Aarcflick

 In recent years, we've seen countless classroom-commentary thrillers about "celebrity obsession." Specifically, premises about a lower-class protagonist trapped in a single location with a wealthy king of his craft with a cult following. His followers can be his workers (The Menu) or his supportive group of friends (Blink Twice). Either way, deadly complications arise and the protagonist has to do a "Get Out." What sets them apart, despite their flaws, is their distinctive take, tone, and perspective on a similar topic. Mark Anthony Green's Opus, however, comes to the party late, exhausted and confused. Like a student research paper written at the last minute, Opus tackles "celebrity culture" with little precision, because it's too concerned with doing a "Get Out" than being coherent in its discussion of the bridge between celebrities and journalists. Think of that theater critic scene from Birdman in all its weightlessness under the...

 That’s what I was planning to end with. I didn’t want to waste that last line. After taking some time to let it sit in my mind, though, I pass on F*** Marry Kill. The plot held my interest enough to keep watching, and I was genuinely curious to find out what happens. This is an attractive cast, including the men, and Virginia Gardner, one of my favorite movie stars, is billed as the second lead. I’ve watched all of her projects since the fall. The lead star is Lucy Hale. I’ve never seen Pretty Little Liars, but I know her from Which Brings Me to You, a streaming romantic comedy-drama that dropped earlier this year. She plays Eva, who just turned 30, who is single after an eight-year relationship with Jake, a local cop. She works as an assistant to her best friend Kelly (Gardner), a photographer. One of Eva’s friends hooks her up on a dating app. Meanwhile, there’s a killer on the loose, going around town murdering women on their first dates. Director: Laura Murphy Writers: Ivan Di...

When it comes to movies about parenting or raising children, you already know it’s going to be a little hard to swallow. There’s nothing fun about watching reality play out on screen, even if it’s someone else’s. But add to that the fact that these people are suffering and trying hard enough to break themselves to create something, and it just leaves you a little exhausted for anything else.  A Copenhagen Love Story is what some would call the embodiment of “modern love,” and others would call it trash for being too raw. I guess it’s a mix of the two. It feels trashy because of all the suffering you have to endure to have a slight glimmer of hope at the end, and it’s also a modern love story because of the rollercoaster ride it takes us on. Directors: Ditte Hansen, Louise Mieritz Writers: Ditte Hansen, Tine Høeg, Louise Mieritz Stars: Joachim Fjelstrup, Rosalinde Mynster, Anders W. Berthelsen In A Copenhagen Love Story, Mia, a successful writer, is reeling from the success of her b...

 In its quest to be artistic, Thai drama Dalah: Death And The Flowers loses its way from the start. Ironically, this mystery drama feeds its audience so many details that one wonders if they actually care about this mystery enough to bother doing it. In the show, a flower arrangement designer named Dalah is invited to work on the flowers for Thailand’s most anticipated wedding, that of prime ministerial candidate Anusorn “Ohm” Uathepa and Narisa Tangsinsup. However, a few days before the wedding, Ohm’s body is found in Dalah’s studio. Who killed Ohm and why did Dalah come into their lives? This is the basic premise of Dalah: Death And The Flowers. The show does a terrible job of establishing the two families in the first few episodes. They are both wealthy families and for some reason, the nephews and nieces look as old as their aunts and uncles, which left me completely confused at the beginning of the series. I mean, we all know that the big trend right now is for big whodunit ca...

Ever since the release of John Wick, every story about an individual with a violent past who turns to his old ways to do some good has been labeled as a rip-off of the action movie starring Keanu Reeves. But the fact is that this particular plot is as old as movies themselves. Akira Kurosawa used this trope in The Seven Samurai in 1954. Clint Eastwood’s Man with No Name is a recognizable figure in this action subgenre, and that character began his journey on the big screen in 1964.  In the 90s, we had The Long Kiss Goodnight. David Cronenberg gave us his own take on this kind of story with A History of Violence in 2005. If you dip your toes into Tamil and Telugu films and their Bollywood remakes, almost every project featuring an aging star has the same old narrative. I don’t know if the Japanese started all of this, but with Demon City, we are definitely witnessing a moment of coming full circle. Now, the question is, is this cliché running out of gas or does it still have somethi...

