Predator: Killer of Killers

Predator: Killer of Killers is as close to the level of Alien vs. Predator as we’ve gotten, and that is genuinely high praise if you’re an ardent subscriber. After its release, most predator fans are ready to hand over the keys of the franchise to Dan Trachtenberg, and I really don’t disagree. Killer of Killers, an animated anthology of human warriors across cultures fighting different predators across time, has a lot going for it. The animation is stylish, in the vein of Spider-Verse, and surprisingly brutal, which really, is what you want for any Predator medium, but it’s also choppy, which I understand is a technique to make the action feel more fluid without the expense of those additional frames, but was certainly noticeable. The anthology aspect of it meant that some chapters were more interesting than others, and particularly the final character chapter, in my opinion, was quite a bit weaker than the others, and that did slow the momentum of this movie a bit. Overall though, a fun watch and the ending sets up an exciting new direction for the franchise, and it does make me hyped for Predator: Badlands, which is set to come out this fall.

-Z

A really fun idea for a film, and a great follow-up to Prey. The multiple timelines here was a concept I was already thinking about while watching Prey, so it was pretty cool to see that manifested here by the same director. I’m starting to think that this series is overall not really for me - I just can’t quite get into it for some reason. But I’m sure we’ll be heading to Predator: Badlands next, and maybe that will change my mind.

-E

Z 7.75
E 7.25
J n/a

~ZEJ 7.5

Prey

Our friend group had heavily hyped Prey, and perhaps too much, because we were both a bit let down. Despite a budget of $65 million, this straight to Hulu movie, did feel like a TV movie in a few aspects. The acting was a bit Hallmark-y at times, and having seen the actors in other mediums, I can only blame this on the director. It wasn’t terrible, mind you, but there were some scenes where it stood out. The worst aspect of this movie, the one that took me out of it the most, was the awful CGI. Which again, $65 million budget, so I’m not sure why it was so poor. That said, this was an upgrade over the original Predator, and a huge step in the right direction for the franchise, and when the CGI wasn’t pulling me out of it, I had a lot of fun. For now, Alien vs. Predator remains my favorite in the franchise and I’ll hear no words to the contrary.

-Z

I think a primary reason the Predator series was on our list in the first place was because of the high ratings of this specific film, but it sure took us a while to get to it! The storyline here was generally exciting and gave a unique perspective to the universe, but I still left the movie feeling a bit “meh” about this one. Far better than the original Predator, but not quite the awesomeness of Predator vs. Alien.

-E

Z 7.5
E 7.5
J n/a

~ZEJ 7.5

Bring Her Back

Wow. If you’re a horror fan, this is a MUST WATCH. The “spiritual sequel” to Talk to Me, I felt that this was way more fleshed out than that movie, and that the 32 & 33 year-old Philippou brothers are quickly becoming must watch in this genre, and I’m excited to see them branch out beyond it if they so choose. Definitely not a movie to watch if you’re not into horror. We are, and it was still the most visceral movie I’ve maybe ever seen. When E googled this ahead of the movie there was a disclaimer not to watch this if you have a weak stomach, which I thought is probably said about most horror movies, but, wow, that is a completely valid disclaimer. This is as close to a movie I’ve seen to Hereditary in the genre, and while perhaps a bit derivative, it’s surprisingly close in quality.

-Z

Creepy possessed child + graphic body horror = one of the more uncomfortable movies the ZEJ team has watched in the theater I'd say, but it was undeniably good despite being hard to watch. The actions of Sally Hawkins' character (an actress whose roles always feel a little manic it seems) may have felt insane at times, but they also were fueled by a clear motivation driving the plot forward, which I really appreciated. The story might not be the most unique, but it was done very well. I don't want to see it again, but I'm glad we got to watch it (in an otherwise empty theater, which really added something). Would recommend to any horror fans, which I guess I am now?

