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 This week Star Wars returned to theaters, but it was one of just a host of new films. My take on this week’s new releases is below. To keep up with everything I’m watching, follow me on Letterboxd @knighthawk7734.

I Love Boosters (Theaters)
Starring: Keke Palmer, Taylour Paige, Naomi Ackie, Will Poulter, LaKeith Stanfield, Eiza Gonzalez, and Demi Moore
Synopsis: There is no one quite like Boots Riley, the writer/director of this new film. It’s set kind of in the fashion industry, focusing on a trio of friends (Palmer, Paige, and Ackie) who shoplift from high-end boutiques to sell the goods and support themselves. There is one franchise and one designer (Moore) in particular who they target, both for her clothes and because she’s called them out publicly. But this journey of theft turned vengeance leads to some unexpected places. This is a wild film with a wild premise at times. It’s also a completely original look and style from Riley. This is the most colorful film of the year. It’s also one of the most stylish. You can’t take your eyes off it and even when the story veers toward the absurd, it’s captivating. I loved the performances, the craft, and the score, which befit the quirky action on screen. This feels completely original and unique and is certainly worth checking out.
Rating: Rated R for strong sexual content, nudity, language throughout and brief drug use.
Verdict: Three and a half stars out of five

Jack Ryan: Ghost War (Prime Video)
Starring: John Krasinski, Michael Kelly, Wendell Pierce, and Sienna Miller
Synopsis: This is a feature film cap to the four-season series that aired on Prime Video. It picks up with Greer (Pierce) serving as Deputy Director of the CIA and Jack Ryan (Krasinski) living a civilian life. But when Greer meets up with him and asks for a favor, it pulls Jack back into the world. He’s once again paired with Mike November (Kelly) and an MI-6 Agent (Miller) to try and stop a terrorist who was once an asset worked by Greer and his British counterparts. There’s plenty of action here, and it’s fun to get the band back together. Like so many re-boots or continuations, it undoes some of the good will and happy ending from the original series. In this case, it’s mostly Jack Ryan’s personal life that is collateral damage. The film itself is fine. The story is fine. The main antagonist is fine. This feels mostly like an excuse to bring everyone back together and end in a place where additional films would be possible. It’s not as compelling as the original series, but it’s still a decent watch.
Rating: Rated R for violence and language.
Verdict: Two and a half stars out of five

Ladies First (Netflix)
Starring: Sacha Baron Cohen, Rosamund Pike, Fiona Shaw, and Charles Dance
Synopsis: This new comedy follows an Ad executive (Cohen) who is little more than a misogynist. He sees the world as he wants to see it and doesn’t take women seriously. This rankles a junior creative (Pike), who decides to resign rather than being used as a prop to make the firm look more inclusive. After our lead Damien bumps his head, he awakes in an alternate reality where women rule the world, and he’s little more than an afterthought due to his gender. It forces him to see the world differently if he’s to earn his way back to the original timeline. This is a standard set up for this kind of comedy. It’s amusing to see some of the gender norms flipped, and some of the jokes surrounding that. Cohen makes for a decent lead who has some fun back-and-forths with different characters, including a hilarious sequence with Shaw. I also enjoyed his back-and-forth with Pike in both timelines. This was an amusing and quick watch that was more engaging than expected. It’s not incredible, but it’s a spot of fun that makes for a decent weekend stream.
Rating: Rated R for sexual material and language.
Verdict: Three stars out of five

