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25 Best Movies of All Time Set In Los Angeles

A scene from 1988’s ‘Die Hard’. Photo: 20th Century Fox.

Los Angeles, also known as the “City of Angeles’, has appeared in many classic movies.

From comedies like ‘Swingers‘ and ‘Fletch‘, to heist movies like ‘Den of Thieves‘ or ‘Heat‘, noir films such as ‘Chinatown‘ and ”The Long Goodbye‘, futuristic sci-fi like ‘Blade Runner‘ or ‘They Live‘, and even holiday films such as ‘Die Hard‘ (Yes! ‘Die Hard’ is a Christmas movie!), LA has a long history of being featured in Hollywood movies.

The latest film to be set in Los Angeles is ‘Crime 101‘, which stars Chris Hemsworth and Halle Berry, and opens in theaters on February 13th.
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In honor of the new film and Tinseltown, Moviefone is counting down the top 25 movies of all time that are set in Los Angeles.

Let’s begin!

Related Article: Chris Hemsworth and Halle Berry Talk New Crime Thriller ‘Crime 101’

25. ‘They Live‘ (1988)

(L to R) Roddy Piper and Keith David in ‘They Live’. Photo: Universal Pictures.

A lone drifter (Roddy Piper) stumbles upon a unique pair of sunglasses that reveal aliens are systematically gaining control of the Earth by masquerading as humans and lulling the public into submission.
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24. ‘Swingers‘ (1996)

After 6 years together, Mike’s (Jon Favreau) girlfriend leaves him, so he travels to LA to be a star. Six months on, he’s still not doing very well— so a few of his friends try to reconnect him to the social scene and hopefully help him forget his failed relationship.
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23. ‘Mulholland Drive‘ (2001)

Blonde Betty Elms (Naomi Watts) has only just arrived in Hollywood to become a movie star when she meets an enigmatic brunette with amnesia (Laura Harring). Meanwhile, as the two set off to solve the second woman’s identity, filmmaker Adam Kesher (Justin Theroux) runs into ominous trouble while casting his latest project.
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22. ‘Hail, Caesar!‘ (2016)

When a Hollywood star (George Clooney) mysteriously disappears in the middle of filming, the studio sends their fixer (Josh Brolin) to get him back.
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21. ‘The 40 Year Old Virgin‘ (2005)

Andy Stitzer (Steve Carell) has a pleasant life with a nice apartment and a job stamping invoices at an electronics store. But at age 40, there’s one thing Andy hasn’t done, and it’s really bothering his sex-obsessed male co-workers: Andy is still a virgin. Determined to help Andy, the guys make it their mission to de-virginize him. But it all seems hopeless until Andy meets small business owner Trish (Catherine Keener), a single mom.
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20. ‘La La Land‘ (2016)

(L to R) Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling in ‘La La Land’. Photo: Lionsgate.

Mia (Emma Stone), an aspiring actress, serves lattes to movie stars in between auditions and Sebastian (Ryan Gosling), a jazz musician, scrapes by playing cocktail party gigs in dingy bars, but as success mounts they are faced with decisions that begin to fray the fragile fabric of their love affair, and the dreams they worked so hard to maintain in each other threaten to rip them apart.
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19. ‘Yes Man‘ (2008)

Carl Allen (Jim Carrey), a guy whose life is going nowhere, signs up for a self-help program based on one simple covenant: say yes to everything…and anything.
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18. ‘Collateral‘ (2004)

Cab driver Max (Jamie Foxx) picks up a man (Tom Cruise) who offers him $600 to drive him around. But the promise of easy money sours when Max realizes his fare is an assassin.
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17. ‘Blade Runner‘ (1982)

In the smog-choked dystopian Los Angeles of 2019, blade runner Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford) is called out of retirement to terminate a quartet of replicants who have escaped to Earth seeking their creator for a way to extend their short life spans.
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16. ‘L.A. Story‘ (1991)

With the help of a talking freeway billboard, a “wacky weatherman” (Steve Martin) tries to win the heart of an English newspaper reporter (Victoria Tennant), who is struggling to make sense of the strange world of early-90s Los Angeles.
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15. ‘Nightcrawler‘ (2014)

(L to R) Jake Gyllenhaal and Rene Russo in ‘They Live’. Photo: Open Road Films.

When Lou Bloom (Jake Gyllenhaal), desperate for work, muscles into the world of L.A. crime journalism, he blurs the line between observer and participant to become the star of his own story. Aiding him in his effort is Nina (Rene Russo), a TV-news veteran.
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14. ‘The Long Goodbye‘ (1973)

In 1970s Hollywood, Detective Philip Marlowe (Elliot Gould) tries to help a friend who is accused of murdering his wife.
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13. ‘Training Day‘ (2001)

On his first day on the job as a narcotics officer, a rookie cop (Ethan Hawke) works with a rogue detective (Denzel Washington) who isn’t what he appears.
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12. ‘Boyz n the Hood‘ (1991)

In the middle of the Los Angeles ghetto, drugs, robberies and shootings dominate everyday life. During these times, Furious tries to raise his son Tre (Cuba Gooding Jr.) to be a decent person. Tre’s friends, on the other hand, have little regard for the law and drag the entire neighborhood into a street war…
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11. ‘Fletch‘ (1985)

When investigative reporter Irwin “Fletch” Fletcher (Chevy Chase) goes undercover to write a piece on the drug trade at a local beach, he’s approached by wealthy businessman Alan Stanwyk (Tim Matheson), who offers him $50,000 to murder him. With sarcastic wit and a knack for disguises, Fletch sets out to uncover Stanwyk’s story.
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10. ‘Kiss Kiss Bang Bang‘ (2005)

(L to R) Val Kilmer and Robert Downey Jr. in ‘Kiss Kiss Bang Bang.’ Photo: Warner Bros.

A petty thief posing as an actor (Robert Downey Jr.) is brought to Los Angeles for an unlikely audition and finds himself in the middle of a murder investigation along with his high school dream girl (Michelle Monaghan) and a detective (Val Kilmer) who’s been training him for his upcoming role.
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9. ‘L.A. Confidential‘ (1997)

Three detectives (Guy Pearce, Russell Crowe and Kevin Spacey) in the corrupt and brutal L.A. police force of the 1950s use differing methods to uncover a conspiracy behind the shotgun slayings of the patrons at an all-night diner.
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8. ‘The Big Lebowski‘ (1998)

Jeffrey ‘The Dude’ Lebowski (Jeff Bridges), a Los Angeles slacker who only wants to bowl and drink White Russians, is mistaken for another Jeffrey Lebowski (David Huddleston), a wheelchair-bound millionaire, and finds himself dragged into a strange series of events involving nihilists, adult film producers, ferrets, errant toes, and large sums of money.
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7. ‘Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood‘ (2019)

Los Angeles, 1969. TV star Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio), a struggling actor specializing in westerns, and stuntman Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt), his best friend, try to survive in a constantly changing movie industry. Dalton is the neighbor of the young and promising actress and model Sharon Tate (Margot Robbie), who has just married the prestigious Polish director Roman Polanski (Rafał Zawierucha).
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6. ‘Beverly Hills Cop‘ (1984)

Fast-talking, quick-thinking Detroit street cop Axel Foley (Eddie Murphy) has bent more than a few rules and regs in his time, but when his best friend (James Russo) is murdered, he heads to sunny Beverly Hills to work the case like only he can.
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5. ‘Den of Thieves‘ (2018)

(L to R) Maurice Compte and Gerard Butler in ‘Den of Thieves’. Photo: STXfilms.

A gritty crime saga which follows the lives of an elite unit of the LA County Sheriff’s Dept. and the state’s most successful bank robbery crew as the outlaws plan a seemingly impossible heist on the Federal Reserve Bank.
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4. ‘Die Hard‘ (1988)

NYPD cop John McClane’s (Bruce Willis) plan to reconcile with his estranged wife is thrown for a serious loop when, minutes after he arrives at her offices Christmas Party, the entire building is overtaken by a group of terrorists. With little help from the LAPD, wisecracking McClane sets out to single-handedly rescue the hostages and bring the bad guys down.
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3. ‘Drive‘ (2011)

Driver (Ryan Gosling) is a skilled Hollywood stuntman who moonlights as a getaway driver for criminals. Though he projects an icy exterior, lately he’s been warming up to a pretty neighbor named Irene (Carey Mulligan) and her young son, Benicio (Kaden Leos). When Irene’s husband (Oscar Isaac) gets out of jail, he enlists Driver’s help in a million-dollar heist. The job goes horribly wrong, and Driver must risk his life to protect Irene and Benicio from the vengeful masterminds behind the robbery.
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2. ‘Chinatown‘ (1974)

Private eye Jake Gittes (Jack Nicholson) lives off of the murky moral climate of sunbaked, pre-World War II Southern California. Hired by a beautiful socialite (Faye Dunaway) to investigate her husband’s (Darrell Zwerling) extra-marital affair, Gittes is swept into a maelstrom of double dealings and deadly deceits, uncovering a web of personal and political scandals that come crashing together.
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1. ‘Heat’ (1995)

(L to R) Robert De Niro and Val Kilmer in 1995’s ‘Heat.’

