“A Quiet Place: Day One”

(Science-Fiction/Drama/Thriller: 1 hour, 39 minutes)

Starring: Lupita Nyong’o, Joseph Quinn, Alex Wolff and Djimon Hounsou

Director: Michael Sarnoski

Rated: PG-13 (Terror and violent content/bloody images.)

Movie Review:

A prequel to 2018’s “A Quiet Place” (Director John Krasinski), “Day One” follows the plight of two New Yorkers, Samira (Nyong’o) and Eric (Quinn) to survive Earth’s initial invasion by alien creatures with ultra-sensitive hearing. The two strangers form a unique bond to help each other survive in a post-apocalyptic Manhattan. Theirs and other’s actions in this movie signal the best of humanity to show compassion during tragedy.

The “A Quiet Place” franchise survives because these movies continually reinvent themselves, giving audiences new concepts. “Day One,” directed by Michael Sarnoski (“Pig,” 2021), is also potent because it becomes a movie about friendship. Scenes are filled with caring moments that shine sincerely.

One can easily see the next detailing what governments were doing the day before or earlier leading up to where officials destroy the bridges in and out of New York City to keep the alien beasts from spreading beyond the metropolitan island.

Nyong’o is the lead star, playing a cancer-stricken patient. She is a superior actress, and she makes her roles dynamic and credible. The realism she brings to her characters is phenomenal. She is not trying to look like a beauty queen in roles. Nyong’o wants authenticity and she achieves it constantly.

Her character Samira only wants a slice of pizza from Patsy’s Pizzeria in Harlem, the premier of New York style pizza. Her goal remains the same, even after encountering Eric (Quinn) whose bravery shifts frequently. Their chance of survival is good if they can keep quiet so the alien monsters do not find them.

Audiences should not keep quiet about this movie. “A Quiet Place: Day One” is worthy on several levels. It contains a good cast, has grand visual effects, thrives with good thrilling action scenes and offers an engaging emotional story.

Grade: B+ (Find a good place to experience this day one.)

“Thelma”

(Comedy: 1 hour, 38 minutes)

Starring: June Squibb, Richard Roundtree and Fred Hechinger, Malcolm McDowell.

Director: Josh Margolin

Rated: PG-13 (Strong language brief violence)

Movie Review:

June Squibb gets her first leading role after 70 years. The star is one year older than the character she plays in this good action comedy. She is memorable for her performances in movies such as “About Schmidt” (2002) with Jack Nicholson and the comedy-drama film “Nebraska” (2013), which were movies directed by Alexander Payne. Squibb was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in the latter. She is a marvelous actress, often stealing scenes from younger costars. In “Thelma,” she does not have to outshine others of the cast, she is the lead as the titular character.

A 93-year-old Thelma Post (Squibb) loses $10,000 after con artists use AI technology pretending to be her grandson Daniel (Hechinger). Thelma does not like getting duped, so she embarks on a mission to find those responsible. She wants her money back. She enlists longtime friend Ben (Roundtree) in her quest. They ride an expensive two-person scooter around the city to get to the culprits who duped her.

“Thelma” is an easily appreciated screenplay. This feature is nice because a seasoned actress stars in a movie that matches her talents. Squibb is fascinating. One forgets her age and concentrates on her actions in scenes. Thelma, however, talks about age and the difficulties associated with the process, yet she is not complaining. She is doing — and doing well too. She lives and inspires others to do the same. Squibb plays the character well.

“Thelma” is the final performance of trailblazing actor Richard Roundtree (“Shaft,” 1971). Squibb and Roundtree are the dynamic duo no one sees coming, but when you do see them, their dramatic and comical scenes are plentiful entertainment.

Even more, Squibb’s scenes with Fred Hechinger who plays her grandson are touching moments. While parents sometimes feel their offspring are disappointing, grandparents’ love can be a universal form of acceptance. Thelma and Daniel have that connection.

The movie is based on the bond Josh Margolin has with the real Thelma Post, his grandmother who is 103 and can be seen in a clip near the end credits. Margolin based this screenplay on a similar event that happened to his grandmother.

“Thelma” should remind us all about our dear grandmothers. In this sense, we should visit them soon; maybe, take yours to see this enjoyable on-screen one.

Grade: B (Thelma amuses with seniority.)

