Movie Review - Thunderbolts*

Director: Jake Schreier
Genre: Action/ Science Fiction/ Adventure
Runtime: 127 minutes
Year: 2025
Starring: Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan, David Harbour, Wyatt Russell, Lewis Pullman, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Hannah John-Kamen, Olga Kurylenko
 
Description: After finding themselves ensnared in a death trap, an unconventional team of antiheroes must go on a dangerous mission that will force them to confront the darkest corners of their pasts.
 
Review: Yelena, Black Widow’s sister, leads and empty and useless existence filled with running errands for the current CIA director, Valentina Alegra de Fontaine. When Yelena is sent to stop a thief who wants to crack a safe containing secrets that must never see the light of day, things turn our differently than expected.

After a short opening scene, which introduce both Yelena’s fighting skills and her depression, Yelena is sent to the safe, located somewhere in the American desert. The film then takes place around that location for over an hour. To keep this interesting, no openings to other dimensions are needed, no do entire areas need to be razed to the ground. The conflict is clear and simple, and the characters are diverse enough for amusing interaction.

In addition to Yelena, we see Taskmaster and The Red Guardian (all three introduced in “Black Widow”), John Walker joins the party as second-hand Captain America, and Bucky Barnes shows up as Winter Soldier. But even if this is your first Marvel movie, it’s pretty clear that these characters have a history.

There is also a character named Bob, introduced as a clumsy, everyday man. But he becomes more important as the story goes along. And Bob is incidentally also a big part of the theme: dealing with depression. This superhero story successfully addresses that subject.

Even though the characters are diverse, we don’t get to know each of them well enough. Ava Starr aka Ghost, for example, stays a bit on the surface. Would’ve liked to get to know her a little better too.
The threat in this film is big, but its only present for a short time. I think the final conflict could have been stretched out. “Thunderbolts” would have benefited from a longer runtime.

The Thunderbolts, being renamed the New Avengers, will be back. And I’m kind of excited about it. I enjoyed “Thunderbolts” a lot more then I expected, I wasn’t really interested when it was announced.

Rating: 3,5/ 5

TV Show Review - Under the Banner of Heaven (Mini Series)

Season: Mini Series
Genre: Crime/ Drama/ Thriller
Number of episodes: 7
Year: 2022
Starring: Andrew Garfield, Sam Worthington, Wyatt Russell, Daisy Edgar-Jones, Denise Gough, Gil Birmingham, Billy Howle     

Description: A devout detective’s (Andrew Garfield_ faith is tested as he investigates a brutal murder seemingly connected to an esteemed Utah family’s spiral into LDS fundamentalism and their distrust in the government.

Review: “Under the Banner of Heaven” tells the true story of the murder of Brenda Lafferty and her young daughter Erica. This horrific event took place against the backdrop of the Mormon faith, and the series shows us how fundamentalists wish to take the world of God especially “literally” when it benefits their own desires. When detective Jeb Pyre investigates the murder and sees how his faith is abused, he begins to doubt the Mormon community and his rock-solid faith in it.

This seven=part miniseries manages to unfold a complex psychological drama at an even pace. Jeb and his partner, Bill Taba, discover bit by bit who is driving the madness. Andrew Garfield convincingly portrays Jeb’s inner struggle. Bill offers some level-headedness and humor to compensate, making him a much-needed sidekick. The dynamic between the two is very interesting, but underlit.

At the beginning of the series, the focus is mostly on the life of the murdered Brenda. She is portrayed as a woman who will not let anyone tell her what she can and cannot do. She is a firm believer, but refuses to simply conform to bossy men and the entrenched patriarchy. Brenda has her own dreams and ambitions and stands by the other women in the Lafferty family. Daisy Edgar-Jones gives Brenda both strength and vulnerability, making her a nuanced and equally sympathetic character.

Then there are the Lafferty brothers. Throughout the series it becomes clear who played what role in the drama that unfolded. Strong is how seemingly good people slowly turn into monsters. Although religion condones their actions, it is a misplaced sense of power that really drives them. In doing so, the series does not condemn strict believers and religion, when it easily could have. It does, however, strongly show how a religious community can hold its hands over people who commit bad acts for the sake of its reputation.

The nuance the series brings to these issues makes you want to keep watching. Jeb is so sympathetic, the viewer can easily imagine the appeal of a solid faith, but also how its faltering can turn your whole life upside down. How Jeb deals with this is enough to hold the attention, and trying to find out what happened to Brenda. Even though the series is a slow burn.

