Tron: Ares

A worse version of Tron: Legacy, which had great visuals and weak writing, but this one lacks the heart and charm of the former both in writing and acting, though the soundtrack of this is decidedly better, as Nine Inch Nails tailors its sound to the aesthetic of the universe unlike Daft Punk’s orchestral swing. There’s a lot that’s visually cool about Ares, but the best scene happens inside the grid, which is unfortunately only a small part of the film. Sort of a bittersweet watch as the Tron franchise has so much potential but is largely wasted once again. That said, if you enjoy visual and soundtrack vibes, you’ll have fun with it.

-Z

I went into this knowing the plot and writing would probably be bad, and they definitely were not great, but the visuals and soundtrack made up for that quite a bit here. I actually enjoyed watching this much more than I thought I would. I’ll still argue that the best Tron is the original for its creativity and much stronger writing. If you can see this on a big screen (and in 3D like we did), it is hard to imagine someone hating the experience, but beyond that, the movie itself is just okay.

-E

The standard score of a movie I don’t regret watching, but it really has some issues. I really enjoyed Tron: Legacy, but this one brought up a question I still can’t shake; Is there really a need/want/thirst for Tron movies? I feel like there are plenty of other IP’s that are a lot more interesting than this and I am curious if there will be more. Overall, the story really struggled and acting was tough in spots, but visually it was very fun. I usually hate 3D movies, but I do think this was the best way to watch. If you want to watch something visually fun with a great soundtrack, you need to see this in theaters. If you are looking for a great movie, this one can be a pass.

-J

Z 7.25
E 7.25
J 7.0

ZEJ 7.17

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre

E and I decided to watch the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre as we continue our Spooktober watch, a first watch for both of us. Considered one of the most influential and best horror movies of all time, we were very curious how it’s aged after 51 years, and I will say, for my part, it’s aged very well even though it’s not my particular cup of tea. It’s a very bizarre film, even for the horror genre. The pacing is wild. It kind of builds exponentially, but very slowly for the first two-thirds, and the final act is just pure mania. For me, a modern viewer, that slow part drags a bit, and therefore kept my overall enjoyment of this tempered. It’s interesting too, because it’s only an 83 minute runtime, but it really feels much longer than that due to that initial pace. Nevertheless the ending is worth the price of admission, as there’s some fairly iconic scenes that have stuck with me. Another must watch for genre fans.

-Z

Another classic horror movie that I had never seen, I did question a few times if Z and I had somehow clicked on the wrong movie. I’m still a bit baffled as to how this is so well regarded. A lot of uncomfortably long scenes with a lot of loud noise, which definitely does equate to horror, but doesn’t make for an interesting movie in my opinion. It is certainly different, and I don’t doubt that it was revolutionary to the world of horror films, but this one was not for me.

-E

Z 7.25
E 6.5
J n/a

~ZEJ 6.88

The Ring

Spooktober rolls on for E and I and next on the list - the scariest movie of my childhood, The Ring. The post serves as both a review 20+ years later, and an apology to my dear younger sister Maddie, whom I made watch it with me in the broad daylight, as I was too scared to watch it on my own. I bribed her with a cookies and cream milk shake, so it wasn’t all bad for her. But after watching this again with E all these years later, and reconfirming how creepy this movie is, I can’t imagine little Maddie slept well back then in her post Ring era. So sorry sister! She’s a tough as nails ER nurse now, but she hasn’t thanked me for any of that yet. Anyway, The Ring today, is yes, still scary. The antagonist, is actually not as scary as I remember, but that dreaded tape, and all the buildup is just wonderfully creepy. I really appreciated unraveling the mystery of it too in the rewatch. A must watch for all horror genre fans, and one that holds up. An all-time classic for Spooktober!

-Z

Z was pretty surprised I knew nothing about the plot of this movie, thinking it was about a literal piece of jewelry that was maybe haunted or something. Needless to say, this was not what I expected! I did really enjoy the story and the eerie vibe of the film. Creepy children are not my favorite trope, and this did have some questionable choices, but it is perfect for Halloween season. I also loved some bonus education on how VHS tapes work!