“The Dead Don’t Hurt”

(Western: 2 hours, 09 minutes)

Starring: Vicky Krieps, Viggo Mortensen, and Solly McLeod

Director: Viggo Mortensen

Rated: R (Violence, sexuality and language)

Movie Review:

Director-writer Viggo Mortensen is a talented filmmaker. He is a writer, poet, musician, photographer, and movie maker. This western is his latest foray into the Western genre following his 2020 directorial debut “Falling.”

Here, he provides another revenge storyline for a Western. The problem of “The Dead Don’t Hurt” is the number of annoying flashbacks that lack good editing to blend them smoothly. A good element of this movie, however, is Vicky Krieps (“Old,” 2021).

Krieps compellingly plays Vivienne Le Coudy. She and her husband Holger Olsen (Mortensen), a Danish immigrant, make their home one of love with their young son Vincent in an 1860s Nevada. The pioneers have a good surviving in a city with corrupt officials. After Vivienne’s death, Olsen travels with Vincent to hunt down Weston Jeffries (McLeod), the man who physically and sexually assaulted his wife years earlier and gave her the syphilis that caused her death. Across multiple terrains, Holger does stop until he finds McLeod.

Mortensen writes a story with a good plot, but the flashback scenes distract the natural time flow. The plot remains the same throughout, but the narrative haphazardly jumps between past and present moments that are distracting. The past and present become a convoluted jumble.

Grade: C+ (The dead don’t hurt, but parts of this movie do.)

“Summer Camp”

(Comedy: 1 hour, 35 minutes)

Starring: Diane Keaton, Kathy Bates and Alfre Woodard

Director: Castille Landon

Rated: PG-13 (Sexual material, strong language and underage smoking.)

Movie Review:

“Summer Camp is another Golden Girls-esque comedy. It features seasoned actors Bates, Woodard, and Keaton. They play Ginny Moon, Amry and Nora. The three friends met at a summer camp. Now, they are back for that place’s reunion. Fifty-plus years have passed, and their antics are still the same. While this movie has touching moments, it is in the ‘been there’ category. It features several older women behaving like teenagers again in an unconvincing setting.

Screenplays featuring senior actresses often do not know what to do with these ladies, so audiences see screenplays like this. These movies may help longtime actresses stay employed, but they are a disservice to all three of these excellent actresses. They are still some of the best performers and have been for 50 years or more.

Two surprises exist in this movie that make it more tolerable. Eugene Levy and Beverly D’Angelo are the highlights of this movie. They score as secondary characters who steal scenes. Otherwise, this comedy is typical.

Grade: C- (Not campy enough.)

“Ezra”

(Drama: 1 hour, 41 minutes)

Starring: Bobby Cannavale, Rose Byrne, Whoopi Goldberg and Robert DeNiro

Director: Tony Goldwyn

Rated: R (Language, sexual references and drug use.)

Movie Review:

A young boy with autism is at the center of this story. While politicians argue about tertiary issues mostly, in some places within United States borders, one of every 36 children is born with some form of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), according to 2023 research from The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The rates have been increasing since 2000. This issue should rank higher on elected officials’ agendas. It is good to see movies finally catch up with real life with this emotive story containing an issue that warrants more attention.

This drama is a serious look at a father’s attempt to do the correct thing. Max (Cannavale) does what he thinks is necessary to give his son Ezra (William A. Fitzgerald) a chance for a better future. Max, a standup comedian, has a chance to debut on “The Jimmy Kimmel Show” in California. The gig could give him national exposure. So, Max kidnaps his son from ex-wife Jenna (Byrne) and takes the boy on a country trip to California. Max believes he can help Ezra overcome some of his behaviors. Along the way, the father-son duo must avoid law enforcement, Jenna and Max’s father Stan (De Niro).

Cannavale and Robert De Niro characters Max and Stan have had a rocky relationship, but the men know what being a good father is. Here, they play a father-son pair that works and facilitates Max’s relationship with his son Ezra. This family creates a drama that starts in a typical manner, yet “Ezra” becomes an affecting movie.

Grade: B- (He shines despite a rough start.)