-E

This movie is MESSED UP. That could easily be my entire review. I talked with my brother about it and I had a hard time describing it beyond that. Does the gore and disgust play into my rating? Yes, but overall, I did not really enjoy this movie a lot. The story was predictable, despite how we got there being unique. I truly believe that Talk to Me was a better film, and I will stick to that, which I rated the exact same. This movie is not for everyone and is truly only for the strong-willed and strong-stomached. If you like scary movies and gore, go for it, but if you are unsure, you will most likely have a bad time.

-J

Z 8.5
E 8.25
J 7.0

ZEJ 7.92

Mission: Impossible: The Final Reckoning

Sad. Both E & J’s reviews started with that and I will too as that is the most apt word to use. It’s exceedingly rare that movie franchises are able to sustain the level of quality that Mission Impossible has, and so for it to falter in, presumably, Tom Cruise’s final movie as Ethan Hunt is really tough. It should go without saying that Tom Cruise is likely a terrible person in real life, but it’s undeniable that he brings 200% to every one of his films both emotionally and physically and that brings a certain magic to each installment we get from him. At the same time, he’s aged a lot in the last two film we’ve seen from him, and I think that showed the most in this film, where the action and stunt work was pretty underwhelming. Tom looks tired. And the poor script and bad dialogue didn’t help. There are a couple bright spots in this film, and as Jord says, if you’ve come this far, it deserves watching, but prepare to be disappointed.

-Z

Sadly a disappointing end (?) to an otherwise pretty spectacular franchise. The writing and delivery of lines often felt forced and just “off” here. The pacing of the first hour or so was bizarre, which did improve as the action picked up, but overall I left this movie feeling like it was far too long with many unnecessary plot points. Tom Cruise will certainly keep doing his thing, and I’ll continue to be sucked in by his energy, but this just didn’t quite come together.

-E

Sad when you think about it on a lot of fronts. Sad the series is over, sad that any MI movies that will ultimately come about will feel dirty, and sad that it ended on this. This is right there with MI2 in quality. Some rough looking action and a sub par plot. Despite that, it did have a very good action scene and one that was unbelievably corny. When you watch it yourself, I have a hard time believing that you won't know what I am talking about. Luckily, it doesn’t ruin the series and in a technical sense, it does finish all the story lines, which a series like this rarely does. I do think it needs to be watched if you have seen the rest, and hopefully you don’t see it as sad as I did.

-J

Z 6.5
E 6.75
J 7.0

ZEJ 6.75

Friendship

Jord and our movie friendship group are somewhat Tim Robinson superfans, so watching this movie in the theater with that particular group was a truly one-of-a-kind experience. Our friend Austin laughed at every single line of this movie, and I enjoyed that immensely. It was very funny, but as E and Jord mention, the lack of Tim Robinson character growth is a lot for a full-length movie, and it is a tad disappointing, as there was something really interesting developing here thematically that the movie didn’t fully flesh out in favor of going full Tim Robinson. Alas, good comedies are so rare, and this is without a doubt a good comedy. I look forward to hearing quotes from this movie from our group for the rest of time.

-Z

Many laugh-out-loud moments and so fun to see Tim Robinson on the big screen, but the plot felt a little lacking for me here. Tim Robinson’s lack of any social awareness bit can get a little old for me personally, but he continues to deliver multiple quotable lines and absolutely steal the show. Very surreal, very bizarre, very easy to chuckle along with.

-E

“Men shouldn't have friends” -Craig

Hear me out. I am a known Tim Robinson truther, and this film is exactly what the doctor ordered. A 10 out of 10 film for me in the laughs department. So many one liners along with quotes on quotes. Z and E are going to love it! Sadly, the story wasn’t as in depth as I was hoping. Being an A24 film I thought it could be deep and dark, but it really stuck with being a long I Think You Should Leave episode, which was great for me, but definitely not for everyone. If you want some big laughs, this is a must see! I will most likely be seeing it in theaters again sooner than later!