Obsessive master thief Neil McCauley (Robert De Niro) leads a top-notch crew on various daring heists throughout Los Angeles while determined detective Vincent Hanna (Al Pacino) pursues him without rest. Each man recognizes and respects the ability and the dedication of the other even though they are aware their cat-and-mouse game may end in violence.
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February 22, 2026
Best Christmas Movies Ever

1965’s ‘A Charlie Brown Christmas.’ Photo: CBS.

Christmas is finally here again, which means it’s time to watch lots and lots of holiday movies including classics like ‘It’s a Wonderful Life‘, ‘Elf‘, and of course, ‘Die Hard‘!
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While there are many great theatrical and made-for-TV movies to choose from this holiday season, Moviefone has assembled a collection of fun, unique and beloved Christmas classics to make sure you add to your annual holiday watchlist, including a few that were just released this year.

Let’s begin and Merry Christmas!

Related Article: Michelle Pfeiffer and Felicity Jones Talk Holiday Comedy ‘Oh. What. Fun.’

35. ‘Tinsel Town‘ (2025)

(L to R) Kiefer Sutherland and Rebel Wilson in ‘Tinsel Town’. Photo: Brainstorm Media.

A washed-up Hollywood action hero (Kiefer Sutherland) is tricked into starring in a small English town’s chaotic Christmas pantomime, where a straight-talking dance instructor and his estranged daughter just might help him rediscover the magic of the season.
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34. ‘Silent Night‘ (2023)

Joel Kinnaman as Godlock in ‘Silent Night’. Photo Credit: Carlos Latapi.

From legendary director John Woo and the producer of ‘John Wick‘ comes this gritty revenge tale of a tormented father (Joel Kinnaman) who witnesses his young son die when caught in a gang’s crossfire on Christmas Eve. While recovering from a wound that costs him his voice, he makes vengeance his life’s mission and embarks on a punishing training regimen in order to avenge his son’s death. Full of Woo’s signature style, Silent Night redefines the action genre with visceral, thrill-a-minute storytelling.
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33. ‘Spirited‘ (2022)

(L to R) Ryan Reynolds and Will Ferrell in ‘Spirited,’ premiering November 18, 2022 on Apple TV+.

In ‘Spirited,’ Will Ferrell plays Christmas Present, who is considering retirement after the holidays but chooses to haunt Clint Briggs (Ryan Reynolds), an arrogant public relations executive who is completely aware of Charles Dickens’ famous story and that Present is trying to teach him about the true meaning of Christmas. The result is a fun twist on ‘A Christmas Carol,’ with fantastic musical numbers created by ‘La La Land’s Benj Pasek and Justin Paul.
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32. ‘The Polar Express‘ (2004)

2004’s ‘The Polar Express.’ Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.

No matter where you come down on the “creepy or cute” debate over this film’s CGI characters, Robert Zemeckis’ first animated holiday film has a surprisingly tender and important message for audiences of all ages as a young boy goes on an odyssey to prove that he can hold onto his Christmas spirit in the face of too many reasons not to believe.
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31. ‘The Night Before‘ (2015)

(L to R) Seth Rogen, Anthony Mackie, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt in ‘The Night Before.’ Photo: Sony Pictures Releasing.

As quite possibly the only Jewish-themed Christmas movie (at least on this list), Jonathan Levine’s story of three friends (Seth Rogen, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Anthony Mackie) searching for the ultimate Christmas party offers tons of laughs but also some surprisingly mature messages, all anchored by an unexpectedly delightful turn by Michael Shannon as the trio’s would-be guardian angel.
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30. ‘Merv‘ (2025)

(L to R) Zooey Deschanel and Gus in ‘Merv’. Photo Credit: Wilson Webb/Prime Video. © Amazon Content Services LLC.

When their beloved dog Merv loses his spark after their split, Anna (Zooey Deschanel) and Russ (Charlie Cox) are forced into the world’s most awkward co-parenting arrangement. Hoping to shake Merv out of his funk, Russ takes him to Florida for a much-needed getaway-only for Anna to show up unexpectedly. As Merv slowly gets his groove back, turns out fixing their dog’s broken heart may lead to a few sparks of their own.
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29. ‘Trading Places‘ (1983)

Dan Aykroyd as Louis Winthorpe III in ‘Trading Places.’ Photo: Paramount Pictures.

A snobbish investor (Dan Aykroyd) and a wily street con-artist (Eddie Murphy) find their positions reversed as part of a bet by two callous millionaires.
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28. ‘Oh. What. Fun.‘ (2025)

Michelle Pfeiffer in ‘Oh. What. Fun.’ Photo: Prime Video.

Claire Clauster (Michelle Pfeiffer) is the glue that holds her chaotic, lovable family together at the holidays. But this year, after planning a special outing for them, they make a crucial mistake and leave her home alone. Fed up and feeling under appreciated, she sets off on an impromptu adventure of her own. As her family scrambles to find her, Claire discovers the unexpected magic of a Christmas gone off-script.
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27. ‘How the Grinch Stole Christmas‘ (2000)

(Left) Jim Carrey as the Grinch in ‘How the Grinch Stole Christmas.’ Photo: Universal Pictures.

This Ron Howard directed live-action remake of the beloved 1966 animated Dr. Seuss TV movie stars Jim Carrey in the title role and was an instant Christmas classic when it was released in 2000.
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26. ‘The Santa Clause‘ (1994)

Tim Allen as Scott Calvin / Santa Claus in ‘The Santa Clause.’ Photo: Buena Vista Pictures Distribution.

Tim Allen’s 1990s hot streak continued with this story of a man who inadvertently inherits the mantle of Santa Claus and must adjust – and adjust his wardrobe – to accommodate the demands of one of the world’s most important jobs.
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25. ‘Die Hard 2‘ (1990)

Bruce Willis as John McClane in ‘Die Hard 2.’ Photo: 20th Century Fox.

Off-duty cop John McClane (Bruce Willis) is gripped with a feeling of déjà vu when, on a snowy Christmas Eve in the nation’s capital, terrorists seize a major international airport, holding thousands of holiday travelers hostage. Renegade military commandos led by a murderous rogue officer plot to rescue a drug lord from justice and are prepared for every contingency except one: McClane’s smart-mouthed heroics.
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24. ‘Arthur Christmas‘ (2011)

2011’s ‘Arthur Christmas.’ Photo: Sony Pictures Releasing.

If the movies teach us anything it’s that Santa has a lot of family members – but this might be the first time he not only has kids, but a father of his own. In this delightful animated film, Santa’s son and old, OLD Saint Nick team up to deliver a lost gift to a young girl in time for Christmas.
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23. ‘Lethal Weapon‘ (1987)

(L to R) Danny Glover and Mel Gibson in ‘Lethal Weapon’. Photo: Warner Bros.

You may not remember, but ‘Lethal Weapon’ is totally a Christmas movie as it takes place over the holiday. On the eve of retirement, veteran LAPD detective Roger Murtaugh (Danny Glover) is assigned a new partner, Vietnam veteran Martin Riggs (Mel Gibson), a recent widower with suicidal tendencies. After initially bumping heads, the two come together to solve a homicide, bring down a group of heroin smugglers, and rescue Murtaugh’s family.
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22. ‘Bad Santa‘ (2003)

Billy Bob Thornton as Willie T. Soke in ‘Bad Santa.’ Photo: Miramax Films.

Terry Zwigoff’s midnight-black comedy offers a rejoinder to the notion that Christmas stories must be cheerful and bright, as alcoholic safe-cracker Willie Soke (Billy Bob Thornton) eats and drinks his way through the holiday season, holing up in the house of an outcast kid name Thurman who think he’s the real article as his partner Marcus tries to keep him in check (and sober enough to complete their annual Christmas Eve heist).
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21. ‘That Christmas‘ (2024)

‘That Christmas’. Photo: Netflix.

It’s an unforgettable Christmas for the townsfolk of Wellington-on-Sea when the worst snowstorm in history alters everyone’s plans — including Santa’s.
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20. ‘Miracle on 34th Street‘ (1947)

1947’s ‘Miracle on 34th Street.’ Photo: 20th Century-Fox.

The best holiday stories are those that remind you what it was like to be a kid – or at least that there’s some magic in the world – and this one is no exception: when a man dressed as Santa Claus and claiming to be him gets institutionalized, a young lawyer sets out to prove that he’s the real thing.
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19. ‘Gremlins‘ (1984)

1984’s ‘Gremlins.’ Photo: Warner Bros.

Joe Dante created this mischievous romp about a mysterious little creature and the trouble caused when his owner (Zach Galligan) fails to obey the very simple and strict rules for taking care of him. Featuring a cavalcade of manic, menacing, oddball creatures and plenty of Dante’s own impish creativity, it’s a highly unconventional holiday film that has earned its place in the canon.
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18. ‘How The Grinch Stole Christmas!‘ (1966)

1966’s ‘How the Grinch Stole Christmas!’ Photo: MGM Animation/Visual Arts.

At 26 minutes and using only hand-drawn animation, this television special might lack some of the pizazz of the live-action and computer-animated versions that followed. But its adaptation of Dr. Seuss’ classic children’s book gets all of the details the most right, and features the immortal Boris Karloff as narrator, lending the character’s journey from crank to Christmas superfan a theatrical elegance that’s never been matched.
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17. ‘A Christmas Story‘ (1983)

Peter Billingsley as Ralphie Parker in 1983’s ‘A Christmas Story.’ Photo: MGM/UA Entertainment Co.