In the end, Under the Banner of Heaven brings everything together nicely. There is a good balance between Jeb's disillusionment and the hopeful twist that is ultimately attached to the tragedy. The viewer is challenged to think about faith and crime and what the connection between them is. Above all, however, it is a deeply human story in which inhumane acts ensure that at times you are really grabbed by the throat.

Movie Review - Woman in the Window

Director: Joe Wright
Genre: Crime/ Drama/ Thriller
Runtime: 100 minutes
Year: 2021
Starring: Amy Adams, Gary Oldman, Julianna Moore, Wyatt Russel, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Anthony Mackie, Brian Tyree Henry, Tracy Letts

Description: An agoraphobic woman (Amy Adams) living alone in New York begins spying on her new neighbors, only to witness a disturbing act of violence.

Review: Anna no longer takes a step outside her apartment. She suffers from severe agoraphobia and takes heavy medication to get through thee day, supplemented by a good sip of wine. She kills time by spying on her neighbors, and at the beginning of the film, the Russel family across the street is just moving in. Anna meets their son Ethan, a sensitive boy with a nervous streak, and moments later his mother as well. But then nefarious things happen. Our heroine sees a murder taking place on the other side. Main suspect: Mr. Russell.  
The plot of the film is very similar to “Rear Window” and director Joe Wright agrees, he even adds another adds another shot from the classic, on the of the many film cassics that Anna turns on the TV while peering into the neighborhood. And Wright has also borrowed some voyeuristic shots from the old master Hitchcock. He mixes this with a touch of films like “Shutter Island” and “The Wolf Hour” (a fairly unknown film with Naomi Watts, but also has a lot of similarities with this film).  
In the lead role we see Amy Adams. Her character comes off as a bit of a caricature at some points. In a better films that wouldn’t have been the case. Because Adams is still one of the strongest actresses of her generation. Julianne Moore technically has only one scene. Gary Oldman, as Mr. Russell, is a bit too much. And Jennifer Jason Leigh doesn’t really have anything to do. I like basically every single actor cast for this film, just not in this movie.
If there is anything positive to be said, it is that Joe Wright shows some promise here as a thriller maker. Overall, “The Woman in the Window” is just a copy of some other good movies mixed together, but not very well-executed. I was so looking forward to this film, but sadly enough it’s not that great.

Rating: 2,5 / 5

TV-Show Review - The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (Mini-Series)

Season: Mini-Series
Genre: Adventure/ Action
Number of episodes: 6
Year: 2021
Starring: Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan, Wyatt Russell, Daniel Brühl, Emily VanCamp, Julia Louis-Dreyfus

Description: Following the events of “Avengers: Endgame”, Sam Wilson/ Falcon (Anthony Mackie) and Bucky Barnes/ Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan) team up in a global adventure that tests their abilities. And their patience.

Review: Following the events of “Avengers: Endgame”, Sam Wilson/ Falcon holds the famous shield, but struggles to take over the role of Captain America. He donates the shield to the museum. When the government comes up with a new Captain America, John Walker, he is assigned to take out the terrorist organization ‘Flag Smashers’. Coincidentally, Sam and Bucky Barnes/ The Winter Soldier are now also going after this group.
Now that Marvel has successfully launched its first miniseries, “WandaVision”,  on Disney+, it’s time for the next one. Cinema releases are still a while away, so Marvel has been wise to make the switch to weekly TV episodes. This time, the focus is on Captain America’s legacy and all that he and his famous shield stood for. The six-part miniseries, “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier”, mainly highlights the burden that Captain America’s role carries.
What stands out is that the series is very politically driven and because of this feels like a strong addition to previous Captain America films. Plot elements that were set up in these movies return here, such as the sneaky Zemo and the fugitive Agent Sharon Carter. It is abundantly clear that the film and series are so intertwined you really shouldn’t miss them for the greater story.
Because of the political aspect, one question is central: Will Sam take over the role from Steve Rogers, to be Captain America? The government has other plans, as they appoint Privat John Walker as the new Cap. We see Walker struggle with the responsibility of being a good Captain America and he’s failing. And he also turns out to be a huge asshole. He is everything Steve Rogers wasn’t. We also see Sam’s guilt and conflict over whether he has done the right thing or if he really is the man for the job Steve has left him to do. This makes the series an interesting watch. But what I loved most is the comradery between Sam and Bucky. The work well together and make each other’s characters stronger.
The series looks really good, is interesting and very entertaining. The last three episodes, especially episode five, are the best of the bunch. It’s a definite must-watch for every Marvel fan.

