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Tarot (2024)

5/5/2024

“Tarot” stars Harriet Slater, Adain Bradley, Avantika Vandanapu, Wolfgang Novogratz, Humberly González, Larsen Thompson, and Jacob Batalon. Released on May 3, 2024, the film follows a group of college friends as they uncover a deadly mystery surrounding the tarot cards.

The film featured the directorial debut of Spenser Cohen and Anna Halberg. Cohen is known for writing and directing the 2022 short film “Blink” and writing scripts for “Extinction” and “Moonfall”. It is based on the 1992 novel Horrorscope by Nicholas Adams. Many people are either brave or dumb enough to mess with the supernatural, mostly the latter. So, it’s unsurprising that they still haven’t learned that lesson when they decided to put their faith in the heart of the cards literally. Considering the film’s concept, I couldn’t resist making that Yu-Gi-Oh pun. This weekend showcased there’s more than one way to start the summer movie season. While audiences are commencing theirs with Ryan Gosling performing stunts, others would instead start with a scare-your-pants-off experience. This latest horror film seeks to deliver that expectation by giving audiences another reason not to provoke the spiritual realm. Does this one have the right cards to continue the trend of solid horror films, or are we better off playing regular card games instead? Let’s find out.

The story centers on a group of college friends: Haley (Slater), Grant (Bradley), Paxton (Batalon), Paige (Vandanapu), Madeline (González), Lucas (Novogratz), and Elise (Thompson). They rent out a mansion in the Catskill Mountains to celebrate Elise’s birthday. There, the friends decide to have their horoscopes read when they discover a box of tarot cards in the basement. After returning to campus, Haley discovers that her readings are starting to become a reality, but not in the way she imagined. They unintentionally unleash a monstrous spirit from their tarot cards, which begins to murder them based on their horoscopes. Haley must find a way to subdue this supernatural curse before her own horoscope is sealed.

2024 has been a hit-and-miss year for horror movies in general. After “Night Swim” started the year poorly, the remaining ones have been ranging from surprisingly good to average at best. So far, I’ve only seen three horror movies that are actually better than most of the films we got: “Late Night with the Devil”, “Abigail”, and “The First Omen”, to my shock. There’s also “Immaculate”, but I hadn’t gotten the chance to see it when it was in theaters, so that’s one movie I’ll check out when it releases on a streaming service. This brings us to the next contestant on our list, which didn’t have much promise to begin with. From the marketing, it looked like another generic supernatural film whose seemingly violent concept is affected by its teen rating. I wasn’t very ecstatic about this film when I first saw its trailer and discovered it wasn’t R-rated. But I decided to watch it anyway on Star Wars Day because why not? That's when I realized it was another regretful decision I’ll never forget anytime soon.

"Tarot" is a derivative supernatural horror movie that relies heavily on overused tropes from similar films. It fails to offer fresh perspectives or intriguing twists, leaving me with a predictable and unexciting viewing experience. Granted, it did deliver what the trailer suggested: a teen-centered scary film about a demonic curse killing dumb teenagers in gruesome ways. Sadly, you can’t see the deaths because they also got to profit from the younger audiences. Unfortunately, without something fun or terrifying to maintain the concept’s freshness, it immediately foretold its own demise before the title card appeared. The only element I can credit “Tarot” for is that the darkly lit atmosphere provides some nightmarish scenarios. It wasn’t effective 100% of the time, but for a couple of scenes, it’s able to keep me from putting my cards down too soon. The only scene that came to mind was when Paxton encountered The Fool in a campus elevator. Combined with the CGI effects reflecting The Fool’s creepy appearance and jittery movements, the sequence was a harrowing treat that would surely make younger kids run for the exit.

It’s too bad that most of the film wasn’t as horrifying as the creepy jester. This is mainly due to the direction and screenplay, both of which wasted the talents of its cast with its dull and formulaic appeal. Spenser Cohen and Anna Halberg received success with their horror short film, “Blink”, back in 2022, so I can see why they were chosen to helm a movie about cursed tarot cards. While the duo has a commendable approach to its atmosphere, they struggled to accompany it with its scares and uninspired kills. Yes, there are jump scares in the film, much to our dismay, but they lacked a specific impact that would make my skin crawl. Plus, they’re pretty predictable. It also tried to combine the essence of a fun, scary experience with a bleak and terrifying depiction of fate, but it ended up fumbling the ball on both aspects. It comes across as irredeemably soulless, and it’s actually headache-inducing.

