Jean Smart as Deborah Vance in Season 5 of ‘Hacks’. Photo: Courtesy of HBO Max.
Arriving on HBO Max on April 6 with the first episode (of 10) is the fifth and final season of ‘Hacks’, which returns us to the world of caustic, charismatic comedian Deborah Vance, as brought to award-winning life by Jean Smart.
(L to R) Hannah Einbinder as Ava Daniels and Jean Smart as Deborah Vance in Season 5 of ‘Hacks’. Photo: Courtesy of HBO Max.
Like coming up with the perfect punchline for a stand-up routine, ending a TV series is no easy task. For ‘Hacks’, which charts the unlikely mentorship between Deborah Vance, a long-established, wealthy comedian, and Ava Daniels, a struggling younger comedy writer.
As the show has gone on, we’ve seen every shade of the professional relationship and personal friendship between the pair, from being in sync to very much not. But as the story comes to a close, there are certainly plenty of last laughs to be had.
Script and Direction
(L to R) Megan Stalter as Kayla, Hannah Einbinder as Ava, Mark Indelicato as Damien, Jean Smart as Deborah and Paul W. Downs as Jimmy in Season 5 of ‘Hacks’. Photo: Courtesy of HBO Max.
Show creators Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs and Jen Statsky (with the trio also directing the majority of this season’s episodes) bring a particularly entertaining dynamic to the screen with the show –– Deborah and Ava’s partnership is always a weird one, and the stories work well.
The team has also delivered on the wider world of ‘Hacks’, including Deborah’s employees and the various characters they interact with. As to whether the show wraps up in satisfying fashion, I’d have to say a qualified yes. One big plot point towards the end feels a little rushed, but on the whole, the season works.
Cast and Performances
(L to R) Kaitlin Olson as DJ and Jean Smart as Deborah in Season 5 of ‘Hacks’. Photo: Courtesy of HBO Max.
Smart and Einbinder have been well awarded for their work, and the Deborah/Ava side of things has certainly entered a friendlier aspect as the story winds down. Which isn’t to say anything is complacent –– there is certainly rich comedy to be found here.
Downs as Ava and Deborah’s endlessly stressed manager Jimmy goes on his own journey here, with Megan Stalter once again stealing scenes as sidekick Kayla. And among the recurring guest cast, special mention goes to Kaitlin Olson (as Deborah’s daughter DJ, who has her own hilarious episode with her mother) and Lauren Weedman, who is always memorable as the wacky Mayor of Vegas.
Final Thoughts
Lauren Weedman as Mayor Jo in Season 5 of ‘Hacks’. Photo: Courtesy of HBO Max.
The idea of Deborah on a mission and how Ava helps/hinders her might feel a little familiar, but the creative team has found a welcome, warm way to wind down the series, featuring grace notes for recurring characters and keeping you invested in the main story.
‘Hacks’ Season 5 receives 78 out of 100.
(L to R) Jean Smart as Deborah, Carl Clemons-Hopkins as Marcus, Rose Abdoo as Josefina and Mark Indelicato as Damien in Season 5 of ‘Hacks’. Photo: Courtesy of HBO Max.
What’s the plot of ‘Hacks’ Season 5?
In the aftermath of mistaken and unflattering news reports that she passed away, Deborah Vance (Jean Smart) and Ava (Hannah Einbinder) return to Las Vegas more determined than ever to secure Deborah’s legacy as a comedian.
Who stars in ‘Hacks’ Season 5?
Jean Smart as Deborah Vance
Hannah Einbinder as Ava Daniels
Carl Clemons-Hopkins as Marcus Vaughan
Megan Stalter as Kayla Schaefer
Paul W. Downs as Jimmy LuSaque Jr.
Mark Indelicato as Damien Asada Agosto
Kaitlin Olson as Deborah “DJ” Vance Jr.
Christopher McDonald as Marty Ghilain
(L to R) Jean Smart as Deborah, Poppy Liu as Kiki and Hannah Einbinder as Ava in Season 5 of ‘Hacks’. Photo: Courtesy of HBO Max.
(L to R) Zendaya and Robert Pattinson in ‘The Drama’. Photo: A24.
Does true love conquer all? Should you fire your wedding DJ days before the nuptials if you see them doing something illegal on the street? Do we really know the people in our lives? These are just three of the very disparate questions posed by ‘The Drama,’ the new, mostly uncategorizable film from Kristoffer Borgli, whose last movie, ‘Dream Scenario,’ put Nicolas Cage into everyone’s dreams to surreal, often hilarious effect.
