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SCIENCE-FICTION and FUTURISTIC DRAMA. “The Survivalist.” 2021. / “The Survivalist.” 2015. / “The Rover.” / “The Island.”

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“The Survivalist” (2021, Fawesome) action thriller. A woman who is thought to be immune to a pandemic flees from a religious leader and his followers.         The dystopian murk is a visual cliche. And the plotline is all about “The Last of Us.” Nothing really happens in this grey movie other than John Malkovich being John Malkovich, and Jonathan Rhys Meyers being angry, like he usually does. 🎥💻📽 “The Survivalist” (2015, Tubi) British post-apocalyptic science fiction thriller . Set after a catastrophic global population collapse , the film follows a solitary man who protects his cabin and vegetable plot with traps and alarms until the arrival of two women forces him into uneasy bargains and escalating violence.          Martin McCann as The Survivalist deserves longer attention. He is also in the remarkable series “Blue Lights.” His acting range as explored in this movie, albeit restrained yet remains ...
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JASON STATHAM. “Wild Card.” / “Wrath of Man.”

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“Wrath of Man” (2021, Netflix) action thriller , directed by Guy Ritchie . About a new cash-truck driver in Los Angeles , whose thwarting of a robbery leads to his skillset with guns and mysterious past being questioned. Stars Jason Statham.        Sans quantifiable acting talent, Mr Statham has proven that he can easily command box-office millions with his mumbles and brawn. I mean, Arnie and Sly did the trick alright, didn't they? This “Wrath…” movie earned $104 million from a budget of $40 million. You dig?         English director Guy Ritchie, who scored big  in previous actioners (1998's “Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels” and 2000's “Snatch”), directed this project, which included a cast of fine dramatic performers and reliable top-billers: Ho lt McCallany , Jeffrey Donovan , Josh Hartnett, Eddie Marsan , Andy Garcia, and Niamh Algar. Singer/rapper Post Malone had a silly cameo, too.   ...
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DRAMA. “Bang Bang.” / “Misgivings.” / “Boiling Point.” / / “Despair.” / “Best Sellers.” / “London to Brighton.”

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“Bang Bang” (2024, Paramount+) drama. Tim Blake Nelson is Bernard "Bang Bang" Rozyski, a retired 1980s boxing legend attempting to reconnect with his estranged family.         The film is set in Detroit and focuses on themes of redemption and legacy, rather than a typical journey to the top of the boxing world. So don't expect a Rocky-styled joint here.        Usually under-recognized Tim Blake Nelson's showtime. He embodied the character as second skin without the bombast of a De Niro or Pacino.         This indie drama breathes life because Tim vomits, groans and screams all over it. But in a restrained way. Kudos to director Vincent Grashaw for transforming an otherwise stereotypical premise into a compelling ride. 🎥💻📽 “Misgivings” (2024, Amazon Prime) Australian indie drama. Set in rural NSW, the story follows a protagonist named Suze who discovers shocking truths a...
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COMEDY. “Bad Trip.” / “The Comeback Trail.” / “Killing Gunther.” / “Made.”

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“Bad Trip” (2021, Netflix) hidden camera comedy. The film follows two best friends who take a road trip from Florida to New York City so one of them can declare his love for his high school crush, all the while being chased by the other's criminal sister, whose car they have stolen for the trip.         This is a wild old-school but masterful laughing frenzy. I haven't laughed in a while so I just did. Director Kitao Sakurai 's smart use of the “hidden camera” trick worked splendidly as though we were watching “Candid Camera” for the first time.         Eric André as lead comic Chris Carey and Tiffany Haddish as Trina Malone are hilarious! I definitely agree with most critics. This movie is a “surprisingly uplifting ride." 🎥💻📽 “The Comeback Trail” (2020, Paramount+) comedy . A desperate 1970s Hollywood producer in debt to the mob, plots to kill an aging a Western star during a dangerous movie stunt to claim...
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MARTY SUPREME.

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“Marty Supreme” (2025, HBO Max) sports comedy-drama. Set in the 1950s, it stars Timothée Chalamet as table tennis player Marty Mauser (loosely based on Marty Reisman ) and follows his quest to become world champion.         First, I must say, Timothee should have won the Best Actor award for this very entertaining movie. And it's all because of Mr Chalamet's high-energy hold (or grip) of the title character. Funny, infuriating, flirty, heart-warming, contradicting etcetera--all embodied and craftily channeled in one dramatic bombast yet never hysterical and confectionary.         Second, and this isn't really a superlative, the majority of the 2 and half hour movie is fiction, especially the action sequences and the sexual shenanigans with a Hollywood actress. The “trip to Japan” or competitions in Japan were also twisted, but the rivalry with a Japanese player was real. I guess that's an “accepted” mischi...
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DARK COMEDY. “Outcome.” / “Vengeance.” / “Psycho Therapy.”

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“Outcome” (2026, Apple TV+) black comedy, directed by Jonah Hill and stars Keanu Reeves and Cameron Diaz. An actor embarks on an apology tour after a blackmail threat. Those stars (add Matt Bomer) hint of a good show. Plus Martin Scorsese is here, too!         But I expected too much. Built as a satire, this jibe talked a lot of nonsense, especially Jonah as Ira (“crisis lawyer” for Keanu’s Hollywood star Reef). There are some jokes and sequences that should have been flushed off the toilet bowl (such as Mr Hill in uhh toilet bowl).         Meanwhile, Cameron and Matt appeared silly as Reef’s oblique friends Kyle and Xander. Well, at least Ivy Wolk as Sammy (Ira’s assistant), as is funny.         Keanu kind of talks here more than he does. Though I prefer that he doesn't talk much, like when he is John Wick. 🎥💻📽 “Vengeance” (2022, Netflix) black comedy mystery. T...
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PSYCHOLOGICAL DRAMA THRILLER. “Little Joe.” / “The Killing of a Sacred Deer.” / “The Jacket.”

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“Little Joe” (2019, Pluto TV) drama. A plant breeder and single mother creates "Little Joe,” a plant that gives its caretakers joy.          This little movie is certainly an unorthodox movie but I don't think it qualifies as horror at all. Nothing's creepy about it. More a fantasy drama. Emily Beecham's understated, charming stoicism also works as deadpan enchantment. Her restrained take on plant breeder mom Alice Woodard won her the Best Actress plum in 2019's Cannes.        All in all, Jessica Hausner's directorial thrift is a minimalist intrigue in a spaced-out set sans weirdness. 🎥💻📽 “The Killing of a Sacred Deer” (2017, HBO Max) absurdist psychological horror thriller film directed by Yorgos Lanthimos . A cardiac surgeon introduces his family to a teenage boy with a connection to his past, after which they mysteriously begin to fall ill.         Mr Lanthimos is...
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