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  • A ‘One of Them Days’ Sequel is in the Works

    (L to R) Keke Palmer and SZA in Tri-Star Picture’s 'One of Them Days'. Photo courtesy of Sony Pictures.
    (L to R) Keke Palmer and SZA in Tri-Star Picture’s ‘One of Them Days’. Photo courtesy of Sony Pictures.

    Preview:

    • TriStar Pictures is planning a ‘One of Them Days’ sequel.
    • Stars Keke Palmer and SZA are expected to return.
    • We don’t know what the story will be yet.

    Looks like Keke Palmer and SZA are going to have another one of them days.

    TriStar Pictures, which saw a big win with comedy movie ‘One of Them Days’ back in January, is looking to reunite the team behind and in front of the camera for a sequel.

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    Variety reports that the company is in the early stages of putting the pieces together for a follow-up, which would bring the actors back for a new story.

    Also potentially returning is director Lawrence Lamont, who made his debut with the movie, alongside writer Syreeta Singleton, while Issa Rae will produce via her Hoorae Media.

    Related Article: ‘One of Them Days’ is an Entertaining Tale of Friends Who Must Scramble to Find the Rent

    What was the story for ‘One of Them Days’?

    (L to R) Keke Palmer and SZA in Tri-Star Picture’s 'One of Them Days'. Photo by Anne Marie Fox.
    (L to R) Keke Palmer and SZA in Tri-Star Picture’s ‘One of Them Days’. Photo by Anne Marie Fox.

    The movie follows best friends and roommates Dreux (Palmer) and Alyssa (SZA) as they race against the clock to avoid eviction when they discover Alyssa’s boyfriend has blown their rent money on the same day Dreux has an important interview for her dream gig.

    The movie, set in South Los Angeles which, comparisons to classic comedies such as ‘Friday,’ also stars Lil Rel Howery, Janelle James, Keyla Monterroso Mejia, Maude Apatow, Katt Williams, Joshua Neal, Aziza Scott, Patrick Cage, Dewayne Perkins, Amin Joseph, Gabrielle Dennis and DomiNque Perry.

    It was a breakout hit at the box office, grossing more than $50 million worldwide after its January release — a particularly strong number for an R-rated, mid-budget comedy. The critically acclaimed film (including a stellar 94% rating on Rotten Tomatoes) was also a standout on Netflix, where it spent three weeks on the streamer’s top 10 list.

    (L to R) Lawrence Lamont, SZA and Keke Palmer on the set of Tri-Star Picture’s 'One of Them Days'. Photo by Anne Marie Fox.
    (L to R) Lawrence Lamont, SZA and Keke Palmer on the set of Tri-Star Picture’s ‘One of Them Days’. Photo by Anne Marie Fox.

    The project was born from the CoCre lab at Sony Pictures, where Singleton’s script (originally titled ‘The Jungles’ after the neighborhood where it’s set) spent nearly seven years in development before launching in theaters.

    Here’s TriStar Pictures president Nicole Brown talking about the program:

    “This program is, while modern, in terms of championing diverse voices, it’s old-fashioned in the way of believing in writers, believing in talent, investing in talented people, and saying, ‘Let’s keep building this relationship.’ When we’re patient and invest in talent, then great work can come. But we have to give them the time to build, and we’ve got to give them the support. I hope it will inspire more studios to invest in great voices and give them the time to build great things.”

    And this is what Singleton said about the script before the original was released:

    “Prior to that, I had just been writing spec scripts, so I didn’t have any expectations. I felt very seen, understood, comfortable and excited. Like my stories were in good hands with people who genuinely cared about what it was I was trying to do.”

    What will the ‘One of Them Days’ sequel be about?

    (L to R) Director Lawrence Lamont, Producer Issa Rae and Keke Palmer on the set of Tri-Star Picture’s 'One of Them Days'. Photo by Anne Marie Fox.
    (L to R) Director Lawrence Lamont, Producer Issa Rae and Keke Palmer on the set of Tri-Star Picture’s ‘One of Them Days’. Photo by Anne Marie Fox.

    Given that none of the deals are officially in place yet, it’s too early to even guess what Dreux and Alyssa might have to deal with in the sequel.

    But that’s not going to stop us! There’s every chance we’ll see them once more on a mission to figure out their lives –– especially SZA’s Alyssa.

    With luck, it’ll feature a similar extended ensemble and Keyla Monterroso Mejia (who played offbeat loan company employee Kathy), will get more to do –– she was a breakout star of the original.

    Where else will we see Keke Palmer and SZA?

    (L to R) SZA and Keke Palmer in Tri-Star Picture’s 'One of Them Days'. Photo by Anne Marie Fox.
    (L to R) SZA and Keke Palmer in Tri-Star Picture’s ‘One of Them Days’. Photo by Anne Marie Fox.

    Palmer has a few projects on the way, including heist movie ‘The Pickup’, in which she stars opposite Eddie Murphy. It’s the story of a routine cash pickup turning into a deadly pursuit when two mismatched armored truck drivers are ambushed by ruthless criminals with plans beyond the cash.

    The movie will debut on Prime Video on August 6th.

    Beyond that, there is Aziz Ansari’s comedy ‘Good Fortune,’ hitting theaters on October 17th, ‘The Angry Birds Movie 3’ and Boots Riley’s new movie, ‘I Love Boosters.’

    SZA, meanwhile, makes an appearance in documentary series ‘Another West Side Story’, but a release date for that has yet to be announced.

    She’s also attached to Eddie Huang’s new project ‘Tuna Melt,’ though that is still in development.

    When will the ‘One of Them Days’ sequel be in theaters?

    TriStar will be waiting to see how this one comes together before setting a release date.

    (L to R) Keke Palmer and SZA in Tri-Star Picture’s 'One of Them Days'. Photo by Anne Marie Fox.
    (L to R) Keke Palmer and SZA in Tri-Star Picture’s ‘One of Them Days’. Photo by Anne Marie Fox.

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  • TV Review: ‘Win or Lose’

    Directed by Carrie Hobson and Michael Yates, 'Win or Lose' streams on Disney+ in Fall 2023. © 2023 Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved.
    Directed by Carrie Hobson and Michael Yates, ‘Win or Lose’ streams on Disney+ in Fall 2023. © 2023 Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved.

    ‘Win or Lose’ receives 7.5 out of 10 stars.

    Landing on Disney+ with its first two episodes, ‘Win or Lose’ represents the first Pixar small screen effort that isn’t tied to one of its movies, unlike ‘Dug Days’ or ‘Dream Productions.’

    And while both of those had their charms, ‘Win or Lose’ scores its own victory by going off in some odd tangents while also channeling what it feels like to be a middle-schooler faced with the pressure of life and sports.

    Related Article: Director Kelsey Mann Presents Footage from Pixar’s ‘Inside Out 2’

    Does ‘Win or Lose’ score?

    'Win or Lose' features the voice of Will Forte as Coach Dan. 'Win or Lose' streams on Disney+ in Fall 2023.
    ‘Win or Lose’ features the voice of Will Forte as Coach Dan. ‘Win or Lose’ streams on Disney+ in Fall 2023.

    We can’t talk about ‘Win or Lose’ without addressing the elephant in the room –– there has been big controversy about the show for it effectively wiping a trans character’s storyline from the show. Kai, voiced by Chanel Stewart, is still present (and still receives her own spotlight episode), but all references to gender identity have been removed.

    It’s a disappointing, shocking development, especially at a time when the entire LGBTQ community feels targeted. And it certainly doesn’t put the series in the best light.

    Yet taken as a whole this remains an entertaining, energetic production that has plenty to offer.

    Script and Direction

    In Pixar Animation Studios’ 'Win or Lose,' Rochelle (voice of Milan Elizabeth Ray) looks like she has it all together. Directed, written and executive produced by Carrie Hobson and Michael Yates, and produced David Lally, 'Win or Lose' begins streaming on Disney+ Feb. 19, 2025. © 2025 Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved.
    In Pixar Animation Studios’ ‘Win or Lose,’ Rochelle (voice of Milan Elizabeth Ray) looks like she has it all together. Directed, written and executive produced by Carrie Hobson and Michael Yates, and produced David Lally, ‘Win or Lose’ begins streaming on Disney+ Feb. 19, 2025. © 2025 Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved.

    Carrie Hobson wrote, directed and executive produced the series alongside Michael Yates, and the feeling here is very much of the more exuberant animation you’d find at the likes of Adult Swim or Nickelodeon than the more laidback Pixar style of old.

    Video games (and the cross-media likes of Scott Pilgrim) are a big influence here, but that isn’t to take away from the heart and emotion that infuses each episode.

