1st Reviews

  Dearest Gentle Readers,   The long-awaited season for Benedict Bridgerton (Luke Thompson) finding a wife is finally here. After reading  An Offer From a Gentleman  by Julia Quinn, it’s safe to say that the majority of the adaptation in Part One is fairly similar, with some much-needed updates.  The second Bridgerton brother has become a fan favourite for his charm, wit and zest for life. Benedict is an artist and sees things through different perspectives. He wants to enjoy the small things that matter because the wonder of the world is much more fascinating than the repetition of soirees and balls within Mayfair.  Many things have changed in the ton since last season. The Queen Charlotte (Golda Rosheuvel) has taken Penelope Bridgerton, aka Lady Whistledown (Nicola Coughlan), into her circle. She wants the hot gossip first before the new issue of Whistledown is printed, leaving Penelope to work double time in appeasing the Queen, even at balls.  This...

  The Rip is all the evidence you need that a great cast can elevate an otherwise run-of-the-mill movie. Without its impressive A-list roster, this would’ve likely been lost among a crowd of forgettable January dumping ground releases. Throw Matt Damon, Ben Affleck and a handful of other extremely talented actors into the mix, though, and now you’ve got something worth watching.  While there are exceptions that prove the rule, a lot of these police/cartel thrillers are interchangeable when it comes to their cookie-cutter story beats. The Rip breaks exactly zero molds, but it also doesn’t feel as uninspired as it could’ve. There are enough surprises to keep things engaging, and the tension - which the movie often hinges on - is appropriately high strung. The action is punchy and loud, which is no surprise coming from Director Joe Carnahan. While I do have minor issues with some of the sequences feeling a bit choppy in how they were shot and edited, the action is solid and packs...

  What starts as a follow-up on a tip on the location of a stash of cartel drugs, soon becomes a star-studded guessing game cleverly executed by Joe Carnahan. As a writer and director, Carnahan always knows how to find the exciting and gripping parts of his characters, and the energy they create when playing off of each other. Matt Damon and Ben Affleck continue to work wonders together as Hollywood’s power best friend duo. Steven Yeun, Teyana Taylor, and Sasha Calle are particularly exceptional here, and Catalina Sandino Moreno gives a warm strength to the film, too. The film cleverly doesn’t let you in on the full perspective of any character, allowing the audience to shift alliances and predictions as to what the full picture is, as the situation continues to unfold. It’s a fun and rewarding action film, and hey, it doesn’t hurt that the cast behind the main Tactical Narcotics Team are all doing an awesome job. Rating:  ★★★★ Review by:  Gal Balaban

  In 2002, Ben Affleck, Matt Damon and Gerry Cardinale became co-founders of Artists Equity.  This independent artist-led studio reimagines the relationship between talent, studio, and distributor.   Damon and Affleck have both paved their way in the industry and have created a legacy of their own. Their first professional collaboration (uncredited) was in  Field of Dreams , but their massive rise to fame was in 1997 with  Good Will Hunting.  Their story has always been inspirational because of their ambition. They both won their first Academy Award in their mid-twenties, and the film became a comfort for many breaking into the industry. Their acceptance speech alone would be on repeat for any aspiring artist because it was wholesome and endearing.  Over the years, Damon and Affleck have collaborated on seventeen films together. Establishing Artists Equity created more opportunities to help young filmmakers and gave them the creative freedom to work wi...

  28 Days Later   is not only a fascinating zombie film, but has spawned a unique and exciting franchise since. Releasing two films within the span of seven months isn't something most film series can truly earn, but   28 Years Later: The Bone Temple   continues to embrace the violent setting and genre while flipping the themes and styles of its predecessor on their axes. Nia DaCosta's direction is far more patient and just as dark, but there also seems to finally be some cracks of optimism in the world that's gone to hell, with people fighting against a terrifying virus, and some humans even killing one another. That hope comes in the form of Dr. Ian Kelson. Ralph Fiennes' intelligence, compassion, and gravitas serve as a light in the film and to the circumstances that have turned the world into a landscape of fear and carnage. Equally captivating on the other end of things is Jack O'Connell as a vicious cult leader. O'Connell brings to life a character whose r...

