Aarcflick

 The stars play the sister and father of rival girlfriends fighting over the same spot in a big-screen-worthy comedy from “The Five-Year Engagement” writer-director Nicholas Stoller. It’s a sign of the times that a good, old-fashioned date movie starring two of the most bankable movie stars of the early 2000s, Reese Witherspoon and Will Ferrell, is completely bypassing theaters in early 2025. When it comes to writer-director Nicholas Stoller’s latest romantic comedy (if that’s the word for a movie in which two adults set out to sabotage each other’s wedding plans), you’re cordially invited to watch “You’re Cordially Invited” at home. The Prime release should do just fine on any scale while its stars are at each other’s throats, but it misjudges their chemistry in a gratuitous, slightly off-putting epilogue. Director: Nicholas Stoller Writer: Nicholas Stoller Stars: Will Ferrell, Reese Witherspoon, Geraldine Viswanathan As Jim, Ferrell is the first to be introduced, concerned about ...

 Since Stan Lee and Steve Ditko created Spider-Man more than six decades ago, the character has been one of the most enduring superheroes in popular culture. From comic books to animated series to a slew of live-action films (as well as the Oscar-winning 2018 animated film “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse”), Peter Parker and his alter ego have appeared in various forms. In Disney+’s “Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man,” creator Jeff Trammell put a refreshing new spin on Spider-Man’s origin story. The 10-episode debut season is beautifully nostalgic, while also capturing the essence of being a teenager in the 2020s. “Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man” premieres in Queens, New York. Peter (Hudson Thames reprising his role from “What If…?”) rushes to attend his first day of school orientation with his Aunt May (Kari Wahlgren). Peter is eager to begin his freshman year at the acclaimed Midtown High School, but things don't go as planned. Upon his arrival, he sees the students ...

 Since Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes first appeared in print in the 19th century, the forensic detective and his sidekick, Dr. John H. Watson, have been enduring figures in world literature and other media, including television. Recently, BBC’s “Sherlock” and CBS’s “Elementary” put successful spins on the beloved characters of Holmes and Watson. Now, “Elementary” writer-producer Craig Sweeny is offering a new (and completely unrelated) take on Dr. John Watson. While Lucy Liu played Dr. Watson in “Elementary,” in “Watson,” veteran actor Morris Chestnut stars as the title character. Set in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the series follows the brilliant, self-assured doctor six months after the death of his best friend, Sherlock Holmes. Holmes was killed by the malicious Professor James Moriarty (a rather shocking guest star). Though Chestnut is more than up to the task, a confused pilot and forced Sherlock lore make for a shaky start. “Watson” begins with the death of Sherlock Holm...

 Carrie Coon and Shea Whigham are on the loose in writer-director Jeffrey Reiner’s deft film, which mixes low-key dark humor and a whole lot of dead people. With “Lake George,” Jeffrey Reiner makes his first independent feature as a writer-director since the 1990s, after a prolific quarter-century helming projects for the small screen. The filmmaker has cited formative viewings of classic noir films on television as an inspiration, but this twist-filled story is more like the late Ross Macdonald’s melancholic fictions of the genre: low-key, funny, depressing but empathetic tours through the labyrinths of disillusioned and corrupt Southern California lives. Director: Hamid Antonio Castro Writer: Hamid Antonio Castro Stars: Mike Markoff, Cindy Kimberly, Sophia Zimba While there are a considerable number of dead people here, the path forged by uneasy allies Shea Whigham and Carrie Coon feels less like a thriller than a sad black comedy of errors, in which even the most violent charact...

 Celeste Dalla Porta gives a dynamic performance in the captivating Neapolitan drama from the director of “The Great Beauty.” “Parthenope,” a decades-spanning drama about a young woman born in Naples (the hometown of screenwriter-director Paolo Sorrentino), is an exquisite treatise on cinematic beauty. Chronicling her birth, her teenage summers, and the years she spends adrift as a young adult, the film is a heady reflection on the way people and places see each other — and the way they see themselves. Director: Paolo Sorrentino Writer: Paolo Sorrentino Stars: Dario Aita, Antonino Annina, Margherita Aresti Celeste Dalla Porta gives a captivating performance as the film’s title character, a woman of such breathtaking beauty that people stop and stare. Her allure is practically unsettling — an idea the camera embodies by presenting her through pristine, symmetrical vistas that appear suddenly, as if demanding that the editing skip over their dramatic connective tissue. After all, she...