    The early episodes might initially seem to end abruptly, but that’s because of the combined nature of the show –– we’ll end up seeing scenes from different perspective, and it all balances out well (at least in the five episodes of eight provided to press) in terms of how the story is told.

    ‘Win or Lose’s characters are also compelling –– for all the vibrant, quirky animation, it never loses sight that you need to care for the people on screen, even when they aren’t living up to their full potential.

    Concepts such as one of their players having an imaginary burden in the form of a living globule of sweat help to make the new show stand out from previous efforts. It certainly won’t be to all tastes, but aside from the egregious removal of one character’s true nature, it shows some bravery.

    As a visual experience, the show also pushes the envelope in terms of Pixar animation, and the world around them is brought to beautifully, uniquely stylish life. The Anytown American setting is chock full of nuance and the shots are superbly crafted.

    Performances

    In Pixar Animation Studios’ 'Win or Lose,' Laurie (voice of Rosie Foss) may not be the most skilled player on her softball team. Directed, written and executive produced by Carrie Hobson and Michael Yates, and produced David Lally, 'Win or Lose' begins streaming on Disney+ Feb. 19, 2025. © 2025 Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved.
    In Pixar Animation Studios’ ‘Win or Lose,’ Laurie (voice of Rosie Foss) may not be the most skilled player on her softball team. Directed, written and executive produced by Carrie Hobson and Michael Yates, and produced David Lally, ‘Win or Lose’ begins streaming on Disney+ Feb. 19, 2025. © 2025 Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved.

    Though Will Forte is the biggest name among the cast, his character dips in and out of the episodes and he’ll get his spotlight in the finale. But his chemistry with some of the players, particularly daughter Laurie (Rosie Foss) is sweet-natured and believable.

    Laurie herself anchors the first episode and is an angsty delight who tries her best but can’t seem to replicate the skill levels of her fellow players. It’s in her episode that we meet the aforementioned sweat glob, “Sweaty” and Jo Firestone’s performance as the anthropomorphic, illusory creature is honestly one of the highlights of the series. Her subtle voice acting makes the strange concept absolutely work.

    Other focuses include Frank (Josh Thomson), a middle-school teacher and the umpire for the local softball league whose love life is a disaster and who really just wants to be happy. Thomson is great in the role, and his contributions to other episodes also work.

    There is also good work to be found from Milan Elizabeth Ray as Rochelle and Rosa Salazar as her mother, Vanessa. One is the best player on her team, while her mom is a driven single mother of two who crams in different jobs and her dream to be a social media influencer on the side, all while caring for her kids. Theirs is a sweet, grounded dynamic even as Vanessa sometimes comes off (on purpose) as a video game character trying to reach a new level of success.

    Final Thoughts

    In Pixar Animation Studios’ 'Win or Lose,' Yuwen (voice of Izaac Wang) is the pitcher and resident jokester of the softball team. Directed, written and executive produced by Carrie Hobson and Michael Yates, and produced David Lally, 'Win or Lose' begins streaming on Disney+ Feb. 19, 2025. © 2025 Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved.
    In Pixar Animation Studios’ ‘Win or Lose,’ Yuwen (voice of Izaac Wang) is the pitcher and resident jokester of the softball team. Directed, written and executive produced by Carrie Hobson and Michael Yates, and produced David Lally, ‘Win or Lose’ begins streaming on Disney+ Feb. 19, 2025. © 2025 Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved.

    ‘Win or Lose’ has a lot going for it, including a unique style and great vocal work from the cast. For those who have been pushing Pixar to do something truly original again, this is probably the safest place for it to appear, since the box office pressure is off.

    And the interconnected, deep-dive nature of the storytelling really only works on the small screen. Aside from the dumb decisions of nervous higher-ups, this is the creative team fielding a winner.

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    What’s the plot of ‘Win or Lose’?

    The series follows the intertwined stories of eight different characters as they each prepare for their big championship softball game. The series reveals what it actually feels like to be in the shoes of each character — the insecure kids, their helicopter parents, even a lovesick umpire — with funny, emotional and uniquely animated perspectives.

    Who stars in ‘Win or Lose’?

    Directed by Carrie Hobson and Michael Yates, 'Win or Lose' streams on Disney+ in Fall 2023. © 2023 Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved.
    Directed by Carrie Hobson and Michael Yates, ‘Win or Lose’ streams on Disney+ in Fall 2023. © 2023 Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved.

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  • Movie Review: ‘Dog Man’

    DreamWorks Animation’s 'Dog Man', directed by Peter Hastings.
    DreamWorks Animation’s ‘Dog Man’, directed by Peter Hastings.

    ‘Dog Man’ receives 6 out of 10 stars.

    Opening in theaters on January 31st, ‘Dog Man’ is proof that there is surely no children’s book that DreamWorks Animation won’t try to adapt for its ever-hungry franchise machine.

    Yes, if you thought ‘The Boss Baby’ was the wildest source material the company could track down, you’ve clearly never seen 2017’s ‘Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie,’ the first DreamWorks title to draw from Dav Pilkey’s particular style of books.

    Related Article: Lil Rel Howery Talks Comedy Mystery ‘Reunion’ and Working with the Cast

    Will ‘Dog Man’ arrest your family’s time?

    Chief (Lil Rel Howery) in DreamWorks Animation’s 'Dog Man', directed by Peter Hastings.
    Chief (Lil Rel Howery) in DreamWorks Animation’s ‘Dog Man’, directed by Peter Hastings.

    How much you appreciate ‘Dog Man’ might depend on your tolerance for very loud, extremely wacky shenanigans that also try to cram in a little heart to make the story work. There are few concessions to convention here, but the idea that this is based on kids’ work –– after all, the ‘Dog Man’ books were, in canon of the books, at least, created by the young heroes of ‘Captain Underpants’ –– really shines through.

    Script and Direction

    'Dog Man' director Peter Hastings. Photo: DreamWorks Animation.
    ‘Dog Man’ director Peter Hastings. Photo: DreamWorks Animation.

    Peter Hastings pulled triple duty on this one, adapting Pilkey’s book into the script, directing and providing the voice for Officer Knight, Greg the dog and their eventual, post-accident combination, Dog Man.

    As a writer, he really has channeled the anarchic feel of the ‘Captain Underpants’ universe, where ‘Dog Man’ was first created. Younger children in particular will thrill to the wilder moments, such as giant buildings being brought to life and the idea of characters’ howls turning into letters that litter the ground after they fall.

    As director, he has conjured up the look of the ‘Dog Man’ books, adapted for 3D animation, in bouncy, squishy, hectic form. Again, the visual style will primarily appeal to younger audiences, while parents might at time regret bringing them to see this one.

    ‘Dog Man’: Performances

    Around Hastings’ main character, the cast is loaded with comedy talent.

    Peter Hastings as Dog Man

    Peter Hastings voices Dog Man in DreamWorks Animation’s 'Dog Man', directed by Peter Hastings.
    Peter Hastings voices Dog Man in DreamWorks Animation’s ‘Dog Man’, directed by Peter Hastings.

    It’s perhaps sometimes stretching things to say Hastings performs as Dog Man, but he does infuse the character’s barks with solid heart and comedy value.

    Pete Davidson as Petey

    Pete Davidson voices Petey in DreamWorks Animation’s 'Dog Man', directed by Peter Hastings.
    Pete Davidson voices Petey in DreamWorks Animation’s ‘Dog Man’, directed by Peter Hastings.

    While Davidson’s style in live-action might not to be to everyone’s taste, but he’s definitely the right person to voice the scheming, chaotic feline who is Dog Man’s nemesis in the books.

    He certainly embraces the wacky style of the voice characterizations in general and appears to be having a blast bringing the character to life.

    Isla Fisher as Sarah Hatoff

    Isla Fisher voices Sarah Hatoff in DreamWorks Animation’s 'Dog Man', directed by Peter Hastings.
    Isla Fisher voices Sarah Hatoff in DreamWorks Animation’s ‘Dog Man’, directed by Peter Hastings.

    Ohkay City’s (where story is set), ace reporter, Sarah is firmly in the April O’Neil mold, forever chasing the next story, and becoming wrapped up in Dog Man’s story.

    Fisher brings a likeable, funny energy to the part.

    Lil Rel Howery as Chief

    Lil Rel Howery voices Chief in DreamWorks Animation’s 'Dog Man', directed by Peter Hastings.
    Lil Rel Howery voices Chief in DreamWorks Animation’s ‘Dog Man’, directed by Peter Hastings.

