There are missions to accept and experimental aliens to capture at the multiplex this week, but don’t count out some of these other releases. This set of write-ups includes a horror franchise sequel, an adventure film, a cowboy drama, a crime comedy, a real-world drama, and a dark family comedy. The following features reviews for Final Destination Bloodlines, Fountain of Youth, The Last Rodeo, Any Day Now, Bound, and Bad Shabbos.
Final Destination Bloodlines: 6 out of 10
The Setup: Plagued by a violent and recurring nightmare, a college student (Kaitlyn Santa Juana) heads home to track down the one person who might be able to break the cycle of death and save her family from the grisly demise that inevitably awaits them all.
Review: Putting something together in writing a week after the film has already become a hit, it sure is nice to look at a horror franchise like this and see a lot of variables work out in the film’s favor. Even if I prefer a few entries over this one, Final Destination Bloodlines delivers the sort of fun horror vibes that have made this series a fun one to check in on, even when it comes to the lesser entries (“3” and “The”). Coming in nearly 15 years later, directors Zach Lipovsky and Adam Stein, along with writers Guy Busick and Lorie Evans Taylor (with a story credit for producer Jon Watts), all show that they are clearly fans of the franchise. Between the staging of elaborate, deadly scenarios, the bloody payoffs, and the specific choices made for this to feel in line with the series without going overboard on callbacks speaks to how to get a legacy sequel of this nature right.
With that in mind, some shortcomings did enough to trip me up. Being made at a certain budget level and keeping in mind the original intention to release the film on streaming, the big screen presentation, while impressive in some instances, such as the opening, does show off where things are being stretched to their limits. Adding CG enhancements on top of whatever practical elements were in play similarly lessens the impact of some scenes, despite the fun of at least one crazy death that could only be achieved with visual effects. Even the low star wattage of the cast felt like a reminder of what a TV movie could aspire to versus a real-deal theatrical feature.
Still, all of that only goes so far when considering the successes on display. While a bit long for a film like this, the time spent establishing the family involved that serves as our main cast allows the film more credit for creating a group of people we don’t want to see die so easily. And, yes, having the late, great Tony Todd here in a final mainstream role, reciting lines he crafted himself serves as a fitting cinematic sendoff for an iconic genre star. Playing with the rules of Death can get messy, and this film has enough working in its favor to show why so much cleanup will be involved after (along with hopefully more sequels soon).
Where To Watch: Now playing in theaters.
Fountain of Youth: 5 out of 10
The Setup: Two estranged siblings (John Krasinski and Natalie Portman) partner on a global heist to find the mythological Fountain of Youth. They must use their knowledge of history to follow clues on an adventure that will change their lives and possibly lead to immortality.
Review: Dexter Fletcher, a former actor in Guy Ritchie films, was initially lined up to direct this. He pulled out, only for Ritchie to take over. Considering how Fletcher (a director I otherwise like) delivered Ghosted for Apple TV+, one of the worst films of that year, I suppose Ritchie in gun-for-hire mode was still a step up. As it stands, this kind of adventure movie has all the pieces but none of the flare for what makes Indiana Jones or even National Treasure work as well as they do. This film has location work, big action set pieces, and a pretty strong cast to work with. Still, it’s far too laid back and pleased with itself to gel in a way that makes it more than just a decently assembled but ultimately forgettable globetrotting action flick.
Not helping, frankly, is Krasinksi’s efforts to dial up his Office charm to create a new adventure hero. Playing things like Nathan Drake from the Uncharted video games, minus any sense of danger or grit, he just doesn’t seem up to the task for a role that requires more leading man energy. His chemistry with both Portman and Eiza Gonzalez is decent enough, but there’s just not nearly enough to Luke Purdue for us to necessarily want more adventures with him. On the other hand, Portman is good enough here to make us enjoy the fish out of water angle of her character, with hopes that she evolves and learns to work in these exotic environments on future trips, were they to happen.
Story-wise, you’ve very much seen this play out before, right down to the McGuffin in question. The puzzles and mystery surrounding it are never all that fun, despite the action that comes out of some of these sequences. And yet, Ritchie being on board at least means choices are being made to accentuate the visual approach to fights, car chases, and other means of getting the blood pumping. It’s just a shame that writer James Vanderbilt, who also wrote the Murder Mystery films with Sandler and Anniston on Netflix, doesn’t seem to want to add much flavor to any of this. Fountain of Youth is barely passable and never dull, but you do wish more could have come from it.
Where To Watch: Now available to stream on Apple TV+
The Last Rodeo: 6 out of 10
The Setup: A 50-year-old man (Neal McDonough) returns to the sport of bull riding after a crisis strikes his family.
Review: Proof that not every film needs to be some sort of profound statement to be good, The Last Rodeo is entirely familiar in its approach to a dramatic tale of a man doing what he can for his family at the cost of his own physical self. It’s coming from a studio rooted in Christian values. It has no real desire to do anything that could be considered challenging from a cinematic standpoint beyond deliver competently film sequences involving bull riding. And yet, with all of that said, thanks to a broad approach that leans in where it should, The Last Rodeo is successful thanks to its small aims. As a Memorial Day release, it’s a film that does just enough with what it has to tell a rousing underdog story rooted in the idea that a person who looks like Neal McDonough can accomplish what he needs to, as long as he has faith.
