While Disney invades multiplexes this weekend with their latest attempt to reclaim past glory, plenty of smaller releases are out there. This set of write-ups includes a high-concept thriller, a few sci-fi films, an indie drama, a darkly comedic psychological thriller, and a bizarro comedy. The following features reviews for Locked, The Assessment, Ash, Bob Trevino Likes It, Borderline, Renner, and Rats!
Locked: 6 out of 10
The Setup: A young, flippant carjacker (Bill Skarsgård) is trapped in a heavily modified car by a mysterious sociopath (Anthony Hopkins), who intends to teach him the “consequences” of his lifestyle.
Review: In the realm of films that revolve around terrifying people in ironic ways due to their life choices, I dug what Locked had to offer. A more effective version of this story came back in 2003 with Joel Schumacher’s wildly over-the-top yet effective thriller Phone Booth. That said, this film from director David Yarovesky, which is actually a remake of a 2019 Argentinian film, does the job. The premise is very straightforward, and it manages to make it through its runtime without really cheating.
Sure, suspension of disbelief is required, but the way this film derives tension from a car’s abilities (keeping the air conditioning or heater way too high/low for extended periods, among other tricks) is effective. Most importantly, however, Skarsgård is given a good rival in the form of the voice of Hopkins, who brings far more spirited life to this largely vocal performance than I would credit others of his stature at wanting to do. The overall messaging is obvious, and the movie could be a bit tighter, but Locked kept me strapped in for the ride.
Where To Watch: Opening in theaters on March 21, 2025.
The Assessment: 7 out of 10
The Setup: In the near future, prospective parents must pass an initial test in order to prove their suitability for parenthood, and then endure a seven-day live-in visit from a facilitator known as the assessor who will put them through the wringer in all kinds of imaginable and unimaginable situations where, at the end, they will either get a passing grade — or not. Mia (Elizabeth Olsen) and Aaryan (Himesh Patel) are assigned an assessor named Virginia (Alicia Vikander), and as they begin the uncomfortable tests, their relationship begins to crumble.
Review: This is the sort of movie that puts my patience to the test in a way that should signal the film’s effectiveness. I suppose it is correct to say that I appreciated what director Fleur Fortuné pulls off here in her directorial debut, but yes, I was also yelling at my screen. The premise is a good one, as it leans into ideas I’ve seen in different ways before, but it has its own way about it. This is also another great showcase for three terrific actors. Olsen, in particular, continues to show how little the MCU has dampened her ability to create emotionally fraught characters. That said, Vikander gets the big showy role, as her assessor takes on eerie and wild dimensions with a certain kind of logic to them, only for the film to really push her role to the extreme.
Without delving too far into what’s happening, a viewer may develop a lot of frustration, which is obviously deliberate but certainly doesn’t allow the film much warmth. Thankfully, Some reprieve comes midway through when other characters enter the film for a brief period. Yes, the stress of a film like this continues during this sequence. Still, it’s further proof of just how effective The Assessment is in the way it utilizes this premise. My vague thoughts regarding what actually takes place aside, this film gets a pass.
Where To Watch: Opening in theaters on March 21, 2025.
Ash: 6 out of 10
The Setup: On a distant planet, an astronaut, Riya (Eiza González), wakes up to find the entire crew of her space station has been killed. She has no memory of herself or of the situation in which she finds herself, jogged by only quick, nightmarish flashes of her partners and their mission. Feeling paranoid, she must decide if she can trust the man (Aaron Paul), whom she supposedly knows, sent to rescue her after he received a distress signal from her location.
Review: I feel like director Flying Lotus was willing to push certain limits in order to reward those who stick with this film. It’s not that the first half is poorly handled, but it is a bit sluggish in pacing despite the ominous feel of everything going on around González. That said, for a low-budget film, I was quite pleased with the colorful production design that helped build toward the far more gnarly horror sci-fi sections that make up the later portions of the film. Clearly, Flying Lotus is a huge gamer, as this is not just an Alien remix but a tribute to things like Dead Space, Silent Hill, and Resident Evil. Some story elements are not exactly fresh, but the film feels more like a construction of familiar ideas to build out a mood made up of nightmarish imagery and a (naturally) great score by Flying Lotus. As a result, while it’s a bit of a waiting game, how things ramp up at the end does enough to make the whole thing worthwhile.
Where To Watch: Opening in theaters on March 21, 2025.
Bob Trevino Likes It: 9 out of 10
The Setup: Lily Trevino (Barbie Ferreira) unexpectedly befriends an online stranger (John Leguizamo), sharing her self-centered father’s (French Stewart) name, Bob Travino. Upon meeting up in real life, this Bob becomes a far stronger father figure in Lily’s life.
Review: Here’s a movie I adored. It’s a seemingly simple enough comedy-drama from writer/director Tracie Laymon that I fell for. Made in an unassuming manner, Ferreira is a strong lead here, guiding us through her life as a character who feels so real. She’s flawed, not a traditional type of female lead, and fitted with a personality that moves between being outgoing and overwhelming. Out of nowhere, French Stewart gives a terrific performance as an immensely detestable character that I can’t necessarily relate to, but I entirely understand these types of people’s existence. And then there’s Leguizamo, who is so wonderful here as a well-meaning middle-aged guy who barely gets social media but does enough to take part in this friendship we see unfold in the film.
