Smile 2

Director: Parker Finn
Starring: Naomi Scott, Rosemarie DeWitt, Lukas Gage, Miles Gutierrez-Riley, Peter Jacobson, Ray Nicholson, Dylan Gelula, Raúl Castillo, Kyle Gallner
Running Time: 127 min.
Rating: R

★★★ (out of ★★★★)  

At the very least, Smile 2 deserves credit for not taking the predictable route in sequeling 2022's sleeper horror hit. And even while going through the paces required in continuing its concept, writer/director Parker Finn still crafts an ambitious follow-up uninterested in rehashing familiar ground. That the same filmmaker is attached comes as a surprise since this is a far slower burn, more absorbed in exploring the psychological ramifications of its premise. But maybe the bigger question is how an admittedly tremendous lead performance would be received if this wasn't a horror sequel, or at least not marketed as one.

Playing a major celebrity pushed into the public eye like a money making wind-up doll as she battles addiction and PTSD, Charlie's Angels and Aladdin actress Naomi Scott is the reason to see this. In humanizing a singer who should seem out of reach to even her most obsessed fans, the character's fractured psyche becomes a disturbingly uncomfortable place to reside, with Finn visually and narratively upping his game with this entry. There's still this feeling that if the first film didn't exist and certain supernatural tropes were discarded, it might play better, but not by much. Once we get past its wild and messy third act, even the prospect of a third installment suddenly doesn't seem like such a bad idea.

Six days after being infected by the Smile curse by a now deceased Rose Cotter (Sosie Bacon), police officer Joel (Kyle Gallner) frantically tries to pass it on, targeting a lowlife criminal. But when drug dealer Lewis Fregoli (Lukas Gage) unexpectedly bares witness to the murder, he's infected with the Entity before getting a visit from pop star Skye Riley (Scott). In search of Vicodin for lingering pain caused by a car crash that killed her actor boyfriend Paul Hudson (Ray Nicholson, channeling his dad's iconic grin), she finds a violently uncontrollable Lewis, from whom she contracts the parasite.

Skye's infected just as she embarks on a comeback tour orchestrated by her controlling manager mom Elizabeth (Rosemarie DeWitt). Struggling to stay sober after a very public battle with substance abuse, her mental health further spirals as she's plagued by nightmarish visions, sinisterly smiling strangers and an inability to distinguish dreams from reality. With only estranged friend Gemma (Dylan Gelula) to rely on, Skye's running out of time, until a mysterious man contacts her claiming he has a plan to stop the curse. The problem is whether she can survive it. 

After a gripping opening that picks up directly where the last film left off and shares some stylistic similarities with this year's Longlegs, we're immersed in Skye's troubled world, which is about to be turned upside down. But not before the first entry's central premise of passing the curse is reinforced with devastating results. That she's at her dealer's apartment is bad enough, but what she catches there is worse, especially since her mental stability is shaky enough that those closest to her can easily write these scary symptoms off as another relapse. 

Still harboring guilt over her boyfriend's death and coming off surgery and a stint in rehab, Skye's run into the ground by domineering, money hungry mom Elizabeth, who refuses to cancel the tour regardless of the harm it's causing. In early scenes, we see the mental and physical toll this takes on Skye as she soldiers through the pain during rehearsal, constantly guzzling bottles of Voss water to calm her nerves. It barely works, especially when creepy looking fans start showing up and hallucinations take over, the most unnerving of which involves a stalker who invades her apartment. 

Skye's fragile state prevents her from distinguishing reality from illusion, and after a while, neither can we. It's a clever approach, raising the stakes of the original, but feeling different enough to bare little resemblance at all. Scott carries this, shatteringly believable as both a huge star and recovering addict at the end of her rope. There's just an authenticity to how she acts, looks, sings and even moves that's layers beyond what we usually get from actors portraying fictitious celebrities. 

