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 As we hit the second weekend of April we have one bigger wide release, and plenty of limited releases and streaming options. Below is a look at my take on the new movies I saw this week! You can keep up with everything I’m watching by following me on Letterboxd @knighthawk7734.

Hamlet (Limited)
Starring: Riz Ahmed
Synopsis: It’s been centuries since William Shakespeare authored his classic Hamlet, and yet the story continues to thrill and entertain audiences. We’ve seen many actors and directors try their hand at bringing the story to life, each finding a unique way to impart the story to a new generation of viewers. That’s true of this latest adaptation of Hamlet, which opened in theaters on Friday, April 10. The new adaptation brings a modern twist to the story. The action is set in contemporary London as a family grieves a death and celebrates a wedding. But while the setting and trappings of the world are modern, the dialogue is pulled straight off the page of Shakespeare’s most famous play. That gives this new take a unique twist. We quickly meet Hamlet (Riz Ahmed) as he returns home after the death of his father. He quickly learns that his mother is due to wed his Uncle, who is taking over his father’s kingdom. It throws Hamlet for a loop. Hamlet is further aggrieved when he sees his father’s ghost and learns a terrible truth—his father was murdered. Hamlet’s father, the king, was poisoned by his own brother. Now, Hamlet must figure out how to expose this evil deed before it’s too late. Quickly the wedding celebration goes off the tracks as Hamlet works to avenge his father and expose the truth before it’s too late. By this point, most everyone is familiar with Hamlet. It’s one of Shakespeare’s most iconic stories and remains a staple of English classes for most all students. We’ve also seen the story brought to life many times, most recently as an off shoot of the Oscar nominee Hamnet. But it’s fair to say we’ve not seen it done like this. The play is adapted by Michael Lesslie and brought to the screen by Aneil Karia. It does a nice job of capturing modern London—especially the trappings of a specific South Asian culture—to give the story a new twist. It’s also fascinating to see the delivery of some of the iconic lines and speeches in radically new locations. I was particularly struck by the visuals of Hamlet seeing the ghost of his father on a roof top. It gave a unique scope and spectacle of the city. Meanwhile one of the most charged sequences comes as Hamlet deliver the famous To Be or Not To Be speech while racing down the road playing chicken with oncoming traffic. All of it adds a new visual flourish to a famous story and a famous set of dialogue, and it works well to build the tension. I also enjoyed Ahmed in the lead role. He brings a great intensity and passion to the part. He’s having quite a spring between this classic role brought to life on film and his new show Bait on Prime Video. Ahmed is a talented performer who pours himself into this production. At the end of the day, if you’re a fan of Shakespeare and unique art, this will be worth the investment. It’s a classic, well-worn story that manages to find some new ground. It’s visually engaging and emotionally stirring thanks to Ahmed’s powerful performance. Hamlet opens nationwide on Friday.
Rating: Rated R for some bloody violence, suicide, brief drug use and language.
Verdict: Three stars out of five

Outcome (Apple TV)
Starring: Keanu Reeves, Jonah Hill, Cameron Diaz, and Matt Bomer
Synopsis: Back in its heyday, The Big Bang Theory had an episode centered on Sheldon Cooper’s apology tour. He’d gotten sick and treated all his friends horribly. They were going on a trip to Las Vegas without him, so he decided to swallow his pride and apologize to make things right. The journey of the episode started out comedic. For Sheldon, it was performative. It was a means to an end. But when it didn’t work out as he expected, Sheldon gained a new perspective. By the end, it meant something different as the episode found an emotional core. That was the trick of the episode, and the trick of a complex character. I couldn’t help but think of that episode—and that character—when watching Outcome, a new movie releasing today on Apple TV. The film stars Keanu Reeves as a star who is trying to make a comeback but faces a potential scandal. The trick is, he doesn’t know who from his past that he wronged that might harbor a grudge. In the film, we meet Reef Hawk (Reeves). He’s been a big star since he was a child appearing on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. But he’s hit some rough stretches, including years lost to substance abuse. But he took a five-year break, got clean, and now he’s ready to take the world by storm again. He’s aided by his best friends—Kyle (Cameron Diaz) and Xander (Matt Bomer)—who have known him for decades. On the cusp of his grand return, his lawyer Ira (Jonah Hill) calls him to say he’s learned of a damning video tape that’s soon to be released. They don’t know who has the tape. They don’t know what’s on the tape. They just know it’s a problem. While Ira works on assembling a crisis team, he suggests Reef look back on his past and make some apologies in hopes of learning who has a grudge and who might have the tape. Turns out, there are plenty of options from Reef’s history. He connects with his first manager (Martin Scorsese), his mother (Susan Lucci), and even an old girlfriend (Welker White). Along the way he has to reckon with who he was, who he is, and who he wants to be. This is a simple enough concept. The film moves at a good pace, clocking in at a speedy 84 minutes. And like that episode of The Big Bang Theory, it starts off with humor but finds its heart by the end. It’s directed by Hill, who co-wrote the script with Ezra Woods. The humor doesn’t always hit for me, but it is consistently amusing. I really enjoyed Hill in his role as the fast-talking lawyer, and Scorsese in his small role as Reef’s first manager. Some of the back-and-forth between Reef and his friends Kyle and Xander is hilarious, too. There’s also plenty of fun cameos from people like David Spade, Kaia Gerber, Laverne Cox, and Roy Wood, Jr., that make the film more fun.  But while I enjoyed the comedy at the outset, I was more taken with the later introspection. This probably doesn’t go deep enough, but it allows Reeves to show some range. He’s good in the lead role, and it’s fascinating to watch Reef go through a bit of a personal journey. It ends in a fun place that wraps up this quirky ride in a unique and satisfying way. Outcome is now streaming on Apple TV.
Rating: Rated R for language throughout and sexual references.
Verdict: Three stars out of five

