This week, someone is once again obsessed with what others did last summer. That said, I’d rather focus on this set of releases. This set of write-ups includes an animated reboot, a rom-com with a twist, an animated musical action flick, an ensemble comedy, a screenlife horror film, and a martial arts movie. The following features reviews for Smurfs, Oh, Hi!, KPop Demon Hunters, Nuked, Don’t Log Off, and Diablo.
Smurfs: 4 out of 10
The Setup: When evil wizards Razamel and Gargamel (JP Karliak) take Papa Smurf (John Goodman), Smurfette (Rihanna) leads the Smurfs on a mission to the real world to save him. With help from some new friends, they must discover what defines their destiny to save the universe.
Review: Beyond cultural awareness, I’ve never been all that familiar with Smurfs, which held me back from seeing their previous cinematic adventures (along with the fact that they looked bad). If this film is any indication of what I’ve been missing, well, I’ve made the right choice thus far. Really, much like the Despicable Me films, which I’ve never really enjoyed, I went to see those for the sake of enjoying new Pharrell Williams tracks, and this new animated Smurfs film at least promised new music from Rihanna. I can’t say it didn’t deliver, but no, this movie really had nothing for me.
To its credit, the film is very much kid-first, with no excuses. Yes, there are stronger films made to appeal directly to young children. Still, I appreciate a movie that isn’t trying to lazily appeal to the parents bringing their kids to a film like this. As it stands, there are overall positive messages to take away, a plethora of vocal performances from an overqualified cast (Nick Offerman, James Corden, Dan Levy, Natasha Lyonne, Sandra Oh, Octavia Spencer, and Kurt Russell, among others), but little else. Even the animation style is a bit janky, as it plays with real-world environments but does next to nothing with that extra layer. Director Chris Miller, who has had plenty of success with DreamWorks in the past, doesn’t seem to be capitalizing on a wish to make a brilliant Smurfs movie, but while I got next to nothing from it, it’s still harmless.
Where To Watch: Now playing in theaters.
Oh, Hi!: 7 out of 10
The Setup: Iris (Molly Gordon) is enjoying her first romantic getaway with Isaac (Logan Lerman), until he tells her he’s not interested in a serious relationship during an inopportune time for him.
Review: What if Misery was more fun? That’s not exactly the premise of Oh, Hi!, but without delving into exactly how this plot unfolds, much of the film revolves around a character pushed to certain limits while another is locked in place. From there, the film essentially finds multiple ways to subvert the expectations one has for rom-coms as well as cabin-in-the-woods movies. No, there’s no horror element here, but it’s a shame that the film isn’t stronger than it could have been, were it to lean into darker territory. As it stands, the movie remains quite charming, thanks to both our leads and the eventual arrival of a few more characters. I just wish it had more to ultimately say about the people involved.
Directed by Sophie Brooks, based on a story by her and Gordon, it is a credit to the film that the characters remain understandable and even likable, despite their actions. Yes, this film exists in a heightened reality, allowing certain things to happen in a way that they do. Still, I could easily see this becoming a miserable watch if either of the characters were painted slightly more villainous, losing the charm in the process. Not hurting character-wise, even if it turns the story into more than an interesting two-hander, is the arrival of characters played by Geraldine Viswanathan and John Reynolds. Fortunately, I like both of them quite a bit, but it does feel like lost potential to see what a film could have really done with more focus on the nature of relationships, personal hang-ups, and other aspects. All of that in mind, I had a fun time with this one, and a couple of unexpected big laughs really got me.
Where To Watch: Opening in theaters on July 25, 2025.
KPop Demon Hunters: 8 out of 10
The Setup: A world-renowned K-Pop girl group, as they balance their lives in the spotlight with their secret identities as bad-ass demon hunters, set against a colorful backdrop of fashion, food, style, and the most popular music movement of this generation.
Review: Say what you will about the many live-action features Netflix releases to audiences, but their animation works tend to be pretty solid. I was already interested based on the title, but upon realizing that KPop Demon Hunters was not going to be an ongoing TV series, but rather a radical animated movie, I was entirely invested in checking this out when given the chance. It took me nearly a month, but I finally got to it, and boy, did it deliver what is so far my favorite animated movie of 2025.
