Review of THE LIFE OF CHUCK: Essence of Existence

August 23, 2025

"The Life of Chuck" was one of the four novellas Stephen King included in his 2024 book "If It Bleeds." It was a major shift of style and substance for director Mike Flanagan, whose filmography consisted of horror films like "Oculus" (2013) and "Doctor Sleep" (2019). More recently, he is more known as the creator of well-received horror series on Netflix, from "The Haunting of Hill House" (2018) to "Fall of the House of Usher" (2023).

In Act Three "Thanks Chuck," we first see California is sinking into the ocean and the internet is totally down. Teacher Marty Anderson (Chiwetel Ejiofor) and his ex-wife nurse Felicia Gordon (Karen Gillan) discuss how the whole history of mankind fits in the last hour and a half of December 31, assuming the Big Bang happened on January 1. Meanwhile, ads were thanking Chuck Krantz "for 39 great years" were appearing everywhere.  

In Act Two: "Buskers Forever," we see that chance magical encounter of three strangers on the Eighth Street Promenade. One was drummer Taylor Frank (Taylor Gordon) who set up there to busk for cash while playing drums. Second was Janice Halliday (Annalise Basso), an employee at the Paper and Page who was just dumped by her boyfriend by text. Third was none other accountant Chuck Krantz (Tom Hiddleston) attending a conference there. 

Act One: "I Contain Multitudes" brings us back to the childhood of Chuck Krantz (Jacob Tremblay, Benjamin Pajak, Cody Flanagan at ages 17, 10 and 7) growing up under the care of his grandparents, accountant Albie (Mark Hamill) and dancer Sarah (Mia Sara) Krantz. There was a cupola in their house which was kept locked, which made Chuck even more curious about it. In school, Chuck joined the "Twirlers and Spinners" dancing club under Miss Rohrbacher (Samantha Sloyan), where he met his crush Cat McCoy (Trinity Bliss).

The movie was presented as how the novella was written -- in reverse order, which made things more thought-provoking than they already were.  There were a number of themes we see in more than one Act, such as Carl Sagan and his Cosmic Calendar, Walt Whitman's "Song of Myself," as well as side characters, like the girl on roller skates, and Mr. Sam Yarborough (Carl Lumbly), the mortician. Narrator Nick Offerman helped us navigate through. 

This film told the highlights of Chuck's life, but it was more philosophical than narrative. Our brains contain everything we see and know, the whole world we build as we are living. Yet, we may not be able to explain our every impulsive decisions.  We may be able to see the future before it happens, but the interminable waiting for it to happen will be tough. But then, there was all the dancing scenes, and those were so relaxing to watch. 9/10

Netflix: Review of ONE HIT WONDER: Nifty Nineties Nostalgia

 August 22, 2025

In 1984, Lorina Dominguez (Sue Ramirez) made it all the way to the Grand Finals of Ang Bagong Kampeon, only to freeze up and lose to a certain Chona Velasquez. Her mother Carmen (Lilet Esteban) was forced to work in San Francisco as a caregiver, leaving Lorina with her aunt Ester (Gladys Reyes). By 1994, Lorina worked in a record store, while also the PA of her cousin Lyn-Lyn (Vivoree) who was an up-and-coming singer.  

In 1984, Entoy Mangarap (Khalil Ramos) helped his father Ben (Romnick Sarmenta) whose business was hand-painting movie posters. One day, he saw Lorina practicing on a building rooftop and became her instant admirer, and was thinking of her ever since. By 1994, Entoy was a musician with his own band he called Ang Banda ni Tessa after his late mother. One day, he went to The Record Station at the Broadway Plaza and saw Lorina working there.

For fans of Filipino music scene in the 1990s, "One Hit Wonder" was a treasure trove of nostalgia with those beloved songs we hear in the soundtrack from bands like Introvoys, Yano, Color It Red, Ang Tunay na Amo, Neocolors, Teeth, Hungry Young Poets, and of course, the Eraserheads. There were actually cameos from a number of musicians of that era -- Dingdong Avanzado, Barbie Almalbis, Cooky Chua, Ito Rapadas, Jay Durias, Dong Abay and others. 