-J

Z 8.25
E 8.0
J 8.5

ZEJ 8.25

Final Destination: Bloodlines

Jord’s just mad because he had to watch this on his birthday instead of Friendship, so take his review with a grain of salt. Jord’s one legitimate gripe is the CGI, so we’ll give that to him, but otherwise, he could not be more wrong about Final Destination: Bloodlines. It’s an absolute blast. The plot manages to push fresh elements to the premise in a way that is difficult given how boxed in the first film made things and the acting is solid. Most importantly, it’s super fun, on par with the original in the regard. The opening sequence is an all-timer for the horror genre, and something I’ll remember for as long as I evade Death. The actors clearly had a lot of fun with this, and Richard Harmon was quite a riot. Our theater laughed quite a bit in all his scenes. If you’ve never seen any of this franchise, I’d just watch the first one as a primer, and then go straight to this, and enjoy two brilliant popcorn horror flicks.

-Z

While I think the original was better, this still pushed the storyline of the series ahead and continued to be creative in the death sequences - quite a feat for #6 in the series if you ask me. There was some cringey dialogue and quite a bit of telling vs. showing, but I still really had fun watching this!

-E

“Don't worry about me, go save your sister. I'm gonna live as long as I…” -Darlene

The reviews on this one took me for a ride. One I thought the ZEJ team would most likely miss, despite really enjoying the first few growing up. Unlike Z and E, I did not rewatch the first film, and I think I am going to hold off. I am most likely on an island here, but I did not like this film. Corny acting and rough plot. I know with these films that it needs to be expected, but it really wasn't it for me. Along with that, the kills were a little too much for me along with some bad CGI. This is for some people, but those people are not me.

-J

Z 7.5
E 7.25
J 6.5

ZEJ 7.08

Final Destination

It’s been over two decades since I’ve seen this and I am so glad the new one gave E and I an excuse to watch this because it really is an amazing popcorn horror film, in the vein of Scream, in that it’s horror but it’s also super fun. It’s a perfect time capsule of late 90s / early 2000s, which is such a vibe, with or without the personal nostalgia. It’s not nearly as scary as I remember, but alas, many horror flicks of my teens likely aren’t. Like much of the genre, the film does suffer in some categories, namely plot logic, but dialogue, acting, and general premise are all surprisingly good, and as E says, holds up in a way that is noteworthy.

-Z

The way this holds up 25 years later is remarkable. A bit predictable, yes, and definitely some plot hole issues, but this was much more fun and creative than I expected given the pretty poor reviews. The eerie vibe here would make for a great Spooktober watch!

-E

Z 7.5
E 7.5
J n/a

~ZEJ 7.5

The Princess Bride

“Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.” - Inigo

I almost always judge a book by its cover. What I thought this was — a corny rom-com that all the girls love and guys recognize is good — was completely wrong. What I got was a hilarious, Mel Brooks-esque movie that I enjoyed top to bottom. Growing up, I watched a lot of Mel Brooks, and this scratched an itch of mine that I've had for nearly a decade! Everyone I told that I hadn’t seen this was in shock, and I totally understand now. A great film everyone should see!

-J

Z n/a
E n/a
J 9.0

~ZEJ 9.0

Sicario

Holy crap. Our good friend Austin told me that this is a must-see after we talked about some of our favorite films. I noticed it on Netflix and I have thought about it most days since. It's an incredibly dark film that fills you with true feelings you didn’t know you could have. Emily Blunt also puts on a master class, and now, having seen this, I understand why seemingly everyone thinks she is great. A true thriller any movie lover needs to see!

-J

Z n/a
E n/a
J 9.25

~ZEJ 9.25

Tron: Legacy

The Tron Ares trailer got me thinking: is Tron Legacy worth watching? The answer is now yes, and will always be yes. Why this movie has the reviews that it does truly confuses me. I thought the movie rocked, along with its soundtrack! This is a movie that was made for Z, and I hope he likes it as much as I think he will. Now, it isn’t a perfect movie, but it can be the perfect movie for different situations. It has a great soundtrack, a fun plot, and an awesome universe. It does fall into a few Disney "corny" issues, but other than that, I think it is a must-watch and I'm excited for Ares!

-J

Z n/a
E n/a
J 8.5

~ZEJ 8.5

Clown in a Cornfield

“You are dead. Never f*** with Frendo.” - Daryl

Now, it may surprise you, but this was our Mother's Day watch for the year. My mom is like me and loves movies, along with watching scary movies. This is one that I thought looked like fun from the trailer, so no complaints from me. It is exactly what you think: a campy, very corny, and ultimately a good time. A fun film to throw on if you get the chance, but don’t hold your breath for anything spectacular!