    Dog Man’s forever frustrated boss, Chief is perpetually under pressure from city authorities including the Mayor, who makes big demands on his time.

    Howery is a shouty, entertaining presence in the movie.

    Stephen Root as Grampa

    Root, a comedy veteran, was a solid idea to play Petey’s delinquent father, and makes him an almost entirely unsympathetic character. It’s a testament to the movie that it doesn’t try to cram in an emotional arc for at least this character.

    Ricky Gervais as Flippy

    Ricky Gervais voices Flippy in DreamWorks Animation’s 'Dog Man', directed by Peter Hastings.
    Ricky Gervais voices Flippy in DreamWorks Animation’s ‘Dog Man’, directed by Peter Hastings.

    A telekinetic fish who is dead when the story begins but is brought back to life by the Living Spray Factory (you really just have to embrace the weirdness here), Flippy is a major antagonist.

    And while, like Davidson, Gervais can be a divisive figure, he makes for a watchable villain, fully understanding the assignment.

    Butler (Poppy Liu) in DreamWorks Animation’s 'Dog Man', directed by Peter Hastings.
    Butler (Poppy Liu) in DreamWorks Animation’s ‘Dog Man’, directed by Peter Hastings.

    Poppy Liu as Butler

    One of the comic highlights of the movie, Butler is Petey’s sarcastic aide, always ready with a dry comment or quip, and the running joke about the money he owes her is one of the better examples in the script.

    Final Thoughts

    Dog Man (Peter Hastings) in DreamWorks Animation’s 'Dog Man', directed by Peter Hastings.
    Dog Man (Peter Hastings) in DreamWorks Animation’s ‘Dog Man’, directed by Peter Hastings.

    ‘Dog Man’ really does evoke the look and comedy of Pilkey’s work. It’s certainly more approachable than, say, the confusing likes of the web series ‘Skibidi Toilet’ and blends zany antics with some decent gags (our favorite was probably the Indifferent Store, which remarks “meh” when brought to life).

    Though some kids were a little restless at the screening we attended, it should at least capture the imagination of the books’ fans.

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    What’s the plot of ‘Dog Man’?

    When a human police officer named Knight and his dog Greg are injured together on the job, a life-saving surgery changes the course of history when Dog Man is born. Dog Man (Peter Hastings) must protect and serve as he doggedly pursues the feline Petey the Cat (Pete Davidson), but the unexpected arrival of Li’l Petey (Lucas Hopkins) changes their dynamic

    Who is in the voice cast of ‘Dog Man’?

    • Peter Hastings as the vocal effects of Dog Man
    • Pete Davidson as Petey
    • Lucas Hopkins as Li’l Petey
    • Lil Rel Howery as Chief
    • Isla Fisher as Sarah Hatoff
    • Billy Boyd as Seamus
    • Ricky Gervais as Flippy the Fish
    • Stephen Root as Grampa
    • Poppy Liu as Butler
    (from left) Li’l Petey (Lucas Hopkins Calderon) and Dog Man (Peter Hastings) in DreamWorks Animation’s 'Dog Man', directed by Peter Hastings.
    (from left) Li’l Petey (Lucas Hopkins Calderon) and Dog Man (Peter Hastings) in DreamWorks Animation’s ‘Dog Man’, directed by Peter Hastings.

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  • Movie Review: ‘One of Them Days’

    (L to R) Keke Palmer and SZA in Tri-Star Picture’s 'One of Them Days'. Photo by Anne Marie Fox.
    (L to R) Keke Palmer and SZA in Tri-Star Picture’s ‘One of Them Days’. Photo by Anne Marie Fox.

    Opening in theaters on January 17th, ‘One of Them Days’ features two knockout performances from Keke Palmer and in an impressive film lead debut, SZA. Yet the movie around them is sadly not always worthy of their commitment.

    Full of weird, pantomime performances, the ramshackle plot is perfectly serviceable as a ticking-clock quest-meets-hangout comedy, but not much more than that.

    Related Article: Movie Review: ‘Nope’

    Will ‘One of Them Days’ Rent Space in Your Head?

    (L to R) SZA and Keke Palmer in Tri-Star Picture’s 'One of Them Days'. Photo courtesy of Sony Pictures.
    (L to R) SZA and Keke Palmer in Tri-Star Picture’s ‘One of Them Days’. Photo courtesy of Sony Pictures.

    Sometimes dipping into annoying cliches in search of relatable nuggets of life experience, ‘One of Them Days’ struggles to completely balance its tone, preferring to dive further and further into farce as the situation deepens. And while we use the word “deepens,” that doesn’t really describe what actually happens here –– it just ratchets up the madness in the hopes of making you laugh.

    How much you do actually find yourself chuckling might depend on your tolerance for actors shouting in lieu of a performance –– which we suppose comes with the territory when there is only limited time to spend with the supporting ensemble and everyone beyond Palmer and SZA are just trying to make an exception.

    Script and Direction

    (L to R) Director Lawrence Lamont, Producer Issa Rae and Keke Palmer on the set of Tri-Star Picture’s 'One of Them Days'. Photo by Anne Marie Fox.
    (L to R) Director Lawrence Lamont, Producer Issa Rae and Keke Palmer on the set of Tri-Star Picture’s ‘One of Them Days’. Photo by Anne Marie Fox.

    Syreeta Singleton, a veteran of Issa Rae’s TV shows including ‘Insecure’ and ‘Rap Sh!t’ (Rae is a producer here), Singleton’s script largely does justice to the two main characters, while many of the others feel like they’ve wandered in from a sketch. Indeed, the whole structure of the story feels episodic, or like that of a video game, with Palmer and SZA going through different levels of difficulty to achieve their aims.

    The screenplay does at least also offer the leading pair a cheery, challenged friendship that feels authentic even if the events around them are cartoonish. Palmer’s Dreux is an ambitious young woman who dreams of running her own restaurant franchise, while SZA’s Alyssa is a flightier artist struggling to make ends meet and obsessed with boyfriend Keshawn (Joshua Neal), who is particularly blessed in one department (hint: it’s not brains). You empathize with their struggle and they’re charming enough as a duo to keep the story moving.

    Director Lawrence Lamont on the set of Tri-Star Picture’s 'One of Them Days'. Photo courtesy of Sony Pictures and Anne Marie Fox.
    Director Lawrence Lamont on the set of Tri-Star Picture’s ‘One of Them Days’. Photo courtesy of Sony Pictures and Anne Marie Fox.

    Director Lawrence Lamont has his own Rae connection thanks to ‘Rap Sh!t,’ but is better known as a music video helmer for the likes of Big Sean and J.Cole.

    His visual style here is unfussy, helping to move the story along, but he doesn’t quite make everything about the movie work. The performances are, as we mentioned above, a mixed bag.

    ‘One of Them Days’: Performances

    This is most certainly Keke Palmer and SZA’s movie, with one or two other notable turns.

    Keke Palmer as Dreux

    Palmer has consistently proved she’s someone who can have chemistry with a wall if needed, her natural charm shining through the role and her comic timing on full display here.

    She’s an able physical comedian, but more importantly, can keep the character intact as all around her becomes abject chaos.

    (L to R) Keke Palmer and SZA in Tri-Star Picture’s 'One of Them Days'. Photo courtesy of Sony Pictures.
    (L to R) Keke Palmer and SZA in Tri-Star Picture’s ‘One of Them Days’. Photo courtesy of Sony Pictures.

    SZA as Alyssa

    SZA, more normally found as a successful recording artist (the vast majority of her film credits so far have been on soundtracks), is the big surprise here, making a truly impressive debut, bringing spirited life to Alyssa and meshing well with Palmer.

    She’s believably goofy while also coming across as more than a human cartoon.

    Lil Rel Howery as The Buyer

    Howery is a reliable comedy performer, though here he has limited opportunity to show what he can do, showing up for one scene (albeit a memorable one).

    Keyla Monterroso Mejia as Kathy

    The payday loan company worker who handles Dreux and Alyssa’s application for money makes a real impact with her freewheeling, sarcastic turn, one of the few characters who is both manic but also truly entertaining.

    Katt Williams as Lucky

    Williams plays the seemingly homeless, debt-ridden type who tries to warn our main characters to stay well away from the Payday loan business. It’s a small supporting role, but Williams has fun with it.

    Maude Apatow in Tri-Star Picture’s 'One of Them Days'. Photo courtesy of Sony Pictures.
    Maude Apatow in Tri-Star Picture’s ‘One of Them Days’. Photo courtesy of Sony Pictures.

    Maude Apatow as Bethany

    Apatow’s character is essentially a plot device and a one-note joke; the naive white woman who moves into Dreux and Alyssa’s apartment building in LA’s Baldwin Hills area and who ultimately helps them in their quest for cash.

