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 As we turn the page to May, we get summer movie season. That means a busy time in theaters and on streaming. Below is a look at the new films I saw this week. You can keep up with everything I’m watching by following me on Letterboxd @knighthawk7734.

Blue Heron (Limited)
Starring: Eylul Guven, Edik Beddoes and Amy Zimmer
Synopsis: Sometimes things go wrong. Despite our best intentions. Despite the best efforts. Despite trying to put things right, it just doesn’t turn out as we’d hoped. And, often, those memories and incidents can define us long after they’ve passed. That’s the case with Blue Heron, the new film from writer/director Sophy Romvari. It’s a personal tale that stretches from the present to the past, interrogating memories and what could have been done differently. As we begin, a family is moving into a new home on Vancouver Island. For Mother (Iringo Reti), Father (Adam Tompa) and the four children, it’s a fresh start. And it’s one the family needs, especially the oldest, Jeremy (Beddoes). He’s had a rough go and the family is hoping this move can be a way to get back on track. We see most of it through the eyes of young Sasha (Guven), who is watching her parents struggle as Jeremy seems increasingly lost. Jeremy gets in trouble and continues to act out, causing her family more grief during a stressful summer. As we flash forward, an adult Sasha (Zimmer), now a filmmaker, is still trying to grapple with the past. She is haunted by her childhood, her brother’s struggles, and what they might have been able to do differently. We have a rare gift right now as Romvari’s short films are available on the Criterion Channel. I watched through them, and you can see the filmmaking and storytelling style that led toward the crafting of Blue Heron. It feels like a personal story, and it’s told through a personal lense. It starts as something quiet and contemplative, but as it unfolds and the present and the past merge in a unique way, it becomes quite emotionally engaging. This isn’t the kind of loud, action-packed film that often draws an audience. It requires that you sit with the material and let it wash over you. But it’s a narrative you’ll be thinking about after the screening ends. It’s just 90 minutes, but it packs a punch, especially as we see where this story is going. I deeply appreciated Romvari’s craft and the way she unfolds the story. I enjoyed the move to the present, and the way Zimmer picks up Sasha’s story in a haunted way. I was fascinated by the way this played out and emotionally engaged. This is a beautiful story of a family and a struggle that is more common than many would like to admit. It’s a powerfully crafted story that’s worth seeking out in release, especially when paired with Romvari’s short films.
Rating: NA
Verdict: Three and a half stars out of five

Deep Water (Theaters)
Starring: Aaron Eckhart and Ben Kingsley
Synopsis: I am a fan of a good disaster movie. I’m also a fan of a shark movie and have been since I was younger and saw Jaws. When you combine those two, on my birthday weekend, in a movie kick-starting the summer. It should be gold, right? Well, it doesn’t always turn out that way. That’s the case with Deep Water, a new film about a plane crash into shark infested waters. It comes from director Renny Harlin and a cadre of writers, which might be part of the issue. The film focuses on a flight from Los Angeles to Shanghai, China. We meet Ben (Aaron Eckhart), a man too old to be a co-pilot that has been dealt a hard hand in life. That includes a sick son, for whom he’s killing himself taking every assignment on a lower-tier airline. The main pilot for the flight, Rich (Ben Kinglsey), is nearing the end of a long career. He’s more laid back and trying to take some fun in life. They make for an odd pairing in the cockpit, but they each have a grudging respect. Then there’s the passengers, including the textbook entitled guy (Angus Sampson) who is going to be everyone’s doom. There’s also Cora (Molly Belle Wright) who is suspicious of planes, her new stepmother, and the family they’re trying to foist on her.  While the flight starts out calm, things don’t stay that way. Soon enough the plan runs into issues and is forced to crash-land in the middle of open water. There, they hit a coral reef, break apart and face a whole new threat from some aggressive sharks. This should be gold. We get a plane crash. We get a shark survival movie. We get Kingsley and Eckhart in a movie that should be beneath them. But it doesn’t all coalesce into gold, here. The film runs 106 minutes, which is about 20 minutes too long. You feel that length during certain sequences and during an ending that feels like it has two or three false starts. You also feel the fact there are six credited writers here. There are a lot of ideas and a lot of potential characters, most of which don’t rise above the level of cliché. There are some odd decisions, and some plot points that are never seen through. We also get some odd choices in not resolving the fate of characters onscreen. A lot is left dangling or handled poorly, which saps some energy from the format. This is a disaster film crossed with a shark tale, so I didn’t have incredibly high expectations. And yet, this film managed to dive below even my meager hopes. It’s not terrible, nor is it the worst film I’ve seen in the genre. But if that feels like damning it with faint praise, that’s the best I can muster. For those that are shark film completists, this will be a must-watch experience. Otherwise, despite some cool sequences, this doesn’t offer much to be worth a trip to theaters.
Rating: Rated R for violent content/bloody images and some language
Verdict: Two stars out of five

