Bugonia review

 Coming Soon! 

Shelby Oaks review

SHELBY OAKS: 

CHRIS STUCKMANN CRAFTS A PRETTY CREEPY FEATURE! 

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: *** ½ out of 4

NEON

What happened to Riley Brennan in Shelby Oaks

 

            YouTuber, Chris Stuckmann makes his feature film directorial debut with the new horror film, Shelby Oaks released by Neon and produced by Mike Flanagan (Oculus, Doctor Sleep, The Life of Chuck). I’ve enjoyed many of Stuckmann’s videos on YouTube whether it’s his in-depth and professional movie reviews or the more comical, Hilariocity Reviews, the guy has a passion for what he does and a clear love for film which gets nothing but respect from me. 

            Actually, my introduction to Chris Stuckmann was from his crossover review with the Nostalgia Critic (One of my favorite reviewers and content creators) on 2016’s Rogue One: A Star Wars Story which got me interested in checking out his channel. So yeah, I really like Chris Stuckmann so you bet your ass I was curious to see his first venture into feature films with Shelby Oaks. 

            This movie certainly had a lot of buzz when it was being made, the entire thing was funded through Kickstarter, premiered at the Fantasia International Film Festival in 2024 and got the attention of Flanagan and Neon, and underwent reshoots and re-edits before the official release. Even when people were skeptical about whether or not Stuckmann would deliver or just outright make fun of him, I had confidence in him especially after James Rolfe managed to bring his web character, the Angry Video Game Nerd to the big screen with Angry Video Game Nerd: The Movie in 2014. 

            If the Nerd can do it then so can the guy who destroyed a bunch of Dragonball: Evolution memorabilia on camera. I’m not sure if this would be a hot take given the mixed reactions from critics and audiences, I really enjoyed Shelby Oaks. 

            Do I think it’s one of the all-time greatest modern horror movies? No. Are there some things about it that don’t exactly work? Sure. But for what I saw, I thought it was a solidly crafted, atmospheric, and downright chilling horror film. 

            The film revolves around YouTube paranormal investigator, Riley Brennan who is the host of the web series, Paranormal Paranoids and mysteriously disappears in the abandoned town of Shelby Oaks, Ohio in 2007. Twelve years later, Riley’s sister, Mia (Camille Sullivan-Dead Rising: Endgame, Hunter Hunter, Shattered) obtains a mini-DVtape labeled as “Shelby Oaks” and starts to finally uncover the truth about what actually happened to Riley, but as she digs deeper into the mystery, the more nightmarish it gets. 

            The film also stars Brendan Sexton III (Black Hawk Down, The Messenger (2009), Don’t Breathe 2) as Mia’s husband Robert Brennan, Michael Beach (Aquaman, If Beale Street Could Talk, Saw X) as Detective Allen Burke, and Keith David (Gargoyles, Spawn, The Princess and the Frog) as Morton Jacobson. 

            Overall, Shelby Oaks is a solid first directing effort from Chris Stuckmann and a very effective horror movie and a lot of that comes down to how Stuckmann shot and edited this film. This is a damn good looking movie in terms of the cinematography, camera work, and uses of grainy VHS quality and Blair Witch Project-style found footage, definitely takes advantage of the big screen and if you can see it in theaters, do so. 

            Probably my favorite sequence in the movie is the one where Camille Sullivan’s Mia is in the abandoned prison (Which is also the same prison they filmed The Shawshank Redemption in) to look for answers and it ends with this huge overhead shot of her running out of the prison from some sort of entity. It’s a well-shot and suspenseful scene that looks great on a movie theater screen. 

            Granted, there are a lot of scenes and ideas that are derivative of other movies particularly those that Stuckmann himself is a fan of like M. Night Shyamalan’s Signs and there’s even a sequence that’s one great big callback to The Ring. I don’t care where the inspiration came from, Stuckmann’s homages to movies he loves are still very well executed here and you can tell it’s from someone who enjoys film. 

            I was very invested in the plot; my eyes were glued to the screen during the opening which hooked me in instantly. A paranormal investigator mysteriously goes missing without a trace and now it’s time to figure out what actually happened and where this person is, it’s a gripping premise for a movie that lends itself to a lot of scares and intrigue which Stuckmann does well for this movie. 

