Anora (2024)

A Brooklyn stripper-cum-escort meets the son of a Russian oligarch and engages in a whirlwind romance resulting in elopement. Once news of this reaches his family back home, their future is threatened by a hired group of Armenian henchmen who seek to split the couple up. The first part of this movie plays out like a carefree love story, while the second half unfolds as an unpredictable comedic crime thriller full of edge and intensity.

Sean Baker's latest anti-mainstream film featuring unconventional characters might just be his best. It's all weirdly subversive and very funny, although the journey there is so stressful, I wouldn't want to take it again in a hurry. Mikey Madison is incredible in the lead role and gives it her all (in full naked glory). I loved reading that she declined an intimacy coordinator, which is why the whole thing feels so very raw and authentic. I wouldn't be surprised if plenty of accolades were in her future.

4 carat diamonds out of 5

Scream (2022)

AKA: Scream V

As a jaded horror fan, I actually enjoyed this one quite a bit. I'm not sure if I'm letting my defenses down lately, but I don't think it was worse than any of the other sequels. The leads (especially the sisters played by Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega) were very well cast and I believed their relationship. I didn't anticipate the twists either, so it was a success in that regard.

It's not as slick and stylish as it was under the direction of Wes Craven, but it still manages to capture the ethos of the time it was made in. This volume introduces the idea of the "requel"—i.e. the reboot/sequel to a legacy series—which this film also represents (meta as always). 

3 toxic online comments out of 5