The Long Walk

Director: Francis Lawrence
Starring: Cooper Hoffman, David Jonsson, Garrett Wareing, Tut Nyuot, Charlie Plummer, Ben Wang, Jordan Gonzalez, Joshua Odjick, Mark Hamill, Roman Griffin Davis, Judy Greer, Josh Hamilton
Running Time: 108 min.
Rating: R

★★★ ½ (out of ★★★★)  

After Stephen King published the dystopian horror novel The Long Walk in 1979 under the pseudonym of Richard Bachman, various attempts have been made over the decades to greenlight a film adaptation. The first book he wrote as a freshman at the University of Maine, it's one of his very best, drawing the attention of acclaimed directors like George A. Romero and Frank Darabont, both of whom showed interest in bringing it to the big screen. But that didn't pan out, temporarily depriving audiences of a film with as much cinematic potential as the author's most revered outings. 

Now that director Francis Lawrence's vision is finally here, King can appreciate he may have dodged a bullet if that hypothetical 80's or 90's version had fallen in the wrong hands. It might even be the rare case  of a project being been blessed by its lengthy stay in development hell, allowing enough time for the right filmmaker and cast to emerge for a story that's only grown in resonance. For a while, the film goes on a streak where it appears ready to breathe the same rarefied air as The Shawshank Redemption, Stand By Me, Misery, The Shining and The Mist. At least until a familiar feeling emerges in the pit of your stomach toward the end, which is where most King movies soar or fall. And considering what's at stake in this story, that pressure seems even more palpable.    

In an alternate 20th century the United States is ruled by a totalitarian military regime as it wrestles with the consequences of an economic depression following the war. As a response, the government has established a televised annual event called "The Long Walk," where fifty teenage boys are randomly selected from each state to continuously walk for days while maintaining a pace of three miles per hour. Failure to do so after three warnings results in death, with the winner earning a large cash prize and their chosen wish. Marketed as a contest to inspire patriotism and hope, the regime's actual motivations are  more nefarious, even as boys far and wide sign up for a chance to rescue themselves and their families from poverty. 

One of those competitors is Maine's Ray Garraty (Cooper Hoffman), whose mother Ginny (Judy Greer) tearfully begs him to back out. He doesn't, instead arriving at the starting line to meet his opponents, who include charismatic optimist Pete McVries (David Jonsson), philosophical Billy Stebbins (Garrett Wareing), kindhearted motormouth Hank Olson (Ben Wang), unhinged bully Gary Barkovich (Charlie Plummer), good natured Art Baker (Tut Nyuot), aspiring novelist Richard Harkness (Jordan Gonzalez) and rebellious Collie Parker (Joshua Odjick). 

Before embarking on this grueling hundreds mile journey, the teens are assigned numbers and followed by arm guards ready to put bullets in anyone who can't keep pace. They'll bond and fight, finding themselves in the increasingly natural position of forming friendships with those they're battling to the death. Only given water and rations, injuries, exhaustion and sleep deprivation takes their toll until a sole survivor remains. Overseeing it all is the ominous, gravely voiced Major (Mark Hamill), who yells motivational platitudes at them throughout, preparing to personally execute the runner-up and declare a winner at the finish line. 

Laying out its high concept in the opening minutes, unanswered questions eventually become clearer over the course of this grueling walk. In fact, we see little outside the actual race other than Ray's mom begrudgingly sending him off and a spattering of curious roadside bystanders watching the ordeal, whether that's kids on bicycles or elderly couples on their porches. But there's even a haunting quality to those moments, as silent stares of spectators offer another glimpse of the oppressive world these boys are fighting to escape. All those scenes are beautifully shot by cinematographer Jo Willems while The Lumineers' Jeremiah Fraites' emotionally affecting score only underlines the weight of their plight. 

While taking place in an alternate near-past, the cars and setting that invoke a Depression-era feel, despite King's story being widely understood as a metaphor for the Vietnam draft. And you definitely sense that, with teens "volunteering" for a deadly conflict at the behest of a government sending them to their graves. Most everything we learn about this totalitarian society comes via flashbacks of Ray, his mom and late father (Josh Hamilton), but it's enough, retaining a degree of mystery for the marathon's many reveals. Some of those tie directly to Ray's reasons for signing up which, aside from the ending, might mark the biggest distinction between the novel and writer JT Mollner's script. 