            This was my first time seeing Camille Sullivan in action and I thought she was great as the film’s protagonist, Mia. It’s clear in the final product that she brought this high energy to the set every single day they were shooting and she’s easily the most endearing character in the whole film thanks to her performance. 

            The scares are very effective albeit a few jump scares, but it’s mostly atmospheric creeps and less overblown scares. In this film’s case, less is more and Stuckmann knows that with some of the best scares being just from looking through dark windows or hallways whether it’s a sudden crack in a window or something lurking in the shadows. 

            The majority of this film worked for me, but I’ll admit the ending was hard to stomach, not that it’s done bad or anything, but I wasn’t sure what to make of it and left me puzzled. Despite this, I admire Stuckmann’s intentions behind it and I’m sure he has an interesting explanation or interpretation of the ending to his film. 

            Shelby Oaks may have been somewhat overhyped at film festivals, but I still think it’s a well-crafted and suspenseful horror film that will hopefully lead to a bright future for Stuckmann as a filmmaker. The man is just out here living his dream and it’s pretty hard not to appreciate that even the film is all over the place amongst moviegoers. 

            So, those are my thoughts on Shelby Oaks, definitely worth watching in theaters to get the best experience and if you like that, you can click right here and get Stuckmannized! Please don’t sue me, Chris! 

 

Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere review

SPRINGSTEEN: DELIVER ME FROM NOWHERE: 

JEREMY ALLEN WHITE TRANSFORMS INTO BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN IN SOLID MUSIC BIOPIC! 

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: *** ½ out of 4

20^TH CENTURY STUDIOS

Jeremy Allen White as Bruce Springsteen in Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere

 

            Jeremy Allen White (Shameless, The Bear, The Iron Claw) becomes rock superstar, Bruce Springsteen to tell his untold story in Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere, the new film from director Scott Cooper (Crazy Heart, Black Mass, Antlers) based on the 2023 novel of the same name by Warren Zanes. I had definitely heard Bruce Springsteen’s music before in the past but never knew his name until I saw the 2019 film, Blinded by the Light which was about a kid from Pakistan living in the UK who had a deep love for Springsteen’s music.

            Now we have a movie chronicling Springsteen’s life and career which I know absolutely nothing about. But I was very impressed with Timothée Chalamet’s Bob Dylan biopic, A Complete Unknown last year who I also knew nothing about in terms of his personal life so, hopefully Springsteen will make just as big an impact…yeah, it’s a good film! 

            Let me get this out of the way, Jeremy Allen White is THE reason to see this film, he is magnificent as Bruce Springsteen to the point where if it was anyone else, it wouldn’t have worked. The movie itself is about the same as tons of other music biopics and hits a lot of the same notes in terms of storytelling, but I digress. 

            The film chronicles Bruce Springsteen (White)’s struggles with depression and finding a silver line between following his passion and working for the music industry. This all culminates in the creation of the 1982 album, Nebraska which he recorded in a bedroom and he and his manager friend, Jon Landau (Jeremy Strong-Lincoln, Zero Dark Thirty, The Apprentice) fought with the record company about preserving Springsteen’s artistic vision and making the bold decision to not have any press or singles for it. 

            The film also stars Stephen Graham (This is England, The Damned United, Public Enemies) as Bruce’s father Douglas Springsteen, Odessa Young (Assassination Nation, The Stand, The Damned) as Faye Romano, Paul Walter Hauser (Richard Jewell, The Fantastic Four: First Steps, The Naked Gun (2025)) as Mike Batlan, Gaby Hoffmann (Sleepless in Seattle, Wild, The Mastermind) as Bruce’s mother Adele Springsteen, Marc Maron (Sleepwalk with Me, Joker, The Bad Guys 1 and 2) as Chuck Plotkin, David Krumholtz (The Santa Clause trilogy, Harold & Kumar trilogy, Oppenheimer) as Al Teller, Harrison Gilbertson (Upgrade, In the Tall Grass, Oppenheimer) as Matt Delia, Grace Gummer (American Horror Story: Freak Show, Extant, Mr. Robot) as Barbara Landau, Chris Jaymes (In Memory of My Father) as Dennis King, Johnny Cannizaro (Jersey Boys) as Steven Van Zandt, and drummer Brian Chase as Mark Weinberg. 

            Overall, Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere is a well-crafted and engaging music biopic about how Springsteen’s Nebraska came to be with Jeremy Allen White giving an incredible performance as the titular rocker. Like I said in the beginning, White is the reason to see the movie as he perfectly encompasses Bruce Springsteen from his appearance, mannerisms, and singing voice. 

