MOVIE REVIEW: DEATH OF A UNICORN

 

When a man and his daughter accidentally hit and kill a unicorn with their car, his boss tries to exploit the creature's miraculous curative properties -- with horrific results.

Director: Alex Scharfman

Cast: Paul Rudd, Jenna Ortega, Will Poulter, Téa Leoni, Richard E. Grant, Anthony Carrigan, Sunita Mani

Release Date: March 28, 2025

Genre: Comedy, Fantasy, Horror, Thriller

Rated R for strong violent content, gore, language and some drug use.

Runtime: 1h 48m

Review:

Death of a Unicorn works best as a cartoonish black comedy thanks to its collection of talent, led by Paul Rudd and Jenna Ortega, but it struggles to merge the satirical and horror elements which keeps it from being something special.  Alex Scharfman's freshman film has a quirky, energetic vibe that comes through the screen especially during some of the film's more outlandish sequences.  The straightforward narrative works in the film's favor with it, wasting very little time before moving into the meat of the story.  Some judicious edits would have helped streamline some of the clunkier moments that sap the film of some of its energy.  The parts that work is goofy, gory fun like its Aliens riff that proves to be one of the film's high points.  Scharfman would have been wise to lean into that sort of nuttiness rather than bluntly hammer home tired takes on the entitled elite and pharma exploitation of nature.  The father/daughter storyline is basic as well, but it’s salvaged by Paul Rudd and Jenna Ortega likable turns.  Rudd could play this sort of character in his sleep while Ortega is fully embracing her role as this generations Winona Ryder as the smart, quirky but emotional distressed daughter.  Richard E. Grant and Téa Leoni are fun as the obscenely wealthy couple that Rudd's character aspires to work for, it’s just a shame that the script doesn't give them a ton to work with outside the most clichéd traits.  Will Poulter fares far better as the couple's overly entitled son that gets more and more intense as the effects of unicorn's dust take hold.  Poulter's comedic timing is perfectly suited to the role and he's clearly having a ball onscreen as he's bursting with energy especially in the final act.  Anthony Carrigan and Sunita Mani are both solid comedic performers, but they're mostly wasted in underserved roles, which is a shame to say the least.  It’s one of the elements in Death of a Unicorn that feel undercooked or unfinished much like the shoddy CGI that brings the magically vicious creatures to life which keeps it from really hitting the sweet spot.    

 

C+

MOVIE REVIEW: LOCKED

 

When Eddie breaks into a luxury SUV, he steps into a deadly trap set by a self-proclaimed vigilante who delivers his own brand of twisted justice. Trapped inside the car, Eddie soon discovers escape is an illusion and survival is a nightmare.

Director: David Yarovesky

Cast: Bill Skarsgård, Anthony Hopkins, Ashley Cartwright, Michael Eklund, Navid Charkhi

Release Date: March 21, 2025

Genre: Horror, Thriller

Rated R for strong violent content/bloody images, language throughout, and brief drug use.

Runtime: 1h 35m

Review:

Locked is a claustrophobic, single location thriller that gets the most mileage out of the conceit thanks in large part to strong turns from Bill Skarsgård and Anthony Hopkins.  David Yarovesky's slickly directed film feels like a spiritual successor to Joel Schumacher's 2002 film, Phone Booth with its static setting, flawed protagonist and malevolent, mostly unseen, antagonist.  The script provides a handful of blunt discussions about societal decay and class disparity which are intriguing ideas but done in such a heavy-handed manner that they feel inorganic to the story.  Discussions of Tolstoy's War & Peace and Karl Marx coming from Skarsgård's street urchin, deadbeat dad feels more than a little inauthentic regardless of how committed he is to the role.  Thankfully, Skarsgård is allowed more than enough time to overlook that bit of heavy-handed messaging by delivering an intriguing turn as the unlucky loser to step into Anthony Hopkins' twisted trap.  He's onscreen for nearly the entire film's runtime with little to react to outside of planted torture devices hidden in the vehicle and Hopkins' disembodied voice.  Skarsgård, who looks like Pete Davidson clone here, manages to keep the whole thing afloat by having his character go through a variety of emotional states as he's subjected to a variety of torturous situations that increasingly become more ludicrous.  Hovering over it all is Anthony Hopkins' dying one percenter with a grudge, William.  Hopkins gives the character a noticeable spark even though the character's motivations are rather clichéd by the time it’s all said and done.  He manages to mine every bit of gravitas he can out of the role even though he's offscreen for 90% of the time.  Sadly, by the time he shows up onscreen, the script and David Yarovesky struggle to close out the story in a satisfactory manner relying instead on a jarring ending that feels like they pulled the emergency brake on the film once they couldn't land on a more meaningful.    

