'Enola Holmes 3' A Review

Enola Holmes 3 is a YA mystery, an adaption of the book series, the third installment in the Netflix burgeoning franchise. Enola(Millie Bobbie Brown) is set to marry her paramour Tewkesbury(Louis Partridge) but is distracted by the kidnapping of her brother Sherlock(Henry Cavill) connected to an incredibly convoluted plot.

Brown continues to stumble in the way many child actors do attempting to transition to adult roles, she overacts, mugs, and generally cannot find a baseline of reality in which to inhabit. Her last several features have been bad and she has been bad in them(Electric State, Damsel), which begs the question perhaps Stranger Things, for her and others in the cast, should be it. The supporting cast has talent but the script is so tired, unnecessarily complicated, and lacking in emotional or narrative stakes it plays like a C-list CW pilot the talent of the actors is mostly irrelevant.

There was a low impact charm with Enola Holmes, that was diluted and more confused in Enola Holmes 2, and here it's virtually non-existent, a textbook case of diminishing returns. Brown doesn't have the umph to carry the movie and everyone else involved seems to be just getting paid.

Currently streaming on Netflix.

Don't See It.

'The Sheep Detectives' A Review

The Sheep Detectives is a mystery/comedy based on the 2005 novel Three Bags Full about an isolated shepherd, George(Hugh Jackman), in the English countryside who dies untimely. His sheep, who are well versed in the who-dun-it having been read numerous murder mysteries by George set out to solve the case.

Jackman isn't in the film except for the prologue but his presence gives some star-power and emotional weight to lay down a great foundation to launch from. The voice cast- Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Bryan Cranston, Chris O'Dowd, Regina Hall, to name a few- are all spectacular bringing comedy, playfulness, and a sincerity that is really the secret sauce of the film, putting it on par with the likes of Babe and Paddington. All-in-all just a stellar cast.

Filmed mostly on location in the English countryside with extensive but pretty seamless CGI for the animals. The score is unobtrusive but potent and the script just really soars, producing laughs, a breezy but still engaging mystery, and a ton of heart.

The best live-action family film since Paddington 2.

Currently in theaters.

Don't Miss It.

'Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery' A Review

Wake Up Dead Man is a murder mystery, the third in the Knives Out series. Father Jud(Josh O'Connor) a former boxer turned priest is reassigned to a rural parish after punching a rude deacon. He is under the thumb of megalomaniacal Monsignor Wicks(Josh Brolin) who unexpectedly and mysteriously dies. When all fingers point to Jud the gentlemen detective Benoit Blanc(Daniel Craig) is called in to solve the case.

O'Connor gives a good, if inconsistent, lead performance here. The problem with O'Connor is that we're simply seeing too much of him, this is the third(of four) major releases this year for him. Kind of getting into Glen Powell territory, any actor, no matter how talented, cannot saturate the market, be forced upon the collective cultural consciousness. Back to the movie, he provides heart and sincerity and provides a believable(and necessary) portrayal of a truly devote Christian calling out and acting against the corruptions of religion both in the abstract and the specific. But overall its just kind of flat, plateaus and doesn't change. Brolin is delicious as the heavy, with total commitment and total presence. Craig seems to be losing a bit of umph with Blanc and his ill-advised hair piece doesn't do him any favors. He's still compelling but at this juncture the character and the series is falling into diminishing returns. The supporting cast is all stacked with great actors and cool cameos, most notably Glenn Close who absolutely dominates, but a bit too much time is spent on plotting and a bit too little is spent on character so as great as the cast is, it doesn't particularly matter.

Visually the film is a huge improvement on the over-saturated, pastel repugnance of Glass Onion. The color pallet is more subdued, there's a sense of place and history, more-in-line with the original even though it is clearly shot in the UK and on soundstages. The score works, the costuming is great, the twists-and-turns of the plot entertain but it doesn't have that singular electricity of the original, doesn't have the emotional depth needed to make it work both as a great mystery and a great film. Writer/director Rian Johnson is inching closer and closer to Kenneth Branagh Poirot territory. Not bad, just pure entertainment.

Funny, engaging, with attempts at commentary which are admirable if not altogether successful, a little thin.

Currently in theaters and streaming on Netflix.

Rent It.

'The Thursday Murder Club' A Review

The Thursday Murder Club is a murder mystery, an adaptation of the Richard Osman novel. Four retiree true crime heads get to put their sleuthing skills to the test in this cozy British whodunit.

The core four- Helen Mirren, Pierce Brosnan, Ben Kingsley, and Celia Imrie- are, no surprise, pretty great, clearly having fun and committed. It's nice to see a movie with a septuagenarian ensemble, a sub-genre which has kinda ebbed and flowed over the years, as there's so much talent and experience that gets sidelined without stories that center them. The rest of the ensemble is a bit hit or miss- Naomi Ackie and David Tennant are great, Tom Ellis and Daniel Mays are bit confused. But overall it's solid if all within the comfortable confines of the genre.

Visually the film is uneven, the locations themselves are gorgeous, the actual cinematography pretty uninspired. The score is pleasantly forgettable, overall the production works but isn't particularly noticeable. Not much to it but delivers exactly what you'd expect.

For fans of cozy British mysteries, a bit thin otherwise.

Currently streaming on Netflix.

Stream It.

'Weapons' A Review

Weapons is a horror/mystery about the disappearance of a third-grade class. Told through nonlinear, overlapping chapters from different characters perspective the mystery and it's impact is explored. Tension slowly builds with scares and some laughs to a surprising crescendo.

The ensemble cast is all around stellar with some faces we haven't seen in awhile and some old school tried-and-true character actors. Julia Garner(alcoholic teacher), Josh Brolin(grieving father), Alden Ehrenreich(struggling cop), Austin Abrams(relentless junkie), Benedict Wong(PC principal) and child actor Cary Christopher(shockingly poised) each have their own chapter and each carve out an interesting character with nuance, some humor, and complexity. The structure allows them to give slightly different performances of the same interactions based on whose perspective the scene is from. The whole thing is just really rich and you can tell the cast is giving it everything they got and having a blast. And that extends beyond the main cast to pretty much anyone who even has a cameo- Toby Huss(old school police chief), June Diane Raphael(jilted lover), Justin Long(beta dad)- it all just weaves together intricately and works in harmony to present these rich characters and community while simultaneously ratcheting up the tension and unspooling the mystery. Out of this impressive cast the big surprise, the show stopper, is Amy Madigan who gives an absolutely magnetic, terrifying, layered performance. She goes for it and it pays off huge. She's always been an impressive(and working) character actor but it's so great to see her get this kind of spot light, this kind of scale, this late in her career which should(if there's any actual merit in these things) lead to awards recognition. She is sensational.

Visually the film is subtle but innovative, the horror sequences are inspired as are the camera angles and shot set up just in the "regular" scenes, there's two really thrilling dream sequences, and it all culminates in an edge-of-your-seat heart-pumping finale that is the most cathartic endings to a film since Winston Duke's recitation in Nine Days. The score is eerie and subtle, the costuming and set design evocative, all the production elements and the script and the cast all work together melodically to present this unified story. All elements are working towards this singular vision and purpose. It's clear the promise of Barbarian was not a fluke and this from writer/director Zach Cregger is even better. He shows here his ability to translate his vision and perfectly manage tone. It's impressive for a sophomore feature and easily one of the best films of the year.

Rich, dynamic, fun, scary, provocative, slippery, all of the above.

Currently in theaters.

Don't Miss It.