Pearl

Trapped on her family's isolated farm, Pearl must tend to her ailing father under the bitter and overbearing watch of her devout mother. Hoping for a more glamorous life, Pearl's ambitions, temptations and repressions all collide to horrific effect.

X was a surprisingly good movie that came out of nowhere and now less than a year later it has a sequel that honestly has an incredibly unnerving creepiness to it the entire time - like even when something necessarily scary is not happening on the screen.   The actress playin Pearl is downright terrifying when she flips that switch and you see it multiple times and it just gets more and more creepy.  

I would definitely recommend people checking this movie out.  Especially horror fans because there are some nuts scenes and visuals in this.  Very impressive how in less than a year this has turned into one of the better horror "franchises" with a third one already on the way.

Three Thousand Years Of Longing

While attending a conference in Istanbul, Dr. Alithea Binnie happens to encounter a djinn who offers her three wishes in exchange for his freedom. This presents two problems: first, she doubts that he's real, and second, because she's a scholar of story and mythology, she knows all the cautionary tales of wishes gone wrong. The djinn pleads his case by telling her fantastical stories of his past. Eventually, she's beguiled and makes a wish that surprises them both.

This was an incredibly weird watch which you kind of figured from the trailer.  They tried to do a good job of fleshing it out but ultimately this was an incredibly long conversation between the two characters.  Like when you look back that is legit all it was.  LOL!  

I would not really recommend anyone bothering with this.  It's ALOT of heavy material on mythology and what not and again - its really just a very long conversation.

Top Gun: Maverick

After more than 30 years of service as one of the Navy's top aviators, Pete "Maverick" Mitchell is where he belongs, pushing the envelope as a courageous test pilot and dodging the advancement in rank that would ground him. Training a detachment of graduates for a special assignment, Maverick must confront the ghosts of his past and his deepest fears, culminating in a mission that demands the ultimate sacrifice from those who choose to fly it.

Wow!  This movie was awesome in every way.  And for the record, I am not one of those people that thinks the original is one of the best movies ever or puts it up on a pedestal.  I liked it but this one was the old school kind of movie that made me fall in love with going to the movies in the first place.  It was fun, you got connected, you go emotional both sad and massively happy at times.   You were invested in all the characters and the respect paid to the original was just insane.   

I would absolutely recommend everyone checking this one out.  This is a lock for my top ten list at the end of the year and would currently be the best movie of the year so far with ease.

Honk For Jesus. Save Your Soul.

Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul. is a 2022 American comedy film written, directed, and produced by Adamma Ebo, in her feature directorial debut. It is a feature-length adaptation of Ebo's 2018 short film of the same name.

What was this?  Advertised as a comedy.  Felt much more like a drama.  Advertised as a rockumentary.  Felt more like a not interesting documentary.  Regardless a massive waste of the talent involved.  

I would not recommend anyone bothering with this.   I couldn't even make it halfway through without turning it off.

Nope

Caretakers at a California horse ranch encounter a mysterious force that affects human and animal behaviour.

This was a tough one.  I'm a huge fan of Jorden Peele and LOVED Get Out and Us.  Visually - this movie had a lot of his similar direction and was great.  Unfortunately, that was the only real hook I felt by this movie.  Outside of that it was just a lot of build up to something that just didn't pay off.  On top of that one of the best parts of the movie was this flashback thing that I couldn't wait to see how it connected . . . . . . and it never really did.  

I wouldn't recommend people checking this one out.  It was very disappointing.  Hopefully it is just a misfire and Peele can get back on track with his next one. 

The Invitation

After the death of her mother and having no other known relatives, Evie takes a DNA test and discovers a long-lost cousin she never knew she had. Invited by her newfound family to a lavish wedding in the English countryside, Evie's at first seduced by the sexy aristocratic host. However, she's soon thrust into a nightmare of survival as she uncovers twisted secrets about her family history and the unsettling intentions behind their sinful generosity.

This movie made no sense.  They pretty much gave away the payoff or the curve of the movie during the trailer.  They then took like a hour and 20 minutes to get to said payoff . . . . . . and then the movie ends like 15-20 minutes later.  Like what the hell is that?  How was this a feature film.   Total waste of time.

I wouldn't recommend anyone bothering with this.  It was your textbook August/September horror movie release. 

Breaking

Desperate for money and running out of options, Marine veteran Brian Brown-Easley holds several people hostage inside a bank, setting the stage for a tense confrontation with police.

This movie was a good watch with great acting across the board.   The only issue I had was that it was so beyond formula.   Like you knew exactly everything that was gonna happen the second the movie started going.  Still though - the performances made it good regardless.

I would somewhat recommend people checking this out.  It is a good watch although incredibly predictable.  Not a must see by any means but also not a bad movie.

Bullet Train

Ladybug is an unlucky assassin who's determined to do his job peacefully after one too many gigs has gone off the rails.

This movie was an incredibly simple concept that played out awesomely.  Throw a bunch of assassins on a fast train, mix in a ton of over the top violence and a bunch of witty banter and just enjoy an incredibly fun ride.  There really isn't anything else to say about that because that mixture worked so well and was done so right.