‘The Drama’ is a little surreal too: it starts off as a kind of dry-humor rom-com before turning into something else. But it’s fascinating, funny, and unpredictable throughout, and there’s a deep level of disquiet running through much of it that keeps the viewer on their toes. Featuring sterling work from Zendaya, Robert Pattinson, and Alana Haim, ‘The Drama’ is also a critique of modern morality and an early 2026 cinematic winner.
Story and Direction
(L to R) Robert Pattinson and Zendaya in ‘The Drama’. Photo: A24.
Emma (Zendaya) and Charlie (Robert Pattinson) seem like the perfect couple: their meet-cute becomes the stuff of personal legend, they’re both intelligent, cultured, and attractive, plus they have great jobs (he’s a museum curator, she’s a literary editor) and share a stylish apartment in Boston. As the film opens, they’re writing their wedding vows with the help of best man Mike (Mamoudou Athie) and maid of honor – and Mike’s wife — Rachel (Alana Haim), with the nuptials a week away.
Then while the quartet are having dinner just a few nights before the wedding, they play a drunken game of ‘What’s the worst thing you’ve ever done?’ Charlie, Rachel, and Mike each confess something that makes them and the others relatively uncomfortable – and then Emma confesses something that changes everything, including her relationship to Charlie and their friends, the immediate future, and ‘The Drama’ itself.
We won’t share here what Emma admits, but it takes ‘The Drama’ into a darker psychological and sociological realm – while still allowing for humor and still operating within the basic structure of a rom-com, albeit with very different complications and stakes. There are a number of laugh-out-loud moments of cringe comedy in ‘The Drama,’ and writer-director Borgli somehow manages to make them fit alongside other moments of emotional and psychological trauma, in addition to some standard wedding-movie tropes which somehow become queasier in this scenario.
(L to R) Robert Pattinson and Zendaya in ‘The Drama’. Photo: A24.
Each of the main characters is subjected to new revelations about themselves and their inner makeup as a result, which brings the film’s major questions into laser-like focus: what do we really know about the people in our lives, and how much do we want to know? Can people change for the better? And if they do, are they even allowed to find acceptance and love?
Not all of these questions are answered in a way that’s facile or definitive, which may leave some viewers a bit unsatisfied. And although Borgli successfully lands the plane here (a flaw in the otherwise ambitious ‘Dream Scenario’), the very end of the film may seem a bit abrupt. But these are small nitpicks in what is otherwise an original, highly compelling – and entertaining — tale that is practically tailor-made for discussion and debate.
Cast and Performances
(L to R) Robert Pattinson and Zendaya in ‘The Drama’. Photo: A24.
Zendaya and Robert Pattinson give top-notch performances here – possibly, in fact, the best of their careers to date. Neither Emma nor Charlie are native to Boston, and while the British expat Charlie finds himself a group of friends and is charming enough to build a professional and personal life, he is nevertheless privy to deep insecurity that manifests itself in devastating ways as the film unfolds. Pattinson brings this forward both in his physicality and emotional range, inviting us to feel just how uncomfortable in his own Charlie becomes.
The more reserved, cerebral Emma, on the other hand, keeps a bit of distance from people as a result of her upbringing – in fact her friend circle largely consists of Charlie’s pals. But underneath she is a person full of passion and turmoil, leading to a question of whether she’ll direct her emotions in positive directions or something else. Zendaya channels Emma’s self-doubt, grief, terror, and love into one heady stew of a performance, letting us fully empathize with her even as we discover the shocking truth of her past.
The third and fourth wheels on this vehicle are Alana Haim and Mamoudou Athie. The former (‘Licorice Pizza’) is searing as Rachel, whose relationship with Emma turns antagonistic and bitter in an instant, while Athie brings an increasingly frazzled calm to Mike, who finds himself caught between a rock and a hard place. And a shout-out as well to Zoë Winters (‘Succession’), whose brief, hilarious work here is a scene-stealer on par with her more painful scenes in ‘Materialists.’
Final Thoughts
(L to R) Zendaya and Robert Pattinson in ‘The Drama’. Photo: A24.
‘The Drama’ is bound to ignite discussion and controversy with everything from its tricky marketing (which positions the film in more familiar rom-com territory) to the central revelation at the heart of the story to the way the film wraps its darker, more tragic concerns in a finely-crafted comedic shell (there are already accusations of it triggering certain people who almost surely have not seen the movie yet).
Those aspects of the film are certainly engineered to provide plenty of material for these kinds of debates, but at the same time, that is often what the best movies do. And make no mistake: ‘The Drama’ might end up being one of the best movies of 2026, for its willingness to take risks, flip a well-worn genre on its head, and create something new out of it.
‘The Drama’ receives a score of 90 out of 100.
(L to R) Robert Pattinson and Zendaya in ‘The Drama’. Photo: A24.
What is the plot of ‘The Drama’?