            He also really sells the emotional moments as a man who’s suffering from depression and has a complicated relationship with his father, White makes the film’s drama hit through his acting. Jeremy Strong who was amazing in The Apprentice last year is also a standout as Springsteen’s manager and friend who believes in Springsteen’s vision no matter how outlandish it gets with quite possibly his best scene being when he visits with the head of the record company regarding Nebraska.

            I will say the plot is pretty “Been there, done that” as it’s about an artist fighting for his craft against an industry that wants him to crank out a crowd-pleasing product. However, this is a tale that needs to be repeated regardless of what kind of industry it is, not just for music so, I get why it hits these familiar beats. 

            There are some moments where the film drags a bit, not to the point where I was getting bored and the movie is only 2 hours long, but certain scenes will go on for too long. I also felt the movie probably wanted to give more context about Bruce’s life but was cut down in editing and gives the audience insight on “some” events from his life. 

            Despite a few bumpy parts, Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere is a solid music biopic and a love letter to Bruce Springsteen’s music. I’m sure it’ll get some Oscar buzz especially for acting and I hope it does because that plus hearing Springsteen’s songs blast through the movie theater speakers are more than enough reasons to go see it. 

Chainsaw Man - The Movie: Reze Arc review

CHAINSAW MAN – THE MOVIE: REZE ARC: 

DENJI’S BIG SCREEN DEBUT IS ABOUT AS EPIC AS YOU’D EXPECT! 

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: **** out of 4

CRUNCHYROLL

Chainsaw Man VS Bomb Devil in Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc

 

            Denji and his Devil hunting friends hit the big screen in Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc, the much anticipated feature film continuation of the beloved anime and manga series, Chainsaw Man. I actually binged the first season of the Chainsaw Man anime for the first time about a week or two ago and I have to say, I was very impressed with it not just on animation and action, but on a writing level. 

            The series has some of the best writing I’ve ever heard in an anime (I watched the English dubs of both the show and movie) and found Denji to be a very funny and compelling main protagonist as a young man who just wants to get laid and will fight demons (or Devils in this show’s case) in order to achieve that goal. One of the best aspects of it was hearing Denji interact with other characters like his boss and potential love interest Makima, the hyper, destructive, and often vulgar Power (Imagine an anime and female equivalent of Eric Cartman from South Park), and the stoic and vengeful Devil Hunter Aki Hayakawa, even when they weren’t slaughtering Devils, I was invested and laughing alongside these people without a single low point to speak of. 

            It’s up there with Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba as one of my new favorite anime and in a few areas, I actually kind of like this more than Demon Slayer because it keeps that energy flowing throughout the series. As much as I love Demon Slayer even I’ll admit, there are moments where the series drags or gets too overly complicated. 

            Now that I watched the show, I’m ready to talk about the Chainsaw Man movie and…yeah, it’s great! This is definitely a movie worth seeing on the big screen as it’s visually dazzling and filled with some of the best and craziest action sequences the series ever had that I haven’t seen in an anime film since Dragon Ball Super: Broly. 

            The film is set after the events of the first season and follows 16-year-old Devil Hunter, Denji (voiced by Ryan Colt Levy-Seven Deadly Sins: Four Knights of the Apocalypse, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Golden Wind, Record of Ragnarok) who is assigned Shark Devil Hunter, Beam (voiced by Derick Snow-Dragon Ball Super, Black Clover, One Piece: Stampede) as his temporary new partner by Makima (voiced by Suzie Yeung-Sword Art Online, Jujutsu Kaisen, Final Fantasy VII Remake/Rebirth) after Power (voiced by Sarah Wiedenheft-Dragon Ball Super, Tokyo Ghoul:re, One Piece) is out of commission due to excessive blood consumption. After a movie date with Makima who assures Denji that he does have a heart (Despite his chainsaw Devil dog, Pochita merging with his heart to bring him back to life after being killed by yakuzas), he meets a young girl named Reze (voiced by Alexis Tipton-Black Butler, Fairy Tail, Dragon Ball Z Kai) which causes a mental conflict within Denji about which woman he wants to give his heart to between her or Makima. 

