MOVIE REVIEW: 28 YEARS LATER

 

It's been almost three decades since the rage virus escaped from a biological weapons laboratory. Still living in a ruthlessly enforced quarantine, some have found ways to exist amid the infected. One such group of survivors lives on a small island connected to the mainland by a single, heavily defended causeway. When one of them decides to venture into the dark heart of the mainland, he soon discovers a mutation that has spread to not only the infected, but other survivors as well.

Director: Danny Boyle

Cast: Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Alfie Williams, Ralph Fiennes, Jack O'Connell

Release Date: June 20, 2025

Genre: Horror, Thriller

Rated R for strong bloody violence, grisly images, graphic nudity, language and brief sexuality.

Runtime: 1h 55m

Review:

28 Years Later subverts expectations at every turn as Danny Boyle's return brings back his frenzied, kinetic style paired with an overstuffed script from Alex Garland that aims for something far more meaningful and epic than you'd expect.  Boyle takes the reins behind the camera, after ushering a new age of zombie films with 28 Days Later, with confidence that shines through as he delivers an evocative, fever dream of a film.  There are moments scattered throughout its nearly two-hour runtime that are simply mesmerizing in such a way that they almost feel other worldly even though the story boils down to coming-of-age tale.  It’s a visually aggressive film that feeds images in such a steady succession that it rarely gives the audience a moment to fully dissect what is being splashed on screen.  There's still plenty of "rage" induced action, but Boyle is far more concerned with the characters living in this postapocalyptic landscape.  It’s chock-full with allegorical meaning, speaking to variety of issues and concepts currently playing out in the real world.  Those looking for more action heavy, more mindless zombie fare might be left disappointed here as the story stakes out its own path with some choices working better than others.  Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Alfie Williams carry the first half of the film as we follow a seemingly straightforward father/son relationship before slow reveals open up the story to its back half with the character's mother played well by Jodie Comer.  Ralph Fiennes gets the least amount of screentime of the main characters, but his inspired turn leaves such a big impression that you wish Boyle would have given him more time to flesh him out.  When it’s all said and done, Alfie Williams deserves a hefty bit of credit for serving as the film's life blood as the film ends with a set up for the 28 Years Later sequel that looks to take everything in a more Romeroesque vibe.

A-

MOVIE REVIEW: THE BIKERIDERS

Over the course of a decade, a Midwestern motorcycle club evolves from a gathering place for local outsiders to a sinister gang, threatening the original group's way of life.

Director: Jeff Nichols

Cast: Jodie Comer, Austin Butler, Tom Hardy, Michael Shannon, Mike Faist, Norman Reedus

Release Date: June 21, 2024

Genre: Crime, Drama

Rated R for language throughout, violence, some drug use and brief sexuality.

Runtime: 1h 56m

Review:

Jeff Nichols' The Bikeriders is an engaging motorcycle drama propelled by strong performances from Jodie Comer and Tom Hardy.  Nichols film is set up like a classic tragedy with an air of nostalgia peppering the film's early acts as we follow the rise of the fictional motorcycle club.  There are plenty of wonderfully framed long shots of motorcycles rumbling across the screen against picturesque backdrops.  The club itself portrayed as a rough and tumble group that still has a sense of a moral code especially early on.  Austin Butler serves as Nichols' idealized version of this long lost era but little more.  Butler looks the part of the rebel without a cause although the story doesn't give him any depth or texture.  His character is central to what amounts to a love triangle but he's a frustrating cypher that the script never really explores in any meaningful way.  Jodie Comer, sporting a heavy Midwest accent, fares far better as the film's entry point.  Comer's character is an independent spitfire who is dragged into this world via an undeniable attraction to Butler's Benny.  Comer does an impressive job leading the film and giving her character an authentic sense of desperation as she tries to maintain her relationship alive in a tug a war between the club and Tom Hardy's Johnny.  Hardy is perfectly suited as the club's grizzled president, bring his distinct intensity to the role.  There's an air of sadness to his performance especially in the final act which brings an impressive amount of depth to his character in what is a fascinating turn.  The supporting cast is made up of a series of familiar faces which sadly serve more as window dressing due to a decidedly light script with only Michael Shannon leaving a lasting impression.  There's no denying that The Bikeriders has a distinct appeal mainly due to a pair of stellar performances but it could have been something truly special with a more nuanced script.