 No Address left me absolutely baffled. The film desperately wants to say something about the homeless epidemic in America. What it ends up saying is… there is a homeless epidemic in America. All the good intentions in the world can’t make up for a lack of focus or the absence of a coherent plot. An eclectic cast is forced to overact wildly as they try to find meaning in a film that has none. Most of the characters live in a Los Angeles encampment. Among them are drug addict Violet (R&B singer Ashanti), old man Harris (Xander Berkeley), who’s seen it all, drifting foster child Lauren (Isabella Ferreira), dementia-stricken former actress Dora (Beverly D’Angelo), and fugitive Jimmy (Lucas Jade Zumann). Then there’s Robert (William Baldwin), a struggling real estate agent hoping to kick these people off a lot he desperately needs to rent, so he doesn’t become, well, an assumption. If that wasn't enough, the film also features Bloodrayne star Kristanna Loken as Robert's wife, a...

 With Aitana: Métamorphose, Netflix offers an immersive documentary series dedicated to international singing star Aitana. The show promises to take a look behind the scenes at her career and personal life, between dazzling successes and challenges. Available from February 28, 2025. Aitana: Métamorphose follows the tradition of immersive music documentaries, offering fans a unique opportunity to access the private and professional life of their idol. Following her acclaimed appearance on Operación Triunfo, Aitana has become a key figure in Spanish music, racking up hits and collaborating with renowned artists. Star: Aitana This documentary promises to capture the key moments of her career, but also reveal the challenges and obstacles she encounters as she continues her rise. From her triumphs on stage to her doubts behind the scenes, this series could reveal an artist in motion, sharing her ambitions, joys and struggles. The documentary series "Aitana: Métamorphose" offers ex...

 Emilie, a disorganized thirty-something, feels like the world is against her. She's a single mother and broke. Her ex-husband has moved on and wants their daughter to live with him full-time. After an accident in their apartment, Emilie is forced to move in with her brother, a wealthy, athletic man.  However, her brother gives her an ultimatum: if she wants to continue living with her brother, she has to compete with him in the Birken, a 54km ski race. Emilie has never skied before, but what starts out as a nightmare slowly gives her a sense of accomplishment and hope for the future. Can Emilie complete the Birken race and prove to herself and the world that she's more than just a loser? Director: Hallvar Witzø Writers: Lars Gudmestad, Maria Karlsson, Vilde Klohs Stars: Ada Eide, Trond Fausa, Christian Rubeck Emilie, struggling to find money, being a mother and life in general, gets the chance to join her brother on the Birken Race (a 54 km journey on skis) during which she u...

Dakota Fanning (Watchers) is set to join director Bryan Bertino (The Strangers, The Dark and the Wicked) for the horror film Vicious, but Paramount has shifted its release date yet again, according to Deadline. Dakota Fanning is set to join director Bryan Bertino (The Strangers, Dark and the Wicked) for the horror film Vicious, which has been given a new release date today. Director: Bryan Bertino Writer: Bryan Bertino Stars: Dakota Fanning, Kathryn Hunter, Mary McCormack Paramount Pictures will release Vicious on February 28, 2025. The horror film was previously scheduled for August 8, 2025. “The plot follows a young girl who must spend the night fighting for her existence as she slips down a disturbing rabbit hole contained within a mysterious gift from a nighttime visitor.” Kathryn Hunter, Mary McCormack, Rachel Blanchard and Devyn Nekoda also star. Bryan Bertino wrote the script and will direct the film, an Atlas Independent production. Melinda Whitaker is executive producing, and ...

 Directed by Engin Erden, Chasing the Wind suffers from an inauthentic script and cliché-filled conflicts, but somehow makes up for it with its aesthetic setting, exceptional cinematography, and an appealing cast. The film follows the life of a successful businesswoman who is faced with the challenge of finding a way out of a difficult situation and saving her business. So, let’s find out what happened in the film and whether Asli, the protagonist, was able to save her company from drowning in debt. Asli, along with her father, Arif, and Nazmi (who was her father’s friend), were running a successful business, though in recent years, due to certain bad investments, the company had suffered huge losses. The CFO had embezzled a huge sum of money and Asli was in talks with the Maltese authorities to get her money back, as the CFO had probably made certain investments there. Asli was dating the company’s legal advisor, Cenk, and he informed everyone about the problems that could arise i...