            That’s not the only conflict going on as a Bomb Devil working for the infamous Gun Devil emerges causing havoc in the city and it’s up to Denji, Beam, Aki (voiced by Reagan Murdock-Dr. Stone, One Piece, Hell’s Paradise), and the Angel Devil (voiced by Casey Mongillo-Neon Genesis Evangelion, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stone Ocean, Pokémon Horizons: The Series) to stop it. 

            The film also features the voices of Bryn Apprill (Fairy Tail, Attack on Titan, My Hero Academia) as Kobeni Higashiyama and Josh Bangle (Goblin Slayer, Spy x Family, Overlord) as Violence Fiend. 

            Overall, Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc gives fans of the anime and manga exactly what they want, gorgeous animation, non-stop and exhilarating action scenes, and plenty of wit on an even larger scale. I’m convinced that Denji fighting Devils for the sake of food and sex will never not be funny as every time it became the focus of the movie, I was laughing. 

            But the movie will also take breaks from Denji pleasing his chainsaw down below and allow time to flesh the other characters out and work in some drama with Aki being given a really deep and heavy arc over the course of the film. As much as I enjoy Denji’s shenanigans, I found Aki to be the most compelling character in the film as he only has a couple years left to live and is going through this existential crisis. 

            Some of the side characters like Beam, Power, and the Angel Devil aren’t as focused on as much as Denji or Aki, but they’re all given moments to shine throughout the movie. Personally, I would have preferred more Power, that is my one big gripe with this movie, she gets sidelined and is only in the beginning and the after-credits scene. 

            Despite Denji being a goddamn poon hound, his chemistry with Makima is legitimately charming, I enjoyed seeing them on their movie dates and Denji asking her if he has a heart. The payoff to that is both funny given Denji’s attraction to Makima and touching at the same time. 

            The action scenes are amazing and the folks at MAPPA deserve all the praise they can get because this is easily the franchise’s best and looks and sounds spectacular in theaters. Characters flying around, running, shit getting blown up, blasts, and tons of blood, it’s a full-on adrenaline rush with a teen romance plot as the driving point to it. 

            As Makima herself said “I believe that a single good movie can change your entire life”, while I can’t say this movie completely changed my life, Chainsaw Man: Reze Arc is a damn impressive anime film that should be seen on the big screen. I would strongly recommend not coming in cold, but unlike Demon Slayer where you have several Arcs, characters, and plots to remember, you can easily binge the 12 30-minute episodes in no time flat. 

            Chainsaw Man was a pleasant surprise and I can’t wait for a second season…whenever that may be. 

Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein review

GUILLERMO DEL TORO’S FRANKENSTEIN: 

GUILLERMO DEL TORO HAS CRAFTED QUITE A MONSTER! 

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: **** out of 4

NETFLIX

Jacob Elordi in Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein

 

            The legendary, Frankenstein’s monster comes back to life in this new film version of Frankenstein, the latest feature from master filmmaker, Guillermo del Toro (Hellboy 1 and 2, Pan’s Labyrinth, The Shape of Water) based on the Mary Shelley novel of the same name. If you’ve read my review for Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio from 2022 or any of my other reviews of his work then you know I really admire him as a director and think he’s one of the most exciting filmmakers working today who always delivers a unique vision on whatever he’s bringing to the screen. 

            So, him announcing that his next project was going to be an adaptation of Frankenstein got me really hyped to the point where this might have been my most anticipated film of the year (Which is saying a lot coming from the same year that gave me Sinners, Weapons, and F1). Just like his Pinocchio movie, the film was released by Netflix and given a limited theatrical release so, I ventured out to my regular theater for big screen Netflix films to watch it in theaters and…wow! 

            Hard to say where it ranks among Pinocchio, The Shape of Water, or Pan’s Labyrinth, but Guillermo del Toro once again delivered a unique vision on the Frankenstein story that is absolutely breathtaking. I know it’s a Netflix film, but see this movie in theaters if you can because it looks and sounds spectacular on the big screen, I sound like Chris Stuckmann, don’t I? Well, stay tuned for that review soon! 

            The film follows Victor Frankenstein (Oscar Isaac-Ex-Machina, Moon Knight, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse), a brilliant but egotistical mad scientist who brings a creature (Jacob Elordi-Priscilla, Saltburn, Wuthering Heights) to life through a monstrous experiment with emphasis on monster. However, this horrific experiment ultimately leads to the undoing of both the creator and his tragic creation as it begins to gain a conscience, learn, and seek revenge on its maker after a series of nightmarish events. 