Bob Clark’s adaptation of Jean Shepherd’s “In God We Trust, All Others Pay Cash” skillfully pays tribute to a bygone era of childhood fantasy and hilariously exposes the simple truth that it never really existed. Peter Billingsley is so good as the kid who wants nothing as much as a Red Ryder BB gun and will engage in any and all subterfuge to obtain one – and protect it even after his parents’ worst fears come true.
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16. ‘Candy Cane Lane‘ (2023)

Eddie Murphy as Chris Carver in ‘Candy Cane Lane.’ Photo: Claudette Barius. © AMAZON CONTENT SERVICES LLC.

A man (Eddie Murphy) is determined to win the neighborhood’s annual Christmas decorating contest. After making a pact with an elf (Jillian Bell) to help him win, the elf casts a spell bringing the 12 days of Christmas to life and unexpectedly bringing chaos to town.
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15. ‘The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special‘ (2022)

Chris Pratt as Peter Quill / Star-Lord in Marvel Studio’s ‘The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special.’

Written and directed by ‘Guardians of the Galaxy‘ James Gunn, the movie follows Drax the Destroyer (Dave Bautista) and Mantis (Pom Klementieff) as they set out to give Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) the best Christmas ever, after discovering that Yondu (Michael Rooker) ruined the holiday for him as a child. So, the two Guardians travel to Earth to kidnap Peter’s childhood hero, the ‘Footloose’ actor Kevin Bacon (playing himself), as the ultimate gift for Peter.
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14. ‘A Charlie Brown Christmas‘ (1965)

1965’s ‘A Charlie Brown Christmas.’ Photo: CBS.

This would make the list on the strength of Vince Guaraldi’s music alone, but this animated special qualifies as Charles Schulz’ magnum opus, as his beleaguered title character tries to find the true meaning of Christmas in a landscape marred by rampant commercialism.
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13. ‘The Holiday‘ (2006)

(L to R) Cameron Diaz and Jude Law in ‘The Holiday’. Photo: Sony Pictures Releasing.

Two women, one from the United States (Cameron Diaz) and one from the United Kingdom (Kate Winslet), swap homes at Christmas time after bad breakups with their boyfriends. Each woman finds romance with a local man but realizes that the imminent return home may end the relationship.
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12. ‘The Nightmare Before Christmas‘ (1993)

1993’s ‘The Nightmare Before Christmas.’ Photo: Buena Vista Pictures Distribution.

Tim Burton combines the best of two holidays with this stop-motion animated film about Jack Skellington (Danny Elfman), an authority on all things Halloween who decides to turn his macabre creativity loose on Santa’s favorite day of the year.
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11. ‘Violent Night‘ (2022)

(L to R) Alexis Louder, and David Harbour in ‘Violent Night.’ © Universal Studios.

Asking the age old question: “What would Santa Clause do if he was in ‘Die Hard?’” ‘Violent Night’ stars David Harbour as Father Christmas, who has lost faith in mankind. While delivering gifts to a wealthy family on Christmas Eve, he discovers a group of criminals have taken the family hostage, and its up to Santa to save the day and rescue a little girl and her family, who teaches him that some people still believe in Christmas miracles.
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10. ‘Elf‘ (2003)

(Right) Will Ferrell in ‘Elf.’ Photo: New Line Cinema.

Jon Favreau’s comedic chops balance perfectly with Will Ferrell’s wholesome, silly enthusiasm in this endlessly entertaining story of a human raised at the North Pole who treks to civilization and reconnect with his father, a cynical workaholic book publisher played to perfection by James Caan.
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9. ‘Home Alone‘ (1990)

Macaulay Culkin as Kevin McCallister in ‘Home Alone.’ Photo: 20th Century Fox.

John Hughes transitioned into decidedly more family-friendly territory with this script about a kid who gets left behind while the rest of his family heads out for their Christmas vacation. Macaulay Culkin became a star overnight as the precocious preteen who fends off burglars and holiday loneliness in Chris Columbus’ monster hit film.
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8. ‘National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation‘ (1989)

Chevy Chase in 1989’s ‘National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.’ Photo: Warner Bros.

Chevy Chase and Beverly D’Angelo come clashing back together as Clark Griswold and his loving, long-suffering wife Ellen, this time trying to survive the holiday season that much like every other Clark family gathering seems destined for disaster.
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7. ‘Scrooged‘ (1988)

Bill Murray as Frank Cross in ‘Scrooged.’ Photo: Paramount Pictures.

There have been a lot of great versions of Charles Dickens’ ‘A Christmas Carol,’ but Bill Murray makes his version of Scrooge one of the wildest, this time a television executive who loses his way in a cutthroat industry and gets visited by three ghosts unafraid to beat him (literally) into a Christmas morning epiphany.
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6. ‘It’s a Wonderful Life‘ (1946)

(Center) James Stewart as George Bailey in ‘It’s a Wonderful Life.’ Photo: RKO Radio Pictures.

Frank Capra’s 1946 film initially achieved ubiquitousness by virtue of endless syndicated showings on television, but it became a classic on the strength of its story – a portrait of sacrifice and generosity – as well as a performance by Jimmy Stewart that utilized both his fragile desperation and scrappy determination.
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5. ‘Kiss Kiss Bang Bang‘ (2005)

(L to R) Val Kilmer and Robert Downey Jr. in ‘Kiss Kiss Bang Bang.’ Photo: Warner Bros.

A petty thief (Robert Downey Jr.) posing as an actor is brought to Los Angeles for an unlikely audition and finds himself in the middle of a murder investigation along with his high school dream girl (Michelle Monaghan) and a detective (Val Kilmer) who’s been training him for his upcoming role.
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4. ‘The Holdovers‘ (2023)

(L to R) Dominic Sessa stars as Angus Tully and Paul Giamatti as Paul Hunham in director Alexander Payne’s ‘The Holdovers,’ a Focus Features release. Credit: Courtesy of FOCUS FEATURES / © 2023 FOCUS FEATURES LLC.

From acclaimed director Alexander Payne, ‘The Holdovers’ follows a curmudgeonly instructor (Paul Giamatti) at a New England prep school who is forced to remain on campus during Christmas break to babysit the handful of students with nowhere to go. Eventually he forms an unlikely bond with one of them — a damaged, brainy troublemaker (newcomer Dominic Sessa) — and with the school’s head cook, who has just lost a son in Vietnam (Da’Vine Joy Randolph).
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3. ‘Love Actually‘ (2003)

(L to R) Emma Thompson as Karen and Alan Rickman as Harry in ‘Love Actually.’ Photo: United International Pictures.

Richard Curtis’ enchanting tapestry of relationships in the days and weeks leading up to Christmas continues to inspire debates about exactly how healthy the behavior some of its cast of characters are, but that’s sort of the point of the movie itself: what we all want, what we’re pursuing, and at what cost all connects through love, even if in some cases that means the fractured relationship between a husband (Alan Rickman) and wife (Emma Thompson), and others, the recognition of a soul mate in a long-suffering tour manager (Gregor Fisher) and his unpredictable rock-star client (Bill Nighy).
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2. ‘The Muppet Christmas Carol‘ (1992)

1992’s ‘The Muppet Christmas Carol.’ Photo: Walt Disney Pictures.

This “Christmas Carol” adaptation has largely been reduced by the internet to a meme of its Ebenezer Scrooge (Michael Caine) dancing along with one of Jim Henson’s human-sized puppets, but the film remains one of the most magical – and emotional – versions of the story ever told, thanks to a Bob Cratchit, played by Kermit the Frog, who irresistibly embodies the everyman everyone loves.
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1. ‘Die Hard‘ (1988)

Bruce Willis as John McClane in ‘Die Hard.’ Photo: 20th Century Fox.

Before John McClane became a superhero and Bruce Willis descended into super-stardom, his performance in this iconic original installment oozed with everyman charm as the New York cop loses his shoes, battles a skyscraper full of terrorists, and tries to make peace with his estranged wife (Bonnie Bedelia).
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December 24, 2025
Movie Review: ‘Cleaner’
Daisy Ridley as “Joey” in the action film ‘Cleaner’, a Quiver Distribution release. Photo courtesy of Quiver Distribution.

‘Cleaner’ receives 5.5 out of 10 stars.

Opening in theaters February 21st is ‘Cleaner,’ directed by Martin Campbell and starring Daisy Ridley, Matthew Tuck, Taz Skylar, Ruth Gemmell, Flavia Watson, and Clive Owen.

Related Article: Daisy Ridley Talks Martin Campbell’s New Action Thriller ‘Cleaner’

Initial Thoughts

Daisy Ridley as “Joey” in the action film ‘Cleaner’, a Quiver Distribution release. Photo courtesy of Quiver Distribution.

Everything old is new again. Well, sort of. We love a good action thriller, and we’re aware that the genre has certain tropes and conventions that usually crop up in most movies of this kind, but ‘Cleaner’ takes it one step further. While many of the plot details are changed, this is a pretty brazen remake of ‘Die Hard,’ with a lone person – in this case a woman, played by Daisy Ridley of ‘Star Wars’ fame – battling terrorists who capture a corporate skyscraper and take the people inside as hostages.