-E

Z 7.75
E 7.75
J n/a

~ZEJ 7.75

The Smashing Machine

With the mid reviews, we were all worried about The Smashing Machine, but since Jord, myself and my dad all picked it for the Movie Fantasy League, there was no missing out on The Rock’s attempted comeback as a serious actor, and upon reflection, I’m glad we didn’t skip it. While the importance of its story is pretty low, I appreciate Benny Safdie’s directing style and take on a the sports genre. The Rock’s performance is genuinely good, and the prosthetics he’s wearing are amazing. For the first time I can ever remember, there were times on screen where he truly exhibited a character that wasn’t just himself, and he gave Mark Kerr, one of the pioneering fighters of the UFC, a lot of nuance. Ryan Bader, who stars alongside the Rock and portrays Mark Coleman, but is himself also a MMA fighter, was also excellent despite this being his first ever acting role. I wouldn’t go out of your way to see this, but I think you’ll enjoy it if you do.

-Z

Wow, The Rock can act, there is no doubt in my mind now. I do hope he gets nominated for his role here. I knew nothing about the true story this was based on though, and now after watching the movie, I’m not sure I know a whole lot more? I think there needed to be more of a “So what?” answered here to give this a bit more purpose.

-E

I will preface that I had a very unique viewing experience that will require a re-watch due to me being distracted, but I did really enjoy the movie. I felt like Safdie does such a good job of getting the best out of actors that aren’t deemed as ‘real actors.’ I thought The Rock did a fantastic job as the main actor and would love to see him in more roles like this. Along with him, the vibe that Safdie gives is very much catered to viewers like me. I really enjoyed the film, but my biggest issue comes with the true story nature of the film. I really just don’t think he is interesting enough for a full length movie like this. Overall, a great watch and I really hope The Rock gets a nomination.

-J

Z 7.5
E 7.75
J 8.0

ZEJ 7.75

Young Frankenstein

For one reason or another Young Frankenstein has a come up a couple times recently, and E and I thought we’d give it our first ever watch to kick off Spooktober. Admittedly our Mel Brooks watch list is sorely lacking, having only seen Spaceballs myself, and while I’m not over the moon for that movie, I recognize that Mel Brooks is widely considered a comedy genius, and need to brush up on his catalogue. That said, I did fall asleep halfway through Young Frankenstein, so I missed a small chunk in the middle. But that isn’t to say that I didn’t enjoy it, or find it amusing, but it is fairly slow, and didn’t keep me captivated enough to stay locked in. There are some very funny bits, and Gene Wilder is as much a treasure as Dr. Frankenstein as he is Willy Wonka. His performance alone demands a watch of this, if not for Mel Brooks appreciation. E and I have never seen the original Frankenstein either, which this is a very close satire of, and I’m sure that would also add to the appreciation of it. Probably not a completely fair rating given the facts, but we’ll leave it at that for now.

-Z

Frankenstein is one of my favorite books of all time, and with the new movie coming up, this rose to the top of the Z&E Spooktober list. For a movie over 50 years old, it is surprising how well it holds up. While it started off quite fun, it really started to drag and slow down towards the end for me - most of the big laughs seem to happen pretty early on. A fun take on the story and clever overall, but the ending didn’t quite do it for me.

-E

Z 7.5
E 7.5
J n/a

~ZEJ 7.5

MFL 2025 Kickoff

Movie Fantasy League 2025 has officially commenced, and we a have few additions to our league from last year! Let’s take a look at our respective rosters:

Zach (runningwolf) - Total Budget $100

• Hamnet — $20

• Marty Supreme — $20

• The Smashing Machine — $20

• It Was Just an Accident — $15

• Is This Thing On? — $15

• The Secret Agent — $5

• Sound of Falling — $3

• Eternity — $2

E (ecrhodes) - Total Budget $99

• Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere — $25

• Frankenstein — $25

• Hamnet — $20

• F1 — $8

• K-Pop: Demon Hunters — $8

• Black Phone 2 — $5

• The Testament of Ann Lee — $5

• Weapons — $3

J (Jord) - Total Budget $99

• One Battle After Another — $30

• The Smashing Machine — $20

• Hamnet — $20

• It Was Just an Accident — $15

• The Secret Agent — $5

• Sisu 2 — $3

• Arco — $3

• The Man with the Bag — $3

BigBrett - Total Budget $100

• One Battle After Another — $30

• Frankenstein — $25

• The Smashing Machine — $20

• Predator: Badlands — $10

• Anemone — $5

• A Private Life — $5

• Caught Stealing — $3

• Trap House — $2

Heather Huffs Great Picks - Total Budget $81

• Wicked: For Good — $45

• Nuremberg — $10

• 28 Years Later — $5

• Black Bag — $5

• The Housemaid — $5

• A Minecraft Movie — $5

• Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning — $5

• The Woman in Cabin 10 — $1

Max - Total Budget $99

• One Battle After Another — $30

• Zootopia 2 — $25

• Nuremberg — $10

• Die My Love — $8

• If I Had Legs I'd Kick You — $8

• The Running Man — $8

• A Private Life — $5

• Anemone — $5

Jetty - Total Budget $100

• Wicked: For Good — $45

• Bugonia — $25

• Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 — $10

• Goodbye June — $8

• K-Pop: Demon Hunters — $8

• One of Them Days — $2

• The Conjuring: Last Rites — $1

• All of You — $1

Austo - Total Budget $100

• Wicked: For Good — $45

• Avatar: Fire and Ash — $30

• Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 — $10

• K-Pop Demon Hunters — $8

• Weapons — $3

• Shelby Oaks — $2

• The Conjuring: Last Rites — $1

• “Silent Night, Deadly Night” — $1

St Shuffles - Total Budget $100

• Wicked: For Good — $45

• Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere — $25

• Predator: Badlands — $10

• K-Pop: Demon Hunters — $8

• Superman — $5

• Weapons — $3

• The Perfect Neighbor — $2

• Shelby Oaks — $2

Daddy - Total Budget $100

• Wicked: For Good — $45

• Avatar: Fire and Ash — $30

• KPop Demon Hunters — $8

• Gabby's Dollhouse: The Movie — $5

• 28 Years Later — $5

• The Long Walk — $3

• Steve — $3

• Atropia — $1

Ruthless - Total Budget $99

• Jay Kelly — $30

• Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere — $25

• Hamnet — $20

• Song Sung Blue — $10

• The History of Sound — $5

• Jurassic World Rebirth — $3

• Arco — $3

• The Roses — $3

What a league! Our 11 entrants picked a total of 56 movies, of which 36 were only picked once, and 20 of which were picked twice or more.

The most popular choices were:

• K-Pop: Demon Hunters — $8 (picked 5 times)

• Wicked: For Good — $45 (picked 5 times)

• Hamnet — $20 (picked 4 times)

• One Battle After Another — $30 (picked 3 times)

• Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere — $25 (picked 3 times)

• The Smashing Machine — $20 (picked 3 times)

• Weapons — $3 (picked 3 times)

Of our 11 entrants, Austo, Jord’s brother was the least unique, by having just a single unique movie. Jord’s mom Heather and E’s mom Ruth had the most unique rosters, having 5 unique movies each! And of course, an extra shoutout to Heather for having the lowest total budget, having spent just $81!

Excited to see the year play out. We’ll post periodic updates as we hit important scoring timeframes. Thanks for playing and good luck!

