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Showing posts from 2024

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever 2024 Review- Afdah

The storytelling is limited because this is not the story of the Hardman family, who start out as antagonists and become the story's sympathetic central characters, but unfortunately are given limited space. Instead, it is the story of Beth, one of many children who find the Hardman kids annoying, and her mother, Grace, who takes over directing the pageant and directing the stage. The pageant itself also becomes the center of local controversy when the Hardmans are forced to play all the lead roles. The film is available to stream on Afdah Info . It's an interesting idea, full of potential for mischief and practical jokes, but thankfully this isn't a particularly funny story. No, it's about seeing people as more than the sum of their reputations, which are generated from the gossip, prejudices, actions and critical attitudes of others. Even if the screenwriters (director, Pratt Clark, Darin McDaniel, Ryan Swanson) place a little too much emphasis on what the discovery o...

SPELLBOUND (2024)

 Heartwarming family dynamics intertwined with catchy songs and fantastical twists have long been a mainstay of animated musicals. From The Little Mermaid to Encanto, these films remind us that kids and their parents often have more in common than they think, if only they could stop arguing long enough to sing about it. Add magic to the mix (think Snow White's Wicked Queen or Merida's shapeshifting bear curse), and family feuds become every bit as terrifying. Netflix's I'll Fight For You is an ambitious continuation of this tradition, though it does make for some unwieldy stumbles along the way. I'll Fight For You is full of potential, aiming to combine emotional depth with pure spectacle, but its uneven execution keeps it from reaching the heights of its animated predecessor. Set in the magical kingdom of Lumbria, the film tells the story of Elian, a rebellious princess who must save her parents from a mysterious spell that has transformed them into monsters. Rache...

Walls come tumbling down: "Blitz"

Steve McQueen's new World War II film, Blitz 2024 , is very different in methodology from Steve McQueen's last World War II film, the thoroughly pedantic documentary Occupied City, released in February, but there are similarities too. Once again, we look at a European metropolis haunted by the specter of fascism. Once again, the filmmaker's raw material consists of everyday homes, streets, and lives. Part of McQueen's ongoing project is to find subtly, or radically different, ways of revisiting history and images that have become familiar (if not outright banal) over time. Here he has set out to film wartime London life in a way that has never been done before, expanding the narrow scope and palette of the British period drama. All of this is seen in the prologue, which first shows a coil of a fire hose being aimed at a burning East End block, then switches to a quasi-abstract image that appears to be from the perspective of a bomb falling from the sky, or a bomber flyi...

REVIEW Rumours (2024)

 Everything about Rumors feels like a perfect fit for Guy Maddin (and frequent collaborators) in addition to being great fun. Swamp-corpse zombies! At a G7 summit! With giant brains! And a fun cast, including an increasingly driven Cate Blanchett! And yet they just can't quite mesh. One of cinema's greatest weirdos seems too shy for absurdism or satire. We also see early on how heads of state and government get along but don't say what crisis they're discussing and seem burdened by writing platitudes. In 2024, these seem like the weakest jokes you can make about politicians, even if the G7 felt like empty hype (did anything concrete actually come out of the G7?). When you do them, add excitement. Make them seem polite, not empty. Or sometimes they go for the absurd. This is often the group's speciality, but they rarely push their jokes beyond the quirky into weird or disturbing territory. Rumors are the little bits sandwiched between the bigger gags in a film that m...

"Your Monster" serves up an endearing cocktail of empowerment and humor

Director Caroline Lindy has expanded her 2020 short film Your Monster into a feature film of the same title produced by Vertical. The story revolves around Lola Franco, a soft-spoken actress played by Melissa Barrera, who is dumped by her longtime boyfriend Jacob, played by Edmond Donovan, while recovering from surgery. Following the separation, Lola retreats to her parents' home to heal. But she faces further challenges when she discovers that her ex-boyfriend is putting on a musical that he helped develop. In the midst of these complicated life changes, Lola bonds with a literal monster from her childhood, played by Tommy Dewey. The monster encourages her to follow her dreams, open her heart and embrace her inner rage. Your Monster walks a fine line between heartbreaking drama and eccentricity, with enough charm to make even the most hapless cat scratch its head. Its themes of love and courage (even in the strangest places) speak to a generation constantly asked to balance the pr...