The Devil Wears Prada 2 (Theaters)
Starring: Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Stanley Tucci, and Emily Blunt
Synopsis: It’s been 20 years since the iconic first film, based on the novel by Lauren Weisberger. Now, we get a return to the world, again scripted by Aline Brosh McKenna and directed by David Frankel. And all the original stars are back, too, picking up the thread 20 years after Andy (Hathaway) walked away from Runway, and Miranda Priestly (Streep), to forge a career as a journalist. Now, Andy is winning awards but in the downsizing of journalism and outlets, she finds herself without at job. At the same time, Runway finds itself in some hot water after not properly fact-checking a piece. So, Andy is brought on as the Features Editor to add credibility. While she gets an icy reception from Miranda, she picks up well with old friend Nigel (Tucci) and soon enough finds herself hard at work trying to make the most of a new opportunity. That means appeasing big advertisers, like Dior, whose representative Emily (Blunt) has some big asks, and some potentially lofty plans. She also finds that being back at Runway, after all these years, might be exactly where she belongs. This was a fun return to the world. The writing remains sharp, as do the performances. And Frankel gives it all a glossy and fun look. This one feels bigger in scope, packed with cameos and other trappings of the world. But I also enjoyed some of the more personal beats here. I really enjoyed the cast and enjoyed the return to this world. This was a blast that’s well worth checking out!
Rating: Rated PG-13 for strong language and some suggestive references.
Verdict: Three and a half stars out of five

Erupcja (Limited)
Starring: Charli XCX, Will Madden, and Lena Gora
Synopsis: Sometimes you’re just in a different place in your relationship. You think you’re headed in one direction and your partner is just in a different place. When that happens, it’s never a good sign for your future. When it happens while on vacation, things can get awkward. That’s certainly the case for Erupcja, a new relationship drama that opens in limited release Friday. It focuses on three people who intersect during a trip in Warsaw, Poland. In the film, Bethany (Charli XCX) and Rob (Madden) are on a getaway to Warsaw, Poland. It’s a place Bethany has been before, a place where she has history. But it’s the first time for Rob. He wanted to go to Paris, but she suggested this as an alternative. Either way, he’s looking for a romantic place to propose. But Bethany has found the ring and senses his plan. As they land, there is a volcanic eruption of Mount Etna that keeps them in Warsaw longer. She takes it as a sign, and quickly re-connects with an old friend, Nel (Gora). This isn’t the first time they’ve connected, nor is it the first time they’ve come together after a volcanic eruption. While Rob is making romantic plans, Bethany disappears. She spends a wild few days with Nel, leaving Rob to wonder what their future will be. This film comes from writer/director Pete Ohs, who crafted the script along with Charli XCX and Gora. It’s essentially the story of two people in love with the same woman who isn’t ready to commit to anything or anyone. And it’s the story of the American artist living in Warsaw that ends up tagging along for the journey. I know that doesn’t sound like a great description, but if you watched this film, it’s apt. The film is just 71 minutes and doesn’t waste a lot of time. It’s shot in a unique way that almost has a home-movie quality. That makes it feel like an intimate, personal journey. It’s also quite a bit of fun. Charli XCX is a great musician, who has provided the soundtrack for plenty of films. Of late, she’s been a presence on screen, too. I enjoyed The Moment, the mocumentary where she played herself, but I almost appreciated this small performance more. She brings Bethany to life in an engaging way that captivates you while she’s on screen. You can’t help but understand why Nel and Rob have been sucked into her orbit, and why she’ll never stay there. I also really enjoyed the twists near the end, when Nel and Rob come together traveling through Warsaw along with Claude (Jeremy O. Harris). There is a breezy connection between them that feels like the right place for this journey to end. It ends up being captivating, amusing, and really engaging. It’s a simple premise and a simple story, and yet it hooked me. I couldn’t take my eyes off it and really enjoyed the ride. Those that find it in theaters will likely feel the same.
Rating: NA
Verdict: Three and a half stars out of five

The Last One for the Road (Limited)
Starring: Pierpaolo Capovilla, Sergio Romano, and Filippo Scotti
Synopsis: If life is a journey, it’s the people you meet along the way that keep things interesting. That’s certainly true for the new film Last One for the Road, which opens in limited release on Friday. It’s a story of two aging men who make a new friend as they’re traveling around Italy. It sounds like a nice way to spend a couple hours, and that’s certainly the case with this film. But it also highlights that the unexpected connections can often be some of the most memorable in our lives. The film centers on a couple of aging friends and small-time crooks, Carlobianchi (Romano) and Doriano (Capovilla), who are at a crossroads. They have hit a rough patch in their work and their lives, and they are feeling like time is taking its toll. So, they head to Venice for one last drink—or rather a series of them. Along the way, they encounter Giulio (Scotti), an architecture student who has his own issues. They form a quick bond, and soon convince Giulio to head on this adventure with them. They are taking him somewhere he needs to go, but it’s a slow and circuitous path as they stop at seemingly every restaurant and watering hole along the way for that “one last drink.” The time on the road ends up being just what all of them need. Can they take this time of release and bonding and find a new way forward? This film comes from director Francesco Sossai, who noted that it was born after a night of drinking led to a connection with a young architecture student in Venice. That makes it somewhat autobiographical, or at least inspired by some real-life events. You can feel that lived-in quality to the film, which is mostly a road journey of three men looking for direction and some sense of peace. The film, which runs about 100 minutes, moves along at a breezy pace. There is some beautiful sequences capturing the countryside in the Veneto Region and capturing these laid-back road vibes. It’s about being in the moment and making the most of the hand dealt to you in life. I also enjoyed the rapport between the performers. Romano and Capovilla have a good rapport together that gets things going. I also enjoyed Scotti and the emotions and range he brought to the role of Giulio. This is a fun adventure that is a nice film to relax into. There are a lot of different films opening in this, the first week of the Summer movie season. If you’re looking for a relaxing jaunt through Italy, this is the film you’re going to want to seek out!
Rating: NA
Verdict: Two and a half stars out of five