One Battle After Another

As of 10/1/25, One Battle After Another sits with a 95 Metacritic rating, and knowing it had such a high score going into the watch last Thursday, had my expectations at a maximum, and that is usually a recipe for some level of disappointment, but in this case, Paul Thomas Anderson absolutely delivers. I debated really hard between a 9.25 and a 9.5 rating on this, as I found it difficult to rank it above Sinners and Anora, last year’s Best Picture winner, but I gave it the bump at the last minute because One Battle After Another is the first movie in a long time I’ve immediately wanted to rewatch. A big reason for that is despite this being a nearly 3 hour movie, true to its title, this movie just flat out flies. It’s truly a roller coaster without brakes. I had to pee for the last half of this, as did our friend Austin, and yet neither of us dared to leave the theater, because there just wasn’t an opportunity to. Jord didn’t love the soundtrack, whereas E and Austin did, but I didn’t even register it most of the time as I was just so locked in on what was happening on the screen, yet another reason to rewatch it. Obviously with the A-list cast, you’d expect incredible performances, and they all deliver, but Sean Penn steals every single scene he’s in, and somehow is standout in a sea of standouts. He puts his entire body into the performance, literally down to his walk and it’s an absolute delight. There’s some beautiful, apt social and political commentary in this to boot, and I could really go on and on with its praises, but to keep this from being a novel I’ll just say that on a technical level this movie is a masterpiece. The cinematography, the directing, the acting, 10/10. Whereas I may have personally been a little bit higher on Sinners in terms of enjoyment, I didn’t immediately want to rewatch Sinners, and I wouldn’t call that a technical masterpiece. As far as Best Picture goes, this is the current movie to beat.

-Z

I was not sure this was going to live up to the critical hype it was receiving, but wow, it did. Excellent, very timely storyline. I personally loved the chaotic pacing and intense score - every scene was purposeful and sailed right along. I might have liked a little more development in the ending, but that’s just nitpicking.

-E

This potentially is the movie of the year. Strong story, great acting, very engaging, and topical. It hit basically every point and was what I needed after seeing Him and The Long Walk. This is the ‘new Leo movie,’ but realistically it should be the new Sean Penn movie. If you are a movie fan, this needs to be seen and in theaters. Who knows how this will end, as it came out a little early for awards season, but it will most definitely be there. My only issue is a bit with the ending and the score was way too much in my opinion. It towed a thin line because in some scenes it made it and in other scenes it was fully unnecessary and distracting. A very technical complaint, but the difference from a 10 and a 9.5.

-J

Z 9.5
E 9.5
J 9.5

ZEJ 9.5

The Long Walk

With the possible exception of David Jonsson, this is one of the worst acted movies I’ve seen. Phillip Seymour Hoffman is one of my all-time favorite actors, but at least for me, his son Cooper doesn’t have the same appeal. Mark Hamill was also wildly poor casting, and his performance was just strange. Besides the acting, the dialogue was bizarre and the bickering between the boys felt so unrealistic. The trailer made this seem like a horror, and had they leaned into that with the movie, I think it could have been great, but instead they went more drama / trauma-bonding / metaphorical that just didn’t work for me. Unless you’re a Stephen King truther, this is a skip.

-Z

Sadly, this was a case of me thinking the trailer looked a little dumb and gave away the entire plot…and that basically was the case. The ending also felt quite out of place, but I had kind of given up hope that that might turn it around at that point. A lot of this movie focuses on conversations, and the dialogue/delivery just did not feel natural. The world they built seemed really intriguing, and I’m sure there was a purpose in not giving away too many details about it and focusing just on the walking, but that led to this feeling more like a play than a movie.

-E

From no expectations, to a potential banger in terms of reviews from people I trust, it created quite the expectations going in. Right when I saw the trailer I was intrigued, but Z and E seemed very skeptical. Overall, I did really enjoy the movie and it did have some emotional parts. I do think the writing was very poor at times, which made the flow tough to be a part of, but I think some good monologues helped me. Overall, its downfall was the anti-climactic and confusing ending. I usually try to stop bad endings from affecting me too much, but this one was objectively bad. Sadly, it had the bones for a great movie, but finished average.

-J

Z 6.5
E 7.0
J 7.75

ZEJ 7.08

Barbarian

Jord watched this in 2022 when it came out with Austin and didn’t love it, so E and I didn’t race to put it on our Spooktober horror watchlist, but after Zach Creggers’ masterstroke of Weapons, our curiosity was piqued, and it was definitely worth the watch. This is much simpler mystery to unravel compared to Weapons and the payoff wasn’t as satisfying, but you can definitely see Cregger was working towards something that is realized better in Weapons. When the humor comes in this, it’s definitely more stark, but I enjoyed it. It was a nice reprieve of the tension. Certainly some issue with the plot and decisions by the characters, but it makes more sense learning, after the fact, that this script began as a writing experiment in which Cregger wanted to write a story where the protagonist ignored as many red flags as possible. If you enjoy horror, this is a must watch.

