There was a good amount of love taking place in theaters these past few weeks, even while set in genre worlds. That said, plenty of theatrics and absurdity as well. This set of write-ups includes a sci-fi-action-romance, a new Die Hard riff, an action-comedy, a Norwegian drama, a dark romantic comedy, a Canadian absurdist comedy-drama, an espionage thriller, and a wedding-themed comedy. The following features reviews for The Gorge, Cleaner, Love Hurts, Armand, I Love You Forever, Universal Language, Inheritance, and You’re Cordially Invited.
The Gorge: 5 out of 10
The Setup: Two highly-trained snipers (Miles Teller and Anya Taylor-Joy) are appointed to posts in guard towers on opposite sides of a vast and highly classified gorge, protecting the world from a mysterious evil that lurks within. They’re forbidden from interacting, but it doesn’t stop them from forming a bond and working together to deal with the secrets in the gorge.
Review: The premise for this film and even its general attitude is amusing. Director Scott Derrickson has proven to be a solid genre filmmaker who likes exploring the space. Outside of Marvel’s Doctor Strange, this is his largest-scaled film yet, despite holding onto so much intimacy when it comes to the central characters and their interactions for the first hour. Despite being on opposite ends of a giant gorge, seeing Teller and Taylor-Joy effectively build a bond is quite enjoyable when the film is at its best. Alas, while it may have been inevitable, I wasn’t as taken by what happens once they enter the gorge.
While some chances are taken to provide a unique number of creations to emphasize the wild and colorful horrors that exist down there, outside of a couple of nifty action moments, The Gorge becomes a fairly rote run-and-gun zombie movie. Nothing about the explanations regarding the gorge interested me, and the eventual resolution lacked any real suspense. The film acted as though I wanted answers to what was happening in The Mist, but I didn’t. Even with a loose attitude regarding the silliness of it all, there’s only half a good movie here.
Where To Watch: Now available to stream on Apple TV+.
Cleaner: 6 out of 10
The Setup: Hoping to expose corruption, radical activists take 300 hostages at an energy company’s annual gala in a high-rise building. Their cause soon gets hijacked by an extremist within their ranks who’s ready to kill everyone. It’s now up to a former soldier (Daisy Ridley) who works as a window cleaner to save the hostages trapped inside, including her younger brother (Matthew Tuck).
Review: With two great James Bond films and The Mask of Zorro under his belt, director Martin Campbell has always been of interest to me, especially when delivering a new action movie. So, despite coming out of a much smaller studio with nearly zero fanfare, I wanted to hope for the best with Cleaner. It’s essentially “what if Die Hard but on the outside of the building,” and it does the most that it can with Ridley literally being stuck as a window cleaner hanging high above the ground while activists run amok.
For her efforts, Ridley owns the role as well as she can, and the movie has a few unexpected turns that allow for some changeups in expectations. Relying more on suspense and cat-and-mouse theatrics than genuine action, that doesn’t rule out explosions or villain monologues to satisfy those looking for excitement. Campbell’s recent run only has so many highlights, so while this is no Protégé, it still delivers a decent package.
Where To Watch: Opening in theaters on February 21, 2025.
Love Hurts: 3 out of 10
The Setup: Marvin (Ke Huy Quan) is a Milwaukee realtor who receives a crimson envelope from Rose (Ariana DeBose), a former partner-in-crime whom he left for dead. He now finds himself thrust back into a world of ruthless hitmen and double-crosses that turn his open houses into deadly war zones. Hunted by his brother (Daniel Wu), a volatile crime lord, Marvin must confront the choices that haunt him and the history he never truly buried.
Review: Love hurts, and so did this movie. I don’t mean that playfully, as if I’m describing the comedically brutal action scenes coming out of a film directed by stunt choreographer Jonathan Eusebio. No, I’m referring to how much it hurt to watch what amounts to dreck. With a thin story edited down to within an inch of its life from whatever it was before, and using a ton of narration to tape all the pieces together, this movie is barely coherent, uninspired in its execution, and an absolute waste of talent when it comes to the cast assembled. Oscar winners Quan and DeBose deserve better, and even Marshawn Lynch, who was a riot in 2023’s Bottoms, is underserved despite having seemingly the most fun.
The action on display has moments that shine thanks to this being an 87North Productions film, but there’s not enough of it, and there’s barely anything resembling stakes here. It’s a bit sad when watching Sean Astin arrive in a hackneyed attempt to deliver a Goonies reunion and end up in a True Romance-inspired riff that allows him a chance to shine, which, in turn, ends up being the best-ish part of this 80-minute movie. Lacking in romance, good comedy, or even memorable action, yeah, this was a pain.
Where To Watch: Now playing in theaters.
Armand: 6 out of 10
The Setup: When Elisabeth (Renate Reinsve) gets called to a parent-teacher conference, she’s presented with scathing allegations that trigger a tangled web of accusations between parents and faculty.
