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. Rachel Zegler gives Elian a vibrancy and charm that shines in both her lines and her singing. Zegler brings authenticity to the film, adding depth to a character who experiences a fairly predictable hero's journey.

I Fight for You shines most when it delves into more mature themes after King Solon and Queen Ellesmere fall victim to a dark spell and Lumbria's idyllic life falls apart. Director Vicky Jenson, known for her work on Shrek, creates poignant moments in which Elian wrestles with the flaws of her parents, exposed through their monstrous transformation. These sequences have a depth beyond the typical cartoon. They offer young viewers a glimpse into the messy, human side of family relationships and, perhaps for the first time, how to cope with seeing one's parents as imperfect. But this richness is often diluted by too many comedic distractions, such as sidekicks and requisite slapstick, which sometimes seem at odds with the film's more introspective ambitions, resulting in a tonal inconsistency.

The voice cast is an impressive ensemble on paper, but the effectiveness of the performances is uneven. The clarion-voiced Zegler stands out, as her singing and speaking voices are a perfect fit for their cartoon characters. Nicole Kidman and Javier Bardem easily bring stately dignity to Queen Ellesmere and King Solon, but their comedic moments, which are central to the plot, often feel forced. Bardem in particular seems uncomfortable with his character's humorous and musical elements, delivering songs that lack the subtlety necessary to really come through.

In stark contrast, Nathan Lane and Tituss Burgess steal the show as rival oracles Sonny and Rude every time they appear, bringing some much-needed energy and humor to the proceedings. Their moving duet is one of the few truly memorable musical numbers. John Lithgow's Minister Bollinar perhaps gets too much screen time, but the severely underrated Jenifer Lewis (Christmas on the Square) makes every moment count as the seductive minister pron. This film is available to stream on Afdah free movie.

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 flying over the sea. 

The point is that Blitz is about the recognition of otherness. So far, most contemporary British WWII dramas have taken pale inspiration from masterpieces like Ealing and 1944's This Happy Breed. McQueen, a child and empire enthusiast, constantly tries to complicate our notions of home, disappearing a Sikh family into a bomb shelter and installing a Yoruba warden as the play's conscience. His young protagonist George is a mixed race evacuee-turned-refugee, the son of a Guyanese man liberated by a German bombing raid from the loving home he shares with his white British mother and grandfather (Paul Weller, yes, that Paul). Weller both sympathizes with and confronts a country already torn apart by internal divisions. The prejudices he encounters on his way home seem doubly cruel in the context of a world in flames, piercing both the eye and the ear. If this is the society our troops are fighting to preserve—a society that’s more casually racist than aggressively fascist—what good is it? Why not just burn it all down?

The most important reference point in McQueen’s catalogue to date is probably Occupied City, rather than 2020’s Small Axe. This is a big-budget period piece made with TV money and a brutal critical eye. Blitz takes place on an even grander scale, but the precision and control of the writing is undiminished. Adam Stockhausen’s production design is all the more impressive because it must exist in two states: intact and in ruins, and every scene has a face that matches the era and fits the role precisely, enough to make it worthy of the best-cast movie of 2024. (Casting director Nina Gold does some of her best work in and around the defense plant where Ronan the Riveter plies his trade. You can stream the film on Afdah Movies.

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 might be overlooked and pushed to the forefront.

When the jokes hit home and resonate, the film is very funny. For example, a gag late on in which the Canadian prime minister requests national recognition in an emergency seems really clever. The cast is certainly great. Everyone seems to at least explore different aspects of their character's pompous dignity, especially Roy Dupuy (as the virile, scandal-ridden Canadian prime minister) and Denis Ménochet (as the intellectual president of France). Every scene is topped, but not pinned. It's also a lot of fun to see Maddin's silent-film-influenced style emerge in a film that seems totally normal at first. Especially when you know that she shot in a real forest and used lights and smoke as a backdrop to show it off. The melodramatic music is enjoyable.

The filmmakers just don't seem to know how to tie together all the ideas they probably would have come up with had none of this happened. The film is available on the Afdah.Info website.