This is the kind of film where everything is so straightforward in terms of setup that anyone even marginally interested should just go along for the ride. I’m not even a K-pop person, but the soundtrack is fantastic in the way it incorporates the film’s themes and serves as solid beats to enjoy. The trio of ladies (Arden Cho, Ahn Hyo-seop, and May Hong) are great. There’s plenty of color, jokes, action, and fun to go around. Even as it pushes its dramatic story arc, it’s the confidence in how this movie is put together that makes everything gel as well as it does. Basically, this movie is a blast.
Where To Watch: Now streaming on Netflix.
Nuked: 4 out of 10
The Setup: A group of friends gets together for a cannabis-infused, technology-free dinner party, only to learn a bomb is headed right for them.
Review: This one is a bit of a shame, because I like so many of the cast members quite a bit (Justin Bartha, Anna Camp, Lucy Punch, Tawny Newsome, etc.), and know they can do better with stronger material to work with. As it stands, each of the people represented comes off as half-baked caricatures, ideally so we can eventually come to understand that they are not just the shallow ideas presented as characters, but contain multitudes. Instead, however, they just largely remain either shallow or as unlikable as initially depicted.
This can work in some instances – It’s What’s Inside was a wild, original film that similarly kept an ensemble cast in one location as they worked out a dilemma, and each of those people had their own issues. One of my favorites from over a decade ago, It’s a Disaster, did a tremendous job with a premise remarkably similar to Nuked, which certainly did this film no favors. Perhaps the weed crowd will get more out of this one than I ultimately did, but when I’m not laughing at a movie that kept daring me to for 80 minutes, there’s a problem. (Note: Natasha Leggero somehow emerged from this film with her small role getting easily the most laughs.)
Where To Watch: Now available on digital and VOD.
Don’t Log Off: 2 out of 10
The Setup: When birthday girl Sam (Brielle Barbusca) goes missing during her virtual surprise party, her friends try to figure out why she vanished. Using calls, texts, and social media, they retrace her steps — until one by one, they fail to return from visits to her apartment.
Review: I’m not opposed to seeing more slasher-ish films done in the style of a screenlife movie (films where the perspective is largely seen through computer monitors, tablets, or phone screens), but it’s execution that fails this film. Trying to balance both conventional cinematic formatting (editing choices, having a score, and jumps in character) and the nature of a Gen Z-styled thriller, the film never really comes together in a way that feels comfortable. Add to that a stale mystery and not nearly enough effort going into the scenes that should be more tense, and you have a bland piece of work that may have been rooted in good intentions (the film is set at the height of the pandemic), but ends up feeling too repetitive for its own good, lacking the energy to pull off any genuine scares in the process.
Where To Watch: Now available on digital and VOD.
Diablo: 7 out of 10
The Setup: Ex-con Kris Chaney (Scott Adkins) seizes the daughter of a Colombian gangster to fulfill a noble promise to the young girl’s mother. When her father enlists both the criminal underworld and a psychotic killer (a one-handed Marko Zaror) to exact his revenge, Kris relies on everything he’s ever learned to stay alive and keep his word.
Review: One of the things I’m happiest about in my recent years of bulk movie screener watching is a newfound appreciation for Adkins. I’ve never doubted his skill as a fighter, but it took me a while to catch on to what it is about him that gives him screen charisma. Diablo feels like a movie that shouldn’t have to ask for a whole lot, as it’s plotted in a seemingly straightforward way for the sake of eventually featuring blowouts between Adkins and Zaror. However, director Ernesto Díaz Espinoza (who also made the kick-ass Fist of the Condor) somehow manages to develop a somewhat emotional story given what we learn about these characters.
Of course, beyond the melodrama of it all, he has also created what is essentially a Terminator movie, but with more hand-to-hand combat. Zaror plays a character with a metal hand that can be removed, and in its place, he has a knife. The guy is a beast, and it’s fun watching him tear his way through basically everything in his attempts to reach his targets. Meanwhile, Adkins is selling his role as a figure from a past that this kidnapped girl never knew. Making all this come together in thrilling ways makes the action land with even greater impact. Yes, there’s still plenty of silliness here, but it’s silliness that pays off with action aplomb.
Where To Watch: Now available on digital and VOD.