Some of the songs being performed by Entoy, Lorina and Lyn-lyn (later Jo-C) were also 90s hits, like Rivermaya's "Ulan," Roselle Nava's "Bakit Nga Ba Mahal Kita" and the centerpiece song -- IAXE's "Ako'y Sa 'Yo, Ika'y Akin" -- which became the breakthrough song of Ang Banda ni Tessa. Entoy, Lorina and the band also performed an original song written by director Marla Ancheta and Paulo Zarate, a jaunty pop ditty called "Hindi Ako Susuko sa Iyo." 

The throwback vibe began with a recreation of the iconic Ang Bagong Kampeon 1984 grand finals with Chona (later Regine) Velasquez winning with her winning song, George Benson's "In Your Eyes." Jackie Lou Blanco played her late mother Pilita Corrales, the host of that talent show.  There were also little pieces of news that happened in the early 1990s, like the Marian apparition in La Union and the start of the internet in the country. 

There were also a lot of details on how it was not easy for striving bands to get demos of their original music to be played on the radio back then. They spend for the recording studios and slip their tapes or CDs to the station by hook or by crook. After that, it was a waiting game if their music ever got airplay or not. Plan B was usually joining a Prod Night with other new bands performing before studio execs and managers for that elusive chance for fame. 

This film was so easy to like and enjoy because of the charismatic lead actors, Khalil Ramos and Sue Ramirez. They are both bona fide talented singers, so their characters felt real and relatable.  Their romantic chemistry was also off the charts, so we root for their relationship all the way, even as tough decisions had to be made. That sidewalk scene ran the gamut of painful conflicting emotions, but both stars, especially Ramos, played it with great restraint. 

Director Marla Ancheta had an auspicious feature film debut with "Finding Agnes" (2020),  which ended up as my top Filipino film of that year (MY REVIEW). I guess Sue Ramirez is Ancheta's lucky charm, as she hits another winner with this new film. Ancheta's creative team had a field day recreating the 1980s and 1990s props, costumes, hair and make-up. The cute graphic designs that pop up on screen added to the cheerfulness of the film as a whole. 9/10 

Review of MUDRASTA: Stepped-on Stepmother

August 21, 2025

When he was in high school, Victor "Becky" Labrador (Roderick Paulate) helped to sell his mother's empanadas. One day, Becky was accidentally hit by the yellow VW Beetle of the rich, handsome new transferee student from Manila, Enrique Santillanes (Tonton Gutierrez). The two became very close friends and constant companions. Before Enrique left for college, Becky outright confessed his love for Enrique. 

Several years later, when Enrique passed away, he left a will stating that Becky will inherit half of his estate on the condition that he should move into their mansion and be the stepmother of his two sons Nikolai (Enzo Magalona) and Andrew (Arkin Magalona). Nikolai, who now runs the family business, and Enrique's imperious mother Madame Evita (Celia Rodriguez) were dead set on humiliating Becky so that she will just go away.

The trailer alone already tells us that the style of comedy is still the silly florid slapstick style of gay comedy Roderick Paulete had been known to do since the 1980s and 1990s in films like "Kumander Gringa," (1987) or "Bala at Lipistik" (1994). At the turn of the new millennium, his films have been fewer and far between, with "Ded Na Si Lolo" (2009) as his last lead role. Now at 65, Paulate is making a major comeback in the lead role, and title role to boot. 

In the screenplay written by Joni Son Fontanos, the past story was to be told by flashback scenes.  Director Julius Alfonso threw us a hilarious curveball by having the characters of Becky and Enrique be played by Paulate and Gutierrez even in the flashbacks. With ugly mop-like wigs and puffy wrinkly faces, the two were giving it their all playing high school students with gusto, and that in itself was already very funny in all its awkwardness. 

Also quite funny here was that the character of Becky's BFF May Anne (Carmi Martin) was still in her pre-transition stage in the flashbacks, with real name Melancio (Awra Briguela).  The comic chemistry between Paulate and Martin, developed back in the 1980s during their variety show "Tonight with Dick and Carmi," was as strong as ever. The transition from Briguela to Martin was so radically different, that casting decision was comedy genius.