B-

MOVIE REVIEW: SNOW WHITE

 

Disney's Snow White, or simply Snow White, is a 2025 American musical fantasy film directed by Marc Webb and written by Erin Cressida Wilson.

Director: Marc Webb

Cast: Rachel Zegler, Gal Gadot, Andrew Burnap, Martin Klebba, Ansu Kabia, Patrick Page, Jeremy Swift, Tituss Burgess

Release Date: March 21, 2025

Genre: Adventure, Family, Fantasy, Musical, Romance

Rated PG for violence, some peril, thematic elements and brief rude humor.

Runtime: 1h 49m

Review:

Disney's live action Snow White had a rather turbulent ride on its way to the big screen with the result being a rather inoffensive, albeit forgettable, family musical carried by a strong, earnest turn from Rachel Zegler.  Marc Webb's visually garish production is lively for most of its runtime even though it does rely too much on CGI for my taste.  Webb delivers some solid set pieces for the film's catchy musical number with Good Things Grow, Heigh-Ho and Whistle While You Work being the best of the bunch.  There's a real sense of energy that comes through during those sequences even if the film struggles to maintain it on a consistent level.  The mash up of classic tunes from the original animated film and new tracks is hardly seamless as there's a noticeable contrast between them with the new songs which have a very modern Broadway feel to them.  Rachel Zegler proves to be more than capable of traversing the choppiness of the mash up with impressive ease by delivering a strong vocal performance along with a wide-eyed authenticity that works well for the character.  Zegler's vocal talents are put on full display here, which allows her to shine during her musical numbers.  The character is written with a bit more agency here but like the mash up of songs there's a clunkiness to it all that feels like it could have been worked more subtly into the narrative especially the ending which feels tacked on.   Andrew Burnap's Jonathan is solid and likable but there's nothing close to any sort of chemistry here between him and Zegler to make you believe the "true love" thread that's central to the final act.  Gal Gadot embraces the look of the Evil Queen with a vamp/camp performance that's sure to be a point of discussion along with her musical number which does more to hide her voice than highlight it.  After all the belly aching about this film's version of the seven dwarfs, they appear pretty much like they did in the animated film but with a strange realistic look that is more distracting than anything.  Martin Klebba's vocal work as Grumpy leaves the biggest impression with the others proving to be rather interchangeable and non-descript.  Once it’s all said and done, Snow White ends up in the same category as the majority of the other live action remakes, passable entertainment that never reaches the heights of the classic animated film.  

B-

MOVIE REVIEW: BLACK BAG

 

When his beloved wife, Kathryn, is suspected of betraying the nation, intelligence agent George Woodhouse faces the ultimate test -- loyalty to his marriage or his country.

Director: Steven Soderbergh

Cast: Cate Blanchett, Michael Fassbender, Marisa Abela, Tom Burke, Naomie Harris, Regé-Jean Page, Pierce Brosnan

Release Date: March 14, 2025

Genre: Drama, Thriller

Rated R for language including some sexual references, and some violence.

Runtime: 1h 33m

Review:

Steven Soderbergh's sleek spy thriller crackles off the screen thanks to a pitch perfect script and stellar turns from its cast.  Soderbergh's film instantly pops off the screen with its stylized aesthetic that gives every shot and the film overall a certain verve that's infectious.  This film has no interest in being gritty in any shape or form as every person and locale looks like it was lifted from a fashion catalogue.  As a spy thriller, it’s more of a throwback to old school films that focus more on the machinations at play than large scale carnage.  David Koepp's script provides the cast with plenty of meaty dialogue that moves from biting and wry to sexy with incredible ease.  Cate Blanchett and Michael Fassbender are perfectly in their element as the central spy spouses who may or may not be hiding something from each other.  Blanchett's statuesque frame and refined voice make her an imposing figure that can inspire a bevy of emotions with a simple look.  Fassbender, on the other end, plays his character much more analytically and cerebrally as you watch him dissect every person and moment throughout.  They share a wonderful, believable chemistry onscreen that makes their deep emotional connection ring true even through all the deceptions that are part of their lives.  Marisa Abela leaves a strong impression as a firecracker of a data analyst who's ensnared in a larger plot but proves to be more than capable of standing on her own volition.  Regé-Jean Page, Tom Burke and Naomie Harris all have smaller supporting roles with each leaving their mark in their limited screentime.  Pierce Brosnan has what amounts to an extended cameo as the section chief and serves a bit of a garnish to the decadent dish that Soderbergh delivers with Black Bag.