B 

MOVIE REVIEW: THE LAST DUEL

Jean de Carrouges is a respected knight known for his bravery and skill on the battlefield. Jacques Le Gris is a squire whose intelligence and eloquence makes him one of the most admired nobles in court. When Le Gris viciously assaults Carrouges' wife, she steps forward to accuse her attacker, an act of bravery and defiance that puts her life in jeopardy. The ensuing trial by combat, a grueling duel to the death, places the fate of all three in God's hands.

Director: Ridley Scott

Cast: Matt Damon, Adam Driver, Jodie Comer, Ben Affleck, Harriet Walter, Nathaniel Parker. Alex Lawther

Release Date: 1h 46min

Genre: Action, Drama, History

Rated R for strong violence including sexual assault, sexual content, some graphic nudity, and language

Runtime: 2h 32min

Review:

Ridley Scott's The Last Duel is the type of gritty muddy medieval drama that plays right into his wheelhouse. The Last Duel is a perfect bookend to the director's previous historical epics, Gladiator and The Kingdom of God, with this one focused more intently on the central characters than large scale battle field carnage.  That's not to say the film doesn't deliver a handful of bloody, bone crushing battle sequences including the titular duel but Scott's lens focuses more on the three main characters and their disparate versions of the truth.  Matt Damon and Adam Driver both deliver strong performances but as the film goes on you get the sense that the film would have been better served had they swapped roles.  Driver would have been far more believable as the hard edged brute as opposed to the strikingly handsome rapscallion the film tries incredibly hard to make us believe he is.  Driver is at his best when roles embrace his embodiment of the boorish angry masculinity which would have made him perfect for Jean de Carrouges.  Damon for his part delivers a workman like performance which adds bits of subtly depending on who's telling the story.  Jodie Comer balances both performances with a nuanced take on a character that could have easily fallen into clichéd territory.  Comer gives her a character a strong believable sense of intelligence paired with quiet strength and resolve.  Ben Affleck though maybe having the most fun of all in a supporting role as a debaucherous libertine who sets off the feud between to the two men.  The cast makes the film's lengthy runtime feel far more manageable due to their talents on display.  The Last Duel carries multiple thematic themes and messages, some work while others come off as overly blunt.  That being said the film works more than it doesn't and should please plenty of people looking for more heavy adult drama.

B+

MOVIE REVIEW: FREE GUY

 

When a bank teller discovers he's actually a background player in an open-world video game, he decides to become the hero of his own story -- one that he can rewrite himself. In a world where there's no limits, he's determined to save the day his way before it's too late, and maybe find a little romance with the coder who conceived him.

Director: Shawn Levy

Cast: Ryan Reynolds, Taika Waititi, Jodie Comer, Lil Rel Howery, Utkarsh Ambudkar, Joe Keery

Rated PG-13 for strong fantasy violence throughout, language and crude/suggestive references

Release Date: August 13, 2021

Genres: Action, Comedy, Sci-Fi

Runtime: 1h 55 min

Review:

In a strange world The Lego Movie and John Carpenter’s They Live got married and had baby which grew up to be Free Guy.  Shawn Levy’s video game film is fun romp which isn’t nearly as clever as it thinks it is but manages to maintain an undeniable energy that makes the whole thing enjoyable.  Ryan Reynold’s uses his endless charm to great extent to make the film work.  He’s pretty much the lifeblood of the film but Killing Eve star Jodie Comer ends up being the film’s beating heart.  Together they make a fun onscreen couple among all the insanity that pulls heavily from the Grand Theft Auto video game series.  The supporting cast help make the film work through the predictable story.  Lil Rel Howery is incredibly earnest as Guy’s best friend, so much so that a moment near the end is surprisingly moving.  Taika Waititi though makes the biggest impression with his natural comedic talents.  Waititi’s character is incredibly over the top but so much fun as he spoofs the worse version of video game company owners.  Free Guy is a fun film but you can’t help but think that you’ve already seen much better versions of the same story. 

B-