    Joshua Neal as Keshawn

    Neal’s Keshawn, a wannabe entrepreneur with little idea how to make money (but plenty of ways to spend it) is a gun little role that compliments Palmer and SZA’s characters even if he comes across more a caricature than an actual person.

    Final Thoughts

    (L to R) SZA and Keke Palmer in Tri-Star Picture’s 'One of Them Days'. Photo by Anne Marie Fox.
    (L to R) SZA and Keke Palmer in Tri-Star Picture’s ‘One of Them Days’. Photo by Anne Marie Fox.

    ‘One of Them Days’ never quite approaches the standards of classic comedies such as the ‘Friday’ movies, but it’s amiable enough to keep the laughs flowing, anchored by two solid lead performances.

    Fans of Issa Rae’s TV work will be satisfied enough, even if nothing here has the room to develop the way a series’ storylines can. Just don’t expect more than silly comedy here.

    ‘One of Them Days’ receives 6 out of 10 stars.

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    What’s the plot of ‘One of Them Days’?

    When best friends and roommates Dreux (Keke Palmer) and Alyssa (SZA) discover Alyssa’s boyfriend (Joshua Neal) has blown their rent money, the duo finds themselves going to extremes in a race against the clock to avoid eviction and keep their friendship intact.

    Who is in the cast of ‘One of Them Days’?

    (L to R) Keke Palmer and SZA in Tri-Star Picture’s 'One of Them Days'. Photo by Anne Marie Fox.
    (L to R) Keke Palmer and SZA in Tri-Star Picture’s ‘One of Them Days’. Photo by Anne Marie Fox.

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  • Movie Review: ‘Reunion’

    Lil Rel Howery, Jillian Bell, Nina Dobrev, Michael Hitchcock and Jamie Chung in 'Reunion'.
    (L to R) Lil Rel Howery, Jillian Bell, Nina Dobrev, Michael Hitchcock and Jamie Chung in ‘Reunion’. Photo: Republic Pictures.

    Available on digital beginning June 28th, ‘Reunion’ feels more like it escaped rather than released, and the results clearly speak as to why.

    Despite some game performances from usually funny people, the movie can’t overcome the stale feeling that this is a half-hearted stab at both being a comedy and murder mystery that offers little in the way of invention.

    Related Article: Lil Rel Howery Talks Comedy Mystery ‘Reunion’ and Working with the Cast

    Is ‘Reunion’ Worth Attending?

    Michael Hitchcock, Jillian Bell, Nina Dobrev, Jamie Chung and Lil Rel Howery in 'Reunion'.
    (L to R) Michael Hitchcock, Jillian Bell, Nina Dobrev, Jamie Chung and Lil Rel Howery in ‘Reunion’. Photo: Republic Pictures.

    It is tempting to suggest that ‘Reunion’ was birthed when someone watched the Apple TV+ comedy thriller series ‘The Afterparty’ (created by Phil Lord and Chris Miller and boasting both clever plotting and a quality cast) and decided, “we could do that, but on a skimpier budget.” Yet this “new” release was actually filmed back in 2021, so at least it has that in its defense.

    Still, any cinematic prosecutor could still point to the fact that it has mostly sat on a shelf since then, finally seeing a quiet release on digital initially overseas back in April. Can you, hand on heart, truly say you knew this was actually coming out?

    And if that sounds overly negative, the movie itself is not without entertainment value, but that’s mostly thanks to a cast who throw themselves into trying to make some mostly unfunny, not-so-thrilling material work.

    Script and Direction

    Cassandra Blair in 'Reunion'.
    Cassandra Blair in ‘Reunion’. Photo: Republic Pictures.

    Written by Willie Block and Jake Emanuel, this new murder mystery recycles many of the tropes you might expect from the genre. It gathers a group together (in this case, a 20-year high school reunion), introduces the various personalities and starts to reveal the bubbling resentments among the former school mates. Some have gone on to big success, others are struggling to get their lives in order, one is a weird creepy type… You’ll honestly end up feeling like you’ve seen and heard it all before, just in vague variations.

    And once the murder mystery kicks in (cue a power failure and a prime target ending up dead), things don’t improve by much, going through the motions of spotlighting potential suspects before wrapping it all up with some final twists you’ll likely see coming anyway.

    Director Chris Nelson has mostly specialized in romantic comedies, and has an eye for a solid comedy cast, which is one of the few saving graces here. For the most part, the movie’s style is basic, letting the performances carry it. Yet there are moments where the editing in particular is sloppy, certain scenes coming out of nowhere with little context.

    Performances

    Lil Rel Howery, Jillian Bell, Billy Magnussen, Nina Dobrev, Chace Crawford, Jamie Chung and Michael Hitchcock in 'Reunion'.
    (L to R) Lil Rel Howery, Jillian Bell, Billy Magnussen, Nina Dobrev, Chace Crawford, Jamie Chung and Michael Hitchcock in ‘Reunion’. Photo: Republic Pictures.

    ‘Reunion’, as we’ve previously mentioned, has some known and respected comedy talents, but rarely uses them as well as it might.

    Lil Rel Howery as Ray Hammond

    Lil Rel Howery in 'Reunion'.
    Lil Rel Howery in ‘Reunion’. Photo: Republic Pictures.

    Lil Rel Howery leans into his usual nervy, enthusiastic style, playing Ray, whose life hasn’t ended up where he might like. He’s not as successful, he’s still single and overall he’s looking at the reunion as a change to both fix the mistakes of the past and forge a better future. He’s our real way into the story, but even in Howery’s hands, Ray isn’t a particularly watchable personality. There are odd moments such as him taping beer bottles to his hands, which seems out of character for him.

    Billy Magnussen as Evan West

    Billy Magnussen, and Jamie Chung in 'Reunion'.
    (L to R) Billy Magnussen, and Jamie Chung in ‘Reunion’. Photo: Republic Pictures.

    Billy Magnussen’s Evan is a former high school football star still nursing bitterness over an injury that ended his potential career even before it began. These days, he’s a local cop, and still friends with Ray (though their connection can be fractious) and has his own reasons for attending the event. Magnussen certainly gives his all to the role, but he’s often left struggling.

    Jamie Chung as Jasmine Park

    Jamie Chung in 'Reunion'.
    Jamie Chung in ‘Reunion’. Photo: Republic Pictures.

    Jamie Chung plays a reporter who went to school with the others and had her own issues during her time there. She’s a reliably funny and charming performer here, but despite a little depth added later on, doesn’t have too much to go on and mostly sparks off of Magnussen and Howery.

    Chace Crawford as Mathew Danbury

    Chace Crawford in 'Reunion'.
    Chace Crawford in ‘Reunion’. Photo: Republic Pictures.

    Chase Crawford, who has proved his comedy chops many times over on ‘The Boys’ as The Deep is here left with a mostly shallow character to embody. He does what he can to make the wealthy Matthew a slightly sleazy but still charismatic type.

    Jillian Bell as Vivian Chase

    Jillian Bell can always be relied upon to make smaller roles work (though these days she also tends to take bigger parts) and here, as Vivian she’s saddled with a fairly straightforward quirky outsider character, and she stays watchable despite the flaccid script.

    Jillian Bell and Michael Hitchcock in 'Reunion'.
    (L to R) Jillian Bell and Michael Hitchcock in ‘Reunion’. Photo: Republic Pictures.

    Michael Hitchcock as Theodore Buckley

    Playing the bitter, drunken history teacher, Michael Hitchcock, like Bell, is a scene stealer when it comes to supporting roles. And honestly, the movie is lucky to have him.

    Nina Dobrev as Amanda Tanner

    Jillian Bell, Michael Hitchcock, Nina Dobrev and Jamie Chung in 'Reunion'.
    (L to R) Jillian Bell, Michael Hitchcock, Nina Dobrev and Jamie Chung in ‘Reunion’. Photo: Republic Pictures.

    Nina Dobrev is perhaps more of a surprise since she comes from more of a dramatic background. But she has comedy experience, and here is solid as the sociopathic (literally, she self-admits that), ambitious political type who offers a different flavor from the rest of the cast.

    Final Thoughts

    Jillian Bell in 'Reunion'.
    Jillian Bell in ‘Reunion’. Photo: Republic Pictures.

    ‘Reunion’ really doesn’t offer a whole lot that is fresh. Some of the jokes and character dynamics work, but for the most part, this is a minor entry in both the comedy and murder mystery canon.

    You don’t need to be Poirot to figure out while this one died on its feet and got stuck in release limbo.

