Filmlosophers

The Filmlosophers fly out on their Firebolts in this week’s review of Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (2018). The film marks the second installment in the Fantastic Beasts film series, and the tenth overall in the Wizarding World franchise, which began with the Harry Potter film series. Starring Eddie Redmayne, Katherine Waterston, Ezra Miller, Alison Sudol, Dan Fogler, Jude Law and Johnny Depp, the film takes moviegoers back to the wizarding world we all know and love, reminding us of the place where we all started our journey.

The Filmlosophers, Eddie Villanueva, Chad Riley and Spencer Williams, test out their new panic room in this week’s review of Halloween (2018). The film marks a return to form for the series, featuring Jamie Lee Curtis as battle-ready Laurie Strode as she prepares for a final showdown 40 years in the making against her nemesis, silent serial killer Michael Myers. Producer John Carpenter also returns to the franchise, and he brings along all of the musical themes he helped compose for the original Halloween (1978).

The Filmlosophers, Eddie Villanueva, Chad Riley and Spencer Williams, bottle up their emotions for this week’s review of First Man (2018). Director Damien Chazelle reunites with his leading man from La La Land, Ryan Gosling, for an introspective look at the personal story behind Neil Armstong’s journey to become the first man to step onto the lunar surface in NASA’s moon landing in 1969. Featuring a solid co-leading performance from Claire Foy as Armstrong’s wife, Janet, First Man provides a textured portrait of the man behind the gold visor and explores both the technological and psychological aspects of preparing for what could have been a one-way trip.

The Filmlosophers, Eddie Villanueva, Chad Riley and Spencer Williams, cough up some new personalities with this week’s review of Venom (2018). The Sony Pictures film marks the studio’s first foray into a Spiderverse without a Spider-Man (to this point, at least). Starring Tom Hardy, Michelle Williams, Riz Ahmed and Jenny Slate, Venom follows man-on-the-street journalist Eddie Brock on a confusingly quirky journey in which he finds himself bonded to an alien symbiote and crusades against a similarly symbiote-empowered villain looking to transform life on Earth and take to the stars before the planet succumbs to environmental degradation.

The Filmlosophers, Eddie Villanueva, Chad Riley and Spencer Williams, straddle state lines with this week’s review of Bad Times at the El Royale (2018). Set in a rundown casino hotel where almost nothing is as it seems, the film features a number of familiar faces including Jeff Bridges, Jon Hamm, Dakota Johnson and Chris Hemsworth. It also marks a career-making turn from Cynthia Erivo, who also makes a splash in Widows (2018) next month.

The Filmlosophers, Eddie Villanueva, Chad Riley and Spencer Williams, run without scissors for this week’s review of A Simple Favor (2018). The film centers on Connecticut mommy vlogger Stephanie, played by Anna Kendrick, and her unusual friendship with a crass, Manhattan-based PR director played by Blake Lively. Directed by Paul Feig, the film also stars Henry Golding, Andrew Rannells, Linda Cardellini, Rupert Friend and Jean Smart.

HEY YOU GUYS! We're back! In this bonus episode, we discuss how incredible Marvel's Captain Marvel trailer looks, and why we may think it holds some key elements to what the future MCU will look like. What do you think? Listen in to hear our thoughts!

The Filmlosophers, Eddie Villanueva, Chad Riley and Spencer Williams, prepare for the worst with this week’s double feature review of two recent Netflix-distributed films: How It Ends (2018) and Extinction (2018). Both films explore themes of connection and loss against a backdrop of catastrophe, and they each fit broadly within the sci-fi subgenre of dystopic futures. Flavored with tinges of Mad Max mixed with The Road, How It Ends stars Theo James and Forest Whitaker in a story about two men traveling cross-country to save a woman they both love. Alternatively, Extinction stars Michael Peña and Lizzy Caplan as concerned parents trying to ensure their family’s survival in the face of a military invasion from the stars.

The Filmlosophers, Eddie Villanueva, Chad Riley and Spencer Williams, work on ways to disappear into their surroundings with this week’s review of The Predator (2018). The latest film in the 31-year franchise is directed by Shane Black and leans heavily on comedic beats from its ensemble - including Boyd Holbrook, Trevante Rhodes, Jacob Tremblay, Keegan-Michael Key, Olivia Munn, Thomas Jane, Alfie Allen, and Sterling K. Brown - to balance the bloodier moments that punctuate certain scenes and sequences. Which begs the question: in playing up the levity angle, does it cause the franchise to finally lose its balance?

The Filmlosophers, Eddie Villanueva, Chad Riley and Spencer Williams, try to steal back a few wasted minutes with this week’s review of Kin (2018). Adapted and expanded from the short film Bag Man (2014), Kin follows a meandering plot that loosely supports the idea of family bonds that transcend blood connections. Starring Jack Reynor, Zoë Kravitz, Carrie Coon, Dennis Quaid, James Franco, and newcomer Myles Truitt, the film centers on a pair of unlikely brothers who go on the run from thugs in Detroit and set off across the country with a powerful weapon of otherworldly origin and immense destructive power.