Freeze Frame

The new horror entry "Obsession" falls into the 'be careful what you ask for, you may get it' genre. This effective little chiller is about a man who buys a supernatural toy that grants him a wish. He wishes that a girl he has a crush on would fall madly in love with him. Emphasis on the "madly." Her obsession with him quickly escalates into violence. Well-acted by relative newcomers Michael Johnston and Inde Navarette, “Obsession” is a creepy tongue-in-cheek bit of midnight movie exploitation.

The political drama "The Wizard of the Kremlin" is an interesting bit of historical fiction. It involves the rise of Vladimir Putin from KGB insider to Russian tsar. Paul Dano plays a theatrical artist who uses his skills as a spin doctor to rise from obscurity and become Putin's morally conflicted deputy chief of staff. Jude Law is appropriately chilling as Putin. Based on a novel by political essayist Giuliano da Empoli and directed by Olivier Assayas, “The Wizard of the Kremlin is thoughtful and well produced but never manages to build any dramatic momentum.

Even if you're not a fan of comic actor Martin Short, you'll probably find a lot to like in the Netflix documentary, "Marty, Life is Short." Director Lawrence Kasdan has assembled a loving tribute to his longtime friend, using a vast library of home videos and film clips, plus interviews with Short's many famous showbiz pals. Short, who is enjoying a late career resurgence in popularity thanks to "Only Murders in the Building," has endured more than his share of tragedies and triumphs. Thanks largely to Short's sunny approach to sarcasm, "Marty, Life is Short" is a funny and touching overview.

Pop phenom Billie Elish joins forces with Oscar-winning filmmaker James Cameron to present a cinematic adaptation that captures her 2024-25 concert tour, "Billie Elish - Hit Me Hard and Soft." Since Elish doesn't employ choreography or elaborate costumes, Cameron uses dozens of swooping, acrobatic cameras and clever editing to add additional visual dazzle. The backstage footage is minimal, but interesting. It could have used a bit more of that. For the uninitiated, “Billie Elish – Hit Me Hard and Soft” provides context for Eilish's enormous popularity. For fans, it's pure catnip.

"The Sheep Detectives" is a sweet-natured family-friendly comic whodunit based on the popular novel “Three Bags Full” by Leonie Swann. Hugh Jackman plays George, a reclusive shepherd who lives with his beloved flock in rural England. He reads them mystery novels at night. When George is found murdered, it's up to his loyal sheep to help the thick-headed humans solve the mystery. The realistically animated sheep are voiced by an all-star cast that includes Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Bryan Cranston, Patrick Stewart, and Bella Ramsey. While it tries a bit too hard to be heartwarming, “The Sheep Detectives” is a harmless and likable popcorn flick.

The title of the Netflix comic drama "Remarkably Bright Creatures" doesn't describe its narrator, an octopus named Marcellus. It's his description of two lonely human beings whom he helps heal some emotional wounds. Two-time Oscar winner Sally Field stars alongside Lewis Pullman in the gentle story of a lonely aquarium cleaning lady and a troubled stranger she takes on as an assistant. While it's manipulative and predictable, a strong cast keeps “Remarkably Bright Creatures” afloat.

George Orwell's classic totalitarian critique "Animal Farm" gets a dumbed-down animated big screen incarnation. Yes, the pigs take over the farm, but the metaphors don't fly. The all-star voice cast includes Seth Rogan, Glenn Close, Kieran Culkin and Woody Harrelson but their efforts are for naught. Screenwriter Nicholas Stoller and director Andy Serkis deserve some credit for trying a new approach, but this so-called modernized version of “Animal Farm” isn't for adults who revere Orwell or for kids who couldn’t care less.

Here's one that won't be shown on airlines anytime soon. "Jaws" meets "Airport" in "Deep Water," the story of a loaded passenger flight that crashes into -you guessed it- shark infested waters. Aaron Eckhart and Sir Ben Kingsley are the captains who accidentally serve up a smorgasbord for hungry carnivores along with the typical disaster movie cliches. If the premise sounds familiar, another movie called “No Way Up” came out two years ago with a nearly identical plot. While it’s overly familiar, director Renny Harlin's opus “Deep Water” is impressively filmed. It ain’t deep, but disaster movie fans won’t mind.

Producer John Lasseter may no longer be at Pixar, but his creative fingerprints are all over the wildly imaginative Netflix animated fantasy, "Swapped." Michael B. Jordan and Juno Temple provide the voices of a mammal and a bird who magically swap bodies in a fantastical woodland area. Their experiences change their perspectives, proving that differences are good and that working together makes life better for everyone. It's smart and beautifully animated. "Swapped" is a family film in the best sense, providing thoughtful entertainment that can be enjoyed by all age groups.

If you're looking for an in-depth, warts-and-all biopic about the King of Pop, keep looking. If you want a slick, entertaining reenactment of some great music, then "Michael" is the movie for you. Jaafar Jackson is fine portraying his famous uncle Michael Jackson in this family-sanctioned overview of the first 20 years of Jackson's career. The movie seesaws between Jackson's relationship with his abusive dad, played by Coleman Domingo, and his electric stage performances. Keep your expectations low and the volume on high.