With the Entity taking hold and outside pressure on Skye ramping up, Scott's grueling performance really shifts into overdrive. Her character's appearance at a charity event stands as the film's centerpiece, resulting in the parasite's most damaging, publicly humiliating takeover yet. When it becomes clear her frigid stage mom's primary concern will always be dollar signs, Skye turns to ex-friend Gemma, but even that relationship isn't what it seems anymore.

The final act flies off the rails in ways both good and bad since Finn can only blur reality for so long until repetitiveness kicks in. Skye must confront her own past head-on, taking part in a dangerous, last ditch effort to rid herself of the curse. That the closing sequence draws comparisons to the vastly superior The Substance is just unfortunate timing, but Smile 2 earns its stripes by giving us an intriguing character study to accompany the thrills. And despite an unfair tendency to dismiss genre turns like these, it's hard to ignore Naomi Scott's emotionally exhausting turn as a pop star on the brink of a breakdown.                                                    

A Man on the Inside

Creator: Michael Schur
Starring: Ted Danson, Mary Elizabeth Ellis, Lilah Richcreek Estrada, Stephanie Beatriz, Eugene Cordero, Sally Struthers, Marc Evan Jackson, Kerry O' Malley, Margaret Avery, John Getz, Susan Ruttan, Veronica Cartwright, Clyde Kusatsu, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Lori Tan Chinn, Jama Williamson
Original Airdate: 2024

★★★ ½ (out of ★★★★)  

Having built his fifty year career on such eclectic roles as Cheers' Sam Malone, Damages' Arthur Frobisher and Bored to Death's George Christopher, Ted Danson reunites with The Good Place creator Michael Schur for a part that's custom made for his talents. All the trailers for Netflix's immensely satisfying new series A Man on the Inside suggests a spy spoof with about a bumbling senior going undercover to solve a crime, but that thin description does it a major disservice, at least compared to what we actually get.

While very much a palette cleanser in the vein of  traditional network sitcoms, it's surprisingly moving in how it explores heavier, emotionally resonant themes with an ideal mix of comedy and drama. And if Netflix often catches heat for haphazardly churning out an inconsistent buffet of content to boost subscriptions, this is a reminder that when they want to get it right, they can. 

With just eight episodes at a half hour each, it's a breezy, effortless watch that prominently features an ensemble of actors in their sixties and seventies, which is rare in itself. But rarer still is how someone of any age could watch and be able to appreciate the material from a different perspective. 

Whether it's an elderly individual facing similar issues as the show's protagonist or a middle-aged parent serving as caregiver to their own aging relative, the premise carries a universality that somehow avoids coming across as overly sentimental or maudlin. And if much of that can be attributed to Danson's lived in portrayal of a retired widower at a crossroads, it's also due to Schur maintaining a steady, consistent tone. Resisting any urge to raise the stakes too high, he instead tells a compact, humanistic story from start to finish, keeping its focus on these realistically fleshed out characters.

Retired San Francisco engineering professor Charles Nieuwendyk (Danson) is lonely and isolated following the recent death of his wife Victoria from Alzheimer's. Secluded from the outside world, he spends his free time cutting out newspaper articles and sending them to concerned daughter Emily (Mary Elizabeth Ellis), who's hands are full with work and three teen boys. 

When Emily suggests her father get a job or hobby of some sort, Charles answers an ad from private investigator Julie Kovalenko (Lilah Richcreek Estrada) seeking an assistant to go undercover at the Pacific View Retirement Community, where a priceless ruby necklace was recently stolen. 

Looking for an applicant in their 70's or 80's with a passable tech skills, Julie thinks she's found her guy, until realizing this could be a steep learning curve for Charles, who immediately draws attention to himself at Pacific View. While the facility is run by the caring but overworked Didi Santos Cordero (Stephanie Beatriz), her loyalty and keen sense of observation threatens to jeopardize his cover. But as befriends this quirky group of residents and realizes the value of their companionship, the case becomes a pathway for Charles in coming to terms with Victoria's death and reconnecting with his daughter.