A happily engaged couple is put to the test when one of the pair confesses to something from their past, an unexpected turn that sends their wedding week and all their plans off the rails.
(L to R) Yoshi (Donald Glover), Mario (Chris Pratt) and Luigi (Charlie Day) in Nintendo and Illumination’s ‘The Super Mario Galaxy Movie’, directed by Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic.
(L to R) Luigi (Charlie Day) and Mario (Chris Pratt) in Nintendo and Illumination’s ‘The Super Mario Galaxy Movie’, directed by Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic.
Mario and Luigi are back with a few new friends in ‘The Super Mario Galaxy Movie’. It doesn’t take long to realize that this sequel is even better than the first movie, which felt like more of a set-up than anything else. There are infinite worlds and characters to explore now, and with the addition of fan favorites Rosalina, Yoshi, and Bowser Jr., things have been leveled up.
The Lumas in Nintendo and Illumination’s ‘The Super Mario Galaxy Movie’, directed by Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic.
Everything seems better this time around, which isn’t to say ‘The Super Mario Bros. Movie’ wasn’t good, because it was, but this time Illumination knows what they are doing and they lean into it. Now that viewers know these characters, they can deliver more action, funnier jokes, and a lot of Easter Eggs that fans will love to point out.
Story and Direction
Rosalina in Nintendo and Illumination’s ‘The Super Mario Galaxy Movie’, directed by Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic.
When it comes to the story, admittedly, there is not much of one. It is a fairly simple premise, much like the video games. A princess is kidnapped. Chaos ensues. Said princess is rescued. Illumination knows how to keep viewers entertained throughout the film, however, thanks to gorgeous animation, Nintendo Easter Egg cameos and references, and a whole lot of action.
(L to R) Bowser Junior and Bowser in Nintendo and Illumination’s ‘The Super Mario Galaxy Movie’, directed by Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic.
Thanks to those action sequences, the movie moves very quickly. It never takes a breather or slows down, which makes it the perfect film to take kids to. It is funny and sharp witted, as nearly every joke lands. The story itself is geared towards a younger audience, but gamer parents will be thrilled with all of the references that are packed into it.
Cast and Performances
(Center) Toad (Keegan-Michael Key) and Princess Peach (Anya Taylor-Joy) in Nintendo and Illumination’s ‘The Super Mario Galaxy Movie’, directed by Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic.
Just as with the first film, the cast never feels as if they are doing impressions of the video game characters. They make them their own, which is what helps this movie to work as well as it does. If that was not the case, the voices would get old very quickly, and it would distract from the story and action.
(L to R) Yoshi (Donald Glover) and the Tostarenan in Nintendo and Illumination’s ‘The Super Mario Galaxy Movie’, directed by Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic.
The new cast members stick to this as well. Honestly, because of all the action and chaos happening, there is not a whole lot of dialogue, and when there is, it is pretty basic. Still, the cast all does a great job making these characters lovable and entertaining for kids and adults alike.
Final Thoughts
(L to R) Toad (Keegan-Michael Key), Yoshi (Donald Glover) and Luigi (Charlie Day) in Nintendo and Illumination’s ‘The Super Mario Galaxy Movie’, directed by Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic.
There was never a question as to whether or not ‘The Super Mario Bros. Movie’ would end up getting a sequel, and the same is true about a third movie in the trilogy. Considering ‘The Super Mario Galaxy Movie’ not only sets up for more surprises in the end-credit scenes, but is also more entertaining than its predecessor, we shouldn’t have long to wait for the next movie to be announced.
‘The Super Mario Galaxy Movie’ recieves a score of 78 out of 100.
(L to R) Luigi (Charlie Day), Mario (Chris Pratt), Yoshi (Donald Glover) and Princess Peach (Anya Taylor-Joy) in Nintendo and Illumination’s ‘The Super Mario Galaxy Movie’, directed by Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic.
What’s the plot of ‘The Super Mario Galaxy Movie’?
Mario ventures into space, exploring cosmic worlds and tackling galactic challenges far from the familiar Mushroom Kingdom.
Who is in the cast of ‘The Super Mario Galaxy Movie’?
L to R: Yoshi, Baby Luigi, Toad and Baby Mario in Nintendo and Illumination’s THE SUPER MARIO GALAXY MOVIE, directed by Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic.
Other Movies Similar to ‘The Super Mario Bros. Movie:’
Crime thrillers that blend action and crime are nothing new, but few offer the sci-fi twist that BenDavid Grabinski’s new movie can boast.
It sometimes comes off as a throwback 1990s thriller comedy, full of pop culture references (a ‘Gilmore Girls’ discussion might be the funniest) and needle drops from the era and beyond.
Written and directed by Grabinski, this has a script that moves at a fair clip, throwing a variety of different characters at us, who all provide various levels of entertainment value. Sometimes it all feels a little Tarantino-lite, but it has its own appeal.