Our heroine has a loved one in the building that she’s desperate to keep safe as well, and her only communication with the outside world is with a cop who’s doing her best to keep our protagonist in the loop and out of the soup. It’s difficult to watch ‘Cleaner’ without constantly comparing it to Bruce Willis’ 1988 all-timer, but even on its own merits, ‘Cleaner’ doesn’t quite click thanks to some strange screenwriting choices.

Story and Direction

(L to R) Daisy Ridley and Director Martin Campbell behind the scenes of the action film ‘Cleaner’, a Quiver Distribution release. Photo courtesy of Quiver Distribution.

We first meet Joey Locke as a child, as she crawls out a window in her apartment and sits on a ledge while her abusive father goes after her mother and neurodivergent older brother inside. This heavy-handed bit of character development, of course, comes in handy later (she likes to climb!), when we meet the adult Joey (Ridley).

Thrown out of the army for assaulting a fellow soldier (not quite what it seems), Joey works in London as a window cleaner at the vast Agnian Energy skyscraper. Her brother Michael (Matthew Tuck) has just been evicted from a care home for allegedly leaking some of their internal files (more exposition that also resurfaces later), with Joey struggling to figure out who’s going to take care of him next.

Joey is perpetually late to her job and perpetually mouthy to her employers, which doesn’t sit right when she snarks off to one of the heads of Agnian, Gerald Milton (Lee Boardman), in an elevator. Meanwhile, she’s deposited Michael in the lobby under the care of a security guard and commiserates with her co-worker Noah (Taz Skylar) as they clean the windows midway up the building. Noah leaves her to finish the job while the rest of the building staff prepares for a glitzy shareholders’ party that Gerald and his brother Geoffrey (Rufus Jones) are throwing that evening.

No sooner does the party begin than the building is invaded by a group of ecoterrorists known as Earth Revolution and led by Marcus Blake (Clive Owen), who holds the Miltons, their board, and their guests hostage, locks down the building, and plans to record confessions by the Miltons and the board of all their dirty dealings and clandestine anti-environmental activities.

Joey, trapped on her window cleaning cradle outside when the building’s systems are shut down, can only listen in horror through her earpiece while Michael hides out on one of the upper floors. She’s even more horrified when she learns that one of Marcus’ foot soldiers is none other than Noah – who, it turns out, has his own plans to wrest the operation from Marcus and upgrade it to a more destructive event.

Clive Owen as “Marcus“ in the action film ‘Cleaner’, a Quiver Distribution release. Photo courtesy of Quiver Distribution.

Swap out the great Alan Rickman’s Hans Gruber and his high-tech burglars for Clive Owen and the ecoterrorist bunch, replace Bruce Willis’ John McClane with Ridley’s Joey and McClane’s wife for Joey’s brother, and change up LAPD sergeant Al Powell for London police superintendent Claire Hume (Ruth Gemmell), and all the basic components from ‘Die Hard’ are basically in place.

There are differences, of course: Gruber never faces an internal uprising from his second-in-command, who turns out to be a true psychopath, and the aims of the group are radically different. It also takes a long time in ‘Die Hard’ for the LAPD to believe in McClane and his story; ‘Cleaner’ plays for a few minutes with the London police thinking that Joey herself is the terrorist before that would-be complication is dispatched.

That’s the second biggest problem with ‘Cleaner’: it plays like a Cliff Notes version of ‘Die Hard’ with the names changed. Director Martin Campbell, best known for two of James Bond’s finest films — ‘GoldenEye’ and ‘Casino Royale’ — can handle the action capably enough (unfortunate CG flames and explosions aside), but there’s a lot more talking on phones than forward momentum, and it weirdly seems easy for people to get around the building. While Campbell does manage to elicit some tension, thanks mainly to the unhinged Noah, there’s little sense of the cat-and-mouse suspense that the movie needs.

And that is due to the biggest problem of all: the screenplay (by Simon Uttley, Paul Andrew Williams, and Matthew Orton) strands Joey on that damn cradle for almost the entire second act, making her a bystander instead of the pro-active force that she should be. When she finally gets in the game for real in the third act, she fights her way through the terrorists almost too easily as the movie barrels toward its resolution. Instead of being a wild card throwing sand in the gears of the terrorists’ seemingly well-oiled plans while barely staying one step ahead of them, Joey mostly cools her heels while the window cleaning cradle tilts this way and that.

It’s a strange imbalance that, coupled with the perfunctory development of both the characters and their relationships (the script tries to forge the same McClane/Powell connection between Joey and Claire, but it’s purely surface level), makes ‘Cleaner’ feel like an intermittently interesting, half-hearted remake of a film that is the gold standard for the genre.

The Cast

(L to R) Daisy Ridley as “Joey” and Matthew Tuck as “Michael” in the action film ‘Cleaner’, a Quiver Distribution release. Photo courtesy of Quiver Distribution.

Perhaps the best part of ‘Cleaner’ is the relationship between Daisy Ridley’s Joey and Michael Tuck’s Matthew. It’s too bad we don’t get to see enough of it, but the two actors generate a genuine warmth and sibling chemistry. Tuck, a relative newcomer who’s neurodivergent himself, brings sensitivity to his portrayal of a young man who’s fiercely devoted to his sister and battles against his challenges to help her – even if the script leaves him skulking around corners most of the time.

As for Ridley, the toxic minority of so-called ‘Star Wars’ fans who have hounded her mercilessly cannot overshadow the fact that she is a fine actor. She’s warm and funny here, and brings a terrific physicality to the action scenes when she finally gets a chance. It’s just a shame that her character is semi-sketched in and that she doesn’t get the chance to get onto the playing field until late in the movie – where everything happens so quickly that we don’t feel for her the way we do for the increasingly bedraggled McClane. There’s also a somewhat preposterous showdown at the end that harkens back to, of all things, a scene in ‘Avengers: Endgame’ — only a little less believable.

As for the rest of the cast, Taz Skylar does bring a frightening intensity to Noah that generates much of the film’s suspense, and at least the writers don’t try to make him or Clive Owen (in his brief screen time) emulate Alan Rickman’s incomparable Gruber. Ruth Gemmell brings a strong presence and intelligence to the role of Claire, but she too gets little to work with.

Final Thoughts

Daisy Ridley as “Joey” in the action film ‘Cleaner’, a Quiver Distribution release. Photo courtesy of Quiver Distribution.

Martin Campbell and his cast work hard to give ‘Cleaner’ a big feel and high stakes, but the film can’t help but seem small. It’s so nakedly reminiscent of ‘Die Hard’ in its general structure and premise that it simply can’t escape the comparison. ‘Cleaner’ only echoes past glories of the genre without finding any depth or voice of its own.
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What is the plot of ‘Cleaner’?

An ex-soldier named Joey (Daisy Ridley) is working as a window cleaner at an energy corporation’s London skyscraper when a radical activist group takes over the building, leaving her trapped outside 50 stories in the air as she attempts to get back in, rescue the hostages, and save her brother who’s also inside.

Who is in the cast of ‘Cleaner’?
- Daisy Ridley as Joey Locke
- Matthew Tuck as Michael Locke
- Taz Skylar as Noah
- Clive Owen as Marcus Blake
- Ruth Gemmell as Superintendent Claire Hume
- Flavia Watson as Zee
- Lee Boardman as Gerald Milton
- Rufus Jones as Geoffrey Milton
Daisy Ridley as “Joey” in the action film ‘Cleaner’, a Quiver Distribution release. Photo courtesy of Quiver Distribution.

Other Daisy Ridley Movies and TV Shows:
- ‘Mr Selfridge‘ (2013 – 2016)
- ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens‘ (2015)
- ‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi‘ (2017)
- ‘Murder on the Orient Express‘ (2017)
- ‘Star Wars: Forces of Destiny‘ (2017 – 2018)
- ‘Ophelia‘ (2019)
- ‘Peter Rabbit‘ (2018)
- ‘Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker‘ (2019)
- ‘Chaos Walking‘ (2021)
- ‘The Bubble‘ (2022)
- ‘The Marsh King’s Daughter‘ (2023)
- ‘Young Woman and the Sea‘ (2024)
- ‘Magpie‘ (2024)
Buy Tickets: ‘Cleaner’ Movie Showtimes

Buy Daisy Ridley Movies On Amazon
February 21, 2025
‘Cleaner’ Exclusive Interview: Daisy Ridley
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Opening in theaters on February 21st is the new action thriller ‘Clearner’, which was directed by Martin Campbell (‘Casino Royale’ and ‘Edge of Darkness’) and stars Daisy Ridley (‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’), Taz Skylar (‘One Piece’), and Clive Owen (‘Children of Men’).

Related Article: Daisy Ridley and Tom Bateman Talk ‘Magpie’ and Developing the Story

Daisy Ridley stars in ‘Cleaner’.

Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Daisy Ridley about her work on ‘Cleaner’, her first reaction to the screenplay, comparisons to ‘Die Hard’, her character’s relationship with her brother, shooting the action sequences, and working with director Martin Campbell.

You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interviews with Ridley, Taz Skylar, and director Martin Campbell.

Daisy Ridley as “Joey” in the action film ‘Cleaner’, a Quiver Distribution release. Photo courtesy of Quiver Distribution.

Moviefone: To begin with, what was your first reaction to the screenplay, and did it read like an old school action movie such as ‘Die Hard’, where one hero is pitted against a group of terrorists in a confined space?

