59 Best Releases From Universal Pictures Studio

The Spool Staff

Amar te duele

Watch afterCivil War (2024), The Batman (2022), The Flash (2023),
StarringKe Huy Quan,
MPAA RatingR

Love Hurts is a shambles. At 83 minutes, director JoJo Eusebio and writers Matthew Murray, Josh Stoddard, and Luke Passmore's sweet-hearted-reformed-killer-gets-pulled-back-into-the-life-and-has-to-figure-out-which-of-his-lives-is-real actioner is both overstuffed and underbaked. Ke Huy Quan's big-hearted real estate agent, Marvin Gable, has an extensive and bloody secret history, alternately semi-cryptically alluded to and explored in such detail that the picture's present-day story grinds to a halt. Ariana DeBose's back-from-exile one-time underworld lawyer Rose reads like a wildcard, but that's not entirely intentional—the script pulls her through so many modes and moods that she never quite coheres as a character. A sweet, funny romance between Marvin's depressed assistant Ashley (Lio Tipton) and ludicrously cool hitman/poet the Raven (real name Roger) (Mustafa Shakir) could be a movie of its own. Marvin's monstrous brother Knuckles (real name Alvin) (Daniel Wu) is a terrific foil to his brother, who would have benefitted from some of their bad, bad history being shown rather than told. But, while acknowledging that Love Hurts trips over itself and does not quite cohere, I enjoyed it a lot. The lion's share of the responsibility for Love Hurts working amidst its mess falls to Quan. Marvin Gable is a cousin to Quan's Oscar-winning turn as Everything Everywhere All at Once's Waymond(s)—he's a goofy sweetheart who works to bring out the best in the people he shares his life with. He's genuinely passionate about his career as a realtor, takes joy in helping clients find a home, and looks out for his staff. Love Hurts' biggest narrative success is that it likes that Marvin loves his life. He's a bit of a corny goofball (speaking as a diehard bike commuter who's dealt with more than one spinal injury, I dig that Marvin rides with proper safety gear, but you don't need a pant cuff for the leg on the opposite side of the chain), and his good cheer clashes with Ashley's gloom. But Love Hurts doesn't treat him (and Quan doesn't play him) like a pathetic naif for renouncing his past life as Knuckles' most terrifying enforcer—getting out from under his brother's thumb and trying to be good and finding happiness saved Marvin's heart. Quan and Shakir's Marvin and Roger face off in a brutal duel while Tipton's Ashley processes her sweetheart boss and her romantic but brooding crush's wild lives. Universal. When Rose swoops back into his life with a handmade Valentine's Day card and a long-in-the-works plan to take vengeance on those who framed her for stealing from Knuckles and forced her to go into hiding, she brings Knuckles' gang down on Marvin—he was supposed to have killed her after all. Love Hurts' driving question isn't "Will Marvin become manly by resurrecting his lethal skills?" but "How will Marvin reconcile needing to resurrect his lethal skills to get through an increasingly violent Valentine's Day with his desire to be a better person than he was?" Continue Reading →

Dog Man

SimilarA Bug's Life (1998), Aladdin (1992), Atlantis: Milo's Return (2003), Batman (1989), Batman Forever (1995), Batman Returns (1992), Beauty and the Beast (1991), Cars (2006), Charlotte's Web (2006), Dr. No (1962), Fantasia (1940), From Russia with Love (1963) Ice Age (2002), Ice Age: The Meltdown (2006), Inspector Gadget (1999), Mad Max (1979), Mad Max 2 (1981), Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985), Madagascar (2005), Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa (2008), Mamma Mia! (2008), Mary Poppins (1964) Monsters Inc. (2001), Mortal Kombat (1995), Mortal Kombat: Annihilation (1997), Oliver & Company (1988), On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969) Ronia the Robber's Daughter (1984), Shrek (2001) Shrek 2 (2004) Shrek the Third (2007) Stormbreaker (2006), Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991), Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003), The 6th Day (2000), The Avengers (1998), The Cabbage Soup (1981), The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005), The Jungle Book (1967), The Man with the Golden Gun (1974) The Simpsons Movie (2007), The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie (2004), The Spy Who Loved Me (1977), The Terminator (1984), The Wizard of Oz (1939), Treasure Planet (2002), Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005), Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971) You Only Live Twice (1967),
Watch afterInterstellar (2014),
StarringLil Rel Howery,
MPAA RatingPG