It doesn’t help that the screenplay is chock full of genre cliches we’ve seen multiple times before. It offers a message about fate regarding Haley’s character arc but surrounds itself with charmless characters and subpar dialogue that render the theme meaningless. As usual, Haley is another horror protagonist whose backstory trumps the supporting one-dimensional characters who make plenty of irritatingly stupid decisions. Then again, I shouldn’t be too surprised at how dumb these characters are because that’s their gig in a horror movie. However, “Tarot” is one of the films that made me wish they had common sense or charisma. On the plus side, the cast did what they could with what they were given regarding their performances, even though they didn’t stand out as much as others. Jacob Batalon seemed to be making the most effort regarding his role of Paxton, but his jokes falter in providing levity to its grim tone. Harriet Slater also did all right with her performance as Haley, whose grief comes from her experience with Tarot reading.

Overall, “Tarot” fails to escape its fate of being another bland, run-of-the-mill piece of supernatural humdrum. Its atmospheric dread offered some glimmers of creepiness to keep me slightly engaged. Plus, the young cast didn’t do too badly with the script they were given. Unfortunately, everything else has a sense of “been there, done that” that they didn’t bother hiding, resulting in a mundanely formulaic and tedious horoscope that predicts its death on arrival. With its cliched script, one-dimensional characters, uninspiring scares, and bland direction, this supernatural horror dud gets the Death card.

D-

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The Fall Guy (2024)

5/2/2024

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“The Fall Guy” stars Ryan Gosling, Emily Blunt, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Hannah Waddingham, Teresa Palmer, Stephanie Hsu, and Winston Duke. Releasing on May 3, 2024, the film has an aging stuntman investigating the disappearance of a famous movie actor.

The film is directed by David Leitch, who also directed “Atomic Blonde”, “Deadpool 2”, “Hobbs & Shaw”, and “Bullet Train”. It is loosely based on the 1980s television series created by Glen A. Larson. Many elements have played a role in making movie magic for centuries, including a script, believable actors, imaginative worlds, and a handful of visual effects. But when it comes to movies involving action-packed set pieces, nothing can make them more immersive and intense than the stunt team committing these incredible feats. These people went far and beyond to perform these dangerous acts for actors refusing to break their arm or leg during filming. But they often get overshadowed by the immense star power of the actors themselves, who do nothing but wave and smile at the camera. However, one particular stuntman is about to make movie history, and his name is Ryan Gosling. Usually, we would start the summer movie season with a Marvel superhero blockbuster like the previous years, but because of the strikes delaying the upcoming adventure of the iconic merc with the mouth, Hollywood decided to have a different kind of blockbuster leading the charge. One that celebrates the art of cinematic stunts and showcases Gosling’s attempt at drawing in an audience outside his success with “Barbie”. Was this cinematic stunt spectacular enough to draw in a crowd? Let’s find out.

The story centers on Colt Seavers (Gosling), a Hollywood stunt performer working as a stunt double for famous action star Tom Ryder (Taylor-Johnson). He recently retired from his career following a crucial injury during a stunt gone wrong. Now working as a valet, Colt is contacted by Tom’s film producer, Gail Meyer (Waddingham), about joining the production of a sci-fi epic called Metalstorm. Unfortunately, tensions flare when Colt discovers the film is directed by his ex-girlfriend, camera operator Jody Moreno (Blunt), who’s still peeved at Colt for ghosting her. Things get even worse when Tom mysteriously disappears after getting involved with a drug-related conspiracy, jeopardizing Jody’s big-budget directorial debut. Colt, hoping to make amends for his past mistakes, volunteers to find Tom and save the movie’s production, only for him to use his talents as a stunt performer to outsmart the shady people targeting him.