Cinematographer Larry Fong helps give this one some visual panache, and if it occasionally leans too hard on certain styles, the movie certainly delivers in a way that fans of directors such as Edgar Wright will appreciate.
It’s the casting that really helps this one –– Vaughn delivers his trademark witty attitude (with an extra version of his character for good measure thanks to the movie’s time travel twist). Marsden is appealing nervy and if González doesn’t always get as much to do, her Alice is still a solid character.
Around them, there is a deep bench of comedy acting talent, including Stephen Root, Ben Schwartz and Jimmy Tatro, who all steal scenes.
Two gangsters and the woman they love try to survive the most dangerous night of their lives. As if that wasn’t enough, there’s one wild ingredient added to the mix: a time machine.
Who is in the cast of ‘Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice’?
It’s certainly odd to see two horror-comedies about estranged sisters battling for their lives against a Satanic cult open within a week of each other, but Hollywood works in strange ways. Sadly, the newest one, ‘They Will Kill You,’ is less entertaining that the moderately enjoyable ‘Ready or Not 2: Here I Come,’ with ennui setting in quickly despite some hard work from star Zazie Beetz and a few impressive production values.
But ‘They Will Kill You’ otherwise comes across as soulless and pointless, with director Kirill Sokolov giving the impression that his entire range of influences consists of some early Quentin Tarantino and a few video games. A few morbidly funny images aside (a disembodied eyeball nearly steals the show), this is a movie made only to be lapped up by a late-night Fantastic Fest crowd who won’t even remember it the next day.
Asia Reaves (Beetz) tries to save her younger sister Maria and herself from their vicious, predatory father, but ends up landing herself behind bars while Maria remains in dad’s clutches. A decade later, Asia is released from prison and promptly heads to an old-school New York luxury hotel called the Virgil, the last place she knew her sister (Myha’la) to be working.
Posing as a new member of the cleaning staff, Asia is barely settled into her quarters when she is attacked by the hotel’s manager, Lilith (Patricia Arquette), and a number of the guests. It seems that the Virgil is home to an ancient Satanic cult, and Asia has already been designated as their next ritual sacrifice to the Devil – a sacrifice that ensures the immortality of the Virgil’s guests even if they are hacked, decapitated, and disemboweled by Asia, who’s ready to fight back with everything she’s got.
Sokolov (‘Why Don’t You Just Die!’) and co-screenwriter Alex Litvak have strung together the thinnest script they could stretch to 90 minutes, just as connective tissue for a series of outlandish, cartoonish scenes of violence and gore. Blood sprays out of gaping wounds like fountains and the now-overused and irritating gimmick of ironically using pop song needle drops to score these repetitive sequences is deployed.
‘Ready or Not 2’ does more or less the same thing, but here the stakes are even less consequential because none of the Satanists can die; they merely come back to life even if Asia chops off their heads (as she does, frequently). Between that and the music undercutting everything, there’s no emotional engagement here at all with Asia, her quest, and her plight.
The cumulative effect is indeed of watching a video game as people die and reset. As a result a sort of numbness sets in – not the best response as we see, for the second week in a row, a young woman beaten mercilessly by her enemies (and again, with little stakes, since she seems quite capable of getting up and going back at it). There’s nothing scary or particularly suspenseful here, and aside from some humorous moments – as when we follow that eyeball we mentioned earlier – the film settles into a rinse-and-repeat cycle that isn’t even enlivened by the appearance of the Devil himself as a talking pig’s head.
The production values are handsome enough and the sound design is particularly effective (that team seems to be in on the joke, as their work often resembles that of cartoons). But Sokolov gets in his own way by drawing attention to his camera moves, his cutscene compositions, and his stylized, over-the-top gore, and the movie ends up vacuous and lacking anything resembling real human feelings or outcomes.
We’ve got to hand it to Zazie Beetz: not only does she have more screentime here than in just about anything else she’s done, but she makes the most of it despite the movie’s shortcomings. She has presence and an intense physicality, and is fully committed to the action even if it’s just more brutalization of a woman. Her dialogue is minimal, in keeping with the bare-bones script, so she works with what she can.
Wish we could say the same about Patricia Arquette, but her odd, sort-of Irish accent keeps distracting us. The rest of the cast, even Heather Graham, doesn’t really register, because they’re mostly there as fodder for gore.
Between this and ‘Ready or Not 2’ (which is the better film), it’s time to put a stake in the quickly ossifying horror-comedy tropes that have been rolled out in the last few years. But in addition to that, ‘They Will Kill You’ works too self-consciously hard to be something it’s not: an organic, authentic B-movie.
