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 The final weekend of September was full of some great movie 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.

Ha-Chan, Shake Your Booty! (Theaters)
Starring: Rinko Kikuchi
Synopsis: Dance can open people up. We watch dance performances and series about those learning and performing dance because we enjoy the spectacle, but more importantly we enjoy the stories. There is something powerful about moving your body and using it to work through your grief, pain, or joy. I am a lover of Dancing With the Stars, and a few years ago I bought ballroom dance lessons for my wife. It ended up being one of our favorite activities for years, as we could forget the world and just get out there and dance. The new film, Ha-Chan, Shake Your Booty is about that powerful world of dance. In the film we meet Ha-Chan (Kikuchi), who is living a happy life with her husband and dance partner Luis (Alejandro Edda). They are deeply in love, and deeply in love with dance. Soon, we see that at competition. While out on the floor they are graceful together as the world seems to disappear. That is until Luis drops dead in the middle of the competition. In her grief, Ha-Chan disappears. She hides from the world and gives up on her passion for dancing. But soon, her friends arrive and give her the push she needs to get out. So, she returns to a dance class. There, Ha-Chan is smitten with the new teacher, Fedir (Alberto Guerra). They get closer and begin an affair, but it turns out they are in different places. Is this the push Ha-Chan needs to get over her loss, or will it cause a bigger spiral? This film comes from director Josef Kubota Wladyka, who co-wrote the film. It’s clear this is a personal tale for him and one that means a lot. All that comes through beautifully in the story. Ha-Chan has a rich life of the mind. The way these moments in life and on the dance, floor come to life in her memory gives the film some flair, but also gives us great insight into her character. And the sequences on the dance floor are well done and engaging. There is a lot to draw you into the story visually and go on this journey with Ha-Chan. The story goes in some weird and dark places. That doesn’t always work for me. But through it all I was drawn to Ha-Chan and to the wonderful performance of Kikuchi. There is a lot to like here, and I think this is a story that will be rewarding for viewers.
Rating: Rated R for sexual content and language.
Verdict: Three stars out of five

Heart of the Beast (Theaters)
Starring: Brad Pitt and J.K. Simmons
Synopsis: We all have challenges to survive. Those challenges can push us to a breaking point or make us stronger. And if we come through to the other side, we’ll be changed. That’s certainly something the protagonists of Heart of the Beast can appreciate. There is a bond that is forged on the battlefield. When we’ve gone through the worst of it together, it bonds you together. That’s even more true when it’s you and your four-legged companion. In this film we follow James (Pitt), a retired Army special forces operator and Odin, his battle dog. After years of working on the front lines and accumulating scars both internal and external, James and Odin are retired. They take a small plane to the wilds of Alaska to get away from it all. It’s a time of fishing, hunting, and drinking in a time of peace. Both of them carry the weight and scars of a lifetime of combat, and those who never made it home. As they’re out in Alaska, they come across a fellow wanderer (Simmons). They share stories and share some time around the fire. They see each other and appreciate each other’s journey. The following day, James and Odin head out as a storm approaches. But, while in the air, James suffers a heart-attack. The plane crashes into the wilderness, leaving them alive but stranded and more than 50 miles from a road and population. Wounded but determined, James and Odin begin the trek back to civilization. But it presents more challenges than expected as nature won’t go quietly. This film comes from director David Ayer. He’s given audiences a lot of intense action films in his career, and this film falls into that category. And yet, it feels like something completely different. It’s mostly a two-hander between James and Odin, and their efforts to stay alive and get back safely. It’s a harrowing journey full of challenges. As such, it feels like one of the best performances from Pitt in years. He’s gritty and intense, but there is also a soft warmness that comes out with Odin that’s inspiring. I was taken with their story and their friendship, which is what adds the stakes to the film. There is a wonderful look here. The film captures the natural beauty of Alaska. It captures the rough edges, too. We go through a series of adventures and all of it sucks you in and fills the screen. You’re invested in the journey and pulled to the edge of your seat. And yet, it’s the heart of the film that moved me most. That particularly comes out in the Third Act. You know what’s coming—or at least suspect. And yet, when it does finally come it’s an incredibly emotional and cathartic moment. It left me in tears and captivated, which is a rare feat for a film. Heart of the Beast is one of the most compelling films I’ve seen this year. It’s simple beauty and compelling story makes it well worth seeing on the biggest screen possible.
Rating: Rated PG-13 for violence, peril, bloody/injury images and some language.
Verdict: Four stars out of five

The Love Hypothesis (Prime Video)
Starring: Lili Reinhart and Tom Bateman
Synopsis: This new romance film is based on the novel of the same name from Ali Hazelwood. The film focuses on a graduate student, Olive (Reinhart), who starts a fake relationship with a professor (Bateman) to help both of them achieve a goal. He needs to show stability and roots in the university to earn a needed grant. She needs to show her friend she’s in a healthy relationship so she will move on with her crush. The pair, awkward as they are, manage to make the fake relationship work. But could it lead to something more? That, of course, is obvious given how this kind of film goes. But the characters and the performances here make it work. I really enjoyed Reinhart and Bateman in the leads. I really enjoyed their back-and-forth, the chemistry, and how the story plays out. This is a lot of fun and a great date night movie.
Rating: Rated R for language and some sexual content/nudity.
Verdict: Three and a half stars out of five