From "The Most Dangerous Game" to "The Hunt,” there have been a lot of movies about humans hunting humans. The newest entry in this subgenre is the Netflix thriller, "Apex." Oscar-winner Charlize Theron plays an adventurer on a solo outing in the remote Australian wilderness who becomes the target of a deranged hunter, played by Taron Egerton. Director Baltasar Kormakur puts his stars through the ringer as he stages some impressive action sequences in this cat-and-mouse action flick. While more than competent, "Apex" has a grisly ugliness that can be a bit hard to stomach.

“Desert Warrior” is a historical action flick that desperately wants to be “Lawrence of Arabia,” but falls somewhat short. Anthony Mackie plays a bandit who aids a princess caught between warring tribes in 7th century Arabia. It’s well made but uninspired.

“Fuze” is a taut, twisty British caper movie. Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Theo James and Sam Worthington star in a thriller about thieves who use the discovery of an unexploded WWII-era bomb in London’s Paddington district as a distraction for an elaborate bank heist. “Fuze” won’t light any fires but is a zippy bit of escapism.

The grisly body horror flick "Lee Cronin's The Mummy" owes a lot more to "The Exorcist" than Boris Karloff or Brendan Fraser. A little girl goes missing and, eight years later, she's discovered to be alive and possessed by an ancient Egyptian demon. There are some effectively scary moments, but the movie is overlong and over reliant on gruesome makeup effects. Writer/director Lee Cronin had success reviving the “Evil Dead” franchise, but this one should have remained buried. Let's hope it’s a wrap on this version of The Mummy.

If you want to see two brilliant actors go toe-to-toe, the sly comedy "The Christophers" is the movie for you. Sir Ian McKellen and Michaela Cole star in the tale of a once famous painter now living as a virtual hermit who makes a little cash doing personalized Cameo videos. The painter’s estranged children hire a woman to pose as his assistant and forge his unfinished paintings so that they can sell them upon his death. James Corden and Jessica Gunning are effectively churlish as the offspring. Director Stephen Soderberg continues to expand his reach with “The Christophers,” a funny, smart and engaging movie.

It's good to try to find something positive in even the worst movies, but there's nothing remotely redeeming in the criminally atrocious Amazon Prime comedy, "Balls Up." Mark Wahlberg and Paul Walter Hauser play employees of a condom company who ruin a World Cup soccer game in Brazil and go on the run from angry fans. Not only is it not funny, but it’s also intended to offend. “Balls Up” is certainly successful on that count. Director Peter Farrelly should have his Oscar for "Green Day" revoked.

The latest cinematic treatment of Shakespeare's "Hamlet' tries an interesting new angle, placing the action among the Southeast Asian community of contemporary London. Riz Ahmed gives a strong performance in the title role, and fine turns are provided by Morfydd Clark as Ophelia, Timothy Spall as Polonius and Art Malik as Claudius. But some of the power of The Bard's poetry is lost when rushed or mumbled to give it a more edgy feel. This "Hamlet" is a respectable mixed bag.

Keanu Reeves stars in a caustic Hollywood sendup, the Apple TV satire, "Outcome." Reeves plays Reef Hawk, a movie star who is being blackmailed by strangers with an incriminating video tape. His best friends played by Cameron Diaz and Matt Bomer, offer moral support but no answers. Reef turns to his crisis lawyer, played by Jonah Hill who also wrote and directed this black comedy, who instructs him to apologize to everyone he may have offended over the years. While it's sometimes very funny and hits some deserving showbiz targets, it paints a bleak picture that's frankly uncomfortable to watch. "Outcome" is like George Clooney’s recent flick "Jay Kelly," but with a meaner edge.

Does the Netflix thriller "Thrash" qualify for "So bad, it's good?" status? Even though this “’Jaws’ meets ‘Hurricane’” mashup has many laughable moments, the answer is decidedly, "No." Phoebe Dynevor and Djimon Hounsou star in the tale of a storm surge that pushes ravenous sharks far inland. The man-eaters terrorize the residents of a storm drenched coastal community. "Thrash" is no "Sharknado." It’s better than that camp classic, but not as funny. “Thrash” just bites.

In 2023, the animated comedy "The Super Mario Bros. Movie" took in over a billion dollars at the box office and became the biggest video game adaptation ever. Naturally, a sequel has arrived. "The Super Mario Galaxy Movie" offers more of the same. Same players, same game inspired goofiness and the same strengths and weaknesses. Once again, the intrepid Italian plumbers are called upon to save Princess Peach from Bowser and his son Bowser, Jr. The visuals are duly impressive, but the plot of “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie” may evaporate from your memory faster than a Mario power-up.