Daisy Ridley: When I finished it the first time, I thought, “Brilliant.” It was so propulsive and page-turning. Of course, you know ultimately, well you hope, that the good guy is going to win. But I could not, I was like, how is this going to be resolved? But that also coupled with the idea of working with Martin Campbell. But making it, I was excited to make a British action movie. Then of course it is essentially a love letter to ‘Die Hard’. I hadn’t thought about it in terms of one hero against everyone because I was so alone for so much of it, but because I’m constantly on the phone to the police, and me and the police officer build such a rapport and trying to figure out how to defeat what is ahead of us, and then me and my brother have built this beautiful relationship in the film, and that’s part of it. I felt weirdly alone but had a team. So, in that way it was lovely.

(L to R) Daisy Ridley as “Joey” and Matthew Tuck as “Michael” in the action film ‘Cleaner’, a Quiver Distribution release. Photo courtesy of Quiver Distribution.

MF: Can you talk about the trauma Joey suffered as a child, as well as her relationship with her brother, and what she’s willing to do to protect him?

DR: It’s interesting because I feel like their relationship, I really wanted to honor relationships between siblings where one is in more of a caregiving position, and what that can do to the relationship and the dynamics that her and her brother have. Clearly, they love each other so much, but also, they are siblings. So, they fight, and they lash out and then they’re regretful, and certainly playing her, she loves him, but she has over the years put things off. In the small amount of time they have, she tries to say to him, “I’m so sorry for the time that was wasted up until now, and now we have no time.” But it’s so her driving force for the end of the film, and he ends up being such a hero in a way that I think is so beautiful. But working with Matt (Tuck), this is his first film, which is insane. Working with him was so wonderful, and it felt real in that she ends up taking accountability for the way she hasn’t been a great sister, but of course you learn that their childhood was difficult. Essentially everyone’s just trying to do the best they can really.

(L to R) Daisy Ridley and Director Martin Campbell behind the scenes of the action film ‘Cleaner’, a Quiver Distribution release. Photo courtesy of Quiver Distribution.

MF: What was it like working with director Martin Campbell on this movie?

DR: I mean, the whole shoot honestly was taxing because the of physical stuff, of course, but emotionally maintaining that level of angst, and understanding that the audience can’t be that angsty the whole time, so there has to be levels to the angst. I really had to rely on Martin to guide me through those levels. He’s just so wonderful to work with, really drawing out the emotion of the actors he’s working with and these relationships, so it feels like people you want to get behind. But I can’t speak highly enough of Martin, I just think he’s wonderful.

Daisy Ridley behind the scenes of the action film ‘Cleaner’, a Quiver Distribution release. Photo courtesy of Quiver Distribution.

MF: Finally, what was the most challenging action scene that you were asked to perform and how did you execute it?

DR: Well, weirdly, the fight, I was really bruised. Like I was hurt. I’m pretty sure I wrenched something in my shoulder. But weirdly, the hardest thing was when I’m Spider-Woman for a moment, and it’s funny because a lot of the fighting is very realistic, but it’s the moment I was like, “Where does Joey come from?” But I dropped from the ceiling, must put a bag over someone’s head, and then I’m shoved into something here, and then I had to shove the stunt guy out of the shot. Someone was holding my toes, because I was just on wires that two guys were holding in the corner. I was floating, so someone had to hold my toes, so I was a bit stable. Then run away, and then my adrenaline was going because there was such choreography with the camera, I had to drop. A few times I missed his head. Then everything had to be so perfect. We ended up doing it maybe 50 times and my adrenaline was spiking. So weirdly, that ended up being one of the hardest moments, because there was so much to that one piece.
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What is the plot of ‘Cleaner’?

When activists take over an energy company’s annual gala held at One Canada Square, Canary Wharf in London, some more radical members of their group take hostages and threaten to blow up the building if police intervene. A dishonorably discharged but highly trained ex-soldier (Daisy Ridley), who works as the building’s window cleaner, attempts to save the hostages when she learns one of them is her older brother.

Who is in the cast of ‘Cleaner’?
- Daisy Ridley as Joey Locke
- Clive Owen as Marcus
- Taz Skylar as Noah
- Matthew Tuck as Michael
- Flavia Watson as Zee
- Ray Fearon as Kahn
- Rufus Jones as Geoffrey Milton
- Richard Hope as Alistair Lawson
- Lee Boardman as Gerald Milton
Daisy Ridley as “Joey” in the action film ‘Cleaner’, a Quiver Distribution release. Photo courtesy of Quiver Distribution.

Other Daisy Ridley Movies and TV Shows:
- ‘Mr Selfridge‘ (2013 – 2016)
- ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens‘ (2015)
- ‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi‘ (2017)
- ‘Murder on the Orient Express‘ (2017)
- ‘Star Wars: Forces of Destiny‘ (2017 – 2018)
- ‘Ophelia‘ (2019)
- ‘Peter Rabbit‘ (2018)
- ‘Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker‘ (2019)
- ‘Chaos Walking‘ (2021)
- ‘The Bubble‘ (2022)
- ‘The Marsh King’s Daughter‘ (2023)
- ‘Young Woman and the Sea‘ (2024)
- ‘Magpie‘ (2024)
Buy Tickets: ‘Cleaner’ Movie Showtimes

Buy Daisy Ridley Movies On Amazon
February 18, 2025
Movie Review: ‘Carry-On’
Taron Egerton as Ethan Kopek in ‘Carry-On’. Photo: Sam Lothridge/Netflix ©2024.

Landing on Netflix on December 13th, ‘Carry-On’ will probably make most people compare it to festive action classic ‘Die Hard.’ Which seems a little unfair given the latter film’s high watermark status in the action genre, but when you put an average joe character up against scheming criminals at Christmas, the comparisons are inevitable.

Still, ‘Carry-On,’ while it truly can’t compare to the towering 1988 benchmark, it doesn’t embarrass itself in the genre, providing a solid amount of entertainment partly thanks to good performances from its leads.

Related Article: Taron Egerton Talks ‘Tetris’ and Playing Video Game Designer Henk Rogers

Does ‘Carry-On’ hold up?

(L to R) Tonatiuh as Mateo Flores and Taron Edgerton as Ethan Kopek in ‘Carry-On’. Photo: Netflix © 2024.

The ‘Die Hard’ comparisons, while tough for any movie to live up to, are at least slightly short-circuited by some decent worldbuilding going on here. Taron Egerton’s Ethan Kopek isn’t even at the level of John McClane, who was at least an NYPD officer. Kopek instead is more of a man in search of his place in life; while he’s happily in a relationship, his TSA job isn’t exactly the most fulfilling purpose, but he’s largely coasting.

It’s a worthwhile place from which to start a main character in a movie such as this –– because you have something to build from. You know he’s going to step up to the task at hand when the moment calls for it, but he’s not a superhero or a man (usually Liam Neeson in Jaume Collet-Serra’s other movies) with a particular set of skills. Unless you count running (foreshadowed with talk of Kopek’s high school track star status).

Likewise, Jason Bateman is an interesting choice to play the primary antagonist as the man known only as “Traveler” is more of a tactical thinker than an all-action villain. And the action element is largely effective, even if one key scene appears to borrow heavily from ‘Toy Story 2.’

Script and Direction

Taron Egerton as Ethan Kopek in ‘Carry-On’. Photo: Sam Lothridge/Netflix ©2024.

The script for the movie originated with a script by T.J. Fixman (who has mostly written video games) and has been through some polishing by Michael Green (a scriptwriting veteran whose credits include the Kenneth Branagh‘s Poirot films, ‘Logan’ and ‘Jungle Cruise’).

As a result, it feels mostly lean and taught, and the characters are built in such a way as they work for this kind of movie. It’s far from a perfect screenplay, but it does nimbly skirt around some of the more egregious cliches and tropes.

It also stays mostly grounded (at least until the action shifts to a plane) and believable and finds something interesting for most of the characters to do.

Collet-Serra, meanwhile, knows his way around an action movie, and while he’s certainly pumped out some generic titles in his time, this feels sturdier and more energetic that some of his other efforts. And that’s despite it largely taking place in one location (albeit an airport that offers chances for different rooms).

If there’s one big issue with the movie, it’s a scene where Danielle Deadwyler’s detective clashes with Logan Marshall-Green’s character (we won’t reveal it so as to avoid spoilers) in a speeding car. It’s an ambitious attempt to have the actors do a lot of the work themselves as opposed to cutting around stunt people. Yet for all its kinetic energy, it suffers from sometimes looking like the cut scene from a video game, draining the tension as you can’t help but chuckle at the weird visual. For a movie that is so focused on being real-world, it’s a misfire.

Performances

While Egerton and Bateman are the crux of the story, the script shares the character development love around the rest of the cast too.

Taron Egerton as Ethan Kopek

Taron Egerton as Ethan Kopek in ‘Carry-On’. Photo: Sam Lothridge/Netflix ©2024.

As we mentioned above, Kopek is an unmoored young man, nervously happy about becoming a father with his girlfriend Nora. He’s coasting through his job, but of course gets a chance to shine when he’s put in peril. Egerton has played some more flamboyant characters in his time, but he does solid work as Kopek, keeping him from feeling like a superhero. And his interactions with everyone around him are entirely believable.

Jason Bateman as Traveler

Jason Bateman as Traveler in ‘Carry-On’. Photo: Netflix © 2024.