“The Watchers”

(Horror/Fantasy/Mystery: 1 hour, 42 minutes)

Starring: Dakota Fanning, Olwen Fouéré, Georgina Campbell, and Oliver Finnegan

Director: Ishana Shyamalan

Rated: PG-13 (Violence, terror and thematic elements.)

Movie Review:

“The Watchers” is a horror movie very similar to an M. Night Shyamalan movie. This is because Ishana is the daughter of famed director-writer M. Night. Ishana’s directorial debut screenplay, which she co-wrote with a.m. Shine, the author of the book on which this movie is based, is like her father’s screenplays. It is good until it attempts to explain what is happening. Sometimes a mystery is best left as just that.

Young artist Mina (Fanning) decides to take the scenic route and suffers automobile malfunctions that leave her stranded in an expansive forest in western Ireland. She leaves her car to pursue a rare bird into the forest. Moments later, she is lost. As the darkness of night approaches, she is rescued by three strangers: Madeline (Fouéré), an older erudite woman with inside knowledge of the forest and the creatures, and younger adults Ciara (Campbell) and Daniel (Finnegan). They live in a remote building in the middle of the unknown forest. Mina soon finds that every night strange beings known as The Watchers come to watch them through the building’s thick, huge glass window wall.

“The Watchers” is much more gratifying and tension-filled when one does not who or what the watchers are. The more knowledge acquired about these beings, less intimidating the creatures are. Human players are much more eerie because they appear to all be hiding something.

At first glimpse, this movie is an attention-getter. The setup is engaging, and the thrills provided are worthy of a chance. The movie just does not know when to end. What is a nice mystery is ruined by the explanation that appears too fantasy-like for the horror elements of the initial framework.

This movie should really be about Fanning’s Mina suing a phone company whose GPS takes her into the middle of nowhere and puts her in danger. This would be the ultimate follow-up to this tale that ruins itself through explanation.

Grade: C+ (Curiously, you are watching The Watchers watch them do little in the end.)

“The Bikeriders”

(Drama: 1 hour, 56 minutes)

Starring: Jodie Comer, Austin Butler and Tom Hardy

Director: Jeff Nichols

Rated: R (Language throughout, violence, drug use and sexuality)

Movie Review:

“The Bikeriders” is a nice drama about loyalty and love directed by Jeff Nichols (“Loving,” 2016). It is well-acted by a charismatic cast. They do their part but much of the movie is done through one character’s interview with a journalist. This movie goes against the old saying “Show it, don’t tell it.”

Middle-aged, family men decide they need something to do. Led by Johnny (Hardy), they create a Midwestern motorcycle club called the Vandals. The men quickly become a gang, going far beyond the extracurricular activities that originally defined them. The group becomes a loyal fraternal order that behaves like a mafia organization.

Enter a very decisive Kathy (Comer). She is immediately attracted to one of the bikers named Benny (Butler). As the Vandals grow and become an underground place for violence and crime for locals and outsiders, Kathy demands Benny choose between her and the Vandals.

Austin Butler is comparable to James Dean. Butler is handsome, and he can act as displayed in 2022’s “Elvis.” Those two attributes propel him. The good thing is he does not allow his physical attributes to define him as seen in this year’s “Dune: Part Two.”

Tom Hardy is equally impressive as a manly man. He is a hard-core actor. He can play a gender-bending role in 2002’s “The Reckoning” and a violently brutal man in “Legend” (Director Brian Helgeland, 2015) and make them equally, compellingly impressive. Here, he and Butler create nice scenes together.

Nonetheless, Jodie Comer manages to make this movie about her. She is the one telling the story and Comer does this portrayal in an interesting manner right down to her accent. The actress subtly steals the movie from Butler and Hardy

The problem is her character Kathy describes much of what goes on between her and her boyfriend Benny in interviews with Danny, a journalist played by “Challengers” actor Mike Faist. She sets the tone by adding an emotional element to the actions the motorcycle gang commits.

Her character talks about things that would be nicer to see. This leads to the movie axiom ‘Show, don’t tell.’ Otherwise, Director Jeff Nichols and co-writer Danny Lyon offer an inviting drama.

Grade: B- (Put your helmet on and ride.)

“Firebrand”

(Period Drama: 2 hours, 01 minutes)

Starring: Alicia Vikander, Jude Law

Director: Karim Aïnouz

Rated: R (Violent content, gore and sexuality/nudity)

Movie Review:

Karim Aïnouz’s movie opens with a quotation about the past. “History is written primarily about men and war, while for the rest of humanity, we must draw our own — often wild — conclusions.”

