Reviews
Buddy (2026)
S
StevenCsMoviesSeptember 8, 2026
StevenCsMoviesSeptember 8, 2026In 2014, Casper Kelly created a short that aired on Adult Swim, spoofing the opening credits of TV sitcoms from the ‘70s, ‘80s, and early ‘90s. It was strange, hilarious, and strange. He has now turned that concept into a feature-length movie called BUDDY. I really don’t want to say too much about the plot, so all I’ll say is this: It starts as a sitcom like BARNEY & FRIENDS, then slowly gets darker and more twisted as the movie goes on. Saying that though, I had so much fun with this movie. I laughed a lot. It’s definitely tapping the vein that is my kind of humour. This movie takes the strange uncanniness and happiness of kid’s television back in the day and does something amazing with it. It has a very strange cast, including Cristin Milioti, Topher Grace, Clint Howard, and the voices of Keegan Michael-Key, Patton Oswalt, Michael Shannon, and Eric Bauza. The child actors are all great as well. This has hints of THE AMAZING DIGITAL CIRCUS, which I love. The story comes together seamlessly, giving the audience just enough information, but not too much. It’s unique, bold, and original. Both the practical effects and production design are amazing. It’s violent, but not TERRIFIER violent. Overall, BUDDY isn’t for everybody. It’s definitely tuned to my frequency though. I guess my sense of humour is a little twisted. It’s genuinely entertaining, goofy, and I’m so happy it exists.
Finding Emily (2026)
SStevenCsMoviesSeptember 6, 2026
StevenCsMoviesSeptember 6, 2026There’s nothing like a great rom-com that helps you forget about your own love life. This is FINDING EMILY, a British modern romantic comedy and the feature debut from director Alicia MacDonald. Owen (Spike Fearn) has a great meet-cute with a girl at the club he works at as a sound manager. She gives him her number and her name, Emily. When it turns out the number is missing a digit, Owen goes to great lengths to find her. Emily Raine (Angourie Rice) is a psych student trying to build a case study around the Sigmund Freud quote “Love is a state of temporary psychosis”. She finds Owen the perfect candidate, and decides to help him. I really enjoyed the contrasting viewpoints between these two and how they bounced off each other. Unlike a certain popular TV series, this takes place on campus. It’s also a love letter to the city of Manchester and its music scene. This movie is predictable in the best way possible. MacDonald uses a lot of classic rom-com tropes, but they’re very thought out and make sense in the moment. Social media is incorporated well here, following the plot fairly realistically. I love the writing here from Rachel Hirons. The dialogue feels real and the world lived in. Spike has such a wonderful lovable energy. The chemistry is top-notch. The film isn’t afraid to be a little cringe, which I think is a part of love itself. This movie makes the rom-com formula feel fresh and new. Overall, FINDING EMILY is easily one of the cutest movies of the year and a very safe bet for rom-com fans. It’s a throwback that made me feel warm and fuzzy. It’s a reminder to say what you mean and mean what you say. I love love.
Narcos (2015)
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uncuervohuerfanoSeptember 3, 2026
uncuervohuerfanoSeptember 3, 2026Siendo una producción extranjera lo que logra narcos es mostrarle a todas las generaciones el peso que ha tenido la violencia en el país. Hace un relato justo de las instituciones y su corrupción, de la política del miedo y de la figura del héroe está establecida con el trauma y aspectos tan consecuentes como la borrosa línea entre el bueno y el malo frente a mecanismos que resultan obsoletos.