In the proud tradition of Maniac Cop, Theodore Rex, and especially Poochinski, The Country Bears auteur Peter Hastings and Captain Underpants author Dav Pilkey have bestowed yet another unexpected law enforcement officer on pop culture. Dog Man. The titular hero began life as two creatures, human Officer Knight and his loyal dog Greg (Hastings). The two get trapped in an explosion while chasing malicious feline Petey (Pete Davidson). With Knight’s head no longer functional and Greg’s body similarly D.O.A., the doctors do the natural thing. They follow an inspired notion to put the dog’s head on the man’s body. Instead of creating a Frankenhooker/Monstro Elisasue entity, this operation results in our titular hero, a kung-fu master who can take down any adversary. The upcycled crime fighter only further enrages Petey, making him more determined than ever to destroy his arch-rival. Among his multiple ill-fated plans to defeat Dog Man is a scheme involving a cloning experiment gone awry. Instead of yielding a malicious Mini Me, the machine produces a sweet adolescent version of the villain, aptly called Li'l Petey (Lucas Hopkins). Petey and Dog Man are enemies, but Li’l Petey and half-canine, half-man, all-cop may just become best pals. Continue Reading →

Wolf Man

Similar28 Days Later (2002), A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 2: Freddy's Revenge (1985), After Hours (1985), Armageddon (1998), Carrie (2002), Con Air (1997), Cursed (2005), Dawn of the Dead (2004), Eyes Wide Shut (1999) Gremlins (1984), Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990), Insomnia (2002), Lost Highway (1997), Miami Vice (2006), Misery (1990), North by Northwest (1959), Oldboy (2003) Pi (1998), Poseidon (2006), Shaft (2000) Silent Hill (2006), Species (1995), Species II (1998), Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982), Starship Troopers (1997), The Departed (2006), The Experiment (2001), The Invisible Man Returns (1940), The Matrix Reloaded (2003), The Shining (1980), Twelve Monkeys (1995), Underworld (2003),
Watch afterInside Out 2 (2024), Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021),
MPAA RatingR
StudioBlumhouse Productions, Universal Pictures

Within the First Epistle to the Corinthians are a handful of phrases bound to send chills up anyone’s spine, regardless of their religious affiliation. For instance, Christ’s apostle Paul declares, “I wanna hide the truth/I wanna shelter you/But with the beast inside/There’s nowhere we can hide.” Later, he further opines, “They say it’s what you make/I say it’s up to fate/It’s woven in my soul/I need to let you go.” Such arcane declarations reflect how the duality of humanity has always been a fixture of art. The tug-of-war between the good and bad humans are capable remains eternally on our minds. Maybe that’s why the original Universal Monsters Wolfman is so enduringly popular. That and the incredible makeup work done to transform Lon Chaney Jr. into that hairy beast, of course. Inevitably, this creature has received a 2020s update since Universal refuses to let its creepy-crawlies from the 1930s/40s lay dormant for long. Following the likes of The Invisible Man and Renfield, this creature receives a 2020 update, arriving as a vintage brute into the modern-day world in Wolf Man. Invisible Man director Leigh Whannell takes charge of this reboot, one that will prove frustratingly familiar for monster movie fans. Wolf Man begins in 1995, with a young Blake awakened by his uber-strict father on their remote Oregon father. Theirs is a household where parents grip their kids by the arm if they misbehave, and something is always lurking in the woods waiting to kill them. After this glimpse into yesteryear, Whannell and Corbett Tuck’s script cuts to the modern world. Blake (Christopher Abbott), now a writer turned stay-at-home dad living in New York City, is married to journalist wife Charlotte (Julia Garner) and caring for their daughter Ginger (Matilda Firth). Continue Reading →