I would definitely recommend people checking this out.  Is it over the top?  Of course it is.  Is it believable?  Of course its not.  Is it the most fun you will have at theaters this summer outside of Top Gun 2?  Yes it most definitely is.  

Bodies Bodies Bodies

When a group of 20-somethings gets stuck at a remote mansion during a hurricane, a party game gone very, very wrong ends with a dead body on the ground and fake friends at every turn as they try to find the killer among them.

This movie was much much better than it had any business being.  I went into it with pretty much zero expectations but was very surprised that I didn't find myself trashing or making fun of it at all.  I wouldn't say that the movie was remotely scary but it an enjoyable suspense movie with the current generation getting highlighted in a bunch of different ways.

I would actually recommend people checking this out.  I'm shocked but it really was a pretty enjoyable watch.

Easter Sunday

A man returns home to celebrate Easter with his riotous, bickering, eating, drinking, laughing, loving family.

This movie is about as formula as could be.  It honestly played out like more of a sitcom then a legit movie.  Had some laughs but it was all very forced overall.  

I wouldn't really recommend that anyone bother with this.  The movie is the perfect example of just kind of being there and forgettable the second its over. 

Fall

For best friends Becky and Hunter, life is all about conquering fears and pushing limits. However, after they climb 2,000 feet to the top of a remote, abandoned radio tower, they find themselves stranded with no way down. Now, their expert climbing skills are put to the ultimate test as they desperately fight to survive the elements, a lack of supplies, and vertigo-inducing heights.

This movie is pretty much exactly what you thought it would be from the trailer.  It's mostly a one trick pony of a movie with the whole fear of heights thing.  There are some really incredible shots that definitely make you kind of tighten up stress wise and it honestly wasn't as dragging as I thought it would be.   

I would somewhat recommend this movie.  It's not a must watch by any means but was a decent and simple watch if you have the time.

Beast

Recently widowed Dr. Nate Daniels and his two teenage daughters travel to a South African game reserve managed by Martin Battles, an old family friend and wildlife biologist. However, what begins as a journey of healing soon turns into a fearsome fight for survival when a lion, a survivor of bloodthirsty poachers, begins stalking them.

This movie is exactly what you would think it would be.   Short movie about a Cujo version of a lion that keeps attacking family trapped out in the safari.  Couple of jump scares.  Couple of violent cuts.  Roll the credits.  Just a very simple and enjoyable popcorn movie that didn't run too long.  

I would recommend people checking this out.  It was a decent enough watch.  Not a must see by any means but a decent watch.

Paws Of Fury: The Legend Of Hank

A down-on-his-luck hound finds himself in a town full of cats who need a hero to defend them from a ruthless villain's evil plot to wipe their village off the map. With help from a reluctant trainer, the underdog must assume the role of fearsome samurai and team up with the felines to save the day. The only problem is -- they all hate dogs.

Contrary to what the trailer made you think - this was an animated movie that was pretty much just for kids.  Was excited to see a Dreamworks animation type of movie and this was very much not that.  The characters were pretty disappointed and honestly the movie dragged . . . . . . alot.

I would not really recommend anyone bothering with this.   Not worth the time and certainly not worth the money.

League Of Super Pets

Krypto the Super-Dog and Superman are inseparable best friends, sharing the same superpowers and fighting crime side by side in Metropolis. However, when the Man of Steel and the rest of the Justice League are kidnapped, Krypto must convince a ragtag group of animals to master their own newfound powers for a rescue mission.

This was a fun animated movie for all ages.  The kids will obviously like it and the adults that take them end up laughing just as much.  They did a great job of making fun of comic book movies and characters in little ways to create plenty of laughs.

I would definitely recommend people checking this out.  Especially families.  It's a fun trip to the movies for this movie.

Thor: Love And Thunder

Thor embarks on a journey unlike anything he's ever faced -- a quest for inner peace. However, his retirement gets interrupted by Gorr the God Butcher, a galactic killer who seeks the extinction of the gods.

This is a tough one to review.  I actually sat on it for three days.  My love for Marvel movies is well documented so I was struggling with if I was just accepting this movie because it was Marvel or if I did actually like it while not loving it.  After thinking about it I think its more of the second part.  There was still plenty to like about this movie.  Christian Bale was awesome.  Korg is still one of my favorite MCU characters.  Natalie Portman was probably the best she has been so far as Jane Foster.  And there were plenty of laughs and silliness similar to Thor: Ragnarok.  The problem is that there was too much silliness and there is a part of my brain that massively struggles with Thor being like the Benny Hill of the MCU.  I mean he is Thor.  The sarcastic comments and great timing of delivery is top notch but the slapstick kind of stuff just hits me as off.   That is not to say that the movie was bad or that I didn't like it.  I definitely did but like I said I expected to love it and there were a lot of points that I was watching it with a confused dog face because of how slapstick silly it was.  

I would obviously still recommend people checking this movie out.  It's definitely an entertaining watch even with the "offness" in it.  Will this be ranked in the upper half of Marvel movies?  No.  But it will also not be at the bottom of said rankings either.