"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 promises of success and fulfillment. And while the film spirals to fantastical heights that would have Muppet Show fans applauding, the banal feels so freeing thanks to Barrera's soulful performance and a godlike, handsome monster who lurks in the darkness of emotion.

The walls of Laura's childhood home are a kind of character in themselves, a spiritual refuge for laughter and tears, anger and unfulfilled longing. Ambient sound design appears and disappears at perfect moments, like the orchestral sections between riffs, reminding us that soul music sometimes needs to be played loud and out of sync.

Ultimately, Your Monster delivers a sweet blend of intensity, fun, and self-questioning that will make you laugh and cry at the same time. If you've ever been confused or screamed into a pillow over an ex-partner or two (or maybe 20), Laura's story might make you feel like you can live with your rage on the dance floor as a monster.

When I pressed play on Your Monster, I was expecting something similar to My Demon Lover, one of my favorite movies from the '80s. Thankfully, the film is bolstered by another compelling performance from Barrea. You can watch the film on Ahda TV website:

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 the illegitimate son of a teenage mother who was lucky enough to get a home from a Protestant employer, a financially independent widower, and he didn't care what his neighbours thought. These circumstances from his childhood shaped Bill, making him more likely to help those in need than others. Even his wife, Eileen (Eileen Walsh, Made in Italy), finds him a little too mature.

Despite this, her life is not unhappy, even though Bill works hard and long hours. The year is 1985, and his daughters are getting a good education thanks to the local nuns. Christmas is fast approaching, but Bill and Eileen seem to have nothing to celebrate other than another great holiday. That is, until Bill discovers something, or someone, at the local convent that deeply upsets him. He may have built his business by keeping a low profile, but sometimes a conscientious man just can't look away.

Mierant carefully builds tension as one disturbingly quiet scene after another unfolds, punctuated by flashbacks to Bill's younger years. The film was shot on location in County Wexford, and the film's color palette switches between drab browns, blues, and yellows depending on whether it's day (often early morning or dusk), night, or indoors, depending on the sense of emotional claustrophobia that can suffocate. Bill would have been better off if he hadn't screamed. Since he is essentially incapable of such an act, he must find another way. The leaps into the past are more brightly lit, but these moments also reveal the roots of Bill's suppressed grief.

The Irish Catholic Church (represented here by Sister Mary, the convent superior) has many sins to atone for, including its treatment of unmarried pregnant women, whom it has abused for decades. The film available on Afdah tv.

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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 John and Sera to make a fresh start.

While everything is fine at first, her decision to move into Emmett's McMansion later proves to be ill-fated. This is especially true since John has been accused of sexual harassment by his coworker and ex-girlfriend Alyssa (Addison Timlin) and has been suspended from his job until further notice. When Selah decides to return to being a math teacher, John hides from her what is going on at work. The consequences soon spin out of control, putting their relationship at risk.

Cellar Door clocks in at over 90 minutes, but it feels too long, obviously due to a bloated script by Sam Scott and Lori Evans Taylor, which focuses more on John and Selah's marital problems than the mystery of the Cellar Dollar. Not without moments when one of them, especially John, becomes increasingly curious and wants to know what is behind the cellar door. But I can't shake the feeling that it is rather an afterthought, and the so-called thriller aspects of this film are rather unreliable.

The problem here is that the film lingers for too long before it gets to the point, and even more so, misses some opportunities in the process. Case in point: The sexual harassment subplot revolving around John and Alyssa and their past relationship could be used to spice up the story, but the result is disappointingly poor in its execution.
This movie also requires you to suspend disbelief. No, make this a big suspension of disbelief. You have to accept the fact that a highly educated couple like John and Sera would have little hesitation in staying in a big place like Emmett's McMansion for seemingly free, but mind you, that's not the case, even if only temporarily. Stream this thriller on Afdah live.

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 like House of Gucci and Napoleon.