It’s watching that bond grow, seeing the stages of life these characters go through, and going along with where the plot eventually takes them all that continually drew me into this story. I wasn’t ready to feel as invested as I was with the people involved here, and yet Bob Trevino Likes It managed to pull off something special in the way it allowed characters to grow and subvert certain expectations while maintaining a proper tone to balance this all out. Similar to something like last year’s Ghostlight, there’s a deeply felt movie here that I was more than happy to be a part of while it lasted.
Where To Watch: Opening in theaters on March 21, 2025.
Borderline: 6 out of 10
The Setup: A helplessly romantic sociopath (Ray Nicholson) escapes from a mental institution and invades the home of a ’90s pop superstar (Samara Weaving). He just wants to be loved; she just wants to survive.
Review: Here’s a film I had a tough time laughing along with based on how clearly it’s trying to put on display the ramifications of untreated mental illness under the guise of a heightened cinematic scenario. Fortunately, there’s strong enough work from the actors and enough clever ideas from a filmmaking standpoint, thanks to writer/director Jimmy Warden, that I could go along with what was on display. However, I couldn’t shake the idea that many of the choices being made were to make this movie cooler than it should feel. Tension comes out of this story’s home invasion aspect, yet balancing the tone is very tricky.
Nicholson is locked into playing up the delusional nature of his character (honestly, this should be a good sign of what we can expect from him). Yet, the film often risks derailing itself to have us laugh at what he’s up to, as opposed to being truly fearful. Weaving fares better for scenes that place her with a standout Alba Baptista, who plays another deranged character properly scaled for us to fear yet laugh along with the violent antics she gets up to. Also interestingly handled is the efforts of a pretty effective Eric Dane as a bodyguard, which the film plays around with in terms of just how involved he ends up being. All of this is to say that the film manages to pull its pieces together for a very watchable comedy-thriller that may be a bit misguided in what it wants to say about mental illness, but I can’t deny the effort on display.
Where To Watch: Now playing in select theaters and available on VOD.
Renner: 4 out of 10
The Setup: Renner (Frankie Muniz), a reclusive computer genius, designs an A.I. named Salenus (voiced by Marcia Gay Harden) to help him overcome his crippling social anxieties. Encouraged by Salenus, Renner forms a connection with his alluring neighbor Jamie (Violett Beane), but their relationship starts to unravel when she begins to interact with the A.I. As dark secrets and betrayals begin to surface, Salenus’s influence on Renner takes a malicious turn.
Review: Fitted with too many twists for its own good, what starts out as a promising little indie with some sci-fi twists ends up becoming a convoluted affair that can hardly get away with its attempts to ramp up the stakes. I’m happy seeing Muniz back on screen, as his years on television relied on the fact that he was a pretty good young actor, but this story doesn’t do much for him. Similarly, director Robert Rippberger has an eye for making the most out of the minuscule budget this film must have had, yet I grew tired of dealing with this set of characters, and the different pushes between thriller, romance, sci-fi, and comedy. It’s not that the film is confused about what it wants to be so much as I just didn’t find myself engaged with many of its different angles.
Where To Watch: Now available on VOD.
Rats!: 5 out of 10
The Setup: It’s 2007 in Pfresno, Texas. Raphael (Luke Wilcox), 19, is in county jail following an arrest for graffiti. He’s a good kid. It’s just graffiti. So you can’t blame Raphael for the events that unfold after his arrest. He’s not responsible for the sting operation, the suicide, Flophouse’s new mix-tape, Officer Williams (Danielle Evon Ploeger) and her delusional suspicions, the meth pipes, the FBI, the rich kids with nothing to lose, Mateo (Darius Autry), Larry the pig, all the knives, the local aspiring TV newswoman, the plutonium deal gone wrong, or anyone who may or may not die due to that deal turning sour. None of it is Raphael’s fault, but it is his problem. The moment Raphael walks out of that cell, he’ll be stuck on this turbulent roller coaster of misguided chaos. An amusement ride that’s a joy to watch in motion, as long as you’re not the one on it.
Review: I’ve long had poor reactions to films that seem to have been made with the idea of becoming a cult film in mind. Rats!, to its credit, doesn’t seem to be that kind of a movie, despite how clearly this thing seems destined to play in indie theaters and amass a certain kind of audience. No, this movie is a tribute to cult filmmakers like John Waters, Harmony Korine, and others willing to experiment and explore the realms of bad taste. That is not inherently wrong, but I will say it’s just not quite for me. I got some mild amusement out of what Rats! was doing, and was impressed with the insanely colorful visual style. And yet, despite a lean runtime, its DIY aesthetic only went so far for me. I’m sure there’s an audience that will love this kind of thing, I’m just not quite there.
Where To Watch: Now available on digital and VOD.