Between cramping, hallucinations, broken limbs and defecation breaks at gunpoint, the trek becomes progressively more brutal with each mile as a myriad of bleak, unsettling scenarios play out. If at first you doubt a film comprised entirely of walking and talking can produce the necessary momentum, Lawrence and Mollner prove those suspicions wrong, especially when speculation increases over who's next to go and how. But with contestants dropping like flies, it's ultimately the touching friendship between Ray and McVries that powers this plot, as two strangers from seemingly different worlds pull each other through, realizing they share more in common than either assumed. 

Hoffman and Jonsson's performances carry the film, with the former unquestionably proving he has the chops as a lead, with his desperate, contemplative turn as Ray hitting twice as hard upon us realizing the key similarity between actor and character. As McVries, the magnetic Jonsson casts a commanding presence, alternating between fear and bravado at the drop of a hat. A manic Charlie Plummer also delivers as the race's resident sociopath, while an always reliable Judy Greer impresses in her brief but powerful role. And by putting a villainously cartoonish spin on his carnival barking Major, Hamill forces us to see this omnipresent character through the same lens as these participants.

Endings are always a bone of contention in King's universe, whether they're his or a screenwriter tasked with stepping on the legendary author's toes. So if there's a complaint about the closing minutes, it's in a lack spectacle, opting not to pull back the curtain and show families gathered around the TV or crowds flooding the streets to root for their favorite. Instead, we get a succession of clever twists that capture the ambiguity of King's final pages, even if details differ. 

There are issues with both conclusions, but also a common denominator that has us questioning what we can take at face value. Dark, violent and disturbing, The Long Walk has virtually nothing in common with The Hunger Games aside from the same director. More closely resembling They Shoot Horse, Don't They? or Battle Royale, this succeeds by being exactly about what it claims, with every minute taking place on a desolate, endless stretch of rural road paved with the worst intentions.                                                                                 

Eddington

Director: Ari Aster
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Pedro Pascal, Emma Stone, Austin Butler, Luke Grimes, Deirdre O'Connell, Micheal Ward, Amélie Hoeferle, Clifton Collins Jr., William Belleau, Matt Gomez Hidaka, Cameron Mann, Rachel de la Torre
Running Time: 149 min.
Rating: R

★★★ (out of ★★★★)  

A local mayoral race turns ugly in writer/director Ari Aster's ambitiously bizarre Eddington, a film that holds a mirror up to all the social and political turmoil over the past five years. And for those who patiently waited for a big screen effort to tackle the pandemic and all the controversial chaos surrounding it, your day has come. Now with a little distance to reflect on that tragic absurdity, the creative mind behind Heriditary, Midsommar and Beau is Afraid responds with a gloriously inscrutable mess that ties viewers in knots trying to decipher its intentions. 

Part multi-character study, part Western, part crime thriller and all satire, it's set in a universe where everyone's a lunatic, regardless of where their beliefs or convictions fall. It's also unpredictable, surprising by just how much its initially limited scope expands once the complications pile on, revealing the worst in human nature. Not without its flaws and prone to flying off the rails, Aster entertainingly makes up for it with some wild performances and an off-the-wall premise that cleverly skewers the current culture wars.

It's 2020 and Mayor Ted Garcia (Pedro Pascal) has implemented a lockdown in the town of Eddington, New Mexico in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, enforcing mask mandates supported by the Governor. This policy raises the ire of sheriff Joe Cross (Joaquin Phoenix), who believes it's trampling on citizen's freedoms and makes plans to run against Ted in the upcoming election, despite disapproval from his emotionally unstable wife Louise (Emma Stone) and her conspiracy theorist mom, Dawn (Deirdre O' Connell). 

While Joe unsuccessfully tries to maintain law and order alongside officers Guy (Luke Grimes) and Michael (Micheal Ward), Ted's son Eric (Matt Gomez Hidaka) and his friend Brian (Cameron Mann) join the town's Black Lives Matter protests to win the affections of progressively liberal classmate Sarah (Amélie Hoeferle). With protests getting out of hand, Louise and Dawn inviting enigmatic cult leader Jefferson Peak (Austin Butler) into Joe's home as he tries to derail Ted's re-election bid. But when a single, shocking act of violence occurs, more trouble arrives at Eddington's doorstep, unexpectedly threatening the lives of its residents.

