Author: Chad Liffmann

Film Review: “Predator: Badlands”

The Predator franchise hunts for a wild team-up adventure, and finds it

Thia (Elle Fanning) and Dek (Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi) team up in ‘Predator: Badlands.’

Sometimes, the deeper a film franchise explores its lore, the more the lack of mystery renders new entries as overwritten, overexplained, and uninteresting (see Maleficent, Star Wars, Halloween, Alien, etc.). Every bit of old and new intellectual property is vulnerable to this type of universe-building, since there’s a lot of money to be made in juicing a franchise for all its worth. Not all of lore-exploring is bad, however. There are many exceptions, and after 2018’s disappointing Shane Black vehicle, The Predator, the Predator franchise has been successfully growing its cinematic universe since 2022 under the helm of writer/director Dan Trachtenberg (10 Cloverfield Lane, Prey, Predator: Killer of Killers). Predator: Badlands is the most adventurous and (intentionally) funny entry in the series, and it’s also the most distinct departure from the adult-oriented, extremely violent nature of its predecessors. Badlands stretches the tonal scope of what a Predator movie can include and feel like. With 2022’s Prey maintaining the franchise’s grittiness and simple setups (albeit taking place on the Great Plains in the early 1700s), and this year’s animated Predator: Killer of Killers expanding the Predator narrative pallet in inventive and ultra-gory ways, Badlands is an additional and promising franchise track: a character-oriented Star Wars-esque adventure. Continue reading “Film Review: “Predator: Badlands””

Film Review: “Nuremberg”

Emotions are an afterthought in this timely but surface-level historical dramatization

Hermann Göring (Russell Crowe) is on trial in ‘Nuremberg.’

The biggest challenge facing Nuremberg, the historical drama about the post-World War II Nazi trials, is that audiences can take a brief glimpse into today’s newspaper and read about an abundance of unchecked war crimes still taking place across the globe. Despite the precedent of individual accountability that the trials established, history tends to repeat itself. The second biggest issue facing Nuremberg is the script’s lack of emotional sincerity. Attempts at clever scene transitions and a tone aiming for a suspenseful courtroom drama feel excruciatingly inappropriate. Despite a strong performance from Russell Crowe and the film’s timely release, Nuremberg fails to capture the tragedy, the sensitivity, and the momentousness of its subject matter. Continue reading “Film Review: “Nuremberg””

Film Review: “Stitch Head”

Are you ready for (adorable) monsters?

A couple of monsters and Stitch Head (Asa Butterfield) get ready for bed in ‘Stitch Head.’

On the heels of Guillermo Del Toro’s Frankenstein, and just in time for Halloween, comes a whimsical spin on the Frankenstein story, the animated comedy Stitch Head. It’s the first family film of the holiday season, heartwarmingly written and directed by Steve Hudson (True North). Undeniably self-aware and filled with equal amounts of kid-friendly and Monty Python-style humor, Stitch Head brings Guy Bass’s book series to life with charming, colorful vibrancy and carries with it a positive message about friendship and self-worth. Continue reading “Film Review: “Stitch Head””

Film Review: “Frankenstein”

A thematically rich but visually mixed adaptation

Dr. Victor Frankenstein (Oscar Isaac) looks upon his creation in ‘Frankenstein.’

Director Guillermo Del Toro has been waiting to adapt Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus (that’s the full book title) ever since he saw the 1931 film Frankenstein at age eleven. His aspiration should come as no surprise to those familiar with his work — the gothic aesthetic and creature designs in his films have become synonymous with his name, like in Pan’s Labyrinth, Hellboy, and The Shape of Water. Del Toro has finally made his version of Frankenstein, produced and distributed by Netflix. The streaming company’s involvement may or may not have contributed to the film’s decision to include computer-generated (CG) animals, and imbue many of the film’s scenes with what I can only describe as a distracting “Netflix sheen.” The director’s devotion to the source text is commendable and gives the film a deeper emotional and philosophical resonance, even if the end result may baffle viewers unfamiliar with Shelley’s book. Continue reading “Film Review: “Frankenstein””

Film Review: “The Hand that Rocks the Cradle”

The beautiful modern house shines in this otherwise uninspired remake

Polly (Maika Monroe) and Caitlin (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) rock the cradle in ‘The Hand that Rocks the Cradle.’

Another 1990s thriller has been remade (see: Presumed Innocent; Fatal Attraction): the 1992 film The Hand that Rocks the Cradle. Stylishly directed by Michelle Garza Cervera (Marea Alta), the new The Hand that Rocks the Cradle is tense and atmospheric, but bears the brunt of its predictability and slow pace. The original film was wickedly outlandish, helping it achieve status over time as the quintessential “evil babysitter” movie. Unfortunately, the remake lacks the willingness to let loose. Continue reading “Film Review: “The Hand that Rocks the Cradle””

Film Review: “Good Fortune”

Reeves, Rogen, and Ansari quest for wealth in this Capraesque comedy

Arj (Aziz Ansari) and Gabriel (Keanu Reeves) consult outside a Denny’s in ‘Good Fortune.’