“The Fall Guy” is another 80s series I wasn’t familiar with or even watched, mainly due to the recent content stealing my attention. However, after researching it for this review, it caught my attention with its Hollywood-related concept. The show involving stunt performers being bounty hunters seemed intriguing from the premise alone. However, it also highlights the appeal and importance of people risking their lives to deliver practical tricks that are more realistic than CGI. That’s one of the reasons I was looking forward to its film adaptation, along with the talents involved, including David Leitch. So far, the director has been consistent with his lineup outside the “John Wick” franchise regarding his approach to action-packed sequences and popcorn entertainment. He’s one of the filmmakers who understood the appeal of an action movie without the shaky cam moments and close-up shots ruining the immersion. There’s also Ryan Gosling, who’s looking to extend his winning streak after delivering his grandeur portrayal of Ken in “Barbie”.

So far, the two main attractions have proved to be a winning combination due to the movie’s early praise since its debut at SXSW in March. Now that I finally got to see what the hype was about, did I feel the same way toward this massive stunt? Absolutely! As a movie fan, “The Fall Guy” is a hilarious and highly entertaining depiction of the film industry, mainly the stunt people, wrapped up with an action-packed and romantic bow. As a film critic, I would say it is a witty, charming, and engaging summer blockbuster that’s also David Leitch’s second-best film in his career, following “Deadpool 2”. Even if you’re not a massive film buff, you can still have a great time watching Ryan Gosling take his hits like a champ in front of Emily Blunt.

"The Fall Guy" is a movie that combines action, comedy, and romance to tell the story of a stuntman's journey to redemption. The latter part of the movie focuses on Colt's effort to reignite his relationship with Jody after abandoning his career due to a shocking injury. However, what really makes this film special is its tribute to the stunt performers working in the film industry. Amid the explosive action and meta humor, the film serves as a love letter to these unsung heroes who put their lives on the line to entertain us. As the title suggested, they’re often seen as the “fall guys” who risk their lives performing death-defying stunts that no real actors could do on set. They also don’t seem to receive the same respect as the big names behind our favorite movies. I think David Leitch wanted to make a movie like this for a while because of his background as a stunt performer. He wanted to showcase his love for practical stunts in some way, and if that's the case, then I'm happy he was able to fulfill his wish. “The Fall Guy” may be another reason I love film, but it also made me appreciate the people who performed these tricks in our favorite movies even more.

But, of course, the film isn’t without some minor issues that almost derailed this production, mainly from its screenplay by Drew Pearce. The script paid respectable tribute to the stunt performers and had some well-written dialogues that mock the film industry and its clichés, including deepfake technology and romantic tropes. The movie provided a near-perfect blend of self-reference and commentary, which reflects the current state of filmmaking and the comedic skills of its cast. It’s similar to “Tropic Thunder”, but without Robert Downey Jr. offending people with his “blackface” appearance. On the other hand, it also has a narrative that periodically falters when examining a stuntman’s life, which resembles Colt’s character arc. If the film focused a bit more on Colt’s trauma from his failed stunt, it would’ve further represented the dangers of this career, how it impacts someone’s mentality, and heightened the stakes for the protagonist. That’s not to say I wanted a realistic documentary out of it, but I would like it a bit more if it could display more of the pros and cons of a stunt performer’s job while making a fun blockbuster around it.

Besides that, “The Fall Guy” is another miraculous effort from David Leitch, further showcasing himself as a lover of practical stunts and a sublime action filmmaker. If you are familiar with David Leitch's other films, you will quickly notice that he has a strong desire to showcase his stunts on screen as clearly as possible. Jonathan Sela, his collaborator, is responsible for displaying those sequences with his cinematography. Leitch has a keen eye for capturing the immersion of the violence and stunt work in a light-hearted and even comedic manner. He achieves this through the use of wide-angle shots, panning effects, and slow-motion sequences. The action choreography provided a suitable balance between intensity and amusement, and the practical effects were a brilliant way of establishing Leitch’s intention. Not to mention that they’re incredible to witness. In fact, they were so incredible they helped the movie set a Guinness World Record for the most cannon rolls performed in a car, which is eight and a half. It looks like we have another thing practical effects can do that CGI couldn’t.