    ‘Reunion’ receives 5.5 out of 10 stars.

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    What is the plot of ‘Reunion’?

    ‘Reunion’ features a wild ride of twists and turns when a high school reunion gets cut short by murder. Trapped in a snowbound mansion, they race to uncover which one of their old classmates is the killer before they’re all iced out for good.

    Who is in the cast of ‘Reunion’?

    • Lil Rel Howery as Ray Hammond
    • Billy Magnussen as Evan West
    • Jillian Bell as Vivian Chase
    • Jamie Chung as Jasmine Park
    • Michael Hitchcock as Mr. Theodore Buckley
    • Dianne Doan as Lisa Danbury
    • Cassandra Blair as Meagan Cooper
    • Nina Dobrev as Amanda Tanner
    • Chace Crawford as Mathew Danbury
    Lil Rel Howery talks 'Reunion'.
    Lil Rel Howery talks ‘Reunion’.

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  • ‘Reunion’ Exclusive Interview: Lil Rel Howery

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    Available to buy on digital beginning June 28th is the new comedy mystery ‘Reunion’, which was directed by Chris Nelson (‘The Perfect Date’).

    The movie stars an all-star cast that includes Lil Rel Howery (‘Get Out’), Billy Magnussen (‘Road House’), Jillian Bell (‘Candy Cane Lane’), Jamie Chung (‘Sucker Punch’), Nina Dobrev (‘XXX: Return of Xander Cage’), Chace Crawford (‘The Boys’), and Michael Hitchcock (‘Best in Show’).

    Related Article: Writer and Director Minhal Baig and Lil Rel Howery Talk ‘We Grown Now’

    Lil Rel Howery talks 'Reunion'.
    Lil Rel Howery talks ‘Reunion’.

    Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Lil Rel Howery about his work on ‘Reunion’, his first reaction to the screenplay, his favorite mystery comedies, working with the cast, his character, playing detective, and his characters’ favorite outfit.

    You can read our full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interviews with Howery, Nina Dobrev, Michael Hitchcock and director Chris Nelson.

    Lil Rel Howery, Jillian Bell, Nina Dobrev, and Michael Hitchcock in 'Reunion'.
    (L to R) Lil Rel Howery, Jillian Bell, Nina Dobrev, and Michael Hitchcock in ‘Reunion’. Photo: Republic Pictures.

    Moviefone: To begin with, can you talk about your first reaction to the screenplay and what did you think about the idea of being part of a mystery comedy?

    Lil Rel Howery: I’m a big fan of murder mysteries, and to make it hysterical was a goal of mine. It’s like, okay, if we’re going to do this, this must be funny. So, to be a part of this, where it’s a true whodunit, and you’re not going to really figure this out till the end and making it funny. I think this is one of my favorite movies I’ve done so far in my career because of that.

    MF: What are some of your favorite mystery comedies and did you draw influence from any of them for your performance?

    LRH: Yeah, I mean, ‘Clue’ is so good. Even with ‘Knives Out’, I was always watching ‘Knives Out’ and sometimes thinking like, “Man, if this was hysterical though.” I think that about a lot of stuff. I think that with horror films. Anything that’s so dramatic, I tend to think like that. I try to see if you could do the opposite thing with it. This is so random but it’s one of the reasons why I love the show ‘Bel-Air’ so much, because its ‘The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air’ as a drama. I think if you remake sitcoms, you should make them dramas.

    Lil Rel Howery, Jillian Bell, Billy Magnussen, Nina Dobrev, Chace Crawford, Jamie Chung and Michael Hitchcock in 'Reunion'.
    (L to R) Lil Rel Howery, Jillian Bell, Billy Magnussen, Nina Dobrev, Chace Crawford, Jamie Chung and Michael Hitchcock in ‘Reunion’. Photo: Republic Pictures.

    MF: Can you talk about working with the ensemble cast of actors?

    LRH: I mean, look, you got Nina (Dobrev), you got everyone. It’s just so many great people, and Michael (Hitchcock) is amazing. It was just everybody was funny. I think, that translated well because we all enjoyed each other off-screen too, and so it translated well on-screen. But honestly, it was a lot of laughs and a lot of fun. I liked how every character had its own arc, which is why I think this is going to be a tough movie to figure out who did what, because the writers, and Chris, and everybody, did a great job of making sure that everybody could look guilty. The performances were great.

    MF: Can you talk about Ray and Evan’s friendship, how that is tested in the movie and working with Billy Magnussen?

    LRH: First, Billy was a great collaborator to work with. I mean, we ended up becoming friends. That’s always cool too, when you’re scripted as friends and then you, really, become cool. A couple of the discussions me and Billy had earlier was about that. Who are these guys? How did they hang out in high school? What did they listen to? What did they bond with? When we were having those conversations, we were bonding with each other in general, you know what I mean? Without giving anything away, it’s interesting watching how their friendship transforms throughout trying to figure out who did what. It is one of those things you’re trying to see what your friend really thinks about you too. Ray really wanted to know from Evan, his true thoughts about him. Evan will say certain things and check him and let him know it is what it is. So, I’m trying to do this without saying anything. But their friendship is a very cool, unique one, that I think other people can relate to.

    Michael Hitchcock, Jillian Bell, Nina Dobrev, Jamie Chung and Lil Rel Howery in 'Reunion'.
    (L to R) Michael Hitchcock, Jillian Bell, Nina Dobrev, Jamie Chung and Lil Rel Howery in ‘Reunion’. Photo: Republic Pictures.

    MF: Ray ends up acting like a detective and trying to solve the mystery himself. Can you talk about that and how excited he is to fill that role?

    LRH: Well, I was trying to make sure Ray did that too, right? So, it was what would make him excited about doing this, and it would be because of the things he’s watched on television, right? The movies he’s seen and things like that. So, for me, it was channeling, what would get Ray excited about it? Which is why when you start seeing him looking for things in the beginning, he’s like, “Ooh, this is going to be like this.” He’s excited about the possibility of also doing something different than what his real life is. You know what I mean? So, it’s Ray trying to create another identity for himself, and he finds it in this moment of trying to figure out why one of their classmates is murdered.

    MF: Finally, Ray wears his favorite outfit from high school to his reunion. If you had to choose your favorite outfit from your whole life to wear to an event, what would that be?

    LRH: Wow. Well, for the last Oscars I went to, I hosted the pre-show. So, for me, I decided to dress like I was going to a 1970s Oscars. I had on bell-bottoms, and I bought the big bow tie. Literally we went and looked at what Richard Pryor wore, and other random people wore to the Oscars. That’s what I did. I literally created a suit based off going to the Oscars in the ‘70s.

    Ig9h6rSueki8Kki6p9bmO7

    What is the plot of ‘Reunion’?

    ‘Reunion’ features a wild ride of twists and turns when a high school reunion gets cut short by murder. Trapped in a snowbound mansion, they race to uncover which one of their old classmates is the killer before they’re all iced out for good.

    Who is in the cast of ‘Reunion’?

    • Lil Rel Howery as Ray Hammond
    • Billy Magnussen as Evan West
    • Jillian Bell as Vivian Chase
    • Jamie Chung as Jasmine Park
    • Michael Hitchcock as Mr. Theodore Buckley
    • Dianne Doan as Lisa Danbury
    • Cassandra Blair as Meagan Cooper
    • Nina Dobrev as Amanda Tanner
    • Chace Crawford as Mathew Danbury
    Lil Rel Howery in 'Reunion'.
    Lil Rel Howery in ‘Reunion’. Photo: Republic Pictures.

    Other Lil Rel Howery Movies and TV Shows:

    Buy Lil Rel Howery Movie On Amazon

     

  • ‘We Grown Now’ Interview: Minhal Baig and Lil Rel Howery

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    Opening in theaters on April 19th is the new drama ‘We Grown Now,’ which was written and directed by Minhal Baig (‘Hala’), and stars Jurnee Smollett (‘Birds of Prey’), Lil Rel Howery (‘Get Out’) and S. Epatha Merkerson (‘Terminator 2: Judgment Day’).

    Related Article: Director Clay Tarver Talks ‘Vacation Friends 2’ and Working with John Cena

    Lil Rel Howery and writer/director Minhal Baig talk 'We Grown Now'.
    (L to R) Lil Rel Howery and writer/director Minhal Baig talk ‘We Grown Now’.

    Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with writer and director Minhal Baig and Lil Rel Howery about their new film, developing the screenplay, the themes Baig wanted to explore, telling the story from the point of view of two young boys, Howery’s character, and what it means to him to be part of this project.