The Fall Guy

Similar(500) Days of Summer (2009), 300 (2007), 3000 Miles to Graceland (2001), 50 First Dates (2004), A Bug's Life (1998), A Walk to Remember (2002), Aladdin (1992), Aliens in the Attic (2009), Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel (2009), Armageddon (1998), Army of Darkness (1992), Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002), Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997), Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999), Back to the Future Part II (1989) Back to the Future Part III (1990) Bad Boys: Ride or Die (2024), Bad Company (2002), Beauty and the Beast (1946), Beverly Hills Cop (1984), Beverly Hills Cop II (1987) Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan (2006), Bratz (2007), Braveheart (1995), Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961), Bridget Jones's Diary (2001), Bring It On (2000) Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1992), Captain America: Civil War (2016), Cars (2006), Catch and Release (2006), Cellular (2004), Charlie's Angels (2000), Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle (2003), Chicken Little (2005), Chocolat (2000), Confessions of a Shopaholic (2009), Cop Out (2010), Couples Retreat (2009), Crossroads (2002), Dawn of the Dead (2004), Deadpool 2 (2018), Death Proof (2007), Die Hard (1988), Dirty Dancing (1987), DodgeBall: A True Underdog Story (2004), Dogma (1999), Dr. No (1962), Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964), Dragonball Evolution (2009), F/X (1986), F9 (2021), Face/Off (1997), Fame (2009), Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007), Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw (2019), Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986), Four Brothers (2005), Frequently Asked Questions About Time Travel (2009), From Russia with Love (1963) Gentlemen Broncos (2009), Ghost Rider (2007), Ghostbusters (1984), Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021), Ghosts of Girlfriends Past (2009), Goldfinger (1964), Good Luck Chuck (2007), Gremlins (1984), Gridman Universe (2023), Hannah Montana: The Movie (2009), Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay (2008), He's Just Not That Into You (2009), Heat (1995), Hellboy (2004), High School Musical 3: Senior Year (2008), How a Realist Hero Rebuilt the Kingdom, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days (2003), Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (2009), In Her Shoes (2005), It Could Happen to You (1994), Jennifer's Body (2009), Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004), Kiss the Girls (1997), Klute (1971), Look Who's Talking (1989), Love Story (1970), Madagascar (2005), Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa (2008), Mamma Mia! (2008), Mary Poppins (1964) Meet Dave (2008), Meet Joe Black (1998), Meet the Robinsons (2007), Men in Black II (2002), Minions: The Rise of Gru (2022), Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One (2023), Mission: Impossible III (2006), Monsoon Wedding (2001), Monsters Inc. (2001), Moonstruck (1987), Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2005), My Super Ex-Girlfriend (2006), Next (2007), Night at the Museum (2006), O Brother Where Art Thou? (2000), Ocean's Eleven (1960), Predator (1987), Pretty Woman (1990), Raising Arizona (1987), Ralph Breaks the Internet (2018), Renegade, Risky Business (1983), Rush Hour (1998), Sabrina (1995), Sahara (2005), Saving Silverman (2001), Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010), Serial Mom (1994), Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021), Shaun of the Dead (2004), Shrek the Third (2007) Snakes on a Plane (2006), South Park: Bigger Longer & Uncut (1999), Speed Racer (2008), Spider-Man 3 (2007), Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023), Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982), Star Trek: The Next Generation Superbad (2007), Superhero Movie (2008), Superman II (1980), The Amazing Spider-Man (2012), The Avengers (1998), The Bad News Bears (1976), The Best Years of Our Lives (1946), The Boondock Saints (1999), The Bridges of Madison County (1995), The Cabbage Soup (1981), The Country Bears (2002), The Fifth Element (1997), The Hating Game (2021), The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (2005), The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004), The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), The Matrix Reloaded (2003), The Matrix Revolutions (2003), The Nutty Professor (1996), The Other Guys (2010), The Piano Teacher (2001), The Princess and the Frog (2009), The Princess Bride (1987), The Proposal (2009), The Rugrats Movie (1998), The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause (2006), The Simpsons Movie (2007), The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water (2015), The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie (2004), The Suicide Squad (2021), The Sweetest Thing (2002), The Talk of the Town (1942), The Way We Were (1973), The Woman King (2022), Thunder in Paradise, Titanic (1997), Tootsie (1982), Toy Story 2 (1999), Toy Story 3 (2010), Trading Places (1983), Transformers (2007), Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009), TRIGUN, Tropic Thunder (2008), Twilight (2008), Underdog (2007), Up (2009), When Harry Met Sally... (1989), Wild Things (1998), Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971) Zootopia (2016),
Watch afterBattlestar Galactica, Civil War (2024), Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (2024), Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (2024),
StarringHannah Waddingham,
MPAA RatingPG-13

"Delightful." That's the best word for The Fall Guy. It's a movie about moviemaking that loves moviemaking. It's a Tinseltown fairy tale. In The Fall Guy's world, going big at San Diego Comic-Con ("Hall H!" is a repeated refrain) guarantees that a nerdy, bombastic film will go big with general moviegoers. (Mr. Pilgrim would like a word.)  The Big Bad Wolf is Tom Ryder, a gormless hunk with a smoldering gaze (Aaron Taylor-Johnson). He's the biggest action star in the world despite stealing credit from a stunt team he treats, at best, with disdain. The Heroic Lumberjacks are the passionate, the driven, the caring. For instance, Jody Moreno (Emily Blunt), a director pushing through writer's block to capture what she's carrying in her heart. Or Dan Tucker (Winston Duke), a stunt coordinator who knows the angles, timing, and how to bring out the best in his crew. And, of course, there's Colt Seavers (Ryan Gosling), a stuntman willing to get set on fire or launch himself into a wall until the illusion looks like truth. Moviemaking is, in part, an act of love. The Fall Guy knows this. Colt may be a ragged goofball who's fallen off his horse (not literally, though given his skills, he could), but he's still a knight. He cares deeply for first-time director-and-one-time-lover Jody. That's why he comes out of a self-imposed retirement triggered by the same accident that led him to ghost her. He wants to ensure the science fiction western war epic Metalstorm isn't her last film. Or that a conspiracy, gun-toting goons, and potent hallucinogens don't prevent it from seeing the light of day at all. Continue Reading →