The Dog Stars (2026)
SStevenCsMoviesSeptember 1, 2026
StevenCsMoviesSeptember 1, 2026Director Ridley Scott has made some of the greatest films, including ALIEN, BLADE RUNNER, and GLADIATOR. In the past few years, I feel like he’s been slowly slipping into mediocrity. I know that may sound harsh, but, I mean, look at the evidence. His newest is THE DOG STARS, a post-apocalyptic survival thriller adapted from a book by Peter Heller. It follows Hig (Jacob Elordi), a mechanic, and his dog Jasper, who helps other survivors he interacts with by using a small plane to deliver goods. This includes Bangley (Josh Brolin), a militaristic loner, Cima (Margaret Qualley) and her rancher father Jack (Guy Pierce), Darlene (Alison Janney), and a Mennonite family including Aaron (Benedict Wong). There is also a new faction of feral survivors out there somewhere. Set in Colorado, the beginning tries to give you some world-building, but not enough. We know there was a flu, and an unknown amount of people died. We also know there are quite a few obvious product placements strewn about the apocalypse. The aerial shots are gorgeous. Some character decisions felt unrealistic (who in their right mind would overlook Margaret Qualley?). The writing felt a little poor, you can’t just throw in f-bombs willy nilly. Lots of stuff were built up but didn’t go anywhere. This movie is such a narrative mess, it makes me want to read the book. There is one fantastic scene that I wish was the entire film. It involves Alison Janney really giving it her all and it felt like FALLOUT. All of the ingredients are here for a great movie, but it desperately needs a recipe. Overall, THE DOG STARS has nothing new to say, has great landscapes, and an amazing cast. I’m not trying to be ageist, but Ridley Scott is 88 years old. Just sayin’. If you’re dying to see a post-apocalypse story, go watch the 28 YEARS LATER movies.
Rabat (2011)
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User-1504318456August 31, 2026
User-1504318456August 31, 2026Rabat (2011) film wa3r بزاف w kistahl 7.5 / 10 (f IMDb m3lm b 7.2/10 w 89% f Rotten Tomatoes).
Insidious: Out of the Further (2026)
SStevenCsMoviesAugust 31, 2026
StevenCsMoviesAugust 31, 2026There’s a horror franchise that I’ve easily confused with THE CONJURING, and that’s INSIDIOUS. This franchise had a couple good ones, then a few bad ones. Now with the sixth one INSIDIOUS: OUT OF THE FURTHER, they actually have another good one. Saying that, the bar is pretty low. This one doesn’t have much to do with the others, which can be good or bad, depending on whether or not you have gotten tired of the Lambert family. Fresh meat for the grinder is a welcome sight for me. This focuses on Gemma (Amelia Eve), a dental hygienist with momma trauma and her daughter. She discovers that she is able to travel between dimensions, into a fog-filled realm called the Further. Not only that, she can also bring things back from the Further into our world. A cool new villain plans to hitch a ride, by any means. The story is actually my favourite of the franchise. Lin Shaye has been a staple of this franchise and she’s back here. She has a little less to do here but it’s nice to see her. They try expanding the universe a little. Enough to justify another installment? Maybe. There are quite a few exposition dumps. It has a couple really cool set-pieces, and as always, too many noisy jump-scares. If you’re afraid of going to the dentist, do not see this. If you’re claustrophobic, do not see this. You’re welcome. The characters are fine. They threw a hail mary in the third act that I really enjoyed. This franchise is still a money-making machine, consistently overperforming past their low budgets. Overall, this was a fun enough time. When one door closes, another door opens. I’m sure they’ll keep grinding this franchise into the ground, and then INSIDIOUS(ly) OUT OF THE FURTHER.
Scrooge: A Christmas Carol (2022)
F
Francesca AmparoAugust 30, 2026
Francesca AmparoAugust 30, 2026From the 1901 5-minute-long silent film to the CGI-animated movie, and from the Mickey Mouse version of the ’80s to the Dr Quinn, Medicine Woman Christmas special, Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol has been widely adapted and referenced ever since the original publishing of the novella in 1843.
Of course, Netflix had to have its take on the tale. This time, in the form of a 3D-animated musical starring Luke Evans as Mr. Scrooge, Olivia Colman, Jessie Buckley, Jonathan Pryce, and Johnny Flynn, among others. But Scrooge: A Christmas Carol (2022), directed by Stephen Donnelly, offers a unique take on the story.
It is not the first musical film in the history of its adaptation, since there already was Scrooge (1970), nor the first animated adaptation. Still, there has never been one so… adventurous.
Let me explain.