Primetime (Theaters)
Starring: Robert Pattinson, Merritt Weaver, and Skyler Gisondo
Synopsis: When we look back, the period where reality TV really began to dominate the airwaves says something about our changing culture. Whether it was the curiosity of wives switching households, cops on patrol, American hunting wanted fugitives, weekly news magazines, or the rise of competition shows, reality dominated in the early 2000s. Chief among those shows that captured national attention was To Catch a Predator, a spin-off of Dateline NBC starring Chris Hansen. The premise was simple, they would entrap potential child predators online, set up in person meetings, and film the trap. And audiences ate it up for years. It made Hansen a household name and left a legacy—not all of it positive. Last year we got the documentary Predators, which was an unflinching look behind-the-scenes. It posed a lot of hard questions. Now, documentarian Lance Oppenheim is pointing his camera at a scripted version of the story in Primetime, which is now playing nationwide. The film focuses on Hansen (Pattinson) as he plies his craft. He’s aided by his producer, Andie (Weaver) and his hunter Xavier (Matthew Maher), who finds these predators online and traps them through a series of chats. They rent houses, set up dates, and spring the trap. As the film opens, we see him spring the trap on a newly divorced former Marine who thought he was about to fulfill a fantasy with a 13-year-old girl. It's dramatic. It’s salacious. And it’s wildly popular. It’s so popular, in fact, that NBC promotes the series to Primetime to go against LOST on Wednesdays at 9 p.m. Hansen is thrilled but begins to feel the pressure to deliver some bigger whales on the series. That pushes the team to go further. Into the fray comes Dan Plumb (Gisondo), a new decoy. He dreams of being an actor and sees this as a chance to earn his SAG card. But he’s in for more than he expected as this new assignment challenges him and his view of the world. I remember watching the documentary last year and having mixed feelings. It’s hard to feel empathy for men who would seek to prey on children, and yet some of the tactics used by the show are grim. There was one case in particular in Texas that was particularly challenging. It’s clear that Oppenheim felt the same, as that case is something of the centerpiece of the final act of this film. And it is similarly haunting, especially the way it all comes to a conclusion. There is a tag added at the end that I felt was unnecessary because of how powerful that concluding segment is. There is no question this is a well-crafted film. The film stock and the way it’s shot looks like an early 2000s news magazine, which adds to the feeling of the film. And the performances are stirring. Pattinson does a nice job in the lead role as he channels Hansen and the way this obsession and mission weighs on him along with the crumbling of his life away from the camera. Weaver is captivating in her role, even the way she chews gum adds to the anxiety and tension. And Gisondo is somewhat the point-of-view character into the world and into the internal struggle between stardom, mission, and the reality of what the series is doing to people’s lives. It's all quite compelling. And yet, there is something off-putting about the whole thing. The story is grim. It’s unsettling. And the clever choice by Oppenheim to shoot the film in the most uncomfortable way possible, often with hyper-close shots on mouths and faces, can’t help but make you squirm. So, it’s a good film that’s well made, but it’s deeply uncomfortable and can be a difficult watch. It certainly won’t be for everyone.
Rating: Rated R for disturbing sexual material, graphic nudity, some violent content, and language.
Verdict: Three and a half stars out of five

The Stunt Driver (Theaters)
Starring: Jay Baruchel, Ed Helms, and Ben Foster
Synopsis: We all are fueled by our passion. Sometimes those passions lead us to exciting new places. Sometimes they challenge us and lead us down an unexpected path. And sometimes following that passion can take you down a road you’re not prepared for, but it’s never boring. That’s certainly the case for Ken Tucker, the Canadian driver who had a passion for daring stunts behind the wheel. Throughout his career he sought to push himself and the limits of his vehicle. His daring helped him make a name for himself and, ultimately, pushed him into a stunt that was too much. The new film, The Stunt Driver, pays homage to Tucker, his passion behind the wheel, and the daring heights he pushed his craft to up until the end. It’s an interesting biopic that sheds light on a figure that many may only know a little about. The film picks up in the 1970s as Carter (Baruchel) already an established stunt driver has his eyes on a new stunt. He wants to jump the St. Lawrence river into America. It’s an ambitious stunt that would set a record and help him to best his daredevil rival, Evel Knievel (Foster). So, Carter makes a connection with Dick Keller (Helms), who makes rocket cars. Keller is skeptical of the jump but likes the challenge. So, he works to try and build a car unlike anything anyone has ever seen that is capable of making this legendary jump. Carter also partners with Bill Wilkins (Dan Bakkedahl) to find the funding and promotion to make the jump a reality. Along with the support of his wife, Gloria (Laurence Leboeuf), Carter has a team to realize this goal. Can he make it a reality? This film comes from Michael Dowse, who has delivered some interesting and inspirational stories in the past. Here, he helps to bring the tale of a Canadian legend to life. There is some good drama and some interesting stunt action here. It also has a look and feel that brings you back to the 1970s and early 1980s, where the story takes place. This is a strong cast. I really enjoyed Baruchel in the lead role. He’s the heart of the story in a lot of ways, and it’s a different kind of part and character for him. But you’re drawn to Tucker and his mission, hoping to see him succeed.  I like the cast and the story here. This tells us about a person and a set of events I wasn’t as familiar with, which helped with the engagement. But the story is built well, and the flow of events is engaging and worth checking out, especially for those who enjoy a good biopic.
Rating: Rated R for language.
Verdict: Three and a half stars out of five