-Z

Going in mostly blind (except for a pretty basic trailer) was the right choice here. I was terrified to see this in theaters when it released due to an upcoming stay at an AirBnB, but I’m glad the success of Weapons made Z & I revisit this one. It doesn’t quite blend humor and horror with quite the right mix compared to Weapons (although there are some very funny moments), and a lot of the plot here just left me frustrated (classic horror movie non-logic), but overall, better than I expected it to be!

-E

Z 7.5
E 7.75
J 7.42

ZEJ 7.42

KPop Demon Hunters

Unlike Jord, the title for this made me more intrigued than less. As E says, this movie is quite cliche, and has some serious plot issues, BUT it is overwhelmingly made up for by the music and stylish animation. It’s wildly fun, and as Netflix’s most watched movie ever, it’s probably worth watching purely on FOMO basis.

-Z

The plot was a little lacking and predictable, but I was largely okay with that due to the very fun animation and soundtrack! Would be surprised if this doesn’t get an original song nomination come Oscars season. I’d also like it to be known that I picked this for my MFL team before watching it, and I don’t regret that choice!

-E

The marketing team for this film needs to be fired. First off, for me personally, the name is a total turn off to the film. Beyond that, only releasing on Netflix with very little hype is criminal. This is an extremely fun film for both kids and adults with some bangers if you like original music in film. Along with that, the story is surprisingly deep and can hit a lot of the population in one way or another. A must watch for movie lovers and casual watchers alike. I promise it is better than you think.

-J

Z 8.0
E 8.0
J 8.25

ZEJ 8.08

Movie Fantasy League 2025

As we get that first whiff of cool fall air, football returns, and not far behind is Oscar season at the cinema. And just like that, Vulture’s Movie Fantasy League returns for its sophomore season at ZEJ Reviews. Last year, Jord ran away with it, but I think we all know that was a fluke. Join us for year two, and let’s take down our reigning champ together. Here’s the rules:

• Go to https://moviegame.vulture.com/ and fill out your team name and be sure to enter “ZEJ Reviews” under the League Name.

• Draft a team of eight eligible movies released in 2025 using a budget of 100 fake dollars. Each movie has been assigned a value based on its points-earning potential.

• If you draft by September 25, you’ll be able to pick from the full list of eligible movies. Wait longer, and you’ll be limited to only films that haven’t yet started accruing points (i.e. you can only draft unreleased movies that haven’t been nominated for any awards.)

• Starting on September 26, you’ll accrue points based on the box-office performance, awards haul, and critical reception of the movies you picked. Each week starting Monday, September 29, the updated leaderboard will be available on this page and in the weekly MFL newsletter.

• The teams that earn the most points when the game ends after the 2026 Oscars wins!

Good luck to everyone, except Jord, this season!

Nobody 2

Textbook cash grab. Although most cash grab sequel’s put in more effort than this. The script seemed written by ChatGPT, but I’m certain ChatGPT could have done a better job. The critical reviews weren’t much lower than the original, which was not a great movie, but was fun, but this… was much, much worse. This is at a tie for the 3rd worst full-ZEJ rating all-time with Vengeance, only beaten out by Madame Web (3.58) and Megalopolis (2.67), and is ZEJ’s worst movie for 2025 thus far. I rated it lower than Madame Web myself, because while Madame Web is a HORRIBLE movie, it’s in the “so bad it’s good” territory. Nobody 2 is JUST bad.

-Z

Just a sad, sad sequel with no real purpose. Plot and pacing were all over the place with seemingly little logic applied. Very cringey dialogue. I can’t even really say it was fun, but the people sitting next to me were laughing pretty consistently, so there is clearly an audience for this. I love an action movie, but this just gave no effort.