-J

Z n/a
E n/a
J 7.0

~ZEJ 7.0

Thunderbolts*

Despite Thunderbolts* sorely needing a bit of character development, and to be slowed down for a few beats in some critical junctures, this was night and day better than Brave New World in every single category, and you would expect as much from the writing and directing team that made Beef, one of the best shows Netflix has produced this decade. Part of the magic of early MCU movies was that they were just plain fun, and this definitely captured a lot of that essence. This mirrored the first Avengers movies quite literally in parts, and that was a cool touch. Florence Pugh could easily carry an MCU movie on her own, and largely does here, but the ancillary characters they put around her all serve to better the movie. I’d put this in the upper half of all-time MCU movies, and hopefully a step towards righting the ship. And Jord’s wrong about this limping to the finish line. The threat of this film, and the film’s final act is thoughtfully done. But if you’re a longtime reader, you know to take his reviews with a grain of salt by now.

-Z

My faith in the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been wavering, and after the low point of Captain America: Brave New World, Thunderbolts has given me some hope! I loved the ensemble of heroes here, definitely making it feel like an Avengers movie. There could have been a bit more character development and story development in spots, but this was fun, well-written, and served a clear purpose. More of this please, Marvel

-E

“We own you now.” -Yelena

An MCU universe where Florence Pugh runs the show? Sign me up! But the question remains, do the Thunderbolts now own the MCU? Fantastic Four most likely has a lot to say about that, but until then we can be happy about Thunderbolts*. I will say, in the beginning I was locked in. As the film progressed, there were some really funny and exciting parts, but I did believe that it lost its charm as it went on. After the film I said to Z and E I felt that it limped to the finish line, and I still believe that. What I believe a lot of people are doing is comparing this to the most recent Marvel films which have been subpar, and when this was above average we are treating it like it was great. Is this a move in the right direction for the MCU, yes! Is the MCU fully back, that is still up in the air. Overall it was a fun movie with some memorable scenes, but overall I sadly felt like it was only good not great. Lastly, if you want an MCU film with some feels from the OG MCU, definitely give Thunderbolts* a watch.

-J

Z 8.5
E 8.75
J 7.75

ZEJ 8.33

The Amateur

"No, I want to kill them myself" -Heller

I am going to steal a line from my brother, “this is a movie and story that if you’ve seen it once, you’ve seen it a hundred times.” Initially, I felt the movie created a world I could get behind, with believable motives. However, as the story progressed, it increasingly faltered. With that being said, I felt like it was a movie with a good cast that they had high expectations for, then as they filmed they realized it was very mid. They then wrapped up quickly and got to the conclusion. While I think a lot of people will enjoy it, the ZEJ team (and I'll speak for Z and E on this) are not among them. Also, I believe Rami is a really good actor, but this film was not it. I felt zero depth from him, and maybe that played into why it was so average. Overall, if you are making assumptions about the plot, I can say you are most likely correct and if that interests you, then it might be worth your time.

-J

Z n/a
E n/a
J 7.0

~ZEJ 7.0

Drop

"You lost the moment you walked into this restaurant" -Richard

This was one of the mystery movies that Cinemark puts on and is probably the only reason I saw it. This film creates the typical experience with Blumhouse movies. I leave thinking to myself, “Did I really like that film?” The simple answer that comes to mind is overwhelmingly, yes! In no way is it elite, in no way is the twist extremely satisfying, and it was really predictable, but all in all I sit here and think that it was really fun and glad I watched it. I don’t think anyone looking for a thriller and a good time will be disappointed. Also, for what this film is, the reason it is a 7.75 and not a 7.5 is that it does really have some oddly extremely cinematic shots throughout the film. I sat there watching wondering why not just make a better story and film then throw this in there. Overall, very little complaints, and if you know what you're getting into, I'd say give Drop a chance.