However, it wasn’t just the stunt people and David Leitch that did the heavy lifting. The cast also made the same amount of movie magic, especially the main leads. Ryan Gosling gave another impressive performance in his lead role as Colt Seavers, using his charm and humor to captivate the audience. His portrayal of a restrained stuntman dealing with an internal struggle was convincing, conveying an internal fear worse than that of a failed stunt. Gosling's performance was neither over-the-top nor dull, striking a perfect balance that showcased his acting talents. More importantly, his ability to excel in comedy, action, and drama proves his versatility as an actor. Emily Blunt was also great as Jody Moreno, which is enough to make her chemistry with Gosling as explosive as the effects of an MCU film. I also enjoyed Winston Duke as Dan Tucker, Colt’s best friend and stunt coordinator, especially when he’s throwing out film quotes periodically throughout the movie.

Overall, “The Fall Guy” is a delightfully entertaining summer blockbuster that celebrates the art of cinematic stunts without taking a massive fall. The film's depiction of a stunt performer's job may have been somewhat incomplete. Nevertheless, it makes up for this with its deft combination of thrilling action, clever humor, and touching romance, making it an enjoyable experience for all audiences, especially film fanatics. With its entertaining cast, Leitch’s direction, solid screenplay, and stellar practical effects, the film is another summer blast that’s as jaw-dropping as the stunts they performed onscreen. If this movie doesn’t get people to start recognizing the stunt performers and their hard work, I’m not sure what will. Hopefully, it does. If you’re a fan of movies, then you definitely don’t want to miss out on this spectacular stunt.

B+

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Rebel Moon - Part Two: The Scargiver (2024)

4/30/2024

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“Rebel Moon — Part Two: The Scargiver” stars Sofia Boutella, Djimon Hounsou, Ed Skrein, Michiel Huisman, Doona Bae, Ray Fisher, Staz Nair, Fra Fee, Elise Duffy, and Anthony Hopkins. Released on Netflix on April 19, 2024, the film has Kora and her crew defending their home from the Motherworld.

The film was directed by Zack Snyder, who also directed films such as “300”, “Watchmen”, “Man of Steel”, and “Army of the Dead”. It is the second part of Snyder’s “Rebel Moon” two-part saga. It wasn’t that long ago when visual maestro Zack Snyder introduced us to his own take on “Star Wars” on Netflix, hoping to establish a new IP franchise for the streaming service. While it provided exactly what we expected from its presentation and visuals, the first part of the space opera saga didn’t land with critics and audiences regarding its familiar story beats and characters. It didn’t even come close to reaching the level of hype and quality as the iconic sci-fi franchise that inspired the film. However, that didn’t stop Snyder from continuing the story of Kora and her battle against the Motherworld. It doesn’t excuse the filmmaker for making us wait for his extended cuts to see how much good material was cut out, but again, there’s no winning in Snyder’s universe. With that said, let’s return to this galactic universe and see if the second part could steer this ship in the right direction.

The movie picks up where “A Child of Fire” left off. The former Imperium soldier turned rebel Kora (Boutella) and her surviving warriors returned home to Veldt after their victory over the Imperium admiral Atticus Noble (Skrein). However, their celebration is short-lived when they find that Atticus has been revived by the Imperium, who now seeks revenge against Kora. With the dreadnought ship arriving in Veldt in five days, Kora and her team must train the entire village to defend and fight for their home before the Motherworld bombs it out of orbit. As their latest fight approaches, more secrets slowly come to light, mainly Kora and her past as an Imperium soldier.

You know that feeling when even though your interest in a franchise waned after watching an installment, you still want to see what happens next based on its cliffhanger ending? That’s my feeling toward Zack Snyder’s “Rebel Moon”. For those who haven’t read my review of “A Child of Fire”, I thought the film was simply okay. From a visual perspective, it’s a remarkably stylish portrait of a corrupted galaxy packed with gorgeous set pieces and impressive CGI. Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for its narrative, a derivative and incomplete galactic journey devoid of memorable characters and emotional depth. Because of this, I became one of the people who weren’t as excited about “The Scargiver” as we were for the upcoming summer blockbusters. Despite that, I watched it anyway because I was fascinated with the world Snyder introduced in “A Child of Fire” and the director’s stylistic vision. So, how does this epic battle compare to the first chapter of Snyder's space opera? Honestly, it's pretty inferior to what we were introduced months ago.