Saccharine (Theaters)
Starring: Midori Francis
Synopsis: One of the consistent struggle in society is the battle against the bulge. We’re inundated with fad diets, paths to health, and even miracle drugs to melt off the weight. Body image and the way we feel about ourselves in the mirror seems to be top of mind for most of society. Which is why it makes sense that this would be ripe territory for horror, especially a body horror journey. That’s the sweet spot where Saccharine lands. The film, which comes from Stan, IFC, and Shudder, makes its debut on May 22 and will likely give everyone pause when confronted with the next fad diet. In the film, Hana (Francis) is a medical student who has a checkered home life, a checkered personal life, and a serious lack of confidence when it comes to her body. It doesn’t help that she seems to have a dangerously unhealthy relationship with food, which leads to guilt and shame. That holds her back from being her best, confident self. When she encounters an old friend while out celebrating her birthday, it puts things in focus. Her friend has tried a new fad diet pill—one that’s not strictly approved—that helped melt off the pounds no matter what she ate. It is a solution that seems to be too good to be true. And when things seem too good to be true, often, they are. Turns out these pills, when tested by Hana, turn out to be human ash. So, Hana uses her access to cadavers to get the raw materials to make her own. While it seems to have the desired effect on her weight loss journey, it isn’t long before the unexpected side effects kick in with harrowing and deadly results. For many of us, Saccharine will hit on a sore spot. Body image, the battle with healthy eating habits and a healthy weight is a real challenge. It’s hard to fight the feelings of insecurity that often come with seeing others and reflecting on our own shortcomings. That helps the audience instantly identify with some of Hana’s struggles. But her solution will likely be a bridge too far for many. And yet, it’s a creepy journey that continues to get darker and darker along the path. That’s a credit to writer/director Natalie Erika James, who has been focused on these darker horror films. She previously helmed Relic and the Paramount+ spin-off Apartment 7a, a prequel to Rosemary’s Baby. While I thought there were solid moments in those films, neither totally worked for me as a whole. That is certainly the case with Saccharine, too. There are some daunting visuals that are striking—including an opening sequence juxtaposing workouts and unhealthy eating habits that will make you cringe. In fact, there’s a lot in Saccharine that will make you cringe and make you deeply uncomfortable. That’s by design. But the film feels too long, clocking in at nearly two hours. And in that run time, we don’t get enough character development or enough depth in the story to justify the investment. In fact, a number of sequences feel oft repeated. Sometimes it’s to establish mood, and sometimes it’s to offer unsettling visuals. That’s fine, but it doesn’t make for a complete or compelling finished film. There are some moments and aspects of Saccharine, but it doesn’t all come together the way I’d hope. It’s got a solid concept and mood but can’t bring it all home in an effective way.
Rating: Rated R for disturbing content, grisly images, sexuality, drug use, graphic nudity and language.
Verdict: Two stars out of five

Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu (Theaters)
Starring: Pedro Pascal, Sigourney Weaver, and Jeremy Allen White
Synopsis: Since Disney acquired Lucasfilm, the results have been mixed. There have been iconic films, but also ones that divided the fanbase. That’s a big part of the reason we haven’t seen Star Wars on the big screen since 2019. The world has also been built out on the small screen, with numerous series kicking off since Disney+ launched in 2019. The first, and arguably most successful, of those series is The Mandalorian, which comes from Jon Favreau. The series was a phenomenon for its first two seasons, though its popularity waned a bit by the time its third season debuted in 2023. But what happens when a popular TV series makes its way to the big screen? It’s been three years since the last season aired, and now The Mandalorian (Pascal) and Grogu are back in a big screen adventure. The film finds The Mandalorian and Grogu working for the New Republic. Grogu is learning as an apprentice, while The Mandalorian is employed to track down Imperial War Criminals. We open with him tracking down one such target, as things go off the rails and it turns into an all-out fire fight. After dispatching that first target, he returns to base where Colonel Ward (Weaver) puts him on to a new target. It’s a mysterious commander for whom the New Republic doesn’t even have a picture. He’s sent to the Hutts, who have offered information on the target. But first, they need The Mandalorian to do a job. He’s charged with recovering their nephew, Rotta the Hutt (White), Jabba’s son and heir to his empire. But when The Mandalorian arrives, things aren’t as they seem. Rotta is being used as a champion in the fighting pit, but he doesn’t view himself as a captive. Instead, he shares it’s his chance to break free from his family. When The Mandalorian learns of secret danger, he’s forced to intervene, finding clues to his real target along the way. But as he gets to know Rotta, he can’t bring himself to complete his charge, putting him and Grogu in the crosshairs of The Hutts. The fun of the series was the weekly bounty hunter missions and the interactions between The Mandalorian and Grogu. It makes sense, in continuing the series, that this would be like an expanded version of that premise. But it also makes for something of a tough sell when it comes to the big screen experience fans are used to from Star Wars. The stakes and scope feel a bit smaller here, even if the action is near constant and it’s a fun ride. I am a big fan of the series. I love Grogu and the wonder of the character, and we get some decent development of his journey here, too. There’s also plenty of great action, a bit of comedy, and some fun new worlds and creatures. That feels like most of the recipe for a solid Star Wars outing. For the most part, this is enjoyable. If you were a fan of the series, this will be a fun two-hour ride on the big screen. I enjoyed following our heroes, and I enjoyed Weaver and Rotta as voiced by White. It’s not a deep or complicated film, and it’s among the best or most iconic Star Wars films, but it’s a fun enough summer ride.
Rating: Rated PG-13 for sci-fi violence and action.
Verdict: Three stars out of five