Knives Out Review

Boasting an impressive ensemble cast featuring Daniel Craig, Jamie Lee Curtis, Michael Shannon, Chris Evans, Lakeith Stanfield, Toni Collette, and more, Rian Johnson's Knives Out had a lot of work cut out for it in making sure its talent didn't go to waste.
Knives Out is an ode to the whodunnits and murder mysteries of the 70s, featuring an incredible balance of drama, suspense, and humor. The film is full of clever, albeit sometimes too predictable, twists and turns that keeps you thinking throughout its brief runtime. Johnson's script is also extremely well done (though not as smart as it pretends to be) and takes a lot of political jabs at the richest of our country without it ever going too far into full on political commentary. There is a lot of fun to be had with this film, probably one of the just the best movie experiences of the year, as Johnson brings this underused genre to modern audiences in a way that stays true to the genres roots and touches on all the expected beats, but in a way that is more fresh than nostalgic.
As I mentioned before there is a very talented ensemble in this film, and (almost) everyone is given their time to shine. Johnson has crafted very unique, and extremely entertaining, characters for each of these talented performers to embody. There are a few characters I wish we could have seen more from, by ultimately I was more impressed with how he juggled all these eccentric characters than disappointed.
I highly recommend.
7.8/10

Zombieland: Double Tap Review

Here is my opinion that nobody asked for
Zombieland: Double Tap goes the way of many sequels, and instead of offering anything new or inventive like its predecessor it just gives you more of what worked in the first. Fortunately, for the most part, that was enough for this film. The entire original team returns 10 years later for this sequel and it feels like a movie that could have been released 2 years later. The cast is as great as ever, and the new additions all work well, particularly Rosario Dawson and Zoey Deutch. The humor of this film works for the most part, but overall just isn’t as memorable or clever as the first. Where there is improvement is the zombie kills, I’d say there is more action and inventive kills in this sequel, and if anything sticks with you it will be some of these action set pieces. If you love Zombieland you’ll at least like Zombieland: Double Tap.
*Plus it has one of the best mid-credit scenes of all time*
7/10

Joker Review

Joker is a masterclass of filmmaking, exemplifying in spades all the key elements of a good movie: the sound, score, direction, cinematography, performances. But Joker isn’t an easy watch. It’s a slow-burn character study that has the viewers question their own morality as the film asks you to sympathize and root for a sick man who does horrible things, but still highlights that the things he is doing are horrible. It critiques society as a whole, both the highest and lowest of classes, media, the treatment of those with mental illnesses, and more in a period film that feels just as relevant to the present as it does for its setting. There is a lot to unpack in this film and it requires lengthy discussions and keeps you thinking about its themes and what you watched long after you’ve seen it. The story as a whole plays out in relatively basic and predictable fashion that is elevated by all the factors surrounding the filmmaking and performances, but even then the ending makes you question everything you’ve seen more and asks you to watch it again with a new lens. I highly recommend this film.

9/10