A grim history lesson kicks off Round the Decay – pay attention, because it’s important later on. We start, I assume, in the 19th century: a chase through the woods leads to the capture of a Native American woman, who is then taken to the tent of a white settler, who seems to be waiting for her. He has plans, and not just for the land. His revenge against indigenous peoples isn’t the whole story – he has more than the conventional means at his disposal, including what appears to be the ability to resurrect the dead. But he needs sacrifices. Something monstrous, somehow dependent on a place and its people – that’s pretty much all you need to retain this film, as it’s a fairly old-school monster movie, using the familiar tropes and tricks of the genre to weave a decent, if not always innovative, horror narrative. Director: Adam Newman Writer: Adam Newman Stars: Victoria Mirrer, Damian Maffei, Sienna Hubert-Ross Continuing with the small community of Newport’s Valley, we move into modern ...

 The Seven Deadly Sins: Four Knights of the Apocalypse is coming to Netflix this winter. While the series premiered in Japan in Fall 2023, fans in international territories will now be able to enjoy all the action when the sequel hits the streaming platform, starting in January 2024. The hit franchise has five successful seasons under its belt, and Four Knights of the Apocalypse marks a brand new chapter for both the manga and anime adaptation, expanding the franchise with a new set of characters and story arcs. The upcoming sequel is based on the Four Knights of Apocalypse manga by Nakaba Suzuki, who also wrote and illustrated the original The Seven Deadly Sins, and ran in Kodansha’s Weekly Shōnen Magazine. Set many years after the events of the final season of The Seven Deadly Sins, Four Knights of Apocalypse centers on a boy named Percival who lives in Britannia with his grandfather. He learns of a life-changing prophecy declaring that a group of warriors, called the “Four Knigh...

 Perhaps because he decided that the relationship travails of white, middle- and upper-class American coastal men, which had been well-represented on the big screen in previous decades, had been overlooked of late, writer-director Noah Pritzker returns to the well of middle-aged male neurosis for his second feature and unearths information that isn’t enough to fill an enjoyable indie dramedy.  Driven largely by the affability of Griffin Dunne, who plays a reluctant divorcee whose elderly father has recently left his elderly mother and whose adult son has his own issues with women, “Ex-Husbands,” which has its world premiere at the San Sebastian Film Festival, is pleasant enough in its intention but stumbles along the way to its destination. Not unlike its bewildered protagonists, who seem unable to translate meaning well into doing it well. Director: Noah Pritzker Writer: Noah Pritzker Stars: Griffin Dunne, Rosanna Arquette, Richard Benjamin We meet Peter Pearce (Dunne), a New...

 The solid, well-acted debut from writer-director Kyle Hausmann-Stokes, produced by Travis Kelce, serves as a heartfelt call to audiences to support returning soldiers. “I’ve lost more men here than I did in Iraq,” a veteran testifies during one of the many group therapy sessions featured in “My Dead Friend Zoe,” Kyle Hausmann-Stokes’ moving look at mental health among former military members. Two decades of life experience and personal loss led the filmmaker to this project, which was inspired by the deaths of friends he served with during his five-year tour of duty in the U.S. Army. To be clear, most of the film is spent avoiding the kind of support veterans need, which is sort of the filmmaker’s point. Director: Kyle Hausmann-Stokes Writers: A.J. Bermudez, Cherish Chen Stars: Sonequa Martin-Green, Natalie Morales, Ed Harris Its main character, U.S. Army veteran Merit (Sonequa Martin-Green), is haunted by the death of her fellow soldier Zoe (Natalie Morales), with whom she served...