It’s easy to write that sort of thing off. I get it. That said, putting a film like this on the same playing field as other aspirational dramas, independent releases, and movies relying on some form of diversity to stand out speaks to the idea that all sorts of cinema can exist and are hardly hurting one another when coming out of the same limited budget arenas.
Looking at just what this film has to offer, well, there are some solid character actor performances from McDonough, Mykelti Williamson, and Christopher McDonald, which do enough to suggest a world of bull riding that exists. Being a very “manly” movie from director Jon Avnet, Sarah Jones only gets so much to do as the daughter worried about her father getting hurt, but one just has to accept the sort of older-minded take this movie has on how to assign roles, and what it intends to achieve. Ultimately, while far from deep, there’s enough working in the way of good intentions that allowed me to hold on with this one.
Where To Watch: Now playing in theaters.
Any Day Now: 7 out of 10
The Setup: Steve Baker (Taylor Gray) is a night watchman in his early 20s, but his life is already getting away from him. His band is falling apart, he owes a ton of money for drugs, and he’s in love with his best friend’s girl. When Marty (Paul Guilfoyle) comes along and ropes Steve into a criminal world of oddballs, misfits, and lost souls that are as dirty as the Charles River, Steve wonders if this is a change for the better or if he’s about to make the worst decision of his life.
Review: One of the more successful aspects of this crime comedy-thrillers is how unflashy it all is. Writer/director Eric Aronson isn’t devoid of skill for how to frame a shot, set up scenes, etc. However, with so many slick crime films out there with filmmakers who want to show off their skills, I really enjoyed the more straightforward approach taken here, which includes the bluntness of a lot of the dialogue. It ends up making Any Day Now a charming feature, which reflects well on the leads of this film.
Taylor Gray is good enough as the lead here, playing up the sort of sweet innocence balanced by knowing the kind of people he knows. On the other hand, Guilfoyle is getting the rare chance to really have fun as a bad-ass career criminal who presents himself as cooler than anyone else in the room. I’ve seen the actor play heavies and broadly comic before, but this was an absolute delight to observe. Having them both in a story as engrossing yet straightforward as it is, it all worked out for a fun take on an odd bit of trivia surrounding an art heist.
Where To Watch: Now available on digital.
Bound: 7 out of 10
The Setup: Fleeing her abusive uncle, Bella (Alexandra Faye Sadeghian) arrives in New York City with no money, no friends, and no place to live. With help from an undocumented immigrant (Jessica Pimentel) and a lonely vet (Ramin Karimloo), she starts to thrive — until she discovers an unlikely and horrifying connection.
Review: I don’t know the entire story surrounding the writing, development, and shooting of this film, but I can imagine it being impressive. Based loosely on actual events concerning both the star (Sadeghian) and director (Iaac Hirotsu Woofter), I was very much engaged by this movie’s gritty yet captivating look at homelessness and mental illness. Raw performances from almost all involved helped develop a world, even while keeping the low budget in mind. That said, lead actress Sadeghian is very strong here, letting the audience see a person experiencing so many different kinds of issues yet still allowing her some breaks in the form of new friends and even moments of hopefulness.
The film somewhat falters when it angles to be more of a crime story, let alone how it connects this with her very ill stepfather. Given the choices it makes in how to bring that aspect out in the story, I get what the intention is, but moving in this direction does lessen the power of what’s taking place, providing a more standard way of dealing with the drama, as opposed to something more ambitious or organic. All that said, I can’t deny the rawness of what’s on display, let alone the fine work of a cast composed primarily of veteran stage actors and a live flying squirrel (for reasons).
Where To Watch: Now available on digital.
Bad Shabbos: 7 out of 10
The Setup: David (Jon Bass) and his fiancée Meg (Meghan Leathers) are about to have their parents meet for the first time over a Shabbat dinner when an accidental death (or murder?) gets in the way. With Meg’s Catholic parents due any moment, this family dinner soon spirals into a hilarious disaster.
Review: In the realm of single-location comedies relying on a healthy mixture of broad comedy, tense conversations, and Jewish guilt, Bad Shabbos is no Shiva Baby. However, it’s still quite a bit of fun and relies on the strength of its ensemble to get the job done. In that regard, this film delivers. A hilarious punchline to a cold open puts things into the proper gear, setting up a ticking clock element of support while allowing the audience to get used to how much director/co-writer Daniel Robbins intends to lean into jokes regarding Jewish and gentile attitudes. This film is not so much a satire as it is a stage play come to life (although not truly, in this instance), but the bigness only allows the film to remain as playful as it does.
Cast-wise, there’s no real standout, just as there’s no weak link, suggesting a movie that figured out the best configuration for all its characters. That said, I can’t deny the fun from Cliff “Method Man” Smith as a doorman who feels he must help however he can. For a film that already spins many plates regarding how to keep a disastrous night’s head above water, adding just the right kind of extra layers of trouble speaks to the confidence on display when aiming to deliver a good comedy. Enjoy this one before or after a nice Shabbat dinner; it’s no matter either way.
Where To Watch: Now playing in select theaters.