Firstly, the scenes. That is what intrigued me the most throughout the whole film. Every scene feels so magical and unique. They are all creative, so by the end, you will have enjoyed all kinds of settings, from ordinary to no-so-ordinary: a cemetery, clouds, floating offices, outer space, palaces, factories, bedrooms, ballrooms…
One shot I want to highlight is the last one of Christmas Past, right before Christmas Present visits Scrooge. ‘Past’ is disintegrating since the clock struck two, and she goes down to Earth in a free fall with Scrooge and Prudence. When all that was left of her was a talking, concave mask, I thought to myself “Oh, this is new”. An image of this sort is not a common thing among most films, where the figurative and realistic predominates. Something similar happens with the memories that appear as framed by broken glass.
Another shot, much more sober, that I want to highlight, is the one in the first minutes of the movie where the Cratchit children are singing, both colourful and expressive, as a dark shape walks towards them, framed by some citizens in the dark lightning and out of focus. This composition may not be the most original one, but it contains much information within just one frame, and this kind of complexity in shot composition is not very common in “children’s” films.
Secondly, there are new characters, or newly explored characters, such as Prudence, the Cratchit children, Scrooge’s sister Jen, or Elizabeth his fiancée. The latter gets a song of her own and one with young Ebenezer; plus, Christmas Past shows us a glimpse into Elizabeth’s future.
Now, the character of Prudence is truly poetic. Though keeping company to Marley, first, and Scrooge, secondly, Prudence seems to favour, not the cold, calculative men who do not spend much, but the poor, the joyful, and the kind, instead. Prudent behaviour does not mean cruelty.
Thirdly, there is the integration of POC (people of colour) characters, portrayed as citizens of the same level as the white, British ones. This is just a detail that diminishes historical accuracy but seems to correspond to a current trend among adaptations, reboots, remakes and period dramas. Though I have no further comments on the topic.
So, is it good? I believe it is worth a shot. It is not up to me to decide whether or not this is a good adaptation in comparison with the many others this tale has already had.
But for those who, like me, believe that animated movies (or “children’s” movies) should not underestimate their audience, the risks that Scrooge: A Christmas Carol (2022) takes in its storytelling are worth taking, in favour of uniqueness. I hope to see more of that in future movies.
Originally published on Medium February 9th, 2024: https://medium.com/@dibenedetto.francesca/scrooge-2022-an-imaginative-adaptation-878facbba609?sharedUserId=dibenedetto.francesca
Of course, Netflix had to have its take on the tale. This time, in the form of a 3D-animated musical starring Luke Evans as Mr. Scrooge, Olivia Colman, Jessie Buckley, Jonathan Pryce, and Johnny Flynn, among others. But Scrooge: A Christmas Carol (2022), directed by Stephen Donnelly, offers a unique take on the story.
It is not the first musical film in the history of its adaptation, since there already was Scrooge (1970), nor the first animated adaptation. Still, there has never been one so… adventurous.
Let me explain.
Firstly, the scenes. That is what intrigued me the most throughout the whole film. Every scene feels so magical and unique. They are all creative, so by the end, you will have enjoyed all kinds of settings, from ordinary to no-so-ordinary: a cemetery, clouds, floating offices, outer space, palaces, factories, bedrooms, ballrooms…
One shot I want to highlight is the last one of Christmas Past, right before Christmas Present visits Scrooge. ‘Past’ is disintegrating since the clock struck two, and she goes down to Earth in a free fall with Scrooge and Prudence. When all that was left of her was a talking, concave mask, I thought to myself “Oh, this is new”. An image of this sort is not a common thing among most films, where the figurative and realistic predominates. Something similar happens with the memories that appear as framed by broken glass.
Another shot, much more sober, that I want to highlight, is the one in the first minutes of the movie where the Cratchit children are singing, both colourful and expressive, as a dark shape walks towards them, framed by some citizens in the dark lightning and out of focus. This composition may not be the most original one, but it contains much information within just one frame, and this kind of complexity in shot composition is not very common in “children’s” films.
Secondly, there are new characters, or newly explored characters, such as Prudence, the Cratchit children, Scrooge’s sister Jen, or Elizabeth his fiancée. The latter gets a song of her own and one with young Ebenezer; plus, Christmas Past shows us a glimpse into Elizabeth’s future.
Now, the character of Prudence is truly poetic. Though keeping company to Marley, first, and Scrooge, secondly, Prudence seems to favour, not the cold, calculative men who do not spend much, but the poor, the joyful, and the kind, instead. Prudent behaviour does not mean cruelty.
