Ella McCay review

 Coming Soon! 

Hamnet review

HAMNET: 

CHLOE ZHAO CRAFTS A BEAUTIFUL AND HEARTBREAKING ORIGIN OF ONE OF WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE’S MOST FAMOUS PLAYS! 

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: **** out of 4

FOCUS FEATURES

Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal in Hamnet

 

            William Shakespeare comes to the screen like never before in Hamnet, the new film from writer-director Chloé Zhao (The Rider, Nomadland, Eternals) and produced by Steven Spielberg (Schindler’s List, Lincoln, The Post) and Sam Mendes (American Beauty, Skyfall/Spectre, 1917). The film is based on the novel of the same name by Maggie O’Farrell who also co-wrote the screenplay alongside Zhao and is a fictionalized dramatization of the inspiration behind William Shakespeare’s Hamlet. 

            Aside from seeing the trailer a few times in theaters, I came into this movie somewhat cold as I had never read the book and my knowledge of it came from what was shown in the trailer. I thought it looked good though it wasn’t something I wasn’t super excited to go see or anything like that, I was going to see this regardless given the talents involved. 

            Well, I have to say Hamnet exceeded my expectations, this is a really damn good movie with Zhao back in her zone after her polarizing Marvel venture with 2021’s Eternals (I thought that film was okay FYI). Like I said, haven’t read the book so I’m not sure how faithful this film version is, but as a movie I was very impressed by it on both a technical and emotional level. 

            The film follows Agnes Hathaway (Jessie Buckley-Wild Rose, Wicked Little Letters, The Bride!) and her husband and playwright William Shakespeare (Paul Mescal-All of Us Strangers, Gladiator II, The Beatles – A Four Film Cinematic Event) whose relationship is greatly impacted following the tragic death of their 11-year-old son Hamnet (Jacobi Jupe-Peter Pan & Wendy). However, what emerges from this tragedy is the creation of Shakespeare’s most famous play, Hamlet. 

            The film also stars Emily Watson (Punch-Drunk Love, Corpse Bride, The Theory of Everything) as Mary Shakespeare, Joe Alwyn (The Favourite, Boy Erased, The Brutalist) as Bartholomew Hathaway, David Wilmot (Anna Karenina, Calvary, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald) as John Shakespeare, and Noah Jupe (A Quiet Place 1 and 2, Ford v. Ferrari, No Sudden Move) as Hamlet. 

            Overall, Hamnet is a poignant and powerful movie that will surely be a strong contender during awards season and rightfully so. One thing I thought was very interesting about the film is that it actually focuses more on Shakespeare’s wife, Agnes rather than Shakespeare himself which after seeing it was the right call. 

The best aspect of this film is easily the performances particularly from Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal, especially the former. I haven’t seen much of Jessie Buckley aside from movies like The Courier, but I thought she was magnificent as Agnes who carries the entire film’s emotional weight on her back.

She really sells this woman who’s going through grief because of the death of her son and her husband is out in London unable to support her and begins to lose grasp on what she loves. Buckley brings the waterworks and my eyes were glued to the screen in just about every scene she’s in. 

Paul Mescal is also great as William Shakespeare and is a strong contender for a Best Supporting Actornomination with his portrayal of an ambitious Shakespeare who also feels the guilt of not always being there for his family. It’s a more human and relatable look at Shakespeare as a person rather than an artist and showing layers to him that aren’t often depicted, Mescal is beyond pitch perfect as a tortured artist, the fact that it’s William Shakespeare he’s playing is just an added bonus. 

The movie is also beautifully shot with outstanding cinematography and production design whether it’s the old town villages of England or the calm and atmospheric forests. Sure, it isn’t a grand epic or anything like that, but it looks great on the big screen. 

It’s a solid film throughout, but the last 15 minutes is cinematic perfection and ends on this poignant albeit hopeful note that is hard not to get teary-eyed at. I do not want to give anything away about it, but it’s easily the emotional highlight of the entire film and is best to just watch the movie and see it for yourself. 

Hamnet is a wonderful return to form for Chloé Zhao with some of the best performances I’ve seen all year, beautiful and heartbreaking storytelling, and easily the best ending to any 2025 film. Whether you’re a Shakespeare expert or casual admirer (Like me), this is one not to be missed. 