Review of SMALL THINGS LIKE THESE

With her 2010 short story "Foster," Irish author Claire Keegan established herself as a great prose writer, evoking deep emotion with great economy. The brilliant 2022 feature film "The Quiet Girl" brought this slim work to the screen with beautiful precision, while retaining the simplicity and elegance of the original. Keegan's work is revived once again, the inspiration for Small Things Like These, the 2021 film adaptation of her novel of the same name, directed by Tim Meelants and starring Cillian Murphy. The film examines the Magdalene laundries of Ireland and the caring men's response to them and their discontent. The film is a worthy successor to Keegan's previous film adaptations. Murphy plays Bill Furlong, a Catholic coal merchant living in New Ross, County Wexford, Ireland. A husband and father to five daughters, Bill is a respected member of his community, but he didn't start out that way. As we learn over the course of the show, he's t...

Cellar Door (2024) Review: Despite the Subversive Third Act, This Would-Be Psychological Thriller Misses the Mark

The biggest question about   Cellar Door 2024 Afdah   is: what is behind the titular locked door? According to the enigmatic Emmett Claiborne (Laurence Fishburne), a real estate agent introduces John (Scott Speedman) and Sera (Jordana Brewster), who are looking to start a new life in the suburbs, to an attractive opportunity that they turn down. They are allowed to stay in his McMansion as long as they meet the simple condition that they are never allowed to open the cellar door. Before the meeting with Emmett even takes place, the film shows us John and Sera's predicament from the beginning. They are from Portland, happily married, and looking forward to the birth of their first child. Both of them have great jobs; John works for an architecture firm and Sera teaches mathematics. But when Sera experiences an unfortunate miscarriage, their hearts are shattered and their blissful life comes to an end. Meeting Emmett seems like fate, not to mention that it's the perfect time for...

Gladiator II REVIEW: ‘Gladiator II’ Offers Audiences The Bread And Circuses They Crave

In a career defined by sweeping visions of an ancient past and a dystopian future, director Ridley Scott is accustomed to crafting powerfully escapist films. His multiple Oscar-winning sequel, aptly called Gladiator II 2024 Afdah , released more than 20 years later, follows in the same tradition, but without quite the same thematic resonance. But what would be a death sentence in a similar epic turns out to be the film's greatest strength. Eschewing any attempt at great narrative or intellectual depth, Gladiator II proves to be a synthesis of the most evocative and patently entertaining elements of the sandalwood films that inspired it, including its immediate predecessor. Like the ruling class of the depicted era, Gladiator II gives its audience the bread and circuses they crave; nothing more, nothing less. The result is one of Scott's most entertaining films in years, one that feels strengthened by its cheaper, more ridiculous elements, rather than undercut by recent efforts ...

Red One 2024 Movie Review

The film offers surprisingly deep dialogue about fatherhood and redemption, but it can feel like Christmas morning weightlifting. It's heartfelt, but not the first to reach for the chocolate. Still, it almost works, adding a bit of seasonal flair without overloading the threads. Meanwhile, Krampus steals the show with his chaotic, evil Santa Claus energy, dancing between scary and ridiculous. The character designs are also commendable: Santa is all biceps and the elves look like they're auditioning for a mini-Dobby reboot. Grill, well, she's not... but she's perfect for this crazy version of the North Pole. The theme is simple but well done, and ultimately makes it onto our list of the naughtiest themes that are good. The CGI could use a little spice here and there, but there's enough to keep you hooked with the action scenes. Red One isn't aiming to change Christmas movies; it just hopes to become part of your cozy Christmas watchlist (or just your "stream...

