Iranian writer/director Kaveh Mazaheri makes his feature film debut with aplomb with Botox. Similar to his previous short Funfair, Botox hilariously examines family dynamics with incisive dark comedy. Bolstered by its lovely set design, confident direction, and terrific lead performances, this modest, yet ambitious indie will surprise you with its magical unraveling.
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The “California Klaus Kinski,” Nicolas Cage, is back, and this time he’s fending off possessed animatronic puppets without uttering a single word. In theory, you would think this film would be a stupid-fun blast, but in actuality, it’s an underdeveloped snooze that sleepwalks through nearly every aspect of its production.
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George A. Romero lives! This time, he’s returned from beyond the grave with an early career work which was thought to be lost. Originally produced in 1973 (the same year Romero’s The Crazies was released), The Amusement Park was shelved after the Lutheran Society, who originally commissioned the film as an educational PSA about ageism and the treatment of the elderly, refused to release it due to its disturbing content. Thankfully for all of us, Romero’s decidedly surreal nightmare has been found and is streaming on Shudder for our viewing pleasure!
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Ed and Lorraine Warren are back, and this time, The Curse of La Llorona director Michael Chaves is at the helm. Continuing the series’ usual hyperbolic recounting of “true” events, the franchise changes up the scenery, stepping out of the haunted house and into the courtroom, in its third installment of the Warren’s saga. The change of direction will likely rub some fans the wrong way, but The Devil Made Me Do It still manages to be a decently entertaining experience.
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Psycho Goreman is the latest feature film from writer/director Steven Kostanski (who also served as co-editor and co-producer). The film takes 80s and 90s sci-fi and twists it into a bizarro bloodbath full of inventive costumes and grotesquely charming practical effects. It won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, but if you’re a connoisseur of midnight and B movie kitsch, Psycho Goreman delivers on the fun-filled goods.
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A Las Vegas casino heist, a horde of super-human living dead, and a zombie tiger — oh my! Zack Snyder returns to the director’s chair and his roots with Netflix-distributed Army Of The Dead, delivering a fun and somewhat inspired genre-hybrid blockbuster.
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Those Who Wish Me Dead is the latest film from writer-turned-director Taylor Sheridan (who co-wrote the screenplay with Charles Leavitt and Michael Koryta). With a stale throwback vibe, this Angelina Jolie fronted thriller relies too heavily on tired clichés and easily slumps into the lower echelon of Sheridan’s filmography, ultimately lacking the tension, emotions, and character of his previous films.
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The Mitchells Vs The Machines marks the feature film debut of Mike Rianda and Jeff Rowe (who wrote and directed the film together). Produced by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, the film marks another win for the duo, Sony Pictures Animation, and Netflix, delivering a sweet, heartfelt road film about technology, fitting in, and reconnection.
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Fried Barry marks the feature film debut of writer/director Ryan Kruger. All style and no substance, this gonzo fish-out-of-water debauch manages to be lightly amusing, but it’s a far cry from the cult classic it desperately wants to be.
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Director Timur Bekmambetov’s latest film, Profile, is an unconventional thriller with real-life roots. Based off the 2015 nonfiction bestseller In the Skin of a Jihadist by a French journalist under the pseudonym Anna Erelle, Bekmambetov pushes the Screenlife format he helped to pioneer (as a producer on Unfriended and Searching) into new terrain, one with more dimension and scarier consequences.
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From Canux Pictures comes Lorenzo “Eightball” Gutiérrez’s delightfully kooky short, N.U.N.S. With Nunchucks! Co-written with Vincenzo Nappi, Gutiérrez and company create an affectionate love letter to the old school exploitation films of the 60s and 70s.
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Canuxploitation extraordinaire Vincenzo Nappi just premiered his latest short film, Filtered, at the Cabane à Sang film festival on April 24. The film is the latest short-form entry into the growing screenlife sub-genre, and it manages to pack some laughs and scares into its brief runtime.
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Writer/director Alex Noyer attempts to put drum-machine horror on the map with his feature film debut, Sound Of Violence. Frequently brutal and inventive but deeply flawed, the film’s intriguing premise gets obscured at every turn by its ever-mounting absurdity, creating an amusingly half-baked experience that can’t raise to the height of its ambitions.
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Now that Mortal Kombat has hit HBO Max, it’s time to “get over here” and read our review!
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Two of cinema’s biggest icons collide in an all-out brawl in the latest installment into Legendary’s Monsterverse, Godzilla vs. Kong. Although the franchise is still struggling with the human component, Godzilla vs. Kong smartly sticks to its name, delivering bout after bout of stupidly enjoyable, monster-fueled mayhem.
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Indie writer/director Mark Lewis follows up the unapologetically adult Enthusiastic Sinners with something more wholesome, innocent, and sweet. Strider is a lighthearted and modest sports drama about forming connections and realizing your potential. Even though it’s not as sure-footed as its title suggests, returning actress Maggie Alexander (from Enthusiastic Sinners) and newcomer Yelena Friedman (in her feature film debut) create some honest and touching moments that make the film’s journey worthwhile.
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Written by Carlos Alazraqui (Reno 911!, Rocko's Modern Life, The Fairly OddParents) and Jill-Michele Melean (MadTV), Witness Infection is a dull-witted comedy that seeks to bind the mob movie with the zombie genre. Although it features an intriguing cast (including voice actors Maurice LaMarche and Tara Strong, amongst others), this braindead genre hybrid lacks the laughs, gore, and gags to truly do its concept justice.
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Writer/director Emma Seligman makes her feature film debut with the incisive comedy, Shiva Baby. Elevated by Rachel Sennott’s commanding lead performance and teeming with palpably anxious energy, Seligman’s assured hands skillfully craft an unforgettable chamber piece about growing up, full of awkwardness, tension, and hilarity.
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After 33 long years, Eddie Murphy returns to the royal country of Zamunda in Coming 2 America. Reprising his role of Akeem, Murphy reteams with Dolemite Is My Name director Craig Brewer and reunites with a slew of original cast members (including Arsenio Hall and James Earl Jones) for a nostalgia-heavy sequel that captures much of the magic of its predecessor.
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Indie writer/director Evan Kidd’s sophomore feature, Panda Bear It, is much more than just an unusual title; it’s a quietly tender exploration of grief and loss that’s surprisingly touching. Although it’s not without its rough patches, this low-budget mumblecore dramedy is delightfully quirky and deeply heartfelt enough to transcend any of its shortcomings.
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