After an effective prologue featuring a digitally de-aged Danson as Charles giving the toast at his wedding, we're given a glimpse into how much purpose he's lost without the love of his life. And as the series progresses and more details are revealed about her passing, it's revealed that he still harbors a lot of relatable guilt and regret over those final days, much of which he had very little control over. 

Describing Victoria as the glue that held his relationship with Emily together, Charles is understandably drowning in grief while she's frustrated at his refusal to talk about it. And none of those elements are forgotten when the plot seamlessly shifts into comedic mode, as going undercover was hardly what Emily had in mind for his recreational hobby.

There are some really inspired gags revolving around just how bad Charles' sleuthing skills are, like when he obviously questions residents, blindly trusts key suspects or hilariously fancies himself a Bond-like super spy. Subtlety isn't his strong suit, and while his no-nonsense boss Julie thinks she's made a catastrophic mistake hiring him, he does start making friends, all of whom are entertainingly quirky in their own way, but also dealing with various issues. 

Among others, Charles will spend time with fun loving, energetic best friends Virginia (a great Sally Struthers) and Florence (Margaret Avery), former Broadway costume designer Gladys (Susan Ruttan), new backgammon buddy Calbert (Stephen McKinley Henderson) and a cranky, jealous Elliott (Jon Getz), who sees Charles as a threat to him winning back ex-fiancee Virginia. And you can see why since their newest resident is pretty much Mr. Popularity right off the bat, which isn't ideal for undercover work, but is helping him heal his soul.

If Danson is the show's star then this setting comes in a close second, with Charles accurately observing how the environment more closely resembles high school than a retirement home with all its petty drama. But along the way he slowly gets a lot better at spying, to the point that he's legitimately on the brink of solving this mystery, though possibly at the expense of his friends finding out he isn't who he says. The theft itself is low stakes, but anything more involved would be at odds with not only the show's tone, but overall purpose. 

Smaller details and character moments resonate most, like Virginia's insistence on Florence getting massage chair, Elliot's sarcastic one-liners, or Cal's fractured relationship with his son. The always impressive McKinley-Henderson brings a restrained dignity to Cal, who also comes into his own through the bond he forms with Charles, culminating with a meaningful day out in San Francisco where both open up about their pasts and fears. 

Maybe the most poignant sub-plot involves Charles' attempts to help Gladys, who's suffering from dementia and about to enter the community's memory care ward. Attempting to assist her as he did his late wife, he's shocked how even those closest to this woman pull away out of fear, even while eventually recognizing his well-intentioned approach could be going a bit overboard. That this all doesn't come off as hopelessly triggering is a testament to the deft writing and Danson's skill in organically shifting between the spy hijinx and quieter, more human moments.

If there's a turning point in the series, it comes in the sixth episode, "Our Man from Sacramento," which follows Didi through her day and charts the enormous challenges she faces in running Pacific View as a possible promotion looms. Brooklyn Nine-Nine's Beatriz plays her as tough, fair, and empathetic, but the performance really hits its stride here, revealing why Didi does this and just how difficult it is to leave with so many depending on her. The whole arc is a reminder of how professional caregivers make sacrifices that go above and beyond, often helpless as the residents' needs get tangled up in bureaucratic red tape, unrecognized by corporate higher-ups more concerned with the bottom line.

While Didi fights every day for these people, Charles and Emily attempt to meet each other halfway and reconnect. Schur gets it right with that dynamic, including even Emily's three teen boys, who provide a surprising amount of laughs as she exasperatingly tries to contain their rambunctiousness. Ironically enough, they seem more receptive to their grandfather, which feels plausible since nearly everyone else does too. 

Initially hesitant about Charles' undercover assignment, Emily starts coming around after recognizing how it's helped, landing both at a place where they can finally talk honestly about about their loss. Even the hard to please Julie starts appreciating his skills, letting her softer side seep through while attempting to keep Charles on the task.

