A bland, unscary film that relies too much on fan service while simultaneously undermining the time of fans with a weak story and terrible writing.
Wake Up Dead Man – REVIEW & COCKTAIL
An exceptional cap to an already exceptional trilogy, bringing about more to ponder on than past films while still delivering on its trademark mystery and wit.
Predator: Badlands – REVIEW & COCKTAIL
A fun piece of sci-fi that opts to go cute and quippy with its horror movie icon to varying degrees of success.
Bugonia – REVIEW & COCKTAIL
Both hilarious and depressing, this contained sci-fi thriller never lets up on being entertaining, though the deeper meanings it strives to unearth don’t fully make it to the surface.
Frankenstein (2025) – REVIEW & COCKTAIL
While it manages to be highly entertaining and stylish, it does little in the way of elevating the original text while not diving as deep into its themes as it could have.
One Battle After Another – REVIEW & COCKTAIL
Phenomenally engaging, poignant and funny, this film flies by thanks to a hilarious script, all-timer performances and a pertinent story highly relevant to today.
The Long Walk – REVIEW & COCKTAIL
A harrowing tale of brotherhood and survival that manages to be as gripping and shocking as it is heartwarming.
Weapons – REVIEW
A thrill-ride of both horror and humor that unravels modern tragedy while never forgetting to remain entertaining.
The Naked Gun (2025) – REVIEW & COCKTAIL
A hilariously goofy throwback to classic spoof films, with a new joke or gag thrown at you every second.
Fantastic Four: First Steps – REVIEW & COCKTAIL
A visually fun saving grace for the Fantastic Four that manages to entertain despite feeling all too familiar to the MCU’s wheelhouse.
Eddington – REVIEW & COCKTAIL
A no-doubt divisive western that uses the insanity of pandemic times to comment on the degradation of our relationships and perception of reality.
Superman (2025) – REVIEW & COCKTAIL
A fun, energetic re-introduction to the Man of Steel that manages to entertain despite a bit of a messy and overstuffed story.
Jurassic Park Rebirth – REVIEW & COCKTAIL
A bland, uninspired film that fails to take the franchise in an interesting direction.
28 Years Later – REVIEW & COCKTAIL
A thrilling legacy sequel that delivers in both insane, high octane zombie thrills and surprisingly moving reflections on death and our fight against the future.
The Phoenician Scheme – REVIEW & COCKTAIL
Another stylish and entertaining film from Wes Anderson that stands well on his own, yet feels a tad redundant up against the rest of his filmography.
Bring Her Back -REVIEW & COCKTAIL
While often gnarly and visually striking, the film doesn’t manage to hit the same creative and emotional highs the directors’ predecessor managed to achieve..
Friendship – REVIEW & COCKTAIL
A hilariously absurd dark comedy with a weird, offbeat sense of humor that kept me laughing the entire time.
Hurry Up Tomorrow – REVIEW & COCKTAIL
A mess of a thriller that suffers from a weak performance from the central star and an unwillingness to dive deep into the weirdness or vulnerability of the premise.
Thunderbolts* – REVIEW & COCKTAIL
An exceptional outing for the MCU that puts character and heart at the forefront, though I wouldn’t call it an absolute game changer for the franchise.
The Legend of Ochi – REVIEW & COCKTAIL
A fantasy film brimming with artistry and impressive old school techniques, yet a bland story and dry narrative voice keeps it from being truly fantastical.
Sinners – REVIEW & COCKTAIL
A phenomenal combination of period drama and vampire horror that re-contextualizes the influence of cultural assimilation through fun horror action and incredible musical moments.
Drop – REVIEW & COCKTAIL
A serviceable, contained thriller with some solid ideas, just not always the most engaging execution.
A Minecraft Movie – REVIEW & COCKTAIL
A surprisingly zany and often funny adventure that unfortunately does not utilize the idea and world to its full creative potential.
Death of a Unicorn – REVIEW & COCKTAIL
Despite some bright spots of comedy and gore, this satirical horror film can’t land these moments consistently to make its average talking points feel more important.
Snow White (2025) – REVIEW & COCKTAIL
A boring and uninspired retelling that makes multiple wrong decisions for every one decision it gets right.