Frankenstein

After catching Lisa Frankenstein this weekend, check out some of these weird & wild spins on the legendary tale. Now that we've all established that Frankenstein (or Fronkensteen, whichever you prefer) is in fact the name of the doctor, and his creation is just "the Creature," we can sit back and enjoy a revival in appreciation for Mary Shelley's landmark story that skillfully wove together body horror, science, and existentialism. Following the critically acclaimed Poor Things is Zelda Williams' 80s-set comedy Lisa Frankenstein, opening in theaters tomorrow, which acts as a nice appetizer before Guillermo del Toro's long-awaited adaptation on the story and Maggie Gyllenhaal's version of Bride of Frankenstein, both set for release next year. While often overlooked in favor of the cooler, sexier Dracula, there's plenty of media dedicated to Dr. Frankenstein and his creation, starting with James Whale's unimpeachable 1931 adaptation and its even better sequel, 1935's Bride of Frankenstein. It's been lovingly parodied (Mel Brooks' Young Frankenstein), given a family-friendly treatment (Tim Burton's Frankenweenie), turned into a musical (The Rocky Horror Picture Show), and even made into porn (more movies than you can possibly imagine). Here now are a list of some of the more notably unusual (and non-pornographic) takes on the story, offering gore, laughs, romance, or just general weirdness. Continue Reading →

Neighbors

GenreComedy
SimilarAmélie (2001), Bed and Board (1970), Bend It Like Beckham (2002) Blended (2014), Bring It On (2000) Charlotte's Web (2006), Couples Retreat (2009), Election (1999), Go (1999), Home Again (2017), Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992), In Her Shoes (2005), Look Who's Talking (1989), Look Who's Talking Too (1990), Mary Poppins (1964) Mary Poppins Returns (2018), Meet the Robinsons (2007), Monsters Inc. (2001), Party Monster (2003), Post Grad (2009), Raising Arizona (1987), Riding in Cars with Boys (2001), Risky Business (1983), Son of the Mask (2005), Speed Racer (2008), Striptease (1996), Superbad (2007), The Rugrats Movie (1998), The Savages (2007), This Is Where I Leave You (2014), Valley Girl (1983), Wonder Boys (2000),
MPAA RatingR
StudioPoint Grey Pictures, Universal Pictures

Josh Forbes’ uneven horror-comedy goes nowhere after a while, but has fun getting there. Apartment life means having to give up most expectations of peace and quiet. I’ve had a neighbor who spent most of his days listening to disco music set at eleven on the volume dial, occasionally letting out a joyful “woo!” Another would tunelessly noodle on a keyboard for hours at a time. A third sounded as if he offered Irish step dancing lessons for extra income. Some people talk a good game about not putting up with noise, but most of us just learn to deal with it, usually by grumbling about it and making our own noise to cover it up. Every now and then, however, a person will just snap, and then you end up with Destroy All Neighbors, a likably silly horror-comedy that compensates for a lack of plot and character development with gory practical effects and a memorable performance by Alex Winter. Continue Reading →