A

MOVIE REVIEW: NOVOCAINE

 

When the girl of his dreams gets kidnapped, a man turns his inability to feel pain into an unexpected advantage as he fights a bunch of thugs to get her back.

Director: Robert Olsen, Dan Berk

Cast: Jack Quaid, Amber Midthunder, Ray Nicholson, Jacob Batalon, Betty Gabriel, Matt Walsh

Release Date: March 14, 2025

Genre: Action, Comedy, Thriller

Rated R for strong bloody violence, grisly images, and language throughout.

Runtime: 1h 50m

Review:

Novocaine is fun, over the top, gimmick driven action film that stays afloat thanks to its gonzo approach and likable turns from Jack Quaid and Amber Midthunder.  Directors Robert Olsen and Dan Berk deliver a quirky blend of rom-com moments offset by a series of increasingly gory violence throughout the film.  There are echoes of 2006's frenetic Crank even though this film can't maintain that sort of unbridled manic energy consistently.  There are plenty of high points scattered throughout the film's nearly two-hour runtime which makes for a choppy experience that screams for some judicious editing especially for this kind of film.  When it works it does so because of the well acclimated set pieces that make great use of our living crash test dummy as he pursues his kidnapped love interest.  Jack Quaid brings what's quickly becoming a trademark goofy charm to the role that fits this incredibly sheltered character perfectly.  Quaid makes it easy to root for this character that's totally out of his depth who's more than willing to risk life and limb to rescue the girl that's taken his heart.   Amber Midthunder works well as the love interest here as she's clearly more than just a damsel in distress.  Midthunder gives her character a bit more depth than you'd expect from this sort of role and the film is better for it overall.  The supporting players aren't so lucky as we get a handful of generic police and thug types played by Betty Gabriel, Matt Walsh and Ray Nicholson with only Walsh leaving noticeable mark.  This film also serves as a perfect example of the film's marketing killing most of the surprises and fun it has to offer as the trailer provide a nearly step by step run of the film's best parts leaving very little unseen.  It’s a shame because if you've seen any of the trailers for Novocaine, you've likely seen the best parts of the film as nearly every moment is given away beforehand.   

C+

MOVIE REVIEW: MICKEY 17

 

A disposable employee is sent on a human expedition to colonize the ice world Niflheim. After one iteration dies, a new body is regenerated with most of his memories intact.

Director: Bong Joon-ho

Cast: Robert Pattinson, Naomi Ackie, Steven Yeun, Toni Collette, Mark Ruffalo

Release Date: March 7, 2025

Genre: Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy, Sci-Fi

Rated R for violent content, language throughout, sexual content and drug material.

Runtime: 2h 17m

Review:

Mickey 17 is another darkly funny but thematically packed sci-fi feature from Bong Joon-ho powered by a fun dual performance from Robert Pattinson.  Fans of Bong Joon-ho will find plenty to enjoy here as there are traces of Snowpiercer, The Host and Parasite scattered throughout this entry.  He still manages to create a distinctively quirky world for his characters to inhabit with plenty of not so subtle allusions to current day issues.  It’s decidedly lighter in tone than his previous efforts but there's plenty of darker themes at play simmering underneath such as socioeconomic disparity, demagoguery along with many more.  It’s a film that's far denser once you start digging deeper into what's going on screen.  There are a few choppy spots here and there which would have benefited from some tighter editing to make the film more effective overall.  At the center of it all is Robert Pattinson who clearly feels in his element playing the dim "expendable" worker.  Pattinson's turn is fun from the start as we watch his human guinea pig live, die in rinse and repeat fashion.  He takes it to another level once his much darker and angrier "multiple" appears on screen which gives him a wonderful berth of emotional range to work through to give us two distinctive versions of the same character.  It makes him the most interesting performer onscreen for a variety of reason even though the supporting cast is made up of talented performers who aren't given as much to work with as Pattinson.   Naomi Ackie and Steven Yeun are solid, but the script leaves them underserved with neither leaving the sort of impression they should since they are integral parts of Mickey's story.  Likewise, Mark Ruffalo and Toni Collette's oversized characters are fun but there's not a ton of depth to them since they written in such a cartoonish manner, Ruffalo's oversized capped teeth notwithstanding.  It’s not a horrible misstep but it does leave you wishing that for a film that's over 2 hours long it would have given these characters a bit more depth.  Small issues aside Mickey 17 is the kind of darkly funny satire we've come to expect Bong Joon-ho and another solid entry in his filmography.  

B+