Film reviews

How to Rob a Bank Review

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This is a heist film with exciting elements and loads of fun to double the money. It is an adventure where investigations lead to hurdles and misadventures. Be ready for a ride where YouTube subscribers, followers, and social media mayhem fall into the mix. How to Rob a Bank is stellar at showcasing creative control and power among criminals. Written with classy characters who fit the roles of bank robbers very well. A disgruntled detective is part of the story as well. When social media and robbing banks come together, a big, clever rollercoaster ensues.

The characters involved in the cat-and-mouse game are Ryan (Nicholas Hoult) and Vince (Pete Davidson). They have a whole crew of people working on their heist operations using their YouTube channels and bank robbing ventures. The detective who is onto them is Agent West (John C. Reilly). He hires a former criminal to help him, named Reagan (Zoe Kravitz). Ryan and Vince create a trail that goes into dangerous territory. They put police officers and people in compromising places.  Their technological tactics are deadly and grow rapidly with winnings on social media and success taking down banks.

There is a political side to their motives which makes the film enticing. Ryan believes the system is messed up so cheating the system is justified. He pushes boundaries to win big. Agent West follows suit going on the run trying to stop the mayhem with the banks and the YouTube channel before things get even more out of hand. How to Rob a Bank is not perfect, but does well moderating levels of intensity. Each scene where a bank is robbed is like a Call of Duty or Grand Theft Auto video game experience. There are flying colors with the YouTube channel and the news stories breaking when they take down banks. 

There is a quote from the film, “These videos are misdirection!” This spoke to me, because it hinted at what was yet to come. The director David Leitch uses promising tactics in How to Rob a Bank. He throws out metaphors and twisted elements that make viewers think one event will happen, but then the opposite occurs. The banks and social media pages blur the lines and lead to a pretty good time in How to Rob a Bank. Yet, the pacing is a little off and Davidson is hard to take seriously as a bank robber. Yes, he has shady looks but does not fit the bill as creepy or tough. At least his moments of irony play well in the film in spite of the lack of structure and a little too much mayhem. Overall, the movie is not quite a hit. Two out of four stars for How to Rob a Bank.

 

Film reviews

Dreams in Nightmares Review-The Black Harvest Film Festival 2026

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The Black Harvest Film Festival is running November 6 through November 15th at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago’s Gene Siskel Film Center. I took up the opportunity to see Dreams in Nightmares. The film is audacious, wonderful, and funny. There is a diverse tone of spellbinding wonders. 

Written and directed by Shatara Michelle Ford, there is friendship with a new dynamic of meaning in Dreams in Nightmares. It is like a voyage of wonders that provokes deep curiosity.  The creative track runs and new adventures come around. Dreams in Nightmares is a genuine spectacle.

 

The film focuses on three best friends. All of them have a unique background. They are Z (played by Denee Benton), a writer and an adjunct professor at a university. Then there is Tasha (played by Sasha Compere), a corporate consultant. Finally, there is Lauren (played by Dezi Bing), a poet. They go on a trip around the Midwest. Their good friend Kel (played by Mars Storm Rucker) is missing. It is a

 

journey of humor between the friends with realizations along the way—the uniqueness of surprises in search of a missing element offers a bigger spectacle in Dreams in Nightmares.

 

The road trip is on the way to Iowa. I feel a connection for me,because my mom is from Iowa, and my family has driven there many times for many years. I know what the road trip is like on the way to Iowa, and I had a general sense of the types of thestops along the way. I will not provide spoilers. I will say though, that context provides the adventure to have connecting points. Also, a road for many adventures. Especially with the three friends.

 

There are mixed challenges, and a lot of curiosity between the three friends. As they are looking for their fourth missing friendthere is a transpiring of challenges and realizations of what connects to their human hearts. I will say the humor of the film has its moments where it tests boundaries and pushes the envelope. I do like that though, because it delivers a sense of a combat of friendship egos. It creates questions for the road trip. Are they mature enough for this trip? Are they happy in their own life? Has there been other turmoils along the way? Will they find their friend?

 

The Midwest is a place for new adventures, identity, and realizations. Especially with the many friends that come along the way. I feel the sense of connectiveness, forgotten elements of the past, and appreciation is why Dreams in Nightmares is perfect for The Black Harvest Film Festival. Cultural tides among careers and artistic notions continue to have correlating values. There are many of those that create curiosity and frustration. At the same time, it is a thrilling “frustration.” With a friend missing for a lot of the road trip, it feels like a game of Tetris, wondering if anyone is truly happy. Friendship goes a long way in Dreams in Nightmares.

 

 

Film reviews

Ebenezer Review

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There is Christmas cheer that is not especially cheerful and no jingle bells to be heard. However,  the phrase Bah-humbug rings a bell throughout Ebenezer. There aren’t many positive holiday vibes in Ebenezer which has the right tone of writing for its lead character Ebenezer Scrooge, played by Johnny Depp. This movie was positioned to signify redemption after Depp’s absence from the screen due to court battles with his former spouse Amber Heard. Unfortunately, Ebenezer is ridiculous even though Depp plays the role of a cranky Ebenezer Scrooge quite well. Still, the film is a total blur because of the way it fails to achieve anything serious.  

The plot is as follows. Ebenezer Scrooge is extremely cranky, lacks generosity, and despises Christmas. His colleague Jacob Marley is played by Ian McKellen. After Marley’s death, many ghosts come into Scrooge’s life and encourage him to love Christmas. Because of the hatred in his heart, the journey is harder. Thanks to the ghosts’ reminders of what life is like, Scrooge begins to open his heart.

There are people in Scrooge’s life that help him along the way. This is where the writing in the film is relatively good in spite of most of it being disastrous. The nephew of Scrooge is Fred, played by Sam Claflin. The co-worker of Scrooge is Bob Cratchit, played by Rupert Grint. These two individuals see the quiet goodness in Scrooge.Their characters  help him come out of his shell which does not work out entirely well.

Many scenes and Depp’s performance are all over the place. I felt like I was seeing him in Captain Jack Sparrow mode, but set in the winter. Of course, this story includes scenarios in which he is dealing with the public and not out at sea. Regardless, Depp plays the role well. It is the lack of meaningful continuity that makes the film an utter disaster.

Although there is an attempt to conjure up the holiday spirit, the director also does everything possible to keep the atmosphere as serious as possible. This does not work for Ebenezer. Throughout the film, Scrooge repeatedly finds himself in places where the film does not feel so magical. It is like a dramatic death trap that makes for a boring experience for viewers. Expect very little holiday cheer and a lot of boredom. The Christmas Spirit does not light up Ebenezer which was quite disappointing.

Since the film was directed by Ti West, I had some faith before I saw it. I do give him some credit for trying to build a promising foundation. In the end, the film failed at finding meaning. Ebenezer is not the Christmas Carol the world knows and loves. While an attempt was made to take the classic in a new direction, the writing simply did not deliver. One-and-a-half out of four stars for Ebenezer.

 

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