The Killer's Game

Similar2 Days in the Valley (1996), 2046 (2004), 25th Hour (2002), A Beautiful Mind (2001), A Certain Magical Index: The Miracle of Endymion (2013), A Christmas Carol (1938), A Christmas Carol (1999), A Clockwork Orange (1971), A Farewell to Arms (1932), A History of Violence (2005), A Little Princess (1995), A Mighty Heart (2007), About a Boy (2002), Airport 1975 (1974), All Quiet on the Western Front (1930), All the King's Men (2006), All the President's Men (1976), Almost Famous (2000), Amadeus (1984), American Psycho (2000), Anatomy of a Murder (1959), Angus Thongs and Perfect Snogging (2008), Animal Farm (1999), Aparajito (1956), Apocalypse Now (1979), Apollo 13 (1995), Appointment with Death (1988), Apt Pupil (1998), Arlington Road (1999), Atlantic City (1980), Attica (1980), Auto Focus (2002), Bad Education (2004), Believe Me: The Abduction of Lisa McVey (2018), Belle de Jour (1967), Ben-Hur (1959) Bicentennial Man (1999), Black Hawk Down (2001), Blade Runner (1982) Blood and Chocolate (2007), Blow-Up (1966), Blue Velvet (1986), Braveheart (1995), Brubaker (1980) Buffalo Soldiers (2002), Bugsy Malone (1976), Bullitt (1968), Caché (2005), Candyman (1992), Capote (2005), Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie (2017), Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958), Charley Varrick (1973), Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005), Charlotte's Web (2006), Chicago (2002), Chocolat (2000), Chopper (2000), Clear and Present Danger (1994), Closely Watched Trains (1966), Code of Silence (1985), Con Air (1997), Contact (1997), Contempt (1963), Crank (2006), Crash (1996), Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon (2000), Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny (2016), Cruel Intentions (1999), Dahmer (2002), Dancer in the Dark (2000), Dances with Wolves (1990), Dazed and Confused (1993), Dear John (2010), Death Sentence (2007), Desert Hearts (1985) Devil in a Blue Dress (1995), Die Hard (1988), Die Hard 2 (1990) Do the Right Thing (1989), Dog Day Afternoon (1975), Don't Bother to Knock (1952), Don't Look Now (1973), Donnie Brasco (1997), Down by Love (2016), Dr. No (1962), Dune (1984), Eastern Promises (2007), Enemy at the Gates (2001), Enough (2002), Erin Brockovich (2000), Everything Went Fine (2021), Evil Under the Sun (1982), Eye of the Needle (1981), Fahrenheit 451 (1966), Fallen (1998), Fargo (1996), Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998), Fight Club (1999), Finding Forrester (2000), Flight of the Phoenix (2004), Flyboys (2006), Force 10 from Navarone (1978), Forrest Gump (1994) Four Brothers (2005), Freaks (1932), Frenzy (1972), From Russia with Love (1963) Full Metal Jacket (1987), Gandhi (1982), Get Out Your Handkerchiefs (1978), Ghost (1990), Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story (2009), Gigi (1958), Goldfinger (1964), Gone Baby Gone (2007), Gorky Park (1983), Gridiron Gang (2006), Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio (2022), Hacker (2016), Heat (1995), Heaven Is for Real (2014), Heavenly Creatures (1994), High Crimes (2002), Hitman (2007), Holes (2003), Homecoming (2009), House of Strangers (1949), How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000), Howards End (1992), I Am Not a Serial Killer (2016), I Robot (2004), I'm Not Ashamed (2016), I've Always Liked You (2016), In Bruges (2008), Infamous (2006), Inland Empire (2006), Invictus (2009), Jackie Brown (1997) Jules and Jim (1962), Just Cause (1995), Just Like Heaven (2005), K-PAX (2001), Katyn (2007), Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003), King Cobra (2016), Kiss the Girls (1997), La Chinoise (1967), La Haine (1995), Lawrence of Arabia (1962), Léon: The Professional (1994) Les Misérables (1998), Live and Let Die (1973) Lolita (1962), Lolita (1997), Lonely Hearts (2006), Lorenzo's Oil (1992), Love and Honor (2006), Love in the Time of Cholera (2007), Love Story (1970), Lucky Number Slevin (2006) Malcolm X (1992), Man on Fire (2004), Manhattan (1979) Marie Antoinette (2006), Mary Poppins (1964) Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003), May (2003), Medieval (2022), Meet the Robinsons (2007), Memento (2000), Memoirs of a Geisha (2005), Mesrine: Killer Instinct (2008), Metropolis (1927), Miami Vice (2006), Michael Collins (1996), Misery (1990), Mississippi Burning (1988) Molly's Game (2017), Momo (1986), Moonraker (1979), mother! (2017), Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2005), My Brother Is an Only Child (2007), My Name Is Khan (2010), Mystic River (2003), Never Die Alone (2004), Nineteen Eighty-Four (1984), No Good Deed (2002), Notes on a Scandal (2006), O Brother Where Art Thou? (2000), Oldboy (2003) Oliver Twist (2005), On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969) On the Waterfront (1954), Once Upon a Time in America (1984) Orlando (1992), Owning Mahowny (2003), Party Monster (2003), Patriot Games (1992), Perfume: The Story of a Murderer (2006), Pistol Whipped (2008), Point Break (1991), Police Story (1985), Prayers for Bobby (2009), Predator (1987), Primal Fear (1996) Prozac Nation (2001), Quo Vadis (1951), Rabbit-Proof Fence (2002), Random Harvest (1942), Romeo + Juliet (1996), Ronia the Robber's Daughter (1984), Rope (1948), Rosemary's Baby (1968), Saw IV (2007), Scarface (1932), Schindler's List (1993), Se7en (1995), Secret Sunshine (2007), Serial Mom (1994), Shall We Dance? (2004), Shrek (2001) Sin City: A Dame to Kill For (2014), Sink the Bismarck! (1960), Sissi (1955), Smilla's Sense of Snow (1997), Solaris (1972), Something the Lord Made (2004), Sommersby (1993), Stand by Me (1986), Starship Troopers (1997), Stormbreaker (2006), Strange Days (1995) Straw Dogs (1971), Street Kings (2008), Summer Things (2002), Swimming Pool (2003), Taking Woodstock (2009), Taxi Driver (1976), Thank You for Smoking (2005), The 6th Day (2000), The Art of Racing in the Rain (2019), The Avengers (1998), The Beach (2000), The Best Years of Our Lives (1946), The Big Sleep (1946), The Bone Collector (1999), The Bourne Identity (2002), The Bourne Supremacy (2004), The Bourne Ultimatum (2007), The Bridges of Madison County (1995), The Bucket List (2007), The Butcher Boy (1998), The Cabbage Soup (1981), The Cheetah Girls: One World (2008), The Cider House Rules (1999), The Devil Wears Prada (2006), The Devil's Rejects (2005), The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (2007), The Eiger Sanction (1975), The Elementary Particles (2006), The Elephant Man (1980), The Experiment (2001), The Fox and the Hound (1981), The French Dispatch (2021), The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2009), The Glimmer Man (1996), The Godfather (1972), The Good German (2006), The Grapes of Wrath (1940), The Greatest Beer Run Ever (2022), The Green Mile (1999), The Grifters (1990), The Handmaid's Tale (1990), The Hating Game (2021), The Hours (2002), The Hustler (1961), The Interpreter (2005), The Irishman (2019), The Joy Luck Club (1993), The King of Comedy (1982), The Last of the Mohicans (1992), The Legend of Suriyothai (2001), The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane (1976), The Long Goodbye (1973), The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003), The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002), The Man Who Cried (2000), The Man Who Fell to Earth (1976), The Man with the Golden Gun (1974) The Million Dollar Hotel (2000), The Name of the Rose (1986) The Negotiator (1998), The Nightingale (2018), The Ninth Configuration (1980), The Outsiders (1983), The Patriot (2000), The Phantom of the Opera (1925), The Poseidon Adventure (1972), The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946), The Princess Bride (1987), The Queen (2006), The Right Stuff (1983), The Road (2009), The Rules of Attraction (2002), The Saint (1997), The Shawshank Redemption (1994), The Sicilian Clan (1969), The Silence of the Lambs (1991) The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (2005), The Spirit of St. Louis (1957), The Spy Who Loved Me (1977), The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry (2022), The Straight Story (1999), The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999), The Talk of the Town (1942), The Three Faces of Eve (1957), The Tin Drum (1979), The Twilight Saga: Eclipse (2010), Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead (1995), This Is Where I Leave You (2014), Titanic (1997), To Die For (1995), To Kill a Mockingbird (1962), Topaz (1969), Trainspotting (1996), True Romance (1993), Tucker: The Man and His Dream (1988), Twin Murders: The Silence of the White City (2019), Very Bad Things (1998), Walking Tall (1973), We Own the Night (2007), Werckmeister Harmonies (2001), What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1993), Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988), Wild at Heart (1990), Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971) Wuthering Heights (2011), You Only Live Twice (1967), Zodiac (2007), Zulu (1964),
Watch afterA Haunting in Venice (2023), American Fiction (2023), Anatomy of a Fall (2023), Don't Look Up (2021), Dune (2021), Five Nights at Freddy's (2023), Interstellar (2014), Killers of the Flower Moon (2023), Leave the World Behind (2023), Maestro (2023), Napoleon (2023), Oppenheimer (2023) Poor Things (2023) Priscilla (2023), Saw X (2023), The Creator (2023), The Holdovers (2023), The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes (2023), The Killer (2023), Wonka (2023),
StarringDave Bautista,
MPAA RatingR
StudioApple Studios, Netflix, Universal Pictures