That the film's first twenty minutes centers entirely around an ongoing argument over masks should give you an idea what we're in for. It's clear in the very first scene when Joe's reprimanded by neighboring law enforcement before getting into another confrontation with Mayor Ted at a bar and supermarket, lighting the fuse that further ignites their bitter rivalry. And they have a long history, most of which stems from Joe's inability to get over Louise's previous relationship with Ted. But once Joe clumsily declares his mayoral candidacy out of pure spite, all bets are off, just as Eddington spirals out of control following  George Floyd's murder. 

In taking us back to a year we still haven't really moved past, the narrative evolves into a feature length South Park episode where only extremes exist and every group's a target for mocking. Whether it's anti-maskers or white BLM protesters, Aster get his shots in, and while a lot of the characterizations are intentionally exaggerated for satirical effect, this wouldn't work without the recognizable truths accompanying it. But it's Joe's complete lack of impulse control and common sense that causes him to make a spectacularly stupid decision, opening the floodgates to hell for his small town.

Between murders, racism, anti-racism, police corruption, conspiracy theories, cults and Antifa, Aster throws everything he can at the wall and a lot of it actually sticks. Against your better judgment, it's tough to look way, especially during a violent, action packed shootout that recalls A24's other politically charged take on the times, Alex Garland's underappreciated Civil War. But where that film had a clearer, more sober mission statement, this fluctuates wildly between over-the-top satire and drama, often calling into question how it all fits. 

It's really the direction and performances that hold it together, further solidifying Joaquin Phoenix's twisted genius in the kind of quirky, eccentric role no one does better, flawlessly juggling the dangerous and comical at once. A somewhat underutilized Stone and Butler steal the scenes they're given while the perfectly cast Pascal justifies his alleged overexposure with a terrific supporting turn as this potentially crooked mayor in bed with big tech. 

Inching toward a violent conclusion with no absolutes and only shades of grey, this highlights just how far the political landscape has shifted since over a decade ago, when much of this material would have played as pure fantasy. Even if a twist late in the game forces viewers to reevaluate what they've seen in the context of a JD Vance or Kyle Rittenhouse origin story, attempting to extract a right or left wing agenda seems beside the point. While spitting out enough ideas to leave us wondering what it's trying to say, Aster instead captures the anxiety and paranoia gripping the country with an equally divisive film that's well worth the watch.                                        

The Lost Bus

Director: Paul Greengrass
Starring: Matthew McConaughey, America Ferrera, Yul Vasquez, Ashlie Atkinson, Levi McConaughey, Kay McCabe McConaughey, Kate Wharton, Danny McCarthy, Spencer Watson, Nathan Gariety, Gary Kraus
Running Time: 130 min.
Rating: R

★★★ ½ (out of ★★★★)  

While it's always a tricky task adapting any true life survival story, that challenge becomes substantially more difficult when related events are still fresh in viewers' minds. And that's the hurdle Paul Greengrass must clear in The Lost Bus, a gripping, edge-of-your-seat drama from the Oscar nominated filmmaker behind United 93 and Captain Phillips. It takes us back to 2018, when a school bus driver's heroism in transporting a group of children to safety during the Paradise, California Wildfire made headlines, at least before becoming another blip in a constantly rotating news cycle. This would forecast a world of increasingly shorted attention spans, where mother nature's power isn't just taken for granted, but outright dismissed.  

For a director known for his objective, almost documentary-style approach, this contains more unfiltered intensity than most of Greengrass's previous outings, without sacrificing the raw realism. And if only a fraction of what's shown comes close to capturing the scope of terror that unfolded, it's still the best kind of survival story, focusing on ordinary, well meaning people forced by cruel circumstances to make split second, life or death decisions. Here, two such individuals are taken to hell and back, afforded no mistakes as the fates of 23 children hang in the balance.

Things haven't been going well for 44 year-old school bus driver Kevin McKay (Matthew McConaughey), who recently moved back to his hometown of Paradise, California following the death of his estranged father. Financially struggling to make ends meet, his wife left him, his teen son Shaun (Levi McConaughey) despises him and their dog's being put down before he heads to work, where dispatcher Ruby (Ashlie Atkinson) seems visibly aggravated by his job performance. 

When a power line ignites and causes a small camp fire to spiral out of control, it engulfs surrounding towns before heading straight toward Paradise. As fire chief Ray Martinez (Yul Vasquez) and his crew fail in attempting to control the blaze, Kevin gets a call to pick up a group of kids stranded at Ponderosa Elementary awaiting emergency evacuation. Accompanied by teacher Mary Ludwig (America Ferrera), they're soon stuck in traffic as this deadly inferno approaches, turning their intended ten minute trip into an unimaginable nightmare.