Celia Rodriguez had on her silk head wrap, her fashion signature since she first wore one as Valentina in the "Lipad, Darna, Lipad" (1973). Her wide expressive eyes bordered with heavy mascara were as intimidating and condescending as ever. Paulate had a field day spoofing her flamboyant acting style and outlandish fashion choices right in her presence, so funny. Having classic baddie Odette Khan as Evita's personal maid Badette was another genius casting choice.

While the first two acts of the film was mostly a riot, the third act became one teary, gooey melodrama. We have recently been reminded that Paulate can also do drama in "In His Mother's Eyes" (2023) with Maricel Soriano, and he does a more lighter-hearted version here. Between the Magalona boys, Nikolai was the more complex role, and Elmo had the guts to portray a risky character like this, but his twist only felt contrived. 5/10

Review of FOOD DELIVERY: Survival and Sovereignty

August 19, 2024

In March 2025, "Food Delivery" made a lot of noise and hit headlines when it was suddenly pulled out of the 2nd CinePanalo Film Festival sponsored by supermarket chain, Puregold.  This happened only two days prior to the opening night of the festival, so its withdrawal raised a ruckus. The exact reasons were not explicitly revealed, but of course, the prickly international geopolitical nature of this documentary film was a probable reason.  

This controversial documentary is directed by Baby Ruth Villarama, who has been involved in documentary filmmaking since 2010. Her big breakthrough came in 2016 when "Sunday Beauty Queen," about Filipina house helpers working in Hong Kong joining their own beauty pageants. When it unexpectedly won the Best Picture at the Metro Manila Filmfest of 2016, that victory cemented Villarama's reputation as a documentarist to watch out for.

"Food Delivery: Fresh from the West Philippine Sea" is about the socio-economic issues in that hotly-contested marine-rich body of water. Villarama chose to approach this contentious topic by telling three stories of human interest. She and her cinematographers actually joined her subjects on their boats as they traversed the choppy open waters, areas where they could encounter the imposing white vessel with water cannons belonging to the adversary. 

The first story was about a RORE (rotation and reprovisioning) mission by the Philippine Navy and Marines to replenish the food and supplies of the soldiers manning the Naval Detachment in Patag and in Lawak. They travel 162 nautical miles left of Palawan, making their critical drops fast and undetected. Soldiers talk about their sacrifices of lonely isolation and impending danger, and hoped that their services be appreciated by their countrymen.

The second story was about Arnel Satam, a 55 year-old fisherman from Calapandayan, Subic, Zambales. One day, he tried to enter the fertile Scarborough Shoal. His little fishing boat of light materials was met by two speedboats of the Chinese Coast Guard who chased him off. This action was witnessed by Agence France-Presse (AFP) journalists and reported by mass media. His sons just laughed when the reporters asked them how they felt  

The third story was about four fishermen from Subic who had been missing since November 27, 2024 near the Scarborough Shoal. There is a 30-mile limit around the shoal which is under strict Chinese control, so locals cannot go search. The Philippines invoked the 2016 UNCLOS arbitral award of an exclusive economic zone, which China viewed as illegal and invalid -- resulting in an impasse that made it impossible for local fisherman to make a living.

We hear soundbites of politicians talking about the WPS issue (yes, including that "jetski" quote). We hear the actual announcement issued by the Chinese Coast Guard ship when it encountered the Philippine Coast Guard ship. However, Villarama never dwelt on political intrigue nor did she dissect international laws. She wanted to give relatable faces to issues we only hear about in the news, and inspire patriotism along the way -- she succeeds in that aspect. 6/10

Review of NOBODY 2: Amusement of an Assassin

August 19, 2025

Much to dismay of his family, Hutch Mansell (Bob Odenkirk) had to go back to being an assassin full-time to pay off his financial obligations to the criminal organization of the Barber (Colin Salmon). To appease them, Hutch brought his wife Becca (Connie Nielsen), their kids Brady (Gage Munroe) and Sammy (Paisley Cadorath), and his father David (Christopher Lloyd) to an old theme park in small town Plummerville. 