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

    'We Grown Now' writer/director Minhal Baig.
    ‘We Grown Now’ writer/director Minhal Baig. Photo: Sony Pictures Classics.

    Moviefone: To begin with, Minhal, can you talk about developing the screenplay, the themes you wanted to explore and telling the story from the point of view of these two young boys?

    Minhal Baig: The process of making this film started in 2018. I was connected to former Cabrini-Green residence, and I was approaching it from a place of curiosity. I’d just moved back to Chicago. I’d lost my father, and my family was trying to figure out what to do with our family home. The relationship I had with the place had drastically changed because my father was no longer there, and I was interested in exploring this relationship of what home means to us. But I was drawn to exploring it through the lens of a community, the community’s relation to a place that no longer exists, because the last of the high rises were demolished in 2011. So, when I was talking with people who lived in the high rises, I was really surprised by their stories, things that I really wasn’t expecting to hear. Stories about everyday life of family and friendship. Those were the things that really found themselves into the finished film. They were also stories that I hadn’t seen before. So, that was what really drew me to exploring the story through the perspective of these two kids too. Because when I talked to people who grew up there as children, that was the only place they knew, and it was a special place. I wanted to capture that in the movie where you could hold two truths at the same time. That this was at times a challenging and difficult place to live but there was also a lot of love in life. Their stories were really challenging the dominant cultural narrative of Cabrini-Green at the time, which was that there was a lot of drugs, violence and gang activity. While there’s a part of that which is true, there’s also another part that’s true. I wanted the film to explore both of those things, but in a way that we hadn’t seen before. So, that’s why we chose to share the story through the perspective of these kids because they really see it in a light that is different than adults. So, that was the process of just remaining open, listening and learning from people, not really directing the script or the story in any one direction until I’d spoken to people who lived there, and coming out the other side with this story that was emerging from their stories, which was about home, what it means, friendship and the struggle of leaving a place behind. Really the heart of the story is it’s these kids and their friendship, what they have in this world and in this community is each other. That spoke to me personally, even though I didn’t grow up in Cabrini-Green. The themes of friendship, it’s something that I think everyone can relate with.

    Lil Rel Howery in 'We Grown Now'.
    Lil Rel Howery in ‘We Grown Now’. Photo: Sony Pictures Classics.

    MF: Finally, Rel, what did you like about playing this character and what does it mean to you personally to be part of a project like this?

    Lil Rel Howery: Well, it meant a lot. I’m from Chicago and just the theme and story of Cabrini-Green in general, the residents, it’s very important to tell that story and move away from what people think about project families and what we’ve seen in media and even other film portrayals of what a project family is, which is a family growing up in the housing projects. What’s beautiful about this is just how connected family is. I love the fact that when we show them having dinner together, how normal that was throughout that whole building. You can go to any apartment in that building and that’s what everybody was doing almost at the same time, was literally having dinner and talking with each other and laughing. I think a lot of the times people forget the sense of community in Cabrini-Green, and not just Cabrini-Green but housing projects in Chicago in general. My family comes from Robert Taylor, and it was eight of them in one place. But all they have is great memories of it. I remember at that time, the ‘Stop the Violence’ stuff and how big that was. Unfortunately, now when you see a film like this and you shoot something like this, I do know what the future is. Because It’s not 1992 no more. I’ve lived through it. I’m like, it never really got better. It got worse. Even when the energy was correct to do it, it didn’t last. It is one of those things, you start realizing we get all up in arms about something and then slowly but surely, depending on if the powers that be really care about what’s going on for real, nothing ever really changes. But I mean for me, I really had to do this movie. I watch stuff all the time that tries to tell these Chicago stories and it’s not authentic at all, it annoys me. This movie is a beautiful, to me, a love letter, which Minhal created, to Chicago and to those residents and from their perspective of those young men and their friendship. We don’t see too many black boys just being kids and showing true friendship with emotional ties to it. What it felt like when one of your friends moved away? You’ve just never really seen that, to me, a black kid’s perspective, honestly. I think that was cool. That’s one of my favorite things about this movie.

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    What is the plot of ‘We Grown Now’?

    Best friends Malik (Blake Cameron James) and Eric (Gian Knight Ramirez) come of age in the Cabrini-Green housing complex in the early 1990s.

    Who is in the cast of ‘We Grown Now’?

    • Blake Cameron James as Malik
    • Gian Knight Ramirez as Eric
    • Lil Rel Howery as Jason
    • Jurnee Smollett as Dolores
    • S. Epatha Merkerson as Anita
    • Avery Holliday as Amber
    Gian Knight Ramirez and Blake Cameron James in 'We Grown Now'. Photo: Sony Pictures Classics.
    (L to R) Gian Knight Ramirez and Blake Cameron James in ‘We Grown Now’. Photo: Sony Pictures Classics.

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    Buy Tickets: ‘We Grown Now’ Movie Showtimes

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  • ‘Vacation Friends 2’ Interview: Director Clay Tarver

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    Premiering on Hulu beginning August 25th is ‘Vacation Friends 2,’ which is a sequel to 2021’s ‘Vacation Friends’ and was once again directed by Clay Tarver (‘Joy Ride’).

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    What is the plot of ‘Vacation Friends 2’?

    Picking up a few months after the conclusion of ‘Vacation Friends,’ the sequel finds newly married couple Marcus (Lil Rel Howery) and Emily (Yvonne Orji) inviting their uninhibited besties Ron (John Cena) and Kyla (Meredith Hagner), who are also newly married and have a baby, to join them for a vacation when Marcus lands an all-expenses-paid trip to a Caribbean resort. His reason for traveling there in the first place is to meet with the owners of the resort to bid on a construction contract for a hotel they own in Chicago. But when Kyla’s incarcerated father Reese (Steve Buscemi) is released from San Quentin and shows up at the resort unannounced at the worst possible moment, things get out of control, upending Marcus’ best laid plans and turning the vacation friends’ perfect trip into total chaos.

    Who is in the cast of ‘Vacation Friends 2’?

    Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with director Clay Tarver about his work on ‘Vacation Friends 2,’ bringing the characters back together for a sequel, how their friendship has grown since the first film, why John Cena and Lil Rel Howery are so funny together, Meredith Hagner’s wild performance, introducing Steve Buscemi as Kyla’s shady father, and the rest of the supporting cast.

    Director Clay Tarver on the set of 'Vacation Friends 2.'
    (Center) Director Clay Tarver on the set of ‘Vacation Friends 2.’ Photo credit: Katrina Marcinowski.

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

    Moviefone: To begin with, can you talk about creating an organic reason for these characters to reunite together on another vacation in this sequel?

    Clay Tarver: It was really interesting to bring everyone back together physically because I think we all knew that we had a really special sense of chemistry, because ultimately this movie, like the first one, was about friendship. I think we all together wanted to do something that was about where the friendship went, and how it grew in unexpected ways with new developments in their lives. They know each other now, so what could go wrong? A lot does. The challenge is when you’re directing and trying to tackle something like this, for me, I didn’t want to make it feel like it was just a repeat of the first movie. But it needed to change a little bit, and it is different. The first movie, you didn’t really know who Ron and Kyla were, and so that was the thing that held the story together was that you kept waiting for the other shoe to drop with them. Who are they? Are they crazy? Are they drug dealers? Are they con artists? It was a refreshing end to the first one when they were none of that. They were just nice people who were a mess. So I found the storyline interesting about, “Oh, they have a baby now. How does that change them? Marcus and Emily are thinking about having a baby now. Well, what does that mean for them?” Everyone’s lives have taken another step. I think as a longtime fan of comedies and sequels, I want it to go to someplace new, but I don’t want the core characters to change so much that they’re not recognizable, they’re not the people I fell in love with. But I wanted to take it to someplace new. I think we all did, and it was important to us to not just retread the first movie, but take a risk a little bit and try to take it in a new direction.

    MF: Can you talk about the idea of introducing Steve Buscemi as Kyla’s shady father?

    CT: There’s one joke in the first movie, I think Kyla says, “Oh, I’m so sad my dad never got to meet Ron.” Then Emily says, “Oh my God, is he dead?” But she’s like, “No, it’s just that San Quentin is so far,” which I actually didn’t write. Someone else wrote that and I thought it was really funny. But there was always this looming, what are Kyla and Ron’s background? What do they have to deal with and what is in their lives beyond the people who we meet? For all of us, that seemed like a natural, interesting place to go. Then when I was lucky enough to get the honor to cast Sir Steve Buscemi, I feel like if we had knights in America, wouldn’t he be Sir Steve? He’s a national treasure. So I was thrilled when he came aboard because I’m going to tell you if you don’t know, he’s the nicest guy on earth. Having someone on set that was so well respected and beloved as Sir Steve was, it elevated the proceedings and everyone really just was thrilled to be around him. You cannot find a nicer guy and a more fantastic actor. After each scene, I would say, “Steve, it turns out you’re really good at acting. I think it’ll go okay for you.”