He may never get a name, but Bateman does revel in an interesting character –– and it’s one that the actor plays well. He’s threatening but not so physically imposing as to be ridiculous. He’s also good at delivering the exposition that is naturally a part of a villain such as this.

Danielle Deadwyler as Elena Cole

Danielle Deadwyler as Elena Cole in ‘Carry-On’. Photo: Netflix © 2024.

As the dedicated LAPD detective who starts to dig into one aspect of the case, Deadwyler is similarly lumbered with some expositional dialogue but is also weaved effectively into the story later on. And she’s always convincing.

Sofia Carson as Nora

(L to R) Sofia Carson as Nora Parisi and Taron Egerton as Ethan Kopek in’ Carry-On’. Photo: Netflix © 2024.

Playing off of Egerton for much of the early going, she’s eventually more than just his love interest, actually handed some agency as the plot moves forward. It also doesn’t hurt that Nora is in some ways more capable than Ethan is.

Supporting cast

Dean Norris as Phil Sarkowski in ‘Carry-On’. Photo: Sam Lothridge/Netflix © 2024.

The reliable likes of Dean Norris (as Egerton’s grumpy TSA boss), Sinqua Walls (as one of his colleagues) all help to fill out the world of Kopek’s daily drudgery, while Bateman’s character is supported by the likes of Theo Rossi as his accomplice. It’s a solid ensemble for a movie such as this.

Final Thoughts

(L to R) Taron Egerton as Ethan Kopek and Jason Bateman as Traveler in ‘Carry-On’. Photo: Sam Lothridge/Netflix ©2024.

A solid action thriller with decent premise that aches in places to be ‘Die Hard’ but also does its own thing, ‘Carry-On’ might not exactly be in the first class of the genre, but it’s sitting comfortably in premium economy.

‘Carry-On’ receives 7 out of 10 stars.
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What’s the plot of ‘Carry-On’?

A young TSA agent (Taron Egerton) fights to outsmart a mysterious traveler (Jason Bateman) who blackmails him into letting a dangerous package slip onto a Christmas Eve flight.

Who is in the cast of ‘Carry-On’?
- Taron Egerton as Ethan Kopek
- Jason Bateman as the Mysterious Traveler
- Sofia Carson as Nora Parisi
- Danielle Deadwyler as Elena Cole
- Logan Marshall-Green as Agent Alcott
- Theo Rossi as the Mysterious Watcher
- Dean Norris as Phil Sarkowski
- Sinqua Walls as Jason Noble
- Josh Brener as Herschel
- Curtiss Cook as Lionel Williams
Jason Bateman as Traveler in ‘Carry-On’. Photo: Netflix © 2024.

Other Jaume Collet-Serra Movies:
- ‘House of Wax‘ (2005)
- ‘Goal II: Living the Dream‘ (2007)
- ‘Orphan‘ (2009)
- ‘Unknown‘ (2011)
- ‘Non-Stop‘ (2014)
- ‘Run All Night‘ (2015)
- ‘The Shallows‘ (2016)
- ‘The Commuter‘ (2018)
- ‘Jungle Cruise‘ (2021)
- ‘Black Adam‘ (2022)
Buy Taron Egerton Movies on Amazon
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December 12, 2024
‘The Best Man’ Interview: Dolph Lundgren
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The new action movie ‘The Best Man,’ which opens in theaters, On Demand and digital April 21st, was written and directed by Shane Dax Taylor (‘Bloodworth’).

What is the plot of ‘The Best Man?’

In ‘The Best Man,’ when a team of ruthless mercenaries violently seize control of a remote resort hotel looking for revenge, former Special Ops soldiers Bradley (Brendan Fehr) and Anders (Dolph Lundgren), who are attending their best friend Cal’s (Luke Wilson) wedding to Brook (Nicky Whelen), along with the bride’s sister Hailey (Scout Taylor-Compton), must rely only on their wits and training to combat the terrorists and save the hostages held for ransom.
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Who is in the cast of ‘The Best Man?’

‘The Best Man’ stars Brendan Fehr (‘X-Men: First Class,’ ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’), Nicky Whelan (‘Hall Pass’), Scout Taylor-Compton (‘The Runaways’), Scott Martin (‘Big Kill’), Dolph Lundgren (‘Rocky IV,’ ‘The Expendables,’ ‘Aquaman‘), and Luke Wilson (‘The Royal Tenenbaums,’ ‘Old School’).

Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Dolph Lundgren about his work on ‘The Best Man,’ his character, his approach to his work now, the ‘Die Hard’ type plot, working with Luke Wilson, playing the piano, and even teased the upcoming ‘The Expendables 4.’

Dolph Lundgren as Anders in the action film, ‘The Best Man,’ a Saban Films release. Photo courtesy of Saban Films.

You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch the interview.

Moviefone: To begin with, your character has been to war and its changed him. Where is he at mentally when the film begins?

Dolph Lundgren: Well, the way it was written was this slightly lighthearted character who drinks and he is a bit of a rogue, he’s a bit of a drunk, but he is still sharp enough to do his job. So, I sort of focused on that part of him, not the military side of it because that I could do in my sleep and so many people play that. So I was trying to have fun with the character and make him a little irresponsible, and I thought it came across fairly well, at least in the first half of the movie.

MF: Can you expand on your approach as an actor when you are playing a role like this and the idea of “not playing the military side” of the character?

DL: Well, yes. I started that when I got older. When I was younger, you played a tough guy because it’s in your DNA and you’re trying to impress people or impress yourself. I don’t know. But I sort of started doing that. I think it started with ‘The Expendables’ franchise where I had this character in the first ‘Expendables.’ He was supposed to be killed off actually, but he was kind of a bit of a drunk, crazy and certainly didn’t care that he looked tough and he didn’t care what he looked like. He didn’t dress all cool and his hair was all hanging around. So I think it started there and I realized that people seem to enjoy that, and they kind of set me apart a little bit. There’s an ‘Expendables 4’ coming out, and I enjoyed going back and having fun with that unpredictability and also because I’m such a big guy. If you’re bigger than everybody else, you have to play something else. You can’t play tough because then it’s tough upon tough and it doesn’t really work. I mean, unless you’re a villain or somebody who’s totally over the top.

Dolph Lundgren as Anders in the action film, ‘The Best Man,’ a Saban Films release. Photo courtesy of Saban Films.

Related Article: Brendan Fehr Talks ‘The Best Man’ with Luke Wilson and Dolph Lundgren

MF: You have a few scenes in the movie where your character plays the piano. Was that improvised, and is that an example of you choosing to focus on another aspect of the character?

DL: Yes, I enjoyed that. That was in the script and I was afraid that it was going to be covered more in detail and I was going to have to practice. But I kind of spoke to the pianist a little bit about how to do it, but you’d only see me play and it was more the playfulness of that moment. I used to play trombone and I used to play drums in a couple of different bands, so I like music and I thought it was an interesting little departure.

MF: The movie is sort of ‘Die Hard’ at a wedding, and if terrorists were going to attack at your wedding, these are the guys you want there. Can you talk about how your character springs into action when the trouble starts?

DL: Yeah, you’re right. I mean, everybody’s armed for some reason. I was trying to figure that out, but I guess it’s in America. It could be in a state where everybody’s got a carry license, which they seem to have because everybody’s got a concealed weapon. Yeah, it’s like trying to rob a sheriff’s convention, bad idea, and I think here Anders and the other guys are ex-military. It was just a bad idea for these guys to try what they were trying to do.

Luke Wilson as Cal in the action film, ‘The Best Man,’ a Saban Films release. Photo courtesy of Saban Films.

MF: Finally, have a great scene at the bar with Luke Wilson, what was it like working with him?

DL: I loved working with Luke. He is a lot of fun, very easy, easygoing guy, relaxed, and he improvised a lot of that scene. We ended up improvising and he started it, so he started improvising and I enjoyed it. I enjoyed working with him. I wish he would’ve had more scenes. Maybe next time.

(L to R) Luke Wilson as Cal, Nicky Whelan as Brooke and Dolph Lundgren as Anders in the action film,’The Best Man,’ a Saban Films release. Photo courtesy of Saban Films.

Other Movies Similar to ‘The Best Man:’
- ‘Die Hard‘ (1988)
- ‘Die Hard 2‘ (1990)
- ‘Passenger 57‘ (1992)
- ‘Under Siege’ (1992)
- ‘Under Siege 2: Dark Territory‘ (1995)
- ‘Sudden Death‘ (1995)
- ‘Die Hard: With a Vengeance‘ (1995)
- ‘The Rock‘ (1996)
- ‘Live Free or Die Hard‘ (2007)
- ‘A Good Day to Die Hard‘ (2013)
- ‘White House Down‘ (2013)
- ‘Olympus Has Fallen‘ (2013)
- ‘London Has Fallen‘ (2016)
- ‘Angel Has Fallen‘ (2019)
Buy Tickets: ‘The Best Man’ Movie Showtimes

Buy Dolph Lundgren Movies On Amazon

‘The Best Man’ is produced by Saban Films. It is set to release in theaters, On Demand and digital on April 21st.
May 5, 2023
Sylvester Stallone Back for ‘Cliffhanger’ Sequel
Sylvester Stallone in ‘Cliffhanger.’