Providing the audience with wild spectacle and delicious performances, they embody the masses that the Roman Republic tried to appease with the Colosseum. The complete lack of depth and inability to analyze a promising concept quickly becomes a minor complaint as we sit back in our seats, preparing to embrace Scott's cheesy, earnest, silly, and surprising tale of revenge.

Gladiator II takes place 20 years after the events of the original and revolves around Lucius (Paul Mescal), the son of Maximus and Lucilla (Connie Nielsen). Lucius lives a simple, humble life with his wife in Numida. After the invasion of the Roman army under General Marcus Acacius (Pedro Pascal), his wife dies and he becomes a slave. Lucius decides to follow in his father's footsteps and become a gladiator. He serves Machiavelli's Macrinus (Denzel Washington) and fights against Acacius, who is married to his estranged mother without his knowledge, as well as the young tyrannical emperors Geta (Joseph Quinn) and Caracalla (Fred Hechinger).

Gladiator II follows much of the original storyline, in some cases very closely. Still, Scott and screenwriter David Scarpa add enough political intrigue and dramatic character dynamics to keep the story exciting. Though far from complicated, the dual narrative of violent duels and political intrigue creates an immersive experience full of melodrama and moments to pause and reflect. Acacias, the object of Lucius' revenge, is not an evil warmonger, but a puppet of such rulers, deeply tired of eternal conflicts, and above all a man who loves and cares for his wife. Stream this movie on Afdah stream.

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 while wrapping presents" list). And that's exactly where it fits in: it's funny, light and ready to stream. You can watch it on the Afdah movies website.

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 relentless desire for Francis' love and attention did not seem to end even when his mother was half dead. He now wants to force Eve into this role, to give himself praise and confidence so that he can finally achieve his goal.

The showrunners may have linked Oz's transformation from gangster to monster to his childhood trauma and hatred of society. But they weren't. Although the latter was true, Oz was never truly hated by his mother or his brothers. In fact, Frances released Oz even though she knew he had committed such a heinous act. Sure, she did it because she was ambitious, but she was Oz's biggest cheerleader until she realized who he really was. So this excuse doesn't really hold up. The real reason for Oz's downfall was denial. He lied to his mother. He lied to the world. But most of all he lied to himself. He accepted this lie to the point where he could no longer argue, and it turned him into the insane being we see at the end of the series. And it's the showrunners' ability to make Oz feel like the most despicable creature in the world, without relying on tired clichés, that makes "The Penguin" such a great portrait of a true villain.

As the camera panned from Oz's new hideout, the Bat-Signal was seen shining brightly in the night sky. This can only mean one thing - Oz's reign as King of Gotham will be ended by Batman. Since The Penguin was a miniseries, it is pointless to speculate on what will happen in Season 2. You can watch it on the Afdah stream website.

Watch it here: https://afdah.live/the-penguin-s01e08/

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. "Invite him to a social event," suggests a friendly voiceover. Edward quickly pretends to be uncomfortable in front of the water cooler while telling the fake coworker he's OK and thanking him for asking. People with disabilities are expected to appreciate basic courtesy.

In this respect, Edward is a model of acceptance. Meek and conflict-averse, he avoids humiliating people or being unkind. He lives a seedy life on the edge of New York City, not the cool, bohemian end, but the end with leaky ceilings and hostile neighbors. And yet, no one in Edward's building rolls their eyes at his appearance -- more out of familiarity and a very New Yorker exasperation that says, "Sure, that was tough," than sympathy. Because of your face, but buddy, you don't know my life. But his attractive new neighbor Ingrid (Renate Reinsweg from 2021's The Baddest Man in the World) befriends him, and he responds, falling in love with the failed playwright who doesn't live up to their hopes. He then has a successful experimental treatment, and after a skin-peeling scene that's probably not all that terrifying for anyone who's ever used an exfoliating face mask, Edward looks like Sebastian Stan overnight. Eager to explore previously unimagined opportunities for casual sex and professional success, he calls himself Guy, claims Edward died by suicide, and moves into a better apartment. The film is available to stream on Afdah.live .

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 on Afdah stream an engaging, must-watch experience that leaves them reflecting on the nature of power.