Kevin's personal struggles are laid on a bit thick, but your reaction will largely depends on whether you feel the backdrop of a classic redemption arc enhances and magnifies the high stakes of these already harrowing circumstances. And thanks to McConaughey's frazzled authenticity in the role, it mostly does. But while Greengrass and co-writer Brad Ingelsby take these liberties, they also reap the benefits of a protagonist who flew under the public's radar when this happened, allowing them considerable leeway with the character. 

The film frequently cuts between Kevin's problems at home and Chief Martinez trying to control a fire no one thought would travel fast or far enough to threaten Paradise's residents. Heavy winds and dryness help disprove his projections, but it's really the mix of miscommunication and human negligence that create a recipe for disaster, with necessary evacuations either coming too late or not at all. As Kevin's mom and sick son await his return, he takes the call to pick up the students, insisting Ferrera's Mary come along to keep the students moving. 

What follows is over an hour of unbearably thrilling on road suspense as their window to safety rapidly closes. Kevin wants to take the quickest available route, but a risk averse Mary insists on staying the course, regardless of how long it takes. There's legitimate doubt whether this destination will still be standing as he navigates through the blaze and the panicked but empathetic teacher tries to calm the kids. A turning point comes when Chief Martinez realizes this fire can't be contained and it's time to shift priorities, using all the remaining resources for rescue. 

If the sheer size of a school bus has certain advantages, it isn't long before the elements transform it into a vehicular death trap when smoke seeps through the windows, temperatures soar and dehydration sets in. Between looters attacking and bystanders burning in front of them, the most memorable scene still might be Mary's treacherous, life threatening trek to find water. Against all odds, they make it pretty far, eventually reaching a crossroads when they're forced to choose between staying put and moving, both of which are equally perilous. 

McConaughey's rarely been better as this beleaguered bus driver who for all his flaws proves to be the ultimate protector of these kids. Far from your typical movie star performance, the actor remains rock steady throughout, never overplaying or selling short the enormity of emotions accompanying this treacherous scenario. Continuing to impress with each new role, Ferrera is also amazingly believable as the teacher you always wished you had, summoning the inner strength to power through fear and preconceptions simply because there's no other alternative. 

Knowing how it generally ends does nothing to damper the chill-inducing moment when that bus somehow comes out on the other side, pulling into a lot full of shocked, overjoyed parents. Greengrass could have trivialized a tragedy by holding back or sensationalized the details to give it a Hollywood shine, but he finds an ideal middle ground. And even as some continue to take issue with his shaky-cam style, the approach helps give the material an uncomfortable immediacy it wouldn't otherwise have. That along with a pair of brilliant performances and some seriously impressive visual effects succeed at taking us into the belly of this fiery beast.                          

F1: The Movie

Director: Joseph Kosinki
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem, Tobias Menzies, Kim Bodnia, Sarah Niles, Will Merrick, Joseph Balderrama, Abdul Salis, Callie Cooke, Samoson Kayo, Simon Kunz, Liz Kingsman, Shea Whigham 
Running Time: 155 min.
Rating: PG-13

★★★ (out of ★★★★)  

Top Gun meets Days of Thunder in director Joseph Kosinki's F1, a high octane adrenaline rush that might be the most quintessential Brad Pitt movie the actor's starred in. You could actually even imagine producers reading the first few pages of Ehren Kruger's script and deciding no one other than him or Tom Cruise should be considered for the lead. And while the verdict's still out on whether Cruise signs on for an eventual sequel, Kosinki follows the enormous success of Top Gun: Maverick by proving he's still unmatched when it comes to helming big budget, throwback spectacles. 

The film depicts a whole process that's upended when Pitt's rebellious protagonist bursts onto the scene after a partially self-imposed exile from racing. Returning to find the game has changed, this makes little difference to someone not exactly known for following rules to begin with. And now called upon to save a team that could be beyond helping, it's as much a last shot for him as them, even if the aging driver would never publicly admit it's his last chance at achieving a derailed dream. But he'll need to get out of his own way first, somehow co-existing with others to achieve victory.  