Producer Neal Moritz has been looking to do something with 1993 action thriller ‘Cliffhanger’ for years now. He announced way back in 2009 that he was looking to reboot the concept (enthused by the success of J.J. Abrams’ first ‘Star Trek’ movie.

It has gone through different variations since then including the original plan to swap Sylvester Stallone’s sole hero for several younger climbers tackling peaks around the world, and a mysterious development from writer Joe Gazzam. Nothing, however, has come to fruition.

Now, though, it looks like it could finally be on, as Sylvester Stallone is back to star, with ‘Hunters’ Mark Bianculli cracking the script and ‘Angel has Fallen’s Ric Roman Waugh in the director’s chair (or climbing harness?)
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What was the story of the original ‘Cliffhanger’?

Renny Harlin’s original movie proved that the ‘Die Hard’ formula needn’t necessarily be restricted to claustrophobic indoor settings, plonking mountain-rescue boy Stallone on the side of a snowy peak. Sly’s Gabe Walker was reluctantly trying to foil John Lithgow’s plan to recover $100m stolen from the US treasury and deposited in the Rockies after a mid-air transfer went somewhat awry. There were deaths by gun, gravity, drowning and stalactite. And it wasn’t all snow: there were caves too.

(L to R) Janine Turner and Sylvester Stallone in ‘Cliffhanger.’

Related Article: Sylvester Stallone Talks New Superhero Movie ‘Samaritan’

Where will we find Gabe Walker this time?

No one is saying what the actual plot of the new movie will be, save for Sly’s return. You just know, though, that the stakes (and probably the mountains) will be higher, and, we’d guess, there will be more on Walker’s team.

But can it live up to the original’s iconic scene of Gabe letting someone slip through his fingers. Climbing’s a dangerous sport, so you’ve got to figure there’ll be a body count.

Waugh said this about working on the new movie:

“Growing up with the biggest action films of the 80s and 90s, working on many of them myself, ‘Cliffhanger’ was by far one of my favorite spectacles. To be at the helm of the next chapter, scaling the Italian Alps with the legend himself, Sylvester Stallone, is a dream come true. It’s going to be a great challenge and blast taking this franchise to new heights, a responsibility I don’t take lightly.”

Moritz was also enthusiastic:

“I’ll never forget the thrill I felt watching Sylvester Stallone in ‘Cliffhanger’. I am incredibly excited to be working with him and Ric Waugh to continue the story of Gabe Walker and introduce this iconic story to a new generation of filmgoers around the world.”

Sly will produce this one and casting is now under way to find the actors to fill the roles around the leading man.

(L to R) Janine Turner and Sylvester Stallone in ‘Cliffhanger.’

Other Movies Similar to ‘Cliffhanger:’
- ‘Die Hard‘ (1988)
- ‘Die Hard 2‘ (1990)
- ‘Passenger 57‘ (1992)
- ‘Under Siege’ (1992)
- ‘Under Siege 2: Dark Territory‘ (1995)
- ‘Sudden Death‘ (1995)
- ‘Die Hard: With a Vengeance‘ (1995)
- ‘The Rock‘ (1996)
- ‘Live Free or Die Hard‘ (2007)
- ‘A Good Day to Die Hard‘ (2013)
- ‘White House Down‘ (2013)
- ‘Olympus Has Fallen‘ (2013)
- ‘London Has Fallen‘ (2016)
- ‘Angel Has Fallen‘ (2019)
- ‘Uncharted‘ (2022)
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May 4, 2023
‘Detective Knight: Independence’ Interview: Jack Kilmer

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Opening in theaters, On Demand and digital January 20th, and on DVD and Blu-ray on February 28th is the new action movie ‘Detective Knight: Independence,’ which is the third and final film in the trilogy from writer/director Edward Drake (‘Breach’).

Hollywood legend Bruce Willis (‘Die Hard,’ ‘Pulp Fiction’) reprises his role as Detective James Knight, who must stop an unhinged former EMT worker (Jack Kilmer) who attempts a bank heist on Independence Day, and takes a hostage (Willow Shields) with close ties to Knight.

The son of actors Val Kilmer and Joanne Whalley, Jack Kilmer is probably best known for his roles in movies like ‘Palo Alto’ and ‘The Nice Guys,’ as well as recently voicing his father’s ‘Willow’ role in the Disney+ revival series.

Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Jack Kilmer about his work on ‘Detective Knight: Independence,’ his inspiration for the character, the action sequences, working with Bruce Willis, Willow Shields and director Edward Drake, and what it was like playing his father’s role on Disney+’s ‘Willow.’

(L to R) Director Edward Drake and Jack Kilmer in ‘Detective Knight: Independence.’ Photo Credit: Eric Williams.

You can read our full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interviews with Kilmer and Edward Drake about ‘Detective Knight: Independence Day.’

Moviefone: To begin with, can you talk about your character, Dezi and your inspiration for the role?

Jack Kilmer: Well, a movie we referenced a lot was ‘Joker.’ Dezi is this anti-hero vigilante. He echoes a lot of the incel people that are unfortunately around in this day and age. For me, it was things like ‘Taxi Driver,’ and ‘Bad Lieutenant.’ We had Bruce Willis, so when we started we had a superhero amongst us. We started in this superhero land, and then we took it and ran with it.

I was talking with Ed and we were like “This is a real opportunity to make something really gritty and real, and something a lot of people can relate to in this country right now.” We just had the anniversary of January 6th. We even shot this movie not long after all of that stuff went down. We had tons of ideas about who this guy was and what American this guy was. Where do Americans go when they snap, when they lose their minds? What does that look like?

I don’t know where he is politically, this character. I didn’t align him with any particular political party. He consumes a lot of stuff on the internet, he’s very paranoid, he’s an outsider, and he is not accepted in society. I think a lot of people can at least relate to that. I don’t think the film points one direction. You root for him, and he’s an underdog in a way. Dezi is actually somewhat redeemable of a person and you get to watch him spiral and unravel.

You just root for him. The movie is from the perspective of the villain, which is unique. He’s just a person that’s really sick and suffering, and very paranoid, and you can see how along the way how gets there. What that brings up for me is that there’s a lot of people in this country that I would love to sit down and talk with, no matter what political position they take. Sometimes it’s good to unite, to come together even though you have different political views to someone else, and sit and talk to them because maybe you guys align on more than you think.

MF: Can you talk about Dezi’s relationship with Ally and working with Willow Shields?

Jack Kilmer: Willow is lovely and an absolute pleasure to work with. She really brought it. There’s a scene in the movie where we have a showdown with Mr. Bruce Willis and man, she brought it in that scene. For the character of Dezi, she’s the light and the anchor of the whole movie. She brings all the humanity to Dezi.

MF: What’s it like working with a legend like Bruce Willis?

JK: Well, he is a legend, and a boss, and a king. He shows up and he is Bruce Willis, and you know that.

Bruce Willis as James Knight in ‘Detective Knight: Independence.’ Photo Credit: Eric Williams.

MF: What did you learn from watching him work?

JK: Let me just say this. He could say anything, and it’s so powerful and effective. I don’t know where it comes from but the guy can deliver lines in an extremely powerful and effective way, and it’s all in him. That “Bruce Willis” is just in him and everyone’s energy changes when he’s around, and that’s a real thing. He’s a real star and a real celebrity from a time when you could be a massive star. He is that.

I was thinking about that today, Gorillaz is one of my favorite bands and he was in the Gorillaz music video when I was in middle school. The length of his career and thinking about how huge a star from my generation and the ’80s he is. I was like what? That’s so crazy!

MF: Can you talk about the weapons training you had for the movie and what was the most challenging action sequence for you to shoot?

JK: As far as the gun training, we practiced the utmost safety around all of those weapons, even though they were already modified to be as safe as possible with plugged barrels and blank rounds. They were completely safe and looked after at all times. I grew up around guns in New Mexico, so I take that very seriously from shooting target practice with my dad. It was a lot of fun to just blast off rounds.

However, like we’ve been talking about, 2021 was a time in history that was very scary for a lot of people, so I didn’t want to pick up a gun first thing in the morning. There’s also some fun elements to that as well. The hardest thing for me on this shoot was just the way we shot the whole thing in eight days.

That was the hardest thing about this movie because it really was eight days. It was a full feature length shot in eight days. So we were doing five, six pages a day of the script. That was really hard, but their whole distribution method and their way of shooting these movies, it works somehow.

That’s because they work really hard. Edward Drake, the director, it’s really remarkable how the guy makes these movies. I’ve never seen anything like it. If he got a bigger budget, I can imagine he what he could do with that and it would be amazing because he’s one of the most creative and hardworking people I’ve ever met.

MF: What’s it like shooting a movie in eight days and what was it like collaborating on this project with Edward Drake?

JK: On any set there’s days where you feel the pressure and get stressed. It was only until after we had wrapped the movie that I talked to Ed, and he told me, “Okay, I really felt the pressure for that.” He held it down. Everyone held it down and just worked super hard.

Sorsha (Joanne Whalley) in Lucasfilm’s ‘Willow’ exclusively on Disney+. ©2023 Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM. All Rights Reserved.

MF: Finally, what was it like for you to join the cast of Disney+’s ‘Willow’ series voicing your father’s role from the original movie and working with Jake Kasdan on the project?

