Movie Review - Weapons

Director: Zach Cregger
Genre: Horror/ mystery
Runtime: 128 minutes
Year: 2025
Starring: Julia Garner, Josh Brolin, Benedict Wong, Alden Ehrenreich, Amy Madigan, Justin Long
 
Description: When all but one child from the same class mysteriously vanish on the same night at exactly the same time, a community is left questioning who or what is behind their disappearance.
 
Review: “Weapons” is a horror film directed by Zach Cregger, who also made “Barbarian”. This movie really surprised me with its originality and shocking twists. “Weapons” is no different.

At the start of the movie, we learn that all but one kid from the same class have disappeared. They all vanished at the exact same time in the middle of the night.

The film has a complex, non-linear structure in which the story is told from different points of view. This makes the film unpredictable and captivating. It has a mix of horror and thriller, with elements of dark comedy. It constantly balances tension, terror and humor, avoiding conventional horror tropes.

I praise Zach Cregger for his creative and idiosyncratic storytelling style, which kept me on the edge of my set the entire time. The film is definitely not for everyone and especially towards the end it’s pretty gruesome. It has great performances by Julia Garner and Josh Brolin and I loved the bold approach to the genre.

Please go in with a blank slate, knowing as little as possible about the film. This way the experience is so much better, because it has many unexpected, surprising twists. “Weapons” is unique in its storytelling and content. Get ready to be blown away. My favorite film of 2025 (so far).

Rating: 5/ 5

Movie Review - Cocaine Bear

Director: Elizabeth Banks
Genre: Comedy/ Thriller
Runtime: 95 minutes
Year: 2023
Starring: Keri Russell, Alden Ehrenreich, O’Shea Jackson Jr., Ray Liotta, Isiah Whitlock Jr., Margot Martindale, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Kristoffer Hivju, Hannah Hoekstra, Matthew Rhys
 
Description: An oddball groups of cops, criminals, tourist and teens converge on a Georgia forest where a huge black bear goes on a murderous rampage after unintentionally ingesting cocaine.

Review: Cheap slasher films of the 1980s had a plot as high quality as the budget. Nothing more was needed, it just had to be entertainment. This is also a slasher, set in the 80s, but this time is not a knifed killer on the loose, but a bear.

1985. A drug smuggles makes a mistake that causes hi to crash somewhere in a residential neighborhood. The bags full of cocaine he threw from the plane are now yup for grabs in the Appalachian Mountains. Only a drug lord knows about it and sends some people to get them. Meanwhile, a bear has stumbled upon the cocaine and becomes uninhibitedly addicted to it. All visitors to the preserve are a target.

Elizabeth Banks is a fine actress, in both serious and funny roles. For “Cocaine Bear” she took on the role of director. She has yet to proof herself as a director. “Pitch Perfect 2” was just okay and her version of the outdated TV-series “Charlie’s Angels” wasn’t well-received. “Cocaine Bear” is loads of fun, but it’s not the best movie you will see this year.

Banks does have a great cast to work with. Keri Russell is pretty good, as well as Ray Liotta, in one his last appearances. Margo Martindale is the funniest of the cast, as a park ranger.

This movie feels exactly like a drug trip: chaotic, wild and out of control. I believe it was a fun time, lots of laughs. Do not take it too seriously please, and you will enjoy it.

Rating: 3/ 5

Movie Reviews - Solo: A Star Wars Story

Director: Ron Howard
Genre: Action/ Adventure/ Science Fiction
Runtime: 135 minutes
Year: 2018
Starring: Alden Ehrenreich, Emilia Clarke, Woody Harrelson, Donald Glover, Paul Bettany, Jon Favreau, Linda Hunt, Warwick Davis, Thandie Newton

Description: During an adventure into the criminal underworld, Han Solo (Alden Ehrenreich) meets his future co-pilot Chewbacca and encounters Lando Calrissian (Donald Glover) years before joining the Rebellion.

Review: After Disney got the rights to “Star Wars”, it’s not sitting still. A new trilogy and a bunch of standalone films. The new trilogy is doing really well and “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” was also very good. There we followed rebels trying to stop the building of the death star. Director Ron Howard took the story of a young Han Solo, probably the most popular character in the franchise.
Han Solo, one of Harrison Ford’s most memorable roles, is know as a smuggler and pilot of the Millennium Falcon, which he flies with his co-pilot Chewbacca. In “Solo: A Star Wars Story” we meet Han, before the story of “Star Wars: A New Hope”.
Han has to flee criminals and has to leave his girlfriend Qi’ra behind. He swears to return one day and get her.
“Solo: A Star Wars Story” is a so-called origin story, so we get to see how it all began for Han Solo. How he met his pal Chewbacca, how he meets Lando Calrissian and how he gets the Millennium Falcon. Alden Ehrenreich isn’t very well-known yet, but he is a good choice for the role of young Han Solo. He has to stubbornness, arrogance and charm. But he misses one thing: Ford always portrayed Solo as being ‘annoyed’ of some sort (now what?). It’s hard to explain, but I felt like he was missing it here.
Donald Glover is the best choice for the young Lando Calrissian. And it’s sad that he doesn’t get that much screen time. And Woody Harrelson doesn’t disappoint either, as always.
The story for “Solo: A Star Wars Story” is relatively thin. The references to the original films are fun, especially for nostalgia purposes. But Han Solo’s character doesn’t get enough depth.
That doesn’t mean that “Solo: A Star Wars Story” isn’t a good standalone film. It has everything you want from a good action/ adventure film. Wild chases, shoot outs and great visuals.
“Solo: A Star Wars” is probably not the film that Star Wars fans were hoping for, because a better look at one of the most beloved movie characters in film history is lacking here. As a standalone film it’s good, but within the Star Wars universe it’s not at the same level as the other films.

Rating: 3/ 5