To talk about The Killer is to strip away pretense. Well, one can try. Cold it may be, but David Fincher's latest is an incredibly open film. The houses are made of glass; the windows are ceiling-high; the voiceovers from the title character (Michael Fassbender) give infallible insight into his worldview. The film is his worldview, simple in its machinations and complex in its philosophy. In most other circumstances, this would unfold over time. And it does here, at least to an extent. Continue Reading →

The Pope's Exorcist

SimilarA Nightmare on Elm Street (1984), A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987), A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 2: Freddy's Revenge (1985), A Nightmare on Elm Street: The Dream Child (1989), Alien Resurrection (1997), Alien³ (1992), All the President's Men (1976), American Psycho (2000), Apt Pupil (1998), Arlington Road (1999), Buffalo Soldiers (2002), Carrie (1976), Chinatown (1974), Conspiracy Theory (1997), Constantine (2005), Die Hard (1988), Enemy of the State (1998), Exorcist II: The Heretic (1977), Eyes Wide Shut (1999) Fallen (1998), Ghost Rider (2007), Godzilla Raids Again (1955), Happy Death Day 2U (2019), Hellbound: Hellraiser II (1988), I Stand Alone (1998), Jaws: The Revenge (1987), Jennifer's Body (2009), JFK (1991), Klute (1971), Minority Report (2002), Mission: Impossible III (2006), Needful Things (1993), New Nightmare (1994), Next (2007), Ocean's Twelve (2004), Pet Sematary (1989), Resident Evil: Apocalypse (2004), Rosemary's Baby (1968), Silent Hill (2006), Smilla's Sense of Snow (1997), The 39 Steps (1935), The Bourne Ultimatum (2007), The Crow: Salvation (2000), The Devil's Rejects (2005), The Exorcism of Emily Rose (2005), The Fog (2005), The Godfather Part III (1990), The Hit (1984), The Omen (2006), The Rage: Carrie 2 (1999), The Ring Two (2005), The Shining (1980), Warlock: The Armageddon (1993), We Own the Night (2007), Wild Things (1998),
Watch afterAnt-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023), Avatar: The Way of Water (2022) Evil Dead Rise (2023), Five Nights at Freddy's (2023), Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023), John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023), Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One (2023), Saw X (2023), The Equalizer 3 (2023), The Nun II (2023), The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023)
MPAA RatingPG R
StudioBlumhouse Productions, Universal Pictures Warner Bros. Pictures