-J

Z n/a
E n/a
J 7.75

~ZEJ 7.75

Jord’s Shrek Watch Through

(See Jord’s review on the first Shrek movie here.)

Shrek is one of my only 10 ranked films and watching it again made me think, “I should watch all of them, because I don’t really remember them all.” Here is what I will say, 1 and 2 are elite, 3 feel free to forget about, and 4 was a great bounce back. Overall, this just made me more excited for Shrek 5 and if you have time, give the first 2 a watch.

Jord’s Ratings:

Shrek: 10.0
Shrek 2: 9.0
Shrek 3: 6.5
Shrek 4: 7.75

-J

Franchise AVG:
Z n/a
E n/a
J 8.31

Franchise AVG
~ZEJ 8.31

Ex Machina

A24 Truther and ZEJ Class Clown Jord was shocked and shocked again when we told him E and I had never seen Ex Machina, and then reminded him shortly thereafter that we had never seen Ex Machina. But after seeing Civil War and Warfare, we figured it was finally time to see Alex Garland’s first feature film. Though, as E mentions, the sci-fi aspects of this are not as fantastical as they would have been upon its release in 2015, and that might have changed its impact on us. I enjoyed this, particularly the electric and MustWatch™ Oscar Isaac, and I didn’t think the plot was as predictable as E though. It has a few issues, one being that it doesn’t rise above a particularly good Black Mirror episode, like its scope and impact is just only 4/5ths of the way to profound. Regardless, would recommend. It’s a fun puzzle, despite its limitations.

-Z

What would it have been like to watch this when it came out ten years ago? I’m guessing that the AI technology would have felt unbelievably futuristic and creepy. Yet today, the conversations with Ava feel quite realistic, which is probably impacting the shock-value of this film for me. I found the story fairly predictable/not very surprising, but it still had a great energy and excellent acting. I still can’t tell if Oscar Isaac’s character was more of a crafty genius or a pompous idiot. A well-deserved Oscar for Visual Effects. Glad to have finally seen this!

-E

Z 8.5
E 8.25
J n/a

~ZEJ 8.38

Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit

After how surprisingly funny Vengeance Most Fowl was, E & I wanted to explore the rest of this franchise, and we went back to the first feature length film, the Curse of the Were-Rabbit. Though it won Best Animated Feature in 2005, it was decidedly inferior to Most Fowl. The claymation was excellent, as expected, but it wasn’t nearly as funny as I had hoped. Regardless,. this is a very cute franchise, and excellent content for kids & parents, or just animation enjoyers like ZEJ.

-Z

Not nearly as laugh-out-loud funny as Vengeance Most Fowl, but still a very charming, slightly spooky movie with excellent claymation. The additions of Ralph Fiennes and Helena Bonham Carter were also fun here. The story just felt a little more predictable and kid-focused compared with last year’s edition. I’m excited to follow the future of this franchise!

-E

Z 7.5
E 7.75
J n/a

~ZEJ 7.63

Sinners

Black Bag, Warfare, Sinners… back to back to back bangers Hollywood has treated the ZEJ team with, and each, according to ZEJ, better than the last. While all three are extremely well done on a technical level: directing, writing, acting; Sinners is by far the most creative and original, and you have to give it the edge for that. It’s also a bit more entertaining, as the phenomenally captivating acting of Michael B Jordan and company keep you so enthralled every minute of this film that you’re really on edge when the horror aspects of the film begin to unfold. Another layer of that captivation is the Oscar-worthy original music created by the masterful Ludwig Göransson, which is deliciously intoxicating. Miles Caton makes his acting debut and performs much of Ludwig’s work in the film, and he completely exemplifies this quote from the film: ”There are legends of people with the gift of making music so true it conjure spirits from the past and the future.” The combination of hearing that quote in the movie and then hearing Miles Caton perform in the movie and having him completely deliver on it gave me chills and that was a singular cinematic experience.

-Z

My favorite of the year so far! The plot completely held my attention and the horror aspects all felt deserved, not campy, to me. Michael B. Jordan does such an impressive job of playing twins interacting on the screen, I had to remind myself at the end that he was just one actor when thinking about how they put the movie together. Beautiful cinematography. A wildly long mid-credits scene that really stuck the landing. There are a lot of unexpected layers to this vampire story!

