The Devil Wears Prada 2 (2026)

It's weird to think how 20 years has passed by in a blink. Feels like the first movie barely came out, now suddenly it's cemented as a 'classic.' Everyone returning from the original has aged two decades but still looks great. Then you realize you've aged the same and you look like shit. It's a sobering fact.

Lots of things have changed in the past 20 years. Print media is obsolete, other roles have been made redundant. You get a few good character moments strewn here and there, but for the most part it's wearisome and lacks bite.

2 HR complaints out of 5

Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair (2006)

Screened exactly twice in 2006 and 2011, this year finally marks the official wide release of the complete work, restoring it back to Tarantino's original unified vision, before it was insisted on being split into two volumes at the behest of Miramax's Harvey Weinstein. The result is a four-hour martial arts/exploitation/samurai epic (plus 15 minute intermission) with pacing that flows better as one cohesive whole, with some of the fat trimmed out of it.

Watching this 20 years after the fact in a packed theater makes it clear how well the material ages. Enormously entertaining and never boring, it's an homage to all the greats of the past, blending so many disparate styles in a pastiche of Americana, which doesn't take away from the artists it so liberally borrows from. As the ultimate revenge story (summed up in the title), it favors style over substance, but the mission is clear and the emotions are real: You're with The Bride every step of the way. It's not without its flaws, but there's no denying this is Cinema; there aren't many filmmakers left making epics of this caliber. To put it even more bluntly, this is just a cool fucking film with iconic visuals and a killer soundtrack. And Uma Thurman looks damn good doing it.

5 Deadly Vipers out of 5

Note: Exclusive to this 2025 print is a new chapter entitled "Yuki's Revenge," which was animated using the Unreal Engine, with Uma performing the voice acting and motion capture. Luckily, this is tacked on at the end of the credits and doesn't interrupt the flow of the film. You can view it in its entirety here.

Note 2: The original Nutshell reviews can be found here: Volume 1, Volume 2

Presence (2024)

A ghost story told entirely from the ghost's point of view. The narrative is conveyed through its drifting camera work alone. An invisible disembodied spirit floats through the house, while things move around on their own and disturbances are felt by the family living within it. At the center is a teenage girl who the "presence" appears to be trying to contact. It's a unique, touching tale with a gentleness and simplicity reminiscent of A Ghost Story.

3½ mirror images out of 5

Red One (2024)

This movie is a fucking nightmare. Santa Claus (J.K. Simmons) is a bodybuilder who works at a technologically advanced North Pole facility alongside his E.L.F. (Enforcement, Logistics and Fortification) bodyguard played by The Rock. A black ops team breaks into the facility and kidnaps Red, so they're forced to contact a cynical hacker (Chris Evans) to help track him down. At least I think that's what's happening here. The whole thing turns into a CGI fever dream in a hurry, with creepy uncanny valley effects that will probably traumatize children, and mythological creatures that feel like rejects from Nightbreed. The whole thing is just completely soulless and depressing, and doesn't even manage to manufacture those fake holiday feelings within me. It feels so corporate and hollow and goes on for so long, I could barely keep my eyes open. To be honest, I'm not even sure kids will get a kick out of this one.

One Krampus bitch slap out of 5

Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle (2003)

I feel the throttle ought to have remained close to where it was at for the first movie, because upping the action to almost super-hero levels of ability makes the sequel feel like unintentional self-parody. If the scene that opens the farce (before the title appears) makes you cringe, then prepare for the worst, because things get even more moronic later on. The homages to other media feel forced, and the underlying worry of separation and outside commitments, which does actually play into the main plot, is as contrived as Justin Theroux's Irish accent. A pinch of decent subtext could've saved the story, but nothing other than residency on the cutting room floor could've stopped the action scenes from shitting over the potential for more light-hearted fun.

1½ whip tricks out of 5

Charlie's Angels (2000)

If the goal of the Charlie's Angels reboot was movie escapism on a superficial level, then it succeeded. The whole is heightened by the feeling that the "elite crime fighting trio" of Dylan, Alex and Natalie (Drew Barrymore, Lucy Liu, and Cameron Diaz, respectively) are having a blast while making it. The story is pretty thin and the primary villains are forgettable, but for every weak link (e.g. Sam Rockwell, Tom Green) there's a stronger one doing its utmost to draw attention away from the faults. In the latter category there's Crispin Glover, great use of chart music, playful stereotypes, ridiculous disguises, and a dynamic approach that never misses an opportunity to make its leading ladies shine. And for fans of the original TV series, the voice of John Forsythe.

3 bird calls out of 5

PAYBACK (Theatrical Cut) [1999]

Brian Helgeland makes his directorial debut with the violent action/thriller, Payback starring Mel Gibson as low-life criminal on the warpath for bloody vengeance. 