Of course we know Charles has to solve this case, but the other shoe also has to drop when everyone finds out why he was really there. Both these elements are tied up magnificently, as Danson's nuanced turn charts the journey of a man who gradually learns to move to the next stage of his life, slowly letting go of his grief and guilt day-by-day. 

If there's any drawback to the series, it's that the inevitable second season could have a challenge matching it with a new case and setting. But for a show far more interested in exploring characters than manufacturing plot devices, none of it works without Danson, who you may as well pencil in for an Emmy nod right now. Playing to his strengths in a way even some of his best roles haven't, it only solidifies his reputation as one of our most overlooked and underappreciated actors. 

Saturday Night

Director: Jason Reitman
Starring: Gabriel LaBelle, Rachel Sennott, Cory Michael Smith, Ella Hunt, Dylan O' Brien, Emily Fairn, Matt Wood, Lamore Morris, Kim Matula, Finn Wolfhard, Nicholas Braun, Cooper Hoffman, Andrew Barth Feldman, Taylor Gray, Nicholas Podany, Kaia Gerber, Robert Wuhl, Tommy Dewey, Catherine Curtin, Jon Batiste, Willem Dafoe, Paul Rust, Tracy Letts, Matthew Rhys, J. K. Simmons, Brad Garrett, Josh Brener
Running Time: 109 min.
Rating: R

★★★ ½ (out of ★★★★) 

While certain obstacles accompany making a film about the 1975 premiere of Saturday Night Live, few compare to the challenges faced by the original cast and crew who got the show onto NBC, where it's resided for the past 50 years. Saturday Night co-writer/director Jason Reitman had to know this when committing to recreate a special brand of backstage chaos filled with actors chosen to pass as the most respected comedians of all-time. But they didn't start out on top. It was SNL that made them household names.

That's why it's so fitting Reitman stacks his cast full of young unknowns on the cusp of stardom, attempting to replicate the backstory of this bizarre show that didn't quiet resemble anything else on television. The running gag is how its frazzled but determined creator Lorne Michaels can't explain to executives something no one's seen yet. And he's right. But that doesn't mean what eventually airs in the midst of walkouts, firings, fires, threats and other production mishaps will even resemble the vision he has in mind. Flying by the seat of his pants, he'll be lucky if the network even lets him go through with it at all. 

For decades, critics and audiences would label each new SNL season and cast as its worst while overlooking how many huge talents it spawned. And this ensemble has the unenviable job of stepping into their shoes for one ridiculously stressful, debaucherous, profanity filled night that launches all their careers. But despite moving at a breakneck pace, certain faces do stand out long enough to make an impression as Reitman constructs one of his best recent efforts, and maybe the first that seems addictively rewatchable.  

It's October 11, 1975 and producer and creator Lorne Michaels (Gabriel LaBelle) arrives at NBC's New York City studio to prepare for the live airing of his new variety program, Saturday Night, which has the reluctant backing of increasingly nervous network boss Dick Ebersol (Cooper Hoffman). But disingenuous executive David Tebet (Willem Dafoe) is less optimistic, threatening to pull the plug and replace it with a rerun of The Tonight Show With Johnny Carson. 

The dysfunction Tebet witnesses does little to change his mind, as Michaels, comedy writer wife Rosie Shuster (Rachel Sennott) and head writer/actor Michael O' Donoghue (Tommy Dewey) try to wrangle their ambitiously makeshift cast of Chevy Chase (Cory Michael Smith), Gilda Radner (Ella Hunt), Dan Aykroyd (Dylan O' Brien), Laraine Newman (Emily Fairn), John Belushi (Matt Wood), Garrett Morris (Lamorne Morris) and Jane Curtin (Kim Matula). As show time rapidly approaches, everything that can go wrong does, putting the pressure on Michaels to prevent his dream from being shattered before it even airs.

