While award contenders are starting to hit, there are still plenty of genre features to look for. This set of write-ups includes a horror sequel, a ghost story, an action comedy, a horror anthology, and a documentary. The following features reviews for Black Phone 2, John Candy: I Like Me, Good Boy, Waltz with Brando, Play Dirty, and V/H/S Halloween.
Black Phone 2: 6 out of 10
The Setup: As Finn (Mason Thames), now 17, struggles with life after his captivity that ultimately led him to dispatching of the serial killer known as the Grabber (Ethan Hawke), his sister, Gwen (Madeleine McGraw) begins receiving calls in her dreams from the black phone and seeing disturbing visions of three boys being stalked at a winter camp known as Alpine Lake, a place where the Grabber seems to have grown more powerful in death.
Review: Well, the Black Phone has rung once again, but was it worth picking up? Ultimately, yes. Despite some issues, there’s enough to recommend here, considering the visual style and evocative mood director Scott Derrickson achieves with this wintery horror sequel to the 2021 hit. Much like the first film, while Black Phone 2 would undoubtedly be categorized as horror, there’s a kids’ adventure vibe that makes the film accessible to a broader audience. That may mean it sacrifices the potential to be scarier in the process. However, there’s still fun to be had in this world from a creepy perspective (the notable uptick in gore doesn’t hurt either).
All of that said, I do wish that Derrickson and co-writer C. Robert Cargill had more tricks up their sleeves when it came to the plotting. As it stands, it all felt rather Scooby Doo to me, as various characters stood around in rooms discussing the possibilities of what’s going on in their mystery, despite many signs pointing at the obvious. The results of said mystery are not helping, as they only make this universe smaller rather than more intriguing.
Still, Hawke continues to give great villain energy. I admired the choice to pivot towards McGraw as the film’s true lead character, while Thames, as her brother, effectively leans into the aftereffects of escaping the Grabber. Along with directorial choices like using Super 8 film to depict a dream/nightmare reality, I believe an effort was made to deliver something neat as a follow-up to what felt like a one-off feature. I only wish there were a bit more ambition in the story.
Where To Watch: Opening in theaters on October 17, 2025.
John Candy: I Like Me: 7 out of 10
The Setup: Filmmaker Colin Hanks examines the life, work, and legacy of beloved actor and comedian John Candy, featuring interviews with Bill Murray, Tom Hanks, Steve Martin, Dan Aykroyd, Mel Brooks, Martin Short, Eugene Levy, Conan O’Brien, and more.
Review: When it comes to some of these recent lookbacks at popular celebrities who have passed away, many of these reflections have felt very empty. Yes, it’s nice to see the clips and get what feels like an emotional reading of their Wikipedia page, but what else can this really offer beyond shallow comfort? Director Colin Hanks seemingly took this on as a challenge for John Candy: I Like Me, which focuses entirely on the life of the beloved Canadian comedian and actor. What allows this documentary to stand out from others like it is its attempt to embrace the melancholy aspects of what was going on.
Essentially, you had a man who was as nice as they come, with nothing to speak of as far as controversy goes. The only exception was his sensitivity about his image and his effort to spend time with his family, despite his immense popularity worldwide. There’s a conventional nature to the presentation of all of this, yet the numerous heavy-hitters detailing stories about Candy, along with rarely seen footage of the man, including the eulogy given by Dan Aykroyd at his funeral, significantly enhance the material. It would have been nice to hear a bit more about Candy’s arc as an actor, an aspect of his career that was clearly growing stronger towards the end of his life. Still, as it stands, this is a very loving tribute to a lovely man.
Where To Watch: Now streaming on Prime Video.
Good Boy: 7 out of 10
The Setup: A loyal dog (Indy) moves to a rural family home with his owner, only to discover supernatural forces lurking in the shadows. As dark entities threaten his human companion, the brave pup must fight to protect the one he loves most.
Review: “A haunted house movie told from the perspective of a dog.” Yes, the setup easily had me anticipating what this film would turn out to be. Co-writer and director Ben Leonberg gets plenty of mileage out of this concept, as Good Boy accomplishes plenty within its wisely brief 73-minute runtime. Complete with clever shot choices to really emphasize this premise, I was a big fan of the way this film was not only able to commit to the bit, but find a route that would have me caring as much as I did for how things would play out, let alone giving into the intensity of what his dog was going through (although handled perfectly safely in real life, while filming).