  Bill Skarsgard gives a captivating performance in Gus van Sant's hostage thriller. His unfiltered thoughts, along with his seeping rage and disdain make it difficult to look away from the actor's amazing dedication to the role. Dacre Montgomery also gives vulnerability and complexity to his character in his strong performance, while Myha'la also shines in a great supporting role. However, the film never quite lives up to that lead performance and fails to subvert expectations of past films where one man is taking another hostage with demands from the authorities and critiques of the system. The shock of the true story's real-life circumstances also doesn't quite land, and the ending is irritating and disorienting at times. You're better off rewatching  Dog Day Afternoon , instead. Rating:  ★★★ Review by: Gal Balaban   

  The best anime of 2025 is back with brand new episodes and I am not talking about Solo Leveling. The new party of heroes; Frieren, Stark and Fern are back and now anime fans can breathe a sigh of relief.  The new season begins with our three heroes; Frieren, Stark and Fern on the next stage of their adventure- a bit wiser and more focused. The season will expand on the  Continued Northern Travels  arc from the manga as we see the party make note of their adventure.  Season two opens with a quieter sense of purpose. Frieren and her companions continue north, but the journey now feels more deliberate, shaped by lessons learned rather than goals left unfinished. The world grows colder and more distant, mirroring the emotional weight Frieren carries as she observes how Fern and Stark are steadily changing in ways she once failed to notice in others. Episode one emphasizes reflection over action, blending gentle humor with melancholy as the group encounters new pla...

  Sleepwalker  centre’s on a woman named Sarah (Hayden Panettiere) whose life has quietly collapsed after a traumatic family tragedy. The Tragedy leaves her emotionally numb and physically exhausted but she tries to rebuild some sense of routine. This in turn develops into her experiencing severe episodes of sleepwalking that feel less like a disorder and more like her mind acting with intention. These nocturnal wanderings draw her back to places, memories, and relationships she has spent years trying to bury, suggesting that her subconscious is no longer willing to stay silent. Rather than relying on conventional scares, the film takes a more unease approach with psychological tension, gradually dissolving the boundary between waking life and dreams. The more the protagonist resists confronting her past, the more invasive and dangerous her nighttime behavior becomes.  Sleepwalker  ultimately plays like a meditation on unresolved trauma. It’s a story where the real t...

  Picking up right where 28 Years Later ended, The Bone Temple directly expands on both the story and ideas we were introduced to last year. Although it stumbles against the swift pacing and eye-catching direction of what Danny Boyle gave us, this sequel is an impressive addition to the franchise with a few game changing surprises of its own.  Alex Garland and Danny Boyle’s refusal to give us more of the same after 23 years sent this franchise in a bold new direction, elevating it above standard zombie fare. 28 Years Later introduced some truly thought provoking ideas surrounding the nature of the Rage Virus, and The Bone Temple brings those ideas to an even more fascinating realization. If you thought the last movie took some big swings, just wait and see where this one goes. There were moments that had the audience gasping and cheering in disbelief.  It’s a testament to Alex Garland’s willingness to push genre boundaries with his script. It’ll leave you thinking ab...

 For nearly 15 years, the romantic comedy has existed in a state of cultural limbo, too unserious to  be taken seriously, too sincere to survive irony, too “feminine” to justify large budgets, and too risky to anchor theatrical releases. Once a dominant force of popular cinema, the rom-com was quietly sidelined, flattened into streaming fodder, or treated as a nostalgic relic of the late ’90s and early 2000s. And then Eternity arrived. Produced by A24, directed by David Freyne, and starring Elizabeth Olsen, Miles Teller, and Callum Turner, Eternity accomplishes something few recent films have managed. Romance is treated with intellectual seriousness, emotional weight, and aesthetic intention, while still preserving humor and pleasure. The film does more than revive the rom-com. It reshapes the form. In the ‘80s, ‘90s, and early ‘2000s, romantic comedies were released with astonishing regularity. Films like When Harry Met Sally, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, 27 Dresses, and 10 ...

  In the past few years, romance novels have regained popularity, and romantic comedies have become hits for many. People have forgotten that love - whether platonic or romantic - can help anyone through difficult times.   One author has consistently delivered romantic novels, and she has now created her own little universe. Emily Henry skyrocketed the bestseller list and is now adapting her novels into films and television series. Her second novel,  People We Meet on Vacation,  is the first film to be adapted for Netflix. Emily Henry loosely based the characters of Poppy (Emily Bader) and Alex (Tom Blyth) on the blueprint of romantic comedy couples Harry Burns and Sally Albright from  When Harry Met Sally . Naturally, as a massive fan myself, this novel was right up my alley.  Co-writers Yulin Kuang, Amos Vernon and Nunzio Randazzo adapted the book well, while paying homage to other films in the genre.  The story of Poppy and Alex spans over a decade;...