CRIME COMEDY. “Mayday.” / “Greedy People.” / “See How They Run.” / “Middle Man.” / “Bad Grandmas.”

“Mayday” (2026, Apple TV+) action comedy. An American pilot stranded behind enemy lines during the Cold War must team up with an eccentric former KGB agent. Stars Ryan Reynolds and Kenneth Branagh. 


       Kenneth Branagh has the clever one-liners (in Russian accent), while Ryan Reynolds has the Deadpool-styled humor. This is a Cold War genre cliche but never mind. The warhead ride was stylish, or the easy albeit supposedly high-wire action is cool enough. And it's funny, too. 🎥💻📽


“Greedy People” (2024, Hulu) crime comedy. The misadventures of several lives in a small coastal town that end up entangled by a web of lies, which creates a domino effect of retaliatory murders all around greed. 



       On initial attention, this movie felt like comedy. Then things got weird. People died, one at a time. A dog was also “accidentally” murdered. Suspense drama? Crime thriller? All throughout, Joseph Gordon-Levitt (as cop Terry) ran his mouth. 

       Meanwhile, I thought I'd see more of Traci Lords (of course you know who Traci is!) but she died here early. So damn. 

       The main problem in this film is the implausible screenplay, written by Michael Vukadinovich. The characters’ behaviors don't add up or they're too cliche to bite. There's no way that director Potsy Ponciroli could wiggle out of the material's mess. Anyhow, you may want to watch Potsy's “Old Henry” (2021), which was good. Not this one. 🎥💻📽


“See How They Run” (2022, Hulu) comedy mystery. A tired detective, Inspector Stoppard, and an eager rookie, Constable Stalker, take on the case. Featuring a kickass cast: Saoirse Ronan, Sam Rockwell, Adrien Brody, Ruth Wilson, Harris Dickinson, and David Oyelowo. 


      You can't help comparing this whodunit with Agatha Christie's work, sure. You can't get away from that, especially that this movie is bedecked with multiple characters.

       So what do we get here aside from the obligatory Scotland Yard tropes? Stylish costumes and performance zeal. But that's all. 🎥💻📽


“Middle Man” (2018, Plex) black comedy. An unfunny, aspiring standup comedian who, on a road trip to Las Vegas, picks up a mysterious hitchhiker. 



       I like how this so-called black comedy started. Jim O'Heir's Lenny walked us into his lonely world following mom's death, the drive to Vegas, then he allowed hitchhiker Hitch (Andrew J. West) in his car. It was still fine as we went to the open mic bit. Funny-weird, but still funny. (The bit player Jocelyn Ayanna as waitress Evelyn is hilarious!) 

       But from that juncture, things went wacko. Director Ned Crowley lost handle of his otherwise promising script and character consistency. Everything turned deranged in a bad way, as the continuity gets lost in a roomful of cadaverous gore-cliche. 🎥💻📽


“Bad Grandmas” (2017, Tubi) action comedy. Four senior women in the American South accidentally kill a con man and try to cover up the crime. 



       This movie was generally panned by critics. Says some uncool reviewers: “A movie that never warrants a single laugh.” And, “An excruciatingly flat, forced Southern-fried farce.” What is wrong with these guys? (Yes, both are dudes.) They'd probably been “iced” by their political minds? 

       All that I am saying is, chill. Does anybody remember laughter? Yes, I do. Although this project isn't an A- to me, these grandmas made me laugh. (But I don't dig Judge Reinhold at all.) 🎥💻📽


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