If you like loud noise jump scares, you’re going to love The Exorcist: Believer.  Continue Reading →

Sorcerer

If Sorcerer’s sole highlight was Roy Scheider's descent into hallucinatory madness amidst an almost lunar rock field, it would still be a special movie. Scheider is Jackie Scanlon, an American getaway driver turned washed-up exile in the isolated Columbian village of Porvenir. He’s the last survivor of a desperate mission to transport increasingly unstable dynamite to a burning oil well. The blaze is so bad that only controlled explosions to burn off its fuel stand a chance of extinguishing it. Everything that could go wrong has gone wrong, including Jackie’s kibashed truck giving out a long walk from the well. Haunted by—or just plain hallucinating—the laughter of his dead co-driver, he stumbles forward. Surrounded by the surreal with nothing but a rickety crate between him and the hair-trigger death, it’s all he can do besides die. Continue Reading →

The Brink's Job

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Strays

SimilarArmageddon (1998), Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002), Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997), Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999), Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan (2006), Bridget Jones's Diary (2001), Bring It On (2000) Brother Bear (2003), Cars (2006), Confessions of a Shopaholic (2009), Dogma (1999), Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007), Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986), Frequently Asked Questions About Time Travel (2009), From Russia with Love (1963) Ghostbusters (1984), Ghostbusters II (1989), Goldfinger (1964), Good Luck Chuck (2007), Madagascar (2005), Night at the Museum (2006), Ocean's Eleven (1960), Rush Hour (1998), Shrek the Third (2007) Snakes on a Plane (2006), The Amazing Spider-Man (2012), The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005), The Nutty Professor (1996), The Simpsons Movie (2007), Toy Story 2 (1999), Transformers (2007), Underdog (2007),
Watch afterBarbie (2023) Blue Beetle (2023), Elemental (2023), Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023), Meg 2: The Trench (2023), Oppenheimer (2023) Talk to Me (2023), The Nun II (2023),
MPAA RatingR

Talking animals have been an entertainment staple for practically as long as movies have been around. Most classics of the genre, like 1993’s Homeward Bound, aim squarely at children in the audience. Director Josh Greenbaum’s Strays seeks to subvert that approach by weaving dirty jokes and curse words into familiar genre tropes. The result is considerably more grating and unpleasant to watch.   Continue Reading →

The Purge: Election Year

SimilarDie Hard 2 (1990) Die Hard: With a Vengeance (1995) F9 (2021), Godzilla Raids Again (1955), Live Free or Die Hard (2007) Resident Evil: Apocalypse (2004), Superman Returns (2006), The Island (2005), Twelve Monkeys (1995), War of the Worlds (2005)
MPAA RatingR
StudioBlumhouse Productions, Universal Pictures

When The Purge film series began, it attempted to create a heightened, ultraviolent version of the future that was both laughably over-the-top and an accurate reflection of the current political climes. They created a dystopia that was vaguely familiar but could still leave you rolling your eyes at its implausibility. For those unfamiliar with the franchise, the concept is as follows: On one night each year, the US government legalizes all crime, including murder, in the hopes of providing an outlet for Americans’ rage. It ultimately leads to an overall decrease in crime and an (ostensibly) utopian society. Continue Reading →

Fast X

SimilarBen-Hur (1959) Blown Away (1994), Ocean's Twelve (2004), Oldboy (2003) Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982), The Godfather Part III (1990), The Interpreter (2005), Zatoichi (2003),
Watch afterBarbie (2023) John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023), Meg 2: The Trench (2023), The Flash (2023), The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023)
MPAA RatingPG-13
StudioOriginal Film, Universal Pictures

Let's face it: At this point, you're either in for the overamped, Saturday-morning-cartoon lunacy of a Fast and Furious movie or you're not. Building from its humble roots as a 2001 street-racing Point Break riff to the gargantuan action tentpole it's after a whopping ten movies (eleven if you count Hobbs & Shaw), the series has built quite the convoluted lore over the decades. There are dead characters who come back to life (Sung Kang's Han), living characters who can never come back because their actors are no longer with us (see: Paul Walker's Brian), sworn enemies who join the familiar just one film later. It's dudebro soap opera, fueled by nitrous oxide and every weird, bonkers thing the filmmakers can think to do with a car. Continue Reading →

Renfield

SimilarNosferatu (1922),
Watch afterEvil Dead Rise (2023),
StarringShohreh Aghdashloo,
MPAA RatingR
Studiodentsu, Universal Pictures