Keeping the camera at a specific height above the ground, obscuring faces, and finding terrific uses of shadow really went a long way in making this idea work as well as it does. Being able to convey an entire story primarily through visual understandings of what we and a dog can respond to reveals many signs of the horror joy one will take away here. Yes, limits come with a film like this, as there’s only so much to latch onto, and we can’t exactly understand everything Indy is thinking. Still, the dog delivers what I would consider an excellent performance by keeping me engaged in what he was experiencing. That’s a good boy, indeed.
Where To Watch: Now playing in theaters.
Waltzing With Brando: 7 out of 10
The Setup: Set during the early 70s, reclusive movie star Marlon Brando (Billy Zane) recruits a Los Angeles architect (Jon Heder) to build the world’s first ecologically perfect retreat on a small, uninhabited island in Tahiti.
Review: Honestly, what would you rather want from a biopic focused on Marlon Brando? A standard tale of a young kid who utilized specific acting methods and became incredibly popular, only to see the ups and downs that would follow? Or, would it be more enjoyable to watch a hangout movie about a totally Zen and reclusive Brando befriending a somewhat uptight architect, and the antics that follow? I really appreciated the latter choice, as I frankly got more out of it than I could have the other way. Zane is completely locked in as Brando, and I think what he captures is how much Brando didn’t seem to revere his own position as an actor.
While one side of history speaks to Brando growing ridiculous when it came to his small parts/big paydays, here’s a film that reconciles with the origins of that behavior. With plenty of money to spend and little regard for his profession, Brando’s philanthropy becomes clearer to understand. Sometimes his efforts were more inelegant than others. Still, I enjoyed how this film let us largely follow Heder’s Bernard as he observed how casual a guy like Brando is and tried to find the proper common ground. The results offer an often humorous look at a specific personality, reflecting Brando’s thoughts on core concepts that remain important today.
Where To Watch: Now playing in select theaters.
Play Dirty: 4 out of 10
The Setup: A ruthless thief (Mark Wahlberg) and his expert crew stumble onto the heist of a lifetime that pits them against the New York mob.
Review: I remember when the notion of a new Shane Black project meant something special was happening. His dark sense of humor, combined with an intelligence that complements his brand of action comedies, allowed for some truly classic moments in films like Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang and The Nice Guys. Sadly, Play Dirty is not nearly on the level of those films, and on top of that, it looks like streaming junk. Sure, some ambition on display speaks to why the sort of budget and filmmaking techniques available for a direct-to-streaming feature can’t support the bigger ideas. Still, this movie has many other factors working against it.
Wahlberg, who has come a long way only to now repeatedly star in streaming films I don’t care for, plays the worst interpretation of author Richard Stark’s Parker yet in this film. It’s not all Wahlberg’s fault, but neither the star nor the movie does each other any favor by setting up better scenarios for wisecracking while killing nondescript bad guys. In fact, the cavalier nature of this movie could be improved if it were more consistent. Instead, there’s a level of seriousness baked into so much of the film that the work from supporting stars like LaKeith Stanfield, Keegan-Michael Key, Nat Wolff, Chukwudi Iwuji, and Tony Shalhoub end up feeling misplaced, despite their best efforts.
I look forward to Shane Black blowing me away with a film by him again, but this one did me dirty.
Where To Watch: Now available to stream on Prime Video.
V/H/S Halloween: 7 out of 10
The Setup: A collection of Halloween-themed videotapes unleashes a series of twisted, blood-soaked tales, turning trick-or-treat into a struggle for survival.
Review: I’m always game for another round with the V/H/S franchise, which has become a solid yearly tradition thanks to Shudder buying distribution rights. This time around, the focus wisely shifts toward Halloween night, and the five films presented all have their share of innovation, making for a mostly consistent ride full of gnarly imagery, gruesome deaths, disgusting ideas, uncomfortable story ideas, and more. They can’t all be winners, but I was pleased with the majority of shorts this time around.
While a bit overlong, the first film is good enough at creeping me out through baby imagery. REC director Paco Plaza supplies a well-intentioned short that ultimately underwhelms on delivery. Casper Kelly (of Too Many Cooks fame) has perhaps the most entertaining of the shorts with “Fun Size,” complete with a wacky character that could easily serve as the icon for this entry. And that’s followed by the most disturbing entry of the bunch, let alone for most of the entries, and it belongs to director Alex Ross Perry. Finally, “Home Haunt” acts as a fun bit of closure this time out. Not sure what will be tackled next year, but the joy of this anthology entry gave me more than just a candy-fueled sugar rush.
Where To Watch: Now available to stream on Shudder.