A film like this, released in the ‘70s or ‘80s, wouldn’t have necessarily been considered good. But years later, the same esthetic – filtered as mentioned above through the combination of Tarantino’s oeuvre and far too much time on the Xbox – now just comes across as a copy of a copy of a copy. Even when it gets to its boss level, ‘They Will Kill You’ never comes to life.
‘They Will Kill You’ receives a score of 40 out of 100.
‘They Will Kill You’ opens in theaters on March 27th.
What is the plot of ‘They Will Kill You’?
Searching for her sister, an ex-convict answers an ad to be a housekeeper at the Virgil, a mysterious New York City high-rise. But she is entering a death-trap that has seen a number of disappearances over the years, and discovers all too soon that she is next.
Arriving on Disney+ on March 11 with the first episode of its second season (with the remaining seven arriving weekly) is ‘Daredevil: Born Again’, which brings back lawyer Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox) has he battles the powerful Wilson “Kingpin” Fisk (Vincent D’Onofrio), who is ruling New York as mayor with an iron fist.
The first season of ‘Daredevil: Born Again’ was a largely successful attempt to fully incorporate Daredevil and his nemesis Wilson Fisk into the MCU with their own storyline. Though it suffered from some very apparent seams as the behind-the-scenes team attempted to rescue an unsuccessful first effort with new material, it still provided some superior entertainment.
The second season doesn’t have the same collision of creative vision, but it does have its own challenges.
Dario Scardapane takes full control of the season this year, and is clearly happy to be unleashed. The action is brutal in places, the dialogue often crackles and the storyline is much smoother.
Still, there are issues: at times the momentum lags, and not every plotline outside of the main clash between our central hero and villain works.
Directorially, with Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead leading the team, the show still looks great, with moody scenes, excellent fights and some inventive connective tissue (such as a series of videos mocking Fisk).
Cox and D’Onofrio know exactly what they’re doing at this point, and if the script doesn’t always keep up with them, they make the most of their material.
Outside of them, the likes of Deborah Ann Woll, Genneya Walton and particularly new guest star Matthew Lillard are all strong, Lillard in particular excellent as the mysterious Mr. Charles, who is by turns funny and threatening.
The Devil of Hell’s Kitchen may not have worked out all of his issues, but the second run of ‘Born Again’ certainly offers enough to please fans of the character. And with Season 3 already shooting, we know more will be on the way.
‘Daredevil: Born Again’ Season 2 receives 72 out of 100.
What’s the plot of ‘Daredevil: Born Again’ Season 2?
Mayor Wilson Fisk crushes New York City underfoot as he hunts down public enemy number one, the Hell’s Kitchen vigilante known as Daredevil.
But, beneath the horned mask, Matt Murdock will try to fight back from the shadows to tear down the Kingpin’s corrupt empire and redeem his home. Resist. Rebel. Rebuild.
‘Ready or Not’ was a breath of fresh air when it came out in 2019: directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett (‘Scream’ and ‘Scream VI’), screenwriters Guy Busick and R. Christopher Murphy, and star Samara Weaving delivered a smart, subversive, often wickedly funny and unapologetically gory horror comedy that poked fun at wealth and marriage.
‘Ready or Not 2: Here I Come’ reunites the same team and adds some more ingredients, including a new cast and an expanded in-movie mythology, occasionally yielding the same results. The movie is fun, although it takes a long time to get going and a lot of what worked the first time already seems familiar now.
The new film literally opens as the first one ends, with a bloodied Grace Le Domas (Weaving) stumbling out of her in-laws’ burning estate, having survived a brutal game on her wedding day in which her new family must sacrifice her to a demon or face ruination and death. Grace (who immediately starts using her maiden name of MacCaullay again) is whisked to the hospital, where she’s met by her estranged sister Faith (Kathryn Newton), who was called as her emergency contact.
Before the siblings can barely start airing grievances, however, they’re attacked (in a too-brief appearance from Kevin Durand); it turns out that the Le Domas family were part of a council of wealthy, powerful families who secretly rule the world thanks to their worship of Satan, and now that one of the families has been wiped out, the others have one night to kill Grace lest the same misfortune befall them. This time, however, Faith is caught up in the hunt, and the two sisters must face a violent onslaught by not one but four families, including the all-powerful Danforth clan.
‘Ready or Not 2’ gets off to a creaky start: the entire first act is almost all exposition, as first Grace explains the plot of the first film to Faith, and then a smug, subtly amused Elijah Wood – as the council’s unnamed lawyer – lays down the complicated rules of the new game once Grace and Faith are captured (those rules, by the way, are bent or disregarded more than once as we go along). All that throat-clearing takes a long time and slows the pace to a crawl, only punctuated by the first attack on the sisters in the hospital.
