Becky (2020)

I saw the sequel to this film last summer, but if I'd seen this first I wouldn't have bothered.

Becky is still in grief mode after losing her mother to an illness. When Dad surprises her with an impromptu getaway to their vacation home, she's momentarily excited until she realizes that his new girlfriend and her son are joining them. But then some bad dudes, having just escaped from prison transport, show up looking for a key that was hidden on the property years back and it everything goes sideways.

Though the deaths are inventively gory, it gets really repetitive. I also couldn't silence my mental frustration at Becky for not simply going for help.

C

The Legend of Billie Jean (1985)

Seemingly to get stunner Billie Jean's attention, Hubie steals then trashes her little brother Binx's scooter. Reasonably, Billie Jean demands that Hubie pay the $608 it will take to get the bike fixed but instead gets nearly raped by his father who, in turn, gets accidentally shot by Binx, which forces the siblings to go on the lam, becoming folk heroes to all of the wronged youths along the way.

The acting is terrible and the story takes the path of most ridiculousness at almost every turn, yet I know for a fact that I would've been way into this if I'd seen it as a teen when it came out. I doubt I would've chopped my hair off, but I definitely would've bought a "Fair is Fair" bumper sticker.

C

Steel Magnolias (1989)

The opening moments contain so much manufactured chaos and attitude that it serves as a terrible introduction to most of the characters. But get through that and the first scene in Truvy's Salon -- which feels lifted straight from the stage play: YOU get a character moment and YOU get a monologue and WE find out what Shelby's deal is -- and you'll probably enjoy this tearjerking treat that showcases female friendships.

B-

Dead of Winter (2025)

Widow Barb decides to go ice fishing on the lake she and her husband visited on their first date. When she stops for directions at a remote cabin, she gets suspicious about some blood spatter. Later, her suspicions are confirmed and she makes it her business to rescue the young woman being held in the cabin. She's not a superhero and makes tons of mistakes, but she's tenacious enough to cause the captors real trouble.

The best parts of this movie are the flashbacks to Barb's marriage. Everything else is serviceable but forgettable.

C

An Honest Liar (2014)

Documentary about James Randi, aka "The Amazing Randi." He became very popular as an illusionist, escape artist and prognosticator, appearing on television for decades. He became a particular favorite of Johnny Carson, especially when, in his later career, he concentrated his efforts on exposing those using magic to perpetrate fraud on the public.

A really fascinating man who did so much good, but it goes on a bit long. The final scenes focus on legal troubles concerning his boyfriend's citizenship, which let the wind out somewhat.

B

The Remains of the Day (1993)

I was in my 20s when I first saw this and I liked it a lot then, but it hits even harder now that I've got some mileage on me.

Stevens, as butler to a large estate, is all about his work; he is there to serve, not to agree or disagree. When Miss Kenton joins the staff as housekeeper, he recognizes her as extremely capable ("I'd be lost without her") while also being able to speak her mind in a way that he refuses to, even in private conversation. And they fall deeply in love, though the emotions are so bottled up that you'd not notice them from the outside -- in fact, they don't even notice that their love is reciprocated by the other until decades after they've parted.

In addition to the tragically muted love story, we've got a political B story about the lead-up to the second World War and the rise of Hitler. It's a scary time for the world with people making honest yet terrible errors leading to huge consequences. Basically, it's life: the personal moments shake a few people as violently as the worldwide events shake millions.

A

Midnight Cowboy (1969)

Joe Buck travels from his small town in Texas all the way up to New York City with dreams of making easy money as a gigolo. Problem is, he has no idea how to make that happen and his unguarded nature makes him an easy mark for absolutely everyone. At his lowest, one of the guys who did him dirty takes pity on him and allows Joe to crash at his place and they become a sad little team together.

The story is good. Less good are the disorienting flashbacks and artsy flourishes -- the whole "more is MORE" vibe it's got going on. If this could've stuck to the small, intimate story of two men managing to form a real bond for the first time in their lives and nearly pulling themselves out of the mire, it could've been magnificent. Instead, it just feels gross.

As for the acting: Jon Voight was a heartbreaker here, especially in the final scene, while Hoffman's work came off as hilariously ridiculous.