The Penguin Season 1 Episode 8 Recap

 At the end of the first season, Oz, dressed like a cartoon character, entered an old, dilapidated building called "La Couronne" with only the word "LACRON" shining on the neon sign. This French word means "crown" and could be a metaphor for the son placing a crown on his mother's head even though she was practically dead. Oz entered the new penthouse, which became Francis' new home. Oz kept a promise he made to Francis as a child, giving her a room with a view of the Gotham skyline. Unfortunately, given Francis' vegetative state and her broken relationship with Oz, she was unable to truly understand this. All she could do was shed tears. As the saying goes, you should be careful what you wish for, because you never know how your wishes will come true. Later, Oz goes to the ballroom and blows away his mother's complex by dancing with Eve, who was wearing the same dress as Francis when she took young Oz to Monroe's house. Oz's relent...

A Different Man: a discomfiting but darkly hilarious story of a man with two faces

Aaron Simberg's "A Different Man," a disturbing but darkly funny tale of a man with two faces, one soul and zero games, takes a while to bring up the Beauty and the Beast fairy tale. But once it does, it's a poignant reminder that simplistic ideas about the relationship between physical beauty and virtue are instilled in us at an early age and then remain largely undeveloped. Simberg's evil, abhorrent act of ethical blackmail isn't the first film to turn these ideas upside down. But he's one of the first to turn it upside down again, and then a time or two more, until by the end you may be looking in the same direction you started, only now feeling dizzy. Edward (Sebastian Stan in heavy prosthetics) is a man with neurofibromatosis, a disease that causes tumors to form on the face, severely disfiguring facial features. He's an actor who only appears in cheesy image videos that give employees advice on how to behave around disabled coworkers. "Invit...

Conclave 2024 movie Review

 Conclave 2024 is now available on Afdah, offering viewers an intense and thought-provoking political thriller set against the backdrop of a high-stakes meeting of global leaders. The film centers around a secretive conclave, where influential figures from around the world gather to discuss pivotal international decisions that will shape the future. As hidden agendas and deep-seated rivalries come to light, viewers are drawn into a web of suspense, questioning each character's motives and alliances. The storyline is rich with intrigue, exploring themes of loyalty, betrayal, and the complexities of leadership. Each character brings a unique perspective to the table, sparking both collaboration and conflict, making it a compelling watch. With stellar performances and a tightly woven plot, Conclave 2024 maintains an atmosphere of tension and unpredictability, keeping audiences on the edge of their seats until the very end. Fans of political dramas and thrillers will find Conclave 2024...

Don't Move review: Enjoy thriller races against the clock

In Don't Move, a young woman standing on the edge of a cliff is persuaded by an attractive stranger to step back and search for a new meaning in life. But in true Netflix thriller fashion, the man turns out to be a serial killer with sinister intentions, which leads to her kidnapping. The film starts off with this setup and while it seems contrived, it's a solid streaming release that has a lot of fun with its own premise. Don't Move 2024 Afdah stars Yellowstone's Kelsey Asbille in a battle of wits with star Finn Wittrock. Upon regaining consciousness, the young woman learns that the killer has administered a sedative that completely paralyzes her. With 20 minutes to go until escape, the film presents the ultimate "what would you do?" scenario. Directors Brian Netto and Adam Schindler, along screenwriters T.J. Cimfel and David White, craft severa hurdles and traps for the immobilized protagonist. Any worries approximately maintaining narrative momentum s...

'The Penguin’ Season1 Episode 5 Recap & Ending Explained

  The Penguin Episode 5 Review The third and fourth episodes of Penguins featured two major revelations. In episode three of the miniseries, Sofia and Oz decided to leave their troubled past behind and build a future together based on a new drug called Bliss. Oz did much of the heavy lifting of establishing relationships with the Triads to allow for the transport and distribution of the drug. Johnny Vitti was at Sofia's mercy. Things seemed to be going well, but then Nadia Maroni showed up to remind Oz of the deal, ruining the dynamic between Sofia and Oz. In episode 4, Sofia sheds light on her past and shows how Carmine, the Falcone family, and even Oz contributed to her imprisonment. After this happens, Sofia says "enough is enough" and wipes out the whole family, leaving only Vitti alive because he stuck his fingers in so many pies. The fifth episode of The Penguins builds on these two storylines and intensifies the animosity between Oz and Sofia. Oz's situation wi...