There's always been something of the vampiric in the acting style of Nicolas Cage; his dark, intense eyes, his hunched gaze, his predilection for sinking his teeth into the scenery as vociferously as he might an unsuspecting jugular. And yet, it's wild to think he's never played a gen-you-wine bloodsucker before now. Sure, there's Vampire's Kiss, the great 1988 dark comedy in which he played a manic '80s business guy who imagines himself to be one -- but those were more the panicked neuroses of your typical self-destructive Cage protagonist. But in Chris McKay's action-horror-comedy Renfield, he's the real pale deal: Count Dracula himself, complete with velvet capes, a mouth full of fangs, and an unquenchable thirst for hemoglobin. Continue Reading →

The Super Mario Bros. Movie

SimilarAirplane! (1980), Aladdin (1992), Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002), Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997), Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999), Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children (2005), From Russia with Love (1963) Goldfinger (1964), Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002), Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004), King Kong (1933), Live and Let Die (1973) On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969) Shrek (2001) Shrek 2 (2004) Shrek the Third (2007) The Man with the Golden Gun (1974)
Watch afterAnt-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023), Evil Dead Rise (2023), Fast X (2023), John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023),
MPAA RatingPG

It’s been almost 40 years since that little plumber in the red hat jumped into a warp pipe and into our hearts. Super Mario Bros., released for the original Nintendo system in the US in 1985, is still the perfect video game. It’s simple (you just got to jump around), it has iconic music, and its colorful world is hypnotic even with all those cute creatures trying to kill you. Continue Reading →

Old

A few weeks ago, a picture of M. Night Shyamalan and his family at the premiere of his Apple TV show Servant surfaced on my social media timeline. All five of them dressed exquisitely, Shyamalan with his goofy dad smile, his Ph.D. wife Bhavna looking glamorous, and their three adult daughters, bright with talent, love, and creative potential.  Continue Reading →

Cocaine Bear

SimilarBring It On (2000) Brubaker (1980) Freedom Writers (2007) Mississippi Burning (1988) Night at the Museum (2006), The Holiday (2006),
Watch afterEvil Dead Rise (2023),
MPAA RatingR

First, some music to set the mood, with thanks to Paul Thomas Anderson. If it's 1985 and you've got something to do—say, going for a hike, cutting class to paint a waterfall with a pal, or retrieving a shipment of cocaine that your terrifying crime lord dad's good-for-nothing pilot dumped before getting himself killed— and it's a quiet day out, then Georgia's Chattahoochee–Oconee National Forest would seem like the place to go. The trees are tall, the grass is green, and the Cocaine Bear is on a murderous rampage. Continue Reading →

Knock at the Cabin

Watch afterBlack Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022),
StarringDave Bautista,
MPAA RatingR
Studiodentsu, FilmNation Entertainment, Universal Pictures

In the strange 21st-century rise of conspiracy theories and cult-like behavior, the most frightening aspect of it is that some people really are true believers. Certainly, there are those who are just trolling, claiming to believe in insane things like Democrats eating Christian babies just to get a rise out of people. But what about those who are serious, who aren’t even textbook “crazy,” just normal people who at some point began to truly believe in chemtrails, or that everything that happens in the world is secretly orchestrated by an underground race of lizard people, or that the end times are here? What if they don’t want to believe these things, but they can’t help it? How do you reason with that? Continue Reading →

M3GAN

SimilarA Clockwork Orange (1971), A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001), Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979), Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991), Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003),
Watch afterPuss in Boots: The Last Wish (2022),
MPAA RatingNR PG-13
StudioBlumhouse Productions, Universal Pictures

In many ways, M3GAN is as much about its marketing as it is about the movie being marketed. That's hardly a revelatory statement, especially when it comes to horror films: Studios and producers have breathlessly promised thrills and chills with ever more outrageous gimmicks ever since the days of William Castle offering life insurance policies for audiences who "die of fright." With Blumhouse's M3GAN, the secret lies in its titular robo-tot, a cutesy android with snatched wig, Union Jack dickie bow, and murderous dance moves primed for TikTok virality, all of which have been over the film's marketing for months now. So it's a relief to learn that M3GAN has bite to go with its meme-ready bark, a horror-comedy as much about the ways we use technology to fulfill every human need as it is a sassy robot tween popping and locking with a paper cutter in its hand. Continue Reading →

The Getaway

When people sit down to analyze the career of maverick filmmaker Sam Peckinpah, his 1972 thriller The Getaway is usually found wanting, and remembered mainly for the scandalous affair that developed between co-stars Steve McQueen and Ali MacGraw. Coming smack in the middle of a filmmaking stretch that was preceded by the highly controversial The Wild Bunch (1969) and Straw Dogs (1971), and followed by the wildly idiosyncratic Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid (1973) and Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia (1974), it feels like an exercise in playing it safe from a director not exactly famous for doing such things. Despite that, it still works as a solid crime thriller that demonstrated that Peckinpah could play by Hollywood’s rules if he wanted to do so. Continue Reading →