C-

The Odyssey (2026)

I don't often feel unqualified to judge a movie, but since 1) I have very little experience with mythology and 2) I did not enjoy this movie when so many others did, I can't help but wonder if I just didn't "get it." But then I remind myself that seeing a movie is supposed to be an enjoyable activity and if I wasn't entertained -- for whatever reason -- I'm allowed to say so.

The first adjective that comes to mind is LOUD. As I covered my ears, I looked around me and saw that I was not the only one doing so. My husband even pulled his hearing aids out during several scenes. I mean, come on. That's ridiculous. Also (see my above confession about being unversed in mythology), I was often confused about what was happening. I guess if I'd had any familiarity with the stories, I might've gotten giddy when scenes started: "oh boy, this must be Calypso!" or whatever, but I didn't so I just had to judge what was on screen for what actually happened. And, most of the time, if it wasn't LOUD it was boring.

There were, of course, some standout scenes. I found the Cyclops design to be gorgeous: twisting his eye vertical and having his nose turned as well made him pitiable -- just a sadly deformed giant, living a lonely life as a shepherd in exile. And the final battle (though deafening) was also thrilling. Nominations for Anne Hathaway, Samantha Morton and Robert Pattinson would be well-earned.

But, overall, naw.

C

xXx (2002)

Xander Cage is a bad-boy star due to his involvement in all the extreme sports and for dunking on THE MAN, so he gets recruited by a spy organization to be extreme for America. Lots of stuff explodes.

The story's ridiculous and Asia Argento (as the villain's girl) looks so young that I was halfway thinking that the foreign baddie was also a pedophile for a while, but the stunts are fun even when (or maybe because??) they defy physics. 

I wouldn't watch it again, but I won't lie and say it wasn't entertaining.

C-

Purple Noon (1961)

A French telling of Highsmith's The Talented Mr. Ripley, in which the lower class Tom Ripley is tasked by Philippe's father to find him and bring him home. Instead, Tom decides to tag along with Philippe for as long as possible, enjoying the high life he so craves. Eventually, of course, his welcome wears out and he has to get creative to keep the fun going.

Without a clear rooting interest, even a decent thriller like this just can't really have much of a lasting effect. Tom is the villain, but the idle rich he's duping could never be called innocents or heroes, so who really cares?

C+

My Old School (2022)

Brandon Lee was immediately marked out as odd when he enrolled in school as a 16-year-old. He dressed oddly, could explain advanced concepts that his classmates hadn't grasped, and just looked older than everyone else. These differences were explained away by his upbringing: traveling the world with his mother the opera singer meant his education was a more worldly one. Or it could be that this was just his second time at bat.

It's definitely different from anything I've ever seen before: it's a documentary involving the actual classmates and teachers, a good portion is animated, and the main subject delivers his tale in his own words, but with actor Alan Cumming lip syncing them because "Brandon" doesn't want to show his own face. Although I give it props for its offbeat telling, I found the story just weird rather than captivating -- like listening to gossip about people I don't know. I honestly got a little bored.

C+

A Private Life (2025)

Though obviously a successful psychiatrist, Lillian seems to be annoyed with humanity in general and is living a solitary life. Her son (a new father) only gets her attention when she needs something from him, which is also the experience of her ex-husband. After a patient dies from suicide, she learns that the patient's husband holds Lillian responsible and soon becomes convinced that it wasn't suicide.

This plays very much like a thriller, but that's obviously because we're seeing everything through Lillian's eyes. She feels threatened -- paranoid -- and very stuck in the life she's curated for herself. As she investigates the death of this patient, she can't help but re-engage with the world outside of her work and home. When all is said and done, she's still herself, but she's also an upgraded version of that person, no longer stuck. I thought it was brilliant.

A-

Ready or Not 2: Here I Come (2026)

Picks right up where the last one ended. Even though Grace "won" by surviving her wedding night in the first film, she's not free until she does it again. This time, she's dodging representatives from the remaining family dynasties that control the entire world. She's also got her estranged sister by her side and the same bloody wedding dress on her back.

It obviously had a BIGGER BLOODIER mandate which, along with the pampered elites forced to fight, kept things fun. But it also just felt like another trip to the well and that's never gonna be as refreshing as the first time. I also have a quibble with the rules changing: survive 'til dawn and you're free! Oh, unless you actually DO survive, in which case you gotta keep fighting.

C+