    John Cena as Ron, Steve Buscemi as Reese and Ronny Chieng as Yeon in 20th Century Studios’ 'Vacation Friends 2.' Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios.
    (L to R) John Cena as Ron, Steve Buscemi as Reese and Ronny Chieng as Yeon in 20th Century Studios’ ‘Vacation Friends 2.’ Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

    Related Article: ‘Vacation Friends’ stars John Cena and Yvonne Orji talk about their new comedy

    MF: Can you talk about Marcus and Emily and Kyla and Ron’s friendship, and how that’s grown since the first film?

    CT: The first story was about new friendship and it was about people that you met on vacation and how weird that conversation is and how you cross boundaries too quickly over a week, some boundaries that you probably shouldn’t but you’re in the mood. What happens, and then how that can boomerang to echo back onto your real life, whether or not you’re really friends. Now I feel like what’s great about it is that they, and what was fun for all of us to explore was the idea of where does the friendship go and how do adult friendships mature? How much do you trust somebody? Because some friends you say you trust, but you don’t. You wouldn’t hand them the keys to your car. Ron and Kyla, all those things that make you love them so much are the same things that you are like, “Uh-oh, bad things could happen just because they’re around.” The first movie was really about these people who were ultimately harmless. I thought with the introduction of Steve, especially casting him, it was just interesting to see, “Oh, this is a guy where he’s not harmless. So what does that do to their friendship?” Ultimately they bicker, and I think that’s part of the fun is the conflict. I always love Marcus yelling at Ron because Lil Rel and John Cena are amazing together. Even though it stretches to the breaking point, it never does, and it’s really about friendships growing in unexpected ways.

    Lil Rel Howery as Marcus, Yvonne Orji as Emily, Meredith Hagner as Kyla, and John Cena as Ron in 2021's 'Vacation Friends.'
    (L to R) Lil Rel Howery as Marcus, Yvonne Orji as Emily, Meredith Hagner as Kyla, and John Cena as Ron in 2021’s ‘Vacation Friends.’ Photo: Jessica Miglio/20th Century Studios.

    MF: Did you have any idea how funny John Cena was when you cast him in the first film?

    CT: I was amazed. No, I didn’t know. When he first signed on to do the movie, I probably shouldn’t say this, but I will tell you this story. Ike Barinholtz who was in ‘Blockers,’ which was a movie I really loved, I’d never met him before, and somehow I got his number and I called him up to ask him how it was working with John Cena. He got quiet and then he almost got angry and he was like, “I think he might be the nicest person I’ve ever met.” He just sang his praises and he said, “He’s fantastic and you’re going to love working with him.” He was just so good. He does all of these things that are so hard to do so easily. He really listens and plays off other people, and there’s a lot of his improv in it. I was just amazed and felt blessed and lucky to have him around on set every day.

    Yvonne Orji as Emily and Lil Rel Howery as Marcus in 20th Century Studios' 'Vacation Friends 2.'
    (L to R) Yvonne Orji as Emily and Lil Rel Howery as Marcus in 20th Century Studios’ ‘Vacation Friends 2.’ Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

    MF: Lil Rel Howery is also a very funny comedic actor, but in this movie plays the straight man a lot. What was it like directing him in those scenes?

    CT: He’s a straight man who also, he’s really funny when he is back on his heels, when things get too chaotic and he loses it completely. So on the one hand, he is the straight guy, but he’s the guy that loses his mind quicker than anybody else. So just trying to embrace that and make sure there were moments where he would make some assumption and completely freak out and just play to all of those strengths with him. It was really fun to direct a movie with him a second time around, because I think the first movie we shot entirely, except for the first two weeks, through the pandemic. This time we just knew each other a lot better. He’s just an amazing person to do a movie with. Both of those guys are, and Yvonne and Meredith too, there’s just not a weak link in the cast. They’re all so good at what they do, and they all do completely different things.

    MF: Meredith Hagner, who plays Kyla, has really created a loveable cinematic character over the course of these two movies. What has your experience been like working with her and does she improvise a lot on set?

    CT: They all do improvisations. They all improv, I think I can say. She always makes it better. She will go left sometimes when the script says right. She just has this instinct for making everything lift up. She just adds life to it and makes scenes work. The same for Yvonne who just in a certain way has one of the hardest jobs as her character is the sensible center of this comedy. She is still so funny and so good at it, and just the way that she plays off of all of them together and off of each other, it’s a really difficult job and she’s just incredibly talented in that way.

    Meredith Hagner as Kyla and John Cena as Ron in 20th Century Studios' Vacation Friends 2.'
    (L to R) Meredith Hagner as Kyla and John Cena as Ron in 20th Century Studios’ Vacation Friends 2.’ Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

    MF: Can you talk about Ron and Kyla’s parenting skills?

    CT: Well, I found it funny that at first you might think that they would be people who would be these ultra-protective parents. We all know people who are wild, and then once they become parents, they become these helicopter parents. But instead, they’re people who think they are and have not changed at all. So they’re still the wild people, but they talk as if they’re these careful parents. But at the same time, everything always works out for them. It always gets to the precipice and they get way too close to the edge that would make someone like me comfortable, and yet it always works out. As a parent myself, sometimes I think a lighter hand might be a good thing every once in a while. Maybe not as light as they do it, but I really enjoyed as a director playing around with them about their attitudes of parenting because I think they’re both characters that you don’t want to see them change. You don’t want to see them suddenly stop being who they are.

    MF: Finally, can you talk about filling out the supporting cast with excellent actors like Ronny Chieng, Jamie Hector and Carlos Santos?

    CT: Well, I was really blessed because all of them, I mean it when I say there was not a weak link in the bunch. They’re all so good from top to bottom and they all do really different things. Carlos was in maybe three scenes in the first movie, and he just came on and killed it. Everybody loved him. He made everyone on set laugh the entire time. He was just a joy to work with. Jamie Hector, I’d been a fan of many years from ‘The Wire’ and ‘Bosch,’ and it was just an honor to get to work with him. He’s also the world’s nicest guy, despite how scary he looks sometimes when he’s acting. Ronny, I’ve known for many years and been a huge fan of. I had actually written the part with him in mind and it was just a joy to get to work with him on something. I hope to work with all of them again.

    Director Clay Tarver on the set of 'Vacation Friends 2.'
    Director Clay Tarver on the set of ‘Vacation Friends 2.’ Photo credit: Katrina Marcinowski.

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  • Alison Brie Talks Writing and Starring in ‘Spin Me Round’

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    Opening in theaters, VOD, and streaming on AMC+ beginning August 19th is the new romantic comedy ‘Spin Me Round,’ which was co-written by actress Alison Brie (‘Promising Young Woman’), and co-written and directed by Jeff Baena (‘Horse Girl’).

    The new movie follows Amber (Brie), the manager of an Italian restaurant chain who wins the opportunity to attend the franchise’s educational immersion program in Italy.

    But what she thought would be an exciting getaway devolves into chaos when she begins a romantic triangle with the restaurant chain’s wealthy owner Nick (Alessandro Nivola) and his assistant, Kat (Aubrey Plaza).

    In addition to Brie, Nivola, and Plaza, the cast also includes Molly Shannon (‘Me and Earl and the Dying Girl’), Lil Rel Howery (‘I Love My Dad’), Tim Heidecker (‘Ant-Man and the Wasp’), Tricia Helfer (‘Battlestar Galactica’), and Fred Armisen (‘The Bubble’).

    Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Alison Brie about her work on ‘Spin Me Around,’ writing the screenplay with director Jeff Baena, her character’s journey and romance with Nick, and working with Aubrey Plaza.

    Alison Brie as Amber in 'Spin Me Round.'
    Alison Brie as Amber in ‘Spin Me Round.’

    You can read our full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interviews with Alison Brie and co-writer and director Jeff Baena.

    Moviefone: To begin with, can you talk about the genesis of the idea for the film and the process of writing the screenplay with director Jeff Baena?

    Alison Brie: So, Jeff brought the idea to me, and it was something that he had been thinking about since we shot ‘The Little Hours’ in Italy. I think he had a strong desire to get back to Italy. He had read some articles about a similar immersive management program that may exist in real life, and how lackluster it might have been, or how Americanized it might have been.

