Film reviews

Night Nurse Review

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What is the point?  I played that question repeatedly in my head while watching Night Nurse. I have worked in a variety of settings with customers in hospitality and facilities and to me Night Nurse presents a strange form of connection in a retirement setting. It is both unnerving and interesting at the same time, yet the execution of it drags. It’s attempt at being creative as well falls flat. The film surrounds an old man in a home and prank calls to make bank. The twist though, is the nurse is also his assistant and part-time lover. The storyline is bizarre and kept me wishing for a stronger show of decent writing to appear.

 

The film’s main character is Eleni, played by Cemre Paksoy. She takes a job at a retirement community. She is assigned to take care of Douglas, played by Bruce McKenzie. Douglas presents bad forms of dementia, but also strange characterizations. He has Eleni make a fake call for him, she goes for it and soon they become con artists together. He also has another nurse named Mona, played by Eleonore Hendricks. The head doctor at the retirement community is Doctor Mann, played by Mimi Rogers. The scenario creates a rapid dynamic where cash and wrong connection to get more money keeps floating around in a matter that is quirky. I had a hard time trying to put my serious face on with Night Nurse.

 

It is interesting that Eleni gets addicted to the pattern with Douglas. It is like the film was written to look at someone taking a job at a retirement community to help overcome daddy issues. Her “daddy issues” are clearly those of not having enough attention around her.  At the same time, she jumps into that unexplained romantic vibe too easily.  Douglas’ brain is surelynot in the right mind, yet he still manages with his malevolent prank calls and blindsides people. When there is a man living in a retirement community creating loving moments with nurses and driving them around in a convertible, audiences know instantly this is a silly thriller. Just in that context alone, it is hard to present elements to be considered of importance.

 

The peril presented here is the chance of these calls going wrong. That is because they target others around the retirement community—another aspect of poor taste. The concept of those already suffering with health issues being preyed upon as victims gave me a weird feeling that I struggled with to be entertained.  Douglas is clearly “cheating” the system at his retirement community, and Eleni helps him with this. So does Mona. The consequences do not show up well in Night Nurse. Watching Night Nurse felt like working a shift where you keep asking yourself repeatedly when the shift will be over. This one is very poorly written. Three con artists in a pod that lacks fulfillment. Night Nurse is so strange yet enthralling. Not enough to feel enthusiastic about though. Two out of four stars.

 

Film reviews

The Odyssey Review

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Christopher Nolan makes his visions come to life with his writing and his filmmaking. He combines both to ensure his projects are forever memorable. With over two million feet of IMAX 70 MM film, he brings us The Odyssey. After seeing Nolan speak in-person during CinemaCon 2026 at the Dolby Colosseum in Las Vegas, I am convinced he is a director that I trust with the use of IMAX cameras. Nolan ensures the movie-going experience is life-changing. Each of his movies in 70 MM format and IMAX formats have done just that…from The Dark Knight to Inception to Oppenheimer. The Odyssey is the step up to a new height of cinematic achievement that will be remembered by audiences across the entire world. Nolan’s efforts were focused on jumping into the “physicality of the real world,” with The Odyssey. The experience that this film delivers feels extremely like “the real world.”  

In Nolan’s films, his dynamics are powerful. The power that was presented in Inception makes me think of every moving part in every ratio in every moment I have seen it. The same goes for Oppenheimer. I watched both in 70 MM. For  Inception it was 70 MM IMAX, and for Oppenheimer in a normal theatrical 70 MM format. His poetic use of technology challenges audiences to think about the inner workings of  important characterizations. In The Odyssey, the patterns portrayed cinematically are enthralling. 

Before examining the plot and the film’s monumental cinematics, it is important to understand the vast cast in The Odyssey. Matt Damon is Odysseus, the Greek King of Ithaca. Tom Holland is Telemachus, the son of Odysseus. Anne Hathaway is Penelope, Odysseus’s wife and the queen of Ithaca. Robert Pattinson is Antinous,  a suitor to Penelope and the enemy. Lupita Nyong’o plays both Helen of Troy and Clytemnestra. Zendaya is Athena, the goddess of wisdom. She is enthralled with warfare, and bound to protect Odysseus on his rough journey home. Charlize Theron is Calypso, is a nymph that comes from the island of Ogygia. Her goal is to keep Odysseus as her immortal husband. All dynamics serve a purpose—and many hold the keys to the journey home for Odysseus. Be ready for the term, “Zeus law,” to have a massive presence. It is presented in an audacious form as every effort involving dynamics and authority gravitates around “Zeus law” in The Odyssey.

