Movies, Film, and Chili

Digger is directed by Alejandro G. Iñárritu and stars Tom Cruise as Digger Rockwell. Much like his name, there is a lot of symbolism and meaning packed into the film, along with plenty of references that brought a smile to my face. I went into this expecting it to be pretentious or outright bad because that was the prevailing opinion online before general audiences had even had a chance to see it. Anyone calling this movie pretentious clearly has not seen The Death of Robin Hood or Die My Love . Die My Love was so pretentious that my wife actually begged me to leave the theater, and I had to finish it another day. Digger , on the other hand, actually understands the difference between being ambitious and simply being self-important. Tom Cruise is great as Digger Rockwell, giving the character exactly the kind of larger-than-life personality the movie needs. There is so much going on beneath the surface that I found myself constantly looking for the symbolism and references hidden...

Heart of the Beast is a dog movie that feels like it is trying very hard to make you cry. Brad Pitt spends most of the film channeling his inner Leonardo DiCaprio from The Revenant , playing a man struggling to make his way home through increasingly difficult circumstances. The problem is that the movie keeps pulling on the heartstrings so aggressively that it becomes obvious what emotion it wants from the audience. By the end, I was less emotionally invested and more ready for the movie to be over. Brad Pitt carries the entire film on his back, which is both its biggest strength and its biggest problem. He does a decent job with the material, but there is only so much he can do when the movie keeps pushing the emotional beats so hard. His performance is what keeps the film watchable, but it also makes it obvious how little there is around him. J.K. Simmons is technically in the movie, but only briefly. It is one of those appearances where you see a recognizable actor in the cast a...

The Stunt Driver feels more like a passion project than a comedy or even a drama. There is enough here to get me into the theater, but not enough to keep me from checking the time during its 99-minute runtime. Even at that length, the movie feels like it is constantly waiting for the big jump to happen instead of actually giving us something interesting along the way. Writer/director Michael Dowse is clearly a Canadian patriot, but he needs to remember that most of his audience isn't Canadian. There is nothing wrong with being proud of where you come from, but the movie spends so much time leaning into that pride that it becomes difficult for anyone outside of Canada to connect with it. Goon worked because it had a much better script. The Stunt Driver needed to be written by someone who actually understands comedy and knows how to build jokes around the characters instead of simply expecting the premise to carry the movie. Jay Baruchel does a decent job in the lead, but he isn...

Buzzkill is a slasher that suffers from overacting, cringe dialogue, and characters who are almost impossible to take seriously. The first victim is supposed to be college-aged, but the actress looks like she is clearly in her thirties, which makes the setup immediately distracting. The movie also constantly makes references that feel like even the actors have no idea what they are actually talking about. It gives the impression that the writers wanted the characters to sound clever without bothering to make their dialogue feel natural. Siena Agudong gives off obvious final girl vibes, and she has the presence to carry that role. The problem is her character is so annoying that it becomes difficult to understand why everyone around her treats her with such reverence. The movie seems determined to convince us that this character is far more likable and important than her actual personality suggests, which makes the character development feel completely backwards. The writing also ends...

Primetime is directed by Lance Oppenheim , who is known for making some other pretentious movies, and unfortunately that reputation feels right at home here. The film offers an interesting look behind the scenes of a television production, but it spends far too much time trying to be artsy and meaningful instead of simply telling its story. Robert Pattinson is easily the best part of the movie. His character is completely Chris Hansen in both voice and mannerisms, which makes his performance unintentionally hilarious at times. Even so, Pattinson fully commits to the role and gives the film some much needed personality. The biggest problem is that the movie never really wraps up his story, making all that investment in his character feel strangely incomplete. Skyler Gisondo gets the unfortunate distinction of being the character we ultimately end on. His character feels like a self-insert, especially with how frequently he brings up the musical Rent . Instead of giving the ending th...

The Dog Stars is directed by Ridley Scott , which certainly gives the post-apocalyptic film some serious filmmaking pedigree. Unfortunately, the movie starts off very, very slow, taking its time before it really gives the audience much to latch onto. Once it gets going, though, the performances help carry it, particularly the natural charm of its lead. Jacob Elordi brings a lot of charm to the film, which is especially important considering how slow the story develops. His presence gives the movie some much needed vibe and makes it easier to stay invested in the character even when the pacing is dragging. He's continuing to improve his performances even after Frankenstein. Josh Brolin continues to prove that he can make a strong impression in supporting roles. Much like his work in Weapons , he brings a level of confidence and presence that helps elevate the scenes he is in. He may not be the main focus of the movie, but he is one of those actors who can make a supporting role f...