Five Nights at Freddy's 2 review

FIVE NIGHTS AT FREDDY’S 2:

FREDDY FAZBEAR’S SECOND ATTEMPT AT BIG SCREEN TERROR IS A LAUGH RIOT FOR BAD MOVIE LOVERS! 

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: * out of 4

UNIVERSAL PICTURES

Freddy Fazbear, Bonnie, and Chica in Five Nights at Freddy’s 2

 

            Freddy Fazbear and his friends are back to cause more…terror? in Five Nights at Freddy’s 2, the follow-up to the 2023 film adaptation of the popular Five Nights at Freddy’s video game series. I did not enjoy the first Five Nights at Freddy’s movie very much and even called it one of the worst films from 2023, I should also mention that I had never played any of the games. 

            I felt that for a movie about killer Chuck E Cheese-like animatronics, it was neither scary nor campy enough to properly deliver what it promised and found most of the film surprisingly dull. The animatronics looked good and I guess the production design did capture what a FNAF movie should look like (From what I had seen from the games) plus Matthew Lillard was an absolute treasure in it. 

            Despite it being lambasted by critics, the first FNAF movie was a huge hit becoming Blumhouse’s highest-grossing film and seemed to have been better received by fans of the source material. Because of that success, we now have a sequel with Emma Tammi (The Wind) returning to direct and Josh Hutcherson (Zathura, Bridge to Terabithia, The Hunger Games franchise) and Elizabeth Lail (You, Ordinary Joe, Mack & Rita) reprising their roles as Mike Schmidt and Vanessa Shelly. 

            Despite my feelings towards the first movie, I was somewhat open to a sequel and hopeful that it would either be a massive improvement over its predecessor or at the very least help me understand where the fans are coming from. There had been times before where crappy horror movies received surprisingly decent follow-ups like with 2016’s Ouija: Origin of Evil and the 2017 Conjuring Universe movie, Annabelle: Creation so maybe Five Nights at Freddy’s 2would be that franchise’s version of those films. 

            Well, I have to admit Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 surprised me quite a bit…oh, not because it’s good or anything like that, but because it is so bad and so incredibly stupid that it’s hilarious. Technically, I found Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 to be a lot more fun and entertaining than the first, but not in the ways the filmmakers probably intended. 

             The film is set a year after the supernatural nightmare at Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza and follows former security guard, Mike Schmidt (Hutcherson) and police officer, Vanessa Shelly (Lail) keeping the truth from Mike’s 11-year-old sister, Abby (Piper Rubio reprising her role from the first movie) concerning the fate of her animatronic friends. But when Abby sneaks out to reconnect with Freddy, Bonnie, Chica, and Foxy, it sets into motion a series of terrifying events, revealing dark secrets about the true origins of Freddy’s, and awakening a horror that’s been hidden away for decades. 

            The film also stars Freddy Carter (Shadow and Bone, Free Rein, American Carnage) as Michael, Theodus Crane (The Walking Dead, Underground, Black as Night) reprising his role as Jeremiah, Wayne Knight (Seinfeld, Jurassic Park, 3^rd Rock from the Sun) as Mr. Berg, Teo Briones (Pretty Little Liars, Chucky, Final Destination: Bloodlines) as Alex, Mckenna Grace (Ghostbusters franchise, PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie, Scream 7) as Lisa, Skeet Ulrich (The Craft, Scream, Riverdale) as Henry Emily, and Matthew Lillard (Scream, Scooby-Doo 1 and 2, The Life of Chuck) reprising his role as serial killer William Afton; and features the voices of Kellen Goff (JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, My Hero Academia, Shin Ultraman) as Toy Freddy, Megan Fox (Transformers franchise, Jennifer’s Body, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014-2016)) as Toy Chica, and YouTuber Matthew “MatPat” Patrick as Toy Bonnie. 

            Overall, Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 may satisfy fans of the games (I can’t speak for them), but fans of movies that are so bad they’re good will surely have a great time with this film. This movie is bad in all the best ways from the terrible dialogue to bizarre choices made that left me laughing and puzzled in a way that reminded me of the 1993 Super Mario Bros. movie and Mortal Kombat: Annihilation. 

            I shit you not, there is a sequence where a Freddy animatronic is walking towards Josh Hutcherson and he simply covers his face with a Freddy face plate in order to make it think he’s an animatronic…and it works. I laughed hard during this scene because it takes effort to put something this stupid in a movie, there is no scene that idiotic in the first movie. 

