Director Shawn Levy makes futuristic sci-fi fantasy movies with a humor twist. Some of the humor in his previous flicks could be sarcastic or raunchy, but not so with his newest, The Adam Project. It’s a fun and heartfelt movie, and one that the whole family can enjoy.

The Adam Project starts in the year 2050 and then transitions to 2022, with a stop in 2018 for good measure. The film introduces us to young Adam, played by Walker Scobell. 2022 Adam is just a boy living with his single mom, played by Jennifer Garner. Adam’s father has died, and Adam is isolated and sad. But his life suddenly changes when a man falls into his world and asks for his help. This man is also Adam, and the special surprise for young Adam is that this is actual him, but all grown up. Big Adam, played by Ryan Reynolds, has time traveled from 2050 to 2022. Together, they pair up to try and rescue the future.

Ryan Reynolds’ performance in The Adam Project is stellar (no pun intended). He goes from a video-game character in Free Guy (2021) to playing a time traveler partnering with his younger self in this film. Reynolds is perfect because he has a unique acting style and he has a knack for giving us unexpected laughs. I also loved the chemistry between Reynolds and Scobell. Especially poignant is when the Adams travel back to 2018 and find their father Louis, played by Mark Ruffalo.

The future orientation of The Adam Projectreally drew me in, and the transitions between years is interesting and well done. The film is simply a treat. Well worth a watch on Netflix. And again, it’s a movie that the family can watch together. Three and a half stars for The Adam Project.

Indie filmmakers Matt Leal (director) and Matthew Festle (writer) have released ShadowMarsh, a limited-budget horror film that takes horror creativity to a whole new level. And full disclosure—yours truly had the privilege of being an associate producer and even had a minor acting role in the film!

ShadowMarsh introduces us to Jacob Tomlin, played by Mike Ferguson, and Jacob’s niece Piper Tomlin, played by Ellen Woomer. They move back to Shadowmarsh, the town where they both grew up. The town is quiet now but evil from a long ago event is still lurking. Jacob is close with town sheriff Sam Tate, played by Lew Temple. Also prominently featured are Toby Harris, played by Jackson Everest, and Lori Meyers, played by Corinne Mica. The story includes many other local people who have heard of the ancient evil around them, but very few of them take it seriously. As the terror mounts many of these unbelievers have to fend for themselves.

ShadowMarsh is the second film offering from Three Keys Media and aficionados of horror flicks will agree that it is unlike any horror film that fans have ever seen. The horror is uber realistic, making the film grotesque yet visually enticing. It also builds some impressive suspense, and even has an interesting bit of political ideology thrown in.

The small-town setting of Shadowmarsh is perfectly suited to the film. And the title of the film—the same name as the town itself—telegraphs some of the darkness to come. All things considered, the film is an absolute success for these emerging filmmakers. So far, distribution is via dvd, blu-ray, or even old school VHS through the filmmakers’ website, https://threekeysmedia.storenvy.com/.
Jump on the site and grab a copy—you won’t regret it. Three and a half stars for ShadowMarsh.

After Yang is an inspiring film about connection, love, and loss. It is a one of a kind film combining the sci-fi and drama genres, and it is truly compelling.

After Yang is set in a futuristic world where artificial intelligence controls much of what goes on. Colin Farrell plays Jake, who is married to Kyra, played by Jodie Turner-Smith. They live with their daughter Mika, played by Malea Emma Tjandrawidjaja, and a child android named Yang, played by Justin H. Min. Yang breaks down, which saddens Mika, and Jake does what he can to figure out how to repair Yang. But in the process Jake realizes that he hasn’t been as connected to his family as he could have been since they had Yang living with them. The film alternates between past and present, and it’s flashback sequences are dazzling and wonderful. The film’s sci-fi/AI angle only adds to the creativity. The writing is sensitive and moving.

I’m a big fan of films where technology is prominent, so After Yang’s futuristic setting really spoke to me. The film reminded me somewhat of Her (2013), directed by Spike Jonze. The world in After Yang is similar to the world in Her, but the AI feature in After Yang is a person, not an electronic voice like in Her, which makes Yang much more endearing. After Yangreminds us that although technology can add to our life, it can’t replace meaningful relationships with actual people, and we need to keep our loved ones (who are human) close.

I really loved After Yang. Unlike many sci-fi films that are geared toward younger people, this is a sci-fi film that the entire family can enjoy. It was also nice to see a sci-fi film that is empathetic and touching, as well as creative and powerful. After Yang takes us to an alternative world of surrealism, but with meaningful elements. I give After Yang three and a half stars.