JK: It was so epic. I love ‘Willow.’ My parents met on ‘Willow.’ Jonathan Kasdan is obsessed with the fact that both my parents are in the movie. He’s a lovely guy. We were emailing back and forth for a long time and he’s just fascinated that I exist and that my mom’s in the series. He just had so many questions for me.

My dad has health issues and basically, Jonathan was like, “Can you come help with some wild lines, and can you come help me with this in the edit?” I was like “Sure. I’ll come and do that.” But it ended up being really special because we just sat and talked about Madmartigan and the whole legacy and everything.

Bruce Willis as James Knight in ‘Detective Knight: Independence.’ Photo Credit: Eric Williams.
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January 24, 2023
‘Violent Night 2’ in the Works

(L to R) Director Tommy Wirkola and David Harbour on the set of ‘Violent Night.’ © Universal Studios.

‘Violent Night’ was a surprising burst of manic fun late last year, a cocktail of ‘Die Hard’, ‘Home Alone’ and, to some degree ‘Santa Claus: The Movie’ which saw David Harbour’s not-so-jolly old Saint Nick taking out criminals who took a wealthy family hostage.

The Universal movie was a box office hit, earning more than $75 million worldwide (with more coming from its digital home entertainment release) off the back of a $20 million budget.

Now, according to director Tommy Wirkola (talking to The Wrap), the pieces are falling into place for a follow-up. “We’re talking about it and we’re just making deals and getting everything in order.”

In case you were a Grinch and skipped it, ‘Violent Night’ starred Harbour as a version of Santa who is feeling a little jaded about the whole Christmas thing after centuries of delivering presents to increasingly ungrateful kids.

A Norse warrior lord before he was tapped to don the red suit and bring joy to the world, he’s tired of lists asking for cash or video games, and of competing with Amazon. Plus, the genuine “thank yous” are few and far between.

(L to R) Jason (Alex Hassell), Gertrude (Beverly D’Angelo), Alva (Edi Patterson), Linda (Alexis Louder), Trudy (Leah Brady) and Santa (David Harbour) in ‘Violent Night,’ directed by Tommy Wirkola.

So when he stumbles into a hostage situation at the Lightstone family compound, where the wealthy Gertrude (Beverly D’Angelo) and her grown kids, in-laws and grandchildren have gathered to celebrate a typically passive-aggressive Christmas, he’s initially more concerned with raiding the liquor cabinet than helping out, he’s moved by young Trudy Lightstone (Leah Brady) to take down the villain known as Scrooge (John Leguizamo) and his goons.

Written by ‘Sonic the Hedgehog’ duo Pat Casey and Josh Miller and produced by David Leitch’s action-orientated 87North company, the film is a winning blend of laughs and kick-ass set pieces.

According to Wirkola, who was out promoting the Blu-ray release, the team will not be rushing to make the follow-up, so don’t go looking under the cinematic tree this year. “We have time to really crack the script and figure out the story,” Wirkola says. “And we have some ideas, me and Pat and Josh and the producers, we’ve been talking about where we want to take it and what we want to see.”

Of course, there are no details on what the story might be yet, besides Harbour’s Santa facing another situation. But Wirkola and co. know what they have left to play with.

“There’s stuff we left on the floor like the North Pole, Mrs. Claus, the elves,” Wirkola adds. “But story-wise I think we have a really, really cool idea that expands on the world and scope, but still keeping that tone that we love from the first one.”

As long as it’s full of Harbour dealing rough justice to those on the naughty list, it could be another winner.

(L to R) Alexis Louder, and David Harbour in ‘Violent Night.’ © Universal Studios.
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January 23, 2023
Movie Review: ‘Violent Night’

(L to R) Leah Brady, and David Harbour in ‘Violent Night.’ © Universal Studios.

Punching into theaters on December 2nd, ‘Violent Night’ represents the sort of Christmas movie that is certainly not festive fun for the whole family. But for those whose tastes run more towards the more brutally entertaining likes of ‘Atomic Blonde’ or ‘Bullet Train’, it’s got some fun lurking in Santa’s sack.

Father Christmas in this case is played by ‘Stranger Things’ David Harbour as a grizzled, jaded sort introduced drowning his sorrows at a pub in England between “shifts” delivering presents to the ungrateful spawn of the world. A Nordic warrior who has been handing out presents for more than 1100 years now, he’s seen it all.

And as the world has moved on from more traditional Christmases towards cash gifts, Amazon deliveries and video games, he’s become increasingly disillusioned, ranting about kids who “want, crave and consume”. The movie’s cynically playful tone is set early on when the barkeep, concerned that the sozzled Santa has headed to the roof, is overjoyed to discover him flying away on the traditional reindeer-pulled sleigh, only to be drenched in vomit by the overindulging Claus.

So what can help Santa regain the joy and belief in himself if fewer and fewer are believing in him? Tommy Wirkola’s new film, written by ‘Sonic the Hedgehog’ script duo Pat Casey and Josh Miller, posits that what he needs is a ferocious encounter with thieves who are looking to rob a wealthy family.

(L to R) Stephanie Sy, John Leguizamo, and André Eriksen in ‘Violent Night,’ directed by Tommy Wirkola. © Universal Studios.

Led by John Leguizamo’s Scrooge – his code name – this bunch of Naughty List-dwelling robbers have finagled their way into the swanky, well-defended Lightstone compound posing as caterers and entertainers. Before long, the squabbling brood overseen by Beverly D’Angelo’s Gertrude Lightstone (who is much more a female Logan Roy from ‘Succession’ than ‘National Lampoon’s sweet Ellen Griswold) are being held at gunpoint while the gang look to raid their vault.

Of course, Santa shows up to deliver gifts (and sample some expensive whiskey) and has to help save these largely irredeemable types from the even nastier threat that has invaded their home. His real motivation, though, is young Trudy Lightstone (Leah Brady), a sweet-natured girl who just wants her parents Jason (Alex Hassell) and Linda (Alexis Louder) to reconcile.

It’s a set up that promises plenty of opportunities, but the movie tends to squander them with first-draft family dynamics and mugging from some of the cast (though others, such as ‘The Righteous Gemstones’ Edi Patterson grab the chance to be despicable and run with it).

When the saccharine stuff eventually creeps in, it’s largely manageable and not too sickly, largely balanced by the violence that has been perpetrated before.

(L to R) Director Tommy Wirkola and David Harbour on the set of ‘Violent Night.’ © Universal Studios.

While the story can’t quite hold everything together, the set-pieces have much more value. Which is perhaps not surprising given both director Wirkola’s past movies such as ‘Dead Snow’ and ‘Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters’ and the team from 87North.

Spawned from the stunt training facility co-founded by David Leitch (who produces here) and Chad Stahelski after their days working on the original ‘Matrix’ trilogy, it has since become one of the go-to destinations for actors looking to whip themselves into fighting shape. And to design memorable action moments for both the founders and other filmmakers.

Here, the focus is on inventive ways to off nameless (or codenamed) goons with different takes on Christmas staples or other items. So Harbour’s Santa battles armed thieves with a stocking full of pool balls, festive decorations and, in one particularly stabby/slashy moment, an ice skate.

And there is the most inventive, splashy use of Santa’s chimney transport trick to murder someone that we’ve seen in the cinema. Which shouldn’t be surprising, as Santas outside of the odd horror movie don’t generally go on killing sprees.

(L to R) Alexis Louder, and David Harbour in ‘Violent Night.’ © Universal Studios.

Harbour absolutely commits to the role of a Santa Claus who used to spend his days smashing heads with a hammer, and despite being tired from years of Christmas duty, still relishes the chance to punish the naughty with more than just coal. Cue lots of spins on Christmas song lyrics turned into catchphrases.

‘Violent Night’ also tips its hat early on to its big influences – ‘Die Hard’, obviously, with Harbour’s character having more than a little John McClane about him – world-weary protagonist dropped into a tough situation who often has to stitch himself up. And then there’s Trudy trying out some ‘Home Alone’ booby traps against the baddies with less cartoony results than Kevin McCallister ever dreamed of.

Forced to do a lot of the heavy lifting, the fight scenes don’t always balance out the fact that the plot is thin and the characters less than stimulating. The baddies are mostly just stock criminals waiting for Santa to kill them off. There are times when it all feels like a video game as Harbour ploughs through the different level of challenges, which is somehow fitting given the writers’ ‘Sonic’ experience.

Yet even Leguizamo, bringing a welcome cocktail of rage and humor to the main villain, can’t quite make it all hang together, leaving the story to droop like an old Christmas tree.

(L to R) Mitra Suri and John Leguizamo in ‘Violent Night,’ directed by Tommy Wirkola. © Universal Studios.

Plus the twists and turns are entirely predictable, leaving Santa as the main reason to keep watching. Wirkola has some fun with the situation, and the needle drops feature some more eclectic choices alongside the standards, it’s just disappointing that the movie doesn’t do more with what it has.

Yet like a slightly overdone gingerbread cookie, it still has its pleasures, mostly whenever Harbour is on screen. Or when a nativity scene is utilized to take out some villains in a way that would probably give the Pope a conniption fit.

It could certainly benefit from a little more of the Christmas magic that Santa keeps talking about, but ‘Violent Night’ is worth unwrapping at the cinema if you ever wondered what ‘John Wick’ at Yule would look like.

‘Violent Night receives 3.5 out of 5 stars.

David Harbour in ‘Violent Night,’ directed by Tommy Wirkola.
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December 3, 2022