            There’s another scene in the beginning of the film where this little girl sees a boy being taken into a back room of Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza and she’s trying to warn the parents that he needs help, not only are they not paying attention to her, but they’re saying shit like “Quiet kid, the adults are talking!”. Unless there’s some kind of Pennywise from It-like curse put on the adults, no adult especially a parent would ever talk like this. 

            The movie actually does fix my biggest issue with the first, not enough crazy sequences involving the animatronics because this shit goes bonkers. There’s a scene where a bunch of animatronics are chasing Elizabeth Lail in a car, Toy Chica squeezing Newman from Seinfeld’s head open is great (The film is PG-13 though), and a climax where the original animatronics fight the Toy animatronics, the rare times where I was unironically having fun with the film. 

            The script is terrible and filled with laughably cheesy dialogue, but I will give credit that Josh Hutcherson still does a fine enough job as the lead despite the lousy material, he’s not phoning his performance in and it seems like he is trying to be a likable protagonist for these films. Elizabeth Lail as Vanessa is better here and is given more to do in the story, had the films themselves been better, I can see her and Hutcherson having great onscreen chemistry. 

            Where the first Five Nights at Freddy’s was simply bad and bland, Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 is the reverse Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (A video game movie sequel that improved upon the first) where it’s even worse and ends up being more entertaining and fun because of it. With the exception of the Marionette (Which is legitimately creepy), the animatronics are about as scary as the giant Grinch head that scared the Who teens off the mountain in the Jim Carrey version of How the Grinch Stole Christmas, the script is hilariously awful, and the film is filled with so many awkward and bizarre scenes that I just had a blast with FNAF 2. 

            I can’t believe I’m saying this, but filmmakers…don’t listen to any criticisms people had with this movie, give us more entertaining and hilariously bad garbage for Five Nights at Freddy’s 3. This is a beautifully awful film and you should go see it now! 

Eternity review

ETERNITY: 

A ROMANTIC-COMEDY TO DIE FOR! 

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: **** out of 4

A24 AND APPLE ORIGINAL FILMS

Callum Turner, Elizabeth Olsen, and Miles Teller in Eternity

 

            A romance in the afterlife that doesn’t involve the Corpse Bride begins in Eternity, a romantic-comedy from A24 and David Freyne in his directorial debut. I’ll be honest, I almost forgot this was even coming out, I never saw the trailer in theaters or online and the only thing that jogged my memory was a poster and a standee in one of my movie theater lobbies. 

            But I love many of the people involved in this so, I decided to give it a shot and…I am so glad I did becauseEternity is fantastic. This is a very funny, touching and incredibly clever rom-com that plays around with the classic Love Triangle formula and crafts something truly special out of it. 

            The film follows Joan (Elizabeth Olsen-Godzilla (2014), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Wind River), a woman who enters the afterlife following her death where souls have only one week to decide where they want to spend their eternity. This leads her to make the impossible decision of choosing between the man she spent her life with, Larry Cutler (Miles Teller-Whiplash, The Divergent Series, Top Gun: Maverick) and her first love, Luke (Callum Turner-Green Room, Fantastic Beasts 2 and 3, The Boys in the Boat) who died young and has waited decades for her arrival. 

            The film also stars Da’Vine Joy Randolph (Dolemite is My Name, The Lost City, The Holdovers) as Anna, John Early (30 Rock, Search Party, Late Night) as Ryan, and Olga Merediz (Music of the Heart, Shades of Blue, Orange Is the New Black) as Karen. 

            Overall, Eternity is absolutely delightful and one of the most pleasant surprises I had all year with a film. I came in very cold with the only knowledge I had being the poster and a plot synopsis I read online and was laughing and charmed throughout. 

            The movie plays like a lot of Love Triangle films with very familiar tropes, but unlike those shmaltzy and formulaic Love Triangle rom-coms cranked out by Hollywood, this one actually has some smart writing and endearing performances to make it work. The fact that it’s a romance movie that takes place in the afterlife where a woman’s soul has to choose between the souls of her two loves for whom she wants to spend her eternity with is an ingenious way to utilize the Love Triangle because it’s between two men from completely different points in her life and the first man even died before she met the second. 

            Despite there being a fair amount of tension and a rivalry between the two men, neither one of them is painted like the antagonist and just want to live their eternity with the one they love. Both Teller and Turner are very charming and have wonderful chemistry with Olsen as well as each other as the film progresses. 