Having spent the past thirty 30 years traveling the globe as a racer-for-hire after his career ending crash at the 1993 Spanish Grand Prix, former Formula One prodigy Sonny Hayes (Pitt) is approached by past teammate Rubén Cervantes (Javier Bardem) with an offer. As owner of the struggling APXGP F1 squad, he asks Sonny to join as their second driver, hoping a Grand Prix win will prevent investors from selling the team. Itching to prove he's the best after years of mistakes and squandered opportunities, he agrees, but soon clashes with flashy, hotshot rookie driver Joshua Pearce (Damson Idris) and the team's no-nonsense technical director Kate McKenna (Kerry Condon).

While Joshua takes an instant dislike to Sonny and is even fielding offers from other teams, the latter questions Kate's methods, pestering her to upgrade their cars to meet his specifications. But as Sonny's recklesssness earns them increased scrutiny, he and Joshua's differing philosophies spark a bitter rivalry that spills onto the track, threatening any chance the team might have to turn things around.

Hints are dropped as to why Sonny's had such a chip on his shoulder following that career ending crash, along with some brief but extremely effective video footage of a de-aged Pitt at his character's driving peak decades earlier. But the film mainly relies on the actor's performance to tell this story, especially when Rubén approaches his friend with the offer he knows he won't refuse, if only because of Sonny's ego and need to prove he's still the best. 

Sonny may play it cool but his arrival is met with a mixture of skepticism and frustration, particularly from Joshua, who's immediately insulted by the idea this washed up "old man" would attempt to overshadow him. And while Kate's equally put off by his behavior, it's intriguing to watch all this hostility feed into the spectacularly shot racing sequences, which are only enhanced by Claudio Miranda's cinematography and a soaring Hans Zimmer score that recalls his earlier work on Days of Thunder and Rush. 

On the track, Sonny's a danger, unafraid of sacrificing the safety of his teammates, but he's also a frustratingly talented and disciplined driver who's first to arrive and last to leave each day. And for all the justifiable criticisms Joshua has of him, he's yet to reach his own potential either, frequently more concerned with endorsements, social media and showboating at press conferences. That is until until midway through the film when a major event occurs, taking their feud to a different place where both must begrudgingly acknowledge they have more to learn from the other than they thought. 

Idris is so good as the young, arrogant upstart, it's easy to be fooled into thinking it's really his story while Condon's Kerry is well written and performed enough for her inevitable romance with Sonny to strike just the right chord, hardly feeling as forced as it could have. Bardem's role is smaller, but he's great in it, his rapport with Pitt providing valuable context to Sonny's past and the backdoor machinations surrounding the team's ownership. All these near disasters for APX come to a head in a thrillingly staged Grand Prix race, and though the narrative starts running low on gas before the final lap, the dazzling visuals and editing hold your attention. 

F1 makes up for any lack of surprises with technical excellence and a magnetic performance from Pitt in the type of role you'd envision McQueen, Newman or Redford playing in their primes. Despite considerable contributions from a strong supporting cast, the spotlight remains on his selfish, free-spirited disrupter, helping to elevate an already compulsively watchable sports drama. Filled with moments that tease the possibility this story could go deeper or tack on unexpected twists, Kosinki mostly stays the course, giving us a smart, exhilarating piece of popcorn entertainment that shouldn't be taken for granted.                 

Nobody 2

Director: Timo Tjahjanto
Starring: Bob Odenkirk, Connie Nielsen, John Ortiz, Colin Hanks, RZA, Christopher Lloyd, Sharon Stone, Colin Salmon, Gage Munroe, Paisley Cadorath, Jacob Blair, Daniel Bernhardt, Lucius Hoyos
Running Time: 89 min.
Rating: R

★★★ (out of ★★★★)  

When the surprise hit Nobody was released in 2021, much of its buzz surrounded the casting of Bob Odenkirk as an action hero, especially after already revealing the extent of his dramatic abilities on Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul. And none of it was lost on producers who recognized audiences would be receptive to seeing his take on a seemingly dull family man dragged back into his former life as an assassin. 

The results were entertaining enough to warrant Nobody 2, a sequel that manages to be just as fun as its predecessor, if not a little more so. Despite a change in director, it follows the original's similarly successful blueprint, only with the volume cranked and stakes raised. And for a franchise like this, that's the route to take, incorporating noticeable improvements such as a tighter plot, better use of its supporting cast, a memorable villain and even more elaborately staged action sequences. 

With assassin Hutch Mansell (Odenkirk) now off on dangerous assignments to pay his debt to former government boss, "The Barber"(Colin Salmon), wife Becca (Connie Nielsen), teen son Brady (Gage Munroe) and young daughter Sammy (Paisley Cadorath) hardly see him anymore, causing a rift in their relationship. Burnt out from these missions and looking to make things right, Hutch plans a family trip to Plummerville, an amusement park he went to as a child with his father David (Christopher Lloyd) and brother Harry (RZA). 