    He saw a great idea in bringing a fun ensemble together to watch them navigate that kind of program. When he brought me into the fold, I think I was really drawn to the idea that the movie is going to take this journey through a bunch of different genres, and that we’re following a character who doesn’t take a lot of action in her life.

    She just lets things happen to her, but over the course of this movie, she tries to take her destiny into her own hands, but it ends in total chaos. I also really liked the idea of unfulfilled expectation. Something we were playing with is that sometimes when you take a big trip, you think it’s going to be really life changing and that you’re going to get back on the other side as a totally different person, and often, that doesn’t happen.

    In life versus the movies, you get home and your life is kind of the same. I think we wanted to show that there actually can be an internal shift, however subtle, even if there’s not an external shift.

    MF: Can you talk about the journey that Amber goes on and how it changes her through the course of the movie?

    AB: We’re watching Amber become a more self-empowered person, ultimately. At the start of the film, you get the sense that she’s really stuck. She’s been a manager at this Italian restaurant chain for nine years. She is a bit of a pushover. She tried to start another restaurant with her boyfriend, but that wasn’t really her idea. She has trouble saying no to people. She goes with the flow too much. She’s not going to take her life into her own hands.

    Through her experiences on this trip, and the people that she meets, specifically Aubrey Plaza’s character, I think she kind of sees a different type of dangerous person and is a little bit inspired by that. At the end of the film, it’s like the trip isn’t going to change the fact that she works at this restaurant. So, it doesn’t get her out of debt, but I do think there is a subtle enough shift of her starting to empower herself, have a voice and say the things that she wants.

    Aubrey Plaza as Kat and Alison Brie as Amber in 'Spin Me Round.'
    (L to R) Aubrey Plaza as Kat and Alison Brie as Amber in ‘Spin Me Round.’

    MF: Can you talk about Amber’s sudden friendship with Kat and working on that odd relationship with Aubrey Plaza?

    AB: We always had Aubrey in mind for the role. So, it’s always nice when you get to write a character for an actor. But it’s so fun to work with Aubrey. She’s such a great actress, and she brings a really exciting, impulsive kind of energy to all of her roles that is really unexpected.

    So, it’s really easy to shoot scenes with her, and she and I have worked together a bunch before. So, it’s really comfortable and fun. I think, with those scenes, it’s sort of the rawest that you see my character. She goes into this trip being fed movies like ‘Eat, Pray, Love,’ and you get the sense that maybe she watches ‘The Bachelorette’ and ‘The Bachelor’ a lot, and that’s kind of what she has in mind for this trip.

    Aubrey’s character shakes it up, and you see her feeling real things in the moment that she hasn’t maybe felt before. She gets a bit of inspiration from her character, and the way that she just is unabashedly who she is.

    MF: Finally, can you talk about Amber and Nick’s relationship, how he is able to win her over, and how she feels when she discovers his true intentions?

    AB: Poor Amber is so naive, but I also think there’s a sense to her that is just too polite also. Some of the interactions that she has early on in the movie with Nick are based on real interactions that I’ve had with men in life when I was much younger. I think that she wants to be naive, because the prospect of this rich, handsome, restaurateur sweeping her off her feet is very exciting. She’s able to ignore the red flags, because she’s just the type of person who is uncomfortable with rocking the boat, no pun intended.

    So, it takes her a little while longer to realize what’s going on with Nick. It really takes a lot of courage from her, again, not being a person who ever speaks up for herself or asserts herself. It takes a lot to get her to say anything. She almost would rather think that a whole different set of things were going on than admit what was in front of her.

    Alessandro Nivola as Nick Martucci and Alison Brie as Amber in 'Spin Me Round.'
    (L to R) Alessandro Nivola as Nick Martucci and Alison Brie as Amber in ‘Spin Me Round.’
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  • Patton Oswalt and Claudia Sulewski Talk ‘I Love My Dad’

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    Opening in theaters on August 5th and On Demand August 12th is the new comedy ‘I Love My Dad,’ which was written and directed by actor James Morosini.

    Based on a true story, the movie stars Patton Oswalt as Chuck, a down-on-his-luck man who is estranged from his suicidal son, Franklin (James Morosini). After Franklin blocks his dad on social media, Chuck steals the profile of a waitress named Becca (Claudia Sulewski) and “catfishes” his son in a misguided attempt to grow closer to him.

    In addition to Morosini, Oswalt, and Sulewski, the cast also includes Rachel Dratch and Lil Rel Howery.

    Moviefone recently had the chance to speak with Patton Oswalt and Claudia Sulewski about their work on ‘I Love My Dad,’ the wild true story it is based on, their characters, and working with James Morosini.

    Patton Oswalt and James Morosini in "I Love My Dad,' a Magnolia Pictures release.
    (L to R) Patton Oswalt and James Morosini in “I Love My Dad,’ a Magnolia Pictures release. Photo courtesy of Magnolia Pictures.

    You can read our full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our exclusive interviews with Oswalt, Sulewski, James Morosini and Rachel Dratch.

    Moviefone: To begin with, Patton, what was your first reaction to James Morosini’s very personal screenplay and what was your approach to playing Chuck?

    Patton Oswalt: Well, my first reaction was this will either be amazing or a fiasco, which I love. I love scripts that roll those dice. My way to play Chuck was to play him, not with that sense of self-satisfaction, but with that sense of I’m the wrong hero in this world. I’m the one who’s willing to do the awkward, ugly stuff that needs to be done, that kind of rationalization.

    More than anything he wants to be seen as a good guy. He doesn’t really care if he is a good guy. He’s the classic example of, I should get credit for wanting to do the right thing. I don’t know about all this following through and showing up stuff, that just seems frivolous. He wants the credit. He wants all the privileges and none of the responsibilities.

    MF: Claudia, you really play three characters in the film, the real Becca, Franklin’s fantasy version of Becca, and Chuck when he is pretending to be Becca. Can you talk about the challenges of playing all those different characters in one performance?

    Claudia Sulewski: I think finding distinction between the three and making sure that they feel so different from each other was really important to me, especially when it all comes full circle in the end. Just showing how real Becca is, and how she’s so outside of the picture and kind of showing that ignorance to everything that is happening.

    Then, I got to have so much fun with imaginary Becca and playing into what this dream girl looks like, walks like and talks like in Franklin’s mind. Also, being able to be that vessel that helps communicate those words, whether they be inappropriate or not.

    Claudia Sulewski and James Morosini in "I Love My Dad,' a Magnolia Pictures release.
    (L to R) Claudia Sulewski and James Morosini in “I Love My Dad,’ a Magnolia Pictures release. Photo courtesy of Magnolia Pictures.

    MF: Did you work closely with Patton because you are basically playing a version of his character?

    CS: I think the thing that works so well is that we had time to rehearse our scenes between just normal Becca and Chuck. But I think what makes this film so jarring and interesting is watching two different movies happening at once.

    You’ve got a Rom-Com that’s sweet and just hitting all of your kind of heart strings. You’re rooting for this couple and having it cut back and forth to this suspense thriller, dare I say horror movie.

    I think Patton and I really like having those separate experiences, which allowed for such an interesting edit. So, I almost feel like we didn’t want to blend and match too much because we wanted to give that sort of contrast. You feel the same?

    PO: Claudia invented dream Becca almost out of whole cloth. I realized later when I watched it cut together, how paranoid I became watching her performance because it made me think of all the times that I was texting with someone and I didn’t get the inference because with texting there’s no sarcasm mode, so sometimes you will get people’s intention incorrect.

    So, even watching her scenes in the Rom-Com part creates this incredible sense of paranoia of how many things have I misread? How many texts did I answer incorrectly? Because she creates that. How would you like someone to talk to you? You realize all of this is in my head, and none of this is coming from the other person? She just commits to that so deeply, and it creates this real sense of unease. It’s amazing.

    MF: Finally, Patton, can you talk about Chuck and Franklin’s relationship, how Chuck will go to any lengths to be in his son’s life, and working on that dynamic with James Morosini?

    PO: We obviously went over scenes a lot, but in our scenes together, and this was really important, James put up a real shield. When he is with other people, his mom, the girl at his therapy group, he tries to reach out to people and be upbeat.

    Then with me, you see the defense shields come up after the years of neglect, the years of betrayal, which made it very easy for me to play to because I am being given nothing. Sometimes when your scene partner gives you nothing and the scene needs to be tense, that’s the best gift you can have because it makes me have to scramble and reach even harder. It made it very realistic.

    Patton Oswalt and James Morosini in "I Love My Dad,' a Magnolia Pictures release.
    (L to R) Patton Oswalt and James Morosini in “I Love My Dad,’ a Magnolia Pictures release. Photo courtesy of Magnolia Pictures.
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