Thrash (Netflix)
Starring: Phoebe Dynevor, Djimon Hounsou, and Whitney Peak
Synopsis: On paper, Thrash is a film made for me. I love a disaster movie. I love a shark movie. And this is a film centered on shark attacks following flooding as the result of a Category 5 hurricane. The hurricane comes on, and people in the small town are unable to get out in time. That includes a pregnant woman (Dynevor) who gets trapped, on the brink of giving birth, despite trying to outrun the storm. We also follow a scientist (Hounsou), whose daughter (Peak) is trapped by the hurricane and who is following some aggressive sharks that have come ashore with the storm surge. All of it collides in a nightmare for those who are trying to get to safety. This has a lot of potential and elements. But the story from Tommy Wirkola is weak, and the direction isn’t much better. Despite some solid members of the cast, this is disjointed and a slog. The disaster part isn’t as compelling as I’d hoped, nor is the shark action. The characters aren’t well developed, either, which saps some of the tension. In short, I had high hopes and this one fell below them all. The performers and the audience deserved better.
Rating: Rated R for bloody violent content, some grisly images, and language.
Verdict: One and a half stars out of five

Tuner (Festival)
Starring: Leo Woodall, Dustin Hoffman, and Havana Rose Liu
Synopsis: We all have talents, but we don’t always know right away what those talents are. Sometimes it’s through experiences, both positive and negative, that we learn how to channel our gifts. The question becomes what to do when we discover our new gifts, especially if they have the power to be used by others. That’s the case in Tuner, a new film set for a wide release this summer in late May. But it’s getting a special screening Friday, April 10 at the Boulder International Film Festival. It comes from director and co-writer Daniel Roher and tells the story of a talented man who faces some difficult decisions. Niki (Leo Woodall) has perfect pitch, which made him a gifted savant at the piano. But a condition derailed his career and his life. He’s allergic to sound, which forces him to be very careful engaging in the world. He found a new opportunity with Harry (Dustin Hoffman), a friend and mentor who has taken him on as an apprentice for his piano tuning business. But Niki and Harry aren’t co-workers, they’re more like father and son. Niki is a part of Harry’s family, with a close relationship to him and his wife Marla (Tovah Feldshun). While Harry is ill, Niki takes on all the day’s clients. There, he meets two important people. First, it’s Ruthie (Havana Rose Liu), a composing student with whom he shares a spark. Later, it’s Uri (Lior Raz), who presents a business opportunity. As Niki is working late into the evening, a noise serves as a painful distraction. Turns out Uri and his colleagues are trying to get into a safe. Niki needs the noise to stop, so he offers to use his sensitive ear to help them. He’s had some practice as he got into Harry’s safe after Harry forgot the combination. After his success with the safe, Uri offers Niki a more permanent position, and a way to make quick cash. Needing money for himself and to help out Harry, he finds himself drawn into a new, fast-paced, and dangerous world. This is a simple enough premise. We’ve seen stories like this before, as a young man with talent gets seduced into a life of crime by a need for money and a different life. The twist here is the set up for Niki. He has an interesting backstory and an interesting condition. It gives this a twist that serves as a nice hook and entry to the world. Roher does a nice job of pacing the story. He crafted the script with Robert Ramsay and has a feel for these characters and this world. It’s a nice launch into features for a director who has delivered some great documentaries such as Navalny, Blink, and the currently out AI Doc. He shows he has a good eye for features as well. The film is also buoyed by some good performances. I enjoyed Hoffman in his limited role, adding a touch of comedy and pathos. Feldshun and Liu also round out the world and do a nice job pouring into Niki’s story. But what makes it work here is Woodall. He’s a talented performer who makes the most of the role. He makes you believe in Niki and root for Niki, even with some of the choices he’s made. And the final sequence ends in some surprising places that allow Woodall to shine. Overall, I enjoyed the story and world built in Tuner. It’s an engaging set of characters that moves at a good pace. The film opens nationwide on Friday, May 29.
Rating: NA
Verdict: Three and a half stars out of five

You, Me, & Tuscany (Theaters)
Starring: Rege-Jean Page and Halle Bailey
Synopsis: This is the latest romantic comedy, centering on a young woman, Anna (Bailey), who gets herself into a unique situation. We meet Anna (Bailey), who is struggling. She was near the end of culinary school when her mother got sick. She dropped out and delayed all her dreams. Now, she’s a professional house sitter, but when her client comes home early, she’s left without a place to stay. When she meets Mateo (Lorenzo de Moor) at a hotel bar, some sparks fly but mostly she finds encouragement to finally go to Italy and pursue her dream. When in country, she is desperate for a place to stay and remembers Mateo’s unoccupied villa. While there, she stumbles on a ring—then his family arrives. They assume she’s, his fiancé. As Anna gets to know the family, she starts to feel at home and develops a strong connection to Mateo’s brother, Michael (Page). The movies feel like the only place where you can thrive despite a plan. Anna has no job, no home, and no plan, and yet it all manages to work out. That’s the magic of films like this, which aren’t really about the plot but about the characters and the journey. That’s where this film thrives. It feels a bit like the old Sandra Bullock film While You Were Sleeping, and it builds on that energy. I enjoy Bailey and Page in these roles, and I thought they had good chemistry. The film moves at a good pace and is a lot of fun. It’s a good date night kind of movie.
Rating: Rated PG-13 for some strong language, and sexual material.
Verdict: Two and a half stars out of five