The scenario of "The Drama" is designed to make you squirm. On that count, it's very successful. Zendaya and Robert Pattinson play a couple who learn very uncomfortable truths about each other on the cusp of their wedding. Writer/director Kristoffer Borgli examines some very intriguing themes and the players are fine, including Alana Haim in a pivotal supporting role. But there may be moments while watching the excruciating movie “The Drama” that you'll want to scream, "Hey, people, get some counseling!"

The well produced faith-based historical drama "A Great Awakening" tells the story of the Calvinist preacher George Whitefield, his friendship with Benjamin Franklin and his effect on the American Revolution that occurred in tandem with an evangelical revival. Jonathan Blair as Whitefield and John Paul Sneed as Franklin give earnest performances in this impassioned biopic. While it glosses over some of controversial aspects of Whitefield's life and his debatable positions, it's a thoughtful, well-acted and sometimes moving account aimed at a receptive Christian audience.

The story of acclaimed French writer and filmmaker Marcel Pagnol is depicted through animation in the unconventional biopic, "A Magnificent Life." Directed by Sylvain Chomet of “The Triplets of Bellville” fame, it’s a colorful overview of Pagnol’s life, from his childhood through his adult years focusing on his artistic and commercial successes…and failures. While mildly interesting, “A Magnificent Life” lacks the passion of any of Pagnol's classic movies.

The extremely raw and edgy R-rated documentary "Andre is an Idiot" was the audience winner at this year's Sundance Film Festival. It's easy to see why. A free-spirited iconoclast named André Ricciardi decides to make a documentary of his battle with terminal colon cancer. He and his family and friends handle it with a lot of raw humor...and a bit of denial. “Andre is an Idiot” is cleverly made and surprisingly touching given how utterly irreverent and profane it is.

The Hulu time-travel action comedy "Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice" fails to live up to the promise of its intriguing premise. Vince Vaughn plays Nick, a mob enforcer who inadvertently hitches a ride in a time machine and winds up trying to save his wife Eiza Gonzales and fellow mobster James Marsden from being killed...by an earlier version of himself. The timeline gets twisted into knots and the bloody violence and crude humor quickly gets tiresome. The talented cast members try hard, but they are essentially wasted. If you wind up watching “Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice,” you may wish you could go back in time and skip it.

You can have all the great special effects and cute aliens you can muster, but without the charisma and star power of Ryan Gosling, the sci-fi opus "Project Hail Mary" would drift aimlessly into space. Gosling plays a science teacher who reluctantly becomes an astronaut and attempts to save our sun from a bizarre destructive force. While in deep space, he encounters an unlikely ally. While it's overlong and repetitive, "Project Hail Mary" is still an engaging crowd pleaser.

Rose Byrne stars in the comic drama "Tow," the true story of a homeless woman trying to rebuild her life. Things took a hellish turn when the vehicle she was sleeping in was towed and she endured a long and excruciating legal fight to reclaim it. While it deals with serious issues, "Tow" takes a lighter tone with its treatment of David vs. Goliath social themes.

There are family films and then there are movies for the kids only. "The Pout-Pout Fish" falls into the latter category. It's a harmless animated tale based on the picture books by Deborah Diesen about a depressed fish who discovers his cheery side after an adventure with a cute sea dragon. Toddlers may smile. Parents may snooze.

"Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man" is a Netflix feature film that’s a continuation of the popular series. Cillian Murphy is back as Tommy Shelby, the gang leader suffering from spiritual despair, who is forced out of retirement to reclaim his place as head of his gypsy crime family and save Britain from a Nazi threat. It's a good thing that those criminals are so darn patriotic. Terrific performers and solid British production values elevate this WWII era melodrama.

"Cohorts," the loyal followers of bestselling author Colleen Hoover, have been anxiously awaiting the cinematic adaptation of her latest novel, "Reminders of Him." They likely won't be disappointed. Maika Monroe gives a strong performance as a young woman recently released from prison after serving time for involuntary manslaughter. She returns to her hometown in hopes of meeting her daughter who was taken from her at birth and begins a romantic relationship with bar owner Tariq Withers. “Reminders of Him” is as predictable, calculated and manipulative as you might expect, but the committed cast is solid. Bring the Kleenex.

The horror entry "Undertone" is billed as "The Scariest Movie You'll Ever Hear." That's because the gimmick is its unique audio approach. Nina Kiri plays one of the hosts of a podcast about the paranormal. She begins losing her grip on reality when listening to ghastly audio mysteriously sent to her co-host. "Undertone" is the very definition of "slow burn"...but in this case it's too slow. Granted, “Undertone” builds to a creep-inducing climax but takes too long to get there.

Take an Army training drama and throw in invading Transformer-style robots from outer space, and you have the new Netflix action thriller, "War Machine." Alan Ritchson from TV's "Reacher" plays an Army Staff Sergeant training for an elite Army Ranger regiment. During a training exercise, an alien machine begins killing off the recruits. The whole thing is pretty silly and there's a lot of R-rated carnage. Still, there may be just enough action and mayhem in "War Machine" to appeal to your inner 13-year-old.