            Elizabeth Olsen is great here and gives some of her best acting in a while, I mostly know her for playing Scarlet Witch in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and she played that part well, but this really showcases her skills as an actress. She nails comedic reactions while also commanding scenes when situations involving her dead husbands get out of hand and in the end bringing a lot of heart to the movie whether she’s with Teller, Turner, or both. 

            The film also has interesting world building with an afterlife that I can best describe as a less quirky version ofBeetlejuice’s afterlife where there are people at the front desk when new arrivals come in and seems almost like some sort of hotel or fancy apartment for souls before they go to their eternity. However, it still very imaginative and visually unique in a lot of areas such as a dark tunnel that shows people’s memories almost like a theme park attraction, the sky literally being like a sheet that goes up and down when changing from night to day is pretty appealing, and there’s a wild chase between Olsen and security guards through her history during the climax. 

            Eternity is honestly a perfect date movie in the best way; it’s a solid love story with both a heart and a brain that’s elevated by its charming leads and imaginative storytelling and ideas. It’s right up there with Spike Jonze’s Her as one of the best, odd romantic comedies that’s as sweet as it is surreal, definitely worth your time. 

Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery review

WAKE UP DEAD MAN: A KNIVES OUT MYSTERY: 

BENOIT BLANC’S THIRD CASE IS ONE OF HIS FINEST! 

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: **** out of 4

NETFLIX

Daniel Craig and his potential suspects in Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery

 

            Daniel Craig (James Bond franchise, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011), Queer) and his fake southern accent is back as Detective Benoit Blanc in Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, the third chapter of writer-director Rian Johnson (Brick, Looper, Star Wars: The Last Jedi)’s Knives Out film series. If you read my reviews for the previous films then you should already know that I greatly enjoyed the first Knives Out movie from 2019 and its 2022 sequel, Glass Onion quite a bit and hailed them as very clever and entertaining murder-mystery movies with Craig crafting another cinematic icon out of his Blanc performance. 

            You bet your ass I was excited for a third movie when it was announced to be in development with Johnson back in the director’s chair and Craig reprising his role. However, unlike Glass Onion where it was released widely in theaters for only a week before premiering on Netflix, Wake Up Dead Man is being shown in limited theaters followed by a Netflix release later. 

            Knowing me, I went out to the theater to watch this because a film with this much talent both in front of and behind the camera should not be watched for the first time on streaming. I’m glad I did because Wake Up Dead Man is yet another terrific mystery from the mind of Rian Johnson and it might actually be my favorite of the films. 

            This one goes darker than its predecessors and dives into heavy subject matter like religious radicalism while still retaining that sly sense of humor from the other movies and crafting an engaging and gripping mystery. The film is very fun and witty, but it’s not afraid to get disturbing every once in a while and push its PG-13 rating to its limits. 

            The film follows Rev. Jud Duplenticy (Josh O’Connor-The Crown, Challengers, The Mastermind), a former boxer turned Catholic priest being sent to a church in upstate New York led by the charismatic and domineering, Monsignor Jefferson Wicks (Josh Brolin-True Grit (2010), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Dune: Parts 1 and 2). But when Wicks is somehow murdered in a confined room, master detective Benoit Blanc (Craig) arrives at the church to crack the case and find the culprit. 

            The film also stars Glenn Close (101/102 Dalmatians, Guardians of the Galaxy, The Wife) as Martha Delacroix, Mila Kunis (Family Guy, Black Swan, Friends with Benefits) as Geraldine Scott, Jeremy Renner (Marvel Cinematic Universe, Mission: Impossible franchise, American Hustle) as Dr. Nat Sharp, Kerry Washington (Mr. & Mrs. Smith, Fantastic Four 1 and 2, The Last King of Scotland) as Vera Draven, Esq., Andrew Scott (Spectre, 1917, Blue Moon) as Lee Ross, Cailee Spaeny (On the Basis of Sex, Priscilla, Alien: Romulus) as Simone Vivane, Daryl McCormack (Fair City, Peaky Blinders, Twisters) as Cy Draven, Thomas Haden Church (George of the Jungle, Sideways, Spider-Man 3) as Samson Holt, Jeffrey Wright (The Batman, Rustin, American Fiction) as Langstrom, and Noah Segan (Brick, Looper) who had previously appeared in Knives Out and Glass Onion as different characters as Nikolai the Bartender. 