10s Movie Review - Overlord

Director: Julius Avery
Genre: Horror/Action/ Adventure
Runtime: 110 minutes
Year: 2018
Starring: Jovan Adepo, Wyatt Russell, Mathilde Ollivier, Pilou Asbæk, John Magaro, Iain De Caestecker, Jacob Anderson, Dominic Applewhite, Joseph Quinn, Bokeem Woodbine, Erich Redman, Mark McKenna, Hayley Carmichael

Description: A group of American soldiers find horror behind enemy lines on the eve of D-Day.

Review: That “Overlord” is not a conventional war movie, is no secret. ‘Horror pulp during D-Day’ is too good of a selling point for marketeers not to exploit. That the film is thus stripped of its surprise is unfortunate. But still this wasn’t exactly what I thought it was going to be.
“Overlord” starts as a traditional war film, with a setup that bears plenty of similarities to the series “Band of Brothers”. Here, too, we follow a handful of American soldoers who are dropped behind enemy lines on the eve of D-Day for a mission to expedite the infantry landing on the beaches of Normandy. As usual, all sorts of things go wrong in the process and there are some clashing personalities in the company. There is even a sniper who boasts that he will end the war by shooting Adolf Hitler in the head so that everyone can go home. Almost exactly as the sniper in “Saving Private Ryan” expressed his intensions.
Gradually, to their horror, the soldiers find out what genre they have been parachuted into. Because the film takes a turn for the supernatural. And when this starts, the film is unstoppable and very strong and exciting. It’s at times a gruesome film with creepy images that will give you the chills. And overall I really enjoyed “Overlord”.

Rating: 3,5/ 5

10s Movie Review - Shimmer Lake

Director: Oren Uziel
Genre: Crime/ Drama/ Thriller
Runtime: 86 minutes
Year: 2017
Starring: Benjamin Walker, Rainn Wilson, Ron Livingston, Rob Corddry, Stephanie Sigman, Mark Rendall, Wyatt Russell, Matthew Evans Landry, John Michael Higgins

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2020 MOVIE CHALLENGE.
WEEK 36: A CRIME MOVIE

Description: A crime thriller told backwards – reversing day by day through a week – following a local sheriff’s (Benjamin Walker) quest to unlock the mystery of three small town criminals and a bank heist gone wrong.

Review: The crime film “Shimmer Lake” tells us the reverse story of a bank robbery. The end of the film is the beginning and the beginning the end. Sheriff Zeke Sikes investigates the robbery, in which his brother Andy is involved. He gets help from his assistant and tow FBI-agents who prefer to do something else.
The plot isn’t original, but the way the story is told is. Otherwise it would be just another crime story. But sadly, it still is. Because the film isn’t all that special and very forgettable. Although it has a good cast, the acting isn’t that great and the dialogue feels like dialogue, instead of actual conversations that people would have in real life. It’s to scripted, if you understand why I mean.
I actually found the film rather boring an uneventful and I wouldn’t recommend it. The film could have been so much more.

Rating: 2/ 5

10s Movie Review - Table 19

Director: Jeffrey Blitz
Genre: Drama/ Comedy/ Romance
Runtime: 84 minutes
Year: 2017
Starring: Anna Kendrick, June Squibb, Lisa Kudrow, Craig Robinson, Tony Revolori, Stephen Merchant, Wyatt Russell

Description: Eloise (Anna Kendrick), having been relieved of maid of honor duties after being unceremoniously dumped by the best man via text, decides to attend the wedding anyway, only to find herself seated with five fellow unwanted guests at the dreaded Table 19.

Review: Weddings aren’t everyone’s cup of tea. It’s the most beautiful day of someone’s life, so when you are a part of it, you must be a special person. But not when you’re placed at the titular table 19.
“Table 19” deals with the social conventions of attending weddings. You can not NOT go, but you’d rather do a million other things.
Eloise McGarry is invited to the wedding of her oldest friend. She once was supposed to be the maid of honor at that wedding, but she broke up with the brides brother and now she has been placed at table 19. Which is far away from all the festivities. She is accompanied by random guests, who all don’t really understand why they are there.
Eloise is actually the only character we really get to know and she has depth. The rest stay rather flat and we don’t get to know much about them. But the cast is good and makes sure that it’s not a bad movie. It eventually is a mediocre drama/ comedy.
It’s an okay movie, but it will not be remembered long.

Rating: 3 / 5