“Firebrand” is an engaging revisionist photoplay about Katherine Parr (Vikander), the sixth and final wife of King Henry VIII (Law). Katherine marries the king, hoping to give him another air to the throne, a spare. King Henry loves Katherine, as evident by him making her queen regent, while he is temporarily away. Queen Katherine still worries that her fate will be like some of Henry’s other wives, killed as a form of divorce.

Inspired by Elizabeth Fremantle’s novel, this period drama based in Tudor England is a revisionist conceptualization. “Firebrand” is a sound character-driven production that puts a spin on what happened with Katherine Parr before the king’s untimely demise. This plot raises the question of whether his death was untimely.

An ahistorical retelling, “Firebrand” draws its conclusions about Katherine Parr’s relationship with Henry VIII and makes their coupling an enriching venture. Vikander and Jude Law are an excellent pairing. They appear to feed off each other. They created a nice tension and a brilliant manner, although Law dominates scenes.

Aïnouz (“Invisible Life,” 2019) gives this movie a nice gritty feel as if he and the other producers of this movie did not want to hold back on who these people really were. Simultaneously, writers Henrietta Ashworth and Jessica Ashworth take plenty of liberties regarding how audiences see this couple.

Their story wanders the first half with wayward conversations. The second half leads to intriguing scenes eventually. They are enjoyable. Katherine Parr and Henry VIII is an engaging tension, and Vikander and Law make the scenes appealing as the historic couple.

Grade: B- (Historically, accurate or not, “Firebrand” is on fire.)

“The Exorcism”

(Horror/Thriller: 1 hour, 35 minutes)

Starring: Russell Crowe, Ryan Simpkins and Chloe Bailey

Director: Joshua John Miller

Rated: R (Language, some violent content, sexual references and drug use)

Movie Review:

Academy Award-winner Russell Crowe played a priest in last year’s “The Pope’s Exorcist.” He does so again somewhat in “The Exorcism,” a wayward horror production.

Here, Crowe plays washed-up actor Anthony Miller. His past addictions cost him work in the past. Now, he has a chance at redemption by starring as a priest in a film about an exorcism. As the production of the horror continues, he starts exhibiting odd behavior that makes his estranged daughter Lee (Simpkins) speculate if the addictions have returned or is Anthony suffering from some psychological breakdown.

Something more sinister is happening to Anthony. He appears to be possessed, or, at least, this plot indicates something along that line.

The writers of this screenplay had some mental mishaps too. This script does not seem tangible in any sense as it continues. Anthony does several extreme actions with his body and voice in front of the cast and crew, and the people witnessing it treat it like usual.

One would think his daughter and others would consult with a medical team and have him committed for a mental evaluation. Wait, they want to get their movie-within-movie made. Sounds familiar, this is where “The Exorcism’s” makers erred. This flick is as lackluster as the one within it.

Besides the story not making sense, most of the cinematography displays scenes in the dark. Did producers forget to pay their electric bill? Apparently, Joshua John Miller and his team wanted to hide the rest of the bad portions in the darkness.

Grade: D- (Pray because the bad is still there.)

“Treasure”

(Drama/Comedy: 1 hour, 51 minutes)

Starring: Lena Dunham, Stephen Fry and Zbigniew Zamachowski

Director: Julia von Heinz

Rated: R (Language)

Movie Review:

“Treasure” is an adaptation of the 1999 novel “Too Many Men” by Lily Brett. The great fault of “Treasure” is that it suffers from a screenplay identity crisis. It deals with The Holocaust. The dramatic parts are too serious for inserted comedy, and the comedic moments appear out of place juxtaposed with the dramatic instances.

Set in the 1990s, American journalist Ruth Rothwax (Dunham) travels to Poland with her father Edek, aged 81, a holocaust survivor, to visit the place where Edek lived as a child. The man is hesitant about reliving such a terrible past that the journey causes friction between Edek and Ruth.

If one is looking for comedy in this movie, it is slim. Lena Dunham and Stephen Fry are both good at comedy. This setting is uneven for them.

Grade: C (These treasures are mere trinkets.)