Novocaine – REVIEW & COCKTAIL
A fairly standard action film carried by its charming lead performance and fun concept, yet leaves a lot to be desired when it comes to presentation and story.
Mickey 17 – REVIEW & COCKTAIL
A goofy yet poignant sci-fi film that strikes a solid balance between social commentary and screwball outer space hijinks.
The Monkey – REVIEW & COCKTAIL
A darkly funny horror comedy that doesn’t always connect to its human side, but keeps the train rolling with grotesque kills and morbid wit.
Captain America: Brave New World – REVIEW & COCKTAIL
A watchable yet underwhelming “political thriller” that forgoes trying to say anything in favor of a bland narrative and so-so action sequences.
Heart Eyes – REVIEW & COCKTAIL
A holiday horror film with occasional entertainment value that doesn’t do enough to stand out amongst a sea of slashers.
2025 Academy Awards Predictions (and Cocktails!)
Predicting the 2025 Oscars!
Wolf Man – REVIEW
A re-imagining of a classic monster that presents some interesting ideas, yet the execution fails to completely stick the landing.
The BEST and WORST Movies of 2024
Ranking of all 104 movies I saw in 2024!
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 – REVIEW & COCKTAIL
A slight step up above its predecessors that pulls more inspiration from the games, which will delight fans, though its embarrassing writing and unfocused nature does pull it down a bit.
Wicked: Part One – REVIEW & COCKTAIL
A mostly magical adaptation carried by its lead roles but often held back by its flat visual style and stretched narrative.
Gladiator II – REVIEW & COCKTAIL
A passable sequel that delivers on impressive scope and fights, but lacks an interesting narrative that totally justifies its existence.
Red One – REVIEW & COCKTAIL
A bland, uninspired holiday action film lacking in wit, creativity, and the Christmas spirit.
Anora – REVIEW & COCKTAIL
One of the funniest films of the year, possessing standout lead and supporting roles, a colorful and frenetic visual style, and an ever changing, electric narrative.
Venom: The Last Dance – REVIEW & COCKTAIL
A boring, uncreative “finale” who’s limited thrills aren’t enough to salvage the bad writing, head scratching plot points, and bland character dynamics.
Smile 2 – REVIEW & COCKTAIL
A step above it predecessor, delivering great effects and performances despite being a retread of the previous film.
Joker: Folie a Deux – REVIEW & COCKTAIL
A bold sequel that takes big swings with it’s themes and narrative structure, though they rarely come together into a compelling final product.
Megalopolis – REVIEW & COCKTAIL
An insane mess of an epic that still has some admirable qualities to unearth.
The Substance – REVIEW & COCKTAIL
As disgusting as it is gorgeous to look at, The Substance manages to be consistently entertaining with its poignant commentary and grotesque bodily manipulation.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice – REVIEW & COCKTAIL
A honorable follow-up to a classic, full of creative set design and direction while housing a passable but overstuffed story.
Strange Darling – REVIEW & COCKTAIL
A highly entertaining and creative spin on the cat-and-mouse thriller that controversially tackles themes like consent and manipulation.
Deadpool & Wolverine – REVIEW & COCKTAIL
A fun but scatterbrained action comedy filled with surprises for comic book fans, yet not many surprises for those looking for a change of pace with the superhero genre.
Maxxxine – REVIEW & COCKTAIL
A stylish but scatterbrained slasher whose focus remains too all over the map to achieve the same fun as its predecessors.
The Bikeriders – REVIEW & COCKTAIL
An emotional and gripping tale of brotherhood and exhaust fumes told through stellar performances and a solid yet familiar story.
Bad Boys: Ride or Die – REVIEW & COCKTAIL
An energetic, balls to the wall action comedy that delivers on high octane thrills that elevate an otherwise by the numbers story.
Furiosa – REVIEW & COCKTAIL
A fiery, ferocious prequel that establishes its own style to compete with its predecessor while still remaining action packed and visually stunning.
Honey, Don’t! – REVIEW & COCKTAIL
While funny at times, this gay crime noir is held back by an unfocused script focused more on shock rather than coherency.
The Martini Shot 