 Victim of Warner Bros.’ new cost-cutting strategy, this long-form Looney Tunes movie is seeking worldwide distribution. Look up “cartoon villain” in the dictionary and you’ll likely find a picture of David Zaslav. Since taking over Warner Bros. Discovery, he’s shelved not one but two long-form Looney Tunes projects. Last November, the live-action/animation hybrid “Coyote vs. Acme” was released, which got the “Batgirl” treatment (except unlike that movie, this one has already been made, so the tax-deduction reasoning doesn’t make sense). Lower-profile but no less deserving of a proper release, WB Animation’s standalone film with hand-drawn Porky Pig and Daffy Duck “The Day the Earth Blew Up” was made for Max but came out last fall. It’s still seeking U.S. distribution. Director: Peter Browngardt Writers: Kevin Costello, Alex Kirwan, Peter Browngardt Stars: Eric Bauza, Candi Milo, Peter MacNicol Fortunately, that didn’t stop the Annecy Animation Festival from giving “The Day the Ear...

 Diego Luna plays a political prisoner during Argentina’s military dictatorship, and Tonatiuh is the gay cellmate who escapes harsh reality by taking refuge in cinematic fantasy. A touching dedication at the end of Kiss of the Spider Woman reads simply: “To Fred, Terrence and Chita.” These are lyricist Fred Ebb, playwright Terrence McNally and original star Chita Rivera, key figures behind the 1993 Broadway musical, along with composer John Kander and stage director Harold Prince. The show won seven Tony Awards and ran for just over two years, though critics and audiences were divided, and it is largely considered a second-rate musical by the standards of Kander and Ebb, the celebrated team behind Cabaret and Chicago. Director: Bill Condon Writers: Bill Condon, Terrence McNally, Manuel Puig Stars: Jennifer Lopez, Diego Luna, Tonatiuh Bill Condon has a difficult task in trying to transform the complicated material into a great movie musical, but thanks in part to the laudable work o...

 Briarcliff Entertainment is gearing up to distribute another action film called Valiant One, which is, as the title suggests, about a brave soldier who is now in charge of leading a group of soldiers out of North Korea. Briarcliff has distributed several action films including Honest Thief (2020), Copshop (2021), Blacklight (2022), and more. When I first heard about the Valiant One film, I was immediately intrigued by its gripping plot and powerful themes of courage and survival. With a rich family history of military service, the premise of a U.S. Army team navigating impossible odds struck a personal chord. While this is a sponsored post on behalf of Review Wire Media for Briarcliff Entertainment, it contains my thoughts and opinions on a film I am very interested in seeing. Director: Steve Barnett Writers: Steve Barnett, Daniel Myrick, Eric Tipton Stars: Chase Stokes, Lana Condor, Desmin Borges Based on real-life events and starring Chase Stokes and Lana Condor, the film promis...

 Netflix's new reality series is redefining W.A.G.s. "The old definition of W.A.G.s was kind of like, 'Oh, I'm a kept bitch.' But now, I'm making my money. That's the new W.A.G.," says Porsha Berto, wife of professional boxer Andre Berto, in the show's trailer. Berto is one of eight ambitious women, with ties to athletes, musicians and powerful people, who appear in the streaming platform's new docu-soap W.A.G.s to Riches. "In this circle, we're all with high-profile men who lift us up. But we lift their asses up, too," another cast member says in the trailer. "We run our own businesses. Two hustlers are better than one." Stars: Sharelle Rosado, Maranda Johnson, Ashley Wheeler The reality show follows a group of powerful women “who are breaking molds and building their own empires, balancing thriving careers, motherhood and high-profile relationships, all while dealing with the glamour and drama that comes with their wea...

 Baltasar Kormakur directs the story of a widower with early-onset dementia who embarks on a transcontinental journey to find his soulmate during the pandemic in this tearjerker filled with humanity and hope. The one that got away is a romantic notion that has been widely propagated by pop culture cinema. And for good reason, as heartfelt drama and compelling conflicts authentically emerge from these run-ins with fate. Director and co-writer Baltasar Kormákur’s “Touch,” based on the novel of the same name by Ólafur Jóhann Ólafsson, expands on this swoon-worthy idea, elegantly crafting an achingly moving story centered on an older man searching for his true love amid a time of uncertainty. This gentle, unpretentious romance contains a touching ending that is as classically restrained as it is emotionally resonant. Director: Baltasar Kormákur Writers: Olaf Olafsson, Baltasar Kormákur Stars: Egill Ólafsson, Kôki, Palmi Kormákur Kristofer (Egill Ólafsson) lives a solitary life on the c...