            The film also stars Mia Goth (A Cure for Wellness, X trilogy, Infinity Pool) as Lady Elizabeth Harlander, Felix Kammerer (All Quiet on the Western Front (2022), Eden) as Victor’s brother William Frankenstein, Lars Mikkelsen (House of Cards, The Witcher, Devils) as Captain Anderson, Christoph Waltz (Inglourious Basterds, Django Unchained, Big Eyes) as Henrich Harlander, Charles Dance (Underworld 4 and 5, The Imitation Game, Godzilla: King of the Monsters) as Victor’s father Baron Leopold Frankenstein, David Bradley (Harry Potter franchise, Hot Fuzz, The World’s End) as Blind Man, Lauren Collins (Degrassi: The Next Generation, Take the Lead, Charlie Bartlett) as Alma, and Ralph Ineson (The Witch, The Green Knight, Nosferatu) as Professor Krempe. 

            Overall, Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein brings Mary Shelley’s classic story to life in the most Guillermo del Toro way possible and I mean that as an absolute compliment. It’s fitting that he’s doing an adaptation of Frankenstein as he’s often known for doing projects about misunderstood monsters and tragic figures like with The Shape of Water, Pinocchio, and even his Hellboy movies to some extent and what’s really interesting about his Frankenstein is that he humanizes the monster like crazy. 

            In the beginning you see Frankenstein’s monster massacring a bunch of men on a ship and demanding them for his maker. But then, as the movie goes on, Frankenstein is portrayed like an antihero with Victor essentially being the film’s antagonist which I found quite fascinating, but not to the point where it’s a good against evil sort of situation. 

            Making Victor just as flawed as his creation honestly made him more captivating as a character and while I didn’t necessarily agree with his methods of controlling/stopping his monster, I didn’t want him to get killed by the end either. Oscar Isaac knocked it out of the park as Victor, one of the best Dr. Frankenstein portrayals I’ve seen. 

            However, Jacob Elordi is the real star of this film, he nailed Frankenstein’s monster perfectly and unlike the classic Boris Karloff performance or Robert De Niro’s portrayal, Elordi’s Frankenstein is like a gentle giant who only attacks when being threatened. Like I said, it’s a more humanized version of the Frankenstein monster compared to other adaptations, but Elordi and del Toro executed him well. 

            Mia Goth and Christoph Waltz also give great performances though they aren’t focused on as much as Isaac and Elordi, but they make do with the time given to them. Goth, I’m assuming is supposed to be a setup for an eventual Bride of Frankenstein maybe if del Toro wants to do a sequel, who knows? 

            The movie also looks fantastic in terms of the production design and cinematography, even as a Netflixstreaming movie, del Toro makes this film look as big and epic as possible with tons of large-scale shots of landscapes, mountains, and snow. Not to mention the beautifully gothic architecture like with Frankenstein’s castle and how dark and dirty it looked. 

            The horror and gore are well-executed and very fleshy though it isn’t horror in the same way as other adaptations of Frankenstein. This is closer in spirit to the original book where the monster is a tragic and sympathetic figure, but when Frankenstein’s monster has to slaughter some people, those sequences are solid.

            Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein is a stellar reimagining of the classic monster that greatly expands upon its lore and offers a new perspective on the story. It’s easily the most unique take on Frankenstein I’ve seen (at least in terms of movies) since Tim Burton’s Frankenweenie and is definitely worth seeking out in theaters if it’s playing near you. 

Black Phone 2 review

BLACK PHONE 2: 

THE GRABBER GOES FREDDY KRUEGER IN FUN HORROR FOLLOW-UP! 

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: *** out of 4

UNIVERSAL PICTURES

Mason Thames and Ethan Hawke in Black Phone 2

 

            Ethan Hawke (Before Sunrise trilogy, Sinister, Boyhood) is back as The Grabber in Black Phone 2, the new horror film from Blumhouse and director Scott Derrickson (The Exorcism of Emily Rose, Sinister, Doctor Strange) and follow-up to his 2021/22 hit, The Black Phone. I really, really liked the first Black Phone movie and thought it was a genuinely frightening and gripping horror film about a kid trying to escape from an abductor’s basement. 