Clocking in a tight 109 minutes, Reitman keeps things moving so fast it feels like twenty, letting viewers experience the crunch of how little time remains before the show goes live. And with relentless editing and rapid Sorkin-style dialogue, we're fully immersed inside this tumultuous backstage atmosphere with hardly a moment to breathe. On top of its impeccable, era specific production design, the whole film almost plays like a single continuous tracking shot, traveling from the street into the studio's halls, through the dressing rooms and onto the sound stage. Around every corner is another problem for Michaels to navigate, whether that's cutting sketches and performers with minutes to go, placating the stringent network censor (Catherine Curtin), or dealing with dissatisfied, coked up host George Carlin (Matthew Rhys). 

Michaels has to massage a lot of egos, and while history counts Chevy Chase as the most contentious cast member, it's actually Matt Wood's catatonic Belushi who proves completely uncontrollable, straddling the line between addict and eccentric genius. Wood, along with Cory Michael Smith's Chase and Dylan O' Brien's mustachioed Dan Akyroyd leave the biggest impressions of the main players, shunning any attempt at imitation to instead capture the freewheeling attitudes of super talented party animals who already consider themselves stars. 

Smith is particularly strong as Chase, establishing himself as the glue that holds this show together, impressing executives even while rubbing certain guests and castmates the wrong way. He'll get his comeuppance in a memorable confrontation with the gruff, ornery Milton Berle (a movie stealing J.K. Simmons) who humiliatingly cuts the cocky Chase down to size in front of girlfriend Jacqueline Carlin (Kaia Gerber). None of this likely happened, but the idea it could have is where the fun's at, as Reitman and co-writer Gil Kenan send up the stars' controversial reputations.

There are also other small moments in the midst of all this pandemonium that really click, like Garrett Morris's insecurity over his big break or actor Nicholas Braun's depiction of an ignored Jim Henson, who's captured with eerie specificity. And in a clever parallel to the spontaneous nature of SNL itself, Braun pulls double duty as Andy Kaufman, whose ubiquitous presence leads to a big payoff that doesn't disappoint. Gilda Radner, Laraine Newman and Jane Curtin aren't given much face time, at least in relation to how their contributions are viewed. But given the sheer amount of ground covered, it's inevitable certain players are shortchanged, which is also an accurate reflection of this show over the years. 

The casting of Dickinson actress Ella Hunt as Radner might be Reitman's only questionable call since those expecting the outsized personality of the comedic legend will be taken for a loop by Hunt's sweeter, more tender take. This isn't to say Radner didn't also possess those qualities, but it's easier  imagining co-star Rachel Sennott knocking that role out of the park. Instead, she proves invaluable as show den mother Rosie, who protects Michaels and the rest of the cast from their own worst instincts. Still, Reitman deserves praise for a a touchingly prophetic scene between Radner and Belushi that resonates in all the right ways as all these characters head into the final stretch.

Having already played a variation on another iconic creator in Steven Spielberg's The Fabelmans, Gabriel Labelle carries this picture on his back, leading the charge as Michaels wards off the constant stream of bad luck and a network itching to see him fail. He's always been described as generally low-key so it's interesting to watch how LaBelle's performance doesn't really contradict those accounts, even under the craziest of circumstances. A human punching bag who absorbs each successive blow, he'll soldier on, determined to see the show judged on its own merits. He knows what he has, even if putting it into words for the suits can get a little tricky. 

That NBC had no interest in ever airing this endeavor makes the film's closing scene hit that much harder, as everyone anxiously waits for a reaction signifying they've somehow pulled it off. Michaels is frequently warned against referring to the show as a "revolution," but after hearing late night's most famous intro for the first time, it's impossible not to understand what he meant. By capturing this in all its chaotic glory, Saturday Night shows how the most effective comedy can't just merely be described. When you see it, you'll know.