The film is noticeably lighter than the 2006 Director's Cut, by adding in a noir-ish voice-over narration, more humour and a vastly different final act.
If not for Gibson's knack for portraying the ultimate crazed "protagonist" with a taste for violence the film wouldn't be nearly as entertaining.  It's predicable and not much worth noting but it's always nice to see one of the bad guys become the one you're cheering for. 

3 boiled eggs out of 5

Someday This Pain Will Be Useful to You (2011)

The story of a seventeen-year-old intelligent but disillusioned loner whose family want him to fit in with their functioning dysfunctional lifestyle. I usually enjoy this kind of film, but the youthful James (Toby Regbo) has almost nothing to actually complain about. His problems are as shallow as the people he criticises. A good kick up the ass would sort him right out. Even when something meaningful happens it just skims off the surface of his underdeveloped self, not penetrating the core of the character. I enjoyed it for what it was but felt it could've been so much more.
Regbo reminded me of a younger version of Jude Law, which I realise is a cruel thing to say, but it's true.

2 breakfast rhythms out of 5

Kill Bill: Volume 1 (2003)

QT's first misstep is 100% style over substance. It's the film equivalent of a kid in a Lego store who builds a structure that threatens to collapse under the weight of its own aspirations because it has no real foundation. It's the director saying: I like Chanbara, Westerns, Blaxploitation, Wuxia, and Uma's feet, so I'm going to put them all together. Aren't I the coolest?
I didn't much like the film but I'm glad QT is in the business. His framing is nearly always perfect and his passion for his craft is plain to see.
If the two films ever get re-edited and commercially released as the rumoured Whole Bloody Affair then I'll happily reassess the work, but it'll need to be a complete pacing re-edit and not just a lazy-ass joining.

2½ splatters of blood in snow out of 5

Cypher (2002)

A clever but never convoluted sci-fi thriller about corporate espionage that throws in some Philip K. Dick style plot twists on the themes of individuality and identity. Visually it mimics the corporate world of cold greys and silvers that Hollywood seems to think works and, I believe, it does so in an ironic way. It plays around with the medium while simultaneously playing to its strengths.
Director Natali also toys with the traditional enigmatic femme fatale idea, making Lucy Liu more untrustworthy than usual, or is she? The protagonist doesn't know and neither do we, because in a Hitchcockian way we get drip-fed information at the same time as him.

3 chess pieces out of 5

DETACHMENT [2011]

Not since American History X has a film left me feeling so horrible, so it came as no surprise when I found out Detachment's director Tony Kaye is the same guy.
It's a stark look at the youth of today and they way we as adults tend to forget our responsibility towards them.  It's wonderfully acted by a talented ensemble cast, filmed with thoughtful intimacy and aided by some interesting animation to tell the story that rips out your heart and stomps all over it.  Unfortunately it can be a bit too much at times and takes you out of the harsh reality that it's trying to portray.  Still by the end of the film it leaves the impact it's meant to make, meaning it made it's point with success.

3½ sad cupcakes out of 5

THE MAN WITH THE IRON FISTS [2012]

Wu Tang Clan mainman RZA joins filmmakers Quentin Tarantino, Eli Roth & Robert Rodriguez in the gang of directors who have seen too many bad movies, by creating The Man With The Iron Fists.

A schlocky, hilariously violent martial arts hip-hop film that fails to bring anything new to the table but serves the viewer a colorful platter of wonderfully choreographed fight scenes and deliciously over-the-top performances from Russell Crowe, Lucy Liu and Byron Mann. It's unevenly focused, sloppily edited and seems to forget it's main character needs a personality or shred of development, yet somehow it still manages to charm and entertain.  In short, it's bad, fun crap.  

2½ spicy ribs out of 5

KUNG FU PANDA 2 [2011]

The original Kung Fu Panda was an entertaining run-of-the-mill animated film, filled with famous actors doing subpar voice work.  The sequel is just a uninspiring run-of-the-mill snoozefest that offers nothing new to the story or characters.  Apart from some cool character designs and animation, Kung Fu Panda 2 reeks of an assembly line cashcow.  With the exception of Jack Black, Gary Oldman and Dustin Hoffman, every other actor is pointless, boring and could be done better by a professional voice actor.  For the kiddies only.

2 Van Damme Crocodile moves out of 5

DOMINO [2005]

Tony Scott directs this color washed, MTV styled flick loosely based on model-turned-bounty hunter Domino Harvey's life. From a Richard Kelly script, Domino does nothing to attempt any sort of character development and hopes it's flashy cuts, overly stylized camera work, entertaining cast and cool soundtrack can hold the viewer's attention for over 2 hours...it doesn't.
Keira Knightley's slick n' sexy performance is actually quite believable and strong but it's simply not enough to make it a film worth recommending.

2 Our Saviour Tom Waits out of 5