Like its predecessor, “The Scargiver” delivered what we expected from its concept: Zack Snyder’s version of “Star Wars”. Unfortunately, it also provided the same issues that plagued the galactic odyssey, including its cliche-filled plot and mundane characters. While it slightly improved some character moments via flashbacks, the movie struggled to inject genuine emotion into its stakes, action, and dynamics. It also didn’t help that the movie felt more contained with its world-building than “A Child of Fire”, with most of the plot and action taking place on Veldt. With “A Child of Fire” being a galactic road trip across the universe, “The Scargiver” is a fantasy war film set on one planet that’s akin to “The Return of the King”, but without the satisfaction and tension of its scope and grandeur artistry. I somehow enjoyed its predecessor a bit more because of the planets it introduced and their inhabitants, which were done exceptionally well through the movie’s visual effects and production designs. One example is the moon of Veldt, which is surrounded by the vastly gorgeous landscapes around its village. While this location still looked stunning in “The Scargiver”, its appeal sadly didn’t last very long due to this limitation. Sure, they showed some parts of the different planets in flashbacks, but neither captured the same interest as the ones from “A Child of Fire”.

As a result, “The Scargiver” is another unfortunate example of style over substance that attempted to copy the other cinematic epics like “Star Wars” without knowing why they worked in the first place. However, I will give the movie this: it retains the visually pleasing atmosphere that Snyder has been known for. Similar to Snyder's other works, "The Scargiver" is a stunning visual feast that is surrounded by slow-motion sequences and artistic shots that are worthy of being displayed in a museum. Although it doesn't quite measure up to Snyder's previous films, its presentation still managed to captivate me more than the characters it portrays. I would also point out that the CGI still looked stellar for its seamless interactions with the environments, mainly for the props, action scenes, and Jimmy (voiced by Anthony Hopkins). This, along with its final battle sequence, is enough to admire the cinematic craftsmanship that Snyder has delivered for years, for better or worse. It’s too bad that the immersion in this world is still overshadowed by its inferior narrative.

Much of the cast reprised their roles from its predecessor, including Boutella as Kora and Skrein as Atticus Noble. As usual, their performances ranged from okay to “could’ve been better”. There were a few moments where the actors tried to inject a soul into their performances, but there were also some instances where their acting was almost as dull as the characters they were portraying. Djimon Hounsou and Anthony Hopkins were the only good actors in the film due to their performances as Titus and Jimmy, respectively. Doona Bae also provided another decent moment as Nemesis regarding her small bond with one of the village children. Also, her skills with the laser sword were enough to salvage the film’s mediocrity. It's a shame she wasn’t born in the Star Wars universe.

Overall, “Rebel Moon — Part Two: The Scargiver” is another intergalactic slog whose stunning presentation struggled to heal most of its cinematic scars. Regarding the gritty visuals, action, and darkly-colored environments, Zack Snyder can do no wrong in providing galactic eye candy to his fans. However, it also further showcases the director’s frustrating attempts at matching them with an immersive story and exciting characters. Some of its character moments were slightly improved in “The Scargiver”, but the satisfaction of those scenes winds up being equivalent to space itself: vastly empty and dull. With its so-so cast, subpar direction and script, underwhelming characters, and weak emotion, the film is a disappointing continuation of Snyder’s space opera saga that’s more upsetting than promising. If Snyder and the crew are actually planning on making more “Rebel Moon” installments, then they should really start taking those criticisms to heart and consider releasing their original cuts instead of the heavily edited ones. Man, the R-rated cuts of “Rebel Moon” couldn’t come fast enough…

D+

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Challengers (2024)

4/28/2024

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“Challengers” stars Zendaya, Josh O’Connor, Mike Faist, Darnell Appling, AJ Lister, Nada Despotovich, Naheem Garcia, Hailey Gates, and Jake Jensen. Released on April 26, 2024, the film has the wife of a tennis champion competing against her former lover.