Upon the family's arrival, Brady gets into a fight with local teen bully Max (Lucius Hoyos) in an arcade, causing Hutch to snap and attract the unwanted attention of Max's park operator dad Wyatt (John Ortiz) and Abel (Colin Hanks), the town's corrupt sheriff.  But after Hutch discovers they're both running a bootlegging route through Plummerville controlled by ruthless drug kingpin Lendina (Sharon Stone), he attempts to extricate himself. Unfortunately, Hutch soon realizes she'll stop at nothing to protect her business, even if that includes killing him and his family.

There's this pivotal moment early in the film that lets us know Hutch turning around and walking away just isn't an option anymore, despite his best attempts. For a jarring few seconds, any parents watching will likely to ask themselves how they'd react in a similar situation, with their answers likely baring a close resemblance to what he does. And once that line is crossed, any intention he had of remaining on his best behavior is justifiably thrown out the window when he physically takes care of business as only an assassin could. At first, the problem only appears to be with Wyatt, Abel and their gang of oafish thugs, but there are levels to this that lead to the top of the criminal food chain.

Unfortunately for Hutch, the Plummerville he so fondly remembers from childhood vacations most definitely isn't the one that exists today. In fact, he gradually discovers that version may not have existed to begin with, coloring his perception of what he hopes this trip will accomplish. And with Becca frustrated by his frequent absence and Brady not talking to him, only daughter Sammy seems enthusiastically receptive to the idea of a family bonding trip.  

In spite of everything, Hutch keeps pushing, still determined to "make memories" as he fights to stay alive. And it's the comedic juxtaposition of those elements that gives this installment a fresher spin, along with the inspired setting and a larger cast of supporting players like Hanks and Ortiz in effectively villainous turns.  

Hutch's family are front and center in a way they previously weren't, with the possible exception of the legendary Lloyd, who's given more scenes, just not a whole lot to do. It's actually Sharon Stone's wildly unhinged, over-the-top performance as the sadistic Lendina that leaves the largest impression, especially in her highly anticipated confrontation with Hutch. And this comes at the end of an action-packed third act that plays like a violent, R-rated bizarro version of Home Alone, but in a booby trapped amusement park.  

If the idea of finally getting a break to connect with his family looked good on paper, we're reminded in the opening minutes how Hutch's job doesn't afford him that luxury. Wherever he goes, trouble inevitably follows, preventing him from fully enjoying what most would consider a "normal" home life. Or at least the closest he can get to one. So rather than flip the genre on its head or shock us with unexpected developments, director Timothy Tjahjanto picks up where we left off, escalating the insanity to create a more thrilling experience. The rest belongs to Odenkirk as an unassuming husband and father whose skills have since become an open secret, drawing ironic parallels to the actor's own career.                   

Weapons

Director: Zach Cregger
Starring: Josh Brolin, Julia Garner, Alden Ehrenreich, Austin Abrams, Cary Christopher, Toby Huss, Benedict Wong, Amy Madigan, Whitmer Thomas, Callie Schuttera, June Diane Raphael, Luke Speakman, Sara Paxton, Justin Long, Clayton Farris, Scarlett Sher
Running Time: 128 min.
Rating: R

**The Following Review Contains Plot Spoilers**

★★★ ½ (out of ★★★★) 

Some of the best films begin with a simple, single sentence idea that's notable for being unlike anything we've heard before. Writer/director Zach Cregger's Weapons is built on such a premise, showing early signs of a potential masterpiece as it attempts to fulfill the promise of its wholly original concept. But how it starts is entirely different from what follows, especially when the crux of that story hinges on one seemingly unanswerable question. 

To Cregger's credit, he doesn't cop out on giving us an answer, regardless of whether it's the one we want. And because of this, we're willing to buy into the payoff accompanying those astronomical expectations. While its wisest to approach this as a straightforward horror vehicle along the lines of Cregger's own Barbarian or Oz Perkins' Longlegs, a captivating jigsaw puzzle structure, great performances and an equal abundance of scares and laughs enable it to easily eclipse both. There's an an ambition and assuredness to how it comes together, resulting in a divisive reveal that also happens to be a total blast.