Thirdly, there is the integration of POC (people of colour) characters, portrayed as citizens of the same level as the white, British ones. This is just a detail that diminishes historical accuracy but seems to correspond to a current trend among adaptations, reboots, remakes and period dramas. Though I have no further comments on the topic.
So, is it good? I believe it is worth a shot. It is not up to me to decide whether or not this is a good adaptation in comparison with the many others this tale has already had.
But for those who, like me, believe that animated movies (or “children’s” movies) should not underestimate their audience, the risks that Scrooge: A Christmas Carol (2022) takes in its storytelling are worth taking, in favour of uniqueness. I hope to see more of that in future movies.
Originally published on Medium February 9th, 2024: https://medium.com/@dibenedetto.francesca/scrooge-2022-an-imaginative-adaptation-878facbba609?sharedUserId=dibenedetto.francesca
Coyote vs. Acme (2026)
SStevenCsMoviesAugust 30, 2026
StevenCsMoviesAugust 30, 2026Back in 2023, not long after David Zazlav took over Warner Bros., he shelved a movie called COYOTE VS ACME, looking forward to a nice $30 million tax write-off. When word got out about how everybody who had seen it actually enjoyed it, the internet lost their collective minds. After all the public backlash, he decided to reverse that decision and allow the filmmakers who tirelessly worked on this film to try finding their own distribution deal. Finally, a little company called Ketchup Entertainment (the real hero of the story) made a deal, reviving this movie and avoiding being thrown in the bin, like Warner Bros. did to BATGIRL. Based on a 1990 New Yorker article, this is a legal comedy taking place in a world reminiscent of WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT?, where animation and live action coexist. The story focuses on Wile E. Coyote, who is still trying to catch the Roadrunner, using inventions made by the Acme corporation. After yet another failed attempt, he sees an ad on TV from “small potatoes” lawyer Kevin (Will Forte). He decides to sue Acme for all of their ineffective products, which includes their lawyer Buddy (John Cena). I really love this movie. It’s a reminder that you can be both looney and clever, kind of like NAKED GUN in that sense. It delivers a broad spectrum of jokes and a well-thought-out plot that keeps you guessing. There are quite a few cartoon cameos, but most of them creatively fit into the plot. I have to mention Eric Bauza. He does the voice of 15 cartoon characters in this movie, making him the newest go-to guy for voice work. This was clearly made by people who know and love Looney Toons. There are emotional moments I didn’t expect. Even the poster is brilliant, although I can’t tell you why. Overall, COYOTE VS ACME is a true family film that deserves to make a profit after its tumultuous journey getting to this point. Warner Bros. tried to erase this film from existence after it was already made. It just baffles me to no end. This should never happen. Please go out and support this movie. Every ticket sold is another middle finger to Zazlav. That’s all, folks!
Bloody Sunday (2002)
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K AugustAugust 30, 2026
K AugustAugust 30, 2026I don't think that there are any films like ''Bloody Sunday'' that hit us the way a documentary can. And I am thinking more and more of this 2002 film as I think of the Troubles and how these moments erupt again and again in history. In this retelling of Irish history, a peaceful march in 1972 Northern Ireland becomes one of the worst bloodbaths in British history when 13 demonstrators were shot in the back. Paul Greengrass (''United 93'') directs this, and James Nesbitt (''Waking Ned Devine'') plays Ivan Cooper, an MP from Northern Ireland inspired by the actions of the American Civil Rights movement who has far too much faith in his fellow countryman. He is the main figure in this film, and I felt like giving him a hug as the well-told story unfolds and we sit back numb to history.
Watch it and learn what we need to know about our natures so that we cannot fall back to these old actions.
Watch it and learn what we need to know about our natures so that we cannot fall back to these old actions.
Hoofmeisie (2011)
U
User-1504291487August 28, 2026
User-1504291487August 28, 2026i love this movie ive been wanting to watch it again for years
Most Disturbed Person on Planet Earth (2013)
A
Anonymous 69August 25, 2026
Anonymous 69August 25, 2026I am not able to see only😮💨
Deceit (2023)
G
Gitemi MuriguAugust 25, 2026
Gitemi MuriguAugust 25, 2026Contains spoilers
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