Once the game’s afoot, the action picks up again and the first kill (death by industrial washing machine) is morbidly hilarious, thanks to Weaving and Newton’s reactions. Most of the would-be killers this time are barely sketched in as characters – save for the sinister brother-sister act of the Danforths, played by Shawn Hatosy (‘The Pitt’) and ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ icon Sarah Michelle Gellar – which is a bit of a letdown from the first film: the dynamic there, as the Le Domas clan picked at each other while hunting Grace, offered a scathing critique of family that is missing from the new story.
In one funny/not funny early sequence, the Danforth patriarch, played by legendary director David Cronenberg, picks up a bedside phone and mutters ‘Approve the ceasefire,’ while watching footage of a war zone on his TV. No sooner does he hang up then a ‘Breaking News’ banner announces the ceasefire. The idea that a small coterie of very rich, well-connected oligarchs runs the world – a sort of cross between the Illuminati and the High Table of the ‘John Wick’ films – is a prescient and all too timely one, but ‘Ready or Not 2’ more or less pays it lip service and moves on.
The film really shines brightest and comes fully alive when the MacCaullay sisters fight, claw, shoot, and kick their way through the vast new labyrinth of a Danforth-owned resort, although it begins to feel repetitive down the stretch. A more acidic layer of social critique is largely absent this time amidst all the hardcore violence and gore. Two movies in, ‘Ready or Not’ is still entertaining but has lost that fresh feeling.
Although their relationship follows a shopworn narrative arc (the sisters greet each other coldly, fight, make up, fight, make up again, become besties), Weaving and Newton (‘Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania’) make a great team and their interactions do keep ‘Ready or Not 2’ appealing. Weaving’s huge eyes and expressive features only emphasize her star presence, while Newton has undeniable charisma with a jaded undercurrent. Their chemistry makes the siblings’ relationship organic and well-earned.
Gellar and Hatosy make a solid brother-sister act as well, the former working a few extra layers into her character and the latter proving effective as a truly vicious, misogynistic psychopath (with all the money and power in the world at his fingertips). It’s great to see Cronenberg in his extended cameo, and the best of the supporting cast is the ever-efficient lawyer played by Elijah Wood, who’s clearly having himself a grand old time and wants to share it with us.
Directors Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett have their strengths, including an eye for detail and a dark sense of humor, as well as their weaknesses, such as a tendency to edit their fight scenes a little too choppily. Their use of already tired tropes (such as scoring a violent confrontation with an incongruous pop ballad) is matched by their ability to concoct macabre but highly funny set pieces and some outrageous moments of gore.
But while ‘Ready or Not 2’ is moderately entertaining (especially in its second half), this sequel doesn’t sizzle like its predecessor despite doubling down on its protagonists, its world-building, and its undeniably hateful (and rich) villains. If the box office gross leads to a third film, the rules of the game may have to be changed before we’re ready (or not) to return.
‘Ready Or Not 2: Here I Come’ receives a score of 70 out of 100.
What is the plot of ‘Ready Or Not 2: Here I Come’?
After surviving a brutal ‘game’ that resulted in the deaths of her husband and in-laws, Grace MacCaullay learns that the wealthiest and most influential families on Earth have to kill her in a new game or risk losing their power and fortunes. Grace refuses to participate at first – until her younger sister, Faith, is also marked for death.
Who is in the cast of ‘Ready Or Not 2: Here I Come’?
Arriving on Prime Video on March 11 with all eight episodes of its first season is ‘Scarpetta’, the adaptation of Patricia Cornwell’s successful book series, starring Nicole Kidman as the forensic pathologist investigating a mysterious serial killer.
While so many others in the genre have seen their books adapted for screens both big and small in the past, Patricia Cornwell, a titan in the crime field, has resisted overtures to bring particularly her Kay Scarpetta book series out of the pages.
She was smart to wait for a team that includes Blumhouse, Jamie Lee Curtis and executive producer Elizabeth Sarnoff (‘Barry’), because the result is an impressive, layered take that spans two different time periods.
Sarnoff, working alongside a writing team that also includes Matthew Zucker and ‘Narcos: Mexico’ veteran Iturri Sosa, has found a way to crack the Scarpetta story, successfully evolving and updating the story while maintaining what works in the books. Juggling two different storylines that connect via the characters, it’s a balancing act that comes across well.
Leading a directorial group that also features Charlotte Brändström, David Gordon Green brings a stylish sheen to a show that could have ended up looking like a bland procedural but never does. Little touches such as showing cigarette butts littered next to a young Scarpetta’s parking spot give character clues and exposition without need them rammed home.
Kidman works well as the cool, sometimes icy forensic pathologist, while still finding space for her to react to big challenges. But by far the highlight of the series is Curtis as her flamboyant, narcissistic sister Dorothy, a showcase role that lets her do her thing but still fit perfectly in with the ensemble.