While playing games at the arcade, Brady was challenged to a fight by local tough boy Max (Lucius Hoyos), son of the oily theme park owner Wyatt Martin (John Ortiz). When Hutch intervened, he got the goat of the local sheriff Abel (Colin Hanks). All these shady town characters were connected with mobster queen Lendina (Sharon Stone) who was using the town in her massive bootlegging operations. 

Indonesian director Timo Tjahjanto makes his English-language debut with this film. Tjahjanto is noted for his direction of the bloody action thriller "The Night Comes for Us" (2018), the first Netflix original production from Indonesia. His skill in executing violence in his action scenes was quite evident here.  Brutal as they were, a cartoonish streak of humor was also integrated in these action scenes in the spirit of the first "Nobody,"

Bob Odenkirk embodied Hutch's unremarkable loser look so well, which made Nobody's explosive action scenes more exciting. He was basically the only central cog that was holding this sequel together. The bad guys like Abel and his minions were one-dimensional entities who were predictably going to die various forms of violent deaths to delight the adrenaline junkie audiences who love watching films like this.

Sharon Stone may have been caricaturish in her look and portrayal of the evil Lendina, but she was such a hoot to watch on the big screen. Christopher Lloyd is already 86 years old this year, but he is still quite a joy to watch, you wish he had more to do as a retired ex-FBI agent. The chemistry between Odenkirk and Connie Nielsen as husband and wife felt rather weak in this sequel, negatively affecting that fight climax, albeit predictable. 6/10

Review of TOGETHER: Sticky but Smart

August 14, 2025

When she got accepted to teach English in an elementary school in a rural area Fullton County, Millie (Alison Brie) and her musician Tim (Dave Franco) left the city and their friends.  During their send-off party, Tim changed outfits when friends said they looked good in matching jackets. When Millie sprung an unexpected public wedding proposal on him, Tim hesitated with his answer. Millie could not help feeling that Tim become distant from her lately.

One day, while hiking in the woods near their new house, they got lost in a sudden rainstorm. While looking around, Tim fell into a hole in the ground, and Millie fell in after him. They decided to build a fire and wait the rain out inside. When they got thirsty, they drank from a pool of water inside the cave. When they woke up from sleeping, their legs were stuck together. It was painful to pull them apart, but eventually they were able to.  

This psychological and body horror film was written and directed by Australian filmmaker Michael Shanks, his first full-length feature film. Like other horror films by Australian directors, the pace of the storytelling took its time, slowly but surely letting the horror build up. Tim had trauma as a young boy and still did not have a driver's license even at age 30, making him more susceptible to whatever "curse" that was they got from the cave. 

The body horror part ensued when their bodies began becoming literally stuck to each other when they came into contact. That episode of the stuck legs was just the beginning for more incidences to come, from hair swallowing to seeming vaginismus. This would later escalate to a degree that their bodies were literally being pulled towards each other, their bodies contorting unnaturally as they desperately fought the irresistible magnetism to stick togehter. 

Franco and Brie both give intense, unsettling performances. The cinematography by Germain McMicking, film editing by Sean Lahiff and musical score by Cornel Wilczek all helped to build up the uncomfortable suspense. The cave itself with its symbolic bell and rumors of a New Age cult as told by helpful neighbor Jamie McCabe (Damon Herriman) further add to the puzzling mystery. That choice of a Spice Girls pop song during the climax was genius. 7/10  

Review of THE NAKED GUN (2025): Drebin's Dry Drollery

August 13, 2025

Sergeant Frank Drebin Jr. (Liam Neeson) was a Detective Lieutenant of Police Squad, a special division of the LAPD. The day after he stopped a gang of bank robbers while disguised as a schoolgirl, his chief (CCH Pounder) reassigned him and his partner Ed Hocken Jr. (Paul Walter Hauser) to the case of a crashed Edentech electric car in Malibu that claimed the life of software engineer Simon Davenport.

Drebin received a visit from Simon's sexy sister Beth (Pamela Anderson), who was a writer of true-crime stories based on fictional stories she made up. She believed that Simon's boss Edentech owner Richard Cane (Danny Huston) was involved in her brother's death. While questioning a bank robbers, Drebin discovered that the safety deposit box stolen in the robbery also belonged to Simon Davenport. 