 The ending of When The Stars Gossip reminds us that everything is a cycle and if one thing doesn't work, another will. However, the overly sentimental drama didn't pull off its second half well enough to have an impact on that ending. What's worse is that the last episode feels like you've hopped on a bullet train, while the middle part of the show felt like a drag.  I guess the writers had an idea - The universe is like a womb and a tomb - and they went with it; what happened in between just wasn't important. The ending goes from Eve finding out she's pregnant to her giving birth, and then I wish I could say the rest is history, which I guess makes sense for the show, but man, I absolutely hated that ending. But we're not here to review the show, so let's just jump right into the ending of When The Stars Gossip. Stars: Lee Min-ho, Kong Hyo-jin, Oh Jung-se The first half of the final episode takes Ryong back into space, this time with even less build-up...

 Last Breath is based on an incredible true story that scientists still can't explain. The survival drama tells the story of Chris Lemons, an experienced deep-sea diver who finds himself in a dangerous underwater situation when he is left alone at the bottom of the freezing ocean without oxygen. Lemons' story has become the stuff of legend and has already been the subject of a 2019 documentary, also titled Last Breath. The upcoming Hollywood adaptation stars Simu Liu from Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Woody Harrelson (Vemon: Let There Be Carnage) and Finn Cole (Peaky Blinders) as Lemons. Director: Alex Parkinson Writers: Mitchell LaFortune, Alex Parkinson, David Brooks Stars: Woody Harrelson, Simu Liu, Finn Cole Last Breath is based on incredible true events that occurred on a deep-sea diving mission in the North Sea in 2012. The mission involved divers Chris Lemons, Duncan Allcock and David Yasuda, who were carrying out repairs on the seabed about 100 metres below...

 Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX -Beginning- is a compilation film containing the first four episodes of the upcoming TV anime, Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX. The trailers made it seem like something similar to G-Gundam (much like how Gundam 00 shares a lot of elements with Gundam Wing). However, that's far from what we get in this film. Generally, there have been two types of Gundam anime: those that take place in the original UC timeline and those that take place in various alternate realities, realities that share little in common beyond a few key concepts like the war between Earth and space, mobile suits, Newtypes, and of course, the Gundams. Gundam GQuuuuuuX is a new generation of alternate universe Gundam, one that takes place in the UC timeline but a different version of the one we've come to know over the past 40 years. Basically, this anime is based on the question “What if Char found the original Gundam and stole it and became its pilot?” Director: Kazuya Tsurumaki Write...

 The world of European monarchies has often inspired film and television series, but Her Majesty has a decidedly humorous and irreverent tone. Created by Borja Cobeaga and Diego San José, this Spanish series imagines a deliriously fictional scenario: a young princess, Pilar (played by Anna Castillo), is suddenly propelled to the throne after a scandal involving her father, King Alfonso XIV (Ernesto Alterio). The problem? Pilar has neither the experience nor the will to govern. Considered lazy, insolent and irresponsible, she must now convince Spain that she can play her role... while proving to herself that she is capable of being more than just a dilettante princess. Stars: Castillo, Ernesto Alterio, Lucía Díez With its biting humor and satirical view of royal dynasties, Her Majesty could be reminiscent of series like The Windsors, which mischievously hijack the codes of power. Spain, 2024. Pilar is a young princess and future queen of Spain who is suddenly forced to lead the inst...

 George Lopez bids farewell to stand-up comedy with one last special, premiering February 18 on Amazon Prime Video. Filmed live from the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, “Muy Católico” sees Lopez reflect on aging, Latino family dynamics, generational clashes, superstitions and cultural quirks. Director: Troy Miller Stars: George Lopez, Mayan Lopez Lopez currently stars in his NBC multi-camera comedy “Lopez vs Lopez” alongside his real-life daughter, Mayan Lopez. The series, which was recently renewed for a third season, explores the dysfunction, reconnection, pain and joy of George and Mayan’s real-life father-daughter relationship through a fictional lens. Lopez has had a Hollywood career spanning five decades, in television, film, stand-up comedy and late-night television. He has a handful of HBO comedy specials, including “The Wall,” “It’s Not Me, It’s You,” “Tall, Dark and Chicano” and “America’s Mexican.” Her most recent comedy special was “We’ll Do It for Half,” which debuted in...

 Mickey Mouse horror movies show no signs of stopping anytime soon, and in 2025 another one is coming that will finally take the best out of Steamboat Willie. Horror adaptations of children's characters and stories are one of the most popular current trends in the genre, and one character that is being used by many filmmakers is Steamboat Willie. The classic Walt Disney short film entered the public domain on January 1, 2024, and a horror adaptation of the character, The Mouse Trap, was announced that same day, and that was the beginning of a wave of Mickey Mouse horror adaptations. 2025 is gearing up for the release of Screamboat, directed by Steven LaMorte. Screamboat takes audiences on a nighttime ferry ride through New York City, where passengers and crew are chased and attacked by a tiny but murderous mouse. However, Screamboat is not the only horror version of Mickey Mouse coming out this year, as there is another one that seems to go further in its violence, but also in term...