Two years ago in the town of Maybrook, Pennsylvania, seventeen students from elementary school teacher Justine Gandy's (Julia Garner) third grade class ran out of their homes at 2:17 a.m. and disappeared. Later that morning, Justine arrived to discover only one child, Alex Lilly (Cary Christopher), in her classroom as authorities get involved and parents frantically search for their kids. With an irate public demanding an investigation into Justine, a muted Alex quietly processes the tragedy, all while the days leading to and following the event are shown through separate, occasionally intersecting chapters.  

Each of these sections follow a character impacted or perhaps even potentially involved. There's Justine, her ex-boyfriend and police officer Paul (Alden Ehrenreich), construction contractor and parent Archer (Josh Brolin), school principal Marcus (Benedict Wong), homeless drug addict James (Austin Abrams), the shell shocked Alex and an eccentric older woman named Gladys (Amy Madigan). Each of their segments provide additional pieces of information about what happened to these children, bringing us increasingly closer to the truth.

In the film's hypnotic opening minutes, we watch those kids run down the street arms outstretched as George Harrison's haunting "Beware of Darkness" plays over the soundtrack and an unidentified girl's folksy voiceover describes the vanishing. This casts a pallor of atmospheric dread that extends beyond the parameters of "elevated horror" into another realm we're not sure the rest of the film can deliver on, despite our willingness to take the ride. And though much of its first half plays as a psychological thriller, it's impossible not to view the event itself, along with the ensuing search for answers, as a clear allegory for school shootings and child abductions.   

Much of the first act surrounds the direct aftermath of the disappearance, with the town's enraged parents baring down on Justine since it can't merely be a coincidence that only her students went missing. But it's also an argument more borne from helpless anger than logic since she's an easy scapecoat unaided by her own checkered past. That she's the town's defacto suspect on circumstance alone isn't a detail that's lost on school principal Marcus or Toby Huss' Police Captain Ed.

An understanding Marcus sympathizes with Justine's plight while recognizing the problems her continued employment causes, especially when she insists on talking with a traumatized Alex. Ed just lacks any credible evidence of her involvement, as everything took place outside school hours, with the kids caught on camera willingly running from their homes. And that detail will prove particularly important.  

Garner's career defining work in Ozark aside, few could argue the actress's performance here represents her best onscreen performance yet as Justine's attempts to maintain the facade of an orderly, composed grade school teacher is frayed at the seams by insurmountable pressure and judgment. Whether she's harassed by parents, having her car vandalized, hitting the bottle or reigniting an affair with married ex Paul, she's understandably overwhelmed and close to reaching the end of her rope. 

While those who really know Justine seriously doubt she has something to do with this, her own instincts about Alex couldn't be more correct. If from the start it's implied these two "surviving" characters hold the key, no parent demands answers more than the brutish Archer, who Brolin plays with the quiet intensity of a determined father who'll stop at nothing to find his son. Giving little credence to what cops or other parents think, Archer adopts a logical method in scanning neighborhood security footage for crucial clues. And aside from his illicit affair with Justine, Ehrenreich's Paul battles an issue of his own that doesn't appear connected to the central mystery. At least until it is.    

The fun of Cregger's story comes not just from speculating which character he'll pivot to next, but why, and how that dovetails with what comes before or follows after. And it gradually start coming together during a combative gas station moment between Justine and Archer that goes completely sideways, confirming our suspicions of a supernatural component lying at the heart of this dark, twisted fairy tale. 

Dots connect in the film's big reveal, entertainingly unraveling every clue we've been given, most of which involve Alex and his creepy "aunt" Gladys, played by an unrecognizable Amy Madigan in a bright orange wig and garish clown makeup. Wacky, campy and sinister all at once, her ability to embody this outwardly disarming kook with a sadistic plan defines the concluding thirty minutes. Like everything else in the film, there are numerous interpretations of her presence, whether that's as a malevolent instigator of change and disruption in children's lives or even the physical manifestation of society's fearful disdain of the elderly. Either way, she's pure nightmare fuel, especially in a terrifying moment that sees her spontaneously pop up in the woods.  

As it all comes to fruition, you can definitely make a case for plot holes (such as no one noticing those missing name tags), but good luck turning away from the craziness for even a minute. And the actual execution remains undeniably thrilling in the face of a bar set high enough for any chosen ending to cause disappointment or controversy. But therein lies the dilemma of whether to judge this for what it is, isn't, or maybe a little of both. Transcending limitations of the genre, Weapons takes a fresh approach, inviting repeated viewings that should determine the extent of its staying power. For now though, let's file it under "mind blowing" and appreciate that Cregger's just getting started, with his best still likely to come.             