This current incarnation of "The Naked Gun" is a reboot of a trilogy of "The Naked Gun" films released in 1988, 1991 and 1994, starring Leslie Nielsen as Detective Frank Drebin. The first two of these films were directed and co-written by David Zucker. The character of Drebin actually made its debut earlier in a short-lived 1982 television series entitled "Police Squad," co-created and written by David Zucker, Jim Abrahams, and Jerry Zucker.

This present film also used the same silly slapstick comedy style that "Police Squad" and the original "The Naked Gun" films were known for. Aside from outrageous sight gags (like those of Drebin and Beth in the kitchen as seen through infrared glasses), the script was chock-full of naughty or dry jokes of various degrees of cleverness (like how Drebin pronounced the word "manslaughter" or how some lines frustratingly wound up as non-sequiturs).  

Seeing 73-year old Liam Neeson as Detective Drebin Jr. is already comedy enough in its anachronistic senselessness in relation to the original films. Ever since "Taken" (2008), Neeson has been in several dead serious action B-movies. So seeing deadpan Neeson here in idiotic scenes wearing a short schoolgirl skirt with underpants showing or getting caught upside down with his pants pulled off, will make even the toughest nut chuckle.

Pamela Anderson played a perfect femme fatale as the elegant but clumsy Beth Davenport. Her comic chemistry with Neeson was electric (although that animated snowman bit did not exactly fly), and she even had a surprising jazz scatting song number. Hauser's character was the son of George Kennedy's character, but he was underused here. Weird Al Yankovic has his fourth cameo in four films. Great to see Priscilla Presley in a cameo, but it was too short.  7/10

Review of LASTING MOMENTS: Forgetting to Feel

August 12, 2025

Aki Orteza (JM de Guzman) and Sophia "Pia" Suarez (Sue Ramirez) are very much in love and have been living together for some time now. Aki worked as a teacher of Philippine history, while Pia worked as a marketing executive under her boss Carlo (Victor Silayan.) Aki and Pia are saving up for their upcoming wedding next year, followed by a honeymoon in Singapore. They have also started to make payments on their dream house.

One day, Aki was made to realize that he had been missing a lot of his classes. He had also been forgetting a lot of important dates, prior commitments, and pending bills. These issues soon made Pia feel very stressed and unhappy. On the day that Pia was promoted to senior account manager, Aki was fired from his job because of his irresponsible lapses. Carlo's offer of a job position in Singapore had now become very tempting to Pia. 

Many Filipino films released on Wednesdays do not even reach the weekend anymore and get pulled out prematurely. However, starting with "Sunshine" on July 23, the three local films released July 30 -- "How to Get Away from My Toxic Family," "P77" and "Lasting Moments" -- all made to a second week. Of these three, "Lasting Moments" picked up the most momentum, even doing better than the releases of August 6 -- "Meg & Ryan" and "Lola Barang."  

"Lasting Moments" is a weepy melodrama with a capital M (and apparently this is what Filipino moviegoing audiences want?) The problem with Aki seemed pretty obvious already early on. However, writer-director Fifth Solomon chose to stretch out the length of the drama to its bursting limit. The second hour felt interminable in its repetitiveness. Also we really did not need to be spoonfed a montage of everything Aki had been forgetting in the first half. 

The lead actors were very committed to their flawed characters, making their love feel so genuine so that their separation felt so painful. JM de Guzman portrayed the confusion of Aki well, but his sudden outbursts can get very jarring. Julianne Moore's more controlled Oscar-winning portrayal of this condition in "Still Alice" (2014) was more sympathetic.  Sue Ramirez once again proved here that any character of hers is likable by virtue of her winsome screen presence and acting versatility. Pia may have been too self-absorbed not to recognize Aki's real problem early on, but because she was played by Sue Ramirez, we forgive her. 6/10

Review of FREAKIER FRIDAY: Complicated Change-ups

August 11, 2025

Anna Coleman (Lindsay Lohan) is a music producer who is raising her daughter Harper (Julia Butters) as a single mom after her husband passed away. Harper was a rebellious teenager who loved to go surfing before going to school in the morning, much to Anna's distress. Anna's mother was Dr. Tess Coleman (Jamie Lee Curtis), a noted therapist and best-selling author, still happily married to her husband Ryan (Mark Harmon). 