-E

I can't say I'm disappointed in the movie because I didn't have extremely high hopes to begin with. However, I did expect it to be a decent film. After watching John Wick this past summer, I decided to give Nobody a try and I genuinely enjoyed it. That, plus our friend Austin wanting to see the sequel, gave me some excitement. About halfway through the movie I realized that this was just a money grab. The action was lackluster, the story was horrible, and the acting was, I hate to say, forgettable. This is one of the worst movies I've seen in theaters this year, and I truly hope I don't have to find anything worse.

-J

Z 2.5
E 5.5
J 5.0

ZEJ 4.33

Alien: Covenant

Alien: Covenant was an extremely frustrating watch. Much like Prometheus, there’s a lot of good and interesting things happening, but there’s so many bizarre decisions that it’s hard to really enjoy it. MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD. The biggest whiplash being that the “Ripley” of Prometheus, Elizabeth Shaw, who survived 1,000 deaths in that movie, is killed offscreen prior to the events of Covenant, so she’s just NOT IN IT AT ALL. The whiplash of that decision cannot be overstated, and makes me understand why Napoleon and Gladiator II were so bad - Ridley Scott was losing his touch. Not only that, but the whole mystery you’re unraveling in Prometheus is just dropped cold turkey in Covenant, as you discover the real origins Ridley would like you to explore, the xenomorph’s perfection. Which, to be fair, in and of itself is fascinating, but the way we got to it was too frustrating to appreciate it. Must watch if you’re an Alien fan, but otherwise, this is very skippable.

-Z

While I was really looking forward to a follow-up to Prometheus, this was a bit of a let down in that respect. I still enjoyed watching it despite a pretty predictable plot - I guess I’m pretty in on anything that advances the Alien universe at this point! Michael Fassbender continues to be great here, and a surprisingly serious performance from Danny McBride. But I would really enjoy another prequel movie that explores more of the plot that was getting set up in Prometheus.

-E

Z 7.0
E 7.25
J n/a

~ZEJ 7.13

Prometheus

Michael Fassbender’s performance in Prometheus has lived rent free in my head since 2012, and it was fun to revisit this movie and relive it. I had forgotten much of the rest of it, and so it was fun to re-experience the mystery of it be unraveled. And it really is a great unfolding. There’s a lot that’s great in Prometheus, but there’s also some pretty questionable decisions. Casting Guy Pearce as a 100-year old man. Giving Charlize Theron the most inconsequential character in cinema history. And the unearned “sacrifice” the pilot and his co-pilots make at the culmination of this movie. But the world-building and lore added to the alien franchise that this movie kicks off is really fascinating. Now time to finally watch Covenant.

-Z

I couldn’t remember if I had seen this with Z when it came out or not, but after witnessing some pretty visceral and memorable scenes, I can confidently say this was my first watch! Lots of Alien vs. Predator vibes here, which was a treat. Great world building that I didn’t know I needed to appreciate Alien even more. I’m just confused why they cast Guy Pearce in a role where he had to wear terrible looking old man makeup the entire time.

-E

Z 8.25
E 8.25
J n/a

~ZEJ 8.25

Freakier Friday

Compared to Happy Gilmore 2, Freakier Friday will win Best Picture. But that’s not saying much. The writing and plot was well below the original. While Jamie Lee Curtis’ acting was as good as ever, Lindsay Lohan didn’t quite have the same charm as her first performance. For a major Good Place fan, it was pretty eye opening to see Manny Jacinto’s dramatic chops, and he had me thoroughly convinced he was British in real life, to which I learned he’s in fact Canadian. If you’re a fan of the original movie, you’ll enjoy this, but that is about as much praise as I can give it.

-Z

The bar for me was high on this one, okay? And it did disappoint a bit. The plot did not always make sense like I feel it did in the original, perhaps because they were trying to recreate too much from it. I also didn’t think the acting was as strong as the original. Still, extremely fun to watch Jamie Lee Curtis do her thing and enjoy a bit of nostalgia. Excellent soundtrack!