As Odysseus tries to find his way home, he must navigate the voyage of the sea. During his journey, Telemachus is trying to maintain hope of his father’s return. At the same time, Ithaca remains at risk. With Antinous around, the reputation lingers. The theme of the journey is showcased with brilliance in The Odyssey. Nolan does so through the castles and the seas. 70 MM is the ideal way to feel the essence of the surreal wonders of The Odyssey. Telemachus maintains and finds information about Odysseus while both are on the voyage for answers. The moving parts required to make it home using the Greek mythological setting are written with spellbinding aesthetics. The search for home is full of inspiring adventures. The Odyssey is a world where Nolan has all the pieces and the dynamics set just right. With the voyage including mythical creatures and uncharted territory, the environmental elements faced in during this journey keep audiences thinking about persistence, authority, time, and respect. There are also plenty of amazingly written “POWERFUL GODS” in The Odyssey.

The ultimate way to embrace The Odyssey is to see it in cinemas where it is playing on film. This means seeing it in 70 MM, 70 MM IMAX, or 35 MM. The surreal scenes will fill up the screen. Nolan chose to take on this project because the story has never been adapted in a big scale production for a movie studio. Because of  the intense storyline, Nolan was inspired to study the many components and create a script that was non-linear. This is a poetic approach from a director who is determined to get things done just  right. With all the technological aspects of the film, Nolan’s world will restore audiences’ faith in The Odyssey. Nolan’s narratives, scenarios, and puzzle pieces come together in a way that ensures every event happens for a reason. Nolan paints the portraits loud and clear. The order of shifting between events and conflicts transpires wonders in The Odyssey. Similar in ways to how he directed Oppenheimer, he uses misdirection with aesthetics for purpose. Trying to understand why there are enemies, foes, and doubts may seem frustrating, but it is necessary. It is cinematically the best film of 2026. Matt Damon, Robert Pattinson, and Tom Holland deliver performances that will blow audiences away. The tides are rough, and the journey is epic. The Odyssey is an unforgettable adventure from Christopher Nolan.

The power of ownership, pride, vengeance, and restoration are all dynamically portrayed in The Odyssey.  The film’s storyline and Nolan’s  writing in a “non-linear” fashion creates a warfare that is pure spectacle. The characters have vital context in this astonishing sensation. Nolan is the king of writing with context and authority in The Odyssey. This film simply must be seen in the best format because the IMAX cameras will take audiences on an incomparable ride featuring Damon’s performance as Odysseus! Four out of four stars!

Film reviews

Evil Dead Burn Review

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There is definitely a lot of evil that burns in Evil Dead Burn with the thought of wrongdoings coming across in many bold ways. This time it follows a death. Directed by Sebastien Vanicek, he takes the direction of loss leading to vengeance. Its portrait is gruesome, and the rest of the film is full of gore which is seemingly central to its continuity. At the same time though, there is the question that had me thinking of how much pain and suffering is really necessary– to the point where even utensils can have injuries?  This one is a rollercoaster that explodes withall types of fire-like moments of surprises. It is a sequel to the 2013 version of Evil Dead and the 2023 version of Evil Dead Rise. The sixth installment in the film series.

 

The film surrounds a woman named Alice, played by Souheila Yacoub. She is trying to cope with the loss of her husband and apast of bad relationship tensions as she struggles to remain close to his family. After his death, she finds herself in the same home with her husband William’s family.  William is played by George Puller. Once she is with his family all kinds of terrors are born. Her brother-in-law, Joseph, is played by Hunter Doohan and her mother-in-law, Susan, is played by Tandi Wright. Alice is close with Joseph but struggles to get along with Susan. Once they are all together, they begin to possess terrors. They are formed into zombie-like killers. Dark tones of violence screech throughout Evil Dead Burn. It is a cynical death trap of a family reunion.

 

This film had me shocked and awed frequently. The fact that there is “bad blood” creates a more immersive experience. I felt scared throughout, often thinking, “Whoa…that is messed up!”  Thoughts raced in my head especially during moments when evil that has been lurking takes over much of the family.  It then becomes a bloodbath of chainsaws, writing utensils, etc.—anything that is sharp carries a vengeance. There is a lot of “burning” in Evil Dead Burns.

 

Everyone has a mode to kill. The writing is filled with hatred and regret combined with a blend of tragedy mixed with vengeance to deliver brutal revenge.  It gets quite graphic. Overall, some moments go above and beyond, crossing thresholds into insanity. That is ironically the beauty of Evil Dead Burn in that there are no boundaries to the level of gore that goes with this one. Brutal, with countless modes of intensity—it is a lot to handle.

 

A violent, yet poetic tale in the sense of emotion that it can illicit, however, it is not great. It falls just above average. The film has a clever premise with a lot of creativity portrayed through the violence and fighting moments. The hatred lingers for one selling ride, but is there redemption in any of it? How do the possessive modes continue to thrive? How much hate can possibly come and go? There is no stopping any of it in this film’s track of brutality, and it is the invincible nature of the evil that continues to produce fulfilling entertainment for those that can handle it. Three out of four stars.

 

Treating cinema in many forms of art!