And credit also to the younger cast who play the characters 30 years prior –– they’re all excellent, bringing subtle nuance to the roles.
Prime Video was clearly impressed enough with the efforts of all involved to order up two seasons initially, so those who have a good time with the first run (and a finale that teases more) will be comforted in the knowledge that another will be on the way.
Chief Medical Examiner Kay Scarpetta (Nicole Kidman) returns to Virginia and resumes her former position with complex relationships, both personal and professional – including her sister Dorothy (Jamie Lee Curtis), with plenty of grudges and secrets to uncover.
Maika Monroe as Kenna Rowan in ‘Reminders of Him,’ directed by Vanessa Caswill. Photo: Universal Studios.
Move over Nicholas Sparks; Colleen Hoover is the romance novelist of choice at the moment for movies –– two of her tomes, ‘It Ends with Us’ and ‘Regretting You’ have already been brought to screens, and following this latest one, ‘Verity’ will be headed our way later in the year.
‘Reminders of Him’ doesn’t have the fireworks or (yet, at least) the behind-the-scenes legal drama of ‘It Ends with Us’, but what it does offer is a straightforward, emotional story of grief, regret and reconciliation that never quite comes alive the way it might.
Script and Direction
Director Vanessa Caswill on the set of Reminders of Him.’ Photo: Universal Studios.
Hoover here co-writes an adaptation of one of her books for the first time, working alongside fellow producer Lauren Levine, and readers of the source material can expect a largely faithful adaptation, albeit with some hefty chunks taken out of Kenna’s (Monroe) prison time and changes to the accident that is central to the story that paint her in a far better light.
Director Vanessa Caswill, meanwhile, aided by some beautiful Canadian scenery (standing in for Laramie, Wyoming), sets everything up decently, and draws some good performances out of the cast, but never challenges the great romantic dramas in the quality stakes.
Cast and Performances
(L to R) Ledger Ward (Tyriq Withers) and Grace Landry (Lauren Graham) in ‘Reminders of Him,’ directed by Vanessa Caswill. Photo: Universal Studios.
Maika Monroe is the heart of the film for sure, her soulful performance providing much of the reason to watch. Tyriq Withers, meanwhile, comes across as a budget Channing Tatum with less of his natural charisma.
The supporting cast are mostly relegated to a handful of scenes, though Bradley Whitford and Lauren Graham put in stalwart work as the bitter parents of Kenna’s late boyfriend (Pankow), who are raising his young daughter.
Final Thoughts
(L to R) Patrick Landry (Bradley Whitford) and Ledger Ward (Tyriq Withers) in ‘Reminders of Him,’ directed by Vanessa Caswill. Photo: Universal Studios.
It’ll likely get the date night crowd in, but ‘Reminders of Him’ is a very straightforward romantic drama that ambles when it should be providing a satisfying, driven story.
‘Reminders of Him’ receives 65 out of 100.
(L to R) Diem Landry (Zoe Kosovic) and Ledger Ward (Tyriq Withers) in ‘Reminders of Him,’ directed by Vanessa Caswill. Photo: Universal Studios.
What’s the story of ‘Reminders of Him’?
When Diem’s custodial grandparents adamantly refuse Kenna’s attempts to see her daughter, Kenna discovers unexpected compassion, and then something truer and deeper, with former NFL player and local bar owner Ledger.
As their secret romance develops, so do the dangers for both of them, leading Kenna toward heartbreak and, ultimately, the hope for a second chance.
It’s been years since Phil Lord and Christopher Miller directed a feature film (they’ve produced plenty in the meantime) and their last attempt at a space epic, ‘Solo: A Star Wars Story,’ saw them replaced on the project by Ron Howard. Well, it’s clear that Lord and Miller have the vision for such an undertaking, because their return to the director’s chairs, ‘Project Hail Mary,’ is an often stunning, visually gorgeous sci-fi epic and perhaps the best film of its kind since Christopher Nolan’s ‘Interstellar.’
Based on the novel by Andy Weir (‘The Martian’), ‘Project Hail Mary’ also offers up something else that’s been missing from a lot of sci-fi in these dystopian times: hope. While the movie falters here and there, it also suggests that sentient beings, human or otherwise, can find enough common ground to bring out the best in each other, even at the bleakest moments.
Former molecular biologist turned middle school science teacher Ryland Grace (Ryan Gosling) wakes up disoriented on a massive space vessel light-years from Earth, with no memory of who he is, why he’s there, or where he’s going. The only other two crew members – including the captain — are dead, and as Grace’s memory gradually returns (via flashbacks), so do the details of his journey.