            I don’t usually get scared of horror movies that much, but anything involving child abduction is legitimately terrifying to me and while the movie does have a supernatural element to it via ghosts of the kidnapped/murdered children communicating through a broken phone on the wall, it is a realistic situation that can happen and has happened. Plus a memorable performance by Ethan Hawke as child abductor and killer, The Grabber who crafted a new horror icon out of this character. 

            It’s a solid movie that stood on its own…not sure why it needed a sequel though outside of the fact it was successful. I was also taken a back seat when the trailers revealed that The Grabber was going to be a ghost or demonic entity a-la Freddy Krueger from A Nightmare on Elm Street in this one which I felt ironically made him less scary than when he was alive. 

            Despite my initial skepticism, I was going to see this movie regardless and give my thoughts on it and…Black Phone 2 is fun. It’s nowhere near as frightening as its predecessor, but those looking to have a creepy good time at the movies for Halloween surely won’t be disappointed. 

            The film is set four years after Finney Blake (Mason Thames-How to Train Your Dragon (2025), Regretting You) killed The Grabber and follows him and his sister, Gwen (Madeleine McGraw-American Sniper, Toy Story 4, The Mandela Effect) who after the latter begins to have nightmares involving murders at a youth camp in the 1950s venture out to the camp during a snowstorm in order to figure out what happened. This all turns out to be a trap concocted by none other than The Grabber (Hawke) who is now a ghost and hellbent on causing as much pain to Finney as possible as revenge for killing him. 

            Finney, Gwen, and their friend Ernesto (Miguel Mora who previously portrayed The Grabber’s victim, Robin in the first film) uncover a secret regarding this camp and their family history as they face off against a killer who has grown more powerful in death. 

            The film also stars Demián Bichir (Alien: Covenant, The Nun, Godzilla VS Kong) as Armando, Jeremy Davies (Twister, Saving Private Ryan, Justice League Dark) reprising his role as Finney and Gwen’s father Terrence Blake, Arianna Rivas (Danger Force, Prom Dates, A Working Man) as Mustang, and Graham Abbey (Degrassi: The Next Generation, King John, Stay the Night) as Kenneth. 

            Overall, Black Phone 2 leans more into fun horror compared to its predecessor and doesn’t really have that blood pumping energy from the first, but it’s still a solid sequel and an enjoyable time at the movies. I personally preferred the tension of the first as that was like the ultimate “Stranger Danger” movie with Ethan Hawke’s Grabber being very unsettling in it, but I was entertained while watching this one. 

            The sequel definitely utilizes the supernatural element more with the sister who has all the dreams/visions, Gwen essentially being the protagonist while Finney is a supporting character. Basically the Nancy Thompson from A Nightmare on Elm Street of this movie and it works well enough. 

            It especially helps that Madeleine McGraw is excellent in the film, I thought she was a standout in the first, but this really is her movie. She has the snarky remarks, vulgarities, and tough as nails attitude that she had in the first while also selling the heartfelt and dramatic moments. 

            Mason Thames is also very good reprising his role as Finney though he’s not as focused on this time around and I like that Jeremy Davies is given more to do as Finney and Gwen’s father and actually plays a part in helping them stop The Grabber. Speaking of which, even in death (I’m talking about the character FYI!), Ethan Hawke is still great as The Grabber and has plenty of creepy moments throughout the film, but like I said, I thought he was much scarier when he was alive than when he became a Freddy Krueger clone. 

            I do really like how Gwen’s dreams are depicted with a very grainy, shot on film look (The movie even starts with the 70s-80s Universal logo in the beginning) which makes it easy to differentiate between the dream world and the real world. Honestly, it makes the dreams feel rawer and grittier, I thought that was a clever way of handling them. 

            The kills are bloody and fun, but a lot of the time they felt too reminiscent of A Nightmare on Elm Streetcomplete with a “If you get hurt/die in your dream, you get hurt/die in real life” sequence. We’ve seen ghosts/entities moving people around, tossing them, slamming them, and killing/wounding them in bloody ways many times before and while they’re done well here, there really isn’t anything special about them. 

            Black Phone 2 is a flawed but fun horror sequel that pales in comparison to its predecessor, but it offers enough thrills and mystery to make it an entertaining watch for the Halloween season. Pick up the phone and see for yourself. 

Good Fortune review

GOOD FORTUNE: 

KEANU REEVES TRULY IS AN ANGEL IN UPROARIOUSLY FUNNY COMEDY! 

