life. That pressure doesn’t get any easier when Ben and Hannah’s parents turn up seeking to bring Ben home. This is a personal story for Dorfman, who went through many of the same issues on her journey. You can feel how personal the story is while watching this film come to life. There aren’t easy answers, nor is there a complete resolution. That feels fitting for this story and where Ben is on the journey. The performances here are solid. Fogelmanis does a nice job bringing Ben to life through all the difficult questions raised by the journey. That’s particularly true in the back-and-forth with Ben’s parents. That’s true of Daddario, who has some emotional sequences and some touching sequences playing off Fogelmanis. This will be a tough film for some due to the subject matter. Not everyone will be drawn to the story, while it may bring up painful memories of similar experiences for others. The film tries to handle this difficult subject with care and celebrate some of journey for Ben.  But it feels a bit thin at times. I wanted a little more out of the brother-sister relationship. I wanted a little more about Ben’s journey—which mostly feels confined to art class with a teacher (Lena Dunham) who is supporting and, at times, probing. The arc of the narrative feels right to the character, but it doesn’t always feel satisfying as a viewer. I Wish You All the Best takes a big swing at a timely topic. It doesn’t always nail it, but it’s an interesting exploration of this journey. It opens in theaters on Friday.
Rating: Rated R for language, sexual content, and teen drug and alcohol use.
Verdict: Two and a half stars out of five