            Overall, Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery adds another sharply-written, intriguing, and brilliantly crafted murder mystery to Rian Johnson’s Knives Out franchise. While I unintentionally called out the culprit in the first movie through a joke Facebook post which was a surprise in and of itself, I legitimately didn’t know where this was going and was constantly guessing who the person (or people) responsible is/are. 

            I feel Johnson perfectly understands that the best mysteries are the ones where anybody could be a suspect and subvert people’s expectations as it’s being pieced together. The film keeps you on the edge of your seat throughout and makes you wonder where it’s going and what the outcome will be like and it never loses any steam during its 2 hours and 20 minute runtime. 

            Daniel Craig is once again great as Benoit Blanc with his Foghorn Leghorn-style southern accent though in this film he acts more like a supporting character with Josh O’Connor’s Jud being the true protagonist with Craig not even appearing until 20 minutes into the movie. But he still brings his charm and wit to the role and shows off his comedic side as a radically different character from 007. 

            Josh O’Connor, like Ana De Armas in the first film is a very endearing protagonist as a boxer who killed a man in the ring and his shame and guilt over that is what draws him to Christianity and becoming a priest. I mostly know him from last year’s Challengers and he was great in that, but this really showed me his capabilities as an actor because he sells the tragedy of his predicament and his need to atone for his past. 

            The supporting cast is also magnificent which shouldn’t be a shock given the talents and each one is given moments to shine. Some of my favorites are Josh Brolin who commands the screen as the intense and abrasive priest who gets murdered and Glenn Close giving some of her most consistently entertaining acting since Cruella De Vil in 101 Dalmatians, she made me laugh almost every time she was onscreen. 

            The cinematography and production design is amazing though nowhere near as outlandish as the mansion from the first or the building that was a literal and the titular glass onion from the second. The church setting and lighting in various scenes in said church make it seem very big and epic especially for a murder mystery, they also do something with the sun lighting in certain scenes where people are giving their versions of the story which I thought was very clever and effective. 

            Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery is a magnificent murder mystery with Rian Johnson being a powerful force of nature in the genre. It’s funny, it’s engaging, and it keeps you guessing until its jaw-dropping revelation, I greatly enjoyed my time with this movie and I eagerly await more adventures with Daniel Craig’s Benoit Blanc in the near future. 

Zootopia 2 review

ZOOTOPIA 2: 

JUDY AND NICK RETURN IN SOLID SECOND CASE! 

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: *** ½ out of 4

DISNEY

Judy Hopps, Nick Wilde, and Gary De’Snake in Zootopia 2

 

            Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde are back to solve another case in Zootopia 2, the latest animated feature from Walt Disney Animation Studios and follow-up to the 2016 critical and commercial smash, Zootopia. The first film I’ll go on record and say is not just one of Disney’s best CG animated movies, but one of their best animated features in general and really made me change my perception of what makes a Disney film with bold, thought-provoking social themes like prejudice, racism, political power, and underestimating those that appear unqualified for their jobs or aspirations. 

            Yes, it is a movie about a big city that’s populated by anthropomorphic talking animals, but the parallels between it and reality are undeniable. It’s a film that spoke to both kids and adults on equal levels and provided strong messages that either one can take something away from on top of just being a fun mystery with a very lovable and endearing rabbit and fox duo in the form of Judy and Nick behind the wheel. 

            It was hailed by critics and was a massive box-office success becoming Disney’s second highest-grossing animated film at the time behind 2013’s Frozen. Because of that, it spawned the Disney+ series, Zootopia+ which I have not watched yet and the inevitable sequel movie. 

            I was…curious about Zootopia 2 when it was initially announced though I wasn’t really super pumped for it because I felt the first movie worked exceptionally well as a self-contained film and I wasn’t that enthusiastic about the last Disney sequel, Moana 2 which wasn’t bad or anything, but it was very generic and subpar compared to its predecessor. 

            Well, thankfully Zootopia 2 is a much better Disney sequel than Moana 2 and Frozen II though I wouldn’t call it a sequel that surpasses the first, this isn’t the Toy Story 2, Shrek 2, or Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse of Zootopiamovies. I felt the first Zootopia had a tighter story with stronger social commentary and even some really heavy scenes (The scene where child Nick gets bullied and has the muzzle put on him is still pretty messed up!), but I still very much enjoyed my time with Judy and Nick’s second adventure. 