It turns out that a vast string of micro-organisms, stretching from the Sun to Venus and dubbed the Petrova line, consumes electromagnetic radiation and is essentially draining our star of its energy and dimming it. The same colony, dubbed by Grace as an ‘astrophage,’ has done this to other stars – with the exception of Tau Ceti, which has resisted the infection.
When Grace discovers that the energy of the astrophage can be harnessed to power faster-than-light travel, a massive global consortium constructs a starship and sends a crew – with Grace as a reluctant, last-minute substitute for the science officer, who’s killed in an accident — to discover how Tau Ceti has survived and hopefully save our sun and civilization.
Once Grace arrives at Tau Ceti, however, he’s met by an even larger alien spacecraft and its sole occupant, a rock-like being with whom he initially struggles to communicate. But as they develop a means to interact, Grace discovers that the creature – who he dubs Rocky – is there for the same reason as him, and the two of them join forces to discover what is protecting Tau Ceti and whether they can use it to save their own planets.
Scripted by Drew Goddard, who also adapted the 2015 film of ‘The Martian,’ ‘Project Hail Mary’ is in many ways a mashup of a number of other iconic sci-fi properties, including ‘Interstellar,’ ‘E.T.,’‘Contact,’‘Star Trek,’ and ‘2001: A Space Odyssey,’ among others. But Lord, Miller, and Goddard make the film a unique celebration of science fiction itself – as well as science. As hard as the science can get, the film presents its premise with terrific clarity. Science and the way it can bring out the best in humanity (and other species) are important elements of the story.
It does sometimes feels like Goddard tried to get every page of the book onscreen – the movie’s 160-minute runtime might have been shortened by 20 minutes or so — and the tonal shifts as Grace navigates his initial terror and uncertainty, followed by his whimsical relationship with Rocky, sometimes undercuts the stakes. But the movie rallies for a thrilling, emotionally moving climax, buttressed by some truly amazing visuals. From top to bottom, the craftsmanship in this film is nothing less than exceptional. Charles Wood‘s production design, Greig Fraser’s eye-popping cinematography, the visual effects and creature creation all make the universe of ‘Project Hail Mary’ tactile, immersive, and believable. This is truly a movie to see on the biggest screen you can.
This is initially a Ryan Gosling solo joint – he’s onscreen alone, especially in the film’s first half, for long stretches of time. Ryland Grace is a man who runs away from responsibility in every aspect of his life – his career, his relationships – but eventually learns not just to run toward it, but embrace it, becoming a hero along the way. Gosling shows us perhaps his widest range to date, taking Grace through disorientation, fear, cowardice, grief, despair, and eventually hope and purpose, giving a performance that anchors the film and may be his best yet.
But ‘PHM’ is also a two-hander in its second half, as Grace and Rocky get to know each other, becoming collaborators and eventually friends. Rocky was played on set by James Ortiz, and it’s his voice we hear as the Eridanian as well – and Ortiz delivers, giving Rocky real personality where a more recognizable actor’s voice might have simply given him that thespian’s persona. It’s a nuanced performance that combines seamlessly with the digital and practical effects used to bring Rocky to life.
The rest of the cast is relatively small, but the always welcome Sandra Hüller is excellent and soulful as the leader of the project, while Ken Leung and Milana Vayntrub provide some effective moments as Grace’s doomed crewmates.
Final Thoughts
Ryan Gosling in ‘Project Hail Mary’. Photo: Amazon MGM Studios.
Like ‘The Martian,’ ‘Project Hail Mary’ feels like it’s grounded in real science, and features a lone protagonist in a seemingly hopeless situation at the center of its narrative. But ‘Project Hail Mary’ expands on the themes in both of Weir’s stories, with Lord and Miller’s direction, Goddard’s screenplay, and the relationship between Grace and Rocky making this a deeply humanist experience amidst all the filmmaking razzle-dazzle.
This is a movie that says that an answer is possible, even in the darkest of times, and that collaboration and understanding, rather that mistrust and division, is the only way forward for any species. And all of that is couched in a science fiction story as exciting and awe-inspiring as any we’ve seen in recent years. Its relatively minor glitches aside, ‘Project Hail Mary’ may end up becoming a genre classic of its time.
‘Project Hail Mary’ receives a score of 85 out of 100.
‘Project Hail Mary’ opens in theaters on March 20th.
What is the plot of ‘Project Hail Mary’?
Science teacher Ryland Grace (Ryan Gosling) wakes up on a spaceship, light-years from home, with no recollection of who he is or how he got there. As his memory returns, he begins to uncover his mission: solve the riddle of the mysterious substance causing the sun to die out. He must call on his scientific knowledge and unorthodox ideas to save everything on Earth from extinction — but an unexpected friendship means he may not have to do it alone.