The film (Jiaolong Action) has received scathing reviews from audiences and critics alike. One of the main criticisms is the performance of the lead actor (Zhang Han Yu), who plays the role of the ship's captain. Despite his character's supposed years of experience, he is shown making rookie mistakes and displaying questionable leadership skills. For example, at critical moments, he is shown playing a harmonica, which has been perceived as unprofessional and immature. Others have also criticized the film, comparing it to other poorly received films starring popular idols. Some have expressed disappointment and frustration with the film's story and character development, feeling that it fails to live up to its promises. The phrase (порядочный traffic, rotten rice) has been used to describe the film, implying that it is a low-quality production that relies on the popularity of its cast rather than genuine talent or storytelling. Overall, the negative reviews and poor box offi...

 Two college freshmen make a pact to leave their troubled partners to live their best single lives in this well-intentioned but dull directorial debut. Decades after “When Harry Met Sally” asked audiences whether grown men and women can be friends, another romantic comedy poses the same question to a contemporary college audience. Yet in director Jordan Weiss’s “Sweethearts,” which revolves around two best friends who break up with their hometown romances over a holiday weekend, the traditional question waits until the final minutes to unfold, while a pair of separate screwball comedy plots have not been properly wrapped up. Though the film contains a talented cast and compelling sentiments about self-acceptance and platonic friendship, it comes across as two half-baked scripts fused together, held together by razor-thin connections. Director: Jordan Weiss Writers: Dan BrierJordan Weiss Stars: Kiernan Shipka, Nico Hiraga, Caleb Hearon Ben (Nico Hiraga) and Jamie (Kiernan Shipka) ha...

 Everyone you know is fighting a battle you know nothing about. It’s a cliché because it’s true, and it could be the motto of Pixar’s best creations: its animations have revealed the hidden feelings of toys, monsters, and even cars. That idea is what drives Win or Lose, the studio’s latest TV series, and in the moments when it fully commits to its philosophy, it offers a powerful call to empathy with a knowing smile. We watch the Pickles, a high school softball team led by swaggering father-coach Dan (Will Forte), as they play a crucial game. They win! They thus get a chance to play in the state championship seven days later, which is as terrifying as it is exciting. That’s the foundation on which each installment is built. Like a sports version of the multi-perspective arthouse classic Rashomon, we keep replaying the events of the same week, but through the eyes of a new person each time. Stars: Winston Vengapally, Chanel Stewart, Josh Thomson First up is Laurie (Rosie Foss), who ...

Steven Knight, the prolific writer, director and producer known for Peaky Blinders and Eastern Promises, returns to period television with another riveting series. A Thousand Blows is a six-episode pugilistic drama set in grimy 1880s East London, where ruthless gangsters rule the grimy, impoverished streets against a backdrop of ugly Victorian classism, racism and sexism. The story follows three radically different protagonists as they try to get ahead in a literally cutthroat world. An ensemble cast of iconic characters intertwines as plans for a better life have devastating consequences. Hezekiah Moscow (Malachi Kirby) and Alec Munroe (Francis Lovehall) are overwhelmed by the bustle of London when they step off their ship from Jamaica. The black men in straw hats and plantation clothes realise their status as second-class citizens as they search for cheap accommodation. They have little money but big dreams. Hezekiah has convinced Alec, his childhood best friend, to come along. They ...

 Elena (Sandra Echeverría) and Carlos (Michel Brown) are getting divorced. They are both very happy to finally be free of each other, until they remember how Cupid made a mistake in bringing them together and then Cupid magically appears taking them back to the night they met. The Spanish-language romantic comedy starts off fast and funny and then turns weirdly horrifying. The first half makes good use of time travel. The older characters come face to face with their younger selves, they can talk to them and interact with them. For them, it's simple, they just have to avoid falling in love. The younger duo is inherently drawn to each other and brings a very light and whimsical romance to the fun and funny premise. Director: Roberto Girault Writer: Roberto Girault Stars: Javier Adrián, Marypaz Aparicio, Harold Azuara The more we try to stop the younger Elena and Carlos from falling in love, the more the movie becomes too extreme. The older Elena, out of nowhere, decides she needs a ...