The film was directed by Luca Guadagnino, who also directed films such as “The Protagonists”, “I Am Love”, “Call Me by Your Name”, and “Bones and All”. When you’re a professional sports player, you always have to find ways to stay on top of your game. These struggles usually happen on the court, but on some occasions, the biggest ones can occur outside of it, especially on a personal level. The last weekend of April hopes to get the summer party train going early with a couple of selections eager to get adults back into the cinema. One of these is the latest sports drama that shows that events outside the court can be just as intense as the sport itself. Tennis could be seen as a boring sport where two players hit the ball back and forth for minutes, but the power of film usually strives to make it more exciting, with this film by acclaimed director Luca Guadagnino seeking to be another example. Was it able to score some aces in the quality department? Let’s find out.

The story follows Tashi Duncan (Zendaya), a tennis prodigy dominating the court through her skills. During a tournament, Tashi meets and seduces two other tennis players: Art Donaldson (Faist) and his best friend Patrick Zweig (O’Connor). After a career-ending injury that forced her to retire, Tashi marries Art, now on a losing streak. As Art’s wife and coach, Tashi attempts to help her husband redeem his status by participating in a Challenger tournament in New York. However, her strategy takes a surprising turn when they encounter Patrick at the event, pitting the two former friends against each other.

Tennis isn’t usually my cup of tea, but it has maintained my interest thanks to the movies surrounding it, including “King Richard”. Of course, that’s not the only reason I looked forward to “Challengers”. One of those reasons is Zendaya, who continues to dominate the industry with her star-powered roles, including the “Dune” adaptations. Her presence usually prevails in making her movies watchable, and based on the early reviews it’s getting, the film is succeeding in maintaining her booming trend. The other is Luca Guadagnino, the director behind the movie. While I admired his unique vision, the only film I watched from Guadagnino was 2017’s “Call Me by Your Name”, which I thought was good enough to keep a close eye on his career. I also planned on seeing his previous film, “Bones and All”, but my scheduling kept me from doing so. Maybe someday I’ll check it out. So, this makes “Challengers” my second exposure to Guadagnino’s directorial vision, which promises sexual desire and drama amid the sports action.

With “Call Me By Your Name” being a warm-up to my experience with Guadagnino’s vision, “Challengers” has the filmmaker go all in with a combination of sports action and romance drama and expressing the kinetic tension of both aspects. The result is a near-perfect depiction of an unhealthy romance driven by the sport that also serves as an acting tour de force for the main leads. While the direction may depend on people’s expectations from the posters and marketing, the movie has plenty to offer, ranging from its steamy sex to the engaging tennis matches, both of which serve a story’s purpose instead of being excuses for its two-hour-plus runtime. For the sex scenes, it’s easy to argue its necessity to slow a film down to showcase characters making love for all you naughty folks. Some cases prove their importance and others…well, they’re just there to grab people’s attention. “Challengers” is an example of the former, in which they drive a complex love triangle affecting the characters’ mentality in their tennis careers and friendship through its nonlinear narrative.

Having a story depicted in nonlinear flashbacks helps the film maintain the consistency of the drama between the three tennis players and its pacing. The movie's primary focus is the final match between Art and Patrick, but it also depicts how they got to this position through flashbacks from their college days to the 2019 Challenger event in New Rochelle. Through Guadagnino’s vision and Justin Kuritzkes’s screenplay, “Challengers” provides a captivating and stylishly grounded outlook of a romantic relationship turned sour and a desire to be on top, affecting the friendship between Art and Patrick and their careers. Some people may point out that it’s another scenario where those desires get physical or worse. However, that isn’t the case. Writer Justin Kuritzkes bypassed those traditional elements in favor of a realistic and dramatic approach to the topics. It might not be as exciting as the other romance thrillers it’s seemingly copying, but the film compensates with a gripping and often refreshing narrative that refuses to throw in the towel.

As for Guadagnino, I was impressed with his approach to its storytelling and technical aspects. The cinematography from Sayombhu Mukdeeprom was a brilliant display of immersion and visual finesse, and the editing was packed with energy without being an eyesore. The director also had a specific balance of suspense and drama that was neither overpowering nor dull. He keeps the melodrama at a minimum while ensuring the down-to-earth conversations and emotions remain interesting. It’s pretty challenging to accomplish without putting the audience to sleep, but Guadagnino found a way to make it work, and I must say, it was a satisfying treat to endure. Another example I’d point out is the score by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, who previously worked with Guadagnino on “Bones and All”. Reznor and Ross have crafted another fascinating piece of cinematic music that heightens the drama and tennis sequences through its techno-esque tunes. While there are a couple of moments where the score was unwarranted, it’s still a splendid piece to listen to if you’re in the mood to get yourself excited for a sporting event.