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: **** out of 4

LIONSGATE

Seth Rogen, Keanu Reeves, and Aziz Ansari in Good Fortune

 

            Aziz Ansari (Parks and Recreation, Get Him to the Greek, Bob’s Burgers) befriends a Guardian Angel played by Keanu Reeves (The Matrix franchise, John Wick franchise, Sonic the Hedgehog 3) who turns his life…into absolute perfection…and doesn’t get turned upside down in the new supernatural comedy film, Good Fortune. This film marks Ansari’s official directorial debut after 2022’s Being Mortal was scrapped by Searchlight Pictures. 

            I was sold on this movie just by the premise alone when I saw the trailer for it in front of the John Wick spinoff, Ballerina earlier this year. Keanu Reeves, hot off the John Wick movies and voicing the edgy, Shadow the Hedgehog in the recent Sonic movie as a bumbling angel trying to help a lost soul played by Ansari and an It’s a Wonderful Lifemeets Freaky Friday-ish plot where Ansari switches lives with a successful Seth Rogen (Superbad, This is the End, The Studio). 

            The film is essentially a social satire on the rich VS the poor, but not in a way where it constantly hammers the message into your head. It remembers to be a comedy first and My God (No pun intended), this movie is really, REALLY funny! 

            I laughed quite a bit during this movie and all of it comes from the performances by Reeves, Ansari, and Rogen. I literally could have just watched them sitting in a room, talking to each other, and cracking jokes for 90 minutes and come out happy. 

            The film follows Arj (Ansari), a down on his luck man struggling to make ends meet through various odd jobs (One of which is standing in line for 2 hours at a cinnamon bun shop for another person) and sleeps in his car. His life suddenly changes when he meets a well-meaning but rather inept Guardian Angel named Gabriel (Reeves) with small wings and mostly just stops people from texting and driving. 

            Gabriel proposes a one-week experiment where Arj switches lives with wealthy venture capitalist, Jeff (Rogen) in order for him to see how good he actually had it all along. That’s not at all what happens as Arj loves the life of luxury and doesn’t want to go back to the way things were thus leaving all three of them stuck in this alternate reality. 

            The film also stars Keke Palmer (Hustlers, Nope, One of Them Days) as Elena, Sandra Oh (Sideways, Grey’s Anatomy, Turning Red) as Martha, Stephen McKinley Henderson (Lincoln, Dune (2021), Civil War) as Azrael, and Sherry Cola (Turning Red, Shortcomings, Joy Ride) as Linda. 

            Overall, Good Fortune is an incredibly funny comedy that delivers plenty of laughs while also having a fascinating premise and an equally bold message. The movie takes the “Money can’t buy happiness” moral and twists it around where it’s like money can’t buy happiness, but it can help you live comfortably in a miserable life which I think is a really clever take on that message we’ve heard a million times. 

            On top of that, Seth Rogen’s character learns the lesson of hardship when he’s switched with Ansari’s life and how the lower class people working their asses off for long shifts and barely making enough money to survive affect the wealthy. Honestly, it makes me wish more investors, moguls, and businessmen in real life would learn the exact same lesson as Rogen in this film. 

            The performances by the three leads are all hysterical and just the team-up alone of Keanu Reeves, Aziz Ansari, and Seth Rogen has so much comedic potential. Reeves is perfectly cast as a well-meaning but bumbling angel as if Ted from Bill and Ted died and became an angel, in an age where people know him best for Neo from The Matrix and John Wick, it’s great to see him in a movie where he can showcase his comedic talents again in the most Keanu Reeves way possible. 

            Aziz Ansari and Seth Rogen are also very funny though that’s kind of a given, but they work very well off each other and easily the best aspect of the movie are the scenes where they’re interacting with Keanu. Like I said, these three are so funny that when you put them together in a room, comedy magic is created. 

            One thing I found very interesting about the film is that the first half focuses on Aziz Ansari and Keanu Reeves, but then after Ansari switches places with Seth Rogen the second half revolves around Rogen and Reeves struggling to get by. The marketing really makes it seem like Ansari is the main character throughout, but in actuality it’s about Ansari and Rogen and you get to see the story from both their perspectives. 

            Good Fortune is a hilarious and downright smart comedy with relatable characters and equally relatable situations. It brings the belly laughs and a clever insight on the workplace world that’ll make you laugh your way up to Heaven.