 Movies where it’s revealed that the entire plot was happening in the protagonist’s head the whole time can either be very accurate or not. Yes, yes, I know that Albus Dumbledore told Harry Potter that even though their conversation was happening in the latter’s head, that didn’t make it any less real. However, using that as a plot twist always makes the whole exercise a little cheap, and the only way to avoid that feeling is to suck the audience into the narrative to such an extent that the last-minute attempt to recontextualize events doesn’t even matter.  For example, there’s The Wizard of Oz, which is such a magical movie that the knowledge that it was all a dream is almost irrelevant. Stay, Ghost Stories, Donnie Darko, and Identity all make more sense when you find out that it was all imagined by someone. The same can be said for The Lighthouse and Shutter Island. In the case of Pan’s Labyrinth, every element of that magical world takes on a touch of melancholy when you u...

 Disney+’s new thriller series Paradise follows Agent Xavier Collins (Sterling K. Brown) as he investigates a high-profile murder in the town of Paradise, an idyllic vision of anywhere in the U.S., reserved for the highest echelon of American society. By the way, I’m almost certain the town center is the same setting used for Stars Hollow in Gilmore Girls. I’d recognize that gazebo anywhere. Paradise starts off strong, but having been let down by so many streaming mystery series over the past decade, it’s hard not to approach any new drama with a hint of skepticism. However, after 40 minutes of brilliant pacing, stunning cinematography, great performances, and the exploration of a genuinely engaging little world, I had to admit that Paradise was laying down some particularly juicy bait. In the final minutes of episode one, when the story reveals its first major twist, I took that bait — hook, line, and sinker. I should have known, but I couldn’t help myself. Stars: Sterling K. Brow...

 From the moment con artist Max Mitchell (Vanessa Morgan) sets her sights on former detective Cole Ellis (Giacomo Gianniotti) in Wild Cards, the new Canadian police procedural premiering January 17 on The CW (and viewable on CBC Gem for my fellow Canadians), it’s clear we’re in for some good old-fashioned “will they or won’t they” procedural fun. There’s something almost nostalgic about a glossy dramedy starring pretty people that largely resolves everything in a tight 45 minutes, and instead relies on the captivating chemistry of its leads and the audience’s investment in each of them as people to move things forward. Fortunately for Wild Cards, the first two episodes of the series address this very well. Wild Cards follows skilled con artist Max Mitchell, whose luck runs out when she’s caught posing as a wealthy woman in order to open her safe deposit box. She is taken to the precinct and handed over to the reluctant custody of former detective Cole Ellis, whose recent demotion t...

 I should start by saying that I'm a huge rugby fan and I understand that they were always going to try and appeal to the unanointed. And to be fair, they've managed to turn the sport into a neat little consumable package and that's not a bad thing at all. The players they choose to focus on are (mostly) good to watch, especially the likes of Porter and Russell. All that said, the show is flawed. I feel like dedicating an episode to getting casual/beginner viewers up to speed and then going a little deeper into the sport itself may have been the more appropriate decision rather than the over-simplifying route they took.  Stars: Ugo Monye, Finn Russell, Stuart Hogg The sound effects on every tackle get boring pretty quickly, as do the angles that change every 5 seconds, and OMG someone has to answer for the NURSE amount of slow motion shots. The efforts to cinematize the matches fall flat and are just embarrassing overall. In short, there's something for everyone and gen...

 “I find it very, very difficult to function,” says Mo Amer. He spends his day in Hermann Park in Houston, the city he has lived in since he was 9. It is late March and the air is still crisp. Young parents guide their toddlers over twisted tree roots. Ducks quack in the distance. Amer, 43, is surrounded by a small but focused television crew that is here to help him realize his dream: to host and star in the first Palestinian-led series in American history. But lately, world events have made it harder than ever to publicly celebrate his heritage. The first season of “Mo,” which premiered on Netflix in August 2022, told a fictionalized version of Amer’s experience as a formerly undocumented refugee seeking asylum status in the U.S. Amer had been touring as a stand-up comedian for years, but the series cemented his place in the entertainment industry: After DJ Khaled and supermodel sisters Gigi and Bella Hadid, he’s the most famous Palestinian in town.  Creators: Mohammed Amer,...