One day, Harper and her new British lab partner Lily (Sophia Hammons) had an accident in chemistry class, so both their parents were called to school. Anna was swept off her feet when she met Lily's father Eric (Manny Jacinto), who was also a single parent like her. There was a whirlwind romance and the two were engaged in six months. Harper and Lily did not get along, especially when the issue of moving was brought up. 

This new film is the sequel of "Freaky Friday" (2003). The central plot of that original film involved the switching of personalities of Anna and Tess in the first film. To make this sequel twice as exciting, of course they had to up the ante by switching the personalities of four people -- Anna and Tess switching with Harper and Lily. This four-way mix-up caused a more complex comedy of errors as they pretend to be each other. 

In the first film, there was also a coming wedding between Tess and Ryan, with Anna was rebelling against it. There was also an element of the occult that caused the earthquake that caused the switcheroo --  the fortune cookies of Grandma Chang (Lucille Soong) in the Chinese restaurant of Pei-pei (Rosalind Chao) the first film, and a palm-reading fortune teller Madame Jen (Vanessa Bayer) in the sequel. 

Aside from the cameos of Soong and Chao, there were many other callbacks from the first film which loyal fans will enjoy. Mr. Elton Bates (Stephen Tobolowsky) is back as the insufferable detention teacher. Anna's band Pink Slip with Maddie (Christina Vidal Mitchell) and Peg (Haley Hudson) performed. Anna's love interest in the first film Jake (Chad Michael Murray) also returns, with references to his short-lived but intense crush on Tess. Anna's younger brother Harry (Ryan Malgarini, now 33) had a short cameo at the rehearsal lunch. 

While it was fun to watch Lohan and Curtis play Anna and Tess again, Butters and Hammons as Harper and Lily were rather hit or miss in their scenes. Of interest for Filipino viewers is the definitely the casting of Philippine-born Canadian actor Manny Jacinto as Eric Reyes, Lohan's leading man. When Eric's family came over, Manila and Tagalog were mentioned in the dialog, and the Filipino gesture of respect called the "mano" was highlighted. Jacinto also got to show off his dancing skills during the rehearsal scenes of the wedding dance.  7/10

Review of MEG & RYAN: Crazy Challenges

August 7, 2025

Architect Ryan Canete (JC Santos) had been a "good boy" all his life. He never smoked, never drank. After his father suddenly passed away from a heart attack when he was a teenager, Ryan was raised in conservative traditions by his loving mother (Ces Quesada), a die-hard romantic and fan of K-dramas on Netflix. Therefore, Ryan never had a serious girlfriend up to his present age of 35, so he was still very much a virgin. 

Meg Zamonte (Rhian Ramos) grew up hating her rich philandering father (Cris Villanueva). This hatred grew more especially after the death of her beloved mother two years ago. She found solace in getting drunk with her girlfriends who shared her destructive vice. When her gang got together, they engaged in reckless challenges, like one called "Kisslock," or kissing the first cute guy they see in the hotel corridor.  

So the Kisslock challenge was Meg and Ryan's first physical encounter with each other. However, they would not know each other's names until a full year later because of another chance encounter which brought them together again. These coincidences would then suggest that they are fated for each other, as what usually happened in K-dramas, perhaps those that inspired writer Gina Marissa Tagasa to come up with this formulaic story. 

As typical romance stories went -- boy meets girl, they fall in love, someone does something foolish, they have a major disagreement. Then, the audience just waits for the ending to see whether they end up together or not.  Actually the first two acts of this movie were actually not so bad. However, that final challenge went too far in its craziness, I simply cannot suspend my disbelief enough to accept that someone can actually do something that stupid.

