Spy Games and Mind-Bending Mysteries
The world of espionage takes center stage in Black Bag, a sleek and witty spy thriller starring Cate Blanchett and Michael Fassbender as Kathryn and George, a glamorous married couple of spies who turn their espionage skills against each other. Directed by Steven Soderbergh and written by David Koepp, this film is a glorious, grown-up nonsense that Remarks on the kind of sophisticated entertainment Hollywood is often said to no longer produce. It’s a fizzy, engaging puzzler that feels like a throwback to the golden age of spy movies, with its lean, polished storytelling and the kind of Larger-than-life scenarios that only exist in novels and on the big screen. Black Bag is a banger, according to critics, and it’s hard not to agree. As the film unfolds, Kathryn and George’s game of cat and mouse becomes increasingly personal, blending glamour with tension in a way that’s both thrilling and deeply human.
On the other hand, The Actor directed by Duke Johnson, takes a darker and more introspective route. The film follows Paul Cole (André Holland), a man suffering from a traumatic brain injury that impacts his memory, as he tries to piece his life back together. Filmed in a warehouse in Budapest, the movie often feels like a horror film about the struggle between amnesia and agency. Scenes snap off abruptly, leaving a sense of disorientation that mirrors Paul’s experience. André Holland’s performance is beautifully controlled, capturing the terror and discombobulation of a man trapped in a life that feels like an endlessly recurring charade. The Actor is a melancholic mystery that lingers long after the credits roll, raising questions about identity and control.
Lights, Camera, Quarantine and Action
An Unfinished Film by director Lou Ye is a semi-fictional drama that blurs the line between reality and fiction. The story follows a film crew that attempts to restart a production in Wuhan that stalled ten years prior, only to be derailed when the coronavirus spreads, forcing the crew into isolation. The film captures the sense of space and time compression, as the fictional world of the movie crashes into the real-world pandemic. It’s a meta commentary on the role of screens and cameras during lockdown, whether in China or the United States. While it’s an intriguing concept, the film struggles to find a clear narrative focus, leaving viewers with a sense of disjointedness that mirrors the chaos of the pandemic itself.
In contrast, Novocaine directed by Robert Olsen and Dan Berk, is an action romp that leans into its absurdity. The film stars Jack Quaid as Nate Caine, a man who embarks on a dangerous mission to save his crush, armed with a genetic condition that prevents him from feeling pain. While the premise is on paper, it’s Jack Quaid’s performance that truly makes the film stand out. His gawky, boyish charisma brings a fresh spin to the indestructible hero trope, balancing humor and action in a way that keeps the film from devolving into tired shtick. Novocaine is a fun, if slightly over-the-top, action comedy that works best when it leans into its absurdity.
Retro-Futurism and Coming-of-Age Tales
In The Electric State, directed by Anthony and Joe Russo, we’re transported to an alternate 1990s where mankind has barely survived a war against technology. The film follows a teenager (Millie Bobby Brown) who teams up with a roguish smuggler (Chris Pratt) and a few friendly robots in a retro-futuristic world. While the design team had fun creating retro-futurist animatronics, including a Mr. Peanut voiced by Woody Harrelson, the film ultimately lacks logic in its storytelling. The relationship between humans and machines is poorly explored, and some actors seem confused or bored by the script. The Electric State feels like a missed opportunity, failing to deliver on its promising premise.
For a more tender and heartfelt experience, Young Hearts directed by Anthony Schatteman, tells the story of Elias (Lou Goossens), a 14-year-old boy struggling to accept his sexuality after falling in love with his neighbor. The film captures Elias’s emotional journey in blissful surrender and angsty repression, with naturalistic performances and quiet scenes of summertime idling. While it draws comparisons to Luca Guadagnino’s Call Me By Your Name, Young Hearts is a more wholesome, if ultimately cliché, endeavor. It’s a tender story of first love that feels genuine, even if it doesn’t break new ground.
Horror and the Human Condition
Opus, directed by Mark Anthony Green, is a horror film that follows a journalist (Ayo Edebiri) who joins the reclusive pop star Moretti (John Malkovich) in his remote mansion, where oddities and conspiracies abound. While the film aims to frighten, its reliance on eventual twists falls flat, with explanations for Moretti’s behavior being neither as diabolical nor as original as the director seems to think. The result is a horror film that feels retro and somewhat lacking in real scares. Opus is a miss, despite its promising setup.
On the other hand, Who by Fire directed by Philippe Lesage, is an ensemble drama that explores masculinity through a group of men gathered at a remote house in the woods. The film is heavy on dramatic episodes, with heightened tensions that often overstate the obvious. A lost soul goes missing, men hunt with bows and arrows, and a nubile woman bares flesh—these elements create a fraught atmosphere that feels both intense and a bit overwritten. While the dialogue avoids exposition, the film’s inability to subtlety undermines its exploration of masculinity.
Ensemble Dramas and Family Frights
The Parenting directed by Craig Johnson, is a horror-comedy that follows a young couple (Brandon Flynn and Nik Dodani) who bring their parents (Lisa Kudrow, Dean Norris, Edie Falco, and Brian Cox) to a weekend getaway, only to discover that their rental home has a lingering ghostly tenant. As the demonic intrigue ramps up, the tone shifts to full-blown slapstick lunacy, with heads spinning “Exorcist”-style, family members vomiting, and Pomeranians getting brutally butchered. The cast is game, especially Brian Cox, but the script, written by a “Saturday Night Live” writer, Kent Sublette, is puerile and abrasive, lacking the wit of “Evil Dead” and the brio of “Scary Movie.”
Finally, The Day the Earth Blew Up, directed by Peter Browngardt, is a Looney Tunes feature that sees Daffy Duck and Porky Pig uncover an alien mind-control plot involving bubble gum. The action is frenetic and gleefully vulgar—with scenes like a dome of bubble gum emerging from a dog’s rear end—and there’s some old-school slapstick, like chattering fake teeth saving the day. However, the film’s sheer anarchy doesn’t quite translate into real pleasure. It’s a chaotic, messy affair that feels more exhausting than enjoyable.