Once again this year, audiences are invited to see a new comedy in theaters! Good Fortune is high-concept, taking the sentimentality of ‘30s and ‘40s era Frank Capra films (It Happened One Night; Mr. Smith Goes to Washington; It’s a Wonderful Life) and injecting a comical “what if” scenario and a modern-day setting. The film is also writer, actor, and comedian Aziz Ansari’s feature-length directorial debut. Using Good Fortune’s twist on fate and wealth, Ansari primarily explores the demoralizing nature of gig work and how it perpetuates economic inequality. Good Fortune doesn’t shed new light on existing problems, nor does it offer a realistic solution, but the film’s blunt jokiness and the unexpectedly winning trio at the film’s center give it wings. Continue reading “Film Review: “Good Fortune””

Film Review: “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You”

A spiraling mental journey into motherly affliction

Linda (Rose Byrne) can’t sleep in ‘If I Had Legs I’d Kick You.’

Can a film be simultaneously very good and also excruciatingly stressful to watch? Yes, I think so! Unpleasant viewing experiences can either be earned or unearned (read: purposeful or not on purpose). Mary Bronstein’s new film, If I Had Legs I’d Kick You, falls into the former category. A fraught tale delivered with sensory bombast and utilizing a powerhouse performance by Rose Byrne, If I Had Legs I’d Kick You is a siren song to motherhood. Continue reading “Film Review: “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You””

Film Review: “Urchin”

Dickinson portrays the unhoused in his thoughtful debut

Mike (Frank Dillane) takes in a good moment in “Urchin.”

Harris Dickinson (Babygirl) is in the director’s chair for the first time with Urchin, an intimate and at times surreal exploration of homelessness in the UK. Urchin comes at an interesting time in Dickinson’s career. As an actor, Dickinson is experiencing a surge in popularity and recognition (Triangle of Sadness, The Iron Claw, and will play John Lennon in Sam Mendes’ upcoming Beatles biopic), so switching gears to a directorial assignment (he also wrote Urchin’s screenplay and has a small supporting role in it) is an interesting choice. Nevertheless, Dickinson must have felt strongly about this particular project, since the care he shows towards the characters and the film’s technical aspects are unmistakable. Urchin is a timely character study about those left behind in society, an unflinching directorial debut, and a special showcase for its central star. Continue reading “Film Review: “Urchin””

Film Review: “A House of Dynamite”

Bigelow’s thriller proposes a serious threat

Rebecca Ferguson calls for information in ‘A House of Dynamite.’

I’d like to assume that most people would not welcome a nuclear apocalypse, and would prefer that the few individuals with access to nuclear launch codes  avoid it at all costs. Writer/director Kathryn Bigelow (The Hurt Locker; Zero Dark Thirty) apparently shares this assumption, though she has instilled her fears of a (not-too-distant) nuclear holocaust into her new thriller, A House of Dynamite. Taut and unnerving, A House of Dynamite attempts a realistic portrayal of a horrific “what if” scenario. Bigelow’s film doesn’t point fingers or attempt to push the needle of public opinion in a particular direction. Instead, Bigelow frames the film as a cautionary tale that exists simply as a visual representation of our deepest nuclear fears. Continue reading “Film Review: “A House of Dynamite””

Film Review: “The Smashing Machine”

The Smashing Machine feels like a lightweight bout before the main event

Mark (Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson) feels the brief glory in “The Smashing Machine.”

Over the past ten years, I’ve asked and been asked a recurring question when a conversation turns to movies: Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is a good actor, so why isn’t he choosing better projects? For a moment, let’s set aside the very entertaining Jumanji reboot, the fantastic Fast Five, and the Moana phenomenon, because the rest of his filmography between 2014-2025 is abysmal at worst, forgettable at best. Johnson has raked in enough dough and created enough global popularity and goodwill to justify his choices. However, ask any of Johnson’s biggest fans (and some of his detractors) and they’ll tell you he maintains an undiscovered level to his acting abilities, the sort of emotional range he inched toward in 2004’s Walking Tall remake, Richard Kelly’s Southland Tales, and even Michael Bay’s Pain & Gain. Instead, Johnson has returned to lackluster, CGI-laden IP projects over and over again, resulting in diminishing returns. The combined trio of critical and box office disasters Black Adam, Fast X, and Red One were the final straw, and Johnson now appears to be shifting gears. The Smashing Machine is an impressive and appropriate first step in Johnson’s new career path, though the film lacks invention and purpose. Continue reading “Film Review: “The Smashing Machine””