As mentioned earlier, “Challengers” is a spectacular display of the talent involved, with the three main leads being the driving force of the experience. With this film and “Dune Part Two”, I will be the next person to say this might be another successful year for Zendaya. Her portrayal of Tashi has the actress volleying between feistiness and intricacy throughout her performance, with neither one fumbling once throughout its runtime. It’s uncertain whether it’s my favorite performance from Zendaya, but I will say that she remains on top of her acting game regarding her filmography. Josh O’Connor was also great as Patrick, a former friend willing to turn his tennis career around, similar to Art. I would also credit Mike Faist for keeping his career alive following his first major role in Steven Spielberg’s “West Side Story”, thanks to his magnetic portrayal of Art. It would be interesting to see if he’ll keep the streak going with the upcoming “Bikeriders”.

Overall, “Challengers” is a near-perfect match that volleys between captivating romance and thrilling sports action with style and momentum. It might not please everyone with its approach to the narrative. However, it’s still a well-made and cleverly engrossing sports movie that shows that even the intense matches lie beyond the court. The main leads were terrific in their roles, Guadagnino provided a stylistic flair to the drama and tennis sequences, and the screenplay succeeded in balancing its conventional beats with complexity and realism. I also really enjoyed Reznor and Ross’s score, even though some scenes could’ve been better without it. It’s far from my favorite film of the year, but it’s another cinematic piece that made me rethink my perspective on tennis.

A-

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Boy Kills World (2024)

4/25/2024

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“Boy Kills World” stars Bill Skarsgård, Jessica Rothe, Michelle Dockery, Famke Janssen, Sharlto Copley, Brett Gelman, Isaiah Mustafa, Andrew Koji, Yayan Ruhian, and H. Jon Benjamin. Releasing on April 26, 2024, the film has a deaf man enacting vengeance on the people who murdered his family.

The film features the feature directorial debut of Moritz Mohr, who directed the short films “Akumi”, “Vidiots”, and “Hurensohn”. Mohr also directed the 2011 television series “Viva Berlin!”. It is based on a short film by Mohr and Armend Remmers. There’s no denying that if you take away those someone holds dear to their hearts, you better be prepared to face the consequences. If that someone happens to be a silent man with his inner voice sounding like Bob Belcher, you should also be ready to lose a lot of blood. Many revenge-driven movies have taught us this for years, and thanks to this latest action thriller from producer Sam Raimi, it surely won’t be the last. This film sees Raimi bringing the ultra-violent short film from Mohr and Remmers to the big screen, which promises plenty of jaw-dropping action, pulpy stylish flairs, and remarkably entertaining stunt work, more so than Dev Patel’s “Monkey Man”. Was it fun and bloody enough to exact its vengeance? Let’s find out.

The story follows Boy (Skarsgård), a young man whose family was brutally murdered by Hilda van der Koy (Janssen), the monarch of a corrupted royal family ruling over a post-apocalyptic world. The attack resulted in Boy being deaf and mute, with his thoughts now being expressed by his inner voice (Benjamin) derived from his childhood video game. After learning martial arts from a mysterious shaman (Ruhian), Boy sets out on a blood-soaked journey to seek revenge against the entire Koy family. With the help of a resistance team consisting of Benny (Mustafa) and Basho (Koji), Boy must survive every dangerous obstacle, including a televised execution called “The Culling”, to complete his mission and free himself from the pains of his past.