I felt that the title being based on the actual name of a real Hollywood actress was contrived and corny. JC Santos and Rhian Ramos may be good actors individually, but their romantic chemistry together did not crackle. Meg and Ryan's personalities were too contrasting with each other to be believable that they even clicked as a couple. The ending was also executed and wrapped up in too much of a rush, a letdown given all the buildup.   5/10

Review of MATERIALISTS: Luxury of Love

August 6, 2025

Lucy (Dakota Johnson) was the star achiever of New York City-based matchmaking company Adore. In her job, she had met a lot of women and heard all sorts of standards they've set for their ideal man. One day, while attending the wedding of one of her successful clients, she was drawn to the groom's smart and wealthy brother Harry (Pedro Pascal). Unexpectedly, she also bumped into her ex-boyfriend John (Chris Evans), who was a waiter at the wedding. 

Upon reading the synopsis, the plot of this film seems to be a run-of-the-mill love triangle scenario. However, the main reason for watching this film is exactly the the simplicity of the story nor its all-star cast. The significance of this unassuming little film is that this is the second film written and directed by Celine Song after her impressive debut last year with "Past Lives" (2023), Oscar Best Picture nominee and Best Original Screenplay winner.  

Here, Lucy was a relationship expert, someone who possessed the uncanny instinct of matching compatible people together. However, she cannot seem to apply her matching principles on herself when she was caught between two men on opposite sides of the financial spectrum. Going with Harry promised her a life of sure luxury, but how come she still kept on thinking of her ex John, whom she already dumped years ago because he was poor?

Again, Song's eloquent screenplay manages to charm and mesmerize as her words were brought to life by her impossibly attractive actors. On  paper, the occupation of being a professional New York City matchmaker may feel contrived and risky, but Johnson's portrayal of Lucy was winsome despite her obvious materialism. Between him and Pascal one-dimensional rich guy Harry, it was Evans's underdog John who was easier one to root for.   

It has long been accepted in our society that diamonds are a girl's best friend and that we are living in a material world. Lucy was already living on top of the world, with rich suitor at her beck and call. Not considering that he looked like Chris Evans, does a poor guy like John realistically have any chance of getting this girl whom he loved despite being way out of her league? Now, you will need to go watch this film to find out. 7/10 

Review of WEAPONS: Disappeared into the Dark

August 5, 2025

One morning, Ms. Justine Gandy (Julia Garner) entered her classroom in Maybrook Elementary School as usual. However today, she was taken aback when she the room was practically empty. Out of the 18 students in her class, only one was present -- a shy little boy seated at the back row, named Alex Lilly (Cary Christopher). When none of the other children showed up anymore, the police were called in to investigate their disturbing disappearance. 

School principal Andrew Marcus (Benedict Wong) tried his best to protect Justine, but some parents still think that she was responsible for the children going missing. The most aggressive among them was like Archer Graff (Josh Brolin), who was very distraught over the loss of his son Matthew (Luke Speakman). The police investigation also involved interviewing Alex, along with his father (Whitmer Thomas) and his visiting old aunt Gladys (Amy Madigan). 

This is the second horror film written and directed by Zach Cregger. His first one was "Barbarian" (2022), a low-budget film about an AirBnb in Detroit with a very dark past which had just been double-booked. The film earned a 92% score on Rotten Tomatoes (RT) with 207 reviews, and was a commercial hit as well. Hence, this sophomore project of Cregger is very highly anticipated. Thus far, the film had already earned a 100% on RT with 19 reviews.

Instead of the typical linear style, Cregger told his story from the points of view of different people -- from Justine, Archer, police officer Paul (Alden Ehrenreich), drug junkie James (Austin Abrams), Marcus, and finally Alex. Therefore, we get the finer details of the story served in small installments, allowing the audience to just piece and solve the whole mystery together in our heads, leading up to one ultra-violent, yet very satisfying, climax.

Cregger played with several types of horror tropes within this 128 minute-long film, from jerky jump scares to suspenseful tracking shots, to creepy nightmare scenarios. Body horror played a significant part in the fear factor with grotesque facial appearances, with mutilation scenes of escalating violence and gore. The build-up may have been a slowburn at first, but the finale sequence had everyone at the edge of their seats, while having fun along the way. 8/10