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Film reviews

Him Review

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It is the start of the football season, and Justin Tipping (Kicks, Get Black Monday) decides to step-up his directing game with a sports thriller. Him is a  psychological thriller with a wild and crazy imagination. On one hand, the film is about  fame, and on  the other, survival. The two lines run parallel  in  Him. Being a pro football player is presented as a dream, and \ Tipping creates one’s dream to be an irreparable nightmare. The presentation continues to fall into a psychological  pattern. As egos topple over suspenseful situations  that become an athletic training film  like no other.

Him focuses on Cameron Cade and he is played by Tyriq Withers (Atlanta, Tell Me Lies). Cade, a rookie quarterback  is  given the opportunity to train with champion and veteran quarterback Isaiah White, played by  Marlon Wayans (On the Rocks, Air). With Cameron focused on becoming a  pro player, he feels this is his dream is close to coming true. However, once he steps foot into Isaiah’s home, there are haunting aspects that may be more disturbing than Cameron has anticipated. His head may be in the game to learn from his mentor, but he does not realize how dangerous the football camp is.

For Tipping, he oversteps the boundaries of sports and mayhem. It is exhilarating in some moments, but in others Him devolves into an  overwhelming slog of strobe-like effects. While I did expect technology of that nature in Him, its use prevents the film from ever feeling like anything more than mesmerizing.  Tipping provides the enemies a form of ambience of purpose. Competition with violence and desperation for success do not tango well with Him. It is presented in the setting of a cult that is disturbing. There are many trial and error moments, leaving Tipping’s film feeling like a blur. Him relies a lot more on star power than it does  suspense to engage its audiences. This is a thriller where there is more  enjoyment found in the  twisted fun of watching events unfold than in Him than any actual emotional responses like shock or mortification..

Him keeps up its craziness with football legend vibes going boldly. That is because the star powered dynamics are all around wild throughout the whole film. But the writing is a mess. The direction to become an all-star with life or death scenarios has a strange direction. Ultimately, so much of it relies on the presence of Marlon Wayans as the emperor, and Tyriq Withers as his apprentice. A duo that needs improvement in characterizations. Two out of four stars.

Film reviews

A Big Bold Beautiful Journey Review

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This is a film where adventures and the past are revisited. It is contemporary and extraordinary. The story involves two strangers who are trying to deal with loneliness, and they do so by revisiting various fragments of their life. Directed by Kogonda, this movie really is A Big Bold Beautiful Journey. I rate it as one of the most creative, enticing, and artistic films my eyes have seen. The story is filled full of doors on a path from the past to the present which combine into a puzzle of happiness. It explores the ups and downs of life but also delves into the question of why we are human.

The film begins with David (Colin Farell). He is on his way to a wedding when he meets Sarah (Margot Robbie). They hit it off after exchanging some initial flirtatious and loving vibes. Surprisingly, they find themselves on the same type of road trip when the GPS’s in their cars ask them if they would like to both go on, “A big bold beautiful journey!” Together, David and Sarah embark on a unique adventure. Moments in each of their lives are revisited. Their journey includes solitude, but there is also a powerful exhibit of appreciation for the life that they are both living in the present.

The film has lots of open roads and destinations which lead tosurprises. Many of the scenes are memories from ages ago that occurred in the lives of David and Sarah. With the differentfragments of specific life challenges, A Big Bold Beautiful Journey has an innovative pattern of weaving experiences from their past lives with the current journey of David and Sarah together. The chemistry in the performances of Farell and Robbie is outstanding. This fantasy film almost feels like a theatre production utilizing elements of light and illuminating angles to create superb humanistic and artistic value.

What I loved most about the film were the scenes when the characters revisited moments they lived through in prior parts of their lives. There is a moment in which David says, “Sometimes we have to perform to see the truth!” I could relate to that sentiment and many others during A Big Bold Beautiful Journey. The darkness of the past is what causes the film to have an unsettling vibe. There is another quote by David, where he says, “Life is better when you are open!” The lives of David and Sarah are revealed in a very open manner as they open up to each other and relive the errors they’ve made in their lives. It is an intriguing ride while these characters learn more about the inevitable aspects and human benefits of love.

The themes of appreciation, acceptance, and self-discovery are highlighted in A Big Bold Beautiful Journey. This is a gem of a movie that fuels lots of emotions and channels deep feelings which result in a grandeur of happiness. I believe this is one of the most thought-provoking films of 2025. Three-and-a-half out of four stars.

Film reviews

One Battle After Another Review

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This is by far one of the most creative, prolific, yet comedic films I have seen by the well-known director Paul Thomas Anderson. So many moving parts come together at once and still manage to maintain a humor-filled vibe along with plenty of political espionage. One Battle After Another is a sensational ride of madness and fun. It is daring, and lethally action-packed. Mayhem is around every corner, and the misdirection is attention-grabbing. There are many unexpected punches to the face that keep audiences wanting for more.

The film is about ex-revolutionaries. There is a plot full of twists in One Battle After Another because the characters resurface after sixteen years. The story begins with Bob (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his wife Perifidia (Teyana Taylor). They are a couple who are involved with all sorts of tasks completed by groups running tactics for a revolution. Some of the tasks include invading private lands and other tricky assignments. The focus of much of their work is their enemy Steven Lockjaw (Sean Penn). Many years later, Bob has a daughter Charlene (Chase Infiniti), and he does not turn out to be the best father. Going forward, issues from the past resurface quickly. The ex-revolutionaries end up in a situation where mayhem evolves, and the target is Charlene.

The film is cat-and-mouse chaos from start to finish.  Political tides of frustration in this story are clever and genius. There is always an additional angle of conflict in One Battle After Another. The question, however, is, “Who will win?” The difficult part that Bob keeps coming back to is the harsh trail to save his daughter. With the help of a Sensei Sergio (Benicio Del Toro), there may be a chance for Bob to save his daughter and regain much of the power he once lost in another life. But the many moving issues related to politics and connections are all tangled together. The lines are blurred between laughter and suspense which continue to just burn up the screen. This is truly one of the best films Anderson has directed because he pusheshis original form of dynamics to the limits.

Hiding is not easy in One Battle After Another, but running is since there is always a tunnel or building to run into. As might be expected, there are also the wrong people to run into, and they seem to be the ones that keep coming around again in all the assorted conflicts. Anderson has such a unique way to stage setups to get out of suspenseful and dangerous episodes of madness. I found the film simply captivating. DiCaprio and Penn are the captains of their ships; they inhabit their roles and dominate the scenes they’re in even though the storyline means there is no easy way to win. Fortunately, there are lots of messes to clean up with added cleverness that makes the movie go from comical in one moment to serious the next. Anderson knows how to change the mood for maximum effect in One Battle After Another. Four out of four stars.