-E

"You keep dancing with the devil... one day he's gonna follow you home." -Jedidiah

If I just had to look at a poster and watch a trailer to decide if I want to watch a movie, there is no chance that I would watch this film. Right when I saw the trailer I thought it looked corny, predictable, and kind of cheap. What we got was a cinematic and extremely unique story with some high level acting. At this point, this is for sure the best film I have seen this year. Michael B Jordan is absolutely electric as both Smoke and Stack, but the real surprise is MIles Caton making his acting debut. Along with great acting is the unique story. I will say, I don’t know if I loved the vampire aspect, but it definitely is what makes this movie have no comparisons. This is what I think is the kind of horror movie that anyone can get behind. You go for long periods of time setting up a world without focusing on scares, so much so that you forget that it is a horror movie at times. Overall, a great film that any cinema lover should see asap.

-J

Z 8.75
E 9.0
J 9.25

ZEJ 8.83

Warfare

The best part of Civil War was the military sequences, and that made me really intrigued that Alex Garland was going to turn around a military movie a year later, and wow, the man did not disappoint. Warfare depicts the true story of Garland’s co-director Ray Mendoza’s Iraq unit during one particular assault on them in 2006. One particular member of the unit, Elliott Miller, had no memory of the incident, due to injuries sustained from the event, and that was the impetus for Mendoza creating the movie in the first place, so as to give his fellow soldier a feel for the events of that day. And I think that’s really important context for the movie. As Jord says, it’s not propaganda. Nor is it trying to say anything explicitly. It’s just a memory. And it’s a harrowing, intense, and emotional one. I won’t watch it again, but if you can stomach some gore, I think it’s an important watch, and will definitely be one of the best movies produced this year.

-Z

I did not expect this film to be so closely focused on one true event, which helps this stand out from other war movies. The most impressive piece for me was the film’s ability to demonstrate the logistics of battle in real-time without any of the characters overexplaining their actions. It all felt incredibly real! Devoid of any score, but excellent sound design. I hope this sees some award nominations come next Oscars season.

-E

I had no intention of a 9. Even after the film, I thought it may be close but it won't be a 9. Now that I am sitting here having to put my thoughts down, we got 9. I have not stopped thinking about this film, and I traditionally really dislike war movies. Something about this is very different and is leaving a lasting impression on me. This has no propaganda feel towards war and the military, which I kind of thought was impossible to do for a film like this. It is just an intense realtime story that had me fully engaged. How they did this with the only back story being a group of guys watching a workout film for 3 minutes to start the movie and ended with me having actual feelings for the characters is just crazy to me. As Z said to me, that he will never watch it again andmost likely I won't either, but it did really leave a stamp on me. Hopefully this is in the Oscar run for audio and I hope anyone who can handle a grim and intense story gets a chance to watch it themselves. (also, I could watch a show of force 100 times and still love it)

-J

Z 8.75
E 8.75
J 9.0

ZEJ 8.83

The Conversation

The Varsity Cinema, one of ZEJ’s favorite local Des Moines theaters, played this recently after Gene Hackman’s death, and E added it to our list as a result, but I would have been okay if she hadn’t. We tried to watch this twice, and both times I fell asleep. Amazingly, it was nominated for Best Picture in 1974, and it’s a wonder people could make it through this one, but I guess I chalk it up to this was pre-internet and boredom drove people to more tedious forms of the cinema medium. If despite all that, the Gene Hackman / Francis Ford Coppola still intrigues you, this movie does have a good premise, and the ending is amazing. But hats off to you if you can get there.

-Z

This score might be somewhat impacted by the fact that Z and I had to split this up over two viewings due to the movie putting us to sleep, but I truly do not understand how The Conversation is so well regarded. I found much of the movie incredibly slow - and that is not a complaint I often make! The intensity of the last few scenes save it a little, but not nearly enough to warrant its critical acclaim I’d say.

-E

Z 6.5
E 6.0
J n/a

~ZEJ 6.25