Champions (2023)

Hothead assistant coach gets fired from his minor league basketball job, gets a DUI, and is assigned to 90 days of community service as the coach for a team with intellectual disabilities. The cast is comprised of actors who actually have the disabilities their characters do, which is commendable. But, with Harrelson in the lead, I expected there to be more of an edgy storyline as he learns how to coach in a different way. Instead, he's almost effortlessly patient with this demographic even though he dropped the the r-word at sentencing. 

Feel-good? Yep. Believable in any way? Nope.

C+

Indiscreet (1958)

Stage actress Anna meets suave banker Philip and they are drawn to each other immediately. He discloses up front that that he's married and cannot divorce, but both are willing to move forward with the relationship anyway. Soon they're either with each other daily or on the phone when they can't be. 

I'm not sure why this left me so cold. It's based on a stage play and kind of feels that way: lots of talk and many, many scenes in Anna's living room. I had trouble feeling any sparks between the pair -- perhaps it was that they were a tad too old for me to believe either would allow themselves to fall head over heels when there's no future. Also, the comedy here is more of the "polite chuckle" variety (though I don't think I ever even cracked a smile).

It's not terrible, but there are just so many films that do romance, comedy and chemistry better, there's just no reason to bother with this one.

C

Send Help (2026)

Despite her social awkwardness and frumpy appearance, Linda is really, really good at her job. But when the owner of her company dies and his frat-bro son Bradley takes the helm, she's passed over for a promised promotion and is tasked with proving her worth on a business trip... which is interrupted by a plane crash killing everyone on board except Linda and Bradley.

On the island, Linda's survivalist skills help her turn the tables on her useless boss. It's basically like a dumbed-down Triangle of Sadness.

C

Mean Girls (2024)

First: Jenna Fisher and Angourie Rice truly look like mother and daughter -- just A+ casting there. Second: the "Stupid with Love" number (watch it below) is so charming and singable that I can't stop listening to it. 

This is a really solid remake and probably would be rated higher if the first movie didn't exist at all. But, since it does, comparisons are inevitable and the big detriments for me are the non-Regina "Plastics" (they barely register as individuals) and Cady's transformation to mean girl, which was about as convincing as Sandy's transformation in Grease.

B

Thoughts & Prayers (2025)

This documentary takes a look at the industry that has sprung up in response to mass shootings in America's schools. Not only are there now "active shooter drills" in classrooms, the students can protect themselves with bullet-proof backpacks and tables that can be utilized as automatic weapon shields!

It's a sobering topic that this documentary doesn't seem to know how to handle. We just get a parade of products, befuddled educators, and anxious students. Maybe a counterpoint from the perspective of educators and/or students in countries that don't have this problem (i.e. all the other ones) could've driven home the point that this industry doesn't have to exist? Instead, it just keeps going and going and going without ever being brave enough to outright say what it should.

C-