Review: I really wanted to like this film more. While I would ultimately recommend Armand, as it starts out great and delivers some interesting visuals in the third act, I had a real tough time dealing with a meandering and, frankly, irritating series of choices that plagued the middle of the film. Looking at the positive side, Reinsve, while acting for a while at this point, had my attention with The Worst Person in the World, and continues to shine in these complicated human roles that allow for more reactions than ones that function as purely dramatic. Watching her deal with a situation involving her child shows real strength on her part as a performer working with minimal means, given the staging of this feature.
Director Halfdan Ullmann Tøndel also pulls off some interesting fantastical imagery late in the film to emphasize a state of mind I was intrigued by. Alas, one notable and extended sequence sets the film down a path around the midway point that I was honestly just not into. It’s followed by a ramping up of melodrama that keeps the movie from having an ambiguous resolution. Not that one is necessarily preferred, but in this case, it feels like Armand is robbed of playing within its bounds more effectively. Still, I can’t discount the film’s overall strengths, along with some good tension.
Where To Watch: Now playing in select theaters.
I Love You Forever: 7 out of 10
The Setup: A subversive romantic comedy gone wrong that follows a young woman (Sofia Black-D’Elia) into an emotionally abusive relationship with little hope of escape.
Review: There’s a lot to admire about how brutally honest this film from writers/directors Cazzie David and Elisa Kalani is when it comes to toxic relationships that somehow continue on for as long as they do. Given how we see everything play out, while hindsight may let viewers think they know better how to handle certain situations, this film is aware that things are not always so simple. That’s what makes the casting of Black-D’Elia key, as she has projected a level of wit and would appear to suffer no fools (the canceled series Single Drunk Female is worth checking out), and yet she can’t help but become a victim, thanks to the efforts of a very effective Ray Nicholson as her boyfriend, Finn.
Without detailing too much of what takes place, it’s a terrific subversion of what the “nice guy” can be capable of based on their own insecurities. While I Love You Forever becomes a bit redundant in a way that keeps the viewer uncomfortable by repeating the same basic scenario, the blend of humor and realistic drama goes a long way in making the film sting while entertaining.
Where To Watch: Now available on digital.
Universal Language: 7 out of 10
The Setup: In various unrelated stories – Two women find frozen cash and try to retrieve it, a tour guide leads tourists around Winnipeg sites, and a man quits his job and visits his mother.
Review: While there are connecting factors and themes, and the editing keeps us following along with the various stories, I suppose this could still be described as an anthology film of sorts. Whatever the case, director Matthew Rankin has put together an offbeat feature that has fun playing around with the various cultural clashes on display. It also has a weirdly familiar feel, as if Wes Anderson came in and gave notes for the sake of this film, building its own unique world full of little details while still hammering home jokes and moments of wisdom while holding onto a melancholy tone. Universal Language is an unusual film, to say the least, but there is certainly room for plenty to enjoy what Rankin has to offer here.
Where To Watch: Now playing in select theaters.
Inheritance: 4 out of 10
The Setup: When Maya (Phoebe Dynevor) learns that her father (Rhys Ifans) was once a spy, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an international conspiracy. In her quest for answers, she must travel the globe, mastering her father’s skills and unraveling the mysteries of his past.
Review: The gimmick utilized for this film is that director Neil Burger had this entire movie filmed on an iPhone (and it shows). The problem is that I find Burger to be an average at best filmmaker. As a result, despite a solid first half hour that established the characters, stakes, and nature of the film, it really loses steam quickly by having little to offer other than a filmmaking choice. However, this choice doesn’t really add much to the story.
I can admire the craft that went into “getting it right,” but that’s really it, as the story is flimsy and predictable. The performances are in the moment but nothing I haven’t seen before. Looking at someone like Steven Soderbergh, who has filmed movies on iPhones a few times now, that’s a director who seems to understand how to apply this method in a significant manner. With Inheritance, a film that seemed to have a lot of opportunity to make its espionage plot feel relevant, given the format, I just wasn’t feeling much of anything.
Where To Watch: Now available on digital.
You’re Cordially Invited: 7 out of 10
The Setup: A woman (Reese Witherspoon) planning her sister’s ideal wedding and the father of a bride-to-be (Will Ferrell) discover their destination weddings at a remote resort are double-booked. When both parties decide to share the small venue, chaos ensues, and disaster awaits.
Review: This film may have gone direct to streaming, and other efforts from director Nicholas Stoller may have been TV series to go along with his movies, but I do see him as one of the few directors still trying to deliver studio-level comedies that have a quality to them I think people enjoy. Thanks to Forgetting Sarah Marshall, he’ll forever be in my favor, and I like the Neighbors films quite a bit, too. He just seems to have a good way of harnessing the “constantly add improv” nature of the Judd Apatow era of comedic performers. All that is to say, I had a lot of fun with You’re Cordially Invited.
Sure, the movie is overlong and has too much plot, given the nature of this story, but everyone is game to have a good time and make the audience smile. I smiled a lot, particularly at Ferrell’s insistence on finding the laugh or gag in pretty much anything without becoming exhausting. Seeing Witherspoon attempt to match him was also fun to see, and the supporting cast features several reliable stars who do well in filling out this movie. For a film that does not ask a lot, I had plenty of fun with a comedy that came at the right time.
Where To Watch: Now available to stream on Prime Video.
