Hot Summer Nights (2017)

A wayward youth becomes entrenched in the high-risk, high-reward business of drug trade during the raucous summer of 1991. I couldn't help but think of Risky Business, but this has its own stylish devices. It's a neo-noir drenched anti-coming-of-age drama that manages to do enough right to recommend.

3 incoming storms out of 5

Reminders of Him (2026)

A family drama about a woman returning home after serving 7 years in prison for the death of her boyfriend. She wishes to meet the daughter she never knew, though the guardians are protective of ever letting that happen. Like Colleen Hoover's other adapted works (It Ends with Us, Regretting You), it has a very specific feeling attached to it; almost a bit too gentle, given the gravity of the situation. There are predictable family dynamics and relationships at play, where everything is framed and lit beautifully and everyone is a 10. This is what I like to call a "normal" movie. It's very normie-coded, but that's okay.

2½ pigeons out of 5

Longlegs (2024)

In my opinion, this film was slightly overhyped, but I bought into it hook, line and sinker. Every screening at my theater was packed, so the word of mouth and clever ad campaign (which revealed nothing about the plot) really paid off. I really loved the tone of the film right out the gate; it builds up a nice feeling of dread and suspense, right out of Silence of the Lambs or Se7en. 

FBI agent Lee Harker investigates a series of mysterious deaths in 1990s Oregon, potentially leading to a bigger conspiracy. Again, it benefits from going in with as little information as possible and allowing the experience to wash over you. Not quite as good as it could have been, given all the tools at their disposal, but still very dark and affecting. It gets weird, in a good way.

3½ birthday card clues out of 5

INDEPENDENCE DAY: RESURGENCE [2016]

20 years later, FX-driven director Roland Emmerich returns to his popcorn sci-fi blockbuster ID4-verse with Resurgence.
After developing their own technology based off the weapons found within the alien wreckage from the first invasion, Earth must defend itself again from an extraterrestrial invasion only this time without Will Smith.
While it might be a welcome breath of fresh air compared to all the gloomy cynicism of today's sci-fi films, the brainlessness leaves way too much to be desired.  This time around the multiple mini-plots revolving around it's ensemble cast doesn't quite flow as smoothly as the first and instead is a jumble of mismatched moments of "sentimental" mush.  It delivers quite nicely when the destruction begins but after 45 minutes or so you begin wondering "is this it?" and it keeps your mind hostage from wandering away with it's offensively loud noise.

2 doomed landmarks out of 5

IT FOLLOWS [2014]

Writer/director David Robert Mitchell crafts one of the most effective horror films to come out in a long, long time with the ominously titled It Follows.
The set-up is simple, a young teen sleeps with the wrong guy and is transmitted with some sort of nightmarish curse that...well...follows her in the form of some pretty nasty sort of folk.  Primarily it's a coming-of-age story that channels John Hughes, if he fancied butcher knives and gouged-out eyes, but it packs the scares something fierce with a refreshing twist with some killer Carpenter-esque camerawork to boot.  With it's stingy synth score, old timey cars and minimal use of modern technology, this could easily be pulled out of the early '80's but it's most definitely this day and age in the dying lands of Detroit.
Bring a couple pairs of clean undies with you because you're guaranteed to be needing them.

4 swimming pools out of 5

THE GUEST [2014]

Director Adam Wingard's enticingly sinister psycho-thriller, The Guest, tells the story of soldier who visits the family of a friend who died in action to deliver a message to them.
Like Wingard and his crew's previous film, You're Next, it manages to take a simple and silly concept, paste a dumb face on it and deliver it with wit, style and a slickness that keeps you glued to your seat from beginning to end.  Known for gently playing the doomed Matthew on Downton Abbey, Dan Stevens takes an impressive turn as a menacing soldier turned killing machine in this ode to the '80's b-films.  If John Carpenter were to mix A History Of Violence and Drive, with a heavy dose of excellent post-punk/Goth-pop then this is what you'd get.  

3½ mix CD's out of 5