Category: Movie Review

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Sisu: Road To Revenge

John Stark

The first Sisu ended up being one of my top ten films of the year it came out because it felt like a breath of fresh air. Sure, it’s a movie that borrows heavily from the John Wick style of filmmaking. One unstoppable man on a path of revenge who will do whatever it takes to make the people who wronged him pay for their crimes. It’s a formula that’s worked incredibly well for John Wick, giving us four Keanu Reeves films and a spinoff starring Ana de Armas. So it makes sense that Finland would want to keep this … Continue reading Sisu: Road To Revenge

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Undertone

John Stark

We need to have a conversation about elevated horror and what that term even means anymore. Especially now, at a point where horror isn’t just getting critical acclaim, it’s actually becoming part of the Academy Awards conversation. Last year alone we saw horror films earning major nominations, Amy Madigan winning an Oscar for a horror performance, Jacob Elordi landing a nomination for playing Frankenstein’s monster, and even Coralie Fargeat’s The Substance, an unapologetically grotesque body horror film, breaking through for Best Picture. This year, there’s already a serious conversation around Obsession and Backrooms, with Obsession looking like a legitimate Best … Continue reading Undertone

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Solo Mio

John Stark

I’m not entirely sure what about Solo Mio makes it a faith-based film, but Angel Studios has backed the Kevin James Italian romp for whatever reason. Regardless of who is backing it, though, I’m glad it got made, because Kevin James rarely gets decent material to work with. A lot of his films, especially the Happy Madison productions, consistently use him as a punchline. James is rarely asked to emote or play an actual human being. He’s almost always either the joke, in on the joke or the butt of the joke, sometimes all three at once. Solo Mio gives … Continue reading Solo Mio

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Summer Sparks

John Stark

Did you know Roku makes movies? They do. Over Christmas, I reviewed the disappointing Jordin Sparks Christmas film they put out, and earlier this year, I tried to sit through some ill-fated road trip comedy with Sophia Bush and Lauren Holly. My heart and soul just weren’t in it, so I passed on reviewing that one. I can’t even remember what the movie was called or anything else about it, except that it involved a mother-daughter road trip. I remember being shocked that Lauren Holly’s career is still somehow chugging along, and I’m always a little sad when I see … Continue reading Summer Sparks

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Going In Blind: Mile End Kicks

John Stark

I had never even heard of Mile End Kicks until I saw a review from a critic whose opinion I respect. That was enough to get me interested in Barbie Ferreira’s latest film. After all, she was excellent last year in Bob Trevino Likes It, earning a handful of mentions throughout awards season even if the performance was never realistically headed for Oscar contention. It was still nice to see her getting recognized, and I could easily see something similar happening with Mile End Kicks. This feels like exactly the kind of movie critics tend to rally around. It’s one … Continue reading Going In Blind: Mile End Kicks

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They Will Kill You

John Stark

There’s certainly an element of They Will Kill You that feels like someone was watching Only Murders in the Building and thought to themselves, “Hold my beer. I’ve got this.” Then they decided the film should be only in the building and that the murders should take full advantage of an R rating. Because They Will Kill You does basically take place in one building, just like the hit comedy series, and yes, people die. I know that’s shocking for a movie called They Will Kill You. There might be a death or two in here. And I’m sure you’re … Continue reading They Will Kill You

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Gale Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass

John Stark

The director of Wet Hot American Summer is bringing us the wet, hot American dream, which is, of course, the rumored celebrity sex pass. It’s sort of like a hall pass, but incredibly specific. If this one random person I idolize beyond all measure were, for some reason, to walk into my life, point directly at me, and demand that I follow them to the bedchambers, I would be able to do so knowing that we had a prior agreement. This person is the hall pass. It’s a pretty nifty gag for most couples because the idea that anybody would … Continue reading Gale Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass

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Power Ballad

John Stark

I can’t believe it’s been as long as it has since we learned to fall slowly, but John Carney has since made a career out of films using music as their core. The director of Once transitioned from that Academy Award-winning film into the popular Sing Street, my personal favorite Begin Again, the complicated Flora and Son, and now Power Ballad, the newest music-centric film starring Paul Rudd and Nick Jonas. This one centers around Rick, an older musician who gave up his rock star years when he met a girl, settled down, and became a dad. Now he works … Continue reading Power Ballad

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Toy Story 5

John Stark

I can’t believe we’ve been making Toy Story movies for 31 years. I remember being in a theater as a kid in 1995, watching Toy Story for the first time. I was at that age where I was starting to segue away from playing with toys and into life, or video games, or whatever else you start doing when you get into your teens. But, admittedly, I had a robust childhood. I watched a lot of kids programming, loved my daily intake of cartoons, and yes, I had a bunch of toys and action figures. So, I remember going home … Continue reading Toy Story 5

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Saw X

John Stark

I watched all of the Saw films this year because a friend asked me to. This marathon was made possible by the sad truth that, finally, all of the Saw films were available with audio description on Netflix. Mind you, this franchise has been going on for quite a while. The fact that this was somehow a momentous occasion in 2026 is just another reminder of the entertainment industry’s lackadaisical approach to accessibility. Saw X, being the most recent entry in the franchise, had audio description for its theatrical release. But as someone who had previously only seen the first … Continue reading Saw X

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America’s 250th: An American Tail: 40th Anniversary

John Stark

Today is America’s 250th birthday, and I’ve seen entertainment websites and publications everywhere trying to figure out what the best American films are, the best movies about America, or the most patriotic films to watch on Independence Day. Of course, you could just watch the 1996 film Independence Day, which feels like the obvious choice. Honestly, I’ve watched that movie on July 4th many times. This year, I tried to crack my movie brain open and find something different. Something off the beaten path. Something I didn’t think everyone else would be talking about. I’m sure plenty of people have … Continue reading America’s 250th: An American Tail: 40th Anniversary

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Little Brother

John Stark

Dysfunctional family comedies have always had an anchor in cinema. They’re practically comfort food because almost everyone has some kind of dysfunction somewhere in the family tree. Maybe it’s an eccentric uncle, an odd cousin, or a grandparent who makes every holiday unforgettable for all the wrong reasons. Those little pockets of chaos make these movies relatable because, at the end of the day, we’re all at least a little kooky. This is why we love revisiting the Griswolds and Fockers, why the road trip in Little Miss Sunshine works, or why we’d even entertain the possibility that it is … Continue reading Little Brother

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The Bride

John Stark

I maintain that if I’m going to end up watching a bad film, I would much prefer to watch a film that took risks, made bold choices, and shot the moon, as opposed to something that feels like a thousand other movies, and even in its benign state, still somehow managed to be an utter failure. If you can’t follow a formula, get out of the game. And, no, pandemic era War Of The Worlds was not taking risks. Locking Ice Cube in a room is the opposite of risk taking. What is taking a risk is whatever the hell … Continue reading The Bride

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Mr Holland’s Opus

John Stark

I often find myself tackling new releases, and I rarely ever have the time to come back around to a classic, or a favorite of mine. So, for my birthday, as a gift to myself, as the first birthday being on the TomatoMeter, I wanted to review a film I love. I think all critics have a few films that fall off the beaten path of typical classic fare, which are films that just hit them in the right way, and maybe not the same for everyone. I often cut to the chase nowadays and say my favorite film is … Continue reading Mr Holland’s Opus

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Strung

John Stark

Chloe Bailey plays Layla, a young violinist with a complicated past, who is offered a chance to tutor a wealthy kid in her home, in a tutor/nanny hybrid situation, which seems to have a very open end of what she’s here to actually do. It has all the vibes of previous films, where this family is full of secrets, and Layla has to figure them out for herself. The film is directed by Malcom D. lee, whose entire filmography is on the other end of the spectrum. This is the director behind The Best Man, roll Bounce, Welcome Home Roscoe … Continue reading Strung