The Naked Gun (2025)

Director: Akiva Schaffer
Starring: Liam Neeson, Pamela Anderson, Paul Walter Hauser, Danny Huston, CCH Pounder, Kevin Durand, Liza Koshy, Eddie Yu, Moses Jones, Cody Rhodes, Busta Rhymes, Dave Bautista, "Weird Al" Yankovic 
Running Time: 85 min.
Rating: PG-13

★★★ (out of ★★★★) 

What's immediately obvious in the opening minutes of co-writer/director Akiva Schaffer's sequel to the classic 80's and 90's Naked Gun comedy franchise is that he understands the assignment. And by successfully translating that same style of humor into the current era, the film doesn't let up for a second, bombarding us with an avalanche of jokes and sight gags that rarely miss during the entirety of its surprisingly tight 85 minutes. 

None of it's easy for any comedy to do, much less one based on a decades old movie adapted from a far older, even less known TV series. But in the spirit of those, this masters the lost art of playing it straight, as the best spoofs always have. Beating viewers into exhaustion before they can come up for air is a good problem to have, especially considering the concerns a promising trailer may have given its funniest bits away. As it turns out, that preview was an ideal tease, barely scratching the surface of the ensuing hilarity we'd get.

When LAPD Lieutenant Frank Drebin Jr. (Liam Neeson) attempts to thwart a bank robbery, his risky law enforcement methods get him reassigned to work alongside Capt. Ed Hocken Jr. (Paul Walter Hauser) investigating a fatal car crash involving software engineer Simon Davenport. After initially ruling the death a suicide, Frank's confronted by Simon's crime novelist sister Beth (Pamela Anderson), who suspects foul play and urges him to dig deeper, despite his noticeable doubts. 

Following the evidence, Frank questions Simon's wealthy boss and Edentech CEO Richard Cane (Danny Huston), prompting suspicions that the bank robbery and car crash could be linked. But as Frank and Beth grow closer, Cane sets the wheels set in motion for an over-the-top plan involving a device capable of reverting the population back to their primitive states so billionaires can rule the world. Now with the clock rapidly ticking, Frank and Beth must work together to somehow foil Cane's scheme before it's too late.

It's a pretty good sign when you're already in stitches after the opening sequence, an action packed robbery during which a valuable lockbox is opened to reveal the hilariously named electronic P.L.O.T. (Primordial Law of Toughness) device. And as we get our first dose of Neeson's physical comedy chops and deadpan delivery, it's obvious a lesser script would probably try to explain Frank Jr.'s relationship with his late father or maybe even include clips from the original. Schaffer isn't interested in any of that, instead wisely mocking that detail and an entire department of legacy hires in a gut busting moment before moving on.  

With each succeeding scene, Neeson proves equipped at filling Nielsen's shoes, gamely tackling this material no differently than he would the high octane thrillers he's built his reputation headlining. And already clever lines play only seem that much goofier when delivered in his gruff, no-nonsense tone. Though it's hard to cite every highlight, a running visual gag involving coffee and some unfortunate body cam footage of Frank's lunch break have to rank up there, along with a hysterical romantic weekend getaway involving him, Beth and a maniacal snowman. 

Pamela Anderson continues her career renaissance as the ideal onscreen partner for Neeson, keeping pace with him as the pair encounter one absurd situation after another. If her role recalls Priscilla Presley's, that's not a drawback since Anderson's better at it, sharing effortless chemistry with Neeson as she dives headfirst into the silliness required of her. And with all the sneering, cerebral menace he displays in his villainous turns, Danny Huston earns huge laughs doing it in a different context as psychotic billionaire Cane. There are also a handful of brief cameos that really hit the mark, mainly because the filmmakers don't overdue it, getting the most out of these appearances by utilizing them at opportune times.

Even when the plot seems to run out of gas in the third act it hardly matters since the jokes still hit hard right up to and including the final credits. Of course, this wouldn't be possible without Neeson, whose unflappable performance not only does Nielsen's outings proud, but proves "reboots" or "sequels" don't have to be dirty words. And unlike the recent Happy Gilmore 2, this doesn't abandon the original's rowdy attitude for a kinder, gentler trip down memory lane. Schaffer knows exactly what The Naked Gun should be and makes good on that promise, likely pleasing fans worried how this would turn out.