            The film follows Judy Hopps (voiced by Ginnifer Goodwin-Mona Lisa Smile, Walk the Line, Once Upon a Time) and Nick Wilde (voiced by Jason Bateman-Arrested Development, Horrible Bosses 1 and 2, Bad Words) who are now partners in the Zootopia Police Department (ZPD), but their clashing personalities makes them an incompatible pairing. However, a mysterious reptilian resident enters Zootopia known as Gary De’Snake (voiced by Ke Huy Quan-Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, The Goonies, Everything Everywhere All at Once) and turns the mammal metropolis upside down as Judy and Nick go undercover to crack the case, explore unknown parts of the city, and put their growing partnership to the ultimate test by following the snake’s trail. 

            The film also features the voices of Idris Elba (Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Jungle Book (2016), Sonic the Hedgehog franchise) reprising his role as Chief Bogo, Fortune Feimster (Last Comic Standing, The Mindy Project, The L Word: Generation Q) as Nibbles Maplestick, Andy Samberg (Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Hotel Transylvania franchise, Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers) as Pawbert Lynxley, David Strathairn (A League of Their Own, L.A. Confidential,Lincoln) as Milton Lynxley, Patrick Warburton (Seinfeld, Family Guy, The Emperor’s New Groove) as Mayor Brian Winddancer, Danny Trejo (Desperado, Spy Kids franchise, Machete 1 and 2) as Jesús, Nate Torrence (Get Smart, Supernatural, She’s Out of My League) reprising his role as Benjamin Clawhauser, Bonnie Hunt (Rain Man, Jumanji,Toy Story franchise) reprising her role as Bonnie Hopps, and Don Lake (Hot Shots!, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Best in Show) as Stu Hopps. 

            Overall, Zootopia 2 isn’t as clever or deep as its predecessor and probably won’t leave as big an impact as that movie, but it’s still a really solid sequel that builds upon the first, expands the world, and introduces new characters and dilemmas. Yes, I said I didn’t think it was as good as the first, but not once did I call this a carbon copy or complete retread of the previous film, everything was different enough and did progress the story along. 

            Where the first Zootopia dealt with prejudice among other social issues, this one focuses more on the mystery behind the town’s history and why reptiles were outlawed. I guess you could argue it’s like how people were forced out of their own homes due to war or invasions, but it didn’t feel as impactful to me as any of the things from the first film. 

            The animation is gorgeous once again and is definitely worth experiencing on the big screen, the city itself really is the true star of these movies and there are some neat sequences that show it off. 

            Most of the humor landed for me whether it was jokes or witty lines of dialogue said by Judy and/or Nick or the supporting characters, visual or written gags such as the bootleg Disney movies (Which was also in the first film) and a joke involving a YouTube comment. The climax even features a little homage to The Shining which was something I was certainly not expecting to see in a sequel to Zootopia.

            Judy and Nick are once again a very lovable duo and have great chemistry, I love seeing and hearing them banter while also expressing their own personal struggles with this film really testing their partnership and loyalty to one another. Honestly, Judy and Nick are some of the most endearing and relatable of Disney’s characters in terms of both comedy and charm. 

            The chase sequences are fun and filled with a lot of creativity, very fast-paced, crazy car chases that take advantage of the big screen. Very energized and funny, one of them even takes a page from Fast & Furious which I just love. 

            Zootopia 2 is a long overdue reunion with Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde and the best Disney Animation movie sequel since Ralph Breaks the Internet in 2018. The social themes aren’t quite as powerful this time around, but it is guaranteed to provide a brightly colored, funny, and incredibly charming animated film for the family…it’s called a movie review, sweetheart! 

Jay Kelly review

JAY KELLY: 

GEORGE CLOONEY AND ADAM SANDLER TRAVEL TO EUROPE IN FUNNY AND HEARTFELT COMEDY-DRAMA! 

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: *** ½ out of 4

NETFLIX

Adam Sandler and George Clooney in Jay Kelly

 

            The unexpected team up of George Clooney (Ocean’s trilogy, Michael Clayton, Gravity) and Adam Sandler (Happy Gilmore 1 and 2, 50 First Dates, Uncut Gems) becomes a reality in Jay Kelly, the new film from director Noah Baumbach (The Squid and the Whale, While We’re Young, Marriage Story). Yeah, I was down to see this when I heard it was coming out, I love both George Clooney and Adam Sandler (Though the latter’s comedic outings can be pretty hit and miss) and Baumbach is a damn good director given his credentials. 

