The Substance (2024)

A celebrity is aging out of her current gig as the star of a fitness show when she hears about a life-changing serum. It sounds great: a "better" version of herself will be produced and they will alternate weeks of dormancy and being out in the world. But, of course, it's a little more messy than the pitch makes it sound.

We were really into this at first: the premise is fantastic and it felt like a Black Mirror or Twilight Zone episode. But then it just goes off the rails in so many ways. Not only were we questioning the level of awareness each has of the other, but we were so baffled by the choices each of them made (as well as how a nearly crippled person could absolutely fly down flights of stairs). I know that this was both written and directed by the same person and that might be the problem right there. Brutal editing could've made this absolutely soar -- as it is, though, I can only mourn this great but squandered premise.

C

Tollbooth (2021)

Turns out that the guy who's been operating the toll booth on the least busy stretch of road in Wales for the last 29 years isn't quite what he appears to be. When a blast from his past pulls up, he's got to call in a few favors to make it through. Of course this occurs on the same day that a lot of other stuff is happening as well.

The quirk is in full force here. While it's definitely got some charm, the "character" count was off the charts. Triplet hooligans trying to make a name for themselves on instagram, a female Elvis impersonator, a mumbling sidekick who's only clear when he's spontaneously shouting "WOOO," a cop who rides around with her dead father's ashes, a blind card player, a young hood who dresses like he's the lead in the revival of Grease... it's just too much.

C+

Hundreds of Beavers (2024)

After his business is destroyed, a man has to figure out a way to survive in the frozen landscape of North America in the 1800s. Each success is hard-earned, but he eventually works himself up to being the bane of beavers across the land.

This is basically a live-action cartoon. It's wall-to-wall slapstick, has virtually no dialogue & dead animals are signified as such with Xs over their eyes. It's fantastical and silly and a great time. My one complaint is that it's at least 20 minutes too long.

B

John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023)

Wick's got one more thing he's gotta do before he is square with The High Table and it's basically kill kill kill. Even though that's all the story there is for nearly THREE HOURS, the combat scenes are so inventive and well-shot that I didn't mind at all. 

The best of the four Wick films, in my opinion.

B+

Kneecap (2024)

A "mostly true" origin story for the Irish-language rap trio Kneecap. For the first two-thirds or so, I just assumed this was complete fiction. Then I looked up the band and found out it was a real thing -- but I still thought that these must be actors playing the band members because they are so natural and charismatic. Nope! Those are the band members themselves! And -- to further admit to my ignorance -- I had no idea that the Irish have a language of their own. And people say that movies are a waste of time...

Truly fun if a bit chaotic/confusing at times.

B