-E

This is an interesting movie to review. On one hand, it did exactly what it went out to do. On the other hand, did we need it to do that? It was really a fresh take on the original with a lot of fan service, but again, that's what its goal was. It is a true good time at the theater and if you enjoyed the first, then you definitely should go before it’s out of the theaters.

-J

Z 7.25
E 7.25
J 7.25

ZEJ 7.25

Freaky Tales

A film I did not know existed. Scrolling HBO MAX, I stumbled upon this and thought it looked interesting. The simplest and best way to describe this film is just by saying, ‘This film rocks!’ It is filmed in a few different ways and goes through a few different storylines. Overall, I will say if you don't enjoy anthology films you may struggle with me, but please trust the wait is worth it. If you like Kill Bill, Scott Pilgrim, Pedro Pascal, or the downfall of nazis; you will find many smiles throughout the film.

-J

Z n/a
E n/a
J 8.5

~ZEJ 8.5

Weapons

Weapons was incredible. In the realm of Hereditary and Midsommar good, the gold standards for modern A-tier horror. While Sinners is more entertaining, Weapons is more of a horror film. Scary, thrilling, well-written, well-structured, and very funny. The acting is also incredible, as expected from Julia Garner and Josh Brolin, but Amy Madigan at Aunt Gladys is horrifically compelling. Austin Abrams is also incredible in his small role, his chapter felt very Breaking Bad to me in a great way. The mystery behind this movie was very clever and unraveling it to the finale was really satisfying. I really loved the ending, which can be so often disappointing in this genre. E and I missed Barbarian, and while that’s not as critically panned as Weapons, I’m really excited to watch that now, and will be particularly keen on all future Zach Cregger films.

-Z

I’m glad I went into this movie mostly blind - it was shockingly good and creepy! It went far beyond the expectations the trailer set up for me. Excellent (and again, creepy) child acting. Aunt Gladys was a horrific character in the best way. The style and structure were unique, but the ending felt a little off for me. I don’t even really like kids and I couldn’t stop thinking about those poor kids! Would recommend to any horror fans - perfect for the upcoming spooky season!

-E

Right now, I think this is tied with Sinners for the movie of the year. It had it all from scares to laughs, and everything in between. Most people who took the time to watch this film were there due to their love for Barbarian. I on the other hand was skeptical due to my average review of Barbarian. This movie hit all the right notes I think. My only issue with it is that the comedy to horror mix got a little too muddled, but overall that is a tough gripe. I would be fine just watching James chapter again, but I would recommend the whole thing!

-J

Z 8.75
E 8.5
J 9.25

ZEJ 8.83

Y Tu Mamá También

Rumor has it that this was shown in one of our high school spanish classes, and I can’t believe it. I gave it a watch after hearing that along with it being potentially ‘the sexiest movie ever.’ It definitely is sexy, but I don’t know about the claim that it was watched in a high school classroom. Overall, I really enjoyed this movie. Beyond the obvious themes that are in your face, there are many levels to this film. Immediately after I looked up the director's filmography and added a bunch to my watchlist. If you can watch a foreign film and enjoy them, this is a must watch film!

-J

Z n/a
E n/a
J 9.0

~ZEJ 9.0

Superman (1978)

After watching the newest version of Superman, I had to give this a watch. There is something so comforting and great when you watch an old film like this. It reminds me of when I watched the first Planet of the Apes. The colors, the acting, the stunts, and the special effects are just perfect. I am sure that boosts my rating some, but I think it is a cinematic must watch. A great look into ‘the’ superhero movie that starts a long road to where we are now! If you enjoy the fanfare of an old film with some cultural relevance, how aren’t you starting it right now?

-J

Z n/a
E n/a
J 8.5

~ZEJ 8.5

Fantastic Mr. Fox

This review is long due. I watched this before going to The Phonecian Scheme. It wasn’t that long ago that I had seen no Wes Anderson films, and I think that I have found the top of the mountain. This was an animated masterpiece along with fantastic (no pun intended) voice acting and a fun Wes-type story. If you like Wes at all, you need to see it!

-J

Z n/a
E n/a
J 9.5

~ZEJ 9.5