While my intrigue was set on Zendaya playing tennis, “Boy Kills World” was actually something I was looking forward to the most this weekend. Obviously, it’s because I couldn’t get enough of action movies, especially ones that are original, and the cast is quite stacked with some familiar names, including Bill Skarsgård. But more importantly, the concept behind it looked pretty darn bonkers. Yes, it’s another revenge movie we’ve seen many times before, but the way it’s reflected regarding its kinetic presentation and post-apocalyptic setting is enough to get me ecstatic about it. Fortunately, I didn’t have to wait until this weekend to see if it lives up to its potential. I attended a mystery movie event at my favorite cinema, which happens to be “Boy Kills World”, much to my delight. It would be even better if it were “Furiosa”. Hopefully, they're saving that as next month's mystery movie. Until I know for sure, I want to talk about the boy who murdered the corrupted world.

“Boy Kills World” is more along the lines of “Kill Bill” on drugs than an R-rated sequel to “Boy Meets World”. The movie depicts the unnamed man infiltrating an empire and beating the crud out of people responsible for murdering his family, all while bickering with the spirit of his younger sister, Mina (Quinn Copeland). Did I mention that he was also deaf and mute? Yeah, that’s how crazy this film seemed. It delivers exactly what the premise promised, so if you expect it to surprise you with its themes and world-building, you might be disappointed by the outcome. However, if you only need a simple escape from reality, you'll easily have a great time with this high-octane, action-packed ride. Loaded with stylized energy and pulpy action, "Boy Kills World" is a refreshing and kinetic take on the revenge action formula that hits the mark with its tone.

With Moritz Mohr’s experience being from the short film of the same name, he was tasked with expanding his concept into a 110-minute-long roller coaster consisting of brutalities, energetic flairs, and Bob Belcher providing color commentary. While Arend Remmers co-wrote the screenplay with Tyler Burton Smith, Mohr takes control as a solo director. Filmmakers who return to expand their short films can often succeed in honoring the source material they created. However, it also comes with the challenge of capturing the interest of those unfamiliar with their works. Based on what I’ve seen, I thought Mohr handled this challenge very well, especially regarding his vision. Its presentation exuded an intense and surreal vibe that transcended beyond its visuals. It imbued its sceneries and action sequences with a sense of frenetic energy that captivated me thoroughly. The editing and cinematography further enhanced this hallucinatory feel, resulting in an experience that was nothing short of mesmerizing. It’s as if Mohr puts John Wick, graphic novels, and video game influences into a blender and mixes them to create a blood-soaked smoothie with a lime on top of it. It should’ve tasted foul based on the description alone, but instead, it wound up being a sublime treat full of flavor and radiant pizazz.

What makes it even better is how the movie balances the thriller aspect with its corny comedy vibes, mainly from Boy’s chemistry with the supporting characters like Mina. The film succeeds in providing slickness and guts to its insane yet well-choreographed action scenes, but its main success was not taking itself too seriously. Sure, the story doesn’t delve deep into its themes amid its formula, although the third act’s twist did save it from being too derivative. Nevertheless, it more than compensates with its delightful gags that seem parodic and charismatic characters powered by its impeccable cast. Despite Boy’s lack of speech, Bill Skarsgård is another actor who proves you don’t need words to put on an astounding show through your performance. His range of emotions was effectively portrayed by Skarsgård, even when his inner voice does the talking. By the way, H. Jon Benjamin, known for voicing Bob Belcher in “Bob’s Burgers”, was a perfect fit for Boy’s inner voice, and you can’t make me change my mind. Jessica Rothe and Brett Gelman were also decent as June 27 and Gideon van der Koy, respectively, which makes me glad they’re continuing to find work outside their well-known properties. Sharlto Copley also appeared as Glen van der Koy and was just as entertaining as usual. It’s pretty funny that Copley has started and ended the month of April with an action movie. The stars have perfectly aligned for the actor.

Overall, “Boy Kills World” is a gloriously entertaining and delightfully bonkers roller coaster that favors murderous style over substance in the best way possible. It may not impress everyone looking for deep real-world themes amid its chaotic bloodshed and familiar narrative beats. However, the film shows that a satisfying execution of a bizarre idea and the will to just have fun with it are the things needed to make astounding popcorn entertainment. Bill Skarsgård leads an entertaining cast with his non-verbal performance, and Moritz Mohr’s direction effectively enraptures its balance of gory action and pulpy, stylized comedy. It’s the most fun I had from an action movie this year, and it’s definitely worth your time if you enjoy bizarre films like this.

B+

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