            The film was given a limited release in theaters before arriving on Netflix afterwards so, I went to my theater that runs Netflix movies to watch it on the big screen and…it’s a very good film! I don’t think it’s as strong as some of Baumbach’s other films like The Squid and the Whale or Marriage Story, but I laughed a fair amount of times and was captivated by Clooney and Sandler’s performances in this. 

            The film follows the titular, Jay Kelly (Clooney), a well-known actor who had just finished his most recent film and wants to spend time with his youngest daughter, Daisy (Grace Edwards-Asteroid City) before she leaves for Europe, but she has no interest and would rather go with her friends. This leads Jay to exit out of his next project and book a flight to Europe to see his daughter while his manager, Ron (Sandler) accompanies him on his journey. 

            Along the way, these two men are forced to confront the choices they’ve made, the relationships with their loved ones, and the legacies they’ll leave behind. 

            The film also stars Laura Dern (Blue Velvet, Jurassic Park franchise, Little Women (2019)) as Jay’s publicist Liz, Billy Crudup (Princess Mononoke, Big Fish, Watchmen) as Jay’s former acting friend and roommate Timothy, Riley Keough (Magic Mike, Mad Max: Fury Road, It Comes at Night) as Jay’s eldest daughter Jessica, Jim Broadbent (Topsy-Turvy, Harry Potter franchise, Paddington trilogy) as Peter Schneider, Patrick Wilson (Watchmen, The Conjuring franchise, Aquaman 1 and 2) as Ben Alcock, Josh Hamilton (J. Edgar, Eighth Grade, The Long Walk) as Carter, Emily Mortimer (The Ghost and the Darkness, Hugo, Paddington in Peru; who also co-wrote the film alongside Baumbach) as Candy, Isla Fisher (Wedding Crashers, The Great Gatsby (2013), Now You See Me trilogy) as Ben’s wife Melanie Alcock, Jamie Demetriou (Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga, Cruella, The Roses) as Clive, and Patsy Ferran (Darkest Hour, Living, Mickey 17) as Brenda. 

            Overall, Jay Kelly is an exquisitely filmed, funny, and emotionally rich journey through Europe that’s heightened by Clooney and Sandler’s incredible onscreen chemistry. George Clooney and Adam Sandler is probably the last team-up I’d expect to see, but they work extremely well together in this movie. 

            It’s true that Clooney is essentially doing his usual charismatic, cool guy shtick that we’ve seen in several other movies and you could argue that this entire film is one great big love letter to him and his work, but as an actor playing an actor his charm is completely warranted for this performance. Adam Sandler once again gets to show off his skills as a dramatic actor and it’s no secret that this is significantly better film starring him in 2025 (Happy Gilmore 2 was also released earlier this year). 

            While I can’t say Sandler’s performance lives up to his absolutely mesmerizing role in Uncut Gems, he brings a lot of heart as Clooney’s devoted manager who’s looking out for his talent. Most of what makes the film work is seeing Clooney and Sandler interact with each other and their dynamic together is so strong, I legitimately want to see more movies with both of them headlining it. 

            While the movie doesn’t exactly go all-out on showing Europe as much as possible and they technically didn’t shoot the France scenes on location, the cinematography is still very impressive especially the scenes when they’re in Tuscany. As mentioned before, I watched the film in theaters and there were times where I was genuinely relishing at some of these scenes on the big screen and this film even has quite possibly the most creative flashback transitions I’ve ever seen in anything, so brilliantly done. 

            This isn’t trying to be a bombastic movie about filmmaking, it’s a simple yet powerful story about two men trying to come to terms with things that happened in their lives, reconnecting with loved ones (Some of which are estranged), and learning some kind of lesson by the end through a trip to Europe. You get some laughs, some heartfelt moments, some heavy scenes, and moments that just put a smile on your face as you’re watching it; all of that applied to my viewing of it. 

            Jay Kelly is another solid film from Noah Baumbach with excellent performances by George Clooney and Adam Sandler, some beautiful cinematography, a strong balance between comedy and drama, and a deep look into the personal life of a movie star. If you’re a fan of Clooney especially then this is a required viewing because it is just as much a celebration of him as what The Fabelmans was for Steven Spielberg, I swear the movie even uses clips from other Clooney films like Burn After Reading and